Yesterday. Yesterday was challenging for me, yet highly enjoyable. Please allow me to preface today's blog with a rich bit of history to help you better understand where I'm coming from.

For the last two years I have worked with a world leader in the world of staffing. It was a sudden and direct change from my former life as a paralegal, yet, something drew me to it. It was extremely hard at first, let me tell ya. But, once I got the hang of it, I realized I was not only good, I was ridiculously awesome at it. It was almost like a recipe that I finally got right: mix 1/2 cup of listening with 1/4 cup articulation, add some drive and motivation until you have a rich and creamy blend of dynamic personality. Top it of with a bit of sales and be sure to indulge in a large scooping of humor and individuality and you're all set. Put in the oven for a good 9 months and you will have a perfectly seasoned staffing manager ready to be successful. oh, and don't forget to sprinkle some good word tracks on top for the extra flavor. Ho hummm. For all intents and purposes, I should have continued to excel and continue to be the top performer that I was. Well, life has a funny way of communicating to you. It seemed that the very reasons I was brought on board(my outgoing personality, aggressive nature, excellent communication skills, etc.) were the very reasons I have been discriminated for over these last several months. I found myself slipping deeper and deeper into an abyss of anger and discontent as a direct result of the never-ending squabbling that took place at work. I feel like a it of a failure because I allowed one person in particular to get under my skin so much that I literally would get physically ill just thinking about having to go in to work. I found myself taking this frustration and stress home and it quickly started spiraling out of control. Yes, the money was good, however, my personal sanity and the love of my child and boyfriend mean more to me than anything. Had I continued that same path, I would have lost a part of me as well as the life we have worked so hats to build together. Okay, whew...now that you have the history, here is why yesterday was challenging:

I woke in the morning, made some coffee and proceeded to get my daughter up out of bed to get ready for school. I took her to school and then headed straight for the gym. After I got done with my workout, I went home to shower and change, went BACK to my daughter's school to pick her up to take her to the doctor for a sports physical. Then, we went to lunch and I dropped her back off at school, went home and checked my email. I received confirmation of an interview with a highly-renowned financial staffing firm for 2:30. It was already 1:30. I had to hurry and get ready and, if you read my previous blog, you will remember I'm struggling a bit with the pudge monster so of course, NOTHING FIT OR LOOKED DECENT TO ME. I finally settled on a suit and realized it was 2:15 and my appointment was twenty minutes away. I made like a bread truck and hauled my buns there as fast as I could. Of course, six minutes late, and the only available parking was three floors down in a garage attached to the building via skybridge. Well, here in Dallas it's 106 degrees daily and by the time I made it up to the skybridge, I saw my reflection in the window and I looked like the victim of a dead-on water balloon toss. It was awful. I tended to my hair as best I could in the elevator up to the 14th floor, only to find myself arguing with the receptionist on the twelfth floor that I knew where I was and she clearly must be new if she didn't know who the owner of the company was. when she informed me I was on the wrong floor, I sheepishly turned around, muttered a quiet apology and had to stand in front of the elevator in full view of whT appeared to be a board meeting full of suits looking through the glass at this crazy sweaty woman in a great suit waiting for the elevator. Mortifying. I finally made it to the interview and it went seemingly well. After about an hour and a half, I was told that it would be a three-part interview and that I would need to come back and meet the rest of the team, probably next week. I'm pretty sure they found some makeup smudges on the floor after I left because my chin hit it so hard. I was crestfallen. I've never not gotten a job with one interview!! Once I reached the inside of the closed elevator I immediately began stripping down. I would have taken my heels off if I didn't already know that my feet would be burnt to a crisp that even KFC would love the recipe for. So, the whole drive back home was a non-stop game of ping pong, going over everything that was discussed and what I could have done better. I need a job. You may think it was downright stupid of me to quit a job without having one to go to but, I technically did/do. My dear friend works at another staffing firm, much smaller than the one I had been at and the promise of teamwork and camaraderie (which I desperately crave) is there. So, do I wait to hear from the other place or take the one I knew was already there?! Funds are getting tighter, that's for sure.

Well, time to wake up sleeping beauty and get her day started, all the while wondering what the universe has in store for me today.