i can’t find the screwdriver

Thus I am not re-installing the small gate in the backyard. I could change the bulb on the porch light, but instead, I’m blogging off my brunch Chavela (chilled glass with salted rim, filled with Beer, shot of Tequila, splash of Tomato Juice, squirt of Lime Juice, and a touch of Tapatio) from Bill’s Cafe. Yummy. I could’ve used more salt, but it was the perfect amount of Tapatio. Maybe I could make it with Cholula if I make it at home…

My new job! It allows me to have weekends and I pretty much just work the same schedule every day. It’s an amazing little invention called a “fixed schedule.” After six years of retail, it’s actually a minor miracle that I still remember what a weekend even is! What I’m doing right now is working at Phil Wood & Co. doing a little bit of everything. Though I have a fancy title (VP of Global Operations), I cut my day with answering phones, weird tech questions, product assembly, organization, graphic design, technical writing, merchandising, new product research, and shipping and receiving. I love it!

My short attention span is perfect for this job, as is my love of cycling, my nerdiness about cycling, and the fact that I can dork out reading Bicycle Retailer and updates on the Tour de France and consider it actual work-relevant research. I’ve been there for about a month now, and I’m really finding my feet. I think it’s a great place to work and we’re producing great products that are designed and manufactured right here in San Jose.

A lot of the things I’m doing at work aren’t bloggable (much like the last job), but it makes me enormously happy just to be doing them. I’d spent the last year or so at REI, not really wanting to be there. It had its perks, but huge annoyances were turning into impossible working conditions and the really good health insurance wasn’t going to help me if work was making me sick. Wanting to stay in the industry of outdoor gear left me with few options, though there are actually more options than one might think. I did put a few applications out there and even interviewed for a retail store manager position (they couldn’t offer me compelling money or benefits in the end) for a well-known brand within the industry. This job just fell into my lap, really, but proves once again that if you have the skills, are passionate about the work (or the industry), then you can get something you will like. Build those working relationships. It’s all about who you know.

The lesson here for me was to understand that my happiness at work was ultimately the most important thing. Being unhappy at work led me to being unhappy at home, and it made me grumpy with Bryan, which is about the last thing I want to do. It took me a while, but I figured out what I wanted, the conditions I wanted to work under, and the amount of sacrifices I was willing to make in order to get the work I wanted. This move cost me a little bit, however I ultimately commute less, spend more time at home and with friends, and am happy. I’m allowed to be a more committed wife and friend. I can make family events. Today I went to a last-minute brunch.

Find balance in your life. It’s something I used to hear a lot about when I was at REI. I found it by leaving REI.