New Job

Our financial situation was looking bleak, mostly due to our Utah housing situation.  I had already been looking for a part-time job occasionally over the past year, but I hadn't found the right one yet.  This fall, I knew that I needed to step up my search.  I finally found the right position and started my new job the second week of December.  Here's the story, since it was a long process. (I had to go back and check the timeline on this process to remember the details.)

 Every month, we participate in fasting (and prayer) with our church, usually on the first Sunday of the month.  Because General Conference was the first weekend in October, fast Sunday was moved to the last Sunday in September.  So I actually fasted twice in September (on the 7th and 28th), and both times were in regard to our financial situation and finding a job.  On September 24th, I saw a position listed on the Simply Hired website for a paid position within my church.  Most of our church positions are not paid positions - all the callings are volunteer, from Bishop, Stake President, Young Women President, to Nursery / Primary / Seminary teachers.  They're all volunteer positions.  However, in the church departments that don't work directly within a ward, there are several paid positions.  I was surprised to find out how many various church departments there are - Auditing, Communications, Church History, Information & Communication Services, Materials Management, Meetinghouse Facilities, Security, Correlation, Deseret Trust, Missionary, Office of General Counsel, Philanthropies, Directors for Temporal Affairs, Family History, Finance and Records, Priesthood and Family, Publishing Services, Global Services, Headquarters Facilities, Human Resource, Special Projects, Tabernacle Choir, Temple, Welfare & Self-Reliance Services, and Seminaries and Institutes.  I have a friend that works for the Church History department, so I knew there were some paid positions.  

This position was for an administrative assistant in Seminaries and Institutes.  I thought I knew exactly what position was being advertised, because one of the ladies in my ward worked as the secretary of the Institute here.  On Sunday, I decided to ask if she was retiring from her position, and she said, "Yes. My last day was on Thursday." (She worked there for about 30 years.) I told her I'd seen an advertisement for her job. I still was unsure if it would work for me, because I didn't know the hours or if I had the qualifications to be an administrative assistant.  On Monday, I decided to do one last search online for part-time jobs.  Again, I landed right on this position, in a random search for any part-time jobs available.  I felt like that wasn't a coincidence and the push I needed to apply, so I put in an application the next day (Tuesday September 30th).  

I didn't hear anything back very soon about my application.  On October 11th, Alex forwarded me an email that he received from the Institute Coordinator, asking Alex (as a Bishop) to pass along the job posting to anyone he knew who might be interested.  That was a little odd, because I didn't really want to compete with a lot of other applicants. Anyway, I understood that he had to send it out. The email went out to all the Bishops in the area. What I did get from that was someone I could contact.  Applying through the website, there was no contact information, so I wasn't sure where or who to follow up with.  I emailed the coordinator just to confirm that he had received my application.  He responded that he had received it, but they were still in the gathering process of applicants. I wasn't sure if that meant they had to leave it open for a certain time or if maybe they saw my resume and were hoping for more choices...  Anyway, I had to be really patient with the process.  

On October 21st, I finally got a phone call, but I was disappointed to learn they were looking for someone to work 1-5pm and be there on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  I had thought it was a morning / daytime position, with no evenings.  I told him I couldn't commit to those hours since I still had 3 kids at home, with lots of sports and activities during the afternoon and evening.  I had really been hoping this job would work out, so it was a letdown after our conversation.  However, about 30 minutes later, I got a call back, in which the coordinator said they might be able to work around my schedule.  He realized they had a senior missionary couple who could be there in the afternoons and evenings.  He was asking what my ideal hours would be, so my hope was renewed.  

Well, it was still almost another 2 weeks before I got a call to come in for an interview.  I was pretty relaxed for the interview.  I thought it might be more of a formality than of competing with other applicants since it seemed like they were tailoring the position to fit my schedule.  I got a tour of the institute building and then had the interview, which was a little different than I've ever done before.  The coordinator was obviously there in-person, but we were also on a zoom call with 2 other ladies.  I didn't really understand who they were, which was probably a good thing, since later I realized they were secretaries to my boss's boss.  I was talking to the regional administrative assistants for the CA South Region!  They were very nice though, so I felt pretty comfortable during the interview.  However, at the end, the coordinator said they had some other interviews, but I should know by the end of the next week about the position.  Hearing "other interviews" worried me a little bit.  I wondered if others would have a lot more work experience or be much more qualified than me.  (I never asked if they actually had other applicants for the job.)

