So, this was one of those rare weeks where it feels like the planets were just properly aligned. I got the job, Kevin got a nice raise (and it's about time, he's been operating at a deficit for the past couple of years), my mammogram was clear and B's health has improved. Of course, there has to be a little cloud around every silver lining, so that would be B's grades, not much improved from a week ago; in English, actually declining.
I got the job!!! I cannot even believe it, the whole experience was like a dream. I had that feeling of stepping into the place where I belonged from the second I got out of my car for the first interview. I carried around a certain amount of guilt regarding the other job which I had accepted, but I was always honest with the second group of people. (Well, except I never actually admitted to having accepted the job but I'm sure it was implied; no employer waits two weeks for you to give an answer.) In all fairness (to me, none of this is fair to Job A) I wouldn't have been able to delay as long as I did if they hadn't had the ridiculous requirement of the physical, and then when I did that on a Monday, they told me to start the following Monday, which bought me the rest of the week and turned out to be exactly what I needed.
So, on my second interview with Job B, I met with the second potential boss and then the first came back in and said, "we would like to offer you the job." I was so excited! But it just got better and better. They do want me to work 9 to 5, I would have preferred earlier but that's fine, I won't complain. Then they sent me their benefits package and there are tons of vacation and sick days allocated, and that's not even counting regular holidays! (When do we work???) And they're sending me a proper offering letter which I am to sign one copy of and return ASAP! Imagine if Job A had done that, what a predicament I'd be in now. They want me to start in two weeks so they have time to set up my space and then I have to wait for someone who orients new employees to return from vacation. So I have two more weeks of unemployment and then I'll be gainfully employed. I'm really excited, hope I can perform up to expectations and that the job goes as smoothly as the process has so far. If it were up to me, I'd work here for the rest of my working life. Maybe we can move closer one day ;-) The train ride into NY has got to be pretty efficient from there.
I felt that my handling of the backing out of my verbal acceptance was cowardly but fair enough. I called as soon as I got home, but knowing that since it was after 5, I stood a slim chance of getting the HR woman. It was before 5:15, so I thought she might still pick up, but she didn't. So I left a message and explained that I had gotten another offer which financially I could not refuse, and then sent a follow-up email to make sure she got the news. I received no reply, but as I told a friend, I wouldn't have replied to me either. I would have slammed down the phone, cursed a few times and then started the process to make things right. Let's just hope I don't have to search for jobs ever again - that bridge has definitely been blown out of the water.
As for Kevin, they had their compensation meetings yesterday and he was quite pleased to learn that he was finally being rewarded for some of his efforts. He's been at this one and only job forever, which can work either for or against you. You never get huge leaps in salary by changing jobs for better pay, but you also have job security, especially when you've worked in every spot from the lowest to the spot where you bump your head repeatedly on the glass ceiling (that's where he is now and has been for years). But we are very happy to be able to breathe a little more easily about tuition payments, at least for this year and next. Beyond that - well we will see. A lot depends on grades and scores, possibly even more so than our college purchasing power.
And in other news, the foster failure is almost official. I can't return those poor cats. I guess everyone was right. Lilly is still very timid and hits the ground and cringes if she has forgotten to run in time and we go to pet her. Her ears flatten back and her entire body stiffens. But she no longer hisses, and she purrs like a motorboat when food is involved; sometimes she even purrs for play. So I know she's happy, she just can't fight the panic inside. Rosie is slowly forgiving me for chasing her around the house in an attempt to box her up with Lilly (who strangely, just viewed that as another of my entrapments, like when I capture her to pet her) but she hasn't come back 100%. Eventually I will have to capture them again, as I worry about Rosie's eye and want my own vet to have a look at it. It doesn't open and it oozes black gunk that I pick out every few days (she tolerates this, thank goodness). But it isn't bothering her so I'll let her relax and settle in for a while longer. And also save up for the visit!
Their biggest excitement today will be the arrival of M. They are planning a huge reception! (I think it mostly involves running under the couch...)
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
march madness
We have our own version of March madness going on here! It involves B and his schooling, the cats and their issues, and me and my job crisis.
B missed a week of school last week, after missing one day two weeks earlier. He had started to plummet grade wise which always makes me wonder what he is really doing when he says he is studying for hours. For now, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is appropriately chagrined, and will right the situation on his own. I don't know why, but it's always the third marking period when he takes these big stumbles.
