Thursday, January 22, 2015
Monday, January 19, 2015
Twas the Night Before the Semester
My next two grad classes start tomorrow and I am (dare I say it?) ready for the semester. Josh the Husband has been sick all weekend, so we're been spending our time in bed with hot tea and honey, drinking banana milkshakes (him), and watching marathons of our favorite things: Marvel for him, Harry Potter for me. Let's face it, I can never get enough Harry Potter.
But I'm excited to enter another semester of my grad program. I'm interested in the classes, and I think it'll be nice to get back into a routine instead of just coming home and doing nothing for three hours lol. Plus, I'm approaching the end of the program! A year ago I was just starting, and I was terrified that I would be unprepared or the dumbest kid in class. Now, five classes later, I'm ready for the challenge. A year from now, I should be ready to start my thesis. A year from May, I should graduate with my MA!
But for now, I'll just focus on the upcoming semester and my two classes: one in theory of mass media, and one in qualitative research methods. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
New Job, New Desk, New Ghost
I was recently promoted (!!!) to an internal communications position with my company, and I am in the midst of learning so much about quality, safety, security, environmental and health for contracting (whew, that's a mouthful). But I really love it. I'm busy all the time, so by the time you read this (a scheduled post), I'll be busy busy busy in the middle of my new job!
The best thing about my new job is that it comes with an office. My own office. My own tiny, cold, potentially haunted office. But, because I've never had my own office with my own door that I can close, it looks like the most beautiful office in the world to me.
In my other job, I worked in one big office with my three (sometimes four) officemates, including my boss. We all worked pretty well together because everyone was considerate about food/loud music/personal conversations, but it did cause some overlap in our daily lives. For instance, when I would answer a phone call and get dragged into a long conversation, my boss might step in and ask me who I was talking to, or ask me to ask the caller to call him instead. Equally, if someone asked me specifically to do a task, he might ask me to ask the caller to direct all duties to him (my boss), and he would assign it out. Sometimes that would be the most efficient way, but sometimes it made me feel a little micromanaged. Overall, he kept out of our business, but being mere inches from your boss's desk is bound to create work overlap.
My new boss is several doors down. I immediately tried to revert back to my old ways, and told my new boss what I was working on or why I didn't answer my phone, and he just stared at me for a few seconds and then said, "Okay..." Translation? "I don't care, do your own work." So, big change.
My new office is also freshly decorated (the desk, at least) with my new Rocket Raccoon bobblehead my husband got me (love the movie!), and a little T-Rex figure that I've had for years. Add a few photos of my wedding (our first kiss, one with my bridesmaids and one with my parents), and I feel right at home.
Now to deal with that pesky ghost... more on that later!
<3
The best thing about my new job is that it comes with an office. My own office. My own tiny, cold, potentially haunted office. But, because I've never had my own office with my own door that I can close, it looks like the most beautiful office in the world to me.
In my other job, I worked in one big office with my three (sometimes four) officemates, including my boss. We all worked pretty well together because everyone was considerate about food/loud music/personal conversations, but it did cause some overlap in our daily lives. For instance, when I would answer a phone call and get dragged into a long conversation, my boss might step in and ask me who I was talking to, or ask me to ask the caller to call him instead. Equally, if someone asked me specifically to do a task, he might ask me to ask the caller to direct all duties to him (my boss), and he would assign it out. Sometimes that would be the most efficient way, but sometimes it made me feel a little micromanaged. Overall, he kept out of our business, but being mere inches from your boss's desk is bound to create work overlap.
My new boss is several doors down. I immediately tried to revert back to my old ways, and told my new boss what I was working on or why I didn't answer my phone, and he just stared at me for a few seconds and then said, "Okay..." Translation? "I don't care, do your own work." So, big change.
My new office is also freshly decorated (the desk, at least) with my new Rocket Raccoon bobblehead my husband got me (love the movie!), and a little T-Rex figure that I've had for years. Add a few photos of my wedding (our first kiss, one with my bridesmaids and one with my parents), and I feel right at home.
Now to deal with that pesky ghost... more on that later!
<3
Monday, January 12, 2015
Coming Home
So.
It's been approximately 1.5 years since I last blogged. Hello? Is there anybody out there?
Let me see if I can update you in 100 words or less.
Marriage: awesome.
Family: awesome.
Job: Promoted to coordinator!
Husband: even more awesome :)
Dogs: Shadow is perfect. Khaleesi (our new baby) is amazing, too.
School: Hard. But still great.
Done!
In all seriousness, life is pretty good. I'm halfway through my online journalism graduate program at the University of Missouri (Mizzou) and while it kicks my rear each class, I just love love love it. I'm really trying to soak it all in. It's just such a wonderful experience and I really feel lucky to have such a great opportunity to learn so much from everyone, my classmates and professors combined. I'm studying interactive media and it is just so much fun.
I say that now, while I'm on the back end of a SIX WEEK vacation from school. Check back with me when I'm working 40+ hours a week and then coming home to 20+ hours of homework/studying to do.
I'm excited to get back into blogging. I really love to write, and I think this will be a fun place to come and just write: not for my internal communication position, or my freelance writing, or my column. Just for me. I also changed the name to Jenna Tonic, a funny pun my best friend Thomas uses based on my favorite alcoholic drink, gin and tonics. I hope this blog will be something like a gin and tonic: refreshing, light, and a little tipsy :)
It's been approximately 1.5 years since I last blogged. Hello? Is there anybody out there?
Let me see if I can update you in 100 words or less.
Marriage: awesome.
Family: awesome.
Job: Promoted to coordinator!
Husband: even more awesome :)
Dogs: Shadow is perfect. Khaleesi (our new baby) is amazing, too.
School: Hard. But still great.
Done!
In all seriousness, life is pretty good. I'm halfway through my online journalism graduate program at the University of Missouri (Mizzou) and while it kicks my rear each class, I just love love love it. I'm really trying to soak it all in. It's just such a wonderful experience and I really feel lucky to have such a great opportunity to learn so much from everyone, my classmates and professors combined. I'm studying interactive media and it is just so much fun.
I say that now, while I'm on the back end of a SIX WEEK vacation from school. Check back with me when I'm working 40+ hours a week and then coming home to 20+ hours of homework/studying to do.
I'm excited to get back into blogging. I really love to write, and I think this will be a fun place to come and just write: not for my internal communication position, or my freelance writing, or my column. Just for me. I also changed the name to Jenna Tonic, a funny pun my best friend Thomas uses based on my favorite alcoholic drink, gin and tonics. I hope this blog will be something like a gin and tonic: refreshing, light, and a little tipsy :)
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