new jobs and teenage vampires

It’s the first day of spring! Winter has been very good to this Kajander family. Our sweet Clara Belle is six months old and almost 60 pounds! She graduated from Obedience Level I at the Canine Coach. She can now sit and lay down. Sometimes she will shake your hand, if you have an extra tasty treat. Now she needs to learn how to come when called! And she needs to learn that 5:30 AM is too early.

In other news Andy received an amazing promotion yesterday from Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. He is frequently recognized for the good work that he does there, but now he will be a part of the management team. We do realize how fortunate we are.

I was offered a new job with Hennepin County Aging and Disability Services. I am starting in just one week! This is exciting. I am ready for a change, and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to try something new. I have been working with Adult Protective Services for four years, though I have only been doing the field investigations for less than two years. I am so grateful for the experience I gained in working with these most vulnerable adults. I was humbled all the time by people’s willingness to open their homes and share their stories with me. What I am most excited about in my new position as a case manager for disabled adults, with Hennepin County Aging and Disability Services, is the opportunity to work with people who are actually asking for help. This will be a fundamental change in the type of work I will do. I think it will be a better fit for me. I am not very good at telling people what to do. I like to know what is expected of me. What can I say?- I like to be told what to do. After all, I am an ISFJ.

The bummer of my new job is that I will have to move out of downtown. I have loved working at the Government Center, and I have loved the people that I work with.

I made a list of some things I will miss about downtown and not surprisingly, many of them have to do with food:

* The stories.

* Overhearing snippets of conversation that you just could not make up, ever. “it was a chinchilla in the drawer?” “so the priest got her the pot?” “no, I don’t have any waders in my car.” (shouting across the floor) “I CAN HELP YOU GET AN AMPLIFIED TELEPHONE!”

* The zen box. THE BEST quick skyway food.

* The Classic Cookie company in the Qwest building. You have to buy one when you walk by it just smells so good.

* Talking about the Twilight series, and all the other wonderful book recommendations we swap over cube walls. And recipes! I love the recipe swapping.

* Trips to Target and Macy’s over the lunch hour.

* The farmer’s market on Nicollet Mall.

* The book club! I will miss the Adult Protection lunchtime book club. Guess I’ll be down to two book clubs now…

* Chicago mix popcorn at Candyland.

* My dentist, whom I chose simply because it was convenient that she was in the skyway. And now, I have completely fallen in love with her. The practice is owned by two smart, young, strong, women who do great dental care and are genuinely happy people. This can be hard to find in a dentist. There is great indie rock played through out the place and the magazines are fabulous (W and people and real simple…)

* The Potlucks. This floor eats well!

I have made some great friends here, and I will miss seeing them every day. But that’s what dog parks and babysitting and lunch dates and facebook is for!

I am moving over to Eastside Neighborhood Services. I don’t know much about this place, but I do know that there is a day care and a thrift store in the same building. Good stuff! I think I will have a little desk there, maybe even a cube. Northeast Minneapolis will be my new stomping ground. I am sure I’ll have a list of things I love about Northeast Minneapolis in no time.