Friday, June 10, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work I go......
I haven't gotten the offical word yet, but when I went in for my second interview with the company I was talking about in my last post, it turned out that out of all the candidates that had applied and interviewed for the position (at least 30 or 40, probably more) it was down to five of us who had done really well on the tests the previous day. There was one person from my group, and the other three people were women I didn't recognize. We went in a conference room first and went over some of the job duties and perks - and boy, does this job have awesome perks! Aside from the basics of things like an IRA, medical coverage after six months, and paid time off, they also offer a paid gym membership (which you HAVE to use twice a week for it to be paid for, so sweet!) AND an annual all expenses paid company vacation - the last one was in Vegas. =) After that, we went back to the computers for more tests. For the first one we were given a document that had pictures and descriptions of the products that this company uses and we had to make a flyer from scratch advertising whatever products we wanted in whatever way we wanted. When we were done, the person in charge of the "orientation", as they called it, went around grading each of us and taking notes in our files. Next she had us write a description of our last job as if we were writing a Craigslist posting. I decided to go out on a limb and show off my personality by writing a funny ad about being a stay-at-home mom. I was the last one to be "graded" on this, and was thrilled that after the woman in charge had gone around straight-faced to everyone else's computer, taking notes and making generic comments, she laughed out loud and mine and said it was hilarious and she loved it! =) She even had one of the other women in the office read it AND bragged about it to the owner that we met during our exit interviews. After that we were given a short stack of papers with information about their company and had about five minutes to go over them, and then she asked us questions about it and said that our group caught onto the information better than any other interview group ever had. We were also the first group to have every single person heed literally the ONLY instruction for the flyer - don't put the prices in the ad. (How difficult is that?? People just don't take the time to read directions.) We sat around for a little while after that and chatted while we waited for the owner to come and do our exit interviews. When I went in for mine, she had already told him that I was funny, which is awesome. Definitely helps when half your face doesn't work and you can make fun of yourself. lol Again, I got a call on the way home from the interview and said that they had narrowed it down to me and one other girl - after all those people! Feels pretty good. =) Before they make their decision, we're each doing a full day of work, paid of course (yay! lol). I was supposed to go in and do mine today, but I got a call yesterday that the manager I'll be working with is really sick, so I'm going in from 9-5 on Thursday. I can't wait! I don't relish the idea of being away from London and not home when Faith gets home, but London loves daycare and Faith is just fine with her older brother and sisters when I'm not here, so I'm not worried about them, which is great and will leave me totally free to focus on work and keep showing them why they want to hire me. =) Of course I REALLY hope they choose me (and they may choose both of us, because it turns out they might have two immediate openings) but it is such a great feeling to have gone through two days and countless tests and to know that I aced the tests AND they loved my personality. It's been awhile since I've had the opportunity to feel any sense of professional accomplishment, and while I'm still not quite there, I've been hired for the one job that still doesn't start for a few weeks AND am being considered for this other one, so together they would just be perfect. Wish me luck! Or better yet, pray! =) Hopefully this means, as I said the other day, that we are on the upswing of this streak of bad luck. Although it will still be a while before my face returns to normal. Ugh. Again, a good sense of humor is a real bonus for this kind of situation. lol I need to get some things done around the house after spending most of the day thus far continuing the job hunt (can't stop until it's official!) but I'll leave you (in separate posts, since apparently Blogger is having a terrible time uploading all of them at the same time) with this adorable video of Clancy barking at a mouse trap and a few cute pics - a couple were taken at Faith's kindergarten celebration yet - I swear those things are designed to make you cry and mourn over how quickly your kids grow up. One is far away, but it's of Faith hugging her teacher, who is so awesome. The one of me I uploaded to Facebook the other day with the caption "New shades, new clothes, new jewelry.....now if only my face was capable of producing any other expression....." and the other ones are just cute and random. =) Hope you like!
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Rule of Three
They say bad things come in threes, and the last month or so has been no exception for me. It started just days after we got back from California - first there was the flu. I think Faith got it first and we thought it might just be something she ate or something like that when she was over it in about six hours and no one else caught it - until the next day, when I was holding London and she threw up ALL OVER ME. I was next, then Shae, and Vernon wasn't feeling well either for a few days, but he never throws up. We had a reprieve for a little while until the quad accident, which I still have marks on my hand and elbow from, and my wrist isn't completely healed, either. Then, the third, latest, and I would say worst thing - the Bells Palsy - happened this last Monday.
Thankfully, I think we're on the upswing of this string of bad luck, because I went in for an interview - or what I was told would be an interview, but turned out to be a series of tests - yesterday for a full-time administrative job, which is exactly what I'm looking for. There were four tests - the first was a typing test, which is one of my strengths. Then we had three handwritten tests - the first was data comparison, then math, and finally abstract reasoning. Apparently I did well, because they called me before I had even gotten home and asked me to come back today for a second interview! It may mean giving up the awesome summer concert job because of training conflicts, but even though that job would be so much fun, it's more important for me to get something full-time right now. So wish me luck, because I'm going to do that at 1:45 today. I'm not sure if it's just an interview or if I'm also going to be doing some observation of the job duties, because they mentioned yesterday that if we got a call back after our tests, we would be asked to come in and do observation for a few hours, so I guess I'll just see when I get there.
Speaking of jobs, I was looking around my Hotmail yesterday and realized that over the last month, I've put about a hundred applications in anywhere and everywhere I could find to apply that would be worth the drive (living as far away from town as we do, it wouldn't be worth it to take a part-time job in Spokane that only pays minimum wage, for instance). In the folder where I keep application confirmations and responses, I had 83 emails over the last month - and that doesn't include applications that I haven't gotten a confirmation for or jobs that I've mailed out applications for - and there are a few of those that I've mailed recently that I'd LOVE to get.
Other than those recent developments, it's been awhile since I've done my "3 things". I'm such an analytical person it's always good for me to enumerate the things I've been blessed with and take a look at what I need to work on. So without further adieu, the three things I'm grateful for today:
1. Settling into a rhythm here. We've been living here for a little over five months now, and though I've been in the habit of doing all the daily cleaning up for pretty much the whole time I've been here, now that I'm searching so diligently for a job I've really gotten into a schedule. Some of my time on the computer in the morning is spent checking Facebook and, lately, blogging, but for the most part I get on the computer after the older kids leave for school and look in all the places I can for what jobs are available. The state unemployment website is a great resource, so I always check that one first and apply for as many of those jobs as I can - the second interview I'm going on today is one that I applied for through it. Of course there are interruptions with taking care of London and now the puppy as well, but I am on the computer looking at every possible job opening until I've exhausted them all for the day, and then it's onto cleaning and usually lunch for London and I by the time I'm done, then a nap for her and a shower for me with very little downtime until about 3:00. I always try and watch The Talk at 1:00 and Dr. Phil at 3:00, but usually when I'm watching The Talk I'm folding clothes or doing something otherwise productive. I used to sit around and watch a lot of tv, and I just don't do that anymore. I have a couple of shows at night that I like to catch when I can, like So You Think You Can Dance, but even that rarely happens. It feels so much better to be active on a regular basis and spend most of my time doing productive things.
2. The second job interview I'm going on today! I'm so grateful that there are employers who are willing to look past the fact that I've been a stay-at-home mom for almost six years now and look at what I'm capable of doing instead. This data entry position would be the perfect opportunity for me to get back into the workforce and do something I'm good at.
