#📖 # What I'm up to now ![[calendar-plus.svg]] <small>Sep 03, 2023</small> | ![[calendar-clock.svg]] <small>Oct 16, 2024</small> > [!info]- This is a Now page, inspired by Derek Sivers > [[Derek Sivers]] encourages anyone with a website to have a "[now page](http://nownownow.com/about)" that tells visitors what you are focused on at this point in your life. It should be the kind of thing you'd tell a friend you hadn't seen in a year. What are you up to these days? ## Last update: October 16, 2024 A common question folks like to ask is "What's your favorite season?" and I find most people answer based on weather, or some seasonal item or smell. I've done the same. But the real reason that I love Fall is tied to the start of the school year. Even though I'm not currently in school, this time of year always strikes me as a time to start fresh and take on a new challenge. I've started most of my jobs in the Fall, and this year is no different. **I earned my Certified Associate Project Manager (CAPM) and started a job as a Project Manager at the beginning of October. This is a huge move for me and I am very excited about the year(s) to come!** Here's what I'm currently up to: ### 🏡Life Optimizing my finances has been my focus for 2024 and my new job certainly plays into that. No need to seek out freelance work or a side hustle! ### 💼 Work It has been bittersweet to make the transition from the Medical Staff Services team to the Project Management Office. I'm thrilled about my new job, something I've been waiting years for, but I'm also sad to be leaving a leader and team members that I've grown really attached to. Luckily I'm in the same organization, so I'm sure I'll have the opportunity to work with them in other ways. ### 🏫 Continuing Education I passed the CAPM exam!!! Now I'll be focused on continuing education to maintain the certification and to prep for taking the PMP exam in a few years. ### 📚Books I've re-engaged with reading for pleasure in a big way this year. I went all in on the Josephine Community Libraries Summer Reading Program and blacked out the bingo sheet. Just as fun as the reading itself is the search for new books, curating lists for reading challenges, and discussing great books with friends. I reached my Goodreads 2024 Reading Challenge early and am racing to see how many extra books I can check off my TBR list before the end of the year. I'm currently reading [Stardust by Neil Gaiman](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16793.Stardust?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=cwiar3f2jT&rank=1) and next in the queue are: - [The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199928276-the-love-of-my-afterlife) - [On Freedom by Timothy Snyder](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203956715-on-freedom) - [Coyote Wind by Peter Bowen](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19196083-coyote-wind?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=gxNh6rrLk1&rank=2) - [My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60497502-my-evil-mother) ### 📺TV shows & Movies A new season of Network TV has started up again and I'm back to having too many shows to keep up with. Some new shows I'm enjoying so far are: - [The Old Man](https://www.hulu.com/series/the-old-man) - [Murder in a Small Town](https://www.hulu.com/series/murder-in-a-small-town) - [NCIS: Origins](https://www.cbs.com/shows/ncis-origins/) - [Matlock](https://www.cbs.com/shows/matlock/) > [!tldr]- View Previous Entries >> [!done]- February 24, 2024 >> It's really hard to believe that it's been six months since I last updated this page. There have been a few notable changes, but mostly my life is about the same. I've just recovered from a moderate case of Covid - my first run-in with it. Thankfully my respiratory symptoms weren't too bad, but it did sap me of all my energy for about 2 weeks. And I lost my senses of smell and taste for a while. They're back, but not at 100%. I've spent the last week trying to catch up at work and at home. >> >>Here's what I'm currently up to: >> >>### 🏡Life >My focus for 2024 is optimizing my finances and finding a way to earn a second income. My goal is to save and/or earn an extra $10,000. I'm looking at several options for freelancing, including proofreading and copyediting. >> >>### 💼 Work >A lot has changed at work in the last six months. The pandemic was hard on hospitals and health systems across the country, and we are no exception. We're having to make some difficult cuts to recover financially, which included some layoffs. I managed to avoid the cuts, but I did transition onto a new team and am now working in Medical Staff Services to credential new