In case you haven't heard...

After two phone interviews, three "targeted selection" interviews, and a "technical" interview over the past 6 months, I officially received a job offer from Caterpillar, Inc. today as an Environmental, Health & Safety Associate. That in itself is cause for celebration. It is a position in which I believe I will be challenged and allowed to be creative and innovative. And for the first time in my professional life, there are opportunities for growth and a ladder that is vertical instead of horizontal.
and as far as I know, the job has nothing to do with poop, something which I've become ALL too familiar with in the past three jobs (and a grad school career)!
When I think back over the past year, so much has happened. So much good. And just as many financial burdens, stresses, and "how am I ever going to be able to pay this" 's. I know that so many of you have prayed that not only CAT would offer me this position, but that it would be financially freeing. From what a former Bradley classmate who is also working in the same division told me, I expected a 50-60% raise, which had me very excited. I could start chipping away at my accumulated debt and breath easier when the CILCO bill came.

So when I opened the job offer this afternoon, I nearly fell off my chair.

The salary I am starting at is a 125% raise from my current pay at the health department.
I had to read it five times to make sure it was right.
Then I called Gina, who suggested I read it once more-just to make sure.

I know money isn't all that matters. It is an evil thing when people make it their god. But it just such a wonderful feeling of a burden lifted. That the pile of bills on the office desk won't be the loudest thing I hear when I go to bed at night.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, thoughts, crossed fingers, words of wisdom and support (and loans). I love you all so much! I am so excited to see where this next chapter in life leads. I am so thankful that you are all a part of it.

It's Official!

what did you think i meant?

Cougar Quiz

Let's see how much you know about the coolest cat ever birthed.
1) Which is not one of Cougar's favorite foods?
a. String Cheese
b. French Bread
c. Green Olives
d. Cheetos
2) What is Cougar's middle name?
a. Frank
b. Bear
c. Jones
d. Ringo
3) In what year did Cougar adopt me?
a. 2002
b. 2003
c. 2004
d. 2005
4) In what famous 80's movie did Cougar's double star?
5) Cougar hates:
a. Shadows
b. Cats
c. Dogs
d. Children
6) At one evening meal, Chris Evans fed Cougar an entire:
a. Chocolate Bunny
b. Chicken Breast
c. Can of Baked Beans
d. Donkey
7. How many distinct dialects does Cougar communicate in?
a. 4
b. 6
c. 12
d. I don't know, as I am not fluent in Catenese.

Good things.

The interview only took 20 minutes! I met with the environmental manager to go over what the job entails and what experience I have. At the end he said I possess all the qualifications they are looking for and I'd make a great candidate. So, I'd say it went "well" to "extremely well." He said he'd call my potential supervisor and let her know of his thoughts.
Now I just have to wait to her from her!
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
j

(Not) back in the saddle.

I visited the chiropractor this evening for the back problem. I had never been to a chiro before, so they put me through the whole 9 yards with the measurements and the x-rays and such. The x-rays revealed two swollen discs with a compressed one between them. Also, the channels in the spine that the nerves run through (which are supposed to be round) are all shaped like kidney beans and have even started branching away from the spine. He said this was due to a prior injury and that the problem has existed for quite some time. hmm...
Sooo...for now, no lifting or bending. More ice. Another adjustment on friday. It actually hurts worse now than before I went in, but hopefully that's just due to the strong massage at the end.

In other, better news, I have another interview at CAT tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 in East Peoria!! Hopefully this will be the last one before they make a decision. Please pray that it goes well and I have all the qualifications required for the position!

And finally, thank you sooooo much to my dear sweet Nurse Gina who has taken such wonderful care of me through all of this nonsense! I honestly don't know what I'd do without her (probably go to work without socks on and my shoes untied-hard to reach when you can't bend!).

DL

Somehow I managed to injure myself while dead lifting on Friday. I wasn't trying an extreme amount of weight or anything, but on my last set something went terribly wrong. As soon as I put the weights down, I had shooting pain in my lower back, just below my weight belt. Thus ended my workout.

I went to work and my boss sent me home (thanks). I spent the next 10 hours icing it, which was recommended by a chiropractic friend. It's now Sunday morning and my condition is about the same. I can walk (carefully), but I feel decrepit. If it's not any better by Wednesday, I think I'll go to a doctor. Until then I'll just hobble and complain.

Happy Father's Day to all you procreators!

waiting...

My lovely and wonderful parents came down on Wednesday eve' and picked up my dead car on a trailer. They also left me a spare car that was out at the shop where my dad works. So, thankfully I have had a mode of transport. The old car is getting a new engine.

