Death and Taxes

Sorry, this is neither fun nor funny...and a bit of a downer. :(

The last week or so has been one so full of emotions, it’s difficult to entirely sort through it all.

Last week began with my being at the airport by 7am (y’all know how I hate to get up early!) for an 8am flight to southern Oregon. 1.5 grande lattes later, I was at work (I spilled ½ my grande latte all over the rental car—ARRGGHH). Much rushing, observing, reviewing, etc. Southern Oregon is beautiful. Not as green as Portland, but striking in its own way. The weather was cold, but not unbearable.

We got to stay at the most delightfully charming historic hotel downtown. Their whole theme is ‘birds’, so the “do not disturb” doorhangers have a little birdie in a nest and it says “Nesting”. AWWWW. Cute!

Later in the week I drove to another town in southern Oregon—through a beautiful and scenic pass. Ice-covered lakes, snow-dusted evergreens…beautiful. However, I had to be sure I watched my speed. The last time I drove through this pass I got a ticket. Driving and singing to ABBA was just too fun.

Again, more hurried work. On Wednesday afternoon on the way to visit one of our centers, my husband called to tell me his mother had indeed been diagnosed with ALS. This had been a remote possibility, but it was still a shock to hear. Suddenly I fast-forwarded to a time when she could be in a wheelchair, unable to speak or eat on her own. I couldn’t quite imagine it—she’s one of the most physically fit and athletic people you’ll ever meet. I could hear the anger in James’ voice, as well as his frustration. Why her? How her? Everything in her adult life has been with a focus on health and fitness. It doesn’t make sense.

The sadness was all-consuming…until I went to observe in our classrooms. I’m sorry, but babies and toddlers (and preschoolers!) need to be prescribed by doctors to people suffering with depression. Seeing those little babies crawl and laugh and dance and sing…you can’t help but smile and feel happy!

When I returned to Portland, I was prepared to do my research on ALS and see what I could do to support my mother-in-law, her husband, and of course, James. These guys are not used to seeing Diane in need of anything or anyone. She’s the rock and the strongest person you’ll ever meet.

Sadly, as I dressed for work on Friday, I got even more bad news. My boss called and said, “Oh, Clarissa. I just don’t know how to tell you this, so I’ll just tell you.” I thought for sure I was being laid off. These things tend to be announced on Fridays. Then, she said, “My son passed away.” (on 4/15--TAX DAY!!) I was in shock. Her son was 28, a father of a 3 year-old son, married, and had just gone through surgery to improve his respiratory ailments he’d been fighting for years since going to the army. I’m not graceful, nor do I have the tact or ability to say the right thing. I was speechless. What does one say to a mother who has just lost her son? I had no clue what she must be going through. My heart just broke for her.

The rest of the day (and weekend) I was numb. A heavy weight just dropped and stuck in my stomach. I slept a lot and stayed in my jammies a lot. Saturday night I didn’t fall asleep until about 6:30am. My mind just would not stop. I felt terrible for these people in my life that were going through such pain, but I also felt guilty for feeling so miserable, when in actuality this has nothing to do with me. Neurotic? Yep, that’s me.

Monday at work I was still feeling completely useless. We learned that my boss’ son’s funeral was that afternoon. Though we were not prepared and weren’t wearing appropriate “mourning” clothes, a few of us from the office went to pay our respects. I dreaded seeing my boss. I managed to keep it together when she approached our little group—she was visibly thinner, dressed head to toe in black and wearing big, black sunglasses. She joked she was “doing the Jackie O thing” and hiding behind her glasses. Who could blame her?! The ceremony was lovely, but left me feeling completely worn out. I went home and slept for 4 hours.

Part of life, of course, is the tragic. We will face our own and/or loved one’s aging process, sickness and death. The continuum we’re all on is predictable: you and your friends all start getting “real jobs”, you and your friends all start getting married, you and your friends all start having kids, you and your friends start dealing with parents’ illness/aging, you and your friends start losing people close to you, you and your friends start dying. Unavoidable, but distressing nonetheless.

Here’s hoping the rest of April brings peace and strength to those who need it most.

Position available!

For several months now, the Martinez-Owen household has been trying to add to its ranks. We’re looking to add a permanent member of the team.

He or she must be able to (with training):
-Follow verbal and written instructions, as well as visual and oral cues
-Use power and hand tools
-Perform various task throughout the day (ranging from adorable to annoying)
-Drive company vehicles and machinery to and from various job sites (most likely bumping into company property along the way)
-Assist staff with various construction/demolition projects

Minimum Educational Requirements:
-High School Diploma GED (Bachelor degree preferred)
-Bilingual (Spanish/English)

Job Requirements:
-Ability to lift up to and maneuver 50 plus pounds (within 18 year timeline)
-Work out-of-doors for extended periods under unfavorable conditions (typical of Oregon for 9 months of the year)

Preferred skills and knowledge(training opportunities available):
-Use and operate indoor sewage-removal system
-Operate construction equipment in various media (paints, clay, sand, water, etc)

Pre-employment health screening is required
..........................................

Not asking too much, right? Well, despite our best efforts, we have yet to recruit such a candidate. Every few weeks we check our “inbox” (ahem) and receive notice from Aunt Flo that there are no new applicants.

Just last month, our recruitment efforts hit a bit of a snag. Team Martinez-Owen was separated by several time zones during the peak “recruiting season”. I found myself so aroused by the possibility of bringing on a new member, that I was tempted to do some outside recruitment consultation (head-hunting?) with various waiters, restaurant patrons, strangers on the street...among many others. So strong was my desire to fill the position! Thankfully, I was able to get home to coordinate with my partner and we were able to do some collaboration on hiring together! Self-recruitment just doesn’t cut it sometimes. For this type of project, it’s all about teamwork.

Despite our inability to fill the position thus far, we are prepared to wait for the “right” candidate, even if it takes time. Regardless of our expansion project, we remain optimistic about the outlook for team M.O. If necessary, we can continue with the staff we have on-hand and train for additional skills. Our capable Beso-of-all-trades has even taken it upon herself to approximate an entry-level candidate by relieving herself on the kitchen floor. With this kind of attention to detail in preparing us for hazardous waste removal, we feel we can continue without a new member of the team for some time! Thanks, Beso! A valued member of Team M.O.!

We hope to have another exciting recruitment effort soon, so we are very excited about the opportunities to work hard on our collaborative efforts!

Thank you for your continued support and interest in Team M.O. and in our growth-efforts! We couldn’t do it without you… hmm. actually, that’s a little weird. ;)

Ha!