a little and a lot

Sunday, November 09, 2008

I Like Mondays???

It's been quite a busy fall in the Faris household, especially this past month.  

This is the first time both of us have worked 8:30-5 jobs and tried to juggle normal life.  We've begun serving a ministry in our city, which has been meaningful but has added some busy-ness nonetheless.  
We brought our second dog, Baby Moses (otherwise known as "Mo-mo" and "Mosey") into our home, and as a result I'm considering reading "The Strong-Willed Child."  (Update: Moses got his first heartworm treatment last weekend, and we now must keep him "inactive" for four weeks to keep the dead heartworms from lodging in his heart or arteries and giving him a heart attack.  A mild tranquilizer is working wonders in this department!)  We are in the throes of marathon training (Nick is training for the half)--this week is "The Big One"--five miles, ten miles, five miles, and then (drum roll, please) TWENTY MILES!  

And just for kicks, I am changing jobs.  

(Ok, maybe not just for kicks.  But it sounded nonchalant enough to produce that dramatic "Wha??" that I was trying to evoke.)

This week is my last week of work with AGAPE/The Adoption Center of the MidSouth.  I have truly loved working with them this year--I deeply care about the work of their agency and their role in serving the city of Memphis.  My job as an Infant Adoption Training Representative & Family Advocate was busy, exciting, stressful, enlightening, and fulfilling.  I became very close friends with my co-workers (with whom I am hoping to still see often after I leave!).  

My new job is with Appelrouth Tutoring Services.  It is an Atlanta-based tutoring agency, which provides excellent tutoring services for the SAT, ACT, GRE, and subject-related tutoring in the Atlanta and Athens area.  My mom has worked for Appelrouth from near the beginning of the company's creation, and I have always envied her job.  She works from home and loves it!  I recently learned that they wanted to hire a Sales Rep to deal solely with new and prospective clients.  Because the work is done from home, I am able to hold the position even though I live in Memphis.  It helps that I know the Atlanta area and its schools pretty well (my family moved to Atlanta when I was in sixth grade, and they still reside there today).  The work entails calling the main line to listen to messages from new clients, and then calling them back, listening to their needs, and recommending the services that would best fit those needs.  The job was too good to pass up--less hours, more salary, work from home with flexible hours...what???  I was MADE for this job!  Not to mention that I get to work with my mom!

The only bummer was leaving AGAPE, which I am sad to be doing this week.  I gave them five weeks notice because I wanted to help out as long as I possibly could to make the transition more smooth.  But alas, we have come to week five.   

On the upside (and there are many), I think that I might begin to like Mondays.  I have always dreaded Mondays.  In school and in my job, I have always felt that pit-of-my-stomach dread on a late Sunday afternoon that inevitably means one thing: I have to go to work tomorrow.  Ugh.  Even when I have liked my work, I still loath the dreaded Monday morning, and it has sadly pretty much ruined at least half of my Sunday for many years.

Due to a conference The Adoption Center hosted last Friday and the hard work we put into it, my wonderful and generous bosses told us we could take the day off this Monday.  It was an unexpected surprise, and today I realized another unexpected joy that accompanied it: No more Mondays!  I mean, not really.  Mondays will still exist.  But Mondays as I have known them are about to change for the better.  I am vowing to enjoy Mondays, and because my new job affords flexibility, I am going to make sure I keep that vow.  

Perhaps Mondays should have a Pajamas Until 11am Rule.  
Or a 9am Starbucks With a Good Book Routine.  
Or a Bake a Different Cookie-of-the-Week Tradition.

Perhaps because tomorrow is a day of NO work, I will try them ALL!

(What do YOU suggest I add to my I Like Mondays Schedule?)

8 comments:

Tesney said...

No Mondays was one of THE BEST things about becoming a SAHM. I hate the transition from a weekend of down time to full-out rat race. It took me til Sunday to really relax and then it was time to go back to work again...no fair! That's why I never schedule clients on Monday now that I'm doing private practice. My Monday morning routine consists of: muscleflex class from 8:30 til 9:30, Starbucks, and sometimes lunch with the hubby and kid. Then I clean...yuk.

Kristy said...

I think Mondays {that are free without stress} are fun days for planning menus for the week. Sigh, after today, I only have 2 more non-manic Mondays... :)

Katie said...

Cheers to working from home!! It's the best :)

We can finally meet for lunch now...perhaps we should do it on a Monday!

Ashley @ pure and lovely said...

Yay! yes, working at home IS the best. I am so excited for you! and this marathon stuff sounds awesome. Im sorry momo has to be out of comission for a while. Can I have your leftover tranquilizers for chloe? This is pretty much updating me in the department of that email I sent you! ha! Glad yall are doing so well. ;)All my mondays are the same-just like every other day of the week-im boring like that. I wear pajamas EVERY day. gross??? anyway, but I totally recommend the pj's and coffee rule. splurge. you deserve it.

Spellings Fam said...

How about keeping Ammie and Cal for a few hours on Monday?

Just kidding! Enjoy the new job.

Larissa Smith said...

This may sound dumb and totally domesticated, but I used to do my grocery shopping every Monday morning and I loved it. I would take my time wandering through WalMart, pausing at anything that caught my eye. It was gloriously not-busy. I was actually not rushed for once. When I got home, I felt very ready for the week, ready to take care of my family. And I usually hit either Starbucks or Sonic on my way home. All that combined to really soak in the idea that other people were at an office and I WASN'T!!! Is that mean?

I wouldn't do pajamas until 11; it takes the rest of the day to catch up after too slow a start. Maybe a late breakfast with a friend? Starbucks and prayer time in a park? Whatever you do, don't take that time to do laundry, dishes, or cleaning. Enjoy it! I look forward to hearing what crazy creative idea you end up with; you always have something good!

I'm cheering on your twenty mile run from here. I hope you can feel the extra energy I'm sending your way. You're awesome!

Kristin said...

Congrats on the new job!! I'm sure you will love working from home. I wish I had chosen to work from home when I was given the option when I moved to Nashville. What was I thinking???

Jane said...

Oh that sounds just heavenly! Coming from a gal who spends 60% of the time detesting her job (unfortunately) and the other 40% coming up with reasons to like it and FORCING herself to have a good attitude - this new job of yours sounds wonderful (even if I were not that girl). :)

Congrats on a new job AND on the big 17!!! That is so awesome!


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