The cats! I have still fallen into the category of Foster Failure but there is a big problem and it's cat pee. Someone has been expressing distaste and I'm not sure who. My prime suspect is my Puff, but nobody has been caught in the act, so it could just as easily be any of the rest. If a towel or article of clothing lands on the floor in the laundry room, it's peed on by morning. Same for clothes left out on the table in the dining room, or anything that happens to fall to the floor. Small area rugs are dwindling in numbers as I find them peed on and throw them out, and Abby is down to one new dog bed, which I ordered for her because it's off the ground and hopefully won't be viewed as a giant litterbox (as the cedar beds were seen by the offender). I scoop the boxes twice daily, and change weekly. I am at a loss. Video monitoring may be my next step!
And the job crisis. I have been offered one job and am supposed to start Monday. But another may give me an offer, and what do I do? I feel like a terrible slug but there's not much choice. The job that I might be offered is, no doubt about it, a better opportunity. It's a job I can stay in for the long term. It offers intellectual challenges and a larger paycheck. And, although both are equally lengthy travels for me, Job B is a less traffic-ridden route. Who would think that with all the trouble finding jobs that I have had, I'd end up in this situation? I had thought for a while that I would be lucky just to get one.
But perhaps that will be what happens. Job B has invited me back for a second interview today, and after that I hope I will clearly know their intentions. In fact, if they don't make these known by tomorrow, I will have to show up for Job A on Monday, or else relinquish it on the hopes that I will get B. One lesson I have learned is not to feel pressured to give an answer on the spot. My conversation when I got the offer replays in my head several times a day.
"Are you going to accept?"
"I probably will."
"You PROBABLY will?"
Cringe. She sounded so horrified that I said, "OK, I will!" But then she went over the low rate of pay, the length of the commute, and said that she wants me to be sure because she doesn't just want me to take the job and wait for something better to come along. Foreshadowing? But I do feel terrible, because it's been two weeks that they have been waiting for me to start (although much of this is due to their odd requirement that I have medical clearance before starting). The very next day after accepting, I got the email from Job B. I had hoped to have an answer early in the week but they are taking longer than that. I guess I should be happy it's happening this fast, as it took them six weeks to respond in the first place!
My dilemma now is - should an offer come through from B - is it OK to contact A through email with the news, or is a phone call a necessity? All my instincts tell me that the phone call is the right way to go. But my inner coward is horrified and can't imagine what to say. I'm trying not to worry too much about it just in case B turns out to be a washout.
And in other news, M will be home this weekend! We have a whirlwind of activities planned, including a trip to NYC before she leaves for a tropical vacation with a friend on Tuesday morning. Of course, if Job B doesn't pan out, Monday will be my first day at A. Added to last week's stress were my visit to the doctor, who, at 80, is hard of hearing and apparently of short term recall as well, as he asked me three times how old I was while he was checking my blood pressure, which was driven through the roof by this line of questioning while I was trying to keep my white coat hypertension in check. Eventually he left and charged the nurse with running an EKG on me, which, with him out of the room, was normal, so I was left to go home with my flip flopping heart and skyrocketing dia- and systolics. The next day I had an annual mammogram, and sweated out that as well. I spent the day hoping for no call from the mammography center and for a call from Job B. Neither happened.
B missed a week of school last week, after missing one day two weeks earlier. He had started to plummet grade wise which always makes me wonder what he is really doing when he says he is studying for hours. For now, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is appropriately chagrined, and will right the situation on his own. I don't know why, but it's always the third marking period when he takes these big stumbles.
The cats! I have still fallen into the category of Foster Failure but there is a big problem and it's cat pee. Someone has been expressing distaste and I'm not sure who. My prime suspect is my Puff, but nobody has been caught in the act, so it could just as easily be any of the rest. If a towel or article of clothing lands on the floor in the laundry room, it's peed on by morning. Same for clothes left out on the table in the dining room, or anything that happens to fall to the floor. Small area rugs are dwindling in numbers as I find them peed on and throw them out, and Abby is down to one new dog bed, which I ordered for her because it's off the ground and hopefully won't be viewed as a giant litterbox (as the cedar beds were seen by the offender). I scoop the boxes twice daily, and change weekly. I am at a loss. Video monitoring may be my next step!
And the job crisis. I have been offered one job and am supposed to start Monday. But another may give me an offer, and what do I do? I feel like a terrible slug but there's not much choice. The job that I might be offered is, no doubt about it, a better opportunity. It's a job I can stay in for the long term. It offers intellectual challenges and a larger paycheck. And, although both are equally lengthy travels for me, Job B is a less traffic-ridden route. Who would think that with all the trouble finding jobs that I have had, I'd end up in this situation? I had thought for a while that I would be lucky just to get one.
