chapters-soils co

i remember when i was a kid my mom asking me if i recognized chapters in my life & even at a young age, i could. i was contacted by an old friend (RB) from my first real job, as in career-like job. i worked at the soils company for over 10 years. i started a couple of months before i turned 21 & left about 6 months after having Z (31). i grew up there, i went through a lot of changes, i helped my mom buy a condo, i met B, B & I moved in together, B & I got married & bought a house, i finished college, i got pregnant & had a baby, i survived being a single mom while B was in Japan for 13 months, i made a lot of friends.

i liked my job & hated it all at the same time. i enjoyed the work & the people (except for the hag, but more about her later), but at the end felt like i couldn't grow anymore, that i would always be seen as the 21 year old they first met. i felt like my efforts weren't realized & therefore could never be rewarded. i remember asking for a raise at one point & being told it wouldn't be right for an admin assist to be paid equal to an entry level geologist or engineer. although i had a BS degree, i had years more of experience than the entry level geo/eng who were fresh out of school, i ran the office, i took care of the H/R, reconciled the AP, took care of the billing & harrassed clients that didn't pay their bills.

i was also the lead engineer's (JC) right arm, which used to be a good thing, but when B was gone & i was learning how to be a mom, taking care of Z & being someone's right arm combined with everything else was more than i could handle. i knew after all that time i had to leave. i didn't leave on the best of terms. i broke down & JC & I had an argument (a shouting match really) about something i no longer remember but i do recall crying in the bathroom at work afterwards.

so RB called to ask me if he could pass my # on to another office friend who will be in the area for the next couple of weeks working. he also told me JC was leaving the company, RB already had. the tanking housing market has really taken a toll on the company, i left at it's peak with almost 130 employees, they are now down to less than 40 & praying to survive the winter.