Adventures in the Workspace

Sometimes it's the simple things that turn out to be an Adventure. In the course of my life, I have done a great many things. Considering I'm only thirty two, that is really saying something. Most people my age have had a handful of jobs in their entire life. I've had a couple of different careers. Although the most important job I've ever had, and by far the best, has been as a Mama, I've certainly had a lot of other titles on my resume at one time or another. I've been a maid, a pizza maker, a retail employee (shudder), a travel agent, a police dispatcher, a fire dispatcher, a security dispatcher, a surveillance agent, a photographer, a writer, an actress, a singer, a dancer, a support specialist, a developer, a video game designer and a quality assurance technician.

Recently I changed jobs again and took on a consulting job as a Support Specialist for a Microsoft Gold Company. It's pretty much the same job I had last time, except with a shorter title. I help support people who use Microsoft Dynamics CRM, develop JavaScript to make customizations, configure the user interface, write documentation and manuals, and generally put out people who think they are on fire. It's really not that different from being a dispatcher come to think of it.

The one real big perk for this new job, is that I get to work from home. Considering that it was only a few years ago that I was working twelve hour grave yard shifts, there is certainly something to be said about being able to roll out of bed and plop down in my chair to start working. Especially since I am one of those weird people that enjoys working. The two weeks after my gallbladder surgery were the definition of awful for me. I could literally do nothing. It was like being in my own personal brand of hell. Daytime TV is a tool of the Devil and should be avoided at all costs.

I live my live with the idea that everything has a balance. What has sweet always has sour and vice versa. It's a philosophy that has kept me on my feet when life was trying to sweep me into a canyon. So why it's awesome that I no longer have a commute time, can sleep right up until the minute that I need to work, have a flexible schedule and am making more money....there have been some decided downsides to being at home as well.

The first is that since my kids can see that I'm home they want to play. It doesn't matter if I'm about to get on the phone with a client or am working on writing a technical document that is due by the end of the day. Me sitting in my chair with a headset on is just a big fat invitation to use me like a jungle gym.  Don't get me wrong, it's kind of awesome too, but I like to give people what they pay me for.

The second, is that I can see the mess my family makes while I am trying to work. I hate mess. I like everything to be in it's right place and when it's not I get twitchy and creepy. That means that on my breaks and lunch I'm doing chores instead of you know....taking a break? By the time I put my work laptop away and step away for my desk for the night I have a chore list brewing inside of me the size of a pregnant Godzilla.

The last, and the most extreme, was my lack of a workspace. I say was because today my brand new desk was delivered and low and behold I became the queen of my own little work realm. There is space for my desktop where I do all my developing, and my laptop which is were I run all my consultant type activities. Insert angel choir sounds here. When I say that the way that I have been working sucks chocolate salty balls, I am not exaggerating. I was working off a tiny cart that could barely accommodate my monitor much less my laptop and when I needed to take notes I had to scoot back in my chair and use my lap as a flat surface to write on. Plus everything that I use to conduct my daily business was out in the open and acting as children bait. The kids even broke my headset the night of the last Potluck Friday.

Now I have a beautiful, claw foot desk that has space for everything I need, including my files. You can't see me but I'm dancing in my chair. What can I say? Organization is sexy.

One of my favorite parts about the desk is the drawer where one would normally hide their keyboard contains my laptop, mouse and headset. That means that when I am done for the day I can literally push it completely out of sight and I can have the feeling of "leaving" work. It's frankly awesome.

Now if I could just find a way to keep everyone from making a mess life would be perfect.

Until the next Adventure!