But perhaps that will be what happens. Job B has invited me back for a second interview today, and after that I hope I will clearly know their intentions. In fact, if they don't make these known by tomorrow, I will have to show up for Job A on Monday, or else relinquish it on the hopes that I will get B. One lesson I have learned is not to feel pressured to give an answer on the spot. My conversation when I got the offer replays in my head several times a day.
"Are you going to accept?"
"I probably will."
"You PROBABLY will?"
Cringe. She sounded so horrified that I said, "OK, I will!" But then she went over the low rate of pay, the length of the commute, and said that she wants me to be sure because she doesn't just want me to take the job and wait for something better to come along. Foreshadowing? But I do feel terrible, because it's been two weeks that they have been waiting for me to start (although much of this is due to their odd requirement that I have medical clearance before starting). The very next day after accepting, I got the email from Job B. I had hoped to have an answer early in the week but they are taking longer than that. I guess I should be happy it's happening this fast, as it took them six weeks to respond in the first place!
My dilemma now is - should an offer come through from B - is it OK to contact A through email with the news, or is a phone call a necessity? All my instincts tell me that the phone call is the right way to go. But my inner coward is horrified and can't imagine what to say. I'm trying not to worry too much about it just in case B turns out to be a washout.
And in other news, M will be home this weekend! We have a whirlwind of activities planned, including a trip to NYC before she leaves for a tropical vacation with a friend on Tuesday morning. Of course, if Job B doesn't pan out, Monday will be my first day at A. Added to last week's stress were my visit to the doctor, who, at 80, is hard of hearing and apparently of short term recall as well, as he asked me three times how old I was while he was checking my blood pressure, which was driven through the roof by this line of questioning while I was trying to keep my white coat hypertension in check. Eventually he left and charged the nurse with running an EKG on me, which, with him out of the room, was normal, so I was left to go home with my flip flopping heart and skyrocketing dia- and systolics. The next day I had an annual mammogram, and sweated out that as well. I spent the day hoping for no call from the mammography center and for a call from Job B. Neither happened.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
frazzled february!
Oh boy. As if the whole job thing isn't enough to keep my head spinning, now I have the foster kitties, and I am having a hard time taking them back. Yesterday, I tried. I gave them wet food around 5pm (they usually get it only in the morning) and easily trapped the little scared one in the dog crate with the bowls. But the other, my friend, my favorite, sensed something was up and she bolted! She hid under couches, I flipped them over, she hid under beds, I lured her out. Finally, I had her in my sights and tossed a towel over her and gathered up, trying to protect my already scraped and bloodied arms from further assault. She absolutely panicked, her heart was racing, she was meowing like a beast, and when she cleared the area, I saw she had wet herself as well! So I had to call off the operation, exactly at the moment that the little one escaped from the carrier anyway. So I have loosely promised myself to try again this morning but actually, I have other priorities today so time will tell.
B is sick. Sick as a dog. Sunday he treated himself for low fever (100) and a headache. Monday he woke up with a rip-roaring raging 103+ fever. Advil and tylenol barely brought it down to 101 before it spiked back up again. We've been fighting this pattern for two days now. He has a headache and his nose grows increasingly more congested. I'm going to call the doctor back today because I'm concerned that he didn't take enough antibiotic for the sinus infection that he had 2-3 weeks ago. He only took a ten day course and was still sniffling a little at the end. But she thought it was a virus and he'd have to ride it out. But I don't like this fever, not one bit.
So - the job. I have an offer. But I have to go to the doctor for clearance, and I couldn't get there until Monday. Meanwhile, I've had a couple of calls so I am going to meet with one company this afternoon. I had a sub job for yesterday and today but they ended up sending me home at noon and canceling tomorrow. They had also offered me Thursday and Friday - good thing I didn't take them because they would have canceled those too. That's a terrible way to treat people and no way to earn an income if you are reliant on it in any way. Thankfully, that will probably be my last day ever working in that capacity. It was a pleasant day surrounded by good kids and nice people. But that Principal should really have some refreshers in how to treat people, not as if they are disposable. Although I suppose, to her, the substitutes really are disposable.
