Per Olaf: my "boring" work

To many folks, I have a pretty blah job.  I sit at a computer all (most of the) day.  I review channelization plans.  I coordinate a bunch of specialized folks in environmental, traffic, utilities and real estate offices to make sure they are all communicating and getting work done.  I design traffic control plans for construction.  I budget.  I estimate.  I write specifications.  I try to figure out solutions with lowest cost and highest benefit to the public.  I inspect roadway construction.

It's not sexy.  I don't dress up in a nice suit every day and meet with big businesses on 50th floor office conference rooms.  I don't travel (except to even more rural parts of the state).  I get paid about 50%-60% of what my private sector counterparts make, though my job is no less challenging in my opinion.

I work in a small town.  Like somewhere around 27,000 people I think.  Maybe?  (quick someone look up Wenatchee, WA).  Which I used to think was huge when I was growing up in Leavenworth, population tiny (3500?), but really it's not.  You run into people you know EVERYWHERE.  But there are some neat advantages to working in a small town.  Like the fact that I can actually affect change in my community.  Tonight I set up and led an Open House for a big project I was working on.  In this short time period I met with 1 state legislator, the mayor of Wenatchee, two City Council members, the City Engineer, the County assistant public works director, got quoted for a radio news story and met with at least 25 business or home owners in the area.  I didn't stop talking the entire time I was there.  And I got to interact, listen to concerns, show off all the good stuff we've designed, get feedback, and provide information to the community.  All while rubbing elbows with the (small time) politicians.  But even small town politicians actually have  say in State government and you know what?  That's pretty sweet.  Because that means I can affect what happens in my area.

So I'll take my non-sexy job with the salt of the earth type people because you know, I like living in a place where I can meet people, lead projects, represent my organization, and know I'll run into those same people year after year as we "share life" together.

Here's to small town life!

Hello friends,

Well, it's been a while.  We have missed you.  Or rather, perhaps you have missed us?  Well we've just been trucking along.  The first 9 days of October were rough, as it was the fourth week of Steve working in New Jersey.  Hence the fact that I really had no time to myself to write posts!  I was pretty much in survival mode...  The bad news is, Steve was gone for a really long time.  The good news is, we all survived!  AND we'll be able to pay our bills for quite some time with all the hard work we put in during that time, which is so nice heading into winter :)

My boys are getting sweeter (and sometimes more sour) all the time.  The sweet moments just seem more precious, and of course the tantrums are louder and more dramatic.  And sometimes more hilarious.  I forgot the one year old tantrum that happens the MINUTE they don't get their way.  Including facedown on the floor sobbing, or throwing oneself backwards off whatever surface they make be sitting on while screaming.... ah, the joys.  My boys are little masters of getting their way...  I am probably too easy on them while Steve is gone (hello, it's called survival.  Which is easier, listening to 45 minutes of crying, or giving the kid juice...?).  So when Steve returns from long sessions away, he gets to help break them (me) of our bad habits.  Sorry Hub.  However I still think the kiddos are doing quite well considering it's just me trying to direct their little lives a lot of the time.  It's a lot of responsibility raising these little people!  Holy moly!  I just keep on praying that they keep those sweet innocent hearts for a long long time.  And that I don't do anything to screw it up :)

This morning the boys and I returned home from Church, and Olaf immediately ran into the office and jumped on a pile of sleeping bags and Steve's multiple puffy jackets we had stashed in there.  He then invited Forest in to play too.  A few things to note in this photo below...  1.  Olaf is wearing gardening gloves.  Why?  He loves them!  He kept stealing mine so I bought him his own.  I don't get it, but if it keeps him happy why not?  2.  I couldn't get a happy picture of Forest without that bottle all up in his mouth.  Whenever I tried to grab it away the cuteness melted into not.so.much.  So there it is in the photo.  and 3. Matching shirts.  We had family photos taken yesterday, yay!  So they were wearing the same cute outfits for the second day in a row.  LOVE button ups on little men.

And now October is halfway over.  Whoa.  Happy fall!

Funny faces

Well I look sort of dorky with that expression, but who can resist Forest in that cute sweater with a smirk on his face? Not me!




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