3. The fact that London is actually excited about going to daycare. I got so lucky there! I never wanted to put my kids in daycare because I feel that I chose to have them, so it's up to me to raise them - but with a total of five kids now, things have to change. And now, even more unfortunately, Washington has pushed back the age that children can enter kindergarten, so instead of going to preschool this August, London won't even be able to start preschool until NEXT August so that means more time in daycare, but she is super excited about it. When I told her yesterday that we were meeting Vernon so she could go with him while I went to my interview she asked me, "Mom, when do I get to go to daycare?" and when I told her that she would be going to daycare today her response was, "Woo hoo! YES!" lol I got really lucky there! On that note, I'm really glad that I was able to find a daycare so quickly that I'm completely comfortable with, because I didn't think it would be that easy given my strong reluctance to put her in daycare at all.
And the three things I need to work on:
1. I keep saying that I want to get back into writing and I'll do it for a little while and then either get writer's block, get busy with other things, or both, but that is always something I really want to do. I think I'm just going to have to block out half an hour or an hour each day or something like that and set it aside specifically to work on the ideas I've come up with over the last month. I think that's a good idea, because otherwise it doesn't get done nearly as often as I'd like.
2. I hate to ask for patience, because you know what happens when you pray for patience - and I think I've had enough tribulations, thankyouverymuch - but that's probably exactly what I need for the often complicated process of blending two families. I'm reading this amazing book called "Stepmonster" by Wednesday Martin, which has to be the best, most honest look at being a stepmother/remarrying with kids that I've ever seen. I have been familiar with stepfamilies since I was 8 and my dad remarried, then even more so when my mom started dating Bob when I was 14 and eventually married him, but experiencing it for yourself and seeing things from the other side is a different breed of cat altogether, and I know my faults and that there are always things you can improve on to make a situation that can sometimes be difficult a little easier. Patience is probably the best place to start.
3. I've been thinking about doing something like couponing to save money since I have a few friends that do it and the amount of money they can save is staggering. Saving money is always a great thing, but when it comes to a family of seven it's not just nice, it's NECESSARY! Whether it's couponing or budgeting or whatever, I want to find some way, especially until I actually get hired at a full-time job, to contribute to saving money.
Thankfully, I think we're on the upswing of this string of bad luck, because I went in for an interview - or what I was told would be an interview, but turned out to be a series of tests - yesterday for a full-time administrative job, which is exactly what I'm looking for. There were four tests - the first was a typing test, which is one of my strengths. Then we had three handwritten tests - the first was data comparison, then math, and finally abstract reasoning. Apparently I did well, because they called me before I had even gotten home and asked me to come back today for a second interview! It may mean giving up the awesome summer concert job because of training conflicts, but even though that job would be so much fun, it's more important for me to get something full-time right now. So wish me luck, because I'm going to do that at 1:45 today. I'm not sure if it's just an interview or if I'm also going to be doing some observation of the job duties, because they mentioned yesterday that if we got a call back after our tests, we would be asked to come in and do observation for a few hours, so I guess I'll just see when I get there.
Speaking of jobs, I was looking around my Hotmail yesterday and realized that over the last month, I've put about a hundred applications in anywhere and everywhere I could find to apply that would be worth the drive (living as far away from town as we do, it wouldn't be worth it to take a part-time job in Spokane that only pays minimum wage, for instance). In the folder where I keep application confirmations and responses, I had 83 emails over the last month - and that doesn't include applications that I haven't gotten a confirmation for or jobs that I've mailed out applications for - and there are a few of those that I've mailed recently that I'd LOVE to get.
Other than those recent developments, it's been awhile since I've done my "3 things". I'm such an analytical person it's always good for me to enumerate the things I've been blessed with and take a look at what I need to work on. So without further adieu, the three things I'm grateful for today:
1. Settling into a rhythm here. We've been living here for a little over five months now, and though I've been in the habit of doing all the daily cleaning up for pretty much the whole time I've been here, now that I'm searching so diligently for a job I've really gotten into a schedule. Some of my time on the computer in the morning is spent checking Facebook and, lately, blogging, but for the most part I get on the computer after the older kids leave for school and look in all the places I can for what jobs are available. The state unemployment website is a great resource, so I always check that one first and apply for as many of those jobs as I can - the second interview I'm going on today is one that I applied for through it. Of course there are interruptions with taking care of London and now the puppy as well, but I am on the computer looking at every possible job opening until I've exhausted them all for the day, and then it's onto cleaning and usually lunch for London and I by the time I'm done, then a nap for her and a shower for me with very little downtime until about 3:00. I always try and watch The Talk at 1:00 and Dr. Phil at 3:00, but usually when I'm watching The Talk I'm folding clothes or doing something otherwise productive. I used to sit around and watch a lot of tv, and I just don't do that anymore. I have a couple of shows at night that I like to catch when I can, like So You Think You Can Dance, but even that rarely happens. It feels so much better to be active on a regular basis and spend most of my time doing productive things.
2. The second job interview I'm going on today! I'm so grateful that there are employers who are willing to look past the fact that I've been a stay-at-home mom for almost six years now and look at what I'm capable of doing instead. This data entry position would be the perfect opportunity for me to get back into the workforce and do something I'm good at.
3. The fact that London is actually excited about going to daycare. I got so lucky there! I never wanted to put my kids in daycare because I feel that I chose to have them, so it's up to me to raise them - but with a total of five kids now, things have to change. And now, even more unfortunately, Washington has pushed back the age that children can enter kindergarten, so instead of going to preschool this August, London won't even be able to start preschool until NEXT August so that means more time in daycare, but she is super excited about it. When I told her yesterday that we were meeting Vernon so she could go with him while I went to my interview she asked me, "Mom, when do I get to go to daycare?" and when I told her that she would be going to daycare today her response was, "Woo hoo! YES!" lol I got really lucky there! On that note, I'm really glad that I was able to find a daycare so quickly that I'm completely comfortable with, because I didn't think it would be that easy given my strong reluctance to put her in daycare at all.
And the three things I need to work on:
1. I keep saying that I want to get back into writing and I'll do it for a little while and then either get writer's block, get busy with other things, or both, but that is always something I really want to do. I think I'm just going to have to block out half an hour or an hour each day or something like that and set it aside specifically to work on the ideas I've come up with over the last month. I think that's a good idea, because otherwise it doesn't get done nearly as often as I'd like.
2. I hate to ask for patience, because you know what happens when you pray for patience - and I think I've had enough tribulations, thankyouverymuch - but that's probably exactly what I need for the often complicated process of blending two families. I'm reading this amazing book called "Stepmonster" by Wednesday Martin, which has to be the best, most honest look at being a stepmother/remarrying with kids that I've ever seen. I have been familiar with stepfamilies since I was 8 and my dad remarried, then even more so when my mom started dating Bob when I was 14 and eventually married him, but experiencing it for yourself and seeing things from the other side is a different breed of cat altogether, and I know my faults and that there are always things you can improve on to make a situation that can sometimes be difficult a little easier. Patience is probably the best place to start.
3. I've been thinking about doing something like couponing to save money since I have a few friends that do it and the amount of money they can save is staggering. Saving money is always a great thing, but when it comes to a family of seven it's not just nice, it's NECESSARY! Whether it's couponing or budgeting or whatever, I want to find some way, especially until I actually get hired at a full-time job, to contribute to saving money.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
What are the odds?