Well, the interview was on November 4th and then the "end of next week" came and went with no word.  And then another week went by, so I thought maybe I didn't get the position.  Then on November 24th, I got a quick update that they were still in the process of evaluations, clearances, and such.  Finally, on December 1st (another week later), I got offered the job.  Basically, the whole process took 2 months.  It was worth the wait though.  I'm just glad I didn't have to start at square one with the job search after waiting around for a couple months with no job.  

My technical title is an Administrative Assistant for Seminaries and Institutes, but more simply, I'm the Secretary of our local Institute, which serves the college aged young adults.  My first day was on Tuesday, December 9th and worked the 2 weeks before Christmas.  I mostly worked on cleaning out and organizing my office the first week. It had several years' worth of stuff we didn't need and not much organization. I did some training the next week with the Regional Administrative Assistants. We also had a Christmas party luncheon with other area secretaries and spouses and a few regional people.  One of my first big tasks was to help with set up and decorations for the luncheon.  The senior missionary couple did a lot to help with that too.  Alex got invited to this luncheon as well, so he got to meet some of the people I work with and have a nice lunch.  

This has been the perfect job for me.  I have Mondays off, which is great since that's my day to chat with Jared.  I usually work Tuesday-Friday from 10-2.  Sometimes it's a little more, and twice a month I have a 9:30 zoom meeting with other secretaries.  That just means that another day I finish at 1:30 on those weeks.  It seems pretty flexible.  The hours are great, and I have all the normal holidays off, weekends off, 2 weeks for Christmas break, and a week off for spring break. I'm not sure what the summer hours will look like yet, but it will be less hours.  I'm really glad that I'm not going to miss any of the kids' events in the evenings and still be fully there for them in the mornings and afternoons.  

While my office is at the local institute building, my job also involves working with the seminary teachers (who teach the scripture study classes for 9th-12th graders) for 3 different stakes.  There are 14 seminary classes that I cover, plus attendance for 4 institute classes. I attend the seminary teacher training meetings and then help track attendance and prepare reports for seminary students.  I don't attend the evening institute classes, but I'm on a committee to plan and coordinate institute events and such.  I head up the service committee to help plan quarterly service projects.  We see the full-time missionaries a lot and they're part of the weekly committee meetings.  I also do the "waffle Wednesdays," making waffles for whoever comes in during 12-2 on Wednesdays.  We haven't had more than about 5 or 6 people for that yet.  I also have a financial component to the job, but it's pretty easy.  I scan receipts, code them to the correct account, and prepare the expenses to be submitted or reimbursed.  I really like doing the paperwork, the quiet environment, and all the independent work. The meetings and social part aren't my favorite, but the people are great to work with. 

I do have some weekend training meetings and occasional regional meetings to attend.  I recently had my first work trip ever.  The regional meeting started early on a Friday morning and would have been a really early start to drive there that morning.  So I got to stay at a motel overnight. We had a nice meeting with brunch and lunch included.  I also got an official name tag for my job.  I probably won't wear it very often, but it looks pretty cool.  

The Part-Time Job...

My last day of work at my part-time job at the print shop was on July 19th.  After much thought, fasting, and prayer, I knew it was time to move on to something else.  It was hard to quit because I wanted to stay and give the much-needed help to my boss with her small business.  I was very sympathetic to her family situation, and the hours and flexibility were nice.  I appreciated being able to work 10-15 hours a week while the kids were at school.  My boss allowed me to have the time off to get to the occasional kids' sports and school activities in the afternoon, as well as Spring Break and the holidays.  I can't complain about that part of the job; that part worked out perfect for me this past year. 

 However, the job itself was very stressful at times, and for the tasks I was doing, the pay wasn't sufficient.  After being in the job for only about 5-6 months, I was doing not only all the basic tasks of the print shop but several other tasks.  I was doing the basics, such as making copies, running the register, customer service, sorting and distributing mail, and working on print jobs.  However, not too far into the job, I was also helping with accounting, managing / training / finding tasks for other employees, janitorial tasks, trying to resolve maintenance issues, running errands, depositing checks, scouting out competitors prices, and even re-stocking supplies such as toilet paper, hand soap, paper towels, pens, and basic supplies that had run out (and I only used the bathroom maybe 1-2 times total in one week, so I barely used any of the bathroom supplies).  I was also being asked to do graphic design for a monthly newsletter that my boss is the editor of.  I've never had any formal training in graphic design (or even computers), so I was just doing my best with the personal skills I had developed at home.  It was hard trying to learn a new program and then be trusted to pass my work on to the client, sometimes without my boss checking what I had done.  

