This is going to be a long one so hold onto your seats folks!
Last year Michael was given more and more responsiblities at work and he was doing such great job at getting more and more knowledge under his belt. In January of this year, Michael decided that he should start working towards getting his Water Distribution Manager Certification 2 in preparation for the current district manager retiring in the next few years. Of course Michael had no idea when exactly that would be, but he thought why not be prepared. He knew that there would be no way he'd become District Manager when the current District Manager retired....there were too many people that had been there longer than he had...but he knew that he'd need the WDM2 certification in order to be Superintendent so why not get that under his belt so he's prepared for that day to come.
Michael had heard that those certification tests were hard and I do mean HARD. Every night after work he was studying. He was so faithful to put in all that hard work. He did not want to take the test and fail it. He's so driven and I love that about him. Such a good example to our children about being a hard worker.
One day at work Michael was talking with a co-worker about the upcoming test and that co-worker suggested if he was going to go for the WDM2 why not just go for WDM3 and get it over with. Michael decided why not....instead of taking 2 separate tests he could just take the one with all the information and get it all out of the way.
At the beginning of February I was in Wyoming for my Uncle Lee's memorial. While there I wasn't feeling the best. Michael was at home with the kids and he wasn't feeling the best either. I got home late on Tuesday, February 6th and the next day I convinced Michael to stay home since he was feeling quite rough. On Thursday he felt well enough to go to work and he called me with some pretty shocking news. Dick (current manager) was retiring in June of THIS YEAR. This was a complete surprise. Dick is still pretty young and even though we knew he'd be retiring soon we did not know it would be THAT soon! On Friday, Michael had some more exciting news when he came home from work....the District Manager position was being posted and they wanted resumes by Monday, February 12th and they would also be interviewing on that day. Talk about crazy! Michael worked on his resume and got it looking all top notch and then turned it in on Monday morning. That alone was such a crazy morning...we're going to take a side trip to that morning just for documentation purposes.
Monday morning....I wake up and start getting ready for work. Michael had already left since he wanted to get to work early to print his resume. The night before I realized I was getting a UTI, but by the time I did all the Urgent Cares were closed. I contacted Rachael and asked if I could drop the kids off with her so I could get to Urgent Care right when they opened at 8am. I went into the bedroom to make the bed and noticed that Michael accidentally left his work phone at home. I texted him to see if he wanted me to take it to him. He texted me back and said yes that he should have his phone. I texted Rachael and let her know that I actually had to leave now to take Michael his phone and that the kids would be walking to the bus stop themselves. I asked her if she would keep and eye out for them. I set the alarm on the microwave and told the kids what to do and then I left. By this point I had already texted my boss and let him know about my UTI and that I would be in later. I drove to Burien and gave Michael his phone only to find out that he'd had some funny things happen that morning too. Of course his printer was out of ink on the morning he would need to print his resume. Then it was giving him grief and wasn't wanting to recognize the new ink cartridges. Good grief! After giving Michael his phone I decided to go to the Urgent Care in Burien since the one I liked to go to is all the way down in Federal Way. It was about 8:15 at this point and I was sure there was already going to be a huge line of people there since it opened at 8am. To my surprise I drive up and there isn't any cars parked in front. Yahoo! I parked, saw a lady sitting at the desk and headed to the door. When I tried to open the door though it was locked. That's when the lady came to the door and said that she's sorry, but their provider was sick. Of all the days! Seriously! I got back in the van and literally said out loud...."Not today Satan" and drove to my favorite Urgent Care in Federal Way. This is when things took a turn for the better. I got all signed in and then I was escorted back to a room almost immediately and before the nurse even shuts the door the doctor was coming in the exam room. She's the same doctor that saw Jack around Christmas time for his ear infection. She talked to me and had me give a urine sample. Then she did something no other doctor had ever done before. She gave me my first dose of antibiotics there in the room. She even asked if I had had anything to eat and of course my answer was no...when would I have found time to eat during a crazy morning like that. Anyways she offered me a Nutri-gran bar! Talk about top notch!!!! Anyone who's had a UTI knows that getting antibiotics fast is so important. Nothing worse than going to the doctor and then getting a RX and having to wait. She was truly a gem!
Michael came home that night and felt pretty good about his interview, but hello the co-worker had been with the district longer than Michael so we were trying not to get our hopes up too high. The announcement for who would get the job wasn't going to be made until Wednesday, February 14th. Talk about the longest wait ever! During that time I was seriously thinking Michael wasn't going to get the job. I'm not saying I didn't think he could do the job, but I was just talking myself out of the fact that they would promote him over his co-worker.
I was at work when I got the call....MICHAEL GOT THE JOB!!!!!!
After working at the Water District for less than 7 years Michael was promoted from the Field Crew to the District Manager! He jumped over Foreman and Superintendent and went straight to the top!!! I'm still in shock writing this and it's been almost 2 months since the announcement.
The morning of February 14th prior to going to work Michael asked me if I had gotten him anything for Valentine's Day and I told him no. He was relieved because he hadn't gotten me anything either. We aren't big on commercialized holidays anyway. Later in the day after he told me he got the job I remembered that I did buy him something that I was saving for when he took his WDM3 test and passed it. I thought...why wait! So after dinner I set down a package in front of him and said I didn't buy you something for Valentine's Day, but I did buy you something. Hahahaha!
While in Wyoming for my Uncle's Memorial we went to this adorable shop called Prairie Dawn. It's the same store I bought our Blessings sign that I use every time we have family pictures. I was walking around and I saw this Fire Hydrant clock that I thought would be fun in Michael's home office. I wanted it to be a 'Congratulations on passing your test' gift, but it actually became a 'Oh my goodness you got the job' gift instead. Instead of it going in his home office now it will be in his work office. So crazy!!!
As you can imagine there were definitely some hurt feelings in regards to the other co-worker that applied for the job. Michael is so amazing though and since then he has talked with each of the guys at the shop and they are all on board with him being the manager.
Michael's official first day of probation was March 1st, 2018...exactly 7 years to the day after his first official day at the district. Michael talked to his Dad and he said that the number 7 in the Bible stands for completion/perfection and that the number 8 stands for a new beginning. On the day Michael started his new job was the first day of his 8th year with the district.....what a new beginning indeed!
Here he is all dressed in his manager clothes on March 1st. It's been fun seeing him all nice and not in a uniform...although he's still not technically the manager yet until Dick official retires. He is learning the ropes, but he still has some of his other responsibilities so he's still wearing his work uniform sometimes. Ella was not so sure about him being in clothes like this. Silly girl!
There will be another separate post all about Michael's new clothes!
And as for the WDM3 certification....Michael's test was actually scheduled for February 16th. So after he already got the manager position he did in fact pass his test the first time through! How funny that he had no idea he'd actually be applying for and getting the job that he would need this certification for when he first decided to go for it. Also this year they decided to change the rules in regards to this certification. Before this year you weren't even able to get this certification until you had 8 years of experience. This year they changed it to 7 years and then you could get the certification and it would be considered a management in training cert. Just another thing that's seriously amazing!
Back in February of 2011 when Michael first interviewed for the Meter Reader position at the District he sat in Dick's office and Dick asked him...."Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" Michael looked right at Dick, pointed at him and said..."Right there in that chair"! Only God people...only God!
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