With the odds of something like this happening once, let alone twice, I really need to become a serious lotto player. About five years ago I got Bells Palsy - where one side of your face literally just doesn't work - that lasted about six weeks, a relatively short time for the duration of this particular disease. Now, I have it again - and the odds of that happening are pretty rare, so I figure I better take advantage and play the Washington Powerball. lol After all, it IS up to 200 million, and I wouldn't turn my nose up at that kind of money. :-p
In better news, we have a puppy! We just got her (we think it's a her - when the kids and I were all debating about what she was or what we should name her, I said "since it's in question, why don't we just name her Gaga?") this last Friday. She's a chihuaua, so she won't get a whole lot bigger than she is now, and she is so adorable. She's everyone's puppy, but I'm the one who is home all day and thus feeds her, cleans up after her, bathes her, even lets her sleep with me and gets up at least two or three times a night to have her go to the bathroom or tolerate her spurts of energy at 3 am and 6 am that have her trying to bite my ear, my fingers, whatever she can feasibly reach. It's a lot like having a baby - except she'll never talk back. lol
In even better news, I have a job! It's a part-time summer thing, so I'm still looking for a regular, full-time gig, but this is possibly one of the coolest jobs ever - it's at a big casino a few towns over, and I'll be working in their VIP area for their summer concert series, which means that I get to see a bunch of awesome concerts this summer and get paid for it!! Reba (with Sunny Sweeney, who I also love), Toby Keith, the Steve Miller Band, and the Beach Boys are just a few of the awesome artists I'll get to see this summer. =)
One of the pictures, the one where I'm holding up my elbow, is the remaining battle scars from a quad accident the other weekend. My stepdaughter had friends over and they were running around on the quad and found a gigantic puddle to drive through - even Faith and London were having a blast riding through it, and I decided I wanted to go, too. Jessica's friend was driving, and somehow we hit a patch of something that luckily everyone else had been avoiding, and we tipped over and the quad came down on my side. My hand was bleeding a little when we got back, but it didn't seem all that bad until the next morning when I could barely move my right arm. I had scrapes on the heel of my hand and on my elbow, bruises and scratches all over my body, especially the right side. I couldn't use my right hand until that next Wednesday, I think it was. I'm all for battle scars once they've healed, but while all those injuries were healing, it was pure torture. I had never been so happy in my life to be able to do a sinkful of dishes as I was that Wednesday after three days of not being able to even move my hand.
School will be out for all the older kids next Monday - hard to believe I started dating, got married, and moved out of state all in the span of less than one school year. (Even harder to believe that the dating and getting married part happened in 2 months. lol) Faith and London were going to go visit their biological dad for five weeks beginning the week after school ended, but in order to make it possible for my parents to drive them back here and visit for a few days, we're pushing that back until July 2nd......I am so not looking forward to being away from my kids for that long, but I keep telling myself it was a condiiton of us getting to move up here in the first place, and the end justifies the means. Still.....that won't actually make it any easier.
Well, I think that's it for now. I just had to write something about the things that have been happening recently after finally posting that blog that took me like two months to write. lol
Thursday, April 28, 2011
California Love
(I wrote this more than a month ago and figured it's time to just quit adding to it, post it, and start another entry in another two months. lol)
I just looked at the date and realized that it's three months to my birthday - maybe once I hit my 30's I'll get over the shock of my late 20's. lol It's also just a few days since the 5-month mark of mine and V's marriage - my, how the time does fly! Especially the last month, which was spent mostly in California. Faith, London, and I left on April 2nd and drove straight there - yes, I, LJ, possibly the most directionally challenged person I know, actually drove nearly 1,000 miles with nothing but the help of the maps app on my phone. Not only am I severly directionally challenged, I had never driven further than Denair to Sacramento and back on my own, so 1,000 miles was quite the feat in my book. When I showed up at Aryn's house in the Spy Car, she didn't believe me at first that I had driven all that way by myself. lol All I have to say is, thank goodness for GPS - I don't do maps. The drive itself was suprisingly easy, just long - we left here at 7:15 am and got to our first stop in Denair, my brother's house, at 11:00 that night. On the way there we only made three stops for gas and bathroom breaks, so it made for a verrrrry long day. lol
Spencer had the girls for the first week we were there, so that time was extremely rare - no kids at all, (quite a switch from 5 here at home!) complete freedom to come and go as I pleased and do whatever I wanted. I stayed at my brother's the whole time I was there, so we would hang out in the evenings when he got off work, and I saw a couple of friends during the day, cleaned up around the house, went on walks.....pretty normal stuff. The latest I slept in was 7:40 the entire time I was there, and one day I even got up at like 5:30 to sit in on my sister-in-law's class at MJC. =) It was pretty awesome - I must be growing up since that is my defintion of pretty awesome during a week free from responsibility. lol After the first week, my girls were back with me during the day and spending the night with my mom and stepdad every night, so I still had my nights free - another very weird thing, to only have your kids for the day and send them back to Grandma and Grandpa when it's time for bed. (Isn't it usually the other way around? lol)
All in all, I had a wonderful time. There's something awesome about going back to a place you've moved away from, seeing people you don't get to see for months at a time - you can just enjoy the place and the people knowing it's for a short time and not knowing when it will happen again. I definitely created some lasting memories with my goofy family. =)
Eventually it was time to face the reason I was there for so long - a court date with my ex over child support. We were the very last people called up there and had to wait FOUR HOURS and I had to listen to numerous deadbeats trying to justify why their car payments and cruises were more important than helping support their children. When one such person kept saying how he had all these bills he had to pay and couldn't pay that much child support because of all his other bills and the judge responded, "Child support is considered your MOST IMPORTANT bill," I was hopeful. Not so hopeful when I realized that every single person who went up there got their child support lowered. In a couple of cases, it was even dropped to $0 temporarily. The longer I sat there, the more I stressed, and the more angry I got. It just blows my mind how non-custodial parents so often think that their obligation to their children is over because they no longer live with them. I know there are a lot of non-custodial parents who DO provide what their children need, but unfortunately court is a great example of the dregs of society who don't.
When it was my turn to go out in the hall and talk to the D.A., I gave her a brief rundown of the situation, our finances, etc (for instance, a new spouse's income is mentioned but doesn't actually factor into calculations). I had done some research before I left and had been particularly interested in the part of the court's website that essentially says to use caution when asking for a reduction in child support, because if you're spending less time with your kids, you could end up paying more even though you're going in there asking to pay less. So I decided I was going to ask for more - after all, $600 a month is nothing compared to a child's actual expenses. (And it helps even less when you DON'T GET ANY OF IT.) The D.A. seemed supportive of the idea that I had come a long way for this court date and I was going to prove a point if nothing else, though she did warn me, "I just want to make sure you understand that ANYTHING can happen in there. It's all up to the judge, and he could raise it, but he could also lower it or keep it the same." More nerves.
A good three hours after that, it was our turn in front of the judge - who was extremely patient and lenient as far as judges go. Most that I've seen don't just let people go off on unnecessary things for more than a few seconds, but this guy listened to virtually everything anyone wanted to say. The patient part I was okay with, but the lenient part - specifically the lowering everyone else's child support that he saw that day - worried me.
