This year.

Wow, 2016 flew by FAST but I'm kind of glad. It's been a lonely and often sad year for me.

There were a few highlights though. Most notably was buying my first-ever condo.

What about the rest of the year, you ask? Well, here's your chance to find out!

Every blogpost from 2016 has been neatly listed for you to re-read or check out for the first time.

Here we go!

January:

(1-9-16) (You're) so far away.
(1-15-16) The end of an era.
(1-22-16) Celebrate!!

February:

(2-12-16) Asha's art.
(2-14-16) One day.

March:

(3-31-16) Keeping up!

April:

(4-6-16) A year on the phones.
(4-11-16) Opening Night!
(4-28-16) Nominated!
(4-30-16) Not worth celebrating.

May:

(5-4-16) Finally!!!!!
(5-31-16) Two-weeks notice...almost!

June:

(6-23-16) "You'll just have to live with it."

July:

(7-4-16) I never thought I could feel so free.
(7-31-16) Two-weeks notice almost...extended!!

August:

(8-20-16) Lost love.
(8-26-16) Property Owner!!
(8-29-16) Not going anywhere!
(8-31-16) One last time...

September:

(9-5-16) Red, Gold, and Green.
(9-20-16) Five years going on strong.

October:

(10-9-16) Fruits of my labor.

November:

(11-1-16) Happy Anniversary to her.
(11-4-16) Hey Chicago, what do you say?

December:

(12-11-16) Extension denied.
(12-29-16) Mentor.
(12-31-16) This year.

And there you have it.

I no longer have New Year's goals/resolutions but the things I'd like to focus on this coming year include:

- Continuing to decorate/furnish my condo so it becomes a real home and haven.
- Exercise on a more consistent basis.
- Create art again!

We'll see what 2017 brings. May it be GREAT for all of you.

Happy New Year, everyone!!

Mentor.

Mentor v.tr. To serve as a trusted advisor or guide. To train. To impart skills or knowledge to. 

A couple vacancies recently opened up at my call center university job. Two part-timers were hired to fill those slots. I was pulled aside by the department head and asked (along with another coworker) to be the newbies' mentor. 

Why me? I thought. I'm just part-time myself and have only been there over a year-and-a-half. Some call center agents have been there for five and six years. 

I was told it's because out of everyone, me and the other agent are the most even-keeled on the phones and we follow protocol. He wants the new hires to learn the correct way to answer the phones. 

A part of me was annoyed. 

A full-time opening in our department was available a couple months back but another part-timer was picked over me. And with my other part-time university position (night job), I work 40 hours each week but without full-time benefits. 

It's just another way I'm being taken advantage of. 

And yet, I was quite flattered and proud to be chosen to help train the new crew. Everyone has been very supportive and kind to me in both departments and this is a way to pay that forward. 

So for the next six weeks, each new call center agent will sit with me (and our other coworker), listening in on and observing our phone calls. I'll show them as much as I can and help them so their transition on the phones will be an easy one. We'll see how it goes.

Time to mentor!

Extension denied.

Denied tr.v. Declined to grant or allow; refused.

I knew the time would come but I was hoping for at least one more year.

Four years ago, I interviewed for a city department in Seattle. It was part of their continual recruitment process that granted those living out-of-state (such as myself) the ability to apply to their in-house openings.

I was accepted into their program and landed a couple job interviews along the way but was never picked. At the twelve-month mark I asked for an extension (the exclusive access expires after a year) and it was granted again and again…and again.

The last extension expired last month and when I asked for another extension, it was denied. I reached the maximum amount of renewals.

It was disappointing but rules are rules. They were gracious enough to let me stay in the system for as long as they have.

I'm losing the dream of being able to run away to Seattle, knowing I had a good way of landing a job there. It's that "way out" that I'm mourning.

HR told me I could reapply for the continual recruitment process when it opens up again next year so at least that's something.

Deep in my heart I still feel like I was meant to be in Seattle. But now with both of my university jobs and having recently bought my own condo, I feel like I'm bound to Chicago more than ever.

Maybe there's still something that needs to be done here before I can be free there. 

I haven't forgotten about you, dear Seattle. I hope you haven't forgotten about me either...