And in other news, M's big meet starts tomorrow! Kevin will be going down tonight, but I have to see what is to come of the B issue, and also the cats. My concern is the litterboxes. The kitties do fit in with the rest of the menagerie and as far as expenses go - what's two more, right? But since we were reduced from four cats to three when Buddy died, the litterbox has been so much more manageable. Now, with five, it's worse than ever and someone apparently agrees, because they have been using inappropriate bathroom selections - and I don't think it's one of the fosters. Otherwise, my concern is B because of the sickness and the fact that I was worried about pulling him out of school for Thursday and Friday, but now he's done gone and missed Tuesday and Wednesday too! But I don't even know if he will be well enough to go in tomorrow anyway, and at that point, might as well just write off the whole week and bring him and his arsenal of fever-reducing meds down with us!
B is sick. Sick as a dog. Sunday he treated himself for low fever (100) and a headache. Monday he woke up with a rip-roaring raging 103+ fever. Advil and tylenol barely brought it down to 101 before it spiked back up again. We've been fighting this pattern for two days now. He has a headache and his nose grows increasingly more congested. I'm going to call the doctor back today because I'm concerned that he didn't take enough antibiotic for the sinus infection that he had 2-3 weeks ago. He only took a ten day course and was still sniffling a little at the end. But she thought it was a virus and he'd have to ride it out. But I don't like this fever, not one bit.
So - the job. I have an offer. But I have to go to the doctor for clearance, and I couldn't get there until Monday. Meanwhile, I've had a couple of calls so I am going to meet with one company this afternoon. I had a sub job for yesterday and today but they ended up sending me home at noon and canceling tomorrow. They had also offered me Thursday and Friday - good thing I didn't take them because they would have canceled those too. That's a terrible way to treat people and no way to earn an income if you are reliant on it in any way. Thankfully, that will probably be my last day ever working in that capacity. It was a pleasant day surrounded by good kids and nice people. But that Principal should really have some refreshers in how to treat people, not as if they are disposable. Although I suppose, to her, the substitutes really are disposable.
And in other news, M's big meet starts tomorrow! Kevin will be going down tonight, but I have to see what is to come of the B issue, and also the cats. My concern is the litterboxes. The kitties do fit in with the rest of the menagerie and as far as expenses go - what's two more, right? But since we were reduced from four cats to three when Buddy died, the litterbox has been so much more manageable. Now, with five, it's worse than ever and someone apparently agrees, because they have been using inappropriate bathroom selections - and I don't think it's one of the fosters. Otherwise, my concern is B because of the sickness and the fact that I was worried about pulling him out of school for Thursday and Friday, but now he's done gone and missed Tuesday and Wednesday too! But I don't even know if he will be well enough to go in tomorrow anyway, and at that point, might as well just write off the whole week and bring him and his arsenal of fever-reducing meds down with us!
Monday, February 13, 2012
hanging on
Well, good news! I'm not going to ramble on about the sadness of my so called job search for this blog. I'm just going to say that all is still the same!
Anyway, I'm home today because I have a meeting this afternoon at B's school to discuss the college search and application process. This should be interesting because this was not a service offered by the public high school, and it isn't one which I'm sure I need to utilize. Nevertheless, off I am set to go and just in the nick of time, as B is experiencing his traditional third quarter slump. His SAT scores should be available at the end of this week, and that information, combined with what I learn today, will help us plan our first real round of college visits. We have one scheduled for Monday at one of the state schools, and if I don't work Friday, we'll hit up another one or two then.
The 'big' news for M is that next week is her conference championship meet. We have the hotel booked but still haven't been told if we are going to be able to get in to watch. I'm not too bothered by this personally, as I also don't have a backup plan for B and the dogs so will probably have to go late to the meet anyway (as usual). Also with having these two extra cats it's not really ok to just leave the litterboxes for a few days (or a few hours at this rate ... sigh). Also, M is missing quite a bit of instruction and examination, which is alarming. I think this is one of the biggest downfalls of being a student-athlete. The practice time is something to which you have to adapt - but being pulled out of class for events is the worst.
And speaking of the pets - they are still hanging in here. I would love to have them find homes. I like them OK, despite their standoffishness, but they are just too many. If only I could figure out how to train them to use the toilet! And someone has been peeing outside of the box, and on the dog bed. Poor Abby is now down to no bed at all. So she decided she would sleep on ours! This morning, I ordered one of the camp cots for dogs. This way if it gets peed on, I can just clean it - she'll sleep on a comforter on top of it instead of a cedar dog bed that's ruined by a urinator. We've thrown out about four of them in the past few months. This went on even before the baby cats arrived.
