The All Blacks spanked the Springboks this weekend... on the Springboks home turf! That makes it sweeter. Check out the awesomeness:
Monday, August 18, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Damn it's hot!
I'll admit that 98% of the time I love Portland's weather. I love the dreary, overcast fall and winter as well as the low humidity, mid 70 degrees, blue sky summers. Unfortunately once or twice ever summer, Mother Nature decides to be a royal pain in the ass and stick us with a heat wave. Since Thursday the city has been sweltering with temps reaching 100+. The heat is especially hard to deal with because most houses (including mine) do not have air conditioning. I do feel grateful to have north facing windows since that means that the sun never hits my place directly, but when you have a couple of days of heat like this, it just kind of hangs around in the air. Right now the temperature in my unit is a toasty 84 degrees... not horrible, but not comfortable either.
Sammy is suffering as well. I woke up this morning to find him using his water dish as a pool. Snakes will often do that to cool off or if the humidity is too low in their terrarium, but this was the first time I've seen him do it. I wish he had stayed in there long enough for me to take a picture.
Luckily tomorrow is supposed to be back to normal with highs in the low-mid 70's. I don't think I've ever wanted Monday to come sooner.
On to other news...
I successfully passed my Series 31 and 65 exams earlier this month. It was a relief to get that out of the way. Now I will be able to participate in revenue sharing with my team at work. The more revenue we generate, the bigger my paycheck. Oh yeeeeaaaah! Also, I have been invited to attend a customer service training seminar in San Francisco next month. It's basically supposed to teach me how to do the job that I've been doing for the past 11 years, but for a free flight to SF, I'll deal with it. The seminar only lasts for 2 days (a Tues and Weds), but I'm flying down there earlier to make a 5 day stay out of it.
Should be fun.
Sammy is suffering as well. I woke up this morning to find him using his water dish as a pool. Snakes will often do that to cool off or if the humidity is too low in their terrarium, but this was the first time I've seen him do it. I wish he had stayed in there long enough for me to take a picture.
Luckily tomorrow is supposed to be back to normal with highs in the low-mid 70's. I don't think I've ever wanted Monday to come sooner.
On to other news...
I successfully passed my Series 31 and 65 exams earlier this month. It was a relief to get that out of the way. Now I will be able to participate in revenue sharing with my team at work. The more revenue we generate, the bigger my paycheck. Oh yeeeeaaaah! Also, I have been invited to attend a customer service training seminar in San Francisco next month. It's basically supposed to teach me how to do the job that I've been doing for the past 11 years, but for a free flight to SF, I'll deal with it. The seminar only lasts for 2 days (a Tues and Weds), but I'm flying down there earlier to make a 5 day stay out of it.
Should be fun.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Hilarious T-shirt
While walking home today after watching Australia triumph over South Africa in a Tri-Nations game, I saw a young woman wearing a t-shirt that read:
SHAKESPEARE HATES YOUR EMO POEMS
I dare say I guffawed.
When I got home I did a google search for "Shakespeare hates your emo poems" out of curiosity and my experience today was made more hilarious when I found the comments here:
Don't laugh at me for being emo
PS. Hopefully we'll see an All Blacks/Wallabies Final in the Tri-Nations tournament.
SHAKESPEARE HATES YOUR EMO POEMS
I dare say I guffawed.
When I got home I did a google search for "Shakespeare hates your emo poems" out of curiosity and my experience today was made more hilarious when I found the comments here:
Don't laugh at me for being emo
PS. Hopefully we'll see an All Blacks/Wallabies Final in the Tri-Nations tournament.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Add butterfish to the list...
Last Thursday I stopped by the Heathman after work to have a drink before heading home. Of course "a drink" turned into "3 drinks" but that's no big surprise. After drink numero 3 I decided that I was hungry and ordered the seared ahi from their bistro menu. The bartender told me about a new menu item they had recently added called miso butterfish and highly recommended it. Now comes the point in the story where I should mention that I'm allergic to fish. Well, some fish. I know that I can eat tuna with no problem, but I stay away from shellfish and most other fish just to be safe. Of course sober KJ would have said "actually I might be allergic to that, so I'll just stick with the tuna, thanks." Unfortunately we were dealing with her evil, stupid twin, slightly tipsy KJ who thought it was a fabulous idea to order the butterfish. So, that's what I did.
