A little over two years ago, I was laid off from a perfectly decent job at a college in Missouri.  I took a lesser-paying job and moved across the country to Colorado.  We have been happy here, but the biggest thing missing was that nice paycheck I used to get.

That was rectified this week when the powers that be decided that things should change within our department.  Two things have happened.

First, a sort of reorganization happened, wherein my boss was made not-my-boss and I was given more freedom and more control over what I do on a day to day basis.  My boss means well, but she can be stifling, micromanaging, distracted, and disorganized.  All at the same time.  It has been difficult for me to step up and do things, as I felt somewhat bullied, but mostly stifled.  I now report directly to an assistant director, who has a decidedly hands-off approach.

Secondly, I was moved to full time status from a .8 position.  For me, this means 40 hours a week instead of 32.  Not only will I have the benefits of more money (8 more hours a week adds up), but I will accrue vacation much more quickly, I will have access to better health insurance at a cheaper cost, and will be an exempt professional staff member.

Two years is a long time to wait for something like this.  It feels a bit like winning the lottery.  I was cobbling together the almost-full-time-job with some contract work and an additional position on campus, hoping to make it to what I was making before I was laid off.  I never quite got there.  Now, I am there.  To say I am relieved is an understatement.

This means we’ll be able to take a trip home to Missouri to visit family and friends.  It means I can start putting away money for the eventual need to replace my car.  It means I can afford some of the dental work I’ve put off, and pay down some bills I have not been able to pay off as quickly as I would have liked.  It means less free time, but a whole lot less juggling of three jobs.  It also means I actually might get caught up at work.  I haven’t been “caught up” in two years.  An extra 8 hours a week to get things done?  Magic!

Maybe I’ll feel like I can coast for a while now.  That might be nice.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 18th, 2013 at 9:00 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.