Back in the Saddle

First of all, thanks to everyone for their condolences and sweet thoughts regarding my grandma. My heart goes out to those who have to deal with a loss and don't have the support of amazing family and friends. I don't know how I would ever deal with tragedy if I felt alone. It was a whirlwind of a weekend driving to AZ for the funeral and back, but of course well worth the effort. Without going into detail, I left the experience with an intense feeling of responsibility to honor the legacy of my grandparents by living the way they did. I've got a long way to go! It was really nice to be together with the family as always. I'll post some pictures soon. To say that it was hard to come back is the understatement of the century. It's always disappointing to find that the world keeps right on going while you're in the middle of something big, and when you come back, there is a smelly and growing pile of "life" waiting for you right where you left it. Time to tend to the pile.

One bit of good news I got right before leaving town was that I got a raise. For the first time in my life, I asked for a raise. I haven't even reached my one year mark here yet, but with a little encouragement from mi marido, I mustered up the guts and was actually brazened enough to approach my boss about it a few weeks ago. Those of you who knew the younger me are probably wondering what on earth happened to "non-confrontational Kelly". The answer to that question is Layne Michael Nelson, and a few more ounces of self confidence. All I can say is I just thought I deserved it! My boss was actually really cool about it. I used some of the negotiation tactics I learned from watching The Office (specifically Season 3 episode "The Negotiation"). I walked right in and used the phrase Michael uses in video clip below right before he went in to ask for a raise. Worked like a charm. :)