She did trust me a lot!  I'm guessing I was probably the most reliable and honest employee she'd ever had.  I showed up when I was supposed to and often left 15-30 minutes later than my end time but didn't report that in my hours, and I never just sat there and did nothing or scrolled through my phone.  I always found something to work on.  I was pretty much available to fill in extra days when she needed me to.  I also sometimes used my own money to pay for things, such as keys that failed to get made properly in the key machine or if I got the pricing wrong or forgot to have the customer pay for tape or something.  I always tried to take personal responsibility for any mistakes I made.  I made a couple of mistakes that cost about $50 out of pocket, but that was due to poor judgment call on my part.  I'm not very good at customer service because I'm sometimes too soft and sympathetic to the customer's situation.  One time, I allowed a repeat customer to take a job order without paying for it.  Her credit card had failed and she didn't have cash.  She was desperate to get the item to an event that morning, and she promised to return in the afternoon to complete the payment.  Since she was a repeat customer who had done several other orders, I decided to give in to her desperate pleading.  Well, she didn't come back in, and then she ghosted us when we tried to contact her.  I think she did eventually come back into the shop, but we hadn't managed to collect payment for that order by the time I quit the job.  So I didn't get my money back on that one.  I also lost money on another order when I made the same mistake.  This time, the guy said he was a good friend of my boss and would make the payment when he took her out for lunch the next week.  It sounded like they had a pretty good relationship and I believed that he would be honest.  He never came back in either... the thing about that one was I had messaged my boss while he was there to ask about him and she didn't warn me about him until it was too late.  She gave me a vague response about "it was okay if I was willing to cover the cost if he didn't show up".  After he left, she sent me another message saying not to give him even one business card because he was totally unreliable.  I wish she had said that in the first place, because I never saw my $20 again.  After that, I was under strict orders that no one could receive any print jobs without first paying for it (totally makes sense) - no exceptions was the new standard.  However, we nearly lost a client later when a very reliable client came in and wanted to handle the payment the same as had been done in the past - which was to have a bill sent to the business account for the order.  I told him I wasn't allowed to give him his order without payment.  He was furious that suddenly we were doing things differently.  Before I could get ahold of my boss, he had stormed out.  Luckily, after a frantic response from my boss, I called him back in time to come back and take his order without payment.  In my mind, I noted that there were still exceptions sometimes...  it helps to have been working there for several years to know when exceptions can be made and who to trust.  I didn't have that advantage, so it was hard to make judgment calls.  

Anyway, I also spent a lot of time trying to help organize things in the shop, which was really dis-organized and proved to be a hard environment to work in.  I often was cleaning up used food items, putting things away, finishing other employees' tasks, or trying to find things in the clutter.  Often as employees, we would get blamed for losing something.  That was really frustrating for me, knowing I hadn't been the one to misplace at item (and how can you really keep track of things in so much clutter?)  Luckily, for the items we needed to complete orders, my boss has an amazing memory for knowing where things are located in her shop.  On our phone calls, she would usually be able to describe to me where things were located.  Still doesn't mean it was easy to find the item or paper she had in mind, but she knew where it was!  I was always trying to get more organization and bought a few little organizational things for the shop.  Before I left, I even made a notebook with step-by-step instructions, with pictures included, on how to do most of the basic tasks of the job (so that new employees would have a reference for the basic tasks).  It was really overwhelming when I first started the job, in trying to learn all the different steps for each task.    

The other thing that I wasn't prepared for when I started the job was the fact that no one else was in the shop working with me.  Before I applied, I thought I'd be helping with tasks in the shop - not the one running the shop by myself.  Sometimes I didn't mind working on my own, being an introvert by nature.  However, when customers came into the shop, that sometimes brought a certain level of discomfort.  First off, I didn't know Spanish, so I had a hard time communicating with the customers who only spoke Spanish.  I had to get the lady in the store next door sometimes to help translate if she was there.  Second, it was hard to deal with the unhappy customers who came in or over the phone, especially when I didn't know how to solve the problem or any issues involving pricing (which I had not authority over on the projects).  Third, I sometimes felt very vulnerable with some of the men that came into the shop.  One day I was particularly shook up when I guy came in asking for help - who to begin with, didn't seem all there.  He seemed nice at first, but when we didn't have the service he wanted, he started demanding that I help him.  I tried to explain that we didn't offer that service, but he continued to insist that we did and I was going to help him.  He wanted a copyright license and I suggested he would have to look on-line for that service.  He demanded that I look that up for him and help him fill out an application.  I was starting to feel uneasy, but I didn't know what to do because he wasn't taking "no" for an answer.  I attempted to do a quick search online, which he could see from the computer on his side of the desk.  He kept insisting I go to the next step in the process.  We made it to a point that required $200-300 payment fee to apply.  That was the point that I couldn't go beyond.  I explained that he would have to do that on his own, but he said, "That's what we're doing right now!"  I tried to explain that I couldn't fill out an online application and process a payment.  He kept insisting that I could, and when I just stopped doing anything, he started pointing his finger and cussing at me.  He said a few times, "You better stop bull s__-ing me!"  I thought he was going to come after me.  He finally headed towards the door, but he stopped in the doorway and threatened me again.  Thankfully he didn't come back, but at that moment I realized how vulnerable I was as a young female in a store on my own.  

