When it rains, it pours…

Since yesterday I have new responsibilities at work.

Why? Because one of my colleague, the one in charge of the HR is on a maternity leave (I’ll get back to that later on), the boss has decided that I had to be the right one to get her dept.
My opinion is that I was the easiest and, most of all, the cheapest solution available.
She was working part-time for 30 hours a week.
Basically I’ll have to do her job in no more than 10-12 hours/weekly, possibly without cramping my other job’s responsibility and without exceeding with extra working hours.

(Of course I’ll also have a raise accordingly to the work load).

Pros:

• extra money (I’m not greedy but in this time of crisis be economically independent has its perks…specially considering that my parents still pay for everything and that my salary goes right away into my savings account, or as I call it the “Me.Buy.Porsche Account”)
• more experience in a work field I don’t know very well
• earning new work skills to add in my resume.
• considering my other activities, my connections and my current status in this place, with this new dept that I’m in charge off I’m going to be considered the right hand of god… at least on the work hours.
• the chance to show that the soon to be-mommy was a slob on work. (I know… what, no feminine solidarity? Well I’m all for sisterhood and ya-ya but I draw the line with morons, no matter the gender, I’m an equal opportunity pain in the ass…)
  

Cons:

• I’ll now have to take crap from every employee about holidays, authorized leave, salaries, retirement founds, disciplinary complaints and everything concerning HR… did I mention that I’m not a people person at all??
• As much as I would like not to I’ll have to work more hours, hence less me time.. and I love my me time. First thing I’ll have to cut off is the tennis team. As much as I love playing tournaments it will be almost impossible for me from now on. I’ll keep the training schedule, I’ll be a sparring partner for the other gals but I’ll ask the coach to count me as a bencher from now on.
• I’ll have less chance to get away from work early or even take days off since the presumably increasing work load (plus the other family issues I’m dealing with lately), which is dreadful considering the already scarce occasion me and GF have to spend the weekends together.
  And that’s the biggest cons of all.

This new work development has made me think about how easily and how fast I can be diverted from my life plans.

Just considering how many times I’ve changed idea in just 1 year.

In late May I came back from 17 days holiday in San Francisco with the resolution to move there at the end of the year no matter what.

The resolution slowly faded away during summer when real life (and Lady reasoning) hit me hard making me realize that before doing anything drastic like moving in another continent I’d have to complete my grade school if I didn’t want to end up like an hobo.

Then in early fall I started considering the options about quitting my job at the end of the year and focus solely on my studies.

Then I received another 2 job offers that didn’t get through for different reasons but that made me realize that I enjoy work way more than any academic achievement.

So when it came the occasion to renew my contract and get a little promotion I took it convincing myself that I could have been able to juggle both work and studies. Wrong assumption.

In the meantime I also managed to meet GF and fall in love and now I spend way to much time thinking that the U-haul joke isn’t that much funny anyway….

(I know, I must find her a suitable nickname, somehow I think she wouldn’t like me calling her Pookie in here :P :P – that’s a RENT reference for the straight of you… )

Now I slightly feel like I’m stuck in a job that I don’t particularly like but that somehow I’ve been doing for almost the last 2 years… which is not a good sign.

When did I start acting like an adult???

Btw… I wish I had known sooner that there was an opening at my dream job (no, and it’s not masseuse for the USA Volleyball team…)

And to end with a last random consideration…
(no, I’m not gonna talk about the dreaded L Word finale… I’m taking the high road… actually I might suggest anyone who hasn’t seen the episode yet to do the same… or at least watching it while high…)

I’ve already told that I’m not used to relationships.
There are unwritten rules about it that I’ve always voluntarely ignored and that now I’m desperately trying not to forget.
Like anniversary and important dates for example.

One of my doubts is “When does a relationship officially start?”

Considering that my nickname used to be “Yogurt”, for my tendency to have girlfriends with a no more than 2 weeks expiring date, I never had to care about triviality like monthly-versary (not sure it is a real world :S)
and such.

But in your wise opinion when does a relationship start and which dates should be remembered or even celebrated?

First meeting? (and in this time and age does chat-meeting or forums count too?)

First date?
First kiss?
First “time” together?
(Should we call it “Hat trick” if the 3 events happens the same day?... what? don't look at me that way... like YOU are all saints and nuns anyway... :P )

First time you've said “I love you”...

Or as Lady suggested “first time you accordingly changed your status on [insert social network of choice]”

Technology.. always looking to make your life easier… or not??!!

So, care to share your thoughts about it?