Still awaiting news from CAT. I was told I may be having an additional interview with a facility manager to go over the technical aspects of the job. My potential supervisor also said she has to talk with some people to address CAT's need right now. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, although I don't know why they'd be interviewing people if they didn't have a job for them. So that's where I'm at. Hopefully I'll find out more this week. On eggshells until then.

in the meantime, life is good.

Nothing is sound.

Well folks, this is to be yet another blog in the long line of blogs involving my once beloved (now despised) Grand Am.
I've fought this thing since I got it back in '04. First it was small things like fuel injectors, fuel filters, then the usual things that wear out and need to be replaced as soon as you get it paid off-tires, brakes, headlights, etc.
But yesterday, as I was driving to Joe's apartment, it began ticking. Not "ticking" as in an adorable cuckoo clock on grandmother's wall. An ominous, metallic ticking reverberating from under the hood. It was soon joined by a louder tapping, both in rapid succession. When we got it back to Joe's, he took a listen under the hood. Rod knock.
not good.
The prospects for longevity of the engine were bleak, but it should've held up for at least awhile.
Then today on the way home from work, the little 4-cylinder transformed into a machine gun mimic. People on the sidewalk were diving for cover and drivers in adjacent vehicles sped up to avoid becoming a victim if the thing blew up. and you think i'm kidding. I'm 98.543% sure I now have a spun rod. I made it home (doing 25mph) and the piece of....pleasantry...is parked in the driveway.

not sure what I'm going to do now.

sure would be nice to hear back from Caterpillar in my hour of greatest financial dire straits...

Hooray Hoorah.

Well.
The day at CAT was great! Everyone I met and spoke with seemed to really enjoy what they do. And the conclusion was that CAT takes care of its people and they, in turn, take care of CAT.
what a concept.

I had three interviews and met with a few others that are currently in the rotation program over lunch. The entire experience was positive and affirming. It would be a HUGE blessing to work in the environmental, health and safety department. The steps that CAT is taking to remain the world leader in sustainable development and to reduce the environmental impact from their facilities is greatly encouraging. I would love to be a part of that change!

So, the three interviewers are having a meeting on Monday to discuss their thoughts and I will know if I will be offered the job by midweek!
Thank you again to all who have been praying! Your prayers have been heard!
Go Big Yellow!

'Twas the night before...

In approximately 9 hours I will be sitting in the lobby at CAT h.q. downtown, preparing to interview for a position that could bring great change to my life. I've been chatting with a friend from Bradley who has held the same position for about 3 years and she loves it. The more I hear about it, the more excited I get about the potential future. It's not just about the financial stability it would provide (although that is something I'd gladly welcome), but the thought of being in a career where innovation and creativity are acknowledged and rewarded would be uplifting. I don't think I was made to check off numbers on a page or to maintain databases, or to sample poo water, and I certainly was not created to be an 8-hour cube dweller. I am passionate about people and our environment. If those two things can be brought together in an innovative atmosphere, I'd be proud to be on the team.

thank you to all who have been praying, fasting, thinking good thoughts, crossing fingers, or whatever you do. The Ultimate Employeer sees and hears them all!

I'll let you know how it went when I get home tomorrow night!
-j

Blessed.

The weekend was great. Just what a weary soul needed.

My ole' buddy, Jeff, from high school came down Friday night. We went to One World and then spent a few hours catching up. It had poured all day, but we still planned on getting up early (fairly) and hitting the trails at Jubilee. We used to go riding almost every weekend when we both were attending Bradley, but I've only ridden there once or twice since. So after putting the rack on the car, strapping down the bikes and loading up the rest of our gear, we headed to the park. We decided to park on the back side and ride in since we figured there would be big crowds there for the holiday weekend. We found a deer trail and cut into the woods. I learned a lot that morning. Hooves are better for ascending and descending steep slopes than knobby tires and wet brakes. And stinging nettles EARNED that name. I also learned that you should call the park's phone number before setting out. When we finally found a road 1.5 hours later, there was a sign stating the trails were closed for the day due to the rain. A park employee also stopped his truck to inform us of our error. There was no denying where we had been...covered in mud from the shoulders down. it was a good morning.

Saturday evening Gina and I were to go to the Sletten's for dinner. or so she would have had me believe.
First, she led me astray by having me look down the side streets of the subdivision for the house that the Sletten's were going to buy to be used for Young Life activities. total farce.
Then she was very insistent on carrying the gigantic pan of cheesy potatoes. my gentlemanly manners would not allow it. nor did i question why she made such a ridiculous amount of potatoes for 4 people and a baby.
When I rounded the corner of the house to go through the back gate (also strange, but I didn't think twice about it), there was a large group of people gathered on the deck.
My first thought: oh, this was a cookout? i thought it was just us and the slettens.

