New Chapters

After I got laid off at MHC, I took some time to just . . . do nothing.  My severance package and PTO cash out was pretty generous, so I wasn't in a super big hurry to find something new.  I decompressed and got some cleaning and organizing done around the house, I went to the gym, I played Overwatch.  And then I filed for unemployment in AZ, which was denied because my wages were reported in WA (that was a whole dumb thing), and that got approved.  And then I edited my resume (after not touching it in like 7 years) and added MHC to it.  And then, finally, I decided it was time to start looking for a new job.  (I honestly don't know why/how I was so calm about it, but I really was . . . My gut feeling was that it wouldn't take me too long to find something).

Anyway, I've been active in AAPC since I moved up here (I'm actually chapter secretary at the moment, for the second year in a row), and one of the things we ask is for members to let the group know about job openings.  And as I was getting ready to start my job search, I remembered that another AAPC member had been announcing a coding job for quite awhile, working in the physician's practice area of a local hospital.  It's really weird because the very first time she announced it, I thought it sounded really interesting, and for a minute I wondered if it was time for a change.  But I decided against it.

Well, the job was still available, and I found it on Indeed and applied.  I figured since it had been open so long I had a good chance, even if I wasn't quite as experienced as they wanted.  Within like . . . 2 days of applying, they asked for a phone interview, which I did.  And then I had to do an in person interview, which took forever to schedule (it's a long story, basically the dept. currently has an interim director who is based in Virginia, at corporate headquarters, and she is only in Olympia like once a month for a few days).  My phone interview was January 13th, and my in person interview was on January 21st.  The in person interview went SO well.  I just had so much confidence going in.  I truly don't know where it came from, because I was pretty anxious like . . . until I walked into the building.  And then, I don't know what happened, but . . . it was awesome.  The interview ended up lasting a little over an hour, and when I left, I just felt like . . . yeah, this one's mine.  Very much like how I felt after my MHC interview. 

I officially got an offer on January 29th/30th, and on February 4th I went in and did new hire paperwork/drug testing/background check stuff.  I didn't get to start until February 17th, because the hospital only has new hires start every 2 weeks, and every new hire has to do a whole day group orientation.  There were only 2 other people in my group so that was kind of cool.

So far it's gone really well.  After the first day in my department, I was just pumped.  I like my job (some A/R, some coding, eventually a lot of auditing/provider education), I love my boss, and my office mate is my AAPC friend who actually announced the job!  I'm currently working from home again because of the pandemic and it hasn't been bad, but I do miss the office.  The system and processes are very different than at MHC and it's been an adjustment for sure, but in a good way.

AND while I was looking at job listings online, I came across one for a sleep clinic called ISC.  Jenny had applied there before because a couple of her coworkers had left ORS for ISC because they pay and benefits were better.  She never got a call back the first time.  But as all this was going on, things were getting bad at ORS.  Like Jenny was basically doing the work of 3 people and hadn't gotten a raise since just after she started, and she was still making minimum wage.  The owner of ORS just "doesn't do" cost of living raises--he only believes in merit raises.  And she was already doing 3 jobs so . . . what else could she possibly do to go above and beyond?  The ISC ad posted when I was looking for work said they were urgently hiring, so I let Jenny know.  They called her back really quickly, and she got the job!  She actually started at ISC on February 11th.  She's SO much happier there and so glad to be done with ORS.  Even moreso considering that if she was still at ORS, she'd be the only biller because 2 people have quit, AND the supervisor is on indefinite medical leave.

So we both got new jobs, and we both got raises (Jenny got $3/hour, I got $5/hour).  I definitely feel like I was ready for a change, and as much as I loved MHC, maybe getting laid off was a good thing.  I feel like I'm finally in a truly adult job, and I like working somewhere local.  And with our new combined income . . . I don't really want to say much and jinx it but let's just say homeowner-ship is no longer completely out of the question for us.  I mean, it's still going to be awhile, because my hours got cut because of the pandemic, and I have some new fun medical debt, but STILL.  Once things get back to normal . . . fingers crossed!

Payday: Goals

I got paid today.  Which is exciting, but I feel like I need to do some responsible adult stuff with my money now.

My money habits have been a little out of control lately and I feel like I've been over spending.  Granted, a good chunk of my money has gone towards things I legitimately needed, like new clothes, a bed, groceries, and giving Jerbs money for rent.  Those are all good things.

My problem is spending small amounts without paying attention, if that makes sense.  Like when I wander into New Frontiers everyday while I wait for the bus . . . I really just do it because standing outside for 15 minutes doing nothing seems lame, but I'll almost always end up buying some kind of treat or snack.  Always something small, between like 3 and 7 dollars, and it's such a small amount that I don't think it's a big deal.  But those little amounts add up really quickly and it's not pretty.

