My passport expired in 1987. That is the year our son Declan was born! My old passport contains tangible proof that I have personally set foot on the soil of Canada, Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, Antigua, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, England, Wales, Spain, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Some of these places are not even countries anymore! Most of them were visited BA (Before Attila) and BC (Before Children).
This past Friday I experienced a heavy dose of Philly Delight. I needed to get an expedited passport at the US Passport Office for my new job which starts on Monday, June 15th. On my way to 200 Chestnut Street, City of Brotherly Love and Terrible Drivers, I inadvertently drove over the Ben Franklin bridge into Camden, NJ. It was not exactly what I had in mind, but I am not religiously opposed to detours now and then.
I found my way back to the correct state (woo hoo!). I pulled into a spot in a large parking garage and immediately began conversing with a woman who was getting out of a car near me (in certain countries this could be considered assault with a deadly weapon).
She was heading to the Passport Office as well, and knew her way out of the garage. I hitched a ‘ride’ by her side. She and her husband are missionaries who are returning to Ecuador to plant a church. (I know. You aren’t supposed to talk to strangers. I can’t help myself.)
Chatting happily together, we entered the security line in the Federal building. I had to leave my new friend prematurely when my brutal honesty forced me to admit to the guard that I did indeed have a nail file in my purse. I actually had two of them in there. (Don’t ask why. Things just have a way of mysteriously multiplying in my presence. Remember the lamps in my old TSD office? And have you counted my children lately?)
I left the building and tossed the tiny weapons of mass destruction into the nearest trash can. Note to self: Buy new nail file for purse! I returned to the Federal building with a clean conscience and a safe purse.
My appointment was set for 12:30 p.m. I made it to the window at 3:00 p.m. Heavy sigh. They said it would take at least another hour until the passport was actually made. Where are all the passport-construction elves when you need them?
I had not eaten all day, so I took my receipt and headed across the street to buy a real Philly cheese steak for brunchdin (breakfast, lunch and dinner). I found an open bench under a row of trees and planted myself there for a spell. Sunshine had replaced the early rain and there was a delightful breeze. I felt oddly content.
I tossed the empty bag and aluminum foil into the receptacle that also contained my nail files, and returned to the waiting area of the Passport Office. At 4:45 p.m. I finally left the building, passport in hand. I felt slightly jubilant, with a freaky sense of excitement tickling the back of my neck.
Finding my way into the parking garage was no easy task since I had not paid much attention on my way out of there (jabbering with my missionary friend). I forgot to press ‘receipt’ at the payment machine and had to push the ‘help’ button. A disembodied voice assured me that they would have a receipt ready for me on my way out. I had fifteen minutes to find my car.
My ‘Find Your Car!’ adventure ate up nearly every one of those precious fifteen minutes. I had to check several levels of the garage, and use my remote trunk opener just to locate my beige beast of burden. What joy washed over me as I heard the familiar “eee eee” responding to my silent call.
I switched my cell phone back on and almost immediatly received a call from a teenager (in tears) and then a second call from another teenager wondering where I was, and when exactly would I be home? I hate cell phones.
I needed to call my new boss to let him know that my passport mission was successful. Of course the traffic lights on Walnut Street were timed in my favor and I cruised right through, leaving no time to dial my cell. By now it was closing in on 5:30 p.m.
When I finally reached Curt on my cell I missed my turn onto 676 N and drove in a huge circle to get back to where I needed to be. I am pretty good at multi-tasking, but city traffic and cell phones just don’t mix. Driving in Philadelphia in rush hour made me feel like an idiot and a grown-up all at the same time. I’m not sure I want to be either one!
So… on Monday I begin my new job as the Controller for Five Winds International, an environmental management consulting firm. While the corporate headquarters is located in Paoli, PA (where I will be working under the fairly new COO) the out-going Controller works out of the Ottawa, Ontario office. I am flying there on Tuesday to train with her for the rest of next week. She will fly to the US the following week so that we can complete the transition as efficiently as possible.
It will be awesome to actually be transitioned at all! My work experiences have typically consisted of ‘thrown into the fire and work your way out’ situations.
It is possible that my updated employment status is due in part to my brother Bryn’s advice to buy a “more professional-looking” interview outfit (and eldest daughter Lyryn taking me shopping to pick one out). Apparently my old outfit was outdated and inappropriate for today’s business environment. Decide for yourself. Feel free to comment – you know you want to!
Original Interview Outfit
Updated Interview Outfit
Okay people. You are lucky I leave the house wearing a bra!
So… I am happy to be gainfully employed once more. I am thrilled to adjust my morning routine so that it no longer includes the daily perusal of countless classified ads on a multitude of job seeker web sites. After months of unemployment my ‘Job Search’ notebook is full and a new journey in my life is about to begin. I reluctantly say “goodbye” to sleeping in, but happily say “hello” to earning a real paycheck again.
During this unscheduled sabbatical I have had the glorious opportunity to put a real dent in my personal to-do list. I have spent quality time rekindling old friendships, strengthening critical family relationships, and making new connections. I have no regrets.
I am excited about meeting new people and acquiring knowledge in a field I know little about. I am hoping that the new information won’t shove the basics out of my brain (things like walking and chewing gum at the same time).
And I am NOT giving up on writing my book. Really. I’m serious. Stop laughing! Okay, now you are starting to annoy me. You know who you are! :-}
