Job update!

Remember that job interview that I had that went perfectly and I was really disappointed to not hear back from?  Well, after my last post, I emailed them to find out what went wrong.  I was dying to find out.  Well, I got a call back a few hours after I sent the email and as it turns out, they thought the interview was perfect as well.  Too perfect actually.  They knew I'd get bored in the position I interviewed for.  So, instead of just telling me that I was overqualified and to move on, they created a job just for me.  

Yes, people, I am that good.  I was so excited to hear that!  Anyway, I had to meet with one more person to confirm everything, but she was out of town until the 15th.  In the mean time, I had two interviews.  One offered me a job on the spot.  I told them I had to wait to see what my options were after all of my interviews and whatnot.  I had to give them an answer on Monday (the interview was on Friday).  Monday came and I didn't hear from the other interview (side note: TOTALLY rude not to call back people to let them know that they did not get the job!).  I called the other company to let them know that I had a job offer.  She suggested I take it in the mean time, just in case things didn't work out.

I felt bad doing that.  My mom understood my points.  My dad and my husband thought I should take the job.  So, I took the job.  I started on Tuesday the 8th.  And it's been slow.  It really should be a part time position, but they knew that I wanted full time, so that's what they offered me.  It has been nice to have the extra income, but it's also really boring.

And, when I went to the interview on the 15th, the other company offered me the job.  :)  Unfortunately, I don't start until June 4th.  It's disappointing, but I really cannot wait until I start!  They sent me the benefits package and whatnot and it looks fantastic.  I get 7 days of paid vacation to use for the remainder of 2012 and then 15 days for 2013.  And I get several paid holidays on top of that!  AND, my insurance and 401k begin on day one! 

I'm telling you, this job sounds fantastic.  And, I know I said that they're making this job for me, but that's only until another job becomes available.  They think I'd be perfect for another promotion within the company, but that job isn't quite ready yet.  Besides, this first job will help me get the basics of insurance so that I'll be more prepared for the promotion.  :) 

I just can't wait until June 4th! 

The Job Search Continues...

So, shortly after my last post, the negativity creeped in.  I had a SUPER awesome interview with a local insurance company.  They were already talking about which promotion would be perfect for me once I learned a little more about insurance and whatnot.  I'm telling you, the interview could not have been more perfect.  Then I had to take some spelling, grammar, and computer tests (which were super easy).  Before I left, she assured me she'd be calling me to set up another meeting for the following Monday or Tuesday (I interviewed on Thursday) to finalize everything.  

Well, Monday came and I hadn't heard anything so I emailed her.  I got an auto response that she was out of town.  So, I waited.  A week passed.  I called on Monday to see what's going on.  No response.  Today, I finally emailed her again to see why they decided against hiring me.  I just sat and cried yesterday.  I just keep going over it in my head and can't see what went wrong.  It was perfect.  I just want to know what made them change their mind.

Anyway, elsewhere on the job front, I was interviewed and hired on the spot last week on Thursday.  I lasted one day.  Unfortunately for the owner, when I am hired to do the books, I can see that the payroll checks are going to bounce.  That company was a disaster and I didn't want to be a part of it.  Plus, the guy flat out lied to me.  So, that didn't work out.

I have two interviews this week.  One tomorrow and one on Friday.  Both for car dealerships.  Hopefully one of them will work out.  Especially since our savings is dwindling.  And I'm getting depressed for feeling like a failure.  

And I'm disappointed in that other job that I didn't get.  I really thought that it would go through and I really thought that I would love it.  It made me think that I might actually find a job that I like again.  I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it all works out. 

Finally back!

I know I've been away from this blog forever.  However, it's been a very busy month.  We moved over 1,000 miles to my hometown of Plymouth, Indiana.  My dad and sister and a friend of ours came to Colorado to help us finish packing, cleaning, and painting and then we loaded up the truck and drove to our new home. 

It took us a little bit to get settled and then we began our job searches.  Philip got a paper route almost right away.  However, he hates it and will probably not be keeping it much longer (until he gets another job!).  I've turned in about a million resumes but it is paying off.  I had an interview within a few days and I have two more this week.  I have a job beginning at the end of the month as a server for a new restaurant in town.  I'm actually really excited about it.  

I'm hoping to do it in the evenings/weekends and still have another job for days.  The interview I have on Thursday is for an insurance agency.  It's really promising but only part-time (25 hours a week).  It has potential to be more though and I'm really looking forward to the interview.  The interview that I have on Tuesday is not nearly as promising, but you never know!  

