Recent happenings.......

Wow, a lot has happened in the last few days. On Thursday Becky and I drove down to the Valley for my orientation at SPS. It was pretty short, from 2-3:30 or so, but we talked about a lot of stuff. Most of it I already knew from reading the various info packets they have given us, but some was new. Almost all the info, though, was about the school in general, financial aid, how to get your books, ordering "uniforms" (which in reality were just scrubs with the schools logo and name on them), and stuff like that. She said that we would have a more specific orientation to the program the first day of school, which is actually coming up quickly! The orientation also gave me a chance to see who else will be in my class. It was split almost 50/50 men and women, although maybe just a few more ladies. And ages ranged from probably just out of high school to probably about 55 I would guess. There were a couple of guys who were starting to go gray! Although the bulk of the class looked to be about my age or in their early 30s.

After orientation we went up to North Phoenix to meet the guy I will be living with while I'm in school. He seems really nice and has a good sense of humor like me, so I think we will get along really well. He owns a 4-bedroom house in a pretty nice location. The house is in a newly built residential type neighborhood. Then again pretty much everything in Phoenix is newly built. That city has exploded in the last few years. We also met his girlfriend to whom he just got engaged. The timing for my living there is perfect, because I will only need to be there for about 8 months and will move out in August, which is right around the time he had planned to have her move in. Right now he is renting one room to a student from Germany. I met him too and he seemed pretty nice. He offered to help me move when the time came. I think I really lucked out. It is a really nice location and the house is almost brand new. The price we decided on was at the high end of our budget but still a lot less that what he could potentially rent the room out for, so I was pretty lucky there too. And most likely I will have the house to myself most of the time since he works long hours as a dermatology resident at a Scottsdale hospital.

The other big thing that happened is that on Friday I handed in my two-week notice. I was pretty nervous about it and all day I had to put up with that anxious feeling in my stomach, but at the end of the day, I called my boss into a back storeroom, so I could have some privacy and broke the news to her. I had prepared a little speech ahead of time, so this is what I said verbatim:

"I just wanted to let you know that 2 weeks from today, December 16th, will be my last day here. I want you to know that I really appreciate all the help and guidance you have given me, you are a great teacher and mentor, but after much soul-searching I have realized that this is not the career for me and that I need to make a change."

Even though I really didn’t like my job and most of the people there rubbed me the wrong way, I still wanted to be professional and stay on good terms with my boss. After I said my piece, she said she was sorry to hear that but she could understand. She asked me what my plans were and wished me good luck. To tell you the truth she didn’t seem surprised at all. Before I could even finish my prepared speech I had come up with she was asking me if it was because of the low pay. I said yeah partly, but also that I wanted more stimulation in my job and to be challenged. I also (believe it or not) really missed interaction with people. She could understand all that and was very nice about the whole thing. I hadn’t planned on telling her what my new career plans were unless she asked. Well, she did ask, so I told her I was starting school in January down in Phoenix at a program in Radiography. She thought that sounded interesting and wished me luck. She asked if I had turned in a letter of resignation yet. I hadn't even thought about that. I figured I was so low on the totem pole that that kind of thing wasn't necessary. But she thought it was a good idea to write one up quickly and give a copy to her, the director and the HR person. So I wrote one up handed it in and got out of there. The thing that really surprised me (and don't get me wrong, it's a good thing) was that she didn't seem surprised or shocked and she didn't seem to be mad or become standoffish at all. Maybe things will change by Monday, but she was the same helpful person as she always was, suggesting things to put in the letter and letting me know what to do next. I told her several times that I really appreciated all the help and guidance she had given me while I was there, and I think she really appreciated hearing that. And it wasn’t just lip service either, I have always liked her and she has been one of the better bosses I have ever had.

Anyway, it's over, so that’s good. I just have to get thru the next 2 weeks and I am on to bigger and better things. I am kind of curious how other staff members will take the news. Will they come and say good-bye and wish me good luck or shun me because I am leaving the profession they all love? Who knows! Either way, I am out of there in 2 weeks and nothing can stop me now!