Deleting Facebook

Yesterday while running 4 miles (woo hoo!) and listening to a This American Life podcast called "Beware the Jabberwock" (about conspiracy theorists), I made the decision to delete the Facebook app off my phone. In the past couple weeks I have been contemplating whether I should do it and I decided to take the plunge.

It seems like every day there is a story about Facebook and the terrible things that they do (or don't do). Whether it is allowing hate groups to fester on the site leading to 700,000 Rohingyans having to flee Myanmar, allowing the spread of anti- vaccination information in this country leading to outbreaks of diseases that should be dead, or just simply not protecting the privacy of users, I am no longer okay helping the site make money. 

The podcast mentioned above was about Lenny Pozner, one of the parents who had a child, Noah, killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. There are disgusting Facebook groups that have published the Pozner's personal information- phone number, address, etc. People in those groups feed off each other and some become stalkers and/or threaten the Sandy Hook families (this unfortunately happens after every tragedy). The Pozners have had to move 8 times already because of threats. This seems to happen a lot- Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford has had to move 4 times after testifying against Brett Kavanaugh.

My use of the site, my clicks, the things that I read, the ads that pop up, etc. all contribute towards the bottom line of Facebook and I no longer feel comfortable using the platform. I personally am not in any of the above-mentioned groups and I understand the slippery slope argument with policing content. However, I have a choice to make...I don't pay for Facebook because of course the site is free, but I don't have to help them make money either. I do have to keep my account active because I run the monthly Bunco group out of Facebook, but maybe I can find a better place to house that as well. Either way, I am looking forward to reclaiming some time by not mindlessly scrolling through Facebook every day. 

Do you still have Facebook? 

Job search update

The week after I got back from Mexico I had an introductory interview at a new company. It was my first interview in a VERY LONG TIME-  I have been at my job for over 10 years. I thought that it went well, but I came out of the call thinking that I could have prepared a bit better. I thought that I was a shoe-in for the job, but I was unsure whether that came across in my answers. 

A week later I received a call from the other manager to set up a second interview since she was unable to make the first interview. We ended up spending an hour and a half on the phone and got along great. I knew that I had impressed the first manager in the beginning of this second call because she kept saying how impressed they were with my experience. WOO HOO! The following day the two managers were going to get together to discuss the interviews and they were hoping to determine next steps sometime this week. Knowing that I had to get a thank you letter out quickly, I emailed one that night to both ladies thanking them.

Last Monday I was at a training when one of the manager's phone numbers popped up. With butterflies in my stomach, I dialed back about an hour later but got her voicemail. Later that night we ended up talking and she let me know that they were VERY interested but that my salary request was higher than they had projected for the position. I was honest and told her my current salary. She responded that she would work on it and that she would be in touch. I didn't hear back for a few days but then got a call asking me to fly out to DC for an in-person interview with one of the managers and the president of the company. At this point I figure that they have to be at least close on my salary and that they did a calculation that my experience could be worth the extra money (or others hired that came in at lower salary ranges didn't have enough experience). Either way, flying me out is a really good sign!

So next week I will fly out to DC for an in-person interview. I really, really, really want this job and know that I would kick ass at it. Keep your fingers crossed next Thursday for me!!

Mexico 2019

This will mostly be a picture post of our week long trip to Cancun, Mexico. Over a week later Wes is still asking "Why aren't we in Mexico?" I hear you buddy- I wish we were back in the sun as well.

Izzy just lost her first tooth about a week before our trip- at breakfast before we got on the plane I noticed that her other bottom front tooth was precariously hanging on....

Kids were pretty good on the plane. At 5, Izzy was easy to entertain with the Captain Underpants Netflix show and a movie. Wes was pretty good but didn't last all 3.5 hours.

Sure enough, we are in our van from the airport to the hotel after landing in Mexico and Izzy lost her tooth during the ride!

Our view for the week from the Westin Lagunamar in Cancun

Our view at night

Izzy living her best life in the pool

Iguana in the ruins next to our hotel

Gotta love the ridiculously big fruity alcoholic drinks!

Wes enjoying some beans

Boat ride out out to Isla Mujeres (Wes' first boat ride!)

For Christmas this year my MIL got all of us a "swimming with dolphins" experience which was awesome. Izzy was totally on board with no fear what-so-ever.

Wes on the other hand was scared of the fish in the water with us and was willing to pet the dolphin and kiss it, but not much else.

Cielo was a cute dolphin

We all got pulled two dolphins- Izzy lost a grip on one of the dolphins so she just got pulled by one

Getting pushed by two dolphins on the bottom of her feet and loving it!

Working on her duck face at lunch

Loving fresh coconut water

Wes in his early GQ photo shoot? LOL

That night the Westin had a Mexican-themed dinner with local food, dancing and a mariachi band. The kids LOVED it- both the show and the Mexican candy they got to eat afterwards.

Westin also had a pinata afterwards. Wes was the youngest kid to compete, Izzy was the second youngest.

Everyone discounted Izzy's strength because she was younger but she was hitting the pinata HARD. She got her own pinata "hat" from one of the "arms" of the pinata.

Izzy dancing in front of the colored fountain lights

This girl has no fear I tell you. She was super excited to pose with whoever this is supposed to be

Pretty sunset

Gelato!

Even Wes was willing to pose with the Transformers

One day we took a private van 2.5 hours out to Chichen Itza which was AMAZING. Our van driver was also our guide. The whole history is super fascinating.

Our lunch spot in Valladolid, a cute town on the way back to Cancun

Izzy was super excited to get her hair braided

First time playing mini golf. Wes lasted all of 3 holes and then just wanted to send his ball down a tunnel over and over again

One morning we had breakfast next to the aquarium and we had the best time watching the dolphins play beneath us while we ate! I might have enjoyed it more than the kids! :-)

The dolphins loved jumping on this raft and then sliding or rolling off and into the water

Enjoying the pool before the rain storm (of all of 5 minutes) came through. We hung out at the swim up pool bar. :-)

Wes loves the pool!

As we walked to dinner our final night we came across a sign about the alligators in the water below. We kept looking for alligators in the brush but instead found this huge alligator sunning itself in plain site! 

I could see us going back to Cancun in a couple of years when Wes would be old enough to handle swimming a cenote. If we tried to bring him into an underground cave to swim on this trip he would have left marks on our skin from gripping us too tight!