I'm not freaking out about my lack of job quite yet.  I've been keeping busy (and reading A LOT) and our funds are still holding out -- especially with Philip able to contribute now!  I've had quite a few bites on resumes and things are still pretty positive.  I am just going to keep thinking good thoughts about this week and hopefully I'll have a job soon!  :)

As far as flight school for Philip goes, things are on temporary hold.  We visited the school and it was fantastic.  We purchased the starter kit and Philip has begun online training.  However, he can't begin actual flight instruction until we have jobs so that we can get financing.  Philip is really eager to get started, but he seems to be enjoying the online stuff so far!  

As I said, it's been a long month.  But, so far, I haven't had any doubts about our decision.  I'm sure it will be the right one for us.  Of course, it helps that my family has been amazing.  It's been so nice to be home.  Today we planted trees.  Last night, mom and I went to the movies (Cabin in the Woods -- SOOO good!).  Friday I went to a doctor's appointment with my mom and then we went to lunch.  I had forgotten how wonderful it is to be with my family.  

The dogs are adjusting really well.  I was a little worried since Jippy doesn't really like change, but once we got everything unpacked and have a kind of schedule, they've all settled in nicely.  I think we're all glad for our new home.  :)

I bid you adieu...

No, not you, blog readers!  My job.  And our house.  And our Colorado friends.  Yes, I did it.  I put in my two month notice with work 2 weeks ago.  It actually went really well.  My boss was very understanding.  It's still not fun for me though.  I really do like this job.  I wish I didn't have to leave it.  

I put up an ad looking for potential replacements the very same day.  I received a TON of resumes in response.  Less than a tenth of them were actually any good.  Then we started narrowing down further.  I sent out emails to the candidates asking why they left/are leaving their previous/current job and what their pay requirements would be.  That knocked out a good chunk of the remaining candidates.  

Speaking of which, I've come to the conclusion that I am worth far more than what I'm paid!  That or these people are insane (seriously, a good chunk of them want double what I currently make!).  Either way, the economy in Colorado is apparently much better than I thought!  

We will most likely be starting interviews later this week.  Hopefully we will find the right person.  *fingers crossed*

And, as I said, we put in our notice with our landlord.  However, we had someone lined up for him before we even put in our notice.  Friends of ours are really interested in our place.  They met up with our landlord on Saturday and everything seems to be a go!  I'm so glad that it all went so well!  

It seems that everything is falling into place for our big move.  So, we will definitely be leaving that last week in March.  We've even got our two spare rooms (the spare bedroom/library and the Star Wars room) all packed up.  And our yard sale pile is growing by the day.  

I'm actually becoming less stressed the closer the end of March gets.  More things are getting crossed off of our list and things are still going well.  The only problem we've really run into is that we owe Uncle Sam a huge chunk of money (money that would have been used for our move or for holding us over until we find work).  But, we will get through all of that and it's all going to work out.  We will be just fine.  No fingers crossed about it.  It's just happening that way!  :)

I am happy

Lately, I've been in kind of a funk.  I haven't been motivated and I'm been more of a complainer than normal.  Typically, I'm an optimist.  If I don't like things, I change them.  That's how I roll.  I think that I've been hanging around too many negative people lately.  

Last night, I realized what I've been doing.  I've been focusing on the negative in my life (car troubles after car troubles and then more car troubles,  large expenses, a huge to-do list, etc.) and not paying attention to the positives.  And, the positives FAR outweigh the negatives.  

I have a job.  A good job with a good boss with good benefits.  Sure, I wish I made more money (who doesn't?!), but at least I have a job that I like!  

I have four beautiful, wonderful pups.  They greet me every day when I come home from work. They snuggle with me while I watch Law & Order.  They are just happy to be near me.  It's a wonderful thing.  

I have a perfect partner.  He is absolutely wonderful.  Even when I'm in a crappy mood, he can make me feel better in an instant.  He is smart, funny, handsome, loving, and giving.  He is everything I could want in a partner.  Any time I see his face, I smile.  

Wouldn't seeing this face every day make you happy, too?  Too bad!  He's mine!  ;)  

I often think about how I don't think I could love this man any more than I already do. And then he does something that proves me wrong.  I apologize to all of my readers for how disgustingly in love I am.  I can't help it.  :)  

Rent's Due!

I work for a property management firm in Denver. We lease commercial spaces. I've said many times that I really love my job. However, that doesn't mean that it doesn't have its trials. Some of those trials are with people not paying rent. I understand that times are tough, but these people did sign a lease! In order to deal with the past-due accounts, I tend to try to get a giggle or two out the wonderful excuses that people make.

The most recent excuse that I have received for not paying rent on time is: "My rent is late because I was out of the office because I had hip surgery yesterday." Okay... rent is due on the first of the month. Today is the fifteenth. I don't see how being out of the office on the fourteenth of the month is going to prevent you from remembering to pay your rent 2 weeks before the surgery date.