I'm not going to go into all the specifics of our discussion with the judge, but suffice it to say he was not happy AT ALL when he learned of all the money my ex was receiving between his parents and his photography business and still not making any effort to pay child support. I'd like to personally thank my ex, in fact, for purchasing an iPhone the day before court, since I think such an unneccesary luxury while being over $10,000 in arrears on child support definitely helped my case. The more I listened to him lie about how much money he gets and his financial situation and the more I thought about all the luxuries he enjoys while TOTALLY skipping out on child support, the more angry I got. And when I brought up how he receives money for things like cable and internet but doesn't pay child support, the judge turned to him and said, "You're very fortunate that your parents help you out as much as they do - and now you need to turn around and do the same for your children." I think my FAVORITE part though, aside from the final ruling, was when he started going off on personal things and brought up how we had discussed making an agreement between the two of us that would give me 30% - "not of the money I get from my parents, but from my PROFIT", he was quick to point out - of his monthly income - sorry, not income, PROFIT - as if I were the jerk for not agreeing to it, and I just couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore. I'm generally pretty calm and collected when it comes to all this court stuff - I've certainly dealt with enough of it in the past year or so - but when he said that I said something to the effect of, "good thing I didn't, because I REALLY wouldn't see anything then, since I haven't anyway!" And the D.A., who is always so neutral and professional, turned to me and gave me a triumphant "you go girl!" look. It was awesome. =)
The Dissomaster (child support calculator) came up with two figures, both more than he was last ordered to pay, one significantly more so. The judge asked me to pick a figure lower than the higher one that I would be comfortable with, and I threw out $800. I wish I could have seen the look on his face when I asked for more than he was paying, because Aryn, who had patiently waited with me for those four hours, said it was priceless. While the judge was talking to my ex, the D.A. leaned over and asked me if I would be okay with just keeping it at the $600. I thought about it for a second and said, "Actually, I'm really not. I came all this way for this, I want to see it through." The actual AMOUNTS aren't even all that important, but the fact that I had to travel 1,000 and be away from home for three weeks (not that I didn't have an awesome time there, court appearance aside) and all the expense we had to go to for that when he already wasn't paying anything and just wanted to get away with owing less, REALLY ticked me off.
I had planned on leaving on Wednesday, the day after court, but we ended up staying until Saturday. We were all enjoying each other's company so much, and the girls weren't ready to leave - even when we left on Saturday, Faith was crying because she wanted to go back to Bum and Papa. =( There were a few reasons we stayed longer, and one of them was because Aryn invited me to go to Santa Cruz with her and the kids that Friday, which was awesome and just the perfect way to end the trip. Gage and I must have ridden the Giant Dipper six times. It was late when we got back, around 11:30, so I got about four hours of sleep before we headed out the next morning. I wanted to get an early start so I wouldn't be driving for hours at night like I had been on the way to CA and had planned on leaving at 5am. We left at 5:45, so we weren't too far behind schedule, but after so little sleep I was so tired we had to stop a lot more on the way home. And when we got to Highway 14, we stopped for a few minutes to check out Washington's own Stonehenge, which was pretty cool.
Everything previous to this was written nearly a month ago - I can't tell you how many drafts of different blogs I have saved that never see the light of day. I'll be in the middle of one and not be able to finish it and intend to go back to it later.....then, after a month, I sit down to write another blog. lol
I've been back from California for three weeks, and the past two weeks I've been in serious job searching mode. I actually have an interview later today, so we'll see how that goes. Every single morning after the kids leave for school, I sit at the computer and apply for every job I can find. Some days, like today, don't turn up many, but I had a few days last week where I found 10-15 jobs per day to apply to. I'm just hoping that something I'm qualified for turns up soon.
I've been in kind of a funk off and on since returning from California. Just when I was getting used to living here, I left for three weeks and got used to being there, only to come back and have to get used to living here all over again. Don't get me wrong, I missed my husband and my home and everything, it was just weird making all those adjustments to different places. Washington is home now, but I miss my friends and family in California. I was never meant to stay there, though....I had been wanting to move out of state for quite a while before V and I got married. Funny how someplace you've only lived in for a few months can feel more like home than the place you lived for years.
I just looked at the date and realized that it's three months to my birthday - maybe once I hit my 30's I'll get over the shock of my late 20's. lol It's also just a few days since the 5-month mark of mine and V's marriage - my, how the time does fly! Especially the last month, which was spent mostly in California. Faith, London, and I left on April 2nd and drove straight there - yes, I, LJ, possibly the most directionally challenged person I know, actually drove nearly 1,000 miles with nothing but the help of the maps app on my phone. Not only am I severly directionally challenged, I had never driven further than Denair to Sacramento and back on my own, so 1,000 miles was quite the feat in my book. When I showed up at Aryn's house in the Spy Car, she didn't believe me at first that I had driven all that way by myself. lol All I have to say is, thank goodness for GPS - I don't do maps. The drive itself was suprisingly easy, just long - we left here at 7:15 am and got to our first stop in Denair, my brother's house, at 11:00 that night. On the way there we only made three stops for gas and bathroom breaks, so it made for a verrrrry long day. lol
Spencer had the girls for the first week we were there, so that time was extremely rare - no kids at all, (quite a switch from 5 here at home!) complete freedom to come and go as I pleased and do whatever I wanted. I stayed at my brother's the whole time I was there, so we would hang out in the evenings when he got off work, and I saw a couple of friends during the day, cleaned up around the house, went on walks.....pretty normal stuff. The latest I slept in was 7:40 the entire time I was there, and one day I even got up at like 5:30 to sit in on my sister-in-law's class at MJC. =) It was pretty awesome - I must be growing up since that is my defintion of pretty awesome during a week free from responsibility. lol After the first week, my girls were back with me during the day and spending the night with my mom and stepdad every night, so I still had my nights free - another very weird thing, to only have your kids for the day and send them back to Grandma and Grandpa when it's time for bed. (Isn't it usually the other way around? lol)
All in all, I had a wonderful time. There's something awesome about going back to a place you've moved away from, seeing people you don't get to see for months at a time - you can just enjoy the place and the people knowing it's for a short time and not knowing when it will happen again. I definitely created some lasting memories with my goofy family. =)
Eventually it was time to face the reason I was there for so long - a court date with my ex over child support. We were the very last people called up there and had to wait FOUR HOURS and I had to listen to numerous deadbeats trying to justify why their car payments and cruises were more important than helping support their children. When one such person kept saying how he had all these bills he had to pay and couldn't pay that much child support because of all his other bills and the judge responded, "Child support is considered your MOST IMPORTANT bill," I was hopeful. Not so hopeful when I realized that every single person who went up there got their child support lowered. In a couple of cases, it was even dropped to $0 temporarily. The longer I sat there, the more I stressed, and the more angry I got. It just blows my mind how non-custodial parents so often think that their obligation to their children is over because they no longer live with them. I know there are a lot of non-custodial parents who DO provide what their children need, but unfortunately court is a great example of the dregs of society who don't.
When it was my turn to go out in the hall and talk to the D.A., I gave her a brief rundown of the situation, our finances, etc (for instance, a new spouse's income is mentioned but doesn't actually factor into calculations). I had done some research before I left and had been particularly interested in the part of the court's website that essentially says to use caution when asking for a reduction in child support, because if you're spending less time with your kids, you could end up paying more even though you're going in there asking to pay less. So I decided I was going to ask for more - after all, $600 a month is nothing compared to a child's actual expenses. (And it helps even less when you DON'T GET ANY OF IT.) The D.A. seemed supportive of the idea that I had come a long way for this court date and I was going to prove a point if nothing else, though she did warn me, "I just want to make sure you understand that ANYTHING can happen in there. It's all up to the judge, and he could raise it, but he could also lower it or keep it the same." More nerves.
