I married THE hotdog man

I know, I know...its has literally been 2 months since I have blogged, but I promise its for good reason.  I have my 2nd book wrapped up and almost ready to be released, and I have my 3rd book started.  And I have decided to make them blog based, with a little extra writings.  Things I journal privately and never have shared with anyone......not yet anyhow.
I do have something to share, I am too excited to keep it to myself!  Zach and I have STOPPED working for the "man".  We have decided that life is too short to be miserable in what you do on a day to day bases.  Like the movie "Office Space", we lived that every day.  There were tons of TPS reports (obviously the name changed every couple of years), there was office politics, there were people who sat in cubes and did absolutely nothing and then those who worked their asses off and got zero recognition.  There was a lot of dirty things that happened, and horrible people we worked with.  Zach had an awesome boss up until the last year when changes were made.  His new boss had the nerve to ask him if Lucy was even sick.  His new boss never communicated to his co-workers, so he had his cube stripped one day and people decide NOT to talk to him EVER based on the facts they had (or lack thereof).
I was in management so I got to see how things operated firsthand, most of it dirty.  Most of it underhanded and filled with politics.  It wasn't the person who worked the hardest who advanced, it was who was friends with who, or who knew who.  It was like pulling teeth to get people promotions because despite the fact they were doing the job, some boss in some area didn't like them.  I became friends with people who only became friends with me to step on me.  They were threatened by my success so felt like lies would help them further up the ladder in the corporate world. I watched people change their core values to work at this place.  And I saw many many people cry every single day.  I was one of those people. It was a horrible place to work, but it paid great and had us in those "golden" handcuffs.
Well, a month ago, Zach walked into work on a Monday to give his resignation.  Retirement is what he was calling it.  He waited.  And waited. And waited.  2 hours went by.  Not one person talked to him and no managers were in for him to speak to.  So, he left his resignation note on his bosses desk, and on his bosses desk, and walked out of that place forever. I was so proud of him.  Unfortunately, the reasons for him leaving and employment laws that were broken never got to the right department.  We assume that letter got filed in the trash after he laid out the reason with specific examples of which and how laws were violated.
Monday, I walked into the same company and quit my job as well.  Mine was much nicer than Zach's, and I had been fortunate that I had been moved to a different department during Lucy's illness.  I was moved to one where I actually had a lot of respect for the leadership.  I didn't leave because of that. I left because I took the wrong job.  I left because I want to be home with my children. I left because I was out of FMLA protection and need to be home with Lucy for another 3 months.  There were lots of reasons for me leaving. While my current work situation wasn't horrid, the one before was.  Before Lucy got sick, I came home from that job crying every day.  I had horrible co workers who were back stabbing and just interested in being successful by stomping on who ever they could.  Not one of those people bothered to even come to a benefit for Lucy nor did they ask about her.  I worked with these people everyday.  I was a supervisor and it was my staff who was the best. I loved coaching those people and helping them try to build a career they were happy with.
I think all in all, every job you do has its ups and downs.  There are things you love, and things you can live with, But when you really, truly are NOT happy, it is time to move on.  I think most people don't figure this out in time, or when they do, they have so much time and energy invested into one company, they can't leave. That is sad. I do NOT want to be that person.  All Zach and I wanted was to earn a GOOD living and buy nice things,  and then Lucy getting sick.  Nice things weren't our priority anymore.  Having more money so you can buy nicer things, bigger homes, and more cars didn't matter if our baby was sick.  That catastrophic event has put our priorities in line, and we have decided it is time to move on.  If we can pay the bills, put food on the table, and live a happy life, and do it all while working at things we love, well that to us would be the perfect life.  Zach has become a full time hot dog salesman.  What?? you ask??? We bought a nostalgic hot dog cart last year (something we had been talking about for a year before Lucy got sick), and we started the end of the season doing fairs and catering and had the BEST time.  We loved everything about it.  The customer interaction, the freedom of running our own business, tasting hot dogs for 6 months until we found one we were proud to put our name on.  So this year, instead of just doing fairs on the weekends, Zach is set up to do lunches, dinners, catering, events whenever he wants through the week.  And let me share something with you.  Since he walked out of his job at corporate USA, he hasn't taken any anti-anxiety medication. He isn't throwing up in the drive way before work, he sleeps with no aid, and I haven't seen that ear to ear grin like that in a LONG time. He gets up early and puts on his Weber's Weenies shirt and has the proudest look on his face.  He works twice as hard for 1/2 the money and couldn't be happier.  That right there is worth it.
And what am I going to do?? Well, this summer I am staying home with my kids, finishing my 3rd book (and working on my first fiction one too-eek), and I do Direct Sales with a wonderful pampering/body product line that has not only paid our mortgage for the last couple of months, but I also won a trip out of it.  And then in the winter time, I am going to do something I have always wanted to. I am going to apply for my teaching certificate.  First, I'll sub, then I'll do the program to get my actual license. I am so excited.  I should have done that from day one.  I am proud to have the opportunity to have a "do over".
I am also proud to tell the world, I married the hot dog man - the happiest man I know.