And in other news, our house was egged over the weekend! We don't know if it was personal, maybe someone who knows B, as they're in the right age group for such antics. The majority of the slime covered his window; there was just one egg that dripped across the frame to the dining room and smeared its windows. Several drives around the blocks revealed two other crime scenes, and Kevin found an uprooted mailbox with a name and house number that were unfamiliar to this neighborhood. So we will probably never know the story. As for the parkers, they continue to park. One neighbor did speak to the one on the street the other day, but it turned out she just asked him not to park at the end of her driveway, which sent him further down the road. At least it gave me the opportunity to explain their presence. She doesn't mind them, but she has four kids of her own and the youngest just got her permit. However, it's not her yard that they're accessing to get to the school!
Anyway, I'm home today because I have a meeting this afternoon at B's school to discuss the college search and application process. This should be interesting because this was not a service offered by the public high school, and it isn't one which I'm sure I need to utilize. Nevertheless, off I am set to go and just in the nick of time, as B is experiencing his traditional third quarter slump. His SAT scores should be available at the end of this week, and that information, combined with what I learn today, will help us plan our first real round of college visits. We have one scheduled for Monday at one of the state schools, and if I don't work Friday, we'll hit up another one or two then.
The 'big' news for M is that next week is her conference championship meet. We have the hotel booked but still haven't been told if we are going to be able to get in to watch. I'm not too bothered by this personally, as I also don't have a backup plan for B and the dogs so will probably have to go late to the meet anyway (as usual). Also with having these two extra cats it's not really ok to just leave the litterboxes for a few days (or a few hours at this rate ... sigh). Also, M is missing quite a bit of instruction and examination, which is alarming. I think this is one of the biggest downfalls of being a student-athlete. The practice time is something to which you have to adapt - but being pulled out of class for events is the worst.
And speaking of the pets - they are still hanging in here. I would love to have them find homes. I like them OK, despite their standoffishness, but they are just too many. If only I could figure out how to train them to use the toilet! And someone has been peeing outside of the box, and on the dog bed. Poor Abby is now down to no bed at all. So she decided she would sleep on ours! This morning, I ordered one of the camp cots for dogs. This way if it gets peed on, I can just clean it - she'll sleep on a comforter on top of it instead of a cedar dog bed that's ruined by a urinator. We've thrown out about four of them in the past few months. This went on even before the baby cats arrived.
And in other news, our house was egged over the weekend! We don't know if it was personal, maybe someone who knows B, as they're in the right age group for such antics. The majority of the slime covered his window; there was just one egg that dripped across the frame to the dining room and smeared its windows. Several drives around the blocks revealed two other crime scenes, and Kevin found an uprooted mailbox with a name and house number that were unfamiliar to this neighborhood. So we will probably never know the story. As for the parkers, they continue to park. One neighbor did speak to the one on the street the other day, but it turned out she just asked him not to park at the end of her driveway, which sent him further down the road. At least it gave me the opportunity to explain their presence. She doesn't mind them, but she has four kids of her own and the youngest just got her permit. However, it's not her yard that they're accessing to get to the school!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
parking wars
It's snowing! B is disappointed because it's not sticking to roads or even driveways and probably will not. It looks very pretty on the trees though, and on the lawn. Abby is excited to run in it although it's not that exciting when your paws sink to the frozen grass. Wilbur came right back inside! Luckily we had a nice long walk this morning.
So the job front festers. I had a (very long) interview yesterday but don't expect to hear anything for a couple of weeks. I also sent out several resumes but, as always, don't expect to hear much from them either. Even the sub jobs have dried up. I would have liked to work tomorrow, but I like to have the jobs lined up ahead of time so I know where I'm going and it ain't looking good for that.
Speaking of school - what a quandary. As most know, B walks to school. He has to cross a neighbor's private driveway and yard, for which he asked and was granted permission in the beginning of his high school career. The school provides parking for seniors and some juniors, but it's limited for the juniors. So as they begin to get their licenses, they try to find creative parking alternatives so that they can avoid being bused or driven by parents. One such new driver is in B's classes and discussed this issue, I suspect opportunistically, with B. B, ever the nice guy, offered the kid to park in front of our house. I told him that this might annoy the neighbors, but it would be OK if one car parked in our driveway.
The kid showed up the next day and the day after BUT ... the following day so did another car! And the car parked (of course) in the street. Then that kid brought another kid with him! So now instead of just B, we have THREE additional kids walking across the neighbor's yard to get to the school. Although I suppose technically we don't even have the right to offer the one, I guess I figured as long as he was in our driveway it wouldn't be a big deal. But now this other kid is coming every day, sometimes with his passenger. And the worst is that when B asked the first kid about it, he denied knowing who it was! And then when pressed (after I saw the three of them walking through the woods together) he said that the kid just "followed him."
