OHMYGOSH! I have a house! I closed on Friday and I’m still blown away with the fact that I’ve done it. ME! A homeowner! Yippee!

Yesterday I shopped around for dehumidifiers and lawn mowers, of all things….poured over in-store paint displays and bought painting supplies…I made a regular day of it! It payed off…I figure I spent over $400, but I feel I’ve made intelligent purchases. Yippee!

On an un-related note…I smell like a candy cane right now. On Friday morning I woke up with terrible muscle pain/stiffness/soreness in my neck and shoulders, to the point that I can’t really move. At first I blamed it on sleeping in an odd position, but I’m growing convinced that it’s because I’ve stopped taking my group exercise classes. I imagine it’s a muscular response to a drastic change in activity levels.

I tried ibuprofen, which I can’t tell if it helped…the pain is pretty acute. The only thing that really seems to improve my mobility is flexing and stretching the muscles, but that hurts like all get-out. I can’t tell if it makes it hurt less, or maybe it just feels good when the anguish stops. I used Ben-Gay ® for the first time this morning, hence the candy-cane smell. That feels pretty good, comparatively.

I’m trying to stay mobile…it seems to hurt the worst after periods of rest. It’s just really hard to keep moving when it’s so sore!

It is with an odd mix of excitement, elation, and regret (for leaving my friends at my current job) that I formally announce that I have been offered and accepted a web designer position with UWGB.

I was made aware of a Web Designer job opening with UWGB by a close friend who knew how much I’ve always wanted to work for a university. Admittedly, I hadn’t really considered the job at that point. It wasn’t until after a second friend, purely by coincidence, sent me notification of the same position.

Without any intention of actively looking for another job, the odd chance that two friends sent me the same employment posting drew me to take a closer look at the description. This job would mean a pay increase, an opportunity to grow, and above all, the chance to realize my dream of working for a university.

I took what I thought was a shot in the dark and submitted an application. To my surprise, they called me in for an interview. Still doubting my chances of actually getting this job, I prepared my portfolio and met with the hiring committee. They have just offered me the position and I responded that I would appreciate having the weekend to consider it.

I did not aspire to leave Envano, but I have decided that working with UWGB is an opportunity that I can’t pass up. I want you to understand that I was not driven to look elsewhere, but simply took a chance at what I saw was an opportunity to grow. I have had over two very happy years with the company. Now it’s time for me to move on. My first day is October 1, 2007 and I couldn’t be more excited.