Special: this is all for YOU!

This has been my first week at my new job working for Ipswitch. I have really enjoyed it so far. Everyone here has been really friendly. They have been very helpful in making me feel welcome and included and willing to answer any questions I have. I have been taken really good care of so far. I have really enjoyed things so far and that which I am learning. There is such a great feeling here that I never felt when I was at my last job. I definitely think the stress level in my life will decrease if it hasn't already.

Yesterday the VP of Sales took anyone who wanted to join from the sales department of the Network Management division to lunch to Margaritas a Mexican Restaurant. My co-worker Matt and I drove over together and we got there first. While we were waiting I decided to step into the lady's room. When I returned more people had arrived and they were just getting ready to take us to our table. As we were walking to the Table Pat the VP of Sales said this is a special occasion, this is all for you, I told him well I definitely feel special. At the end of lunch I told Pat Thanks for lunch and he said Thank you for joining our team we are happy to have you with us. I told him it is my pleasure to be here.

I feel very special and blessed to be a part of such a great company. They have been nominated as one of the Top Companies to work at in Boston for 2010. The award hasn't been given to any company yet. Ipswitch may get it and they may not but I can't say I have ever worked somewhere that has even been nominated. That in itself is a great thing. The way Pat told me he is glad I am here and have joined the Team it makes me feel like I am special and they fought to get me. Due to the conversation Pat and I had when he offered me the job, I know that he has gone the extra mile to bring me in and make me a part of his team. He compromised a lot to pay me closer to what I was asking for considering this is a junior position and I am highly over qualified for the job. But he told me that he can see that I have a lot to bring to the Table and this is a great opportunity to bring me aboard. I appreciate that he was not only looking to feel for the moment but considering things for the long term. I feel valued and that is something every employee should feel by their employer.

Pat makes it sound like I have done them a favor by joining their team, when in reality they have done me a HUGE FAVOR in letting me join their team. I am so excited to see what the future has to hold for me here at Ipswitch. I have been in training all week so far but I really hope I will be ready to make phone calls next week because I am ready to start making things happen.

Ducks love all the extra WATER!

Even though many places like this pond got flooding the ducks didn't mind at all. They were enjoying the water and the warm day. They were all just lounging around on the banks sun bathing and then going for a swim here and there. You can tell when these ducks are around people a lot because they let me get really close to them. I probably could have pet some of them if I wanted to. They didn't seem like they were afraid at all.

This duck is such a beauty. I love the green and blue heads.

Pick me, pick me I am really photogenic. CHEESE!

These are the twins. Aren't they just adorable. 

Get ready for take off!

Start your engines!

Lunch time! All the ducks from all over the pond flew and swam over to the far side of the pond. A Man was getting ready to go fishing. Once he cast out his line all the ducks swam away. 

I think these two just enjoyed watching everyone else make fools of themselves swimming over to the man expecting food and they didn't get anything. I think I even heard a chuckle or two out of them.

Rain for 4 straight days!

Last weekend we got rain from Friday through Monday. A state emergency was declared because we received more than 10" of rain in less than 72 hours. Talk about being waterlogged. Not only did it rain but the wind blew like crazy as well. So many umbrellas were abandoned on the roads because the wind got the best of them. One of my umbrellas was history as well. The wind got it and ripped it up and it was no longer good so it found a new home in the trash. This is a pond near my house.  I saw a park near my house that was entirely under water. The playground area as well as the field. So many people's basements flooded. On Tuesday and the following days after as I would drive down the street you would see hose after hose out it the street with water pumping into it. The water was coming from the basements of people's homes. Many streets were closed for a few days because they were flooded. Which made for a difficult commute on Monday morning for many people. 

These photos were taken on Tuesday, March 16th. Just to the left of the rock wall past where you can see the picture is where all the water was coming in from the pond.

Here you can see where the water broke the breach on the wall.
This normally has a walk way that goes all around the pond.

Here you can see where the grass is covered by water.

Here you can see the sidewalk disappear.

I thought this was a pretty good view to see how the whole walk path on this side of the pond is completely under water.

Amazing!

When I moved out here to Boston I started to work for ATI. They have a great product which is an outdoor emergency warning sirens. So like the tornado warning sirens. However, there are many things I didn't like about the company and the economy doesn't really support this type of a purchase at this time. I have been looking and searching for a new job for a very long time. At one point I wondered if I had made the biggest mistake ever in moving out here for this job. But Heavenly Father assured me that I am where I am suppose to be. I continued to be patient and to look for a new job. I had a few interviews, a company even flew me out to Chicago to have interviews in the home office. Nothing ever came of any of the interviews other candidates were always selected. At the first of the year ATI hired 3 new sales people. One who's name is Johnny Ward starting talking with me and I told him I was looking for a job and he told me of a company that he use to work for 5 years ago. Ipswitch is a network management software company and they treat their employees well and the company culture is amazing. He had so many good things to say about them. He said he was laid off because they restructured their sales team and 5 people were let go, a short 6 months later they realized that the restructure wasn't the best idea they had and they put it back to the way it was but those 5 people didn't get hired back. He said he would go back to work for them in a heartbeat. He told me I should look and see if they are hiring so I did and they were. He told me of some of his contacts still there so I sent my resume in and a week went by and they called me. A week later I went in for an interview and I interviewed with 7 people. At the end of that week they offered me the job. I accepted the offer and will start on the 22nd of March. I am really excited to begin a new chapter in my life. I don't think that if I was still living in Utah and looking for a job that they would have ever called me for an interview. This was an opportunity that I had to be here for. When I was offered the job they told me I am way over-qualified for the position but they can see the potential I have to bring to the table long term with the company so they were willing to offer me the job with a bit better package than the original one. I am grateful I came to Massachusetts when I did and that I have been able to make so many friends here and at my job at ATI. There are so many wonderful people I will miss and I pray for the best for them all. I am grateful that Johnny was willing to refer me to Ipswitch and put a good word in on my behalf (it never hurts). I am also truly grateful for all my amazing family and friends who joined me in fasting and praying to help me find a job. Your prayers and support are appreciated and have been heard. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for us and I have learned that if I follow his will that things will turn out but doesn't mean that they will be easy. Which has made me reflect on the life of Joseph Smith. He did all in which was required and asked of him but he went through some very difficult times but in the end things always worked out. I am grateful for Heavenly Father's guidance in placing me where I needed to be to learn about Ipswitch so I could find this opportunity.I am very excited to have this new opportunity and adventure in my life. It is time to start a new chapter to my life story.