((((((( Ten on Tuesday Update: 10 Things You Like About Your Job )))))))

Well, since I'm not gainfully employed yet, my ten things may not be like most others...

1. The good morning hugs and kisses I get from my subordinates (ages 10 & 6)
2. Home made meals at lunch time
3. Working in my night shirt
4. Routine duties can be done in 2 hrs (they are not always done in that time, but they can be)
5. Hugs and kisses from subordinates when they return from their "field" work (school)
6. Hugs and kisses from supervisor (or co-leader) when he arrives from his field work. (And no disciplinary action when all the jobs are not done at the end of the day.)
7. very little filing (when compared to my last job)
8. walks at my leisure, breaks when I choose to take them,
9. fringe benefits!!
10. My hobbies are included in my job description (sewing, reading, baking, cooking, scrapbooking, photography, piano playing, blog writing, crocheting, teaching my subordinates the same job duties/hobbies)

That is some great job!!

There is a lot to tell about this past week of days, but since I'm, vacationing in Lake Tahoe, my next news may have to be tomorrow's or later post..

10 Things You Don't Like About Your Job

Well—right now, I'm a stay at home mom…so, it's a challenge to come up with 10. But here are the things I like the least about my job:

 

1. Continually picking up after everybody else
   
2. Dishes—I don't mind washing them so much—it's putting them away that, well, just say I wish that a mechanism could be invented to wash, dry and store the dishes all in one fell swoop.
   
3. Dusting. It's the one job that I feel is never complete. I can dust the whole house and by the time I've done it, my starting place is already dusty again.\
   
4. Cleaning my patio. It's enclosed but the wind and dirt come in, especially when the gardener blows the dirt around in the back yard.
   
5. Laundry. It is never done, no matter what. It's unappreciated, too. Plus, the stains, marker marks, and food get harder and harder for me to remove from the fabrics.
   
6. Clutter.
   
7. Maintenance of the house—stucco, paint, flooring—I just want it to regenerate and update itself automatically.
   
8. The number at the end of the electric bills.
   
9. Filing
   
10. Coupons—I like the money they save; I don't like the time it takes to go through them, then finding out the I only have coupons for food/items our family doesn't use.
    

What about you?

Nearly Maybe Jump for Joy Time

No, we are not employed--yet.

However, we each received a phone call today that gave both of us hope.

First, Scott's call:  Boeing called and asked him in for an interview TODAY!! Evidently one of his buddies wrote an email to HR saying that Scott had interviews with other companies and they'd better put a little flame under their seats and talk to Scott.  It's nice to have friends... So, in about 20 minutes, Scott will go to his interview at Boeing. 15 minutes away! Getting home before dark!! A 15-minute commute!! Benefits!!  But I get ahead of myself.  I am so hopeful they beg him to "come home."

Now, enough about him (giggle).

One very important side note: my gratitude abounds for you and your encouragement this week.  I'm not sure I would have got through the week without you.  Once again you've held me up by my elbows and walked me through the hard parts.

Another pleasing side bar: I'm wearing a dress that 2 years ago would not go over my head, let alone my shoulders and waist! In fact, I'd forgotten I had it.  I was so hot this afternoon that I could not keep my slacks on, so I looked in my closet and found this cute little (in my mind anyway) sleeveless dress.  I'm thinner!!! Yippee!

Now is the hopeful/good part. I received a phone call from a mom at the girls' school.  She's going to cover for me and cater the Teachers' back to school breakfast on 9/1, the Friday before school begins.  She called this morning, and we talked about what she'd need for the breakfast. During the course of the conversation, she mentioned her neighbor telling her that everyone at school "loves" me! I never knew.  She said that everyone she mentions my name to tells her that I'm such a nice person and that it's nice that I'm such a willing volunteer.  (BIG frikn GRIN!!)