I took the first bite. It was delicious. I'd go so far as to say that it was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. The bartender looked at me with a "so how is it?" look and I gave him an enthusiastic two thumbs up. I took the second bite. Yep, still delicious and most importantly I didn't seem to be having any sort of reaction. This was good. Then the barback walked over and commented that he had also eaten the butterfish that day and we agreed that it was delicious. I continued to happily munch away... until I got to approximately bite #5. That's when I started to notice a slight scratchy feeling in my throat when I swallowed. This was not good. I laid my fork down for a moment and waited. Then it happened. My throat continued to itch and now my lips were starting to itch and swell. To my great dismay, I was allergic to the butterfish.
I know that seafood/fish allergies can be very severe and cause anaphylactic shock that can lead to death if not treated in time. Luckily that has never happened to me so I don't think my allergy is that severe. At any rate I knew that if I were to go into anaphylactic shock, it would happen very quickly and in fact probably would have started already. Also the symptoms I was having were very similar to the symptoms I had during my previous yellowtail experience, so I wasn't too worried. Just to be safe though, I decided to go home and take some Benadryl. I paid my bill and started to head out when the barback noticed that I hadn't finished the butterfish.
He said, "oh you didn't like it?"
I replied, "it was delicious, but um I think I might be having an allergic reaction, so uh, I gotta go." and then I rushed out.
As I was leaving, I heard the barback relay that information to the bartender.
I walked home slowly; keeping an eye out for ambulances and police cars in the event that I needed to flag one down. Luckily I did not.
I made it home safely and stayed awake for another couple of hours to make sure I could still breathe. When I was satisfied that I was not going to die in my sleep (at least not from the butterfish) I called it a night and went to bed.
The next day my throat was still a bit itchy and my lips were still swollen, but I was alive. I decided to stop by the Heathman just to let them know that I didn't die overnight and they could still count on my patronage despite the fact that their bartender tried to kill me. The other bartender and the barback had a great time pranking the bartender from the previous night by telling him that I had spent the whole evening in the emergency room. They guilt tripped him for a good 5 minutes by reminding him that "she didn't even know about the butterfish until you recommended it."
Man, that butterfish was delicious.
I took the first bite. It was delicious. I'd go so far as to say that it was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. The bartender looked at me with a "so how is it?" look and I gave him an enthusiastic two thumbs up. I took the second bite. Yep, still delicious and most importantly I didn't seem to be having any sort of reaction. This was good. Then the barback walked over and commented that he had also eaten the butterfish that day and we agreed that it was delicious. I continued to happily munch away... until I got to approximately bite #5. That's when I started to notice a slight scratchy feeling in my throat when I swallowed. This was not good. I laid my fork down for a moment and waited. Then it happened. My throat continued to itch and now my lips were starting to itch and swell. To my great dismay, I was allergic to the butterfish.
I know that seafood/fish allergies can be very severe and cause anaphylactic shock that can lead to death if not treated in time. Luckily that has never happened to me so I don't think my allergy is that severe. At any rate I knew that if I were to go into anaphylactic shock, it would happen very quickly and in fact probably would have started already. Also the symptoms I was having were very similar to the symptoms I had during my previous yellowtail experience, so I wasn't too worried. Just to be safe though, I decided to go home and take some Benadryl. I paid my bill and started to head out when the barback noticed that I hadn't finished the butterfish.
He said, "oh you didn't like it?"
I replied, "it was delicious, but um I think I might be having an allergic reaction, so uh, I gotta go." and then I rushed out.
As I was leaving, I heard the barback relay that information to the bartender.
I walked home slowly; keeping an eye out for ambulances and police cars in the event that I needed to flag one down. Luckily I did not.
I made it home safely and stayed awake for another couple of hours to make sure I could still breathe. When I was satisfied that I was not going to die in my sleep (at least not from the butterfish) I called it a night and went to bed.
The next day my throat was still a bit itchy and my lips were still swollen, but I was alive. I decided to stop by the Heathman just to let them know that I didn't die overnight and they could still count on my patronage despite the fact that their bartender tried to kill me. The other bartender and the barback had a great time pranking the bartender from the previous night by telling him that I had spent the whole evening in the emergency room. They guilt tripped him for a good 5 minutes by reminding him that "she didn't even know about the butterfish until you recommended it."
Man, that butterfish was delicious.
Monday, July 07, 2008
A little more furniture...
Well, a rug and an ottoman:
The ottoman is a nifty storage ottoman from Bed, Bath and Beyond. It even has 2 mini ottomans inside!
I got the rug from Fred Meyer of all places.
Big thanks to my co-worker, Carol who drove me around the burbs on Sunday so I could go shopping!
The ottoman is a nifty storage ottoman from Bed, Bath and Beyond. It even has 2 mini ottomans inside!
I got the rug from Fred Meyer of all places.
Big thanks to my co-worker, Carol who drove me around the burbs on Sunday so I could go shopping!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
America's Birthday + Baseball = FUN!