Then I saw my family and Gina's family.
Everyone shouted something in unison. I heard "surprise!," and thought, "what in the world is this for?"
I was later told, they shouted "happy graduation," which totally makes sense now.

Anyway, it was the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. That my friends and family all took time out of their lives to come down and hang out was a humbling and blessing experience. Gina is the best. And Summer is close behind.

Thank you everyone who came out and everyone else who offered words of encouragement over the years! I love you all!

Sometimes you end up a streak on the pavement.

I'll just say upfront that context of this entry is going to be weird.
but that's me. sorry.

For some reason, the county or the state has cut off funding for the highway department to pick up roadkill until June because of high gas prices. Needless to say, the shoulders are littered with bloated and half-scavenged carcasses of deer, raccoons, possums, and other things splattered beyond recognition.

It's made me realize a few things.
1) The guys that pick up roadkill have an important job. and one that I would not want (except it would be free groceries).
2) Our politicians are not smart.
3) A freaking lot of animals die on our locals highways and byways everyday (I saw no fewer than 4 dead deer just today).

But it's that third point I'll focus on.
Sunday night I narrowly missed a raccoon as it darted across the road between myself and an oncoming SUV.

Yesterday, while cruising the fine streets of Pekin, a Jack Russell terrier bolted across the path of an oncoming truck and I hit the gas to avoid it going under my back tires. It's owner, a young boy on a bike, watched horrified as his best friend was nearly flattened before his eyes. I could see him crying out across the street in my rearview mirror. As traffic cleared the intersection, he pedaled as fast as he could down the adjacent street to catch the frightened pup.

I couldn't help but think of the pain it would have caused the boy if his dog, his friend, would have been lost while just doing what dogs do. Seeking what was across the next street with reckless abandon. What's over that next hill or around the corner? Dogs don't think about the consequences. They don't count the cost of their wandering.
are we so different?

Our own Master calls out to us daily, trying to keep up from becoming a streak on the pavement. The world bowls us over, spins us around, tramples us, and kicks us into the ditch. The world keeps going. People are left to rot while the world drives by, focused on the own road ahead.

But we can keep them from becoming food for the birds and wild animals by walking with them. While we can't take the cars of the road, we can amplify the Master's call. While not choking them with a chain of rules, regulations, and religion, we can take them by the hand and show them a better way to navigate life here.

and one day they will safely reach their destination.

Tardiness is next to...(oh that's something else)

Allow me to start by saying the season finale of The Office was outlandish. Loved every akwardly hilarious moment.

Michael: "Toby has been cruisin' for a brusin' for twelve years. Today I am his cruise director and my name is Captain Bruisin."

Michael: "I'm pretty sure she's baked on a professional level."

where do the days go?

Hey, I'm still alive.
just busier (i thought things would slow down after the thesis was done).

Last week was a whirlwind of working both jobs, completing a video project for my sister's graduating students, and a few hours of sleep.

The only real news is that after a second phone interview with CAT on tuesday (the first was waaaay back in January), I was given an invitation for a formal interview. It will be on May 29th from 7am-4pmish. The position is with the Environmental, Heath & Safety department. CAT has some really exciting things going on in the reduction of waste, energy consumption, green house gas emmissions, and green building. I think this could be the beginning of a lifetime career. So please feel free to pray for the interview and that if I do get the job, there would be no relocation after the first 6 months (it's not too soon to start now).

It feels like doors may be starting to open after all those years of academic strife. I have also become more frustrated with my current job. It has become mundane and administrative. I was told at my first interview at TCHD that the position was a "stepping stone". I've learned a lot, but it's time to set my ladder on that foundation and climb.

On Tuesday May 6th, 2008 at 11:35am, Scott Massie left this world.
He was an inspector here at the health department and he loved his job.
The last time I saw him was at the benefit held here a few short weeks ago. His hair was gone and he was in a wheelchair, but he was still the same old Scott, asking about the geothermal program and if I had received the plans from a big job he had worked on. As his wife Paula was getting him ready to leave the office for the last time, he said in a shaky voice, "I hope you guys know how much I want to be here."

Today I had the honor of bearing his casket. And as we trudged across the cemetery lawn from the hearse to the tomb, the weight in my left hand was extreme. Even with seven grown men carrying the coffin, it was heavy. I was reminded in that moment that Scott no longer has a load to bear. All the weight of this world is gone from him. He is free.

The pastor of Calvary Baptist delivered a beautiful message of hope for all who believe. He spoke of the death of Jesus' close friend, Lazarus. When word reached Jesus that his friend had died, he went to him to the town of Bethany to comfort those who were mourning. Jesus arrived three days after Lazarus’ death and people were still weeping with Mary, his sister. Luke 11:33 says, "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35Jesus wept.

