Month: November 2020

So, last week I completed another training course. This time, it was for ITIL 4 Foundation. This course wasn’t hard to understand since I have been in IT for the last 13+ years, but it had a lot of terminologies I had to learn. I felt like I was studying for a baby PMP exam. #BoyIDontMissThatExam

I took a week to study before sitting for the exam, only because I knew I would have Certified Scrum Master training starting 11/30…and there is another certification exam for CSM. #IDidntThinkThisTrainingPlanThrough

So, let me stop and take a moment to discuss what a proctored test is. I proctored test means, pre-COVID, you would have gone to a secure facility, gotten patted down, glasses would have been checked, and you would have given everything, but your blood type to prove who you were and that you were not planning to cheat. Proctoring during COVID is only a little less invasive. #ALittle I had to install software on my PC to allow another human, somewhere else in the world, to see me and monitor every key press on my PC to make sure I was not cheating. Then, when the testing started, I had to show my ID to prove I am who I say I am. Then…THENNNN…when the proctor was connected, I had to show him around my room to ensure I was alone, show my desk to make sure NOTHING was on it, move my phone away from my desk so that I am not taking pictures of the questions or using it to cheat, and cover my 2 additional monitors with t-shirts so that I am not putting answers on those monitors while testing (I had to leave to grab another shirt for this and when I returned, I had to show around the room again to make sure no one slipped in when I opened the door.) #MyGod #IGetItThough #ClearlySomeoneTriedItElseItWouldn’tBeThisInvasive

Welp, after living and breathing ITIL 4 and all of its concepts and getting probed from afar, I was able to sit for the exam today. And guess what…I PASSED! #WootWoot

Now for the twist! I walked away mad! I passed and all, but there was a question on the exam where it asked for what option was correct…and THEY WERE ALL CORRECT! I mean, at this point, I KNOW my stuff! I may not have gotten all of the answers correct, but that question should have been a gimme. Soooooo, y’all know what I did…

Yep, I reached out to the testing company to let them know that I spied an error on their part. I don’t know if it will go anywhere, but they need to know the error of their ways. Someone can be out there failing the exam off of that 1 question. #NotOnMyWatch

So, to those future test takers…#You’reWelcome!

Today was just an ordinary day in my house. I woke up knowing it was Thanksgiving, but with Tier 3 in effect for Illinois, no one was coming for the usual meal. So, Thanksgiving wasn’t truly Thanksgiving!

Every year, my mom and I divide up the work. I typically like to take the big stuff since it’s time to let the elders sit down. Most years this works, but there are some years where my mom just wants to make sure everyone remembers what hers tastes like and prove to herself that she still got it! #AndSheDoes We set a time each year. #NoOneIsEVEROnTime My grandmother is usually ready to eat ahead of whatever time we set and she can be found roaming around, requesting ETAs from the chefs. #SheStaysHangry

We go through all of the motions: prep work (sometimes days or a week before), the actual cooking / baking, setting up the kids and adults tables, and then arranging the food in the best possible assembly line to avoid traffic congestion. Let me tell ya, traffic congestion is real with a bunch of hangry folks. Before our meal, we all hold hands and pray together. Then, we go around the room to say the one thing we are most grateful for. Someone always gets choked up here, which means I get choked up, which then means I typically have a one-word response because I don’t need to be snot-nosed crying ahead of dinner. #HappensEveryTime

We eat…we laugh…we share…we love! After the hubby is full and has gotten some couch time in, I typically mention the tree…yes, the Christmas tree. That is his queue to grab the Christmas tree and ornaments from the basement. If I am feeling really froggy, I will get the tree up Thanksgiving night. Typically, though, we will start first thing in the morning the day after.

Until 2020! This year, most of the usual traditions didn’t happen. My dad brought my mom over for a drive-by visit, I cooked catfish, spaghetti, and corn, and the girls spent some time playing Roblox. I did bake an apple pie for dessert, but even it did not taste the same. The hubby even brought the tree up, but there wasn’t any umpf to put it up. It will have to wait! I admit, I had a moment where I held back my tears, but I was reminded of all of the things I have to be grateful for…even in the midst of a pandemic.