Since July 4th usually involves big crowds of drunk people and sitting around for HOURS waiting for a fireworks show to start, I usually end up staying home (b/c of my aversion to crowds of drunk people and waiting around). This year though, I decided to bite the bullet and go out to watch a baseball game followed by fireworks. I met up with a few friends around 6:30pm and we all bought general admission seats to watch the Portland Beavers compete against the Tacoma Rainiers. I didn't realize it until mid-way through the game, but this was the first time I've seen a baseball game in Portland and I forgot how much fun they can be. Even better was the fact that it was Family Feast Friday with hot dogs and ice cream sandwiches for only $1. Unfortunately beer was the regular inflated price of $7, but the cheap hot dogs made up for it... I had 3 (hot dogs, that is.)
Since I'm not a sportswriter, you can read about the Beavers' awesome comeback victory here:
Beavers Send Fans Home Happy with Dramatic Comeback Victory
After the game, PGE Park put on a nice little fireworks display. I recorded a few seconds near the end on my cell phone. The video is poor quality, but you can still tell that it's fireworks.
Since I'm not a sportswriter, you can read about the Beavers' awesome comeback victory here:
Beavers Send Fans Home Happy with Dramatic Comeback Victory
After the game, PGE Park put on a nice little fireworks display. I recorded a few seconds near the end on my cell phone. The video is poor quality, but you can still tell that it's fireworks.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sammy Update
As mentioned in one of my previous posts, Sammy has now passed into the full fledged "OMG, that's a SNAKE" stage. I tried to take some photos of him this afternoon right before his weekly feeding, but I discovered that hungry snakes are not very cooperative and don't like to sit still. That being said, I was able to get a couple of decent pics. And here they are:
Although he's a big guy, I swear he isn't as gigantic as he looks in this pic! My arm is small and the photo was taken super close up.
Unfortunately you can't see his head in this one b/c he was just starting to burrow under the substrate in his terrarium:
Next time I'm out, I'm going to try to get some fancy looking decorations to spruce up his snake condo. It's looking kind of blah in there.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Avenue Q
Last night I headed to the Keller Auditorium to see "Avenue Q", the 2004 Tony award winner for best musical. If you've never heard of Avenue Q, the best way to describe it would be like Sesame Street for adults. Since I love Sesame Street, I was sure I'd enjoy it.
Unfortunately, I didn't.... for one simple reason:
The puppet handlers were on the stage rather than being hidden away like they are on Sesame Street. You wouldn't think this would be a big deal, but it was seriously annoying. It was a pity too b/c it was a very funny show. I just couldn't get over the puppet handlers being on stage.
Here is a performance of "It Sucks to be Me." Like I said, funny stuff.
Unfortunately, I didn't.... for one simple reason:
The puppet handlers were on the stage rather than being hidden away like they are on Sesame Street. You wouldn't think this would be a big deal, but it was seriously annoying. It was a pity too b/c it was a very funny show. I just couldn't get over the puppet handlers being on stage.
Here is a performance of "It Sucks to be Me." Like I said, funny stuff.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Two years
Hello, Blog Readers (all 2 of you). I apologize that I haven't posted, but I was dealing with some extremely slow internet access for a while. Actually, it wasn't even mine. I was scamming a weak signal from the church down the street. To assuage my guilt, I rationalized that Jesus is a pretty cool guy and he would want me to have internet access. Anyway, it was slooooow, so writing and posting a blog entry would have taken about 2 hours. Thankfully, as of last Wednesday, I have speedy, LEGAL access that I'm sharing with a neighbor down the hall. So, on to the post...
June 20 was the 2nd anniversary of my move to Portland. I celebrated by drinking at the Heathman Hotel bar and going to sleep around 8:45pm. It's okay, you can be jealous.
(Editor's Note: I am a complete and total ASS! June 19th was my Portland anniversary. June 20th was my parent's wedding anniversary! My only defense, is that by the time I went to sleep on June 19, 2006, it was probably already June 20th. Yeah, that's it.)
My new job is going well. I'm finally starting to clean up a lot of the stuff that was left behind, but there are still a couple of new problems that crop up every now and then. To add to my fun, I have been informed by my compliance department that I am required to get 2 more securities licenses: the Series 65 (Uniform Investment Advisers Law Exam) and the Series 31 (Futures Managed Funds Exam). The material is extremely boring, so studying has been difficult b/c I keep falling asleep. I'm going to go ahead and schedule the exams and cram a couple of weeks ahead of time. Hopefully this will be enough to pass.
