Life update

It's been an extremely busy and interesting last month. I started my new job in early November, and I still feel like I'm fumbling around trying to figure things out. I started getting a little bit down on myself today because I feel like I should be further along, but then I had remind myself that it's only been a little over a month and I'm the one putting the pressure on myself. So far, everyone has been really helpful and I've been receiving good feedback. So, I just need to ease up a little on myself.

It's kind of weird, in a way. When I was a contractor and a vendor, I had to move around much more frequently or at least be prepared to move around frequently. My contract or project could change at any moment, so I think I was more used to adapting to change. I was on my last team for almost three and a half years (three of that as a full-time employee), so I had the ability to build the documentation set from the ground up and to become a subject matter expert (SME) in that product. I was definitely on top of my product and documentation, so it was much easier to make a decision about where new information should go and how to prioritize all of the work. But, during that time I wasn't as focused on keeping up with other things in the industry because I was heavy into building my expertise.

This is one of the hardest things at NerdCo (a name I've blatantly stole from a fellow blogger/previous co-worker). It's a huge company with all kinds of different specialties and technology development. We're constantly on the cutting edge and as a result, I don't think any of us really ever feel comfortable in our expertise. There is always something else out there that we'd love to know if we had more time in the day. But at the end of the day, we're all part of this machine trying to meet deadlines and then moving right onto the next big thing. And the fact that everyone has different ship schedules and products are constantly in flux means that it's really hard to always get a good end-to-end scenario documented until after things stabalize. Sometimes we don't even get that until customers go live with our products and can give us additional information.

In any case, I'm realizing that this is not only frustrating for customers but also for those transitioning to different teams. I just took over this new documentation set, and I'm trying to figure out what's currently there, what's missing, and how I can improve on the existing content. At the same time, I'm trying to learn the last version of the product and the next release of the product so that I can update old content and write new content. And, as if that weren't enough, I'm trying to figure out all of the processes and the culture of this new team. I had a sort of fire-drill yesterday when I thought I had missed something big. It turned out that we are marching to a slightly different schedule than a few of the other content teams, so I was worried for no reason. But, it freaked me out enough to wonder if I'm missing something other things. And of course I'm missing other things because I'm new, but I won't know what those things are until something happens to bring it to the surface.

I've also recently been reading through customer feedback on my newly-acquired topics and some are really frustrating because it doesn't have to do with the topic per se, but rather their frustration about how to get technologies to work together and they just unload it all in a comment in one topic. There's absolutely nothing I can do about those kinds of scenarios, because we just can't possibly address every single thing. We try to get the 80% scenarios to work and then the rest have to go to experts who can help to troubleshoot issues that often have to do with environment issues or that span several groups to try and get the technologies to play nicely with one another. It's an incredibly difficult job.

And I understand their frustration. I feel it every day when I'm trying to figure out how best to present information, and you can never make everyone happy. So you get comments that people hate content that has links in it, while other people hate to scroll and thing a topic is too long. Or you get a low rating with no actual comment, so you have no idea what the person didn't like about the topic.

Today, I went to the bookstore to pick up a couple of books about the last version of my product. While I was there, I saw a couple of new books had come out about my last product. I looked longingly through the pages at all of the things that I actually understood. And then I reminded myself that it took me three and a half years to acquire all of that knowledge. So, that's when I decided that I need to give myself a little bit of a break. I'll still work my butt off to learn all of this stuff, but I need to be patient with myself and understand that this will all come in time. And I reminded myself that I can't compare myself to the woman whose documentation I'm taking. She's been on this team and product for over eight years, and built everything from the ground up. I'm in the same position as the woman who took over my old documentation on my last team. We actually went to dinner last night, and consoled each other in how difficult this all is.

I know that I'm whining, and I apologize. There are so many good things about this change, and I will write about them later. And I always know that I am lucky to work for such a great company and with such great people. It's just sometimes overwhelming. I definitely work hard for my money!

New Year's resolution, a little early

Tomorrow night, I'm going to the introduction session for the 20/20 weight-loss program. This is something that I was going to start in September, but that got postponed when I got sick in August and then in September, and then my asthma got bad and I ended up in the emergency room that night in October. And of course, my back went out last week and it's still a bit sore this week, but I'm going to go tomorrow and at least get signed up so that I can start it right away in January.

It's definitely time to shed these extra pounds and get back to a healthy weight, and learn how to maintain that throughout my life. This program is really comprehensive and has a high success rate, and it's a very healthy way to do this because it teaches you how to lose weight through diet and exercise, while dealing with any emotional or medical issues that may be complicating matters. I've had a few friends who went through it and were very successful. I want to head into my 30s as a happy, healthy woman and this will help me to better achieve that goal.