This Thanksgiving, I am still so very thankful for my family, my mom coming out on the other side of her surgery, my ability to be home and available to my family when needed, and the abundance of friends turned family that are in my circle. I am in good health…and hey, He woke me up this morning, so what more can I ask for?!?! I choose to fill my head with these thoughts instead. #ShiftInPerspective #StillGrateful #StillThankful #AlwaysBlessed

So, Happy Thanksgiving!

Yesterday was a good day! It started off with a red velvet pancake breakfast and gifts in bed with loads of texts from family and friends. It moved to a virtual painting party, a wine drive-by visit from a wonderful friend, Edible Arrangements deliveries, a visit and cake delivery from family, an adult beverage delivery from a dear neighbor and friend, and special phone calls and FaceTimes from my mom, grandmother, brother and his entire crew, MIL, and my sister from another mister (and misses, but that’s neither here nor there). The day ended with a little adult beverage and Netflix. #LovedEveryMoment #LoveAllOfThem #MyVillageIsMyRock

I’d be remiss, though, if I didn’t mention the virtual celebration my Texas sisters had for me the night before my birthday. They were the first to toast me on Chapter 38 and they sent me off with a bang! #LoveThem

Here are the moments captured from my special day…

CHAPTER 38: If y’all only knew the storms I have weathered to get to this point in my life! I have learned many things in this time. The most important lesson life has taught me…no circumstance is permanent, nor is it too big for God. And God isn’t going to fix it. God has already equipped me with the tools necessary to weather these storms: strength, the power of perseverance, a magnitude of grace, a serving of mercy, and abilities I didn’t know existed. #HeAlreadyMadeAWay And then, because He is so great, He placed a village of amazing people in my life to pick me up when I have fallen, be my eyes and light when I can’t see through the clouds, hold the umbrella when I can’t find the strength to hold it myself, and help me find my footing when I am unstable after the storm. #BUTGOD It is HE who has gotten me here and I am so grateful and humbled!

So…what’s next? EVERYTHING!

I made a vow to myself in Chapter 37 that I’d work on being who I was called to be, and that’s not changing. What is changing, though, is that now I’m going to be listening more, even in my future storms. It is not easy to stop and listen when life seems to be handing out losses, but if I make a conscience effort to change the lenses on which I view those losses I will see Him. And as long as I can see Him, I can hear Him. #ChangingPerspective #MoreInFocus #SeekingHim #ISurrender #ImListening

So, here I sit…graceful, humble, and happy! And while I know it’ll start to rain soon, I’m focused on the sun that’s still shining. Chapter 38 is going to be phenomenal!

#BringItOn #SheReady

This journey without employment has been a long one, but it went by super fast!

About this time last year, I had to make a difficult decision: continue my journey at AT&T (and possibly see another layoff in the future) or decide to leave the company effective 12.30.19 with no job offers lined up. All I could think about was juggling my mom’s surgery (it didn’t have a date yet, but I anticipated February, 2020) and working. I made the executive decision, with my hubby’s support, to leave.

A few days before my last day, my father was admitted to the hospital for a battery of issues I will not discuss. This was the second time in my life I saw my father cry. I worked from the hospital until my last day and on my last day, I packed up my laptop and went straight back to the hospital. My dad still has a long road and needs to be consistent with some lifestyle changes (I can’t even go there right now), but he was finally released a couple days later.

COVID happened 3 months later and before I knew it, I was a homeschool teacher…good thing I got my Substitute Teaching license a month before!

Fast forward to today. I made a commitment to myself last year when I decided to leave AT&T. I was taking a leap of faith and investing in myself. #BettingOnMe That wasn’t something I was accustomed to doing since I am one who puts the needs of others ahead of my own…every…single…time! #ImLearning But I was going to retool myself and make sure that my next role aligned with who I am and what I aspire to me. Part of that plan came to fruition today. I received my first post-employment certification…Six Sigma Green Belt! #CSSGB I still have 5 more courses to go in my other certifications, but this is a start…a welcomed start at that.