In other news, I am no longer caring for Zen and Lucy, the cats I've mentioned in previous posts. Their owner came to pick them up at the beginning of June. They were super sweet cats, but I can't say that I will miss cleaning the litter box, getting said litter stuck to my feet when I walked across my floor, and dealing with cat hair. So, now it's just me and Sammy. Now that the cats are gone, I'm able to take him out of his terrarium more often. He responded this afternoon by taking a big dump on me. I don't know if that's a good sign.
Speaking of Sammy, he is much bigger now. He's moved from cute baby snake to "oh my G-d, that's a snake!" I'm very proud.
Unfortunately, I have some exciting Series 65 studying to do, so that's it for now.
June 20 was the 2nd anniversary of my move to Portland. I celebrated by drinking at the Heathman Hotel bar and going to sleep around 8:45pm. It's okay, you can be jealous.
(Editor's Note: I am a complete and total ASS! June 19th was my Portland anniversary. June 20th was my parent's wedding anniversary! My only defense, is that by the time I went to sleep on June 19, 2006, it was probably already June 20th. Yeah, that's it.)
My new job is going well. I'm finally starting to clean up a lot of the stuff that was left behind, but there are still a couple of new problems that crop up every now and then. To add to my fun, I have been informed by my compliance department that I am required to get 2 more securities licenses: the Series 65 (Uniform Investment Advisers Law Exam) and the Series 31 (Futures Managed Funds Exam). The material is extremely boring, so studying has been difficult b/c I keep falling asleep. I'm going to go ahead and schedule the exams and cram a couple of weeks ahead of time. Hopefully this will be enough to pass.
In other news, I am no longer caring for Zen and Lucy, the cats I've mentioned in previous posts. Their owner came to pick them up at the beginning of June. They were super sweet cats, but I can't say that I will miss cleaning the litter box, getting said litter stuck to my feet when I walked across my floor, and dealing with cat hair. So, now it's just me and Sammy. Now that the cats are gone, I'm able to take him out of his terrarium more often. He responded this afternoon by taking a big dump on me. I don't know if that's a good sign.
Speaking of Sammy, he is much bigger now. He's moved from cute baby snake to "oh my G-d, that's a snake!" I'm very proud.
Unfortunately, I have some exciting Series 65 studying to do, so that's it for now.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Long time, no blog...
Yikes! I haven't posted on this thing in a while. Since I don't have a lot of time this morning to write out a long entry (and you probably don't feel like reading it) I'll give the bulleted version.
Stuff That Has Been Happening
Well, that's all for right now. I'll try to be more proactive and update this thing in a timely fashion in the future.
Stuff That Has Been Happening
- I'm still taking French class. There are only 5 people in the class, all women. My covert plan to meet a hot guy trying to learn French has been thwarted. I'm joking of course.
- I finally saw my first live rugby game. It was about 20 degrees outside and I froze my ass off, but it was fun. Unfortunately, the team I was rooting for lost. I don't have any pictures b/c I would have had to take my hands out of my pockets to take them and that wasn't happening. The many shots of Jameson Irish Whiskey I drank later at the post game party helped warm me up :)
- I resigned from my job on Monday, though I'm still staying through until the end of the month. I'll be moving to another job at a well known international brokerage firm as a registered sales assistant. Although I enjoyed my job at my current company, there was some trouble with me being able to keep my securities licenses while I was employed there. Basically b/c of the type of company it is (investment adviser vs broker dealer) they can't put me on their books as a registered representative and after 2 years my licenses will lapse and I'll have to take my exams all over again. I would prefer not to do that, so when this position with a broker dealer came up, I took it. I start on May 1st. I felt guilty about leaving since my current company is in the middle of their quarter end reporting and consequently, very busy. It would have been easier if I disliked the job and my coworkers, then I could have just said, "I quit! See ya!" Oh well, I've got to look out for number 1 and I'm sure they'll find a replacement who's almost as good as me... almost. I kid.
Well, that's all for right now. I'll try to be more proactive and update this thing in a timely fashion in the future.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Mais, bien sûr je parle français!
I've decided to start taking French classes again. I figure foreign languages are the one thing I'm actually somewhat talented at, so I might as well go for it.
Starting at then end of March I'll be studying at the Alliance Française here in Portland. The classes are small and affordable (unlike a regular college class which would be crowded and expensive. Seriously, PSU, $450 for a Level 1 French Class? Sacre bleu!)
I promise I will not start wearing a beret and eating smelly cheese, but I may not be able to control myself from peppering conversations with occasional French phrases.
Starting at then end of March I'll be studying at the Alliance Française here in Portland. The classes are small and affordable (unlike a regular college class which would be crowded and expensive. Seriously, PSU, $450 for a Level 1 French Class? Sacre bleu!)