A good three hours after that, it was our turn in front of the judge - who was extremely patient and lenient as far as judges go. Most that I've seen don't just let people go off on unnecessary things for more than a few seconds, but this guy listened to virtually everything anyone wanted to say. The patient part I was okay with, but the lenient part - specifically the lowering everyone else's child support that he saw that day - worried me.
I'm not going to go into all the specifics of our discussion with the judge, but suffice it to say he was not happy AT ALL when he learned of all the money my ex was receiving between his parents and his photography business and still not making any effort to pay child support. I'd like to personally thank my ex, in fact, for purchasing an iPhone the day before court, since I think such an unneccesary luxury while being over $10,000 in arrears on child support definitely helped my case. The more I listened to him lie about how much money he gets and his financial situation and the more I thought about all the luxuries he enjoys while TOTALLY skipping out on child support, the more angry I got. And when I brought up how he receives money for things like cable and internet but doesn't pay child support, the judge turned to him and said, "You're very fortunate that your parents help you out as much as they do - and now you need to turn around and do the same for your children." I think my FAVORITE part though, aside from the final ruling, was when he started going off on personal things and brought up how we had discussed making an agreement between the two of us that would give me 30% - "not of the money I get from my parents, but from my PROFIT", he was quick to point out - of his monthly income - sorry, not income, PROFIT - as if I were the jerk for not agreeing to it, and I just couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore. I'm generally pretty calm and collected when it comes to all this court stuff - I've certainly dealt with enough of it in the past year or so - but when he said that I said something to the effect of, "good thing I didn't, because I REALLY wouldn't see anything then, since I haven't anyway!" And the D.A., who is always so neutral and professional, turned to me and gave me a triumphant "you go girl!" look. It was awesome. =)
The Dissomaster (child support calculator) came up with two figures, both more than he was last ordered to pay, one significantly more so. The judge asked me to pick a figure lower than the higher one that I would be comfortable with, and I threw out $800. I wish I could have seen the look on his face when I asked for more than he was paying, because Aryn, who had patiently waited with me for those four hours, said it was priceless. While the judge was talking to my ex, the D.A. leaned over and asked me if I would be okay with just keeping it at the $600. I thought about it for a second and said, "Actually, I'm really not. I came all this way for this, I want to see it through." The actual AMOUNTS aren't even all that important, but the fact that I had to travel 1,000 and be away from home for three weeks (not that I didn't have an awesome time there, court appearance aside) and all the expense we had to go to for that when he already wasn't paying anything and just wanted to get away with owing less, REALLY ticked me off.
I had planned on leaving on Wednesday, the day after court, but we ended up staying until Saturday. We were all enjoying each other's company so much, and the girls weren't ready to leave - even when we left on Saturday, Faith was crying because she wanted to go back to Bum and Papa. =( There were a few reasons we stayed longer, and one of them was because Aryn invited me to go to Santa Cruz with her and the kids that Friday, which was awesome and just the perfect way to end the trip. Gage and I must have ridden the Giant Dipper six times. It was late when we got back, around 11:30, so I got about four hours of sleep before we headed out the next morning. I wanted to get an early start so I wouldn't be driving for hours at night like I had been on the way to CA and had planned on leaving at 5am. We left at 5:45, so we weren't too far behind schedule, but after so little sleep I was so tired we had to stop a lot more on the way home. And when we got to Highway 14, we stopped for a few minutes to check out Washington's own Stonehenge, which was pretty cool.
Everything previous to this was written nearly a month ago - I can't tell you how many drafts of different blogs I have saved that never see the light of day. I'll be in the middle of one and not be able to finish it and intend to go back to it later.....then, after a month, I sit down to write another blog. lol
I've been back from California for three weeks, and the past two weeks I've been in serious job searching mode. I actually have an interview later today, so we'll see how that goes. Every single morning after the kids leave for school, I sit at the computer and apply for every job I can find. Some days, like today, don't turn up many, but I had a few days last week where I found 10-15 jobs per day to apply to. I'm just hoping that something I'm qualified for turns up soon.
I've been in kind of a funk off and on since returning from California. Just when I was getting used to living here, I left for three weeks and got used to being there, only to come back and have to get used to living here all over again. Don't get me wrong, I missed my husband and my home and everything, it was just weird making all those adjustments to different places. Washington is home now, but I miss my friends and family in California. I was never meant to stay there, though....I had been wanting to move out of state for quite a while before V and I got married. Funny how someplace you've only lived in for a few months can feel more like home than the place you lived for years.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Committed
I'm working on one of the new book ideas I came up with and decided to take a break and write about the past couple of days. Despite what I said before, this idea is actually reminiscent of my own life - I guess there's really no getting around it, is there? We each put SOMETHING of ourselves in everything we write. My main characters always have either qualities I have or want to have. This idea, though, is different from true-to-life things I've written in the past. If I can just keep up with the writing, I think it could turn out pretty good. =)
So on Monday I had my appointment with the admissions counselor at EWU - I felt like I had stepped into a time machine when I found a parking spot and started walking around the imposing campus. I felt the same nerves when I was getting acquainted with MJC, but MJC is much smaller and much easier to navigate than EWU (and I could get myself turned around pretty good on MJC East trying to figure out where I had parked and how to get there from where I was, depending on which building my class was in). Shae, my oldest stepdaughter, does Running Start at EWU, so she had drawn on the map of the campus I printed out and told me where to park and how to get to where I needed to be. I found a spot on what was probably not the exact road she had pointed out - since by the time I made it there, my frayed nerves had made her exact instructions a little blurry. I knew I was in the general area, though, so I set off in the direction I figured I needed to go - which was of course on the opposite corner of where I parked (because it was free to park over there), on the furthest part of the campus. Occasionally I pulled out my map to see if I could tell where I was and if I was going in the right direction, but I've never been good at reading maps OR having any sense of direction, so something like this, by myself, was very nearly an educational suicide mission. When I had made my way to the other side of the campus and there was still no sign of the building I needed, I asked someone walking in my direction where the building was, and I actually wasn't too far from it.
Once inside, I asked the woman at the front desk where the academic counseling office was and she directed me to the third floor. Now, I'm not afraid of elevators like I used to be, but I'll still take the stairs any day over one of those industrial gray boxes. It's different if they are see-through or fancy in some way, but those regular elevators....no thanks. So I hoofed it up the stairs and realized once again when I arrived on the third floor panting like a dog, heart racing, that you don't have to be fat to be out of shape. lol They couldn't find my appointment, though, and come to find out that prospective students usually meet with someone downstairs - so back down those three flights of stairs I went. (Thankfully, down is always easier than up!) It took me far longer to find my way TO the place than it took me to meet with the guy (isn't that always the way it goes?) but the meeting went well, and my best bet is to take the rest of my AA requirements at a junior college since all I need is a college-level math course and a lab science (something that wasn't required at MJC for the degree I was going for), which will be cheaper than taking them at a four-year. After I finish those, I'll automatically be accepted to EWU and can get my BA in Psychology - and I don't know how these things work at other universities, but the EWU brochure points out that the psychology professors there involve their students in their research and publishings, so I really can't wait for that!
