NYC...My Newest Adventure

So It's been a while. Between moving, getting the house habitable (which is another story for another time...buying a foreclosure is ANYTHING but luxurious)...I've made a drastic life change; New York City, the Upper East Side, Manhattan.

If you didn't know, I'm in the medical field. I've been on both sides of the field; clinical and administrative. For the past 5 years, though, I was a medical biller. I had steady hours of 8:30AM-5PM Monday through Friday...it was a typical "medical billing" job. I had my cubicle, a window, and worked with a bunch of really cool girls who made our monotonous job enjoyable. We came from all over the place...we jokingly referred to ourselves as working on "the island of misfit toys" but we were okay with that. We all had our own personalities and got along great together. Still...I yearned for more. I really wanted to get back into management.

I had absolutely NO plans of leaving my girls at GSU...they were family to me and my whole world outside of my home life with my husband, dog, cat, fish and nieces. I figured it was time to spruce up my resume and update it on Monster, Indeed.com and CareerBuilder so if anyone was interested they would contact me.

About a week or two later I received a call from a doctor on  the Upper East Side in Manhattan. I called him back, not thinking anything would become of it because of the location (not to mention the amount of applicants he had probably received) and feeling a bit down about the previous failed attempt of moving up into management within my company...I would be leaving for vacation in Aruba in about a week anyway so I figured I would just call him back and talk to him. I had a phone interview with him and to my surprise he liked me! He asked me to come in for an interview the day before I left for Aruba...once again, I said to myself "ehh, why not?" So that Friday I hopped on a bus to NYC for the interview.

The interview went EXTREMELY well...I was able to make the doctor laugh and I had a really good vibe coming out of it.

So, I left for vacation...and on Thursday I found out I got the job! I was so excited but so sad at the same time...I knew this was a good move for me but NYC?? Leaving what I've known for 5 years? I didn't know if I would make it without my T-Rex, LWeiss, DJ, Emott, HC, JB, Angie, Sam, Monique, AlbertaV05...such mixed emotions. As much as I knew I would miss my girls, I accepted the job. My husband cheered me on 158%...as he always had. I wouldn't have taken this chance if it wasn't for him cheering and pushing me on to keep reaching and climbing higher...I wish I could be more like him. I wish I could be so optimistic...so ready to "jump" as he always is. He's my parachute...always ready to catch me after shoving me off the ledge :)

Now, I'm a Practice Manager on the Upper East Side, Manhattan, NYC. I've learned a couple of things in my first week commuting to and from NYC....

• Get the EARLY bus. Unless you want to be stuck in traffic on the turnpike and only make it to the office with 10 minutes to spare.
• WEAR HEADPHONES. Even if you have no WIFI and there's nothing playing...you won't be approached by tourists asking you how to get to X-street, etc.
• WEAR SNEAKERS. I still have blisters on top of blisters from wearing my flats and trying to run through the tunnels to the shuttle from Port Authority. NEVER AGAIN.
• Don't make eye contact. Stare at the floor, the ceiling...just don't.make.eye.contact. Unless you want a stalker.
• Make friends with the bus driver. He will wave you onto the bus and let you skip the lines as long as you're polite and say "Good Morning!" and "thank you so much!" when exiting the bus.
• NYC is incredible...learn the grid. Learn the streets. It's much quicker walking above ground than through the underground tunnels.
• Look around. There is so much to see and hear! Every day when exiting my train there is a band playing in Grand Central Station...it's amazing. I've never experienced anything like it!
• There is no such thing as personal space on the subways...everyone is packed in the trains like sardines.
• I don't think I'll EVER get tired of seeing the characters walking around Times Square...Cookie Monster, Elmo, Mickey and Mini Mouse, IronMan....I smile each time I see them!
• McDonald's in Times Square looks like New Years Eve...with a walk up window! Crazy!
• Lots of people are on drugs. LOTS. Once again, don't stare.
• RUN, don't walk. Otherwise you''ll end up as road kill. Those cabbies are reckless.

There is still so much more to experience...and I'm sure that I will have more to say about my experiences...but coming from driving myself to work for years and years to now commuting and using public transportation...honestly I don't think I would ever go back.

So, thanks to Marty and my GSU girls for believing in me. Thanks for all your support, friendship and pushing me off that damn ledge into the unknown. The unknown...so far...is pretty awesome :)

