Once upon a mess

I can't believe it has been a whole week since my last post. It has been a looooong week. We hired a new receptionist since the old receptionist took over for the account manager when she quit. They moved the new account manager up to another location to train her. That left me with a newbie and no account manager on location. It has been rough. Rough doesn't sound strong enough of a word to explain my week...maybe defeating?

I will sum up my week: 12 resumes sent (yeah, I wanted to quit, bad!), 1 call back, 1 interview, 1 call back saying I wasn't hired, 1 major meltdown in the bathroom, 5+ vent sessions with the husband and friend, lots of authorization problems, tons of phone calls from the account manager covering, lots of over time, 1 premature mean email sent to my boss proclaiming my exhaustion, and 1 lunch meeting where we all rallied together. There, you are filled in. A new account manager will be in our office on Monday and I really like her. It is going to fine. I keep telling myself that. I miss the old receptionist. She kept me positive and was such a great work motivator. I don't think I told her how much I appreciated her.

Today I worked a couple of hours and came home. I honestly planned on sitting on the couch with a book, or with the remote. I walked upstairs and I saw the back room. The back room that can't even be walked in. Yes it was that bad. I decided that I would work on it. I finished it in 3 hours and it hasn't ever been this empty. Like...ever! The carpet is noticeable! You don't twist an ankle walking in there anymore! I donated 4 boxes to the D.I along with a rug, tv and some old dishes that we never use anymore. It felt so amazing!

Anthony told me that the last thing he wanted was for everyone to see how disgusting we are. I don't care though. Our house is tiny and this extra room has been a catch all for basically everything we don't use on a regular basis. I am ashamed but also so proud of this huge accomplishment. I did it all by myself, no help from him. I did this after a horrible week. I also did this with cramps due to my time of the month. I absolutely hate it when people discuss such personal things but......I just want to explain to you how huge this task was.

I look awful....but it fits the atmosphere, forgive me. Do you see the floor! I now have space to run on the treadmill again! Yay. I love this dresser. It was my Grandmas. I have big plans for this dresser. Hopefully in a year or two I will sand it down and paint and antique it and put some fun handles on it.

This isn't a very good photo...kind of yellow. Anyways, this is all that is left on the floor besides the treadmill and dresser. It is mostly scouts stuff that we have acquired that I need to organize better. 

  And this.....this is my own personal Hell. A box of wires and unknown cords to who knows what. UGH. Look at the poor Nintendo 64 controller being sucked into the black abyss.

Half way through my cleaning session I found my New York Album. I went in 2004 over Christmas when I was a nanny for 6 month old twins. I bawled quite a bit during that trip because I was #1 away from my family for the first time #2 missing Christmas and #3 missing my boyfriend (Anthony)....oh gag right?

We went to Times Square, Grand Central Station, China Town, Rockefeller Center and the other Nanny and I were able to see The Christmas Spectacular Show by ourselves.

Middle of the night in a NY hotel. Baby Boy had a blow out and I had to give him a bath. He clearly wasn't as tired as I was. Yes, the lid to the toilet is closed. The parents were in another room enjoying their peace and quiet.

Times Square

Christmas morning at a relatives house.

I look like a librarian. The collar is hot right? Also, those are some strong eyebrows. They say "I mean business."

I wish I would have appreciated that trip more. I was in a weird stage in life. I was right out of high school, living in a mansion, making a ton of money and I honestly thought that I would live like that forever. I thought I would go to New York often and I just didn't realize how lucky I was to be there.

I loved those kids. The Mom was older and didn't know how to take care of them. She couldn't be in the same room with them alone because she would get uncomfortable if they cried. I was up with them at 3 in the morning when they would cry. I even remember going outside in the dead of winter around 4 in the morning. The boy struggled at night and he could be easily lulled to sleep by the sound of the creek next to the house. He was bundled in his blanket and for about 30 minutes I shivered in my pjs praying for him to fall asleep. I didn't shower as often as I would have liked but I learned quickly that parenthood isn't glamorous. Once the twins got a cold and the Dad was convinced it was because we went to Costo the week before. Me and the twins were imprisoned in the house for the next 3 weeks, we didn't even go outside. It was depressing. I was with them all day every day.

Anthony came home (my home) around 5:30 after work and we got into our daily routine. Dinner for kids, dinner for us, play time for an hour, then bath, bottles and off to bed for the kiddos. Anthony would then hang out with me in the wee hours of the night until his Mom called and scolded him to get home. I don't think she was too impressed with me in the beginning.

When my boss found out we were engaged she asked when Anthony was going to move in. "Um, well he isn't, we will find our own place." The day after the wedding a new Nanny replaced me and I haven't seen those kids since.

I only worked with them for 6 months but it completely changed me. I knew exactly what kind of Mother I would be and I knew that Anthony was also going to be a wonderful Father. I am so happy that I found that album, it brought back so many memories. I have thousands of stories from that job. One that just popped in my mind....

I walked in the house with Anthony and yelled to the Mom and Dad....."I GOT CRABS!" I came around the corner to see the whole Olympic jump ski team looking at me in shock. I then had to explain that NO NO NO.....I didn't have a sexy infection but I had literally just bought hermit crabs from the pet store. Good times.

Anyways, I got off track. The back room is clean and usable. Maybe I will invite someone over to sleep on the floor, ya know, because ya can.

Hope everyone else has had a productive weekend.