I'm not too happy. B is worried that there will be repercussions if I say anything (for example, to the Principal at one of our monthly club meetings, which he always attends) so I'm trying to remain calm. I am sure that the school discourages this practice or we would have these parkers every year. Once we had one, and it lasted about a week before someone stuck a note on the car and he never came back. A friend of mine said she would take the cowardly way out and stick one on and not mention it to B. But we will see. I'd like to tell the kid - tell your friend to stop coming or you can park in the street too! It's legal to park there, but not to cross through the yards.
A lesson learned at PTA meetings: sit on your hands when they ask for volunteers. And don't open your mouth when someone says they have nowhere to park!
And in other news, the foster cats are now listed on the shelter's main page as adoptable. So maybe someone will call for them. Meanwhile, they can stay here for a bit longer. I really love the one, she has a great personality and it isn't like she is indiscriminate. It took her a month to warm up, so you know she means it. And they both come around often, even the shy one. And they're completely fearless of the dogs. They really settled right in.
So the job front festers. I had a (very long) interview yesterday but don't expect to hear anything for a couple of weeks. I also sent out several resumes but, as always, don't expect to hear much from them either. Even the sub jobs have dried up. I would have liked to work tomorrow, but I like to have the jobs lined up ahead of time so I know where I'm going and it ain't looking good for that.
Speaking of school - what a quandary. As most know, B walks to school. He has to cross a neighbor's private driveway and yard, for which he asked and was granted permission in the beginning of his high school career. The school provides parking for seniors and some juniors, but it's limited for the juniors. So as they begin to get their licenses, they try to find creative parking alternatives so that they can avoid being bused or driven by parents. One such new driver is in B's classes and discussed this issue, I suspect opportunistically, with B. B, ever the nice guy, offered the kid to park in front of our house. I told him that this might annoy the neighbors, but it would be OK if one car parked in our driveway.
The kid showed up the next day and the day after BUT ... the following day so did another car! And the car parked (of course) in the street. Then that kid brought another kid with him! So now instead of just B, we have THREE additional kids walking across the neighbor's yard to get to the school. Although I suppose technically we don't even have the right to offer the one, I guess I figured as long as he was in our driveway it wouldn't be a big deal. But now this other kid is coming every day, sometimes with his passenger. And the worst is that when B asked the first kid about it, he denied knowing who it was! And then when pressed (after I saw the three of them walking through the woods together) he said that the kid just "followed him."
I'm not too happy. B is worried that there will be repercussions if I say anything (for example, to the Principal at one of our monthly club meetings, which he always attends) so I'm trying to remain calm. I am sure that the school discourages this practice or we would have these parkers every year. Once we had one, and it lasted about a week before someone stuck a note on the car and he never came back. A friend of mine said she would take the cowardly way out and stick one on and not mention it to B. But we will see. I'd like to tell the kid - tell your friend to stop coming or you can park in the street too! It's legal to park there, but not to cross through the yards.
A lesson learned at PTA meetings: sit on your hands when they ask for volunteers. And don't open your mouth when someone says they have nowhere to park!
And in other news, the foster cats are now listed on the shelter's main page as adoptable. So maybe someone will call for them. Meanwhile, they can stay here for a bit longer. I really love the one, she has a great personality and it isn't like she is indiscriminate. It took her a month to warm up, so you know she means it. And they both come around often, even the shy one. And they're completely fearless of the dogs. They really settled right in.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
back to square one
Yep that's the story of my life these days: the more things change, the more they stay the same. Here I sit, in a house full of cats and dogs, worrying about my hair, and without the prospect of finding work. It would seem that the temp position is not going to pan out after all. I'm being passed over for a younger, cheaper (and probably better-looking!) in-house version. But it's really not that heartbreaking because although I enjoyed getting up and putting on outfits and feeling employed, this was an incredibly boring job. I didn't really do anything all day long. I'm sure the actual person does more than a temp, but I read through every file I could find, but physical and electronic, and couldn't really find much evidence of anything requiring too much effort. So in that respect, I won't complain.
On the other hand, it's a blow to the ego. And another 'headhunter' responded to my resume and spoke to me on the phone. She, as many others, is in the city and wants to meet me. But she was forward enough to say that she doesn't want me to come in just to see her. But she also said that it would be better if my background had been in fixed income instead of, er er, what was it again? That annoyed me so I said well, it was asset management, and in fact, it WAS fixed income. So I don't know if I'll bother to go and see her. I actually only sent the resume by mistake, I didn't realize until too late that she wasn't the actual company placing the ad.