The most common excuse is always: "I was out of the office." Were you out of the office for the entire MONTH? You know that your rent is always due on the first. ALWAYS. If you know you are going to be out of the office, make an effort to pay your rent before you leave. Or make an online payment. Where are you that you can't get to a computer???

I love the "it must have gotten lost in the mail" excuses. Why? Because the post office stamps the date the check was mailed right on the envelope. So, I doubt that it is a coincidence that the day I call you to remind you that your rent is late is the date that the post office stamped on the envelope. I'm not an idiot.

The honest answer usually makes me feel bad. The "I didn't have the money" answer is kind of depressing, but at the same time, what am I supposed to do? If they don't pay their rent, I'm out of job. And then I can't pay MY rent. If you can't pay your rent, you need to surrender your keys and vacate your suite so that we can at least try to rent the suite out to someone else. Don't be a pain in the @ss. Why make your landlord feel bad for trying to get the money that YOU agreed to pay? I just have to laugh at the people who get angry when you evict them after they don't pay rent for 4 or 5 months. What did they think was going to happen??

Gah! Some of the people drive me crazy. But, at least they keep me on my toes!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Days 1-4

So, I've been meaning to start this, but when I go to my blog, I blog about something else and then completely forget about it. Well, I remembered today, so here goes!

I want to participate in the 30 days of Thanksgiving. Obviously, I'm a few days behind. I'm just going to combine my posts for days one through four right here so that I can save time and space!

November 1: I am thankful for my wonderful fiancé. He truly is everything I had hoped for in a mate. He is caring and thoughtful. He loves our four wonderful pups (I came into the relationship with more than just emotional baggage). He took to them as if they had always been his. He's even gentle and understanding with our "special" pup, Jippy (he's not really the brightest dog, but he's definitely full of love and eager to please). He is content. It takes so little to please him. I simply have to be myself. That is a wonderful feeling. He's nerdy and cute. :) He's hardworking and supportive. He is perfect.

November 2: I am thankful for my four beautiful pups. I don't know what I would do without them. They bring joy to my life every day. They are hilarious and cute. They are also loving and attentive (if I cry, all four of them want to give me kisses until I can't help but laugh). They truly care about me. They know when I have a bad day and they are there to make it better. They are so easy to please. They just want attention. Hell, the best present for them is the empty toilet paper roll (seriously, they play with it until it's in shreds on the floor).

They are all different and unique, and I love them all for different reasons. Jack is my buddy. He wants to be everywhere that I am. He loves to cuddle, but he also loves to play. He's the most "human" of the four.

Cody is my protector (as well as the protector of the other three pups). He is the most attentive to my feelings. He will sit with me with his head on my lap and just stare up at me until my heart melts. He is incredibly eager to please. He wants nothing more than for me to be happy (well, and for me to be with him).

Jippy is my "special" child. He is not the smartest pup, but he really does try. He wants to please me, he just gets confused easily. It is absolutely adorable. He is so full of energy and life. He can run for hours, but he still wants my love and affection. He needs me (not every person can handle Jippy's needs; I know from experience -- which is why I am so happy that Philip loves and understands him!). He makes me laugh. :)

Daly is my little girl. She is the most needy of the four. She constantly wants attention. She will shove the other three out of the way to get to my hand. She is silly. She is really sweet though. She will always remind me that she loves me (she makes me feel special because she doesn't love just anyone; she's actually afraid of new people). And, when she's feeling playful, she is CUTE. She can get the other dogs to play so easily. She is my adorable little girl. :)

November 3: I am thankful for my wonderful mother. She is there for me through thick and thin. When I need to vent, she is there to listen to the very end (putting in appropriate sounds to show disgust, of course :)). She may be hundreds of miles away, but she's still there for me. She is always supportive and understanding. She is sensitive just like me so when either one of us is upset, we can cry together and support each other. She spoils my pups rotten and I know that she will be a fantastic grandmother when Philip and I have human children, too. :) And, she makes me laugh. She's one of my best friends in the whole world. I am incredibly lucky to have her as my mother. :)

November 4: I am thankful for my job. I know this post may not seem as meaningful as the first three, but it is important to me (and I wanted to break up the "I'm thankful for my family" posts so that it doesn't just get repetitive -- no worries, family! I will get to the rest of you as well!). I know that I am lucky. Not only do I have a job that more than pays for my bills; I have a job that I really enjoy. My boss is wonderful and funny. My coworkers are hardworking and friendly. My job is not really that difficult, but it is fulfilling. I am fortunate to be able to say (finally!) that I really do love my job. For once, I don't dread going into work every day. I do really look forward to my weekends, but it's because I can't wait to actually see Philip; not because I can't stand the work week! I know that this makes me one of the lucky few.

