17 Sep 2008

Rough Year

It has been rough year and I pray it is coming to a close. I am so tired and jaded.

Last summer, 2007, projects at work were at full steam and one of my grandmothers passed away, Anne Jones. It was a little bittersweet, since it was in many ways the last connection to my Dad’s family. With her passing it also brought back a lot of memories of my Dad. But I was able to bear down and get through and return to work within a couple of days from her passing.

Since then, I have been through some personal turmoil brought on by friends and family. The kind of things that just don’t go away. Those things that dig into your soul and change you even though you try to not let it.

There has been more changes at work than I can ever go into here. Some changes have been positive, but many have left me frustrated. I still believe things are resolvable and never as dire as they may feel in the moment.

I was diagnosed with an abnormality in my right lung in late winter of his year. (see previos postings under surgery) I had to have a large section of my right lung removed. The procedure required 8 weeks of rested recovery, but only just starting to feel normal.

In the Spring my wife was released from her job of 5 years do to discrimination. There is a lawsuit pending at this time. The stay has heard the charges and giving us a letter of agreement and the right to sue.

This summer has been a wash, since the average work week has been roughly 60+ hours. Beyond the crazy work schedule I lost my mom’s mother, so my last surviving grand has passed. This required another rush trip to Texas and doing my best to support my mom. Just a couple of weeks from my Grands passing Em lost an uncle unexpectedly.

The positive thing was an unplanned pregnancy and a new beautiful baby girl, Maddy. My family remains by my side through all of this and continue to support me. I am so fortunate to have them there when I return home everyday.

God please stop this roller coaster I need to ride the merry-go-ride for a bit.

sent from my iPhone

13 May 2008

Back at Work

I returned back to work last week after being gone for 8 weeks. It was a long week, especially since I was dead tired by 2pm each day. I managed to push through and make it a full week. It was a busy week attempting to get up to speed with all that has changed within Tribune Interactive over the past few weeks. I was pleased to find that my team did a great job keeping things up and running with few incidents. I am not sure they really need me anymore. Well it feels great to be back in the swing of things, now to get my blog part of my normal routine again.

3 Apr 2008

Rolling with the Punches

In June, Em and I are expecting our third child, which appears to be a little girl. I believe it is fair to say that we are eager to introduce this child to our family. My kids are doubly excited to have a baby sister that they can teach how to drive their parents crazy. This is exciting times for the Jones’s and we seem to keep rolling with every punch that comes along with this great news. The punches: my surgery, healing from my surgery, we have to find a new place to live, moving in the next few weeks, and a baby on the way.

Apparently this isn’t enough to keep me busy and at my wits-ends; Em’s employer has decided to change their work relationship/arrangement. Em has been working from home 3 days a week and in the office 2 days a week. This has allowed us the ability to only have our daughter in daycare part-time which has been financially beneficial, but also great for the bonding of my family. Just 10 weeks prior to delivery date of our daughter her employer has decided to adjust her schedule to work in the office 5 days a week. I am not really a distrustful sort and will not speculate on why this happening at this time, but will say that this stinks and quite honestly poor timing. Em had communicated with her employer that she cannot change the current arrangement they have, since the day-care cost for two kids full-time and one part-time and transportation would negate the salary she currently collects. Since, then they have posted her position on Monster.

My current assumption is that Em will return to freelance design and marketing work once her employer let’s her go. But, here is my struggle. I fail to understand how a small manufacturing firm in a small town cannot be more sensitive to their employee’s needs, especially after employment of a few years. This is in stark contrast to the how respectful and considerate my employer, Tribune, has been to me. I guess through all of this I am thankful for my job and boss. Thanks Barb and Tribune.

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