It’s been too long

Dear blog,

It has been good to be your friend. Do you know that I have lots of pictures to show you but this stupid computer just doesn’t want to share them with you? I tried to upload pictures to shutterfly, I tried to add pictures here – but it just took too long and since I don’t have much time to write to you anyway, I just gave up. But they are good pictures so hopefully my loving husband who I love will put them on sometime. Then you can see how we ate dinner when the transformer blew to smitherines and what we ate when I had a hankering for sweet stuff.

We bought all the fixings for curry the other day – the good Thai-style curry. I have green curry paste, fish oil, bamboo shoots, chicken, coconut milk, onions… it’s going to be good! Brian thinks it’s funny that I put two spaces after a period instead of just one. Doesn’t he know that that’s how it’s supposed to be done? 😉 When I was learning to print, my teacher told me to put one finger between each word and two fingers after a period. I remember being so serious about that and measuring my fingers exactly so that there would be enough room. Looking back on those papers that my mom saved…. there     is     an     enormous     amount     of     room      between        each         word!

Isn’t that funny!

Monday was my first day doing duties as a UB (Universal Banker). First thing I did was look blankly at the unfamiliar desk. Then I looked at the clock, saw that there were only fifteen minutes before the doors opened to the public and began to poke into drawers. The first drawer held several bundles of paper that had important information and new account information in them and a few loans that had been booked, so I pulled them out and put them in a stack to go through later. Then I went through the next drawer and the next, trying to make myself at home in this new environment, assimilate all the half-finished projects, and tidy things up to suit me. Due to the many fill-in bankers we’ve had over the last couple weeks due to our bankers moving on, there was a lot of paper in those drawers.

My desk was covered in papers and slips covered in scribbles and notes and account numbers. Files and business cards and dust and paperclips mingled. I very nearly panicked. What was I supposed to do with all that stuff? Whose papers were all these? Did they need a phone call? Were they finished or were they in mid-stride? What was I supposed to do!? I ran to the supply room and took a dozen hanging files and began to organize. Garbage went to the shredder, important-looking documents went into one file, helpful forms and information documents each went into their own files and more urgent-looking documents got their own file to go over soonest.

I tucked away the last of my paper-stuff and unlocked the doors. Luckily things haven’t been too busy this last week so far, but still, many things have happened: First day – a lady comes in to tell me about unauthorized us of her debit card and checks… I learn how to file a fraud report. I have also opened three checking accounts, rolled over three CD’s, opened a CD for a trust (man, I sweated over that one!), ordered ATM and check cards, helped a lady get her statements, tried to track down a deposit made in an ATM, helped customers as a teller 2.5 hours a day, ordered coutless checks, delivered signature cards, and learned how much more regard… or respect…. no… what’s the word…. how much more… confidence people have in you just because you sit in one of those bank desks. People who didn’t want to talk to me as a teller confidently sit down at my desk to spill the details of their situations with me so I can fix it. Maybe some day I will have things in better order.

On October 24th we will have a full-time banker in the branch. Not only full time, but experienced. I am so excited! Now I will have somebody to ask questions of (more easily than over the phone). I can’t wait til we have a CSM so that all the customer service issues (problem-solving stuff usually) can go to them so I can focus on new accounts, etc. Maybe a part-time teller will be hired so that I don’t even have to cover lunches as often. Wouldn’t that be nice! (Not that I don’t like tellering, it’s just easier to do one thing at a time.)

In the morning, I am going to change somebody’s overdraft account from one type of credit to another. Then I am going to fax the fraud report in, complete with the police report number. After that, I will have the husband and wife that just set up the Trust CD come in and sign the signature cards. If I actually get that done in the first half of the day with what comes in to be done with new people… I will be glad.

Fridays are always busy.

I love you all (well, I think I do – who reads this?) and I miss you and wish I could spend more time writing and talking with you. I am not sure if the thyroid meds are working yet or not… nothing spectacular thus far, but I’m still hoping.

All for now,

Rachel