Scripture of the Day

 I've been struggling. So much feels out of my control, the future is always full of the unknown, the now is feeling scary. I'm at odds with Kent, online school continues to be unpleasant, I've no Church calling, I'm full of malcontent and none of it seems to be getting better.

Today, I read in Alma 38:5 "And now my son, Shiblon," but we can easily substitute "daughter, Katherine, "I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day." 

How much am I putting my trust in God? As Alma talks to Shiblon, he recounts his miraculous conversion and says, in verse eight, "never until I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, did I receive a remission of my sins. But behold, I did cry unto him and I did find peace to my soul." 

I want peace in my soul. I know that peace is possible, even in times of turmoil and unrest, but I am not adequately trusting or crying or repenting. I'm not doing my part and as a result, I'm not enjoying the peace Christ offers. I was grateful for the gentle reminder to put my trust in God.

Behatted

 Friday was my last day of work, so wouldn't you know it, only two days later, I've got small people who don't live with us, hanging around the house. I love it! Today, these two were behatted in a very silly manner, Cora with my crocheted hair hat, and Kal wearing a beanie on top of his hoodie hood. I love having both of them around.

Those faces!

And while it has nothing to do with Cora and Kal being over, because it is Sunday, just for fun, I made Bavarian pretzels. They were delicious, a big hit with everyone.

Last Day of Work

When I was hired on to work for the Census, I knew the position was temporary. As a decennial census worker, I knew the work would be done when the census was done, and I'd be "terminated for lack of work." The 2020 Census has been weird because of the Covid-19 interruption just as self-response was getting launched, and so I have worked much longer than originally anticipated. Had we not had a seven week furlough, I probably would have been finished mid-August. But the timing was all messed up, so I got to work lots longer. 

Today was my last day. There has been lots of back and forth about when my NTE (not-to-exceed) was. I was told dates from September 26 to December 5, but with no real date given until some weeks ago. I heard October 23, but when I asked my boss about it, he said, "No, your NTE is November 21, just like all the other managers." The last day of the census has also been up in the air. Counting was suppose to be complete on September 30, but then several court cases held off that date. A judge in California said we had to keep counting until October 31, but then the Supreme Court ruled we could stop. That ruling came on October 13, and the Census Bureau said we would be done counting on October 15. 

The end of counting meant that Kent was done with his census job on the 15th. He had some re-interview cases and verification of entries which he did from home through the 15th, and then was official decommissioned on the 16th. He really enjoyed being an enumerator, talking to people, convincing them to give him information, being out in the field. His CFS (census field supervisor) came and collected all this stuff on Monday, and Mike, in the office, terminated him on Tuesday. 

All of my field employees had to be terminated for lack of work by Saturday, October 17th. Monday I completed paperwork after having collected equipment and badges. I wrote each of my field employees a thank you card and sent them a little treat. With Jody Johnson, one of the recruiting supervisors, I've been sorting through all our boxes of recruiting and response materials. I've destroyed banners and tablecloths with the Census logo, and shredded all sorts of paper stuff. I cleaned out my desk, sorted electronic files, and spent a great deal of time looking for another job. 

We have been slow in Recruiting because all of our work is done and we only had eleven field employees. As a result, our "department" is the first to go. Lain Geest (my fellow Recruiting Manager) and I, along with our three supervisors, Jody Johnson, Mark Bigelow, and Mark Lambson, are all done this week. Others will be terminated, some each week, from now until the end of November, with Alan Clark and Manny Wilds, our Administrative and IT Managers respectively, being the last to go and close the office. 

Over the last several weeks, I've had little to do. I've been paid to work on Christmas photobooks and look for a job. Every morning I have answered emails, thus completely my real "work" and then had about seven and a half hours of time to fill in a day. I've applied for over twenty jobs, had a few phone interviews, and tried to look busy. My boss did tell me that I could do my own thing guilt-free simply because there wasn't work to do, and until we were given the okay to begin closing the office, we were sort of stuck in limbo. I am grateful for all that paid time doing my own thing. I've made excellent progress on photobooks and will be able to get them finished up at home quickly.

Today, I sent the following email to my co-workers.

Dearest Census Friends,

It it with much fondness that I bid you farewell. On this, my last day of work, I am sad to be leaving your jolly company. I have enjoyed coming to work practically every single day, knowing I would laugh and learn and generally have a good time. This job has been the first "official" position I have had since 1997. I came on with trepidation in my heart, wondering if it would be bearable. You have, however, made work not work. I will miss you. Thanks for being my friends! Perhaps we'll see each other again in 2030.

