October 28, 2011

An Update on Work and School

Another week over.  Thank goodness.

The last five days at work have been complicated as I’ve been training a newer employee to take over my old job duties, on top of my own training for my new position as Premium Audit Technician.  I got the promotion in mid-September and should have started training right away but that was difficult to do while still completing the Product Support Clerk tasks.

Thankfully, I have amazing co-workers who stepped in to divide my work so I could learn my new job.  It’s been a bumpy road but I’m working through it.  The new girl is doing very well.  I decided to break up her training into smaller chunks because I didn’t want her to become discouraged or overwhelmed.  She is a fast learner and over the last two weeks she has caught on to everything I’ve taught her.  It is very satisfying to know that I my skills as a trainer are right on the money.

On Wednesday I had Worker’s Compensation classification training and my trainer is amazing.  She makes the learning fun and I liked listening to her examples of past claims and underwriting situations.  After class she went over some of my questions and she asked me where I worked prior to joining Sentry Insurance.  I told her about my time at Travel Guard Insurance and McDonald Title Company and she was impressed with my insurance background.  She was so kind and suggested that when I finish my Bachelor’s degree I should study for the CPCU designation and take the exam.  She’d love to see me in the Underwriting Department, she told me.  I was very grateful for her advice.

Later in the day I realized I would be in school in some form or another for a very long time.  My goal is to work hard and earn and MBA.  I’m feeling overwhelmed but I know I can achieve my goals.  I graduate from MSTC in May and will earn my Associates Degree in Business Administration.  I’m making progress and that’s all that matters right now.  Baby steps…

I never thought I’d accomplish these goals at my age (almost 33).  On some days I feel “old” and start to talk myself out of things.  I’m lucky to have friends, family and colleagues to straighten me out.  It’s a long journey and I don’t know if I could do it without all their support.

October 23, 2011

Nothing ever goes as planned.

Last Wednesday was Advising Day at my college.  Because I am scheduled to graduate next May I decided it was probably a good idea to meet with my adviser and make sure all my ducks are in a row.  I didn’t want to be surprised by having to take another course after the Spring semester.

My adviser, Jon, was busy helping another student when I arrived on campus, but another adviser in the business program was available.  Brian was my instructor a few years ago when I first began this journey and it was nice to get reacquainted with him.  He looked at my transcripts and compared the courses I had already taken with the ones I have left to take.  Brian agreed that I just needed two classes to graduate because everything else looked great.  I was relieved to hear this news.  I was planning on having my last semester be very easy and not as stressful as the others.

As I was getting ready to leave Jon mentioned that I should make an appointment with the Business Counselor to have her sign off on my schedule.  This is just to make sure that everything really is good to go for graduation.  I made my way to the guidance office.

Julanne, the guidance counselor, was just finishing an appointment with a student and I asked her receptionist if I could schedule an appointment.  She stated that Julanne could probably fit me because it was already the end of the day.  I was very happy to hear this.  I would have had to wait a week otherwise.

Julanne looked at my transcripts and course history and then she dropped a bomb on my dream of finishing my last semester without any hassle.

“Your math scores are from 1997.  While they were okay when you first enrolled here, they are now too old to count for credit.  You’ll have to take a college algebra class.”

My heart sank.  I didn’t really like math in high school.  I passed my classes and I can do the work, but it’s been 15 years since I’ve actually used algebra.  I’m just a bit freaked out about this.

“Oh, and we can’t use these Microsoft courses from 1999.  We now use Microsoft Office 2010 and you’ll have to re-take them.”

I became upset.

“I use Microsoft Office every day,” I told her. “My job requires it.  And I’ve tested out of Microsoft Office 2007 at an employment agency last year.  My scores were at the advanced level.”

Julanne explained she would refer this information to the Dean of the Business Program and perhaps they could make an exception.  A few days later she e-mailed me to say they would accept the Excel, Word and Access courses but I would have to take Powerpoint.

Another glitch.  I learned Powerpoint at this school ten years ago.  Now I have to take it again? Just because it was an old version?  I’m very computer literate and I use these programs quite often.  But alas, I guess I just need to take the class and ace them.  Easy A’s.  Still kind of miffed.

So instead of just two classes next semester I have enrolled in four.  I’m going to have to bust my butt and say goodbye to any kind of social life because I’ll be studying and working and raising a family.  I know I could split these into two semesters but my goal was to graduate in May 2012 and I am determined to do it.

Wish me luck.  I can’t wait for this to be over.

October 14, 2011

No!

Owen has learned the word ‘no’.  Add this to his favorite word ‘mine’ and we’re in deep trouble in the Dana house.  He’s just days away from turning 2 and for the last few months I was worried he wasn’t talking enough.  He said just a few words at almost 20 months old: mom, dad, papa, baby, door, car, truck and ball.  A few weeks ago he began using sentences.

“Shut the door.”

“Turn it on.”

“Go in there.”

“Where’s mine?”

“Bye, baby!”

“My truck!”

“Where’s Dad?”

It was like he was holding all of these words in his mind until he could say them perfectly.  He talks so clearly, just like Dawson did.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  He’s talking.  There are some occasions when I have to listen closely to understand what he’s saying and I realize he’s practicing some of the words he hears.

For so long, when Owen didn’t want something he would just say “uh-uh.”  Yesterday I asked him if he wanted to go get the mail with me and he said, “Nooooo!”  It was the way he said it that had me laughing.  It was in the tone of a snotty teenager.  I had a flash of what I was in for when he gets older, but I knew he learned that tone from his big brother.  When Owen takes one of Dawson’s toys, Dawson says no in the same way.

All of this morning Owen has been running around the house yelling, “No!” and “Mine!”

I think we’ll be hearing these words for quite awhile.

Good times.

October 2, 2011

Checking In

I don’t know when it happened, but somehow I’m over a year behind in uploading photos to flickr.  I used to be so on top of things and now I’m playing catch up.

My blogging has sucked for over a year.  My photography is kind of boring these days.

I guess I just got busy.  School, work, kids, marriage.  Lather.  Rinse. Repeat.

I’m currently working diligently to get caught up with my online life.  It may take awhile.

In other, more exciting news, it is a proud day for Wisconsin!  The entire weekend was fantastic.  The Brewers have won two games against the Diamond Backs in this series.  If they win tomorrow they seal the deal!  Badgers won last night against the Huskers and the Packers pretty much kicked the pants off the Denver Broncos.

Due to getting the flu, I pretty much didn’t leave my couch and watched our teams win, win, win!

Can’t sleep tonight but I know have to hit the hay.  Gotta get up early for work tomorrow.

Happy Weekend!