I promise I will not start wearing a beret and eating smelly cheese, but I may not be able to control myself from peppering conversations with occasional French phrases.
Furniture has arrived
The new loveseats were delivered by two young strapping lads on Friday as scheduled. Here are some photos:
I have to get some pillows or something to add a bit of color, but for now I'm just happy to have somewhere to sit.
I have to get some pillows or something to add a bit of color, but for now I'm just happy to have somewhere to sit.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
New Member of the Family
No, I didn't get another snake (but don't tempt me). It's a baby. No, it's not MY baby. It's my brother's baby. Well, it's he and his wife's baby. She's the one who did all the work, after all. Presenting Miss Chloe Louise:
Luckily for my brother and sister-in-law she seems to have mastered the sleeping thing.
ETA: For the love of G-d, people, look at her foot. I don't care what her birth certificate says, there is NO way this child is 8 lbs. That foot is the size of the average newborn head!
Luckily for my brother and sister-in-law she seems to have mastered the sleeping thing.
ETA: For the love of G-d, people, look at her foot. I don't care what her birth certificate says, there is NO way this child is 8 lbs. That foot is the size of the average newborn head!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Tax rebate? Ohhh yeaaah!
For the first time in about 10 years I will not owe Uncle Sam an exorbitant amount of money in April. In fact, I will be getting back a nice chunk of change in about 2 weeks once my Federal and State tax returns are processed. (Yes, I know it's not good when you get a refund b/c it means that you gave the government an interest-free loan, but I don't care, it's still money.) I'm using it to buy some decent furniture for my condo since I got rid of the crappy West Elm sofa that I bought last year.
As I'm sure you're curious, here's what I'm getting...
Two of these loveseats from Macy's:
I was originally going to do a sofa/loveseat thing, but after measuring I decided that the sofa would overwhelm the room. They'll be arranged like this:
The rectangular objects on each wall are my bookshelves. I had them pushed together as a room divider and placed next to my bed, but I decided that made things too claustrophobic, so I've opened up the floor plan a bit. Sammy's terrarium is on top of the shelf on the left and I'm putting my new TV on the shelf on the right. I also need to do something about the ugly white horizontal blinds on my windows b/c they completely kill the room. I'm thinking maybe some bamboo shades or something like that.
I bought the loveseats today, but they won't be delivered till the end of the month, so I have some time to do more planning.
As I'm sure you're curious, here's what I'm getting...
Two of these loveseats from Macy's:
I was originally going to do a sofa/loveseat thing, but after measuring I decided that the sofa would overwhelm the room. They'll be arranged like this:
The rectangular objects on each wall are my bookshelves. I had them pushed together as a room divider and placed next to my bed, but I decided that made things too claustrophobic, so I've opened up the floor plan a bit. Sammy's terrarium is on top of the shelf on the left and I'm putting my new TV on the shelf on the right. I also need to do something about the ugly white horizontal blinds on my windows b/c they completely kill the room. I'm thinking maybe some bamboo shades or something like that.
I bought the loveseats today, but they won't be delivered till the end of the month, so I have some time to do more planning.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Christmas is for Casanovas. Who knew?
Since I despise traveling during the holidays, I stayed home in Portland this Christmas. I'm not a big Christmas person to begin with so I decided to spend the day watching a movie and then having dinner by myself at my favorite bar. Unfortunately, after taking the Max all the way there I discovered that my favorite bar had the audacity to be closed on Christmas. So, I left and walked around for a while trying to find a restaurant that was open. Aside from a few Chinese places (I wasn't in the mood the Chinese food) everything was closed. Dejected, I started to walk back home.
Heading down Broadway, I discovered that the Heathman Hotel Bar was open so I popped in there. The Trailblazers/Sonics game was on so I sat at the bar to watch. It didn't take long before some middle aged guy started talking to me. He was from California and spent most of the time alluding to how much money he made. Oh, and his father used to manage the Heathman hotel and he had met a lot of famous rock stars who had stayed there "back in the day."
Naturally, there's nothing I love more than a man who brags about himself especially when he does it loud enough for other people at the bar to hear. Of course a catch like that must be married, so I didn't get my hopes up... but then he revealed that he was going through a divorce... his second divorce. It took all my willpower to not rip my clothes off right there, but I remained strong. I decided to finish up my last drink, which he had bought for me and head home. (I usually don't accept drinks from strangers but it was already poured before I had a chance to refuse and there's no sense in wasting good bourbon.)
He excused himself to go to the restroom and I signaled the bartender to make my escape. I quickly paid my tab, leaving a decent tip because it has been my experience in the past that people who brag about their riches are usually shitty tippers and I felt bad for the bartender because she would be stuck listening to him for the rest of the night... unless some other lucky girl took my place.
