I didn't plan to create a blog today. I was at work trying to open a new document in Office 2007 and it kept asking me if I wanted to create a blog post. So, I took the hint, and decided to see what all this blogging stuff is all about after all. And, so far, it's pretty cool.
Now, the problem with blogs, as far as I can tell, is that unless other people actually visit your blog and comment, it is really just you and your computer. And, frankly, I have better things to do with my time than spend it with a computer (like knitting socks for example). But, I thought I would give this a try and see how it goes. If people visit the blog, and it means more time communicating with friends and family, then cool. Otherwise, the posts may be few and far between. We'll just have to see.
So, here is the interesting tidbit for the day: I just found out that the brother of a coworker of mine won Survivor 13. How's that for a "6 degrees from Kevin Bacon" kind of thing?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
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Hi guys!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Tots on creating a blog! Love it!
Sorry it has been so long since I've written something. I just haven't been on the computer too much at home...I'm on the computer all day long at work. Life at the prison is "OK." I keep busy and am learning a lot. I am slowly getting comfortable with how to interact with the inmates. It is a fine line to walk trying to figure out how to be friendly to be with them though. I just had my first "weirdo" try to flirt with me this past week and my supervisor has had a talk with him. But for the most part I do feel safe and it all is an interesting experience to say the least. Sometimes I worry more about fellow co-workers than the inmates which is pretty sad. People in the BOP are very petty and get easily offended and for the most part just seem really disgruntled. And because it is a very "quiet" prison and it's all "small town," the gossip runs rampant, often only 70 percent of which is true. If someone is jealous of you they start a nasty rumor or something gets twisted out of context. I think dealing with gossip is the hardest part of the job really. I have been doing the work of 1.5 secretaries and when the counselors "bang in" sick I step up to take care of their duties as well....this institution is only about 60 to 70 percent fully staffed so everyone is stretched pretty thin. But since we got a new warden and a new fiscal year has started we have been able to hire a lot more staff. We will get two more Unit Secretaries...but it took me about 6 months worth of training to get where I am so it will still be hard work training two others with my mentor and have an additional intake of 200 inmates.
I will very likely be at this institution for a long while because of Dustin. He has no plans of moving because the military had moved him around so much. He has had his heart set on moving on to state corrections (like his parents) after he makes his one year anniversary because the pay is better. But there is a freeze on state hiring right now. If we did switch to state down in Sacramento I would consider switching agencies though. I really can't see myself working corrections for the next 20 plus years. Looking that far down the road has just left me feeling mildly stressed about it all though. It's good money when you put your time in but when I have to deal with such interoffice pettiness and negative feelings from co-workers I ask myself is it truly worth it? So I very much feel myself wanting a child very soon to give my life some sort of better focus...is that wrong of me?
So the big news...I don't think I told you all that I am officially engaged. He did the proposal over Christmas. We went to spend it at his family's in Sacramento. He had been working overtime to save up for a ring but didn't have time to shop for one (and didn't know what I would like) so I got a really cool bubble gum machine ring. It was a dark metallic silver band. Everyone who noticed it thought it was one of those Tungsten or Platinum ones. But I went and picked out my own engagement ring about three weeks ago. It's about one total carat weight. http://www.helzberg.com/product/1ct+tw+diamond+engagement+ring%2C+igi+graded+1672056.do?keyword=1672056&sortby=newArrivals
My wedding band is called an Eternity Band and has little diamonds going all the way around it and they compliment each other really nicely so it is very "bling bling" without being overly gawdy. I was just going to go for a plain white gold band but he got all bent saying he did not want to be perceived as a cheap skate. So I will have three months salary on my finger for the rest of my life. I think the hardest part of it all was telling myself that I truly deserved such gorgeous rings. I always sell myself short because I am afraid to inconvenience anyone. I was just going to pick something affordable but anything that was affordable I looked at just looked tacky and cheap. I wanted to be able to look at my hand and go "wow"...especially since I am not particularly fond of the way rings feel on my hand. This ring seems to glow in the dark....I cup my hand around it in a dim room and it still sparkles.
So...the whole kid thing. I don't think I would have entertained the idea without a good hardworking man who loves kids himself. He is a military guy whose eyes just light up every time he thinks of being a daddy, so I know we won't be raising any soft, lazy kids who "get by" in school. He is very disciplined, goal oriented and very organized....and oh my gosh a freakin chatterbox! Right now he's being a slug on his days off, just watching movies and playing video games and I let him do that to unwind because, well, we can! But when we start having kids I know we will both really step up and be really responsible...I hope not overly so that we make the poor kid crazy.
Part of me wishes that we could afford to have one bread winner. The thought of letting someone else raise my kid while I am at work just wracks me with guilt and fear. Any advice on that?
Oh just to let you all know...we won't be having some big fancy ceremony for the wedding. (he's Morman) We still haven't nailed something down. I have been saying "lets do something at his folk's house in Sacramento and have his dad do the ceremony." But then comes the issue...who all is invited to that? I know all the Aslams would have a huge bill to foot if they all fly out family and all for a simple little at home ceremony. I've asked mom and dad about this and they seem to empathize with our predicament. It may just turn out to be a simple Justice of the Court thing in Reno with both set of folks. Honeymoon might consist of something in Lake Tahoe if that. I guess we are more focusing on putting money away for a home and family than a ceremony at this point.
Hope all is well with you and I would love to hear back from you!!
Anne and Dustin