90 Days!

My 90 days are officially up tomorrow (October 20th). I am so excited! I will get benefits (and possibly a review for a raise!). My health insurance will start on November 1st! The company covers up to $270 for health insurance. I am going on Philip's health insurance though, and using the $270 for dental insurance for both of us and also accident insurance through AFLAC. I am mostly just thrilled that I get benefits! :D

Also, I still really love my job. My boss is awesome. My coworkers are cool. The tenants can be a pain in the butt, but I find that I actually really like property management. :) I hope that I continue to enjoy it.

Actually, my boss is out of town tomorrow, so I get to show one of the suites in our building. It's pretty exciting! If they end up leasing the suite that I show them, I can get a part of the commission! Woot! :)

But, either way that goes, I'm just happy that I really and truly enjoy my job. It's been a fantastic change. Have I told you readers lately that I love Colorado? I still continue to be so happy that we made this move. It was an excellent decision! :D

Job Update

Yep. I made a great choice. :)

I really like my job. It's keeping me very busy, but there's no drama. I finished training yesterday. Today was my first day on my own. It went really well. No real problems. It's nice to work for someone who is laid back and not so completely high strung.

There's always something for me to do, but it's not really very stressful. I know that I don't have all of it down pat, but I think I'm doing pretty well for being at it for one week. Mandy, my trainer (and the woman whose place I took), will be back in on the 10th of the month to show me how to do the reconciliation and then again on the 18th to show me how to do billing (we only had one week for training and it didn't fall during either of the REALLY important parts of the month... haha). I don't think either of those will be terrible either.

And, I will have benefits (health insurance and 401K) starting on October 20th! How exciting! :D I've never had a job with benefits before.

Philip and I don't get to see a lot of each other, but we're surviving. At least with both of our jobs, the days seem to go by quickly. :) This week FLEW by. It's almost Friday already! And that means that I'll get to see Philip tomorrow night! Woo hoo! :) I plan on enjoying every second of that time (and the rest of my weekend). I hope all of you out there in blogger-land do so, too. :)

To All of the Negative Nancies Out There:

Stop being a pain in the bum. Life is short. Live it. Love it. Don't complain about it incessantly.

Don't get me wrong. Everyone has their down days. It's normal. I get down in the dumps and negative once in a while, too. But, every once in a while is different from every day. And, of course it's normal to be negative through a traumatic event. However, people who are just negative people really irritate me.

I'm sure that your life is not as bad as what you seem to think it is. I mean, I am incredibly happy. I love my life so much. It's incredible. I am happier than I've ever been. Everything has fallen into place since moving to Colorado. However, I know that if I really tried to be negative, I could be a Negative Nancy, too. Let's give that a try, shall we?

What is wrong with my life?

1. I have had allergy problems for the time I've been in Colorado. It's kept me up many a night; coughing until I can barely talk because my throat is so raw.
2. I won't get paid until August 6th. I am broke and the bills will probably just have to wait because I just don't have the money.
3. I only see Philip on Saturdays because our work schedules are completely different. He goes in to work when I am coming home from work. So, I see him when he comes home at around 2-3am when I sleepily tell him that I love him. Then, I see him before I leave in the morning. He sleepily tells me he loves me before I go to work.
4. It's been incredibly hot. I hate the heat. I got sunburned this past weekend. I'll probably get skin cancer.
5. The house we are renting required a LOT of yard work. Philip and I spent hours weeding and cleaning up the yard. It was hard work; especially since it has been so hot.
6. The job that I got is in property management. I've never worked in the field, so it's probably going to be a lot of work to learn all the new things.
7. I have had to switch from a night schedule to a day schedule because of my new job. I hate to be on a day schedule; I am a night person.
8. My dogs are sad that I have had to go back to work. I didn't get to live with them for several months, and now I only see them in the evenings.
9. The zombie apocalypse is coming. We are all doomed. (Related: I have Macaroni & Cheese... yeah, I know... not the best weapon.)

Now, let us go through and see the positive.

1. Yep, I've got allergies. However, I was able to go to the doctor for $45.00. She gave me lots of samples and I have my allergies under control. She said this year was a bad year for most people, so hopefully, I will not have any problems once my body adjusts (that's what happened when I moved to NC... I had allergies, but then I got used to the cooties and didn't have any problems after my first year).
   
2. It is sad that I won't get paid until August 6th, but luckily, I have a wonderful boyfriend who will help me get through until then. And, my kitchen is stocked and most of my bills aren't due until after that point anyway. :)
3. This is the one that is hardest to be positive about. I really do miss Philip. Our schedules are awful. However, I still do get to see him on Saturdays. And, they are wonderful Saturdays. :) Also, it should be less than a month and then Philip will have Fridays off again. So, then we will be able to spend Friday evenings together, too. :) Also, I have a job! How is that not good news?!
   