Another time, I didn't feel uncomfortable, but it was an interesting experience in knowing what to say when a guy came in who was literally ready to give up on life.  He said he was ready to quit, and I wasn't sure what he meant, but he made it clear that he meant on life.  He'd had a lot of challenges and in the middle of some legal battles.  He just didn't want to deal with it anymore.  What do you say to someone who is suicidal?  I told him he couldn't give up.  He looked at me and asked seriously, "Why not?"  I said something about life having meaning, that we have a purpose.  I also said we have trials and tests in life.  He asked, "You mean I'm being tested?"  We chatted a little bit more, and I explained how hard it was that my grandpa had given up on life, and how this life isn't the end.  The choices we make now determine what happens after this life.  He was really listening, even though I didn't feel like I was saying much useful.  But by the time he left, he seemed hopeful, repeating "Don't give up!" on his way out the door.  At least I gave him hope and motivation for one day.  

We had some interesting people stop by.  Another day, a homeless woman came in the shop and kept trying to talk to me, although I have no idea what she was talking about.  She lingered in the shop for about 2 hours, just kind-of talking to herself and dancing around.  I had a hard time turning away another woman who really wanted a book, but she didn't have any money.  If I could do it over again, I would have bought the book for her.  I knew I couldn't give it to her for free, but in the moment I didn't think to buy it for her.  

One of the funny moments, although also frustrating, was a time when the computer started randomly entering in letters and numbers.  I didn't seem to have control over it, and I couldn't do my work at that point.  I tried to problem solve, thinking maybe the keyboard was having issues, maybe a key was stuck or something.  Re-starting didn't help.  I messaged my boss, wondering if maybe she was connected remotely and a cat was sitting on her keyboard.  She wasn't at home, but she didn't think the remote connection was possible if I had re-started the computer.  I found another keyboard, traded out, and re-booted again.  The problem seemed to be fixed.  However, a little while later, after my boss had returned home, she sent me a picture... of her cat sitting on the keyboard!   

Another memorable time was when my boss and I had to muscle a giant shredder into place in the shop.  It had been brought in and essentially just dumped into the front of the shop.  We had to figure out how to maneuver it into place.  We really could have used some help, but with 2 determined (stubborn) women, we somehow got that thing in place!   

Well, I could probably write a lot more about the drama of the job, but I've already written a lengthy post. I wanted to document a few of the more memorable things.  Sometimes the job was pretty uneventful, but at times it brought stress and anxiety.  I wanted to stick it out longer to help my boss out, but I realized I wasn't doing what was best for our family.  The pay / stress level just wasn't compensating for the tasks and responsibilities of the job.  Also, getting paid less than minimum wage for most of the time, while also being paid "under the table" wasn't an ideal situation.  That also brought an issue of taxes and how to handle that.  After factoring in the percentage in taxes we paid out of pocket, I was essentially getting paid a small amount for a large amount of responsibility.  It was time to move on to other opportunities.  I was grateful that the job seemed to be perfect for our needs at the time.  I also learned a lot and gained some more confidence in problem solving and communication skills.  I know I was meant to be there for a while, but I'm glad that I can move on to the next chapter. 

Bakery

Jared has been working some Saturdays at our friend Donald's bakery.  Donald has been good about employing several teenagers and he makes some really good food.  Sadly, they just closed the bakery.  We went on the last day and got brunch - fruit plate and cinnamon roll french toast.  It was really yummy!  

If Jared and Grace look a little extra tired, it's because this was the day they got back from Disneyland at 4:00am and then went to work at 8:00am.