As for my hair, I finally got myself in and used my Groupon for the hair straightening. It looked ok, although a little TOO straight and greasy. But then someone told me they saw a TV show on the perils of keratin and I googled and threw myself into a panic! This woman who discounted the treatment so steeply surely doesn't use a safer formulation! Although, she didn't seem too concerned about protecting even herself during the application. As soon as I read that, I washed my hair, even though it was 12 hours too soon. It still feels kind of coated and straight so I imagine my head is still filled with formaldehyde. I guess the best I can do for now is wash it on a regular schedule and never do it again!! I did have burning eyes and a burning head, but that had begun strangely the morning of the treatment, so I know that it was caused by something else.
The little cats are starting to take over the house and I really have to think about getting them back to the shelter. It's such a Catch-22. You're supposed to make them more endearing to people so people will want to adopt them, but then they start to grow on you and you don't want to give them back! I'd like to time it so they go right into a good situation (not a smelly scary cage in the back but one of the nice digs up front where people can see them) and right out into a home. I guess this week I'll speak to the shelter about it. Five cats is just too many and they're tearing up everything! Plus, Wilbur keeps eating their kitten food.
And in other news, B got his midterm results back and, while better than past years, a couple of grades were disappointing. I always hope that he will learn from these experiences, but still, time after time, there he is locked in his room for a week before, trying to cram everything in that he should have been outlining and studying all along. He's also taking the SATs this weekend - going in sort of blindly because he had to study for midterms and didn't have time to prep, but I just wanted to know his true starting point. We're going to have to pay for one of those pricey prep places, so I'd like to know just how much improvement needs to be made, and in which areas.
As for me, I guess it's back to resume-bombing the job sites. The postings have been slow lately, which is a bit alarming. I took a sub job yesterday, figuring I've already blown the unemployment with the temp job; I'm not sure if I will have trouble extending benefits if I haven't found anything by 26 weeks. I had a nice day at the school. It's hard work trying to get an obstinate kindergartener to forsake fire trucks in favor of a math worksheet, but it's also a good environment and I received a warm welcome from all, so it was nice to feel appreciated. I'll keep an eye out for more jobs...in fact this same one should be posted regularly, but it requires ninja-job-snatching abilities to snare it; not sure how I got it in the first place, just a fluke, I guess! I'm beginning to regret taking the two week temp job, although it will help pay the Christmas bills. But had I not, I think I would have been offered a part time insurance job, and I would have had flexibility and income - albeit meager.
On the other hand, it's a blow to the ego. And another 'headhunter' responded to my resume and spoke to me on the phone. She, as many others, is in the city and wants to meet me. But she was forward enough to say that she doesn't want me to come in just to see her. But she also said that it would be better if my background had been in fixed income instead of, er er, what was it again? That annoyed me so I said well, it was asset management, and in fact, it WAS fixed income. So I don't know if I'll bother to go and see her. I actually only sent the resume by mistake, I didn't realize until too late that she wasn't the actual company placing the ad.
As for my hair, I finally got myself in and used my Groupon for the hair straightening. It looked ok, although a little TOO straight and greasy. But then someone told me they saw a TV show on the perils of keratin and I googled and threw myself into a panic! This woman who discounted the treatment so steeply surely doesn't use a safer formulation! Although, she didn't seem too concerned about protecting even herself during the application. As soon as I read that, I washed my hair, even though it was 12 hours too soon. It still feels kind of coated and straight so I imagine my head is still filled with formaldehyde. I guess the best I can do for now is wash it on a regular schedule and never do it again!! I did have burning eyes and a burning head, but that had begun strangely the morning of the treatment, so I know that it was caused by something else.
The little cats are starting to take over the house and I really have to think about getting them back to the shelter. It's such a Catch-22. You're supposed to make them more endearing to people so people will want to adopt them, but then they start to grow on you and you don't want to give them back! I'd like to time it so they go right into a good situation (not a smelly scary cage in the back but one of the nice digs up front where people can see them) and right out into a home. I guess this week I'll speak to the shelter about it. Five cats is just too many and they're tearing up everything! Plus, Wilbur keeps eating their kitten food.
And in other news, B got his midterm results back and, while better than past years, a couple of grades were disappointing. I always hope that he will learn from these experiences, but still, time after time, there he is locked in his room for a week before, trying to cram everything in that he should have been outlining and studying all along. He's also taking the SATs this weekend - going in sort of blindly because he had to study for midterms and didn't have time to prep, but I just wanted to know his true starting point. We're going to have to pay for one of those pricey prep places, so I'd like to know just how much improvement needs to be made, and in which areas.