4. This one makes me laugh. I was just being dramatic. I do hate the heat, but the heat in Colorado is not unbearable. It's a dry heat. It is a thousand times more bearable than North Carolina. I love it! :) However, I still can't wait for autumn and winter! I did get sunburned, but not badly. Philip got burnt worse. But, he's a tough cookie. I'm sure he'll be fine. Besides, it just means that I rub him down with lotion; where's the negative there? ;)
5. That was no lie. It was a lot of work. But, it was incredibly rewarding. I feel like we have accomplished something. And, it also makes it feel more like home since we've done a lot of work on it ourselves. :) Also, I'm just glad that it hasn't been humid so that we could be outside in the heat without feeling like dying.
   
6. The job is new to me. I know how to do probably 60% of the job. But, the 40% that I don't know how to do is just an adventure. I love a good challenge. I probably won't have to worry about being bored for a long time. That is a wonderful thing! And, it's a new experience; something else to add to my list of skills. :)
7. I really do not like having to be a normal "day-person." I love the night. But, I have found a good job with benefits (after 90 days), and it's something that I think I'm going to like. It is a job that will help me benefit our household. And, it's motivating me to get even more stuff done. :)
8. It does make me sad that they are sad. However, I am just thrilled that I get to spend every day with them. I missed them so much while they were gone. Now, I get to come home to them every day, and I get to sleep with them every night. It is a wonderful thing. :)
9. Ummm... yeah, I'm not really sure how to turn that into a positive. We are all screwed. lol Wait! I've got it. I can learn new skills! Zombie killing skills! haha... yeah, that's it! And, ummm... I will get to learn how to wield strange and interesting new weapons. :) It's a real test of character. hahahaha I love my life.
   

So, as one can see, anything could really be a positive if you choose to see that side of it. So, please, Negative Nancies, take the time to appreciate what you've got instead of complaining about how your life is just awful. I'm sure you've got plenty of goodness in your life. So, live it and love it. :)

WAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOO :D

I had my first day of work with Dunn & Associates, Inc. today. It went really well. It was mostly spent cutting checks. I am used to that. I've used QuickBooks a lot.

I've had a bunch of people ask me what exactly I'll be doing. I am an executive assistant for a property management firm. I'll be doing accounts receivable, accounts payable, basic receptionist duties, other administrative tasks, and keeping up with work orders and such to keep the properties up to snuff for the tenants. :)

I haven't worked in property management before, so I do have a lot to learn, but I think that I am really going to like it. I think it will keep me very busy. And that is a VERY good thing. I hate to be bored. If I get bored at work, I start to dislike my job. I like to stay busy. And, I think this job will give me that. Plus, my boss seems very nice and it seems like a laid back office.

I am really excited about it. I am really feeling right at home here in Colorado. I love it. I can go outside, even when it's hot. There isn't the humidity like in North Carolina. The people here are really nice. We have a wonderful home. And, the dogs love it here, too. And, I've found a job that I think I'm going to like. Life is truly wonderful. :)

Good News! :D

Yesterday, I had an interview. It went very well. This morning, I got a call from the company. They offered me the job! :D I immediately accepted.

I liked the feel of the company yesterday. I think it's something that I could enjoy. It's small and my boss seems like a nice guy. :) I'll be working about 35 hours per week. I will have a comfortable pay range to start at, and in 90 days, I will have benefits! For the first time EVER!! :D I will have health, dental, and life insurance as well as 401K. I'm ecstatic! It is a good day.

So, today, I went into the office and filled out all the necessary paperwork. Then, I went and took the drug test. I hate drug testing. Not the idea of it. I don't really care. I've never done any drugs in my entire life (If you think about it, how could I? I am terrified of needles; smoking makes me sick; and I avoid taking pills unless it's absolutely necessary. I suppose I could snort whatever kind of drug people snort - haha - but that just doesn't sound pleasant. And, beyond that, I don't really want to be high. I'm high on life already -- :D).

I just hate having to pee in that cup. I'm a girl. It's not exactly simple for me to do. I am never sure if I should sit and try to hold the cup under me or if I should hover or some other way. It's just very strange for me. So, then I decide on a plan and then I can't do it. haha... even if I have to go, my bladder just refuses. I have to take deep breaths and remind my bladder that it doesn't have a choice. HAHA ;)

Anyway, I did finally pee in the cup. I haven't heard the results yet, but I think it's fair to say that I'm clean. :) I start tomorrow morning at 9 AM. I am excited, but nervous. It's been a while since I've had a job, but I know that I can do this job.