~JL.~

To take or trash... The MOVING CHRONICLES

My husband, dog, cat, and tank full of fish are moving in ohhhhhh....14 days and counting. We've done some packing (started last week). We have a 750 sq foot one bedroom, second floor garden apartment....and after about 5 carloads full of boxes, we STILL can't believe how much stuff is still hanging on the walls and lurking in the corners, behind furniture and under the bed.
I can fill you in on what's causing all this "stuff"... It could be my 10+ paper boxes full of books (all of which I've read, good or bad...but I refuse to sell or get rid of any of my book collection) and Marty's insane collection of sports memorabilia (books, photos, baseball/football card collection, picture frames, plaques). another collection...baskets and bucket loads of Jack's toys from 6 years ago to today...all of which, once again, I refuse to part with.
As we pack up our lives into boxes to bring to the new house, we are forced to make a decision...take it or junk it. It's easy for me...I mean, seriously....the New York Giants and Yankees obsession my husband has is officially out.of.control. How many newspapers from years' past do you need to hang on to?!?!? He has more framed photos, magazines, plastic cups from stadium beers, tickets, napkins, football cards and sports memorabilia than the Georgia Sports Hall of fame...the largest sports museum. Unfortunately, we absolutely positively CANNOT part with ANY of it...it'll "all be worth something someday!"
Not holding my breath.
How about all the technology that we have? We have 4 laptops, 2 iPads, who knows how many damn ipods that we haven't used in YEARS because of pandora, computer screens, a server (yes, a server...what people normally have at work...we have in our apt...I married a tech dweeb), numerous keyboards (not sure if they work or not...ask Marty), video game stations, laptops (not the ones mentioned above) that surely DO NOT work, hard drives, surround sounds...and I haven't even started on the amount of cables, cords, cds and chargers... But...everyone has their vices, and it could be worse. I DO have more books than the average town library and enough plants to make a new Forrest.
Now we move on to Jack, our dog's, luggage. I admit...mostly my fault. He has buckets and doggie beds FULL of every toy imaginable or ever sold at pet smart or petco. (Thankfully, we have stock in both 😄) if there was a commercial for it, he has it. He's a spoiled pup, but Marty and I both agree he's completely worth it....so, we will pack up his things and take them along with us.
Next, Annabelle...the forgotten devil kitty. She doesn't have many belongings. Technically...she is the " middle child" between Jack and the fish. Actually, all of her toys are in a cardboard box already ( it's her toy box)...I'll admit...kinda sad. But, she is the spawn of satan. Enough About her...she peed on my favorite handbag in rebellion of the move.
Now, onto the foliage, aka house plants. Yes, I have too many, but they make me happy. There is Jumangi (yes, named after the children's movie with Robbin Williams back in 1995) who is now 5 years old and blooms twice a year, Powell's plant ( a plant I gave to Marty in memory of his best friend), palm trees and avocado trees from seedlings, Jade, a jade plant, and numerous interior plants I've picked up off of clearance at stop and shop or lowes that were about to die and I was able to bring back to perfect health. Yes, I felt bad for them...so I bought them. Do I have an issue? Maaayyybbeeee....or maybe I just have an infatuation with saving living things. Who knows...my brain is complex...I confuse and entertain the girls at work on a daily basis without even trying.
We do have ENTIRELY too much stuff for two people and a handful of animals...but this is our life. These are our memories...and if they mean something to one of us, they mean something to all of us. We are a team...and we're doing this together...devil kitty, sports memorabilia and all.
Through all of this, we've come to an agreement...we would much rather get rid of most of if not all of our hand-me-down furniture than trash our memories. Furniture, after all can be replaced. It's our memories that have brought us to where we are And remind us of where we've been.
Here's to the next chapter....with a crapload of useless, yet, meaningful "stuff"...
Ride on.




- Posted using BlogPress from Jen's iPad

Location:Homeland, Wayne, NJ

Where I've been is who I've become

How many times do you look back thinking...how the hell did I get here?!?!?
How many times do you daydream throughout the day, sitting in you're cubicle or office saying to yourself " this is not what I expected....this isn't what I wanted."

This is my regret, almost every day. I, like many of the 17 year olds entering college were forced to make a decision...what do you want to be? For THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, HOW WIlLL YOU LIVE IT??

This is where I don't completely agree with society. We are forced at such a young age to decide our destiny and sign a contract of almost a lifetime of debt (aka college loans, room and board) on what we "think" we want to do for the rest of our lives.

My story was a little different, though. I had to stay in New Jersey....even though my passion for wildlife conservation would have sent me to Colorado, Michigan, or yes, North Dakota for college. I wasn't allowed to leave New Jersey. I was pretty much forced into medical..." It'll give you a good life!" Promised by family members. I had to make a decision. How I regret that decision....

My family doesn't know, to this day, that I entered into an environmental biology program and was only one course shy of being accepted...and it's my family that made me make a decision, that semester. I ran out of time in their eyes. How money controls our lives.....

As good as it feels to get this out on paper, learn from me. If you want something...no matter what it takes or where it takes you....DO IT. Don't let others or family influence your decisions....if you think you can catch those stars...keep reaching.

My story hasn't ended with medical billing....this is only a stepping stone. I have many passions and I'm determined to live them out.

This blog is a little more serious than I expected, but please forgive my honesty. Today I needed to get this out.

Thanks for listening.




- Posted using BlogPress from Jen's iPad

Location:Homeland

Life, lessons, and a whatever else crosses my brain

WHERE TO START?!?!?!
Hello, my name is Jen. I'm a medical biller by day, an integral part of a construction crew on the weekends (rebuilding/updating/designing a 1940's foreclosure home- aka money pit-my husband and I purchased in July), and pet-mom to my 6 year old black lab/pointer/hound mix, Jack, Annabelle (aka nanny), a cat that was free with a bag of cat food ( I know, sad...more about devil kitty later) and a fish tank full of "Bobs" that I consistently over feed - Bolivian rams, and I just can't seem to give them any other name than that. I'm also a wife to my husband, Marty, who has supported me through any venture I have ever tried, endured, accomplished or failed.
It's so hard trying to find one thing to write about because there are always so many random thoughts running through my mind. A couple of friends/ coworkers said I would be good at blogging because I tend to have random "outbursts" of completely irrelevant, yet sometimes comical thoughts that cross my mind throughout the day. But if you think about it, who wouldn't? I'm a MEDICAL BILLER. In our office we have 9 girls... The excitement of my morning is getting the call from downstairs saying "The mail is here!!!" so I can leave my "cube" ( cubical, for those who can't figure it out) OR getting to leave early at the end of the day. Our main purpose- bring in money for the 20-something physicians in our group or get outsourced, laid off, fired... So we fight with patients and insurances Every. Single. Day.
Hardly the life I imagined when I was spending a ridiculous amount of money during my college years....but, it pays the bills for the life I lead thus far.
My name is Jen...I'm blogging to entertain, inform, help, and maybe even Encourage people through my experiences to follow your dreams and never settle...for this is only a stepping stone in your story....unless you allow it.




- Posted using BlogPress from Jen's iPad

Location:Homeland, NEW JERSEY