It truly amazes (and at times, deeply disturbs) me to hear some of the things that come out of my mouth. Though he is not as bad as I hear some husbands can be, my husband manages to acheive certain appalling levels of grossness that then require comment on my part (while in my head I am thinking, “Did I really just say that?”). I didn’t anticipate that it would only go downhill more after the arrival of Owen.

Things I may or may not have said during the past week to either or both of the male occupants in our house (help help, I am so outnumbered–and one is less than a year old)
* Do you think you could make the house stink anymore?

* Can you give me a rough estimate of when it will be safe to breathe again this
afternoon, not having to use the neck of my shirt as an odor shield?

* Good grief–what did you eat? (sadly, this was said to both Owen and his
father)

* Here let me pick at that and see if I can get it (again, disturbingly used for
both Boy and Father)

My husband is out of town for business this week (internet perverts beware: I do
know how to use the shotgun that we own) and things are actually going better than I had imagined. This has been my first extended time with Owen with no husband to hand him off to when Owen is crabby and tired and refuses to sleep. Of course now that I have typed that last sentence, fate will see fit to swoop down and cause me to see first hand how exactly this time playing at single parenting could go so much worse.

We are currently receiving our first ‘real’ snowfall of the winter and if it keeps up at the rate it is currently coming down at, we should have several inches accumulated by morning. If I worked anywhere but where I do, work would so be cancelled in the morning due to inclement weather. Not my place of employment. We never close (and no–it is not 7-eleven you silly goose). I guess we’re kind of like the US Postal Service of non-profit groups–we’re open regardless of the weather. Heck, when parts of our not exactly large building (read: people’s offices within the building) flooded last year after an extremely heavy unexpected rainfall popped up while the building’s roof was being replaced we just rearranged offices and carried on like nothing had happened. Even after it was discovered that several large parts of the building had nasty black mold growing in the walls post-freak rainstorm, we were just warned to avoid those areas while they were being treated, lest we suck spores into our unsuspecting lungs. I guess what I’m saying is that even if we were to suddenly have some sort of other natural disaster, I would still be going to work in the morning. I guess if everyone else gets to stay home because everything is closed, that should cut off a minute or three of my commute.

Oops-wait, I work for a non-profit, (but acts just like a soul killing, dream crushing corporation) so would that make me a non-profit whore?

Anyhow…

So I have given my notice and was starting to get all excited about next Friday, the 17th, MY LAST DAY HERE.

When out of nowhere, one of my higher-ups, not my boss, but still someone that (thinks they are my boss) is over me called me down to her office to talk to me about leaving.

And…

Extended the offer of perhaps being able to make my own hours and go part-time.

After I picked my jaw up off of the floor, (mentally, because this NEVER happens here) I said that I would entertain the thought and let them know before my time is up next week.

Seriously, this is one of those “They must be really desperate” moments. Not that my job would be particularly hard to hire someone for, but it would take, very optimistically, 6+ months of on the job training to be relatively proficient at alot of the things I do. By allowing me to go part-time and make my own schedule, they wouldn’t have to have that 6 month period of adjustment and we’d all be happy.

The only reason that I’m even considering this is because I’d still be able to keep my very good health insurance. Basically, by going to part time, I’d be able to make enough to keep my insurance (paying almost $200 more a month) and have a little bit left over.

Therein lies the problem though-even working only 20 hours a week (basically working during nap time 3 or 4 days and then one full day during the week), I’d still have to find someone to watch Owen. My husband has been able to stay home with him during the day for the past 5 weeks, but after the 20th, we won’t be able to do that–my husband travels during the week for his job. We don’t know many people here where we live, my husband’s family lives over an hour away and I’m not comfortable having Owen go to daycare, even for only a few hours here and there.

If I don’t end up going part time, it won’t break us financially. After paying more for insurance (part timers have a higher contribution rate) and paying someone to watch Owen, I’d just break even on what I would be making. Basically this would only be for the insurance and not long-term either–at the longest until early next summer. I think the biggest influence in seriously considering this as a posibility is if I can find someone (through my church congregation) that would be suitable.

I don’t know though–if I’m having a hard enough time with the thought of leaving Owen with the in-building care at the YMCA long enough to go and work out for an hour while in the same building it will be impossible for me to leave him with someone that isn’t my husband or mother in law 10 minutes away while I work.

Gah. I hate decisions like this.

I love bumper stickers. On other people’s cars that is–at casa youmeandababy, we adhere to a strict policy of no stickerage on the vehicles. I’ve been tempted a few times, but then I remember my tolerance level’s short attention span (this is why I do not paint my fingernails–I can’t handle looking at the polish for x number of days in a row) and decide against it.

Here are a few that I’ve seen recently while driving around town that I thought were funny

–Are you following Jesus this closely?

–Be nice to America, or We’ll bring democracy to YOUR country

–Nice Hummer! Sorry about your (in tiny tiny letters) penis

–Don’t make me bring out the flying monkeys

I can guarantee they won’t be on the back of my car anytime soon though

**********************************************************************************

So in other news…I ‘officially’ gave my two week notice this morning. My boss actually was able to guess what I wanted to talk to her about before I even started into my whole spiel about missing Owen at home. It wasn’t as bad as I thought and she even asked if I could stay until the end of November to help with the transition. I can’t, at least not for alot more money, but its nice to know I’m not going to get invited to leave earlier than two weeks. I may not want to be here, but I do still feel some responsibility to tie up a few loose ends in the next two weeks.

Here’s to being able to watch The Price is Right every morning from November 20th on. Come on down, you’re the next contestant on The Price is Right!