I think I did pretty well on this job search. I searched from Sunday to Friday. Got a call on Friday. Interviewed on Tuesday. Got a call back. Interviewed again on Wednesday. Made it to second choice. Back to the drawing board. Search some more for jobs Wednesday to Friday and then again on Sunday. Get a call on Monday. Interview on Tuesday. Get job offer on Wednesday. I think it was pretty quick. I am very lucky. :)

Now I just need to get my schedule back to normal. I've been on Philip's schedule since October of last year (he works nights). When I got the job offer this morning at 8, I had to get up and go into work. On about 3.5 hours of sleep. :S But, hopefully that means that I will sleep great tonight (I am exhausted!) and can wake up refreshed and ready for work tomorrow. Wish me luck! :D

Another interview tomorrow

Yep. I have another interview tomorrow. So far, this job search is going pretty well. I've had more bites than what I thought I would. A few got the immediate "No" because they were too far away, but I have had a few promising bites. I really wish that last interview would have panned out; it seemed perfect. However, I'm holding out hope that there is something better.

The interview I have for tomorrow is in Denver. I would have preferred something a little closer, but I'm used to the long drive to work, so it won't kill me. I just have my fingers crossed that it goes well. The job is as an executive administrative assistant. I've done it before. And, if I'm working for a company that I like, I really enjoy the job.

I've done a little searching on the website, and I think it's something that I could enjoy. I will know more tomorrow when I do the actual interview. I spoke with the interviewer on the phone and he seemed very pleasant, so I think it will be a good interview.

The job is only 35 hours per week. I'm not sure what the pay or benefits are for this job, but I'm up for whatever they want to throw at me, so we'll see. Wish me luck! :)

No dice :(

Well, my interview went really well. I got called back for a second interview. That one went even better. Still, no dice. I came up a little short. I was their second pick. The woman they chose had more a/p and a/r experience than I did. Oh, well. They said they'd hold onto my resume and if this woman didn't work out, they'd give me a call.

I'm not holding my breath. I was depressed for a while, but then I applied to a gazillion more jobs today. Last week, I applied to be a state trooper. I won't find out for a long time about that one, but I thought it sounded really cool. I think it's something that I'd actually like. I could have a job that I would like, a job that would still pay me a decent wage, and a job where I'd actually be making a difference. How cool would that be? Super cool. :)

Today, I mostly applied to office jobs... it's what I have experience in. However, I did apply to something that I don't have any experience in. A Correctional Officer at a prison. I was pretty psyched when I saw it. I applied immediately. Again, how cool would that be? I'm not sure which job would be cooler. My mom would probably flip a gasket if I got that job though. Dealing with criminals every day. But, seriously, a person could actually make a difference working in a prison.

Eh, I will just have to wait and see what happens. Wish me luck. :)

Life update! :)

I HAVE AN INTERVIEW TOMORROW! XD I am excited... but very nervous. It has been a very long time since I've had to do a job interview. However, I'm normally very good at interviews though, so I'm sure everything will be fine. :) It's an admin position with a small company in Henderson. It's not very far away from home. I've been applying to positions I've found on Craigslist. It was less than a week (they called on Friday) of applying before I got a callback, so that's a pretty good sign, right? :)

Also, I went to the doctor on Thursday for my cough. The doctor is convinced that it is just allergies. So, I'm on Singulair for now. It definitely helps. My cough is not nearly as severe. I only cough every now and then and my throat is feeling much better (it was sore from the cough). The doctor visit was only $45.00. Without insurance. And, she gave me a bunch of samples to take home. And, I didn't have an appointment, but I still only had to wait about 10-15 minutes. Normally, even when I have an appointment, it takes at least half an hour! I just went to the small clinic here in Keenesburg. You can bet that I won't be going anywhere else now! :)

I love Colorado. I love our house. I love the people. I love living with our dogs. I just love everything. I am so happy. It's disgusting. ;)

Life...

Ummm... so, yeah. Life. It's going on. lol

I don't have a whole lot to say. I'm still jobless. But, I love it. Not the not having a job part; the not having to go to a job that I hate part. I'm getting closer to figuring out what I want to do with my life. I can feel it. :) I feel great. I'm happy. I'm doing what I want. I'm broke, but that's just fine by me. It's really freeing actually. I don't know what I'm going to do or where I'm going to go, but I know it's going to be awesome.

I've realized that I've grown apart from most of the friends that I know here. It's sad in a way, but also, it's kind of freeing, too. No one expects anything of me. I have Philip and I've become very close to Brandon, but I've grown away from most everyone else. It's probably for the best since I plan to leave next summer... probably. lol... another uncertainty.

I'm ready to move forward. It's no secret that I'm pretty tired of North Carolina. I can't stand the summers. The heat is not my friend. And, I feel like I've found what I came here to find. I'm ready for something new. And luckily, so is Philip. Since he knows what he wants, I've told him to figure out where he wants to go to school and we will just move... Unless it's Florida. lol Fortunately, he doesn't want to live in Florida either. :)

Most likely, it will be Colorado. It's someplace we both want to go. But, that may be saved for later if he finds a school he really wants to go to. It doesn't matter to me. I'm ready for new people, new places, and new adventures. I have a gypsy soul and it's telling me it's coming close to time to move on.