Making something usable again

After my divorce, I put my wedding ring in my jewelry box and left it there. Every once in awhile, I'd run across it when looking for a pair of earrings or something to accessorize my outfit, but for the most part I forgot about it. After L. and I got engaged, I thought about my old wedding ring and thought of what a shame it was to just have it sitting in that box with absolutely no current purpose. I knew that the stones were very good quality, because C.'s uncle was a jeweler and had saved them for something special, which happened to be C.'s and my engagement. Even though I didn't clean the ring as often as I should have, the stones were always very sparkly and I always got compliments on the ring. It was perfect for me in that relationship, in that time, and in that place. But after the divorce, that was no longer true.

So, I decided to have the stones reset in another piece of jewelry. I commissioned our friend, A., to make a pendant with the stones, and he just finished it and dropped it off a little bit ago. I'm absolutely stunned. The piece is beautiful, and it is now something that I will wear and love again. In the end, C. may have been a big knucklehead, but at least he knew enough to put good stones in that ring. It's weird how some things that had a certain meaning a few years ago no longer mean the same thing, but it's good that I was able to do something with that gift and make it something that is applicable to my life now. I remarked that the pendant is too beautiful and nice to wear on a daily basis, but A. quickly disagreed and said that I should wear it often. Why keep it hidden away for only special occasions? And in a way, he's right. I mean, I'll still wear my regular ol' fun necklaces and such from time to time, but I can throw this new one into the mix.

And, I have to say that A.'s work is amazing. I've known him for years since he became friends with my cousin in college. He worked with L. to design my engagement ring, and I couldn't be happier with that either. I now have a real go-to person for my jewelry needs and wishes. There is something really neat about having a piece designed just for you. The elements of the design are found in other pieces, of course, but I was able to take ideas from different things and pull them together in one thing that I really wanted. That is very cool.

My favorite stores

Because of the holidays, I've been doing a lot of online shopping. I've also gotten a few things for myself along the way, both for practical items and some splurges. So far, I absolutely love, love, love the following stores. They have the best selection, prices, and great customer service.

Zappos.com
If you want shoes, Zappos is your store. They have incredible selection and prices. Even with regular shipping, I always receive my shoes within a few days and sometimes they even up the shipping to overnight (for free) so that I receive them the next day. They also have free returns. One time, the price of a pair of shoes kept changing when I added it to my shopping basket, so I called their customer service line (about 1:00 AM). It was answered by an actual person, and they honored the sale price, even though it turned out that their web site was wrong. They also overnighted the shoes that time so that they came right away. I can't say enough good things about Zappos.

SkinStore.com
I have very finicky skin, so I'm always looking for good products to help soothe my face and get rid of breakouts. Skin Store has a comprehensive selection, great prices, and their site is great at helping you find things targeted to your needs. I always receive things quickly from them, too, and they always send good samples. I just ordered a new line called Atopalm and so far I'm really happy with the results.

Sephora.com
I love the online store, and the physical stores. They carry so many brands and some really great exclusive items. I love that you get free samples with every order. I've actually gotten samples of a few things that I went back and ordered at a later time. Sephora is definitely a one-stop beauty shop.

Amazon.com
I have always loved Amazon for books, music, and movies. Their prices are always amazing, and they have just about everything and anything I've ever searched for.

Overstock.com
I love this site because it has so many things in one place. Again, the selection is great, the prices are unbeatable, and the shipping is cheap, cheap, cheap.

Thanksgiving weekend recap

It was an interesting weekend. Every year I find that there are many things to be thankful for, and this year was no different in that respect. But there were definitely a few things to add to the thoughts and prayers list. First, my cousin's friend, K. whose husband just passed away after battling a very brutal and rare form of cancer. Second, L.'s step mother, J., who beat breast cancer a few years ago and has now received news of cancer of the bones, liver, and lungs. Third, my sister, P. and my niece and nephew who are suddenly in a bit of a uncertain position as P. and her husband, T., are having marital problems.

P. and the kids came over for Thanksgiving at my mom's house, and we managed to have a nice dinner even though it was clearly not your typical Thanksgiving. I mostly felt bad because P. just doesn't know what to do next, and she doesn't really have the means to do much about her situation. She's got Multiple Sclerosis, two kids, and she depends on her husband for money and medical insurance. She doesn't have a job, because she takes care of the kids and house, and is trying to manage her MS. We all chipped in some money for her expenses to come over for Thanksgiving and to get her by, and we offered places for them to come in the event that things go from bad to worse. But, she is definitely in a bad way.

If things don't work out between P. and T., P. is going to have to figure out what she can do. She used to be a wonderful hairdresser, but with the MS she has numbness in her hands, and up one arm and shoulder. And she would probably move back over here because western Washington is where the bulk of her family and friends live so she would have more of a support system, but man is it ever expensive here. Like my mom recently said, "once you move away, you'd better be sure that you don't want to come back because you probably won't be able to afford to." I'm sure that P. would get child support payments, and some kind of social security or disability payments, but it would be really hard on her and the kids for sure, both emotionally and financially.

