What I Do Here...

So this is where I work. Aren't I just the luckiest gal? It's the Smithsonian Castle, and it's right smack in the center of the National Mall. As I walk out the front door everyday on my way home, I look to my right and see the Capitol building, then I look to my left and start walking towards the Washington Monument (mainly because that's the direction of my metro stop.) I get the best view, and I haven't tired of it yet.

As for what I do in that glorious building...well, that won't take much explaining. I am the most recent addition to the Gift Registrar team in the central development office of the Smithsonian Institution (a.k.a. SI). I am known to some as Assistant Gift Registrar - Finance. To most others I'm known as, hey-Amy's-not-here-so-I-guess-I-can-ask-you-this-question. Amy's my boss, by the way. The current Gift Registrar team consists of the head GR, and two Asst. GR's. We are responsible for recording all contributions to all our museums and research centers in the central database. So basically I enter gifts into the system. I sit in my cubicle, plug in my iPod (yes, I said "plug in" because the poor thing's so old the battery doesn't stand alone anymore) and type away. I also help generate monthly reports and other exciting things like that. So there you have it.

Honestly, I really like my job. I'm learning a lot about what constitutes gifts and what the IRS will and will not accept as tax deductible contributions. There are so many regulations, I haven't begun to understand them all. This job is a great education for me, and I feel like I'm doing something productive for a great institution. Now is that job satisfaction or what???

So where is this job going to take me? Don't ask me questions I can't answer. I have no idea. But you and I know what I do now and that's an accomplishment in and of itself.