Heading down Broadway, I discovered that the Heathman Hotel Bar was open so I popped in there. The Trailblazers/Sonics game was on so I sat at the bar to watch. It didn't take long before some middle aged guy started talking to me. He was from California and spent most of the time alluding to how much money he made. Oh, and his father used to manage the Heathman hotel and he had met a lot of famous rock stars who had stayed there "back in the day."
Naturally, there's nothing I love more than a man who brags about himself especially when he does it loud enough for other people at the bar to hear. Of course a catch like that must be married, so I didn't get my hopes up... but then he revealed that he was going through a divorce... his second divorce. It took all my willpower to not rip my clothes off right there, but I remained strong. I decided to finish up my last drink, which he had bought for me and head home. (I usually don't accept drinks from strangers but it was already poured before I had a chance to refuse and there's no sense in wasting good bourbon.)
He excused himself to go to the restroom and I signaled the bartender to make my escape. I quickly paid my tab, leaving a decent tip because it has been my experience in the past that people who brag about their riches are usually shitty tippers and I felt bad for the bartender because she would be stuck listening to him for the rest of the night... unless some other lucky girl took my place.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Just when I think I've got it figured out...
The other day I pondered about eventually moving away from Portland... then I remembered that we have stuff like this:
Santacon 2007
I wasn't able to last through all 12 hours because I'm just not the party animal I used to be, but I had a fun, fun time all the same. I didn't even mind that my pants were ripped and I was bruised and battered at the end. Ok, I did kind of mind about the pants.
Santacon 2007
I wasn't able to last through all 12 hours because I'm just not the party animal I used to be, but I had a fun, fun time all the same. I didn't even mind that my pants were ripped and I was bruised and battered at the end. Ok, I did kind of mind about the pants.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Why am I so restless??!!!
My last post concerned my failed pursuit of a new degree. Now for some reason I've started contemplating a move to New Zealand. Why New Zealand? Well, why not? The people are nice, the air is clean, it's safe, and their national sport is Rugby. What more could a girl want? Of course a lot of my thinking has to do with the fact that my friend D lives over there now with her husband (also a D) and loves the country so much I think she would marry it if that was legally possible. (And I'm sure she's checked into that.)
Don't get me wrong, I love Portland, but something keeps telling me that this isn't supposed to be my final destination. Of course thinking about a move to NZ and actually doing it are 2 completely different things. For one, you just can't MOVE there. NZ Immigration is pretty strict. Basically there are 3 ways you can migrate:
Another obvious problem is that New Zealand is pretty f**king far away from, well... everywhere so visiting family would be more difficult than it already is.
Sigh... so I will continue to look into options and think carefully before making a decision (since I've been so good about doing that before!)
In the meantime, I'm going to go have a piece of pizza.
Don't get me wrong, I love Portland, but something keeps telling me that this isn't supposed to be my final destination. Of course thinking about a move to NZ and actually doing it are 2 completely different things. For one, you just can't MOVE there. NZ Immigration is pretty strict. Basically there are 3 ways you can migrate:
- Marry a New Zealander
- Have work experience in one of their areas of skill shortages (Surprisingly, Financial Admin Assistant is not one of those areas)
- Have an offer of employment from a NZ company (difficult b/c companies in NZ won't consider you unless you are already authorised to work in NZ and you can't be authorised to work unless you satisfy options 2 or 3)
Another obvious problem is that New Zealand is pretty f**king far away from, well... everywhere so visiting family would be more difficult than it already is.
Sigh... so I will continue to look into options and think carefully before making a decision (since I've been so good about doing that before!)
In the meantime, I'm going to go have a piece of pizza.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Well okay, so much for that...
Remember this post from earlier in the year? The one where I ranted about how much I hated finance and predicted that I would start heading down a new life path to the World of Medical Lab/Forensic Science Goodness? Well, yeah that didn't quite work out. I quit. Why? Because I realized that I'm lazy. Of course there were other reasons, mainly that the entire program would have cost me upwards of $35-40k when all was said and done and it no longer seemed worth it to go through all that hassle and expense to get a degree that would provide me with a job that pays about the same (or maybe a tad more) than I'm making now. Overall, though, I just decided that I wasn't enjoying the classes and didn't feel like making the effort anymore. So I'm not going to be a top notch forensic guru who gets called in on important murder cases. BFD. I'll just coast along like I always have and eventually retire to Panama when I get old.
In the meantime, I'm going to start saving up for a nice trip to New Zealand in 2011 to see the Rugby World Cup!!!