As for me, I guess it's back to resume-bombing the job sites. The postings have been slow lately, which is a bit alarming. I took a sub job yesterday, figuring I've already blown the unemployment with the temp job; I'm not sure if I will have trouble extending benefits if I haven't found anything by 26 weeks. I had a nice day at the school. It's hard work trying to get an obstinate kindergartener to forsake fire trucks in favor of a math worksheet, but it's also a good environment and I received a warm welcome from all, so it was nice to feel appreciated. I'll keep an eye out for more jobs...in fact this same one should be posted regularly, but it requires ninja-job-snatching abilities to snare it; not sure how I got it in the first place, just a fluke, I guess! I'm beginning to regret taking the two week temp job, although it will help pay the Christmas bills. But had I not, I think I would have been offered a part time insurance job, and I would have had flexibility and income - albeit meager.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
2012, here i come
So the official start to my year is tomorrow. My two week temp job begins! I will be working true full time hours for the first time since before B was born, so over 16 years! Luckily I was somewhat broken in with my 36 hour work weeks, but even that ended at the end of October. So I am a little nervous and a little excited. I hope that it works out and there will be the potential to turn this into a permanent position, but I don't really want to say anything and jinx any likelihood!
Also back to 2012 tomorrow is M. Back from their training trip in places warm and exotic, the team is settled into their dorms and ready to start classes tomorrow! We will head down to watch a meet next weekend, and after that we don't expect to see her until spring break in March. She did finish out the last semester with a reasonably impressive GPA although the shock of anatomy and one of the other speech curriculum courses kept her off the Dean's List by a fraction of a percentage. And we thought that only happened in the pool!
B is winding down the first half of the year and allegedly studying hard for finals. His GPA remains in satisfactory standing but he's had a few stumbles recently and he needs to get himself back on track. Unfortunately, the mock trial competition in which he had been assigned a part falls on days 1 and 2 of his three days of midterms, so he's probably going to back out of the competition. I think he could probably swing it, but I can't force him and he is not historically one for efficient time management, so if he feels he needs those evenings to cram, he will have to use them. His favorite school club is stage crew anyway, so he'll probably just stick with that; they just started preparing for the musical.
And Kevin is, as usual, status quo. He just completed his own staff reviews and now awaits news of the new year's compensation. Hopefully the news will be good; he just passed by in the hall on his way to complete the FAFSA!
And in other news, the baby cats remain. The less shy one with the one eye is having a ball. She gets a little skittish but I think she is more independent (and also partly blind) than she is being unfriendly. The other is still pretty scared and anti-human, but she is appreciative of her meals. Unfortunately they don't seem to agree with her delicate constitution lately so I'm going to have to rethink her diet. They've had a much broader run of the house the past couple of days with long periods of time loose in the family room. I think the older of the two has developed a crush on our Rusty, and it may not be unrequited!
Also back to 2012 tomorrow is M. Back from their training trip in places warm and exotic, the team is settled into their dorms and ready to start classes tomorrow! We will head down to watch a meet next weekend, and after that we don't expect to see her until spring break in March. She did finish out the last semester with a reasonably impressive GPA although the shock of anatomy and one of the other speech curriculum courses kept her off the Dean's List by a fraction of a percentage. And we thought that only happened in the pool!
B is winding down the first half of the year and allegedly studying hard for finals. His GPA remains in satisfactory standing but he's had a few stumbles recently and he needs to get himself back on track. Unfortunately, the mock trial competition in which he had been assigned a part falls on days 1 and 2 of his three days of midterms, so he's probably going to back out of the competition. I think he could probably swing it, but I can't force him and he is not historically one for efficient time management, so if he feels he needs those evenings to cram, he will have to use them. His favorite school club is stage crew anyway, so he'll probably just stick with that; they just started preparing for the musical.
And Kevin is, as usual, status quo. He just completed his own staff reviews and now awaits news of the new year's compensation. Hopefully the news will be good; he just passed by in the hall on his way to complete the FAFSA!
And in other news, the baby cats remain. The less shy one with the one eye is having a ball. She gets a little skittish but I think she is more independent (and also partly blind) than she is being unfriendly. The other is still pretty scared and anti-human, but she is appreciative of her meals. Unfortunately they don't seem to agree with her delicate constitution lately so I'm going to have to rethink her diet. They've had a much broader run of the house the past couple of days with long periods of time loose in the family room. I think the older of the two has developed a crush on our Rusty, and it may not be unrequited!
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