Back to School, Sort of

It's been like college around here (well, if you trade Mary Welch Roger's Wafflehouse theme songs for your two-year-old pleading "Mommy, Please?" about something she wishes to wear, color, eat, drink, watch or jump onto every 4 seconds or so).  J. is in the process of "turning in his papers."  And we will be out of the Army, ready or not, by the summer.  Being the stressballplannercontrolfreak person that I am when it comes to stuff like this, I prefer very ready.  Overprepared, if possible. I promptly set up a full-scale plan of attack when we came home from Nashville (the city I am incredibly "home"sick for, by the way - but more on that later).  We have a long-range plan for the transition, with short-term goals to keep us on track.  If I had more time there would probably be charts and graphs and Microsoft Project involved.  But J. has a job, and we have obligations (like making sure Princess gets her tutu.  And slippers.  And purple blinking-light-jiggly-Princess Belle pen.). So we work with the time we've got - nights and weekends.  Which involves coffee.  Lots of it. (pictured at left is one in the 42 "K-Force" souvenirs J. brought home after his Kosovo tour; he's finally using it five years later and taking it out every other night just to prove he really did need it.) 

Honestly, I'm really kind of enjoying all the late nights poring over business journals and working on interview questions and reviewing performance appraisals.  Some of you know me as this crafty, creative blogger who takes way too many pictures.  But those who know me well know that I sometimes wish I was running a division or managing a major project or doing something star performer-ish while getting my MBA by now.  I was the nerd who spent my last two college summers at the library reading Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and Psychology Today and taking thorough notes on the articles - all in preparation for my fall classes (I was an Org. Comm. business major).  And while I'm actually jealous of J.'s job search, my previous work experience and intense attention to all things business-related is coming in handy right now.  It turns out we make a good team. 

Now if I could just persuade him to get this committed to picking up after himself...

Comments

[Christine]

I love it! The lists and the goals are my favorite! I am looking forward to a little more time to read the HBR as I move up to Ft. Drum.

I am not sure if I mentioned it in an earlier post but we got engaged over the holiday so there will be a wedding before the June deployment! Bitter sweet to say the least.

Best of luck in supporting the job hunt!!!

[Lacey]

I have to say, that is the Crystal I know. I remember when you were working at PBS, and starting your first quilt. I think you may have been using my sewing machine. I am impressed with all your crafty creativity, but I also know that you would love to be doing some big time career woman stuff. Good Luck with your transition plan!

[Karen]

Crystal,

The more I learn about you, the more I discover just how similar we are. I also enjoy taking notes. For example, when our agency receives new articles/books about ADR (alternative dispute resolution) I will hoard the reading material in my office until I write 'Karen-Notes.' I then make copies of my 'Karen-Notes' and give them to my co-workers to read so they only have to worry about the important 'stuff' mentioned in the reading material. I LOVE NOTES!

I can imagine how scary and exciting preparing for your new adventure must be. I am insanely jealous...we still have at least a year and a half (I hope....). Clay informs me with a 'new' idea and career path he wants to take after the Army at least once a week. I believe this week it is pursuing a PH.D in History and becoming a college professor. Last week it was law school. Who knows what he will actually decide when the time comes to make a decision? I just started my masters in Distance Education. It is my dream to either teach at the collegiate level or design and implement training modules for large corporations. As you can see, I really haven't figured out what I would like to do when I 'grow up' either. Good luck with the search!