THEN,  she says, "by the way, my husband wanted me to get a message to you."  (I'm thinking hmm.) The mom just happens to be the mayor's wife. The mayor I talked with at the "grand re-opening" of the Parks and Recs department.  The mayor to whom the Parks & Rec Dept Head reports.  The Dept Head who did not hire me for the Exec. Secretary position. The mom said that Phil (the mayor) remembered me speaking to him and asking about Laura (the Dept Head), and had spoken to Laura asking her if I got hired for the ES job.  She said no.  No I do not know how the conversation went exactly (duh), but Marisol the mom, told me that Laura wanted Phil to be sure and tell me to apply for TWO other openings that came open since I interviewed.  She said that I "interviewed very well" and she is very interested in talking to me about one of these other two jobs!!!! Izzat cool or what?!?!?!?!! 

The Parks & Rec office is four somewhat long-ish blocks away from my house!!!  I could walk to work!! We'd only need one car! I'd get paid!! Not a lot, but counting the bennies, it'd be great!  Plus, once I got in, I could give the new Exec Secretary the Evil Eye so she'd quit and I could get that job! (Nah, not really--evil grin)

Plus, I have a second interview next Tuesday with Cal State Long Beach for the Center for International Trade and Transport Assistant. The acronym for this department at the school is incredible: CSULBUCESCITT (kind of a mixed up "Club Blue Skit).

Additionally, I have a first interview with the company that needs a work from home person doing contract fulfillment and sales support. It sounds like fun, a lot of phone work (I've been told I give "good phone."), and basic record keeping and tracking.

All three positions pay the same, and have similar benefits. "Club Blue Skit" has the added benefit of a tuition waiver for things like, well, Master's degrees!!! But it is 10 times farther away from home (giggle—it's 10 miles away from home). The city has a generous tuition reimbursement program, and I'll have to check on the other company's benefits. Too funny.

So that's the story…what a week, eh?!?!

Again, thank you for your prayers, good thoughts, candles, incense.  Perhaps they are working after all!

Appreciation Post

#1..Friends and Family. You have certainly helped us through our 3/4 year of unemployment. From encouragement to food, and even new school clothes for both the girls, we are overflowing with wealth, whether there is money in the bank or not. Thank you all!

#2..The interviews are beginning. Calls are coming in! There's hope for re-employment after all!!

#3..The weather hasn't been extremely hot here in southern California, so we haven't needed our air conditioning yet this summer.

Ok, now on to another application.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Websites You Like

Snopes.com--required for everyone who even thinks of passing along jokes/stories/safety tips/etc.

Red Envelope--yummy eye candy window shopping

Patti Bakes---just look and you'll salivate.

Target --money to spend? Look here and have it shipped home!

Salon--bitey, witty news articles with thought provoking opinions

Eiffel Tower Web Cam Live coverage of Le Tour Eiffel, refreshed every minute or so

Daily Shakespearean Insult -- Today's: "Thou warped flap-mouthed codpiece!"

Daily Jon Stewart Quote -- Today's: "We declared war on terror - it’s not even a noun, so, good luck. After we defeat it, I’m sure we’ll take on that bastard ennui."

and of course, Our Favorite... Last But Not Least

The Daily Puppy -- For a little bit of sweet (Today is cutie pie Nick, the Maltese)

Sarah and Emily have grown so very much over the summer--none of Sarah's clothes fit her a couple of weeks ago, so there was an "emergency" trip to Target and Old Navy to see if we could get her some new things. I made her a pair of capris with a matching top. I don't like the way the top came out, so it's back in my sewing bag waiting for some "improvements." But the pants came out very cute. When my hands are better, I'll make another pair for her, and a better top. 

She's maturing so much, but I think she's also in that stage of 'tweens where she thinks she's older and wiser than all the other kids and even her parents, and she still stumbles a bit. But she's learning, and has been so very helpful to me with my hands being all bandaged.  She's beautiful (others have said so--so it's not just the boastful mom talking, I think).