Katherine

This job really has been a treat. I've worked with such nice, diverse people, I've had a chance to lead, I've laughed lots and lots, and I've been blessed to make really good money, and I've got real work to add to my resume. I will miss those I work with. I will miss the income. But it will be nice to be back at home with my time as my own, at least until I find something else. Hopefully one of the twenty plus jobs I've applied for will be my next position.

Really, having little else to do today, I spent the last hour and a half of my time at the Census playing cards with Lain and Alan. As I bid my fellow workers goodbye, I was teary at coming to the close of what has been a good thing. Maybe I'll see everyone again in 2030.

Lain Geest

Recruiting Manager extraordinaire!

My next desk-door neighbor and partner in all things recruiting.

We laughed together every day.

Since I returned to work at the end of April, I have worn a mask every day.

All day. Every day.

It was always a relief to go for a walk and let my face breathe.

Back row: Ken Johnson, Scott Snow, Rich Tuttle, Jeff Owen, Tom Birch, Kaylyn Sly, Mark Hurst

Middle row top: Lee Upchurch, Mark Lambson, Sharon Henricksen, Ron Kidd, 

Morgan Abbott, Liz Sly, Heather Nasson

Middle row bottom: Keith Halladay, Manny Wilds, Lain Geest

Front row: me, Alan Clark, Kendra Wilson, Jody Johnson, Mike Mangum, 

Sarah Smart, Zahraa Albaghdady, Lakita Harold

Left to right: Dale Peterson, Mark Bigelow, Scott Snow, Mark Sanders, David Ross,

Ken Johnson, Sarah Smart, Katie Oaks, Elizabeth Watkins, Rhonda Lopez, Cecilia Chan

Census Field Managers:

Lee, Ron, Zahraa, Sharon, and Mark Hurst

Service Based Enumeration Team

Jason Rodriguez, Scott Snow, Ken Johnson, Sarah Smart, Tom, Kristin Tudsandos

The IT Department

Matthew Taylor, Katie Oaks, Kendra Wilson, Manny Wilds, Keith Halladay, Ken Birch, 

Nick Tavenner, Grant Choules

The Supply Department

Lenita Wikle, Bill Fagerber, Kaylyn Sly

I received a thank you email from Dale Kelly, Chief of the Field Division, and thought, just for fun, I'd include it here. I get a kick out of the way this huge government bureaucracy tries to make us, its employees, feel like we're part of something amazing. Maybe we are. 

Subject: THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 

You did it!!

 

Conducting 2020 Census in-field data collection during a global pandemic, civil unrest, multiple severe hurricanes, western wildfires, initially historically low unemployment rates, and increased negative public sentiment was unprecedented and a nearly impossible assignment.  You, not only met those challenges, you exceeded them at every turn. 

 

Thank you doesn’t seem adequate given all the work each of you have put in – long hours, multiple schedule changes, coordinating enumerator travel, unrelenting e-mails, constant requests for information…and the list goes on.   Of course, there is more to do, however, in this moment I celebrate you!!

 

You performed superbly!!  I deeply appreciate the teamwork, commitment and steadfastness to an accurate and complete count.  Thank you for your service to this Nation, Department of Commerce and the Census Bureau.

 

In Field Division, we truly DO the things that count. 

Sincerely,

Dale Kelly

Chief, Field Division

Freya and Thea

 

Blurb is having a 50% off sale this weekend. I ordered family yearbooks for 2016 and 2017, saving myself a couple hundred dollars. I mentioned this to Mikayla in a text, and she somewhat freaked because she has two books to order, too. Thing is, she's in Arizona with the "big kids" for fall break. Guy stayed home with the babies. She wanted to order, but it's a bit complicated. You work on your photobooks offline, then upload them to Blurb when you are ready to have them printed. It takes time to upload all the text and pictures, especially if the books are large with many pictures. Guy was doing stuff, so I went over to Mikayla's this evening to upload and order her books. 

Upon arrival, Thea and Freya excitedly ran to greet me, demanded I pick them up, and then hung around with me the whole time I was there (over an hour). They sat on my lap as I got books started, then wrestled with me on the floor, ran back and forth from the hall into my arms, turned lights on and off, jumped off the couch. It was a whole show and wild activity. 

These two are SO. MUCH. FUN!

