After a 90 minute interview last Thursday they called me on my drive home (same day) and offered me the position! I am now a second level program manager. Start date is a little floopy because I have two major projects I want to ensure are finished not leave my team hanging. So I start August 27 but am borrowed back by old program for about 4 weeks, leave for my two weeks of vacation, then start only that position October 3.

They offered the job and I asked for 3 days before they put it into the HR system to allow me time to tell my team myself and to give notice to my boss and boss above him. I was able to tell my team on Friday and the bosses too. So happy to be leaving.

Raise should be 5% minimum (state policy). It may be more as they can request it and I am not sure yet - we are discussing. I am keeping my estimates for take home salary the same until I get my first paycheck because we have a new deduction for health insurance in retirement that has to come out of paychecks now too so that is wrecking my estimates and the state hasn't updated the calculator employees can use to figure out paychecks yet.

Having to clean out my office after three years is a little hard. I still have boxes from the painting of the offices last fall (had to box up everything in the office for the painters). So I emptied two of those boxes today and have 6 more to look through. Then I need to look at the two small filing cabinets (4 drawers total) and pack my personal items.

I don't know what my office looks like. I hope to have a window because I 've been in an internal office for three years with only natural light for a couple hours a day through a small window by the door. I hope to see it this week to get an idea.

New roommate moves in on the 25th then immediately goes to Canada for work for a week. He also has a two week trip to south America for work in October completely opposite my trips. This job could have me traveling up to 80% of my time beginning in December-January because it is for recovery from emergencies. My plan is to live on the per diem the state pays ($46/day) and bank my paychecks as much as possible.
So we will see what happens when the travel starts.

I am excited and nervous because I have to develop position duty statements for 6 employees. This is a whole brand new unit never done before.

So...I have a promotion I have worked for years for! I could retire at this level but I do want to promote one more time. That would be the highest civil service position we have without being an appointed position and would be a great retirement. I hit my 20 in 6 years but that would put me at 50 to early to retire. So working to 58 means 28+ years of time. about 14 year to go.

Was a quiet weekend as I am house sitting for a long time client. She paid for the last sit (she forgot to send it) and the current sit before she left but miss counted and missed one night. I’ll follow up with her when she returns.

I did go home yesterday for most of the day so that I could get chores done – laundry mostly but also some outside work while still cool and less smoky. I did clean out three drawers in the kitchen and moved silverware, towels, and miscellaneous items into new drawers in preparation for the new roommate. I still need to tackle the pantry, freezer, and the garage (recycling, moving some things into new areas, making better space for the lawn mower, clearing out his small storage area, etc.). My sister may be moving into a new apartment so she could be taking all the stuff from the garage to the new place which would open up quite a bit of space.

I still need to cut the grass but was not feeling up to it yesterday. I am still getting over the vertigo luckily, the front yard is still looking great. It is getting long in the back but looks fuller. I am not sure why the front isn’t growing like the back; I may mulch instead of bag the front yard area when I cut it next Sunday and see if that helps – more nitrogen and food as it decomposes.

I spent around $18 in cash and $20 in a gift card for pizza and salad on Saturday. It turned into three meals so that was nice. No spending yesterday.
I slept poorly last night so am very tired today. The dog was restless all night keeping me up. Tonight I may use earplugs and certainly go to bed early. I also have a drop in for a client after work for a cat and some watering.

I have a second interview for a promotion on Thursday and a doctor appointment so I am taking the whole day off. Interview is in the afternoon so I have some time to relax and prepare after the doctor in the morning.

I was looking at my schedule for the next couple of months for house sitting, work travel, and vacation. I have 4 pet sitting nights next week, a Labor Day weekend sit, a business trip starting September 16th and return on the 18th. I leave on the 19th for a week in Canada (on a 6 am flight so I cannot have any plane trouble coming home for work trip the night before or I will be driving home from So Cal! A wedding September 29th out of town, and then a few dates of house sitting in October. I am hoping for an extra $1000 in the next couple of months.

Found out the vertigo is an inner ear infection. Now on antibiotics.

Have a house sitting gig beginning Saturday through the next weekend. Hoping this will but down on my ac here at my house. I am dreading this next bill because it has been so hot and not cooling down at night. The past two nights have been blissfully cool in the morning. I try to sleep with the windows open so the cool air comes in.

Room mate will sign lease tomorrow. Work intefered with signing it before - lots of fires in California right now.

Planning to take recycling over on Saturday. I have 12 bags! It is always a horrible thing to stand in line but the cash back is nice. I only do it once a year or so though.

What do people who don't have sick time do? They still go to work, get sicker, take longer to recover. I am glad that I have sick time because while the cold is better the vertigo in my inner ears is worse. Crystals on the fine hair of the inner ear affect the balance of the body. I believe I have an inner ear infection of something because I've had low level of vertigo for several weeks. Seeing doctor later.

Payday was yesterday so I will need to pay bills later today.