Friday, February 10, 2012

February 2012

Yeah. I know. Been a while. Lots of changes in the last six months. I wanted to post many times, but I was either yelling in my head, and couldn't type fast enough, or was too embarrassed to say what was going on, or too busy with the holidays, or just avoiding reality.

Here's the deal. I was fired from my job. It was a very bizarre and surreal moment, and because blogs can be read by anyone, I hesitate to say too much. I loved my job, I loved the people I worked with, but I didn't love the lack of trust in me by the powers-that-be. I stood up for my decisions, got in trouble for my boss' decisions, and just wasn't allowed to do the things a development director should be able to do to raise funds for the school. This happened in October on a Monday. I went home sobbing- but the troops at home were not very sympathetic, and still aren't. But I digress. On Tuesday, I sent an email to my network of friends and former colleagues and said I was looking for a new opportunity. On Wednesday morning, a colleague opened her email, called me and told me to come in Thursday to talk. And that was it. I showed up for work on Monday.

I've been working part-time for Girls Inc since then. This woman, this Executive Director, had worked with me on a project, and wanted me to help her. She trusts me. I can write a letter to a donor and not get yelled at or see it come back with red pen (yes, red pen from another boss) all over it. Or have someone lecture me for fifteen minutes on the use of a particular phrase (what a waste of time. Just tell me it's wrong and I'll change it. Jeesh). We make recommendations to each other. She hands me responsibilities left and right, which is challenging to accomplish in four hours a day. But the goal is to become full-time. And I can't wait. Because I won't have as much time to obsess over that other place.

Yes, in the last five months other things have happened. I had my whole family home for Christmas. I got to go to a UConn game with my sister. Rosie graduated from college and is an almost full-time nanny while working on her writing. Grace is surviving in Tennessee. Christine and Leaf had a housewarming party, and the Giants gave them the BEST present. Emily is still sending us "Guess who I just met" stories from L.A. (because we are celebrity gawkers). Caprice declared a major and continues to make the Dean's List. And Matthew was tapped to help a troubled department while maintaining his senior reactor operator license (too long to explain).

So that's the haps from 4 Thomas Pointe. Hope all is well.

Love,

Valerie