Someone asked me the other day, "Aren't you scared?" The answer is yes. But that's not the question people should ask. If I never did anything I wasn't a little scared or nervous about, I wouldn't leave the house. I could die driving to the grocery store. I could fall down the stairs outside my apartment. Or, I could move someplace new and it could be awful. But, I'm not willing to give up all the awesome adventures I could be having for fear of something bad happening.

For all I know, I will move someplace new and I will not like the weather or I will have to work someplace I'm not thrilled about. Or, I could move someplace new and meet some of the best friends I could ever ask for or make the best memories of my life. I'm not ready to give up on the possibilities of those good things just because I'm nervous about the bad possibilities.

It's going to be awesome.

Life... and love.

I will be in Gatlinburg for the weekend. A long weekend. A FOUR DAY WEEKEND. Oh my goodness... I can't even express how excited I am about this weekend. My parents and my sister are coming down and we're going to go hiking, shopping, and white-water rafting. And Philip is coming with me. It doesn't get much better! :)

I found someone to take my job. I've been training her for just over a week now. It's going really well. I think she'll fit well... for at least a while. She can keep the guys in line... I hope. And she has no attachments to the family, so she shouldn't be torn in a million different directions. Also, she has lots of administrative experience and is used to dealing with bulls**t and having to babysit her bosses.

I have the most wonderful boyfriend in the world. Sometimes I think about Philip and wonder how I ever stayed with any other boyfriend. I mean, Philip is wonderful to me. He tells me that he only treats me the way that I deserve to be treated. Why did I put up with any less?? lol

The dogs. Always so much drama. Ugh. Hopefully I can figure out something to do with them. I don't want to find them new homes because they are MY babies. But, Joe makes things difficult a lot of the time.

Joe. I swear, things go up and down more than a rollercoaster. Some days I think he hates me and then the next day, things are peachy-keen and he wants to be friends. I hope that things will be different when I'm not working with him anymore. Then we will either have to be real friends or just completely go our separate ways.

Most of the time now, I wonder why we were together for so long. I don't mean that in a mean way. I just mean that now, I can't figure out what I saw in him. We are so VERY different. He drives me crazy for the most part. I still care for him, but sometimes I sit down and think about everything we went through and wonder how we made it as long as we did. The heart is a scary thing. I stayed with Joe through a lot of crappiness and unhappiness and gave everything I had to try to make the relationship work. But, I don't honestly know why. The only thing I can come up with is love. I loved Joe with every fiber of my being. But why were we in love? What made us fall in love? What made us stay in love? It wasn't what we had in common... we actually had/have very little in common. We mostly just had a mutual love for each other in common.

I used to think that was fine. I thought every relationship would require a lot of sacrifice and that being different made things interesting. What I didn't realize is that I was giving FAR too much of myself to the relationship and not getting nearly enough out of it. I'm a sucker for the underdog. Stray puppies, geeky teenagers, losing teams, or anything else that needs help... I get sucked in. I can't look away. I have to give what I can to help. That goes for relationships, too, apparently.

I have recently realized that my previous two boyfriends were sucking the life out of me. I gave everything to the relationships and had nothing left for myself. It's not a problem for me to be giving freely to a relationship but it's unhealthy if the partner is not reciprocating. It royally sucks to be taken for granted.

I think it's probably never going to sink in for Michael, but I think that Joe sees what went wrong with our relationship and what he needs to do differently to make a relationship work. And, I learned things from both of those relationships. It's just taking a while to sink in... ;) I can't let my partners walk all over me. I need a give and take relationship. Not just a give relationship. And, I can't let love make all my decisions for me. Love is not enough to keep a relationship alive. It requires work from both partners and for there to be some common ground. A relationship cannot work if only one person is in it.

Philip and I have been dating for almost 4 months. We have yet to have a single argument. I didn't know that was possible. Seriously. I honestly did not know what a healthy relationship was before now. I thought I did. And it scares me because I think there are probably lots of people out there who think they are in healthy relationships and they really aren't. And that makes me sad.

Philip is supportive and sweet and loving and thankful and generous and easy-going and wonderful. Ugh. I'm disgustingly in love with him. He makes it easy to be in a relationship. He wants me to be happy and I want him to be happy. And we make each other happy. And it's so effing wonderful... it's indescribable. I'm sure we disgust people. lol We just have a lot in common and have common goals and it's just SO EASY. How can it be so easy? I love it. :)

Long Time No Talk

Yeah, so... I've been busy.

I hate my job so much. I have just under a month to go. I've been trying to find someone to take my place. I put up an ad on craigslist. I was going to put up ads in the Charlotte Observer and the Gaston Gazette, but they were hundreds of dollars a piece and we received over 100 responses in the first day the ad was up on craigslist. It was insane. By the time I took the ad down, we had received over 250 resumes.