Trying to find my way back to my car after the meeting was even more difficult than finding the building in the first place. I was bemoaning my lack of direction when I saw a building I had passed on the way over and congratulated myself for figuring out where I was and that I was headed in the right direction, thinking maybe my sense of direction was unexpectedly improving. About twenty seconds later I realized this was not the case - I had no idea where I was and didn't recognize any of the buildings around me. There had been construction by where I parked and I could see the construction ahead of me, so I figured if I followed that out to the road, I'd be able to easily find where I parked. I had made a point of looking at the street signs right near where I parked and knew that I needed to find Elm and Eerie, and hoped that the street I came out on would be Elm. Luckily, it was - but as I looked up and down the street I realized that nothing looked familiar there either, and I had no idea which direction Eerie was in. I REALLY got lucky - God was watching over this poor, directionless soul. lol - and didn't have to walk far before I could see a street sign that said Eerie and not long after that, the distinctive color of my Gaucmobile. =)(Seriously, I love this car - aside from the fact that it drives well and has lots of room, I never have to worry about losing it in a parking lot! lol)
Yesterday I had the appointment with one of the temp agencies I registered with, where I took five different tests and met with someone to discuss my resume in more detail and talk about what kind of work I'm willing to do. Unfortunately since I haven't worked in 6 years and my job history prior to that is the somewhat spotty history of a teenager who didn't HAVE to work and thus wasn't really invested in many of the jobs I had. There were a few that I enjoyed, but even though two of those lasted nearly a year, I don't even have a job on my resume that lasted a year. And, sadly, when it comes to the real world, 6 years as a Domestic Engineer doesn't count for much. BUT I'm hopeful that I can do some temporary work to start getting my resume built up. Wish me luck - I need it! =)
In the meantime, in between getting prepared for school and submitting as many job applications as I can, wherever I can, I'm working on my writing. As you can see, I'm trying to blog more to, at the very least, even if I don't have much to say, keep the typing skills fresh and the creative juices flowing. Besides the blog, I've got this new idea I just started working on - I've got all the chapters and basic ideas outlined, and yesterday I started working on the first chapter, which is what I'm going to get back to when I'm done with this blog. Before I do that, though, I want to get back to my 3 things since I haven't done that in the past couple of entries - and I'll try to come up with completely new things, since you all already know how grateful I am for my husband and family. =)
1. I'm grateful for the talents God has blessed me with. I often wish that I could sing spectacularly well or play an instrument or something like that, but the fact is I'm really glad I can write. I'm not a bad singer and I've never taken any kind of lessons to even try and learn an instrument, I'm too klutzy to be great at sports (pretty sure walking without running into things and not tripping over yourself are basic requirements for success in most sports), I can't draw.....the list of the things I'm NOT could go on forever, but I am truly grateful for the gifts I have been blessed with. I love being able to evoke emotion with my words and paint a vivid, thought-provoking picture without a canvas. I love that I can bring joy to others with my words - and though I have to be careful of how I use this part of it, I'm sometimes impressed with how I can use my words to defend myself. When used properly, it's extremely effective. Well, it tends to be extremely effective even when used IMproperly, but I try not to do that anymore. The other thing I think I'm really good at is how fast I type, which is something anyone can do with enough practice - that's how I got so good at it - and hopefully I can use to that to my advantage when looking for a job.
2. Material security. We're not rich, but compared to how my ex-husband and I lived, sometimes it feels like it. I don't have to worry about having money for food or electricity or getting evicted, and if I want to pick up the occasionall iTunes card or book or movie or whatever, it's not a big deal. This is something I don't think I'll ever take for granted after the life circumstances of my previous marriage or being a single mother, and I am always grateful for the blessings of God and the unbelievably hard work of my husband that makes this possible.
3. Spring! And the fact that I've survived my first Washington winter without becoming an icicle. lol I never had to drive that much in the snow, thank goodness, because I am NOT a fan - and especially not a fan of backing out of our driveway when it's snowing or has been snowing. Yesterday I had to trudge through the sludge that is our driveway in my nice shoes, almost slipped in the mud right next to my car, and then gun it to back out of the muddy tracks my car sits in - but I can't complain too much, since the roads are fine and I haven't gotten stuck trying to get out of the driveway in a while.
And now for the three things I need to work on, which will hopefully at some point in the near future be things I can say I have conquered:
1. My insecurity about my writing. Too often I let insecurity hold me back when I want to do something but am afraid of failing at it. Nothing ever happens in life when you sit back and wait for something to happen TO you....I've lived it. And I've found that some of the most exhilirating, wonderful things I've experienced have happened when I've let go of my worries - or at the very least not let them stop me from doing something - and just jumped in with both feet, fully committed. Thus my committment to write SOMETHING every day, regardless of how nervous I am at how it might be critiqued or if it might never see the light of a bookstore....I'm just going to do it, and not let the fear of failure or even temporary failure itself keep me from my dreams.
2. My eating habits. I've generally been eating basically nothing for most of the day except for a few small snacks and then finally eating like I should at dinner, and I'd just like to eat healthier in general and start getting some exercise every day, like going for a walk or taking London to the park now that the weather is nicer. Like I thought after I walked up those stairs yesterday, you don't have to be fat to be out of shape, and I'd like to be in good shape in every sense of the term.
3. This is something I'm still working on, but it was something that I REALLY needed to work on in the past and feel like I'm doing pretty well at: cooking. I don't LOVE it yet, but I don't mind it, and that's a pretty big step from how I used to feel about it. lol I hate it when I disagree with someone and turn out to be wrong, but in this case I have to give kudos to everyone who told me that I would like it and be good at it if I would just do it, and they were right (I can feel a chorus of "I told you so's" coming). I've made some pretty cool stuff - chicken costa brava, sweet and sour meatballs, tilapia, French's crunchy onion chicken....all kinds of stuff, and everything I've made has turned out good, which has made me like it more and given me more confidence. I've actually found, against all odds, that I would much rather make an elaborate meal than throw a dinner together that can be assembled in the microwave. Whoulda thunk? ;-)
So on Monday I had my appointment with the admissions counselor at EWU - I felt like I had stepped into a time machine when I found a parking spot and started walking around the imposing campus. I felt the same nerves when I was getting acquainted with MJC, but MJC is much smaller and much easier to navigate than EWU (and I could get myself turned around pretty good on MJC East trying to figure out where I had parked and how to get there from where I was, depending on which building my class was in). Shae, my oldest stepdaughter, does Running Start at EWU, so she had drawn on the map of the campus I printed out and told me where to park and how to get to where I needed to be. I found a spot on what was probably not the exact road she had pointed out - since by the time I made it there, my frayed nerves had made her exact instructions a little blurry. I knew I was in the general area, though, so I set off in the direction I figured I needed to go - which was of course on the opposite corner of where I parked (because it was free to park over there), on the furthest part of the campus. Occasionally I pulled out my map to see if I could tell where I was and if I was going in the right direction, but I've never been good at reading maps OR having any sense of direction, so something like this, by myself, was very nearly an educational suicide mission. When I had made my way to the other side of the campus and there was still no sign of the building I needed, I asked someone walking in my direction where the building was, and I actually wasn't too far from it.