In the meantime, I'm going to start saving up for a nice trip to New Zealand in 2011 to see the Rugby World Cup!!!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Rugby = Greatest Sport Evah!!
Do you like American Football, but sometimes think to yourself, "Man, why do they have to be such wusses and wear all that padding? And why does the game have to stop every 10 seconds?"
Or perhaps you like Soccer (Futbol) but sometimes you think to yourself, "God, those guys have great legs, but why do they have to be such dramatic cry babies all the time?" (Ok, maybe you don't think about the legs part, but I do.)
Are you a fan of the Ultimate Fighting, but really just wish there was a ball involved somehow?
Well, I'd like to introduce you to my new friend... RUGBY aka the most Awesome Sport Ever.
Ireland's Shane Horgan is stopped by Australia's Wycliff Palu (EMPICS)
It's like American football, soccer, and Ultimate fighting all rolled into one. No pads and no cry babies... I mean, the ref sometime has to tell players to get off the field b/c they're bleeding too much! How awesome is that?!
I've started watching a few matches recently(like the World Cup Final between England & South Africa) and I'm still learning all the rules but so far I love it! Now I just have to check out some matches around Portland.
Or perhaps you like Soccer (Futbol) but sometimes you think to yourself, "God, those guys have great legs, but why do they have to be such dramatic cry babies all the time?" (Ok, maybe you don't think about the legs part, but I do.)
Are you a fan of the Ultimate Fighting, but really just wish there was a ball involved somehow?
Well, I'd like to introduce you to my new friend... RUGBY aka the most Awesome Sport Ever.
Ireland's Shane Horgan is stopped by Australia's Wycliff Palu (EMPICS)It's like American football, soccer, and Ultimate fighting all rolled into one. No pads and no cry babies... I mean, the ref sometime has to tell players to get off the field b/c they're bleeding too much! How awesome is that?!
I've started watching a few matches recently(like the World Cup Final between England & South Africa) and I'm still learning all the rules but so far I love it! Now I just have to check out some matches around Portland.
Would you like to stalk me? Google makes it easy!
Google has recently added "street view" to their maps, so now you can see the street level view of any address in downtown Portland. Let's talk a walk through my day shall we?
First I leave my house:
KJ's Condo
Hmm, perhaps I'll stop off at the Starbucks inside Safeway for a delicious Soy Pumpkin Spice Latte... mmm pumpkin.
Safeway
Nope, it looks like I'm running late. Time to hop on the light rail...
Ooops, look like I just missed it. Guess I'll be walking in to work today. Drats.
Fast forward to about 10 minutes later and voila, I'm at work.
Eight hours later....
What should I do now?? I know... let's go for a beer! Hello Thirsty Lion Pub!
Drink, drink, drink. Time to go back home.
The end.
First I leave my house:
KJ's Condo
Hmm, perhaps I'll stop off at the Starbucks inside Safeway for a delicious Soy Pumpkin Spice Latte... mmm pumpkin.
Safeway
Nope, it looks like I'm running late. Time to hop on the light rail...
Ooops, look like I just missed it. Guess I'll be walking in to work today. Drats.
Fast forward to about 10 minutes later and voila, I'm at work.
Eight hours later....
What should I do now?? I know... let's go for a beer! Hello Thirsty Lion Pub!
Drink, drink, drink. Time to go back home.
The end.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
First test is over
I made a "C". I'm not too happy about that, but at least I didn't fail. All the questions I missed were from the last 2 chapters that I didn't get a chance to study as thoroughly as I would have liked, so I guess that's a good thing. As long as I do well on my other tests, I shouldn't have anything to worry about because the professor drops our lowest test score.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Amsterdam, here I come... maybe!
Northwest Airlines just announced a new non-stop flight from Portland to Amsterdam, which makes it very easy to select my next vacation destination. Of course the flights don't start until March of 2008 and I definitely won't be taking the maiden voyage b/c I'll be in school during that time, but maybe I'll spend my birthday there. Who knows?
Right now I have to make plans to go home to see my mom b/c I haven't been there since I moved to Portland. Unfortunately I won't have enough vacation time accrued anytime soon (we accrue 3.33 hours per month) so I'll have to take an "advance" on my vacation if I want to travel down there before next year. It would be much easier if my mom could fly up here, but that's just not possible. Oh well.
The job is still going well and my class is going "okay". It's a lot tougher than I thought it would be. One of our three exams is this Wednesday, and I still need to catch up on the reading, not to mention actually start studying! Ugh! The exam covers eight chapters... EIGHT, people! That's ridiculous.
Well, I have some flights to book, so that's all for now.
