I can’t help it. I just don’t really feel like blogging lately. I think I was using it as a way of feeling like I was talking to people.
I guess I don’t really feel like talking much lately.
Work has been great, and maybe that it is it. My blog used to be an outlet but I don’t really feel like I have much need for an outlet right now – or the blog is the wrong outlet.
Who knows. But feel free to request to follow me on Twitter: @carrierae.
Check out this website. http://www.mikeroweworks.com/mikes-office/
Click around, go to all the tabs and all the pages. Listen to the mission of the site.
I’m really impressed and totally hope that this website is incredibly successful.
Yeah, I haven’t blogged in a while. Oops.
Let’s see…what’s changed.
New job!!!
Tim’s accident
Killer allergy season
New Job:
International Accounting baby! In the last couple of months I have been exercising my brain in ways that it hasn’t been used in several years. I could not be happier about that. I have a great boss and amazing co-workers. They are so giving and patient with me. I am in a place that values and puts a premium on partner development. They encourage me to try new things, and are always willing to listen to my process improvement ideas. I cannot stress how much of a 180 degree difference that is from my prior department. Thus, my stress level has dramatically decreased and interestingly enough, I’ve noticed that my posture is getting better. Who knew that feeling like you were being targeted for nefarious reasons/dumped on by management/micromanaged beyond belief/punished for no good reason/working in a stressful environment would affect how straight you sat in a chair…..
Tim’s accident:
We all by now what happened. They were on vacation in LA. Car stopped in front of them. They stopped, the car behind them did not. She was speeding (15+ over the posted limit) and was also talking on a cell phone at 12 MIDNIGHT. Tim very hurt, but miracles ensue and he will be fine. Eventually. After a long rehabilitation process. Long. He is miserable on his couch, but slowly getting more mobile. At least he is home now after 2 weeks in Cedar Sinai Medical Center.
Killer Allergy Season:
The pollen is so thick that it looks like it is snowing. All medications feel ineffective. Constant sneezing has led to:
http://cerakmorrellupdate.blogspot.com/
Carly is a friend of my cousin’s (and mine). Her sister is Whitney, was one of the two girls whose identities were switched after a horrific car accident.
Whitney is joining Carly after she graduates from college this summer. She feels as though God gave her back her life – so she is going to do something powerful with it.
I think starting an orphanage from scratch in a foreign corrupt land just about covers it.
Just to back track a little, the Sunday after I met with Dept A (see Update 1) I really felt broken and wrote down a novella prayer request for my pastor and his team so that the various politics and issues and potential movement out of my current department at work could be brought before the Lord on an even bigger scale.
Sometimes, quantity really does help! And, even better when that quantity is QUALITY….which was the case here.
So back to Wednesday. Dept B calls me up and asks to talk to me about a job. Example 1 of God’s faithfulness: I was too intimidated to apply for this position in the first place, and he called me.
Thursday brings about my meeting/informal interview.
Example 2 of God’s faithfulness: First words are “This would be an excellent move for you. You come highly recommended and are very well known in this building.” Editors note: I have no idea how I did not fall off my chair when he said that.
Thus ensued about 30 minutes of me being just wowed by the favor I was being shown by someone who essentially acted as if the job was mine to lose.
Example 3 of God’s faithfulness: My current manager saw me in the meeting/interview but did not ask questions so I was allowed to control how the potential application process was “shared.”
Example 4 of God’s faithfulness: I was too intimidated to apply for this position in the first place, and he asked me to officially apply.
Thursday afternoon, I applied for the position. By Friday afternoon, Recruiting had contacted me to set up TWO more interviews – for Tuesday morning and afternoon respectively.
Example 5 of God’s faithfulness: The interviewees are both incredible women that I already looked up to and who were just amazing and totally put me at ease. It was the 2nd greatest interview experience ever – the first being my “information session” with the hiring manager that prior Thursday.
I had a debrief session with the recruiter immediately after. The process is usually you are pre-screened with the recruiter first but this entire process was completely backwards because of how I had been recommended by the hiring manager of Dept A.
Example 6 of God’s faithfulness: I knew within less than 24 hours after my interview that I HAD BEEN OFFERED THE POSITION OF ACCOUNTANT II!!!!
God’s timing is absolutely perfect, and this is such an amazing example of that. Late last summer, I almost applied for an accountant I position in a completely different department. I would have been unhappy, with less salary.
I’m now a part of an incredible department that has a wonderful reputation for caring about their partners and being committed to not only excellent work, but creating and promoting excellent partners.
Example SeventyBillion of God’s faithfulness: I was hired for my potential, not just my current level of experience and my new manager is completely committed to skyrocketing my career as far as I want to take it.
God has given me this gift and I cannot wait to do absolutely everything about this role so that it brings glory to HIM WHO IS FAITHFUL.
And, I could not believe more that this all came about because of the people who have been praying for me over the last few weeks. God heard and more than answered your prayers. I feel so incredibly blessed by you all!!!
Yeah so I haven’t felt much like posting a very long time.
Here’s the short version.
Survived the layoffs. Demoted in job responsibilities (not title), and moved to different management that did not in action seem to be very supportive of my education and experience (read: no partner development opportunities).