Once inside, I asked the woman at the front desk where the academic counseling office was and she directed me to the third floor. Now, I'm not afraid of elevators like I used to be, but I'll still take the stairs any day over one of those industrial gray boxes. It's different if they are see-through or fancy in some way, but those regular elevators....no thanks. So I hoofed it up the stairs and realized once again when I arrived on the third floor panting like a dog, heart racing, that you don't have to be fat to be out of shape. lol They couldn't find my appointment, though, and come to find out that prospective students usually meet with someone downstairs - so back down those three flights of stairs I went. (Thankfully, down is always easier than up!) It took me far longer to find my way TO the place than it took me to meet with the guy (isn't that always the way it goes?) but the meeting went well, and my best bet is to take the rest of my AA requirements at a junior college since all I need is a college-level math course and a lab science (something that wasn't required at MJC for the degree I was going for), which will be cheaper than taking them at a four-year. After I finish those, I'll automatically be accepted to EWU and can get my BA in Psychology - and I don't know how these things work at other universities, but the EWU brochure points out that the psychology professors there involve their students in their research and publishings, so I really can't wait for that!
Trying to find my way back to my car after the meeting was even more difficult than finding the building in the first place. I was bemoaning my lack of direction when I saw a building I had passed on the way over and congratulated myself for figuring out where I was and that I was headed in the right direction, thinking maybe my sense of direction was unexpectedly improving. About twenty seconds later I realized this was not the case - I had no idea where I was and didn't recognize any of the buildings around me. There had been construction by where I parked and I could see the construction ahead of me, so I figured if I followed that out to the road, I'd be able to easily find where I parked. I had made a point of looking at the street signs right near where I parked and knew that I needed to find Elm and Eerie, and hoped that the street I came out on would be Elm. Luckily, it was - but as I looked up and down the street I realized that nothing looked familiar there either, and I had no idea which direction Eerie was in. I REALLY got lucky - God was watching over this poor, directionless soul. lol - and didn't have to walk far before I could see a street sign that said Eerie and not long after that, the distinctive color of my Gaucmobile. =)(Seriously, I love this car - aside from the fact that it drives well and has lots of room, I never have to worry about losing it in a parking lot! lol)
Yesterday I had the appointment with one of the temp agencies I registered with, where I took five different tests and met with someone to discuss my resume in more detail and talk about what kind of work I'm willing to do. Unfortunately since I haven't worked in 6 years and my job history prior to that is the somewhat spotty history of a teenager who didn't HAVE to work and thus wasn't really invested in many of the jobs I had. There were a few that I enjoyed, but even though two of those lasted nearly a year, I don't even have a job on my resume that lasted a year. And, sadly, when it comes to the real world, 6 years as a Domestic Engineer doesn't count for much. BUT I'm hopeful that I can do some temporary work to start getting my resume built up. Wish me luck - I need it! =)
In the meantime, in between getting prepared for school and submitting as many job applications as I can, wherever I can, I'm working on my writing. As you can see, I'm trying to blog more to, at the very least, even if I don't have much to say, keep the typing skills fresh and the creative juices flowing. Besides the blog, I've got this new idea I just started working on - I've got all the chapters and basic ideas outlined, and yesterday I started working on the first chapter, which is what I'm going to get back to when I'm done with this blog. Before I do that, though, I want to get back to my 3 things since I haven't done that in the past couple of entries - and I'll try to come up with completely new things, since you all already know how grateful I am for my husband and family. =)
1. I'm grateful for the talents God has blessed me with. I often wish that I could sing spectacularly well or play an instrument or something like that, but the fact is I'm really glad I can write. I'm not a bad singer and I've never taken any kind of lessons to even try and learn an instrument, I'm too klutzy to be great at sports (pretty sure walking without running into things and not tripping over yourself are basic requirements for success in most sports), I can't draw.....the list of the things I'm NOT could go on forever, but I am truly grateful for the gifts I have been blessed with. I love being able to evoke emotion with my words and paint a vivid, thought-provoking picture without a canvas. I love that I can bring joy to others with my words - and though I have to be careful of how I use this part of it, I'm sometimes impressed with how I can use my words to defend myself. When used properly, it's extremely effective. Well, it tends to be extremely effective even when used IMproperly, but I try not to do that anymore. The other thing I think I'm really good at is how fast I type, which is something anyone can do with enough practice - that's how I got so good at it - and hopefully I can use to that to my advantage when looking for a job.
2. Material security. We're not rich, but compared to how my ex-husband and I lived, sometimes it feels like it. I don't have to worry about having money for food or electricity or getting evicted, and if I want to pick up the occasionall iTunes card or book or movie or whatever, it's not a big deal. This is something I don't think I'll ever take for granted after the life circumstances of my previous marriage or being a single mother, and I am always grateful for the blessings of God and the unbelievably hard work of my husband that makes this possible.
3. Spring! And the fact that I've survived my first Washington winter without becoming an icicle. lol I never had to drive that much in the snow, thank goodness, because I am NOT a fan - and especially not a fan of backing out of our driveway when it's snowing or has been snowing. Yesterday I had to trudge through the sludge that is our driveway in my nice shoes, almost slipped in the mud right next to my car, and then gun it to back out of the muddy tracks my car sits in - but I can't complain too much, since the roads are fine and I haven't gotten stuck trying to get out of the driveway in a while.
And now for the three things I need to work on, which will hopefully at some point in the near future be things I can say I have conquered:
1. My insecurity about my writing. Too often I let insecurity hold me back when I want to do something but am afraid of failing at it. Nothing ever happens in life when you sit back and wait for something to happen TO you....I've lived it. And I've found that some of the most exhilirating, wonderful things I've experienced have happened when I've let go of my worries - or at the very least not let them stop me from doing something - and just jumped in with both feet, fully committed. Thus my committment to write SOMETHING every day, regardless of how nervous I am at how it might be critiqued or if it might never see the light of a bookstore....I'm just going to do it, and not let the fear of failure or even temporary failure itself keep me from my dreams.
2. My eating habits. I've generally been eating basically nothing for most of the day except for a few small snacks and then finally eating like I should at dinner, and I'd just like to eat healthier in general and start getting some exercise every day, like going for a walk or taking London to the park now that the weather is nicer. Like I thought after I walked up those stairs yesterday, you don't have to be fat to be out of shape, and I'd like to be in good shape in every sense of the term.
3. This is something I'm still working on, but it was something that I REALLY needed to work on in the past and feel like I'm doing pretty well at: cooking. I don't LOVE it yet, but I don't mind it, and that's a pretty big step from how I used to feel about it. lol I hate it when I disagree with someone and turn out to be wrong, but in this case I have to give kudos to everyone who told me that I would like it and be good at it if I would just do it, and they were right (I can feel a chorus of "I told you so's" coming). I've made some pretty cool stuff - chicken costa brava, sweet and sour meatballs, tilapia, French's crunchy onion chicken....all kinds of stuff, and everything I've made has turned out good, which has made me like it more and given me more confidence. I've actually found, against all odds, that I would much rather make an elaborate meal than throw a dinner together that can be assembled in the microwave. Whoulda thunk? ;-)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Back to the grind, into the groove.......you get the idea.
