My New Job: "Please pay ___ by this date"

I have a full-time job. This past week was my first week at work and it was fairly unremarkable. This is what I was hoping for. I'm working at Pettigrew Medical Business Services in their Small Practice department. I do a lot of printing, data entry, filing, faxing, copying, and other generic office tasks that everyone generally finds dull and tedious. Basically, we do the billing for doctors' offices that pay us to do their billing. And while the job itself isn't particularly thrilling, I have some really friendly and kind coworkers. I even have my own office which is pretty fun.

I found out about this job on our anniversary while we were driving to Galveston. I was driving and Brenden answered my phone for me and then handed it to me. On the other line was the woman from HR who had interviewed me for a different job with their company in the beginning of December. The interview had gone very well but I decided I didn't want that job because it would entail calling people and answering calls from people regarding their Emergency Room bills. I once had to deal with a student who was incredibly angry about getting a B+ on one of her papers I graded (very accusatory, shaking her paper at me, raised voice, devil eyes, etc.) I handled it calmly but was feeling sick for the rest of the day. I don't handle angry people very well and taking calls from people upset about their bills just didn't sound like my thing. The HR woman mentioned that another position may be opening up in another department and she would keep me in mind for it if it did. I thought this was kind, kept my fingers crossed but also accepted that this might've just been a kind way to let me down. Needless to say, it wasn't a kind way to let me down because she was serious and offered me the job on the phone while I was driving to Galveston. Yippee!

So I finally have a job. It only took several months, several applications, several rejection letters, several tears, and one job interview. Yeah, out of the many, many applications I submitted I was asked back for only one interview and that was largely (perhaps solely) related to the fact that one of my visiting teachers was the person who recommended me for the position (her office is next door to mine!) Thankfully, it only takes one good job interview to land the one job that you need.

I apologize for not mentioning this job to basically anyone except family over Christmas break. Even though I found out about it before we arrived in Galveston, I didn't really want to tell anyone in case it somehow fell through. I felt like talking about it before beginning it or filling out any paperwork might jinx it. That's how hopeless I had become about this stupidly long and difficult job search. I was so worried about not having a job I couldn't even celebrate being offered and accepting a job because I was afraid I would JINX it. Also, shortly after I had been offered the job, I had a nightmare that I went to work for the first day and found out I hadn't been offered the job yet but was there, along with three other applicants, for another interview. After hearing this, I realized everyone else was dressed up and I was wearing my Rainbow Brite t-shirt and jeans. I woke up from this dream very stressed out and had to remind myself that I had actually been offered the job and that I had accepted the offer and was starting on January 9th.

I've worked a week now. I enjoy it. I especially like the part where I get a paycheck. And I hope I haven't jinxed the job by mentioning it here.

And here's a picture of me in my Rainbow Brite t-shirt with some of the McQuay and Ludlow fam. How absolutely not business casual is that?!