Changing seasons

Long post here... I turned 45 this year, and that seemed to mark the beginning of a new season.  I started a part-time job just a couple days before my birthday.  It's been a big change, having not worked outside the home for the past 20 years.  It was the fall of 2003, when I was pregnant with Nathan, that was the last time that I had a full-time job outside the home.  I have loved being a stay-at-home mom, not missing any special times with the kids, attending all the sports and school activities, doing a little volunteering in the classes, being there for the kids after school, and having time to just focus on my role as a mom.  Being a mom IS a full-time job, just without pay and often without recognition.  It's been so challenging at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I know both the career path and stay-at-home path have their own challenges, but I feel like my chosen path may have been the harder path.  I feel like women today are pressured into the career path, that somehow they're not a contributing part of society unless they're climbing up the career ladder.  I know that's not true, but that's the perception of stay-at-home moms.  I know that I have been really blessed to have a choice, to not have to work outside the home to make ends meet, but it's not without sacrifice.  While I was making my 45-question quiz, I realized how thrifty I've been (or maybe just cheap!) and also how much I've learned about being self-reliant and resourceful in these last 20 years.  

Here is my last quiz question:      

45.  Which ONE of these have I ever used professional services for?    

A.  Manicure     B.  Pedicure     C. Massage   D. Hair Highlighted      E. Ears Pierced     F. Kids Haircuts     G. Housecleaning     H. Grocery Delivery     I. Family Photos    J. Dog Grooming      K. Chain Link Fence Removal      L. Wedding Invitations      M. Wallpaper Removal    N.  Interior House Painting     O.  Christmas Cards      P. Photo Archival      Q. Tax Preparation

The answer is family photos.  We have paid for professional photos.  I haven't ever paid for any of these other things.  I do the house cleaning, get the groceries, wash the dog, do the haircuts, bake the birthdays cakes, prepare the taxes, and do a lot of the home projects.  I wear the same clothes over and over, and we buy a lot of clothes at the thrift store.  I drive around a "sunburnt" 2005 Honda with over 200,000 miles on it.  We don't have extra money with just Alex working full-time and living in CA.  The budget is tight, and I've made sacrifices to be a stay-at-home mom.  I've reflected on these choices quite a bit and sometimes wonder what my life would be like if both Alex and I worked full-time.  We'd for sure have more money - that's a given.  But would we be happier?  More comfortable?  Would we be able to provide more towards the temporal needs and wants?  Travel more?  Who knows... What I do know is I don't regret choosing to spend all my time focused on being there for my kids.  They'll someday reflect on my choices as well and realize that I chose them and sacrificed to be there for them.  I know full-time working parents also make sacrifices and make time for their kids too, but choosing to stay at home is a clear choice of one over the other.  I also know that I have built some pretty solid relationships with my kids, and it's because I've been there every step of the way with them.  I'm friends with my kids as well as being their mom.  

I've spent 20 years thinking about my choices and consequences and how to best help our kids succeed.  I know there's not one right path and many ways of success, but I don't have any regrets so far on my chosen path.  But that brings me to my new season.  As the kids have been getting older and more independent, I'm not needed as much for the daily tasks and have more free time during the day.  We're also on the brink of the college season and don't know how we'll help get our kids through college... 

For a couple of years, I had been considering finding a part-time job, but I didn't want to be unavailable in the mornings before school or in the afternoons when they have sports and other activities.  Ideally, I wanted a job 4-5 mornings a week from about 9-12. I still needed to be available for family vacations and not work on the weekends.  I didn't want a long commute.  I wasn't excited about working a fast-food job.  I needed a lot of flexibility, and I wasn't sure if that job existed.  

Jared had a temporary job during the summer working for a print shop.  It seemed to be flexible, as they worked around his summer vacation and cross country schedule.  It wasn't a lot of hours.  The print shop wasn't far from home.  I had the thought that I could maybe take over that job when school started.  Then school started, and I had some projects to work on and things to be organized.  I love having time to work on photo books or other projects.  After a month of doing other things, I figured that the print shop job had probably been filled already, so I wasn't actively thinking about finding another job.  Then the owner of the print shop sent Jared a message asking if he knew anyone who might be interested in working 10-15 hours a week.  He relayed the message to me, asking if I was still considering the job.  I was still interested... but the thought of working outside the home terrified me.  I didn't know if I was ready.

