I started my job the day 2 days after getting to town on 11/18. I have some pretty awesome new coworkers, it's a beautiful new building they just moved into in the summer with garden courtyard, and - get this - I have my own office. Yea, I wasn't expecting that. Although I had already invested hundreds of dollars on books and games, I invested more on decorating my office and filling out my library with more child-specific therapy books since I've apparently fallen into child therapy for now.
There are a lot of things I like better at this place: the commute is 10 min in traffic, I get paid more, I have my own office, I only have to travel to schools 1 day per week, and there are some cool perks/benefits like paid personal development. However, the scheduling is very rigid and they treat it more like an hourly job when it's salary (my last job didn't care what hours you worked as long as you met productivity); they make you take an hour long unpaid lunch; the average caseload is over 40 clients, which is almost twice what I had before; and they use paper documentation, which kills me how inefficient it is.
Regardless, here I am and I'm making the best of it. I've got a caseload with varied age (from 4-18 and an adult) and diagnoses (ADHD, trauma, social phobia, depression, etc), which is great because it keeps me on my toes and I can't get too bored!
My first full week I clocked 23 miles in about 75 min on about 0.25 tank of gas and went home for lunch 3 times, because I could. Compare that to the 700+ miles, 15+ hours, and 2+ tanks of gas per week I was doing in California.
There are a lot of things I like better at this place: the commute is 10 min in traffic, I get paid more, I have my own office, I only have to travel to schools 1 day per week, and there are some cool perks/benefits like paid personal development. However, the scheduling is very rigid and they treat it more like an hourly job when it's salary (my last job didn't care what hours you worked as long as you met productivity); they make you take an hour long unpaid lunch; the average caseload is over 40 clients, which is almost twice what I had before; and they use paper documentation, which kills me how inefficient it is.
Regardless, here I am and I'm making the best of it. I've got a caseload with varied age (from 4-18 and an adult) and diagnoses (ADHD, trauma, social phobia, depression, etc), which is great because it keeps me on my toes and I can't get too bored!
My first full week I clocked 23 miles in about 75 min on about 0.25 tank of gas and went home for lunch 3 times, because I could. Compare that to the 700+ miles, 15+ hours, and 2+ tanks of gas per week I was doing in California.
therapeutic garden!! I always pictured one at my own private office one day
mine all mine, yay!!
My dad came and helped us move all our stuff into our new apartment on 11/25 (and by "us" I mean Jed and Papa did it all while I was at work) and stuck around for pho. We had some issues with new apartment when they mixed up what place we were going to be in, but ended up with beautiful place. We were going to be on the ground floor so we could let Nova right out onto the grass, but ended up on the third floor, which sounds lame but it's much more private - we don't have a next door neighbor so are the only ones who come up the stairs to this level so we don't hear foot traffic.
The place is so dang nice: 1006 sq ft 2 bedroom 1 bathroom with balcony and outside storage, only a few years old, gated community, tons of parking, trash pickup at door, AC (not a common amenity in the PNW), gas fireplace, stainless kitchen appliances, granite countertops, pantry and tons of cabinets, vaulted ceilings, washer/dryer, bathroom w/double sink, pool and gym literally 2 min from our front door.. it's a tich pricey, but it was the best in the price range and anything significantly cheaper was significantly crumbier.
The place is so dang nice: 1006 sq ft 2 bedroom 1 bathroom with balcony and outside storage, only a few years old, gated community, tons of parking, trash pickup at door, AC (not a common amenity in the PNW), gas fireplace, stainless kitchen appliances, granite countertops, pantry and tons of cabinets, vaulted ceilings, washer/dryer, bathroom w/double sink, pool and gym literally 2 min from our front door.. it's a tich pricey, but it was the best in the price range and anything significantly cheaper was significantly crumbier.
ahh, home sweet home..
the view of Mt Hood from our balcony, nbd..
living room
kitchen
balcony
fireplace!
bathroom
bedroom (i don't have a pic of the study cuz it wasn't clean!)
we have never had all our books out in one location before (minus a bunch we have left behind and the bunch I leave at work)
So we deferred Thanksgiving dinner a couple days and headed north to visit my mom and make her a full blown all vegan meal (yes, that's tofurky). Also went on some beautiful walks.
I worked Christmas Eve, then we drove up to my mom's for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It was pretty different that the previous couple Christmases visiting lots of fam and having little kids all up early and excited on Christmas morning to open lots of presents. We did stockings, ate dinner with our first try of vegan "ham" (it was okay), went for a walk, and watched Tangled.
Nova got some sweet presents too
Christmas dinner with "ham" and gingerbread cookies in classic shapes, lol
My work gives the week after Christmas off so I tried to get some things done, as well as relax a bit, while fighting the beginning of a cold the whole week. I read the Maze Runner, which was alright, and played my new game Plague Inc, which is awesome.
Papa came down 12/30 and we took the Max lightrail to downtown Portland to show him Powell's - the bookstore that spans a city block. Chatted a bunch and hit up Mio Sushi (his first time eating sushi in the states) before he headed out.
Papa came down 12/30 and we took the Max lightrail to downtown Portland to show him Powell's - the bookstore that spans a city block. Chatted a bunch and hit up Mio Sushi (his first time eating sushi in the states) before he headed out.
New Years Day was my 10th rebirthday. 10 years ago I chose to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, changing my life's trajectory in huge ways. it hasn't been easy and I haven't been fully active throughout the years but I'm happy to know God and be part of His fold.
I did some reflection on the last year and previous years and Jed and I have had a rough go of it. 2015 was better in a lot of ways than 2014, but worse in others. I am looking forward to making 2016 a much better year.
I reviewed my resolutions for 2015 and 2014 while thinking of what I wanted to focus on in 2016. I have usually done very concrete goals like working out, doing yoga, eating only whole/real food, or reading 24 books in the year (that was last year's goal and I read 8, lol), but this year I keep coming back to the same couple ideas .. living authentically and in the moment instead of waiting for "some day" and being kind to and mindful of others and myself.
I reviewed my resolutions for 2015 and 2014 while thinking of what I wanted to focus on in 2016. I have usually done very concrete goals like working out, doing yoga, eating only whole/real food, or reading 24 books in the year (that was last year's goal and I read 8, lol), but this year I keep coming back to the same couple ideas .. living authentically and in the moment instead of waiting for "some day" and being kind to and mindful of others and myself.
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