The #FatChick is Moving to Washington! #MyWANA #amwriting

It's been nearly a month since my last entry and The Fat Chick has more news. As you recall, last month I was hit with a set back when the two positions I thought were a sure thing fell through. I had to scramble to pick up extra shifts at my current veterinary hospital and try to hold things together until we figured it all out. Here's what happened since then:

• I've signed the contract for the salaried relief position in the Seattle Metro area. I got a raise, increase in my continuing education allowance and some other perks. 
• We found an apartment and move in on October 1st. It's in a central area so my commute to the other hospitals won't be horrible. Well, "mileagewise" it won't be bad at all, but the traffic jams will keep me on the road two hours each way.
• We've finalized our move out date with our current landlord and on decent terms considering hubby has been here for ten years and only signed a one year lease. LOL!
• The military will move and store the majority of our stuff for free. They'll store it for a year. After that, it's up to us. No problem!
• We'll have to get another moving service to help us get the "essentials" to the apartment that's half the size of the house we're renting.
• Release dates for the current works in progress have been postponed due to this upheaval but will be back on track once we're in Washington.

Whew!

While I'm a little sad that the release dates for the Bigfoot book as Tawny Savage and the anthology are delayed, it's for the best. I don't want to rush it and end up not putting out my best work because I was more concerned with the dates. The romantic suspense as Stephanie Ryan my still come out by Halloween, but I'm looking more at mid-November to give myself time to get it edited properly.

Now with the path a little less cluttered, I'll be able to concentrate on my health issues again. I'm excited that the new place has a fitness room, swimming pool and trails on property for walking. No excuses! 

I'm sure I'll be shedding a hell of a lot of tears yet before we make our move north to Seahawks country, but this time they'll be happy ones and not those of fear and frustration. It's amazing how your outlook on life can change when things start to fall into place again. 

Thank you to everyone for standing by me through this and for your patience with the release dates. Life sure does have a way with screwing up schedules and deadlines but I'm hoping this time I'll be able to roll with the diversions and keep moving forward.

Until next time,

~The Fat Chick aka Tammy

The #FatChick Finds Light at the End of the Tunnel #MyWANA #amwriting

Welcome back to Memoirs of a Forty Something Fat Chick. The last time we were together, I'd just received devastating news about two job opportunities in Washington. At the time it seemed like the bump in the road was more like a mountain. This week it appears that my new life path is opening up...

there's light at the end of the tunnel, peeps!

The loss of the first "sure thing" positions sent me into a tailspin. That part I won't deny. Devastated doesn't cover it. I had to take a long, hard look at my life and what was going on in it. What looked back at me wasn't pretty. I needed to take stock in what was really important in my life and stop worrying about the small stuff.

This video sums it up well. Take a look...

Instead of being thankful for the important things in my life, I lamented the possible loss of my job...

Okay, that part was a distinct possibility, but my coworkers proved to me they had my back during this transition and willing to keep me around for another six months or more until my husband and I could move to Washington.

Then another blessing showed up via email. The recruiter had additional opportunities she wanted to discuss with me. I talked to her yesterday and they're looking at starting up two new programs: a mobile veterinary unit at one hospital and a salaried position as a relief veterinarian to float between hospitals. The latter had an ultimate goal of finding a permanent position at one of the hospitals. She had two other opportunities opening up within the next few months as well.

Needless to say I'm once again hopefully optimistic about the possibilities presented to me. All of them appeal to me and my ultimate goal of moving to part time after a few years. I would also be able to stay with the same group of hospitals I've been with for the last twenty-one years. 

Bottom line: no matter what I'll be starting a new adventure with my husband when he becomes an official civilian on September first. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we'll be TOGETHER. He has school and a part time job lined up. I've been told by the recruiter she will find a position for me so I can stay with the company, and we will find a place to live to fit our needs.

The details are still fuzzy, but the foundation is strong. We just have to build on it. 

In the meantime, I'll keep writing and editing the three books I have coming out over the next three months. When I look at my life like the empty pickle jar...really see what's important...I'm truly blessed. 

The rest is sand...

Until next time,
The Fat Chick

Another Bump In the Road for the #FatChick #lifegoeson #amwriting

Welcome to Not Enough Time in the Day and Memoirs of a Forty Something Fat Chick. These posts are meant to detail my journey through finding my way back to a healthy lifestyle and everything else that gets in the way. :)

This week I'm sad to report we're not moving to Washington as soon as we had hoped. Both positions dangled in front of me as sure things have been filled by other candidates. While I'm sad...okay, pissed it all went down this way I have to admit I'm a touch relieved.

Sure I didn't appreciate being informed through an impersonal email of the decision to go with people already in the state instead of waiting for me as they promised they would do, I'm grateful for the additional time to get our affairs in order here. There is so much packing and purging to do before we can leave. I didn't know how we would have done it in less than a month. 

Twenty-one years in the same profession and nearly all of it with the same corporation/group of hospitals across the county should mean more in this day and age. It does mean the world to my fellow coworkers who rallied around me when I opened that fateful email. They were shocked too...maybe more than me. They've been preparing themselves for my departure for the last few months and now this set back is a win for them. 

Even though leaving them would've made them sad, every single one of them were behind me 1000% as long as I was happy. Seeing me upset broke their hearts but the encouragement they expressed that day reinforced my faith in people. Now they're busy trying to ensure I can stay here in California as long as I need in order to get through this bump in the road to Washington. Words cannot express the love I feel for these beautiful people.

My cup runneth over...

Except for the damn summer cold I picked up! bwahahaha!

Take care my friends. I'm off to get some rest from these dripping sinuses.

~The Fat Chick