bestest b-day :D

Happy birthday to me! Two more years to 40.

It's been the best birthday ever, so far.

My present! :D

1.) I'm spending it with my favorite people every (Johnny and the kids), and they're doing everything I tell them to do.  *Evil grin.*
2.) Today is the day that the renter of the unattached garage/mother-in-law is supposed to be moving out, and we are going to acquire it. John and I are on pins-and-needles, because we can't wait to see inside! If it's big enough, we may move our bedroom out there and leave the house to the teenagers; good riddance! The bad news is, it's noon and there is not a single sign that he's packed a single box, much less ordered a moving truck. 
3.) Yesterday I received the formal offer for a new role at my company that I recently applied for.  There are many upsides to this new role, including that:

• It's a brand new marketing & sales Writing/Editing team. I love that I will be more focused on business writing and editing versus portfolio account management. I also love that it's a new team that's still hammering out its scope of services, so it's a little entrepreneurial in spirit and will remain so for a couple years to come. But once the dust settles, I'll be in a leadership role and will be very well placed for success. 
• It's a manager role with a big raise. So we can finally start thinking about buying our own house. 
• It's a full-time, work-at-home position. No more commute! Or rather, my commute will be stepping out of the Mother-in-law (brrr!), into the house and upstairs to a tiny, extra bedroom that I'll convert into my at-home office. 

worked 112 hours in last two weeks...

And I don't see it lightening up any time too soon. But I can hardly complain, after working so hard to get the job! :) The good part is that I am walking almost normally now, post-surgery. I can't make a full stride -- I know, because I tried today on my way to the library -- but I can put my full weight on my leg. I figure a little physical therapy should work wonders on my stride, since I simply haven't been able to walk with a full stride in about a year. No wonder the muscles have shrunk.

Yesterday was my son's 14th birthday party. "Angst" and "puberty" and "emo" have cropped up in his daily dialogue.  It was almost too humid to live, so we spent it out on the porch, or downstairs in the basement. I love the sun, craved it so bad when it was playing least-in-sight, but now that it's here... ;/ It's so humid. What the hell. I won't be overheated, but I'll be pouring sweat and sticky. Argh.

But next week I'm heading with my extended family to Long Beach for a week. Parents, sister+triumvirate, cousins and chil'ens. That... almost sounds relaxing.

Kinda.

showin' up proud

I just heard that I will be receiving a letter of offer for the position in Sales & Marketing that I've been working toward for the last 3 months, as soon as I return from medical leave for my hip.  I am so happy about this job---I've been working hard to prove myself to the members of that group for 2+ years now, developing relationships and proving---the old fashioned way---that I am a great addition to the team.  It's such a great feeling when it finally pays off, after 4 years with the firm.

The firm I work for has such a high performance expectation that any promotion at all really means something. First you need to prove yourself to the recruiting officer down in Florida, who doesn't know you from Sam. Then 5 interviews with the local partners and the Director of the department... The competition is extremely sharp and well-educated, which I am not. Working up within a company that doesn't hire anyone without a degree, with no college education to call my own, can really make you question yourself.

Well, I'm done questioning. I'm going to blow their socks off, for the uneducated everywhere.  I got your back! ;D