I didn't do anything about it that day, but the next day the thought came that it wouldn't hurt to go in and ask about the job ("just go and see" was the thought).  I put together a simple resume, which was a little odd because I didn't have any job experience in 20 years.  It was about 4:00 in the afternoon, and I was still scared, thinking about delaying until the next morning. I was still tossing around the idea of working in my head, but the voice in my head said, "Just go now." It was almost like a little argument in my mind.  "Okay..." So I bolstered up my confidence and made the drive over.  I walked in the shop, introduced myself as Jared's mom, and asked about the job.  She was surprised, not expecting Jared's mom to come in.  I was equally surprised, not sure what I was doing.  We sat down and chatted about the job, the expectations, my availability, etc.  She asked if I could come in the next day for some training.  I was there for about 5.5 hours, learning about the different tasks.  There were so many steps and things to remember; my head was about to explode with information overload.  And then... towards the end of the day, her current employee called and quit, so then she didn't have anyone else to work during the morning.  She asked if I would be ready to be in the shop on Thursday on my own... I knew I wasn't ready and told her that, but basically said if she wanted me to try then I would be willing.    

The owner of the shop needed to take care of things at her 2nd home, which was 3.5 hours away, along with taking care of her mom that has Alzheimer's.  She assured me that I could call her any time and she would be working remotely through the computer system.  Okay, so here we go... 

I was on the phone most of the first day trying to figure out how to complete basic tasks.  I didn't even know how to work the copy machine!  It took at least 10 minutes just to find the power button.  We had a lot going on that day, with projects to print, packages to check in and out, mail to be distributed, people wanting copies or fax.  The toner needed to be replaced on the printer, which I had to figure out on my own.  The computer system went down for a bit and had to be re-booted.  The shop owner's phone died, so I had to figure out how to print from a thumb drive.  I didn't even know how to process a payment.  I had to learn how to do shrink wrap from instructions over the phone.  A random guy, who looked homeless, wandered in the shop with his bike and several grocery items.  He handed me a package of hotdog buns and asked if I could put them back in the fridge... it seemed like it was something he did often, so I just asked if he wanted me to put his name on the item.  He said, "No."  But then he decided that he wanted to put some more things in the fridge.  Meanwhile, his bike fell over, spilling liquid all over the entryway.  So I worked on cleaning that up while he fished around for more items to store in the fridge.  He then disappeared for a while, leaving the bike there.  I called the shop owner and she assured me that it was okay, because he was coming in to work there on Saturday... it was a pretty crazy first day.  

Things seem to go wrong a lot with machines and new projects require me to learn tasks on-the-spot.  I had to replace the label roll on the package mailing system by googling it and finding the instructions on-line. It's hard to find things, like specific boxes, envelopes, or paper in the shop.  I have to call or email about orders or payments, and I don't know how to answer most questions from the customers.  I'm not a customer service person, so that's the most challenging part of the job. I got in the middle of a payment issue one morning, after having sent an email dictated by the shop owner. The client called the shop and was really upset about the email that I had just sent and signed.  I didn't know what was going on with the project or payment arrangements and was directing that client to speak with the owner.  The client wasn't nice to me, but I did my best to listen to her as she threatened to not do business with us anymore and pull out of the project.  I then called the owner and explained the phone call and that she needed to speak with the client, which she did.  She smoothed it over, but what I wasn't expecting was the client complained about me personally, saying that I laughed at her while we were talking and that the client's mom had been in the shop the previous day and had a horrible experience.  It was me who was helping her, and I had no idea what "horrible experience" she had, because I was friendly and helpful while working with the customer.  It's hard being the only one working in the shop, trying to manage the usual tasks, unexpected things that happen, and customers who come into the shop with immediate things to be done.  It's also hard to get blamed for things that are lost, the cash register not balancing for the day, or things going wrong.  There are good and bad days, which is probably basically every job out there.  I just try to be calm and roll with whatever happens.         

Things have gotten better since learning the basic tasks of the shop, but I'm still learning how to do some things.  My hours per week are a little more than I expected, averaging about 17-18 hours per week, with the most being almost 23 hours one week.  We had a project requiring a lot of time to complete and not having anyone else to work during the morning.  Usually I work 3 days a week, from about 9-2:30, but sometimes I work 4 days a week.  I often don't have time to eat lunch and sometimes don't even take a bathroom break. The hours are both challenging and yet still somewhat flexible.  I haven't had to miss the sporting events in the afternoon yet.  I had a very light schedule over the Thanksgiving week.  I don't have a long commute to work, it's pretty flexible, and I'm making a little extra money to help with the family finances, so it's working out so far.  I'm still unsure about this new season of life, but I have a feeling I'm doing this job for other reasons beyond what I can see, so I'm sticking with it, trying to keep a good attitude and be a positive influence for those around me.