I keep praying that she and T. will work this all out. Out of all of their years together, I've never doubted how much they love one another and they've made it through some really rough times. But something seems slightly different here, and that makes me nervous. I can't really put my finger on it. I'm just sad because she was such a talented artist and hairdresser, and that dream has been pretty much squashed by the numbness problems from her MS. And now it seems like her marriage is falling apart. We will just have to keep praying for them and offer them any assistance that they need to get through this time.

Dancing with the...people who have the largest fan base

After tonight, I honestly don't know why I watch Dancing with the Stars anymore. I know that I'll watch to the end of this season just to see what happens, but it's getting fairly ridiculous. It started a few weeks ago when Sabrina didn't get enough votes to stay on the show. I thought maybe the upset would end there, but it didn't. Tonight, Jennie was the one to leave the show. Somehow, Marie managed to pull a miracle out of her butt and received enough votes to make it into the finals...along with Mel B and Helio.

It's not that Marie is terrible. She's OK, but it's only because she's a good performer. She's really not a great dancer. Sure, she pulls off a good number here or there, but she hasn't been consistently good the way that Sabrina, Mel B, or Helio are. And Jennie consistently got better and better as the show went on. So, it was a big shame for her to not get into the finals.

I don't know. At this point, it seems kind of useless for the show to even exist. It's mostly a popularity contest, and apparently enough people were blind enough to think that Marie deserves to go to the finals.

Humbling experience

There are few things in my life that humble me more than changing jobs. This is my second week in my new position, and things are going well. But it is a sure reminder of how little I really know and how much I have to learn on this new team.

One thing that I can say is that this team is extremely organized, and incredibly friendly and helpful. I have my computers setup now, thanks in part to their wonderful knowledge base of instructions for literally everything you need to know. And people have stopped by my office all week to introduce themselves, invite me to lunch, training, or classes that I might be interested in, etc.

My manager took our team out to lunch last Friday, and we had a great time. It was nice to get to know more about the people on the team.

Overall, I'm really happy with everything, and excited to learn. I'll just be a lot more comfortable when I have a little more knowledge under my belt.

It's been a good ride

Tomorrow is my last day on my current team. Starting on Monday, I'll be part of a new team, in a new division, working on a new product. Today, my team took me out to lunch, and we had a great time. Tomorrow night, they're taking me out to a local Irish pub for dinner and drinks.

I have very mixed emotions about all of this. For the most part, I am excited about all of the new things ahead of me, and the opportunity make an impact in another division in our great company. But, I'm also sad to leave behind all of the great people that I work with on my current team. I've been blessed to have worked with such smart and fun people, and I've had some of the best opportunities on this team. And I've made actual friends here, which is something I can't say about every team I've been on. We all really try to pitch in an help one another when someone needs something. Recently, when one of the PMs I work with had knee surgery, everyone chipped in to bring him meals, take him to appointments, and give him rides to and from work until he was well enough to drive again. After my divorce, I had a huge support group in the women that I work with, and they included me in all kinds of activities, and my manager even helped me move after C. and I sold the house. And we all celebrate each other's birthdays, weddings, babies, etc. in a very special way. These are the kinds of things that make our team really special, and I'm going to miss that kind of interaction on a day-to-day basis. I'll still keep up with everyone, but it's really never quite the same after you leave, even though you vow not to let things change.

The other thing I've had on this team is an opportunity to really grow in my career. As a technical writer, you don't always get a ton of respect, but somehow I actually managed to figure out what I was doing and become valuable to the people I work with. Not only did I get to write documentation for my product, I actually got to be part of the product development process and even designed parts of the user interface for our product. I was published in a book about our product, in addition to the numerous online content that I've written. And I was chosen to attend a technical conference in Boston with other people from the team, and we got to talk with all kinds of customers and people working on different products. At night, we all got together and experienced the city. Not to mention, I got to stay at the Ritz Carlton with one of my best friends on the team, which I'll probably never get to do again or at least not any time soon.

I really will miss all of those things. On Tuesday, I went to a team meeting with my new team, and everyone seems really great. I have no doubt that I will have good opportunities and make good friends on this team as well. But, it's always hard to leave something behind that is really dear to you. I knew that it was time, though, and I am still certain of that decision. Sometimes the things that make us grow the most are the things that are slightly uncomfortable, and make us stretch ourselves. I tend to need new challenges every so often to keep myself sharp and to keep learning. And this new product will definitely bring me a lot of challenges, and I will definitely feel uncomfortable for awhile. Going from an expert on one product to a newbie on another product is a pretty difficult change. But, with time, I'll get to know this new product, and I'll meet new customers, and I'll figure out new ways to get information to the people who need it. And I'll always know that what I've had with my current team is priceless.