She has gone to camp with the Girl Scouts this week, and was packed 3 days early.  She's also been really understanding, way beyond her years with the financial situation. Every time I do something for her, buy something for her or take her somewhere that she really likes to eat (a very rare occasion these days), she always asks: "but isn't it too expensive?" "Can you really spend that much money on me?"  I feel so bad for her having to do without so much this summer--but then I never went to gymnastics camp, summer day camp, or any "camp" for that matter, so it can't be too bad. She's basically spent the summer reading and playing video games (bad mommy--baad mommy! But with Scott home, and him being the King of Video Games, it's tough to get any of them out of the house

Emily is a crackup--a laugh a minute. You can't look at her and not smile. I don't know what it is, but she just looks at you, smiles and you have to smile, too! Her eyes are so blue--and with her sun-kissed skin she just looks adorable. She hasn't gone to any camps, but our neighbor runs a day care facility down the street, and has graciously allowed Emily (and offered for Sarah, too) to attend in the afternoons without any cost. We have only paid for the special field trips. So both Em and Sarah got to go ice skating one day last week.

Back to Emily--she hasn't gone to gymnastics or swim lessons or any other camp either. She hasn't noticed.  She has Joyce and Kellie who live right next to us, and even though they are older, they play together really well. Every other day I'm being asked if they can have a sleep over. They've all traded homes for sleepovers, and it's so cute to see her carrying her stuffed animals, sleeping bag and pillow all over the neighborhood! Kellie and Joyce are really sweet girls. They love Scott (he plays all those video games with them and lets them get out the water slide, and even has taken them to dinner a few times. We can see them playing outside all the time; usually it's in our front yard, but running to each other's house as if they all live in all three houses.  It's been a fun summer where they are concerned and I've loved watching them. She'll be in first grade in September!! Yikes!

So, while it's been a stressful year, it's also been a lot of fun this summer.  I talked with Scott yesterday, and mentioned that we've been very fortunate so far since he's been home while I recuperated from surgery, he's had a chance to be Mr. Mom (not all that successfully, either, evil grin), he's taken the girls all over the place and did I mention the video games, which has provided time for them to bond with each other. We all got to go to the beach for an all-day-until-the beach-closed Monday. That was a lot of fun and sun and water! 

We were very fortunate that he got such a great severance package. It was lucky that he had signed a contract with them until the middle of August--we were at nearly full pay all year until now (the severance is all but gone). We had hoped he'd get re-employed sooner so that we could make some seriously needed repairs on the house (story for another time). But I guess that wasn't meant to be.

So, that's my gratitude journal for this week. I'm thankful to Disney of all companies, for giving us this great summer together. I'm thankful for my daughters, who seem to really love me unconditionally. My gratitude knows no bounds for our ability to stretch a paycheck and having the ability to know where to cut expenses when we need to do that. I am NOT grateful for our electric company, Southern California Edison, which seems to be intent to break most southern Californians with their high electric charges—our last bill, I realized, would have only been about $47 without all their (insert expletive) fees and charges. I am even grateful to the Bank of America, for helping us with a couple of credit card balances. (Uncle, I tried to get them paid before Scott was laid off, but there were some mandatory house fixes that couldn't wait until the cash was available.)

Until next time.

((((( Ten on Tuesday Update: Ten Things You Will NEVER Do Again... )))))

 

Hmm—nearly everything I've done I might do again, but here goes…

 

1. Ride Expedition Everest at Disneyworld.
   
2. Ride Mission Space (the Orange Team)
   
3. Ski "Shoulder Run" (Run 62 that connects with the easy run and makes it the Traverse from Hell!)
   
4. If I'm ever single again, and have a first date I will NOT ride in the same car. I WILL take my own car.
   
5. Eat horseradish.
   
6. Buy a Bosch dishwasher.
   
7. Volunteer for more than TWO jobs in an organization's year (in PTA, Girl Scouts, and Soccer/Softball Mom).
   
8. Allow myself to submit a not-proofread application or resume.
   
9. Take four years to embroider pillow cases!
   
10. Drive 80 miles on an "empty" tank of gas!