I have been suprisingly productive considering the fact that it's Monday at 11:00 am after a wonderful, relaxing weekend - then again, maybe not. Weekends like that are great for rejuvenation. =) I've put in a couple of job apps already, although I have a lot more hope that my hubby that pull some strings with his contacts than that I will get a job on my own merit. Unless you come across the right person at the right time, your skill set doesn't seem to matter much when what you have to show for the last six years are two beautiful little girls, which the work world tends to look at as a liability rather than a strength. This economy is all wrong - actors and athletes should get paid less, and stay-at-home moms should be the ones rewarded with all that wealth (hey, I can dream! lol)
In addition to doing some job hunting, I have an appointment with a counselor at EWU at 4:00 today to see what I would need to take to finish my degree if I transfer there, and two possible options for community colleges I could attend to finish up the requirements for my AA, and THEN transfer to a four-year. It's so frustrating that I found out in what SHOULD have been my last semester that the math class I was taking no longer counted towards a degree. Also frustrating that at 26 years old I have nothing to show for myself professionally and very little academically, but I have a feeling that's going to turn around here pretty soon. ;-) And besides, what really matters are the things that REALLY mean something, and I am abundantly blessed in those areas.
So back to my wonderful weekend - Jess's friend came over Friday evening and we left around 7:00 and headed to Couer d'Alene, got checked in at the resort and headed straight for the Iron Horse, the restaraunt we went to on our first weekend together that has crab dip that will blow your mind. It was every bit as good as I remembered, unlike most things that you build up in your mind only to be disappointed when it doesn't live up to your memory. We hung around there for a while and listened to the live band, which was pretty good. They did covers of a lot of great songs, so we just sat around watching and laughing at drunk people who were attempting to dance like they were good at it. One such group of people were sitting at the table next to us, and literally the SECOND that V got up to go to the bathroom and was out of sight, two of the guys from that table - one who had already been annoying us - came over to talk to me and try and get me to dance, and as if that weren't bad enough they were both completely plastered and so irritating. I was getting tired of politely telling them "thanks, but no thanks" when V came back from the bathroom and put them in their place. =)
As much fun as it was listening to the band, I didn't want to waste what precious little alone time we had together around a bunch of annoying drunk people regardless of how cool the music was, so we went back to the hotel and [edited for explicit content] (hehe) and went down to one of the lounges in the hotel and watched more drunk people dance, which was even more amusing this time. We came up with names for some of them based on how they were dancing - like a blond woman who looked like she was a cat coughing up a hairball - and were rewarded for our people watching when this one girl who thought she was hot stuff and had been dancing all around and rubbing up on everyone else out there dancing whether she knew them or not totally fell on her butt and embarassed herself - it was AWESOME. lol By the time we went back up to our room, ordered room service and a movie that didn't get watched, it had to have been 4 am by the time we went to sleep. We had to be back home by 2:00 on Saturday so unfortunately there really wasn't time to sleep in, so after a few hours of sleep we got checked out and went to Hudson's, where they have awesome hamburgers and that's about it - they're so famous for them, that's all they need. After we ate we bummed around and looked at a couple of stores - one that had nothing but Irish stuff in it, which was of course greatly appealing to both of us, and then a toy store - I think it was called Figpickle's. =)
After we got home, with the exception of church on Sunday and the potluck right afterwards, all we did was lay around and watch movies. I had never seen the sixth Harry Potter movie or The Three Amigos, which V had been quoting a lot, so we watched those on Saturday and then Grown Ups, which I had seen but he hadn't - it's hilarious. =) Then on Sunday we watched Little Giants - another great movie I had never seen. It was such a relaxing weekend, and we NEVER just sit around and do nothing like that, so it was really nice. =)
This week looks promising thanks to today's appointment at EWU, one tomorrow at a temp agency, and the book idea I'm about to start working on. Funny how time flies when you're so involved in working on something - it's almost noon and I still need to shower and do the dishes, but I need to get some of these ideas out on paper (well, screen) first. I also need to get things situated for California - that will be upon me before I know it, and there are a few things to get prepared for as far as that's concerned. I'll miss home, but it will be nice to see everyone back there after being gone for 3 months. =)
Well, it's time to get on other things - a bunch of things need my attention right now - and I love it that way. I would so much rather be busy and have life be hectic than have nothing to do! Until later. =)
In addition to doing some job hunting, I have an appointment with a counselor at EWU at 4:00 today to see what I would need to take to finish my degree if I transfer there, and two possible options for community colleges I could attend to finish up the requirements for my AA, and THEN transfer to a four-year. It's so frustrating that I found out in what SHOULD have been my last semester that the math class I was taking no longer counted towards a degree. Also frustrating that at 26 years old I have nothing to show for myself professionally and very little academically, but I have a feeling that's going to turn around here pretty soon. ;-) And besides, what really matters are the things that REALLY mean something, and I am abundantly blessed in those areas.
So back to my wonderful weekend - Jess's friend came over Friday evening and we left around 7:00 and headed to Couer d'Alene, got checked in at the resort and headed straight for the Iron Horse, the restaraunt we went to on our first weekend together that has crab dip that will blow your mind. It was every bit as good as I remembered, unlike most things that you build up in your mind only to be disappointed when it doesn't live up to your memory. We hung around there for a while and listened to the live band, which was pretty good. They did covers of a lot of great songs, so we just sat around watching and laughing at drunk people who were attempting to dance like they were good at it. One such group of people were sitting at the table next to us, and literally the SECOND that V got up to go to the bathroom and was out of sight, two of the guys from that table - one who had already been annoying us - came over to talk to me and try and get me to dance, and as if that weren't bad enough they were both completely plastered and so irritating. I was getting tired of politely telling them "thanks, but no thanks" when V came back from the bathroom and put them in their place. =)
As much fun as it was listening to the band, I didn't want to waste what precious little alone time we had together around a bunch of annoying drunk people regardless of how cool the music was, so we went back to the hotel and [edited for explicit content] (hehe) and went down to one of the lounges in the hotel and watched more drunk people dance, which was even more amusing this time. We came up with names for some of them based on how they were dancing - like a blond woman who looked like she was a cat coughing up a hairball - and were rewarded for our people watching when this one girl who thought she was hot stuff and had been dancing all around and rubbing up on everyone else out there dancing whether she knew them or not totally fell on her butt and embarassed herself - it was AWESOME. lol By the time we went back up to our room, ordered room service and a movie that didn't get watched, it had to have been 4 am by the time we went to sleep. We had to be back home by 2:00 on Saturday so unfortunately there really wasn't time to sleep in, so after a few hours of sleep we got checked out and went to Hudson's, where they have awesome hamburgers and that's about it - they're so famous for them, that's all they need. After we ate we bummed around and looked at a couple of stores - one that had nothing but Irish stuff in it, which was of course greatly appealing to both of us, and then a toy store - I think it was called Figpickle's. =)
After we got home, with the exception of church on Sunday and the potluck right afterwards, all we did was lay around and watch movies. I had never seen the sixth Harry Potter movie or The Three Amigos, which V had been quoting a lot, so we watched those on Saturday and then Grown Ups, which I had seen but he hadn't - it's hilarious. =) Then on Sunday we watched Little Giants - another great movie I had never seen. It was such a relaxing weekend, and we NEVER just sit around and do nothing like that, so it was really nice. =)
This week looks promising thanks to today's appointment at EWU, one tomorrow at a temp agency, and the book idea I'm about to start working on. Funny how time flies when you're so involved in working on something - it's almost noon and I still need to shower and do the dishes, but I need to get some of these ideas out on paper (well, screen) first. I also need to get things situated for California - that will be upon me before I know it, and there are a few things to get prepared for as far as that's concerned. I'll miss home, but it will be nice to see everyone back there after being gone for 3 months. =)
Well, it's time to get on other things - a bunch of things need my attention right now - and I love it that way. I would so much rather be busy and have life be hectic than have nothing to do! Until later. =)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