Now, I don’t know what that ideal job is going to look like when I am finally able to rejoin the workforce. What I do know, it will be right on time and I will be ready for it.

What I learned in all of this…God makes no mistakes and He is always right on time…but HIS time, not mine. I am extremely grateful for my rock of a family. I couldn’t imagine this journey without them.

#143

You know, it used to be that “a house divided” simply meant that it was about 50/50 one thing or another. In my house, “a house divided” means I was raised a die-hard White Sox fan and the hubby a die-hard Cubs fan. No hatred toward either team or person, just a difference of opinion and liking. #SouthSiiiiide

Today, the term has taken on a deep-rooted meaning. Long gone are the days when Democrats and Republicans can play in the sandbox together and agree to disagree while still walking away with some class and dignity. The term used to mean that you could be friends, regardless of the political affiliation. You could respectfully debate your point of view at 2p and break bread together at 6p. Now, the color you sport is a mere symbol of the hate you tolerate, even if you don’t give it…isn’t that enough?

The more I watch the man voted into the highest seat of this country belittle, degrade, dismiss, and downright dog his opponent (AKA replacement)…another human being who just so happens to think differently…it is like a gut punch to the humanity I was raised to believe in and have. I am pro Best Candidate for the Job, regardless of which side of the aisle you sit. I look at character, respect, issues that affect me personally, and how well I feel you can serve everyone, not just those that think like you. See, fact is, there will always be a difference of opinion. There will be times when hard decisions have to be made and not everyone will be happy, even if you typically sit on the same side. The difference is, when you exude that character, respect, and humanity, your decision will at least be respected, even if it is not favored.

November 3rd, 2020 will not be remembered as an Election Day for me. It is the day the election started some sh*t! It is when the day turned into days and the voting process that was good enough for many years…hell, it was good enough 4 years ago…turned into a challenge of the very system this country built! The day the election started and the days that followed were when the stress and anxiety was enough to have me seriously consider whether this country deserves my family.

I’m pretty sure our new President will be Joe Biden. He is not the person everyone chose, but newsflash, this happens every 4 years!!!! If we individually do our part to be decent human beings, I think we can make it another 4 years to do this crap all over again. The question is, are you going to sit and throw yourself a pity party because it didn’t go your way or are you going to be that upstanding citizen that your children are looking up to? You know…they’ll run this world here real soon. #CanYouAcceptWhoYouRaised

So, here we are…a country still divided…it’s up to you what you will personally do to blurry that dividing line!

#CommittedToDoingMyPart

Today was the first normal day I had in a long time! And not only was it a holiday, Halloween, it was also my mom’s birthday.

To start, my mom got the same royal treatment we typically give for birthdays…breakfast! It’s usually red velvet pancakes with cream cheese frosting, but in the spirit of Halloween, I decided to do black velvet pancakes. Because I forgot about balloons and frosting, I may or may not have woke up the hubby to make a quick store run. After a couple hours, ta daaaaaaa!

After a delicious breakfast, I may or may not have burned the last pancake! I…do it…every…time! My mom opened her gifts and shed plenty of tears…you know, the usual. We then did a drive by to visit our old neighbors (#IMissThem) and came back for our yearly photo shoot…

Even though the neighborhood kiddos were out trick-or-treating, I told the girls we wouldn’t partake this year. I didn’t want to risk it. Instead, I sent them on a scavenger hunt to 15 places throughout the house. Every clue card was a riddle to the next candy location. I thought I would have these kids stumped a lot more than I did, but these kids are smart. Darn you, Google! The girls had a blast and I couldn’t have asked for a better set of troopers to not be sad about missing out on going door to door and showing off their costumes to the world. My babies are amazing! #I’mSoGladThey’reMine

As if the day wasn’t full enough, my brother, sister-in-law, and niece came over for a masked cake party. We sang Happy Birthday to my mom and partook in some Portillo’s chocolate cake!

Today was a great day and I am blessed my mom is here another year!

#Chapter62