providers and provide support for our various medical departments. >> >My hopes of finding a position on the Project Management team are on hold for now. While I'm bummed that I still don't have an outlet for my passion and skillset, I absolutely love my new manager and the team I'm part of. And I feel like I'm really needed, and that I'm making a difference. So, I'm choosing to be satisfied with that for at least the next year. >> >>### 🏫 Continuing Education >I've paused my pursuit of a project management certification. I'm sure I'll go back to it at some point, but I'm refocusing my energy on earning more money using the skills and qualifications I already have. I am still working to complete the financial literacy and wealth building program through [Dow Janes](https://www.dowjanes.com/), since that contributes directly to my goal for the year. >> >>### 🚀Self-Improvement >I'm always looking to grow and improve myself. I'm currently focused on a few efforts: >>- Resetting and recommitting to [[Self-Actualization MOC#My personal systems and tools|my daily and weekly routines]] >>- Continuing to build and tweak my [[digital garden]] using [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) and the [Linking Your Thinking](https://www.linkingyourthinking.com/) method >>- Relearning French via the Duolingo app (I finished the Latin course!) >> >>### 📚Books >I'm currently reading *Tracks* by Louise Erdrich. She's one of my favorite authors and I love that this book is the third in a series with some incredibly compelling characters. >> >I just finished *The Postmistress* by Sarah Blake, a very engaging novel set during World War II. And before that I read *The Village Healer's Book of Cures* by Jennifer Roberts. This was particularly exciting because I am friends with the author and it is her debut novel. She's incredible and I can't recommend the book highly enough. >> >>### 📺TV shows & Movies >With the writing strike over, my regular network shows have finally started back up. I'm a tv junkie, so the list is long. But before that (and while I was convalescing from Covid) I took the time to binge/catch up on several series that I really enjoyed: >>- [The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart](https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Flowers-Alice-Hart-Season/dp/B0BZMWYYFK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3V8IZWZD3995T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fgCBHZaPfz3dN4ps5Cof8OT2ikYQ1EYyu5YmEDKLoCo_231wSJyw7gwUMpzts6MMhw160B-Z16UUHaIVHCOz4He1gSUaUQywvc1ESaFzqvwY7yQ6TaHnWeqOf_Psvnj7iQz0qmLyoBrRgdzRLS2FVN9nHMyDiojXfQwLBL8bjWLBlIQ0iz1ojekuPAKdzbFkcqQpbWEOtjCKrIOom-3TiAwiUlT1uZdfCIKP-EHn5Ko.l4Z7LBaDcqaUVh9MoyVLUQVKsejvE7jI0oi1NG4BHLU&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+lost+flowers+of+alice+heart&qid=1708791366&s=instant-video&sprefix=The+Lost+FLowers%2Cinstant-video%2C160&sr=1-1) >>- [A Private Affair](https://www.amazon.com/The-blue-house/dp/B0B8THFK1X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=RTRH2PVJ7EUQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sJy0dJuYiUORFzSe1g9C3kZnvVwZeFwNwnw1oIilvJEDi6a91eENfHw22vfXq3yGC9F8aDheNBFmC5VewRv1JtVcqfWsJXcDF6rfyn4b1HNSCKG421WWekHdfvNQiSVHwdNnF00Zch4WQC38m8jSqZb4ZGbeE7OobrYwEKVofuUW7tyHPmQavJIs8cL-dXpiWKicvslQ0PcXL8eaLWRMwUv4Xr05LUpkVvYGfEdwuB4.INjCyilDvTDy3Uols6PprMDvuSFUiriNNF0EmPgHrRc&dib_tag=se&keywords=A+Private+Affair&qid=1708791422&s=instant-video&sprefix=a+private+affair%2Cinstant-video%2C157&sr=1-1) >>- [Deadloch](https://www.amazon.com/Episode-8/dp/B0BYKHFKLX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=16LOXRMZHNPS6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y2flwhYkoHBbZ-CEIQWaaPrXqT5MRMb7BSP8qmrW3t1ZfI_lpa8j6u5_Lho5usFvY8lre37qIEomsmf7l3GWfd91jECxm7FIDdJi7f_6LJox0EuLHF-bdj1JpmpQpUEcjgNsi0JAGKtAms3OrCgQNFuIMU2Kd2-w7VQ9nOXfieM98__rDwnEdeHIfdfgAXfuBW80XLOb8jAEWUVrN234La4fqqmM-sMQOMPw3FflM3Q.jcuwHt_6t0fmVnMHjofSpbUM8qEKn7OKjPvjEdcVoDg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Deadloch&qid=1708791503&s=instant-video&sprefix=deadloch%2Cinstant-video%2C160&sr=1-1) >>- [Alex Rider](https://www.amazon.com/Truth/dp/B08BNL5V51/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2S5BOK3SRZCMN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.iH1ECT-7OOKa22Fa0DH1S-xF3zs01UcwpWFZuEcr4l9SjrvcZjcGZBxcU6xITXKIWKms01P7ucWgIKh7Bz6tBE5KWxWjZlV-YExM0SEPQME6xbGDm_zQtPv8IEIl86nWj58qN8XqBy91AlqXHWCu853tARKNOSDlaLmuruO0loz67Qt6-hhO50b4RSSpfMdaPg2Jb9Ouai6twkhJjOLn9CmLvuSxud5OLAIxU30YeZY.SfB4Dq_zho_EthELJRtE1gWgVZ5ZUS4J4Vba7QJzmwY&dib_tag=se&keywords=alex+rider&qid=1708791655&s=instant-video&sprefix=Alex+Rider%2Cinstant-video%2C175&sr=1-1) >>- [Bosch: Legacy](https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Plan/dp/B0CBG82H3J/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1XFW5QDZ6S48S&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zxXAAqPJ89OieVtYvIu2BGFQ9RcEe-05M0tBDSgkM2hLAOTHpnaJ6VyuxizrBmvnJWwvj-IPbzpuhCtZJTQCuPr6-9B4FEdvh3tDiEQHgUMdS7BEf0sXc4nxOpOrLqoNLsk3GVglvvQpDJANsNzDPAOk80_HUMIIkWFI3jOEpkUyuIx33aAlUZY_x8NYOGmRjQsjbFvQ0qVmjKM5mQyKvGQ2Vi-5oHejYpkgVWDS4vU.DUbL7Gnx-nEjUm12qxLDBSo0W58iVnn6qb1V5vwHndw&dib_tag=se&qid=1708791690&s=instant-video&sprefix=bosch%20legacy,instant-video,177) >>- [Evil](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/evil/) >>- [Star Trek: Strange New Worlds](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds/) >>- [Star Trek: Picard](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-picard/) >>- [Culprits](https://www.hulu.com/series/2a90c847-4121-47a5-94d7-53b7cbf2f1d9) >>- [The Handmaid's Tale](https://www.hulu.com/series/565d8976-9d26-4e63-866c-40f8a137ce5f) >>- [A Murder at the End of the World](https://www.hulu.com/series/aa1adbb2-bfd6-4d88-b709-5455bf953f9e) > >> [!done]- September 3, 2023 >> Since this is my first post on this page, I'll catch you up on what I've been up to from earlier this year: >>- I graduated from Gonzaga University with a [[ORGL Capstone Portfolio|Master's in Organizational Leadership]] in May 2023. >>- I successfully ran for re-election as a board member for the [Josephine Community Library District](http://www.josephinelibrary.org) >>- In July, I wrapped up my 2nd term (1st was in 2013-14) as president of the Rogue Gateway Rotary Club. >> >>Here's what I'm currently up to: >> >>### 🏡Life My dog, Lily, just had TPLO surgery to treat a torn CCL. Now I'm helping to manage an 8-10 week recovery process that requires restricting her movements. Did I forget to mention...she's a whippet/shepherd mix with endless energy and who wants to follow you around all day? 🤪 >> >>### 💼 Work I am currently serving as the Executive Assistant for the head of my local hospital. I would like to stay with my organization, but I'm looking for a position that is more fulfilling and allows me to contribute more of my knowledge and skillset. I'm hoping to apply for a Project Management position in a few months. >> >>### 🙋‍♀️ Volunteering In addition to my role as an elected board member for the Josephine Community Library District, I am helping to manage a piece of one of our capital projects. It's a way for me to build some more project management experience while also helping an organization/team I love. >> >>### 🏫 Continuing Education I'm working through the [[Google Project Management Professional Certificate]] program on Coursera with the goal of earning a [CAPM](https://www.pmi.org/certifications/certified-associate-capm?utm_campaign_channel=b2c&utm_custom_field_five=none&utm_custom_field_four=ghq&utm_custom_field_one=linkedin&utm_custom_field_three=none&utm_custom_field_two=20230725&utm_end_date=12312025&utm_funnel_stage=awareness&utm_job_number=16&utm_marketing_channel=owned_media&utm_marketing_subchannel=social&utm_region_name=na_sa_eu_me_la_in_ch_ap&utm_start_date=03142023&utm_source=linkedin) from PMI. >> I'm also working on a financial literacy and wealth building program through [Dow Janes](https://www.dowjanes.com/). >> >>### 🚀Self-Improvement I'm always looking to grow and improve myself. I'm currently focused on a few efforts: >>- Activating my heroic potential using the [Heroic app](https://www.heroic.us/optimize/) >>- Working on my [[Worthy Goal]] inside of [The Conspiracy](https://go.mbs.works/theconspiracysignup) >>- Continuing to build and tweak my [[digital garden]] using [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) and the [Linking Your Thinking](https://www.linkingyourthinking.com/) method >>- Relearning Latin via the Duolingo app (355 day streak!) >> >>### 📚Books What I'm currently (or about to be) reading: >>- *Animal Dreams* by Barbara Kingsolver >>- *[[Poverty By America - Desmond 2023|Poverty, by America]]* by Matthew Desmond >>- *It's Better Than It Looks: Reasons for Optimism in an Age of Fear* by Gregg Easterbrook >> >>### 📺TV shows & Movies I'm currently watching [Sneaky Pete](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5011816/), [Only Murders in the Building](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11691774/), [Justified: City Primeval](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14263564/), and [Star Trek: Discovery](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5171438/). >> [Barbie](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517268/) was the first movie I've seen in the theater in years. It was a lot of fun and I would watch it again