Jesus wept. The Jesus who knew that Lazarus was with his Father and that the pains of this world had left him…wept.
Was it because He was grieved at the worldly loss of his friend? I don't think so. I think it was because Jesus was moved by the love that these people had for Lazarus and for Mary. He felt their pain.
The pastor suggested that if Scott had the choice of returning to earth, he would do so only to relieve the grief of his family.

I hadn't been to a funeral in a few years.
And I see death differently now.
It's still not easy to lose someone, but "death has lost its sting."
At least for those who believe.

As we stood around the open grave, the sun began to break through the clouds. You can cast away the empty shell, ravaged and broken by sicknesses that this fallen creation succumbs to. You can bury it in a deep, dark hole and cover it with a stone.
But the beloved is not there.
They've changed their address.
Now they reside the nice part of town.

Scott is now in the place where light comes from.
And where life comes from.

Job Fair

Michael Scott: "We're going to get some young blood in here. We're going to youth-anize this place."


also, it's great to know that Pam was a "Cougar" in high school!

Passing the Torch

I'll admit this is a little late, but my computer at work wouldn't let me access my blog and then we were out of town for the weekend.
Anywho, Mr. Charlie Dean has handed me the torch for posting new quotes from each week's episode of The Office. So here goes:

Dwight (to Andy in response to his Xterra's "For Sale" poster): "The way I see it, you have four options: 1. Sell it for parts, 2. Push it off a cliff, 3. Donate it to someone you want to see die in a car accident, or 4. Sell it to me for next to nothing."

lost in bloggerdom

Well, when we left off, I had just had the night of a lifetime, meeting with Mr. Corwin. Last week was just as hectic as any. I got the final revisions back from my committee on Monday and worked into the late hours of the night Tuesday, editing, cutting, and pasting until the two separate papers became one, 52-page beast. With all the required paperwork signed, I turned in the final product Friday to the grad school for binding. So, (sigh) it's all said and done now. I don't think the realization of it all will finally come until I have the diploma in hand.

Gina and I spent a wonderful weekend in St. Louis with her bro, Wes. We went to the zoo on Saturday. It's a great place and it's FREE!! double awesome. We didn't do anything else of note, except eat and relax (two of my favorite things).

Sunday was beautiful. We drove back in time for church at Imago and then split the afternoon between two cookouts with wonderful friends. Could not have been better!

Greatest Night EVER.

What better way to celebrate the conclusion of my graduate career than to meet my environmental idol?
Tuesday, my former boss from Wildlife Prairie Park called to see if I would be interested in attending the 30th anniversary celebration. Gina and I had wanted to go originally, but couldn't afford the $150 tickets. Linda said she had a table donated and we could go for $30. So, of course, we jumped all over it.

As the program was about to begin, one of my former coworkers walked by. She said she was going to go get Jeff and asked if I wanted to go with her. Are you freaking kidding me?!



So we walked from the exhibit halls, through the new Civic Center addition, and up the escalators to the green room. Mr. Corwin was admiring the view of Peoria from the giant windows when we arrived. It was surreal.
So we walked back downstairs and chatted. amazing. unreal. Here is one of the world's foremost conservationists, television personalities (an Emmy winner), and I'm making smalltalk about the Park and wildlife.



Jeff gave an inspiring keynote address on how he came to be a naturalist and conservationist, the importance of protecting our environment and all species, and how all of us can make a difference in our own homes.

What a perfect end to a great day!

it is finished. nearly.

Wow, I never thought this day would come. honestly.
It has been such a struggle.
I realized a few minutes before the presentation was to begin that I have been a Bradley University student 1/3 of my life. 9 years!
I should have been a doctor.
Anyway, the presentation went pretty smoothly. There were probably 12 professors in attendance, including the dean of the grad school. The questions following were pretty grueling, but my advisor said that it was the most responsive audience they'd ever had for a thesis, which meant they understood what I was talking about. that's a good thing when it comes to endocrinology (hormones) and ethology (animal behavior).
Then I spent another hour in a room with my committee. They were surprisingly gentle this time. I think they asked 10 questions or so. Then they went into the office and talked for awhile. My advisor came back out and called me in. "Congratulations."
I could have cried, but I was too happy.
They have the weekend to make final revisions on the thesis, then I have until Friday to get everything polished and turned in to the grad school to have it bound. Half of it will be sent to the Journal for Wildlife Diseases for publication. sweet.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts during the past week. It's been hard and stressful, but you all have made it much MUCH easier! I don't know what I'd do without such amazing friends and family!