Dreams Do Come True

Remember when I said I was dreaming of the day when I could wake up at my convenience, walk a few feet, and work from home? By a series of miraculous events, that day has come.

Let's rewind a bit.

Scott started working at the hospital in June, when he had a series of orientation meetings including an HR presentation on benefits. It was then that we made plans for me to transition off COBRA and begin using his insurance. In mid-July we found out that because of a technical error, I was kicked off the insurance plan, and we would have to appeal for me to use Scott's benefits before the next open enrollment period. Inconvenient for sure, but I wasn't worried because Scott made it sound like the appeal was no big deal.

In the meantime, I started casually looking at potential jobs. After working at the foundation in Oregon, I knew I wanted to continue working for non-profits. (Scott's cousin asked me the other day if I had something against profit. Ha! I prefer to say that I put greater value on selfless missions and forced efficiencies. Not to mention there's a huge need for business skills in non-profit organizations.) All of the fun non-profit jobs are in downtown Milwaukee, which is more of a drive than I wanted to make... especially when you consider that my dream was to work in my living room.

Then I found it! A perfect match of a job, working form home full-time for a charity federation. I applied, and when I interviewed they told me that just that morning the job had been offered to someone in-house, but they would still like to interview me for a part-time role with the potential to move into full-time this winter.

A couple weeks later I was offered the part-time job. It was just after I found out that our insurance claim had been denied. Say what?!

I scrambled trying to figure out how to get an insurance plan. I tried everything and learned that even though there is this fancy new national health insurance market, pre-existing conditions still matter and you can't just buy insurance whenever you need it.

I know, insurance talk is boring. Fast forward to the good part.

The day arrived when it was the last possible moment I could get an insurance plan without an open enrollment period. I made one last ditch effort to get a plan and called a local broker. He told me, in blunt terms, that I had run out of options. I cried. But I also knew I could make due. I would shut myself up in my bedroom and try my best not to get sick or break a bone.

Not one hour later my job called me. My full-time job opened up months before they expected, and they were offering me a full-time gig - working from home - with full benefits!

Can you say tender mercy? I can.

Now I wake up in the morning, walk over to my second bedroom a.k.a. the office, put on my snuggie and get to work. It feels good, just in case you were wondering.