So my goal with this paycheck is to curb that sort of mindless spending and focus on only buying what I need or genuinely want.  I also need to write out a budget so I know what I have to spend where.

I feel like my first two paychecks were for sort of catching up on things I needed, and now it's time to get serious about saving money and improving my credit.

Yay for being an adult.

Win/Fail + Positive Changes

Win:  Today at work I joined the gym!  I'm so freaking excited about it I can't even tell you.  Plus I most def got a little bit of the VIP treatment because of where I work . . . I seriously love my job.  I had my workout stuff with me too, so I could get started after work.

Fail:  Going to change at the gym and discovering that the black sports bra I'd thrown into my bag was, in fact, a pair of black panties that were apparently mixed in with my sports bras.  So I didn't get my after work work out in and I was really, really disappointed.  Sigh.  I swear to God sometimes I just amaze myself!  But it's a funny story and there's always tomorrow (I already made sure to put the correct under garment in my gym bag).
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Since I started my getting better journey, I've noticed some positive changes in myself.  Some are really obvious--like that I don't want to kill myself anymore and I don't scream and yell and throw things every other day.  Some, though, are less obvious and only occur to me when they pop up.

For example, I've noticed that my old door mat tendencies have gone away, and I'm no longer afraid to stand up for myself.  I've stopped backing down from my opinions to make other people happy and avoid confrontation.  I mean, obviously I'm not going around picking arguments with people, I just . . . I stand my ground now.

My bed was supposed to be delivered today.  They were supposed to call me before they brought it (and then I was supposed to call Jerbs since she was the one home), but I never heard from them, and by the time I was on the bus home at almost 6 PM my bed still wasn't here.  So I called and the girl basically said she'd meant to call me and let me know that they were going to have to move my delivery to tomorrow.

I told her that no one would be home tomorrow and that that was why I'd asked for Tuesday.  She told me the bed wasn't ready; I told her they could deliver it on Thursday.  I also told her--firmly--that I was told Tuesday, and that if I had to wait, I would expect a refund of the delivery fee.  She said she'd see what she could do, I heard back from her a few minutes later, and the end of the story is that my bed is here and I'll be sleeping in it tonight.

I was so proud of myself.  Old me would have accepted a later delivery and then cried about it but instead, I stood up for myself.  I held this company accountable for what the services they'd promised.  I'm not mad at them or anything, but at the same time I most definitely wanted to make sure they held up their end.  I mean, I gave them my business and my money, and I wanted what I'd paid for.  I think this is another change in my way of thinking: knowing the difference (both emotionally and otherwise) of being mad at/hating someone/being offended by someone, and holding them accountable/expecting them to do their jobs.  Like when someone tells me I did something wrong at work, I don't end up thinking they totally hate me or whatever, and I don't take it personally--I just fix what I did wrong, remember to do it right the next time around, and remind myself that I'm still learning.  And at the end of the day I still like all my co-workers.  And by the same token, I know that if I ask someone to do something or suggest something to them, they aren't mad at me for doing so.  Does that make sense?

Anyway, there are more ways I've stood up for myself recently, and it's a good feeling.  A good good feeling.

The Big Two Eight

Today is my birthday!

As of this afternoon, I am officially 28.  Twenty.freaking.eight.  I cannot even begin to tell you how weird it is to say that.  It's just . . . I don't know.

I think that when we're kids, and teenagers, and even when we're young adults, we expect adulthood to feel really distinctly different from childhood and teenhood and collegehood and all those other stages.  I think we all expect there to be a *moment* where we become real grown ups, and that we wait and wait for that moment, and then hit our late twenties and realize that we're definitely grown ups, but that that moment never came.  Instead you just kind of somehow grow up.  It's like driving somewhere without paying attention and arriving at your destination with no clue how you got there.

I think I definitely did that.  I definitely thought I'd feel different now than I did when I was younger but . . . well, I really don't.  I'm still the same person I was back in college, just a bit more polished and mature.  I'm still awkward as ever, but I'm more confident now than I ever have been.

I actually like who I am right now.

There are things I'd change.  There are things I'm working on changing.  But overall, I like who I am.  I am OK with me.

As for my birthday, it wasn't bad.  I'm not too excited to be 28 because I like odd numbered ages better (I know that's weird, and I don't know why).  I had to go grocery shopping today, in the snow; there was a lot on the ground and it came down steadily for most of the time I was out, which caused the buses to be massively behind schedule.  Not so fun.  But it all worked out and Jerbs was able to meet me for dinner, and we got home safely, so overall, it was a success.

I didn't get the one thing I really wanted, but then again I don't know that I really expected to, so I'm only a little disappointed.

And that's about it.

So hello, 28.  Let's be good to one another.