I thought it was kind of cool at first. I though, "Hey! I shouldn't have a problem finding someone to take my place with all of these people applying." I was so wrong. It took me about a week to narrow down the resumes. In the end, I came up with 23 people who were actually qualified and submitted a quality resume/cover letter. That's less than 10% who passed the first test. And I wasn't even THAT picky. I mean, after I found only a few in the first 100, I decided to lower my standards a bit.

I never knew that it was that hard to write a resume. I mean, with the internet, even if you don't know what to put, you should be able to look it up and find out pretty quickly. But, no. That's apparently too much to ask of a lot of people.

And, how hard is it to click Spell Check? AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I have never been so frustrated. Who submits a resume without reviewing it first? How bad could you really want the job if you aren't willing to put forth a tiny bit of effort to make it look professional?? The hard part was already done. You've got your resume all typed up. All you have to do is CLICK SPELL CHECK!!! Any resume that I found spelling errors automatically went into the "No" pile. They aren't worth my time. [Sidenote: this spelling error HURT me so badly -- expeerense. Not kidding. I wish I was.]

Another tip: ALWAYS include a cover letter with your resume. I thought this was common knowledge, but apparently it isn't. Also, "Hi. I'd like a job," is NOT an acceptable cover letter. Take some time. Put forth some effort. Your cover letter is the first thing I'm going to see about you. It should catch my attention. It should make you stand out so that I will remember you after I've gone through over 250 resumes. Sell yourself.

If you don't have the required experience or you don't fit the description of what someone wants from you, DO NOT APPLY. It's incredibly frustrating to put in an ad for a person with at least 2 years of experience in an administrative field and then get people who have never worked in admin submit resumes and WASTE my time.

It's okay to call to check on your resume. It shows initiative. It is not okay to call two or three times a day. It's excessive. And, I'll put you at the bottom even if you are most qualified because you are a royal pain in my ass. I said I'd get back to you by Tuesday. That means I'll get back to you by Tuesday. Leave me alone! Stalking doesn't make you more likely to get the job.

If you receive a notice that you are not going to be hired for the position, it is nice to send a thank you email or call to thank the person for letting you know. I had one person actually call and have a conversation and thank me for letting her know. She went back into the pile because she showed how professional and courteous she was and I also got to hear how she would sound to customers. It's inappropriate to call or email and tell the person hiring that they are crazy and pathetic and are going to be sorry or that it was their loss. It sounds petty and ridiculous. And it's a huge pain. And, if you ever had a chance of being reconsidered, you just lost it.

I hope that my frustration and pain can be of some service to you all in the future. Please, please, please do not make these mistakes when applying for a job. It's irritating and you will not succeed.

I'm ready to shoot myself in the foot and I haven't even made it to the interviews yet. Ugh. It's probably going to be painful. I'm going to scream if they don't show up wearing appropriate interview attire. Wish me luck... :S

School? Maybe...

So, I've been giving my current situation a lot of thought. I really dislike my current job. It's completely unfulfilling and a pain. Most people probably know that I've been struggling to decide what I'm actually going to do with my life. Well, a while back I figured out what I really want to do: be a stay at home mom. But, since that's still several years down the road, I figured I should probably find something else to do with my life until then. lol

Joe and I spoke recently and we both think it would be a good idea for me to leave my job. He doesn't want me to be miserable either. :) The problem with that is that there aren't really many jobs out there that will allow me to pay my bills and still eat. :S Joe suggested that I go back to school. The problem with that was that I didn't really know what I would go back for. I mean, didn't I already say that I don't know what I want to do with my life for the time being??

Well, I've given it a lot of thought, and I think I may be decided. I'd like to go back to get my degree in Therapeutic Massage. It's something completely different from what I'm doing now, I'd actually be helping people, I would be working with lots of different people, and it would actually pay the bills. There are multiple different programs that I could do. They could take anywhere from 2 semesters to 17 months.

Okay, now for the problem with this: How am I going to be able to pay for this and afford to live?? haha... that, my friends, is my current dilemma. It's time to sit down and do some serious figuring. It's probably going to require a lot of sacrifice... especially since I'm currently pretty spoiled (I've had quite a bit of extra income in recent months because I had a downgrade in rent/utilities... due to the fact that my apartment is tiny and craptastic).

If I went back to school, I would have an odd schedule during the day, which would mean that I would have to find a job working nights/weekends. That also sucks, because it's pretty much the only time I see Philip. Also, those jobs tend to pay crap. Yuck.

So, I'm pretty frightened of what may be to come, but I'm also really excited that I may actually be stepping in the right direction to find some meaning in my work/life. :)