“New” responsibilities are so easy that I’m totally bored within the first couple hours of each day. There is no challenge, and no enagement in my duties. Within a couple of weeks I feel as though I’m being set up to fail in the total lack of management interaction and just really not feeling good about my role within the department.
NOTE: I felt called to be at my current company and knew that if I was still called to be there, I would survive the layoffs (I did). Happy to have a paycheck, but absolutely positive that I was not in the right place (department) anymore.
I saw an opening for a position (Accountant II) in a what will be called Dept A. I applied for it, and was actually the very first applicant. To give you a frame of reference, Accountant II is a grade 20 position and my current title is a grade 16. It’s a big leap but the hiring manager took the time to meet with me and discuss the position.
Dept A didn’t work out because there was a higher qualified external candidate, a move I totally understand. However, impressions are everything and apparently I made a good impression because the hiring manager for Dept A gave my resume to another hiring manager for Dept B and he called me up to see if I would be interested in talking about his open Accountant II position.
And to keep this from being the longest post ever, I’ll stop there and start a new one….
The meetings are still taking place, but unless something drastically changes, no new ones are being scheduled. Which means I still have my job.
My department lost 7-8 (the 8th is yet to be confirmed) and our management has meetings later so we don’t even know for sure if we have lost any of our managers. So far, I haven’t heard from any friends either, so it looks like my people are safe.
Still, it’s a sucky day.
This first came into my life in 1998 courtesy of a roommate’s ex-boyfriend (still on good terms). I’ve since modified the list and try to post them every Valentine’s season even though I’ve yet to actually have a Valentine.
Yep, no Valentine. Ever. Not for lack of want, and in some cases just lousy timing. In fact, I’m not sure what it is although sometimes I’m not sure I want to know the reason(s). There is nothing like a greeting card & cheesy gift holiday to try to make one feel completely unwanted and put undue pressure when you are involved with someone.
That’s why I have my own Valentine’s Day tradition. I make an incredible dinner for myself usually involving a giant steak (this year will probably be a pot roast), and I watch a non-romantic comedy movie…there is usually beer involved too. As long as I have fun, that’s all that counts!
This year, instead of posting all the reasons why girls like guys and guys like girls, I’m going to post the things I like about a guy. Without goals, there is nothing to aim for, or so say all the inspirational posters around work! 
And, lest you get the wrong impression, this is a good thing. I’m not depressed at being single– I might not be content all the time, but I quite refuse to be depressed. I know that God is using this time to mold me into someone’s perfect mate and the woman (hopefully in the Proverbs 31 vein) that He wants me to be.
Why I Like a Guy
Life is an ever-changing thing. And yet not–it is similar to love, which Shakespeare said “is an ever-fixed mark.”
It’s unmoving and constantly shifting all at the same time.
I haven’t wanted to blog in a while. Well, that’s a mis-statement. I’ve wanted to blog but haven’t been sure of what I was going to say. In fact, this post will probably ramble a bit. Let’s face it–all of my blogs ramble a bit. I’m not random, my mind just moves faster in weirder ways than most people.
There are a lot of things happening, some that I will share and some I won’t.
There are layoffs at work again. And to make matters oh-so-much-easier-to-deal-with, someone leaked to the press that it was going to be 1,000 people from my building–fully 1/4. Of course, that happened and hit the news at about 2:00 on a Friday afternoon, and since our Quarterly Earnings release wasn’t until the next Tuesday, any comments by Starbucks could be construed as insider information. Regardless that our stock is in the toilet and none of the information would be beneficial, it still couldn’t be done.
Fast-forward to the earnings release when the powers that be named Howard announced that there would be more layoffs. However, 350 is a big fat different number than 1,000. This would commence on “a day in mid-February.”
A website that shall not be named listed several comments of people who heard “2/11.” Sounds logical, but baseless none-the-less as who knows the source behind anonymous comments.
Last Wednesday, we heard a new rumor that it would be that Friday, and on Thursday two departments had 40 people laid off. For more info, the Seattle Times had the best article (clicky clicky if you must).
So Thursday sucked. Royally–even though I was not part of those two departments, it is hard to hear that people I know (at least by sight) had been let go and that people are standing in front of the building in tears.
The redeeming event of Thursday was that Uncle Kent came to town on a layover and convinced the bartender that I’d had a rough day and to pour generously. God bless happy hour. Really though, it has been such a blast to have these little hang-outs with the Uncle, and we are looking forward to the day when the Aunt comes with him.
For the record, today is the 9th. Tomorrow is the 10th which makes Wednesday the 11th. I don’t know if that rumor is true – the nature of a rumor is to be confusing. But this week is hard.
I feel like my position is safe, but I know that I have no control over it. If you didn’t know, I’m a detail-oriented, control freak. I like to know what is going on if it in any way, shape, or form concerns or affects me.
Plus, I don’t like the unknown. That’s why I’m constantly researching things for no reason.
If I could beg your prayers, it would be for peace and contentment this week. Once the hammer drops, I can move forward and deal with whatever I need to deal with. But I have to not think about that now or I’ll go crazy.
I just wanted to say a quick thank you to those that have been keeping me in your prayers lately. I really appreciate it and it has helped more than you know. I love you all!
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