Jaker's Pumpkin Patch

 It's Columbus Day and I had a paid day off. How terrific is that? Working for the government has its perks. Because it is October, and just for fun too, we joined the DeMartinis and Johnsens and went to Jaker's to play in the corn, climb on hay, and have a hay ride. It was sunny and beautiful, warmer than normal for this time of year, and we had a great time. We chased and lost a couple of small people, but found them and got a bit of exercise in the process. It was fun, as always, to be together.

Generally speaking, I like to get a family picture in the corn.

This year, I couldn't round up my two (only) people when we were by corn, so I am out of luck.

Cute big girls and cute little girls.

More cute big girls and little girl.

This slide looks like it should be fast. 

It's not.

I scooted down suuuuuuper slowly.

It was Ava (14) and Collin (10)'s birthdays on Saturday, so after being at Jaker's, we went over to Eugene and Sharae's house for a birthday party. We had pizza and crunchies, cupcakes and cookies, and the taller people played 9 Square, a game where you try to get to the middle of the nine squares, become King, and stay there as long as possible. The idea is to keep a ball aloft without it coming down in your square. It was great fun, we played a long time, and only quit when it got dark and homework called loudly enough we couldn't ignore it anymore. It was a great time!

Sunday in the Park with Sue (and Others)

 

We met Mikayla and her crew, as well as Grandma Sue, at Rock Canyon for a bit of Sunday out-of-the-house activity. The kids played, the adults talked and ensured the children, especially Thea, didn't fall from great heights on the play equipment.

Work

I keep working. The Census has been a good job for me, and although it is temporary, it keeps getting extended. Some weeks ago, my NTE (not-to-exceed) date was October 10. My Recruiting Assistants needed to be finished by October 3, then I was going to have a week to have a week to wrap up and then be done. It felt soon. Scary soon. I've been applying for lots of jobs, several a week, but have yet to get another position. I've had a couple of online interviews, and a couple through Zoom, but no job offers. In fact, I've been surprisingly stunned when I've had an interview because I've had so much rejection.

As October 10th approached, I was wondering what we were going to do, and then I got word that my NTE was moved to November 21st. Hoorah! That's six extra weeks and three more paychecks. I was so relieved, though I didn't stop applying for positions. Two days ago, however, while participating on a conference call, I was told that all RMs have a NTE of October 23rd unless they have been rolled over to a different managerial position, like a Census Field Manager. Groan! Why the back and forth? Why the playing with our emotions? 

Then we had an additional spanner thrown into the works. Several organizations representing minority groups sued the Census Bureau to have the count extended to the end of October, not the end of September. A judge in California agreed with the plaintiffs, and so we must continue to count, even though we had about wrapped up the count for our census office. That means that the office will be open longer, ensuring we've all got work longer. 

But will I still have a job? Alan told me yesterday that he read that the new manager NTE was December 5, and that was for all managers. I have looked in my electronic personnel folder, but my NTE on my last personnel action showed September 26, meaning I may actually be volunteering right now. I'm so glad to have a good paying job. I'm so glad I've got paid time off. I'm so glad I've had meaningful, interesting work this year. It has been a blessing. I am not so glad, however, that I have no idea how much longer said good-paying job will last. Fingers crossed I am still working at the end of the month.

On the good/not-so-good front, because the count is finished, but we can't start shut-down procedures, we are very slow. We really have next to nothing to do. That's the not-so-good part. But we are entertaining ourselves in different ways. Some of us knit or crochet, some of us read, some of us visit with our neighbors, and one of us (me) is working on Christmas photobooks and making excellent progress!

Conference Weekend

 

It's General Conference weekend, a time when we would normally be with the Barri on Saturday evening, eating pulled pork or ribs, talking lots and lots, and then attending either priesthood or the general women's meeting. Due to Covid, we met with only Lee, Cammie, and Aaron and my mom (general women's meeting this time). We did eat yummy food, and in honor of Cammie's birthday, I made lemon meringue pie. It turned out absolutely perfectly, in both appearance and taste. It was sweet and tangy, the meringue didn't separate from the pie, and it browned up so beautifully. It was the highlight of the evening. Well, food wise it was the highlight of the evening. The talks were terrific, too. 

Really, the talks the whole weekend were wonderful--uplifting, encouraging, warning. We heard several talks about food storage and physical preparation, as well as about spiritual preparation. We did a puzzle, had Seers and Cheers snacks, and came away spiritually rejuvenated and recommitted to the gospel and following the prophet(s).