Holland here I come.
I put in my two weeks notice today. It was a little sad, and I guess pretty unexpected, but far in coming. I've had my foot out the door there once I realized it was a pretty not-good place to work.
Working with animals definitely has it's highlights. For example, the stray pitbull found in one our client's front yards that had a badly broken leg that he had picked up by animal control. In hindsight, the owner realized that that probably wasn't the best of ideas, her being a pitbull and all. They have about 1 day in the shelter before they are euthanized. It's really sad. But I digress. He called the shelter and "Stray" was delivered to us, covered in poop, not walking and miserable. Vomitting, explosive diarrhea, and a five day old compound fracture in her hind leg. Not to mention she was severely emaciated. Girlfriend needed some cornbread.
After working a hellacious 11 hour day ending with her leg surgery, we got pretty close. I mean, I actually drilled the pin into her bone. Me. A technician. I did it. After the doctor couldn't. Three-times-in-a-row couldn't. I had to stay late that Saturday to cut off her cast and re-wrap because it was soaked in urine. She had a small hairline fracture in her pelvis that hadn't quite started to mend itself. Things weren't looking good for her.
Yesterday, she walked down the hall wagging her tail towards me. My heart melted. She's doing great now. Amazingly great. Her owner is coming to take her home with him. He's in love, too. This is the happy, waggy, lovely ending I was hoping for. It's really too bad that this doesn't happen more often.
But, I'm leaving this animal hospital to work at something altogether inspiring and fufilling and $.50 less than I'm making now. I finally got my foot back into Holland Photo's door. The old owner decided that he was done, sold the business to Austin Prints for Publication and is going to retire. Finally. I was pretty close with two of the old employees there and they told the new owner about me and he called to offer me a job. How can I pass that up? I have rolls of film in my fridge that are months old. Rolls that I've forgotten where they were shot, what's on them, who's hanging out. I know two of them are from Mike's first two shows. Those I know. But they are mixed into all the shivering little rolls of black and white, hiding behind that spring loaded butter compartment door, waiting to see the light of day. (Not really though, that's film suicide.)
I start on Saturday. They aren't technically open as "the new Holland" yet and I get to help with the remodel. I GET TO BUILD THINGS!!!!
I gave my current boss my letter of resignation today, he read it, then had nothing to say. I don't know what to do about that. I hate quitting jobs. I hate feeling like I'm going to screw them. But, I have to do what's right for me. I have to do what's going to make ME happy. Right?
**Pictured: "Natasha" Norman. Our friends' mutt. She's gorgeous.
