On becoming a "manager"

I'm starting to realize that moving up in the "corporate ladder" comes with some perks and also with some headaches.   It's not like I moved up to a huge position, but within my little world of local TV sales, I'm very happy to have taken a step further in my career and hold a management title.

The time I have spent these past couple of months in figuring out my new role, expectations and proving I deserve to be here can't be counted, my days blend together and I don't remember one month from the next.   All of a sudden is December and next week is Christmas!   I'm excited the bell curve is coming to an end, and I feel more comfortable with the workload, responsibilities and concepts that come with the job. Nevertheless, I didn't quite realize that entering this new role would open new doors for me and would also shut me out of old ones!

It's amazing to see people's attitudes change towards me.  I see some of my "old" colleagues be more careful on their approach when they talk to me, some are all of a sudden super nice, and other just fear me.... what's up with that?  I haven't changed.   Yes, my day-to-day activities have drastically changed, and all of a sudden I don't have time to get up and walk to the cafeteria to get water because I have a deadline, meeting, conference call, etc.    However, I am still the same person, and since I came into this role I have provided more help and support to my 'former' team then I ever did before. 

I'm expressing these thoughts so my brain can process the changes.  Yesterday, the group of peeps I used to hang out with went out on a 'group' lunch to the very same place we all used to hang out as group outings and I was left out.  I'm not particularly hurt about not being invited, I'm just surprised that they kept it 'hush hush' as if I or their own manager wouldn't find out.   It's totally cool that they want to continue doing their thing, but I used to be part of that group, and I guess that what I'm realizing today, is that I'm not longer seen that way.  Isn't that crazy?

I'm glad to be in a different place, and see things in a new perspective.   Being part of the parade and watching the parade go by are two very different things.  Being on the outside looking in it's what I'm learning to do.....let's see where this takes me!

“IF YOU FALL…GET UP AND TRY AGAIN?”

I don’t think so! 

Three nights ago, the baby’s cry woke me up from a very profound sleep pattern, I was still dreaming when all of a sudden,  I found myself on the floor…the funny thing is I remember it in slow motion.  My foot got caught on the side handle of my gym bag which left me with NO support as my entire body collapsed on the floor… all I heard was the palms of my hands slam the hard wood floor.  I get up, dust myself up and run to the baby’s room….he was sound asleep, just one of those passing night cries … Ohh, but here’s the best part, the side effects to this dramatic awakeing:  right knee – rug burn, right hamstring – one big black bruise,  hands: extremely sore and of all things, a sprained left ankle!!  Seriously??   Is his the aftermath of being 30+?     

There goes my training for that “Hot Chocolate 15K”, I’m thinking about walking strategies, haha… 

The not so rehearsed rehearsal dinner!

When it comes to my "familia", the word unpredictable is the norm...today, with less then 24 hours before my brother's wedding, we had a marvelous dinner at Cafe Iberico (surprise, surprise!), if it would've had taken place over a year ago, I would have been a part of the madness thru and thru; for as the night progresses, my family gets funnier and funnier, lauder and lauder... and I love that!!   Tonight, however, it's 9:30pm and I'm sitting in my house, with the lights out and writing, while everyone else is having sangria and tapas back at Cafe Iberico... why didn't anybody tell me that part of having kids would mean respecting baby's bed time???   Yes, yes, yes... everyone said, your life will change, but nobody had the nerve to be specific about it!

What surprises me the most is my fierce determination of getting out of there as soon as I saw my poor little man pleading with painful and agonizing moans...I mean, I grabbed my bag, said bye to almost everyone in less than 5 minutes (that, my friends, is admirable to say the least, when we're talking about my family) and before I even realized what had just happened, I was home and the baby sound asleep in his crib!  Yikes... can't deny that mother instincts do exist...somehow... still figuring out how....

Wait... my brother is getting married tomorrow, that's what this rehearsal dinner was all about right? Not just about me...ok... a little about me  (why not?)

Jesus and Vanessa, I love you and tomorrow everything will be as great or even better than what you can possibly imagine today, it's all about celebrating your love, and how much those around you love you!

...stills feels like a new adventure

Have you ever started playing a given game and got hooked on it?  So much so that you couldn't wait to have one minute of free time to dive back into it?   That's happened to me quite often, most recently playing that iphone app "words with friends".  My thoughts were completely absorbed by this game and hours would pass yet this unreasonable need to be on it was a living monster... well... this is my "new" game, blogging.   Somehow there's a freedom about writing thoughts and a sparkling thrill when I hit the "publish" button...someone else will get to read this?  How awesome is that!   What once were private thoughts are now becoming my way of saying, hear me out... how daring is that....I feel edgy, borderline rebellious! Haha...with so many bloggers in the world, you would think that maybe 5 years ago, but that's me, it takes me a while to get in sync with the buzz, but at least I'm experimenting and at the end of the day, its an adventure that portraits a snapshot of what goes on in my brain (not all the time, because sometimes, this brain of mine is out on vacation, somewhere...just wondering around)

I'm actually doing this?

Crazy how technology and social trends in general, at one point take over curiosity so much so that you feel the NEED to be part of it.  Here I am!  This is my first "Blog" experience, seems like I'm doing well considering it took me about an hour to figure out and design the look of my very own blog...how cool is this?

Aside from posting my thoughts here and there, I hope to be able to grow and learn more about this fascinating world... for now, I'm going to bed, my time is up and tomorrow might just be this long!