Good night A.S.S.

Well, as my dad put it this morning; Today was the final leg of my farewell tour... (it seems like I've been taken out to lunch or ice cream every day for the last week and a half.) And as my boss Jim stated in my resignation announcement, it's with mixed emotions that I leave. First of all, this has been my one and only job I have ever had! I have learned so much through my time here and I can honestly say that I never dreaded coming to work. I actually enjoyed my job and really loved the people I worked with, I know that doesn't always happen so I think I must be really lucky.
BUT, I will say that I am absolutely thrilled to move on in this next stage of life. Everyone keeps saying do it now while you can. All the right doors opened up and it just felt right to have my start school full-time and be home more with Reagan. We're excited to have Zach go on to Judson Univ., their Christian Education program is top notch and we love their baseball coach and his wife. Um, if you don't remember... they are the ones who tried to chop off our son's finger in the door. Apparently we weren't too offended. Elgin should work great for me, they have a child-care facility right on campus, so the days I have class Reagan can bop on in to their early-education program. So I would say come visit us up in good ol' Elgin, but I'll wait until we find a place we're going to live (ha.) But hey, we could have gone with that place that asked me if "I would mind living in a Mexican neighborhood". No offense to Spaniards or anything, but I don't think anyone would want to visit us there, you know... for the sake of their lives.

Okay now, I need to share a few things that I will definitely miss about my recent place of employment...

} The Company Store. Please tell me where else I can find a pizza cutter, frisbee, jar opener, thermometer and car travel games with the company logo on it. And only my mom would buy all of these things. Oh yeah and then freak out when I take a picture of it because we might "sell them on eBay".

} How our VP insists on using the acronym ASS for our department (Agency Sales Support) and doing so with out using periods in between the letters.

} Access to Chik-Fil-A.

} That time I parked in 2 hour in my Dad's car, he got a ticket and then chastised by his boss.

} Painting my nails with white nail polish at my desk, then spilling the bottle on my chair & carpet. Then calling it a mistake that happened with "white-out."

} Being thrown a wonderful baby shower by Jess & Brandie.

} The constant parade of food. This is from our food day today. I sit on the other side of that glass wall to the left... oh yeah, easy access. I think I worked myself into 4 plates by noon. This is me and Karla, plus two creepers in the back.


} And basically anything that Judi Mac makes for food days. Wow, and from the looks of this picture I apparently was very excited today about the enchilada's she brought. Here she is holding her margarita...

} How 65% of the time the doors in the bathroom stalls don't stay shut. I hope you can imagine how fun it is to re close the doors mid-pee.

} Getting lost in the parking garage at least twice a week. After three years of working here I mustered up the courage to actually start parking there this last year.

} Dressing up everyday, it makes me feel like I have a purpose! But I'm more than happy to sport a t-shirt and sweats from now on.

} Lunch at Kobe to celebrate someone leaving, someone's promotion, Christmas, Administrative Assistant's Day, some one's return from medical leave, a Friday... really using any excuse to go. Lunch was usually followed by someone always forgetting to pay their bill and a Japanese waitresses chasing us down in the parking lot so we would pay them.

} Dar's dance parties in front of his office, the Lord of the Dance version in particular.

} Being asked if "the father was still involved?" while pregnant with Reagan. How do you respond to that without being offended?

} Variations of a name
- People asking me what my name is all the way up to my last week of employment. It's okay guys, I've only worked here 3 years.
- People sending me an email but calling me a different name in the actual text.
- Being called Rachel, Amy, Sasha, etc..... on accident yet then being called Sasha, Deseree, Diane, Donita, etc.......... on purpose. Some people :cough:Diddy:cough: never choose to call me by my actual name. I also went affectionately by the name Smash or Smashley,

} The bright colored post-its!

} The ridiculous questions we get asked. Examples: Will I be watering their personal plants they have brought to work?... um, no. Will you cut the cake for a bunch of 40 year olds and pass it out to everyone? I guess we are an adult day-care center. That day I helped someone print a piece of paper. Will you make a copy of this?... after they've just walked past the copier to talk to me. Or how about, that day I taught a manager to use the copy machine. And "can you order me a headset for my phone that doesn't leave a crease in my hair?"

} Running into family members at work, like my parents, Uncle Bob, and Zach's mom. I liked how I could just go down a floor and see my dad whenever I wanted.

}TEAM A:

T. Diddy and his stories about his son Ben. In particular, the one where his son thinks he is black.

My favorite vegetarian, Dee, eating only bbq sauce and a bun when we ordered from Longhorn Smokehouse. How inconsiderate are we? Or being absolutely thrilled about the Spree's she would be eating for lunch. "No thanks, I don't like the yellow ones."

Dan's largeness...

Moving BTD's (big tall Dan) chair to my desk and playing in it for the afternoon with Brandie.



}Then Team B feeling obligated to take me out to an awkward lunch because Team A did. Whatev, I still squeezed out another free lunch from it.

Okay, now this is when it gets difficult. Brandie. Oh my sweet Brandie. She's been with my for three (long) years. She taught me everything I know, but she might think she didn't do a very good job because I still turn around and ask her what I'm supposed to be doing 10 times a day. Back in the day it was Jessica and Brandie holding up the fort up front and me being the token clueless co-op. Jessica moved, so Brandie took Jess's job and I took Brandie's. She has made the job fun. She has kept me company when I didn't want to do things (like go to meetings, haha) by myself and sent chastising emails to the department that I didn't want to send (I would type them and she would send it for me.) And she stands up for me when I am a pushover and can't say no. She is thoughtful and sincere and wears her heart on her sleeve. I LOVE her emotional tears, even when they come out of no where! I am going to miss her so much. I'm going to miss looking over my right shoulder and talking to her about we've just found on the internet. Boo... SHE is the reason I'm most sad to leave!!

Okay, now I'll buck up. I'm going to go back to visit, so I'm not going to go all sappy on ya. Anyways, I'm so thankful for the experience this job has given me and for all the people I've been able to meet. I know this is weird but I'm starting to get nervous about having to interact with people my own age when I go to school! Oh gosh, what do I even talk to them about? I'm so used to asking how people's kids/grandkids are doing and if they are recovering well from their last hip replacement surgery....