Right now I have to make plans to go home to see my mom b/c I haven't been there since I moved to Portland. Unfortunately I won't have enough vacation time accrued anytime soon (we accrue 3.33 hours per month) so I'll have to take an "advance" on my vacation if I want to travel down there before next year. It would be much easier if my mom could fly up here, but that's just not possible. Oh well.
The job is still going well and my class is going "okay". It's a lot tougher than I thought it would be. One of our three exams is this Wednesday, and I still need to catch up on the reading, not to mention actually start studying! Ugh! The exam covers eight chapters... EIGHT, people! That's ridiculous.
Well, I have some flights to book, so that's all for now.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Good news, bad news
The good news is, I'm still employed. The bad news is... ha, there is no bad news! Gotcha!
Everything is still going well. I'm just getting accustomed to working in an office that isn't loud (remember I've always worked on a trading floor) and where I'm expected to actually leave the office for lunch and not just eat at my desk. Anyway, instead of blabbing on about the job itself, I thought I'd list some weird coincidences about my current position just to demonstrate my belief that everything always works out for the best.
1. Before moving to Portland last year, I flew out here for a job interview. After spending a crap load of money traveling to interview for a fairly low paying job, the company didn't even have the decency to call and inform me that I didn't get the job. I won't reveal the name of the company, but let's just say they're a bank and they're located in America. Some might even say that they're a bank of America :-)
2. The company I'm currently working for is located in the same building.
3. Shortly after I got laid off, I went to have dim sum with some friends. The fortune cookie I got at the end of the meal said, "You will receive an unexpected payment." A few days later I received severance from my former job which I most definitely was not expecting.
4. After I was told that I would be receiving a job offer from Company #1, I decided to go out and celebrate by having dinner. I chose Chinese. This time my fortune cookie said, "Something unusual will happen at work next week." The next day I found out that Company #1 had changed their minds, meaning that I wouldn't have a job for anything unusual to happen at, unless Company #2 came back with an offer. They did.
5. My current boss told me today that the evening after I met him and the other people in the office and he sat down to watch a baseball game being played in Baltimore. One of the main companies advertising in the stadium was my old employer. He took it as a sign. (Of course I was also hired b/c I had the experience.)
6. My old office in Baltimore: located next to a brew pub
My new office in Portland: also located next to a brew pub
If that doesn't scream "fate" I don't know what does!
Everything is still going well. I'm just getting accustomed to working in an office that isn't loud (remember I've always worked on a trading floor) and where I'm expected to actually leave the office for lunch and not just eat at my desk. Anyway, instead of blabbing on about the job itself, I thought I'd list some weird coincidences about my current position just to demonstrate my belief that everything always works out for the best.
1. Before moving to Portland last year, I flew out here for a job interview. After spending a crap load of money traveling to interview for a fairly low paying job, the company didn't even have the decency to call and inform me that I didn't get the job. I won't reveal the name of the company, but let's just say they're a bank and they're located in America. Some might even say that they're a bank of America :-)
2. The company I'm currently working for is located in the same building.
3. Shortly after I got laid off, I went to have dim sum with some friends. The fortune cookie I got at the end of the meal said, "You will receive an unexpected payment." A few days later I received severance from my former job which I most definitely was not expecting.
4. After I was told that I would be receiving a job offer from Company #1, I decided to go out and celebrate by having dinner. I chose Chinese. This time my fortune cookie said, "Something unusual will happen at work next week." The next day I found out that Company #1 had changed their minds, meaning that I wouldn't have a job for anything unusual to happen at, unless Company #2 came back with an offer. They did.
5. My current boss told me today that the evening after I met him and the other people in the office and he sat down to watch a baseball game being played in Baltimore. One of the main companies advertising in the stadium was my old employer. He took it as a sign. (Of course I was also hired b/c I had the experience.)
6. My old office in Baltimore: located next to a brew pub
My new office in Portland: also located next to a brew pub
If that doesn't scream "fate" I don't know what does!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
It's official!
Today was my first day as a new employee! I spent most of the day filling out forms and making sure that I was able to sign onto all the various computer programs that I'll need to use. The coolest part is that I have my own office. Not my own desk or my own "little area", but my very own office! Unfortunately it's kind of like a fishbowl so it's not really private, but it's still an office and it's MINE! Of course we also have all the typical perks: free coffee, soda, tea, etc.
It's a little frustrating because I can't really do anything until I get up and running on all the systems and that takes a while because of security clearances and whatnot. I don't like to sit there and be unproductive, but I guess I can stand it for a few days.
Also I have a new furniture addition to report. Thanks to my friend AJ, who has been personally responsible for delivering about 99% of the furniture in my house, I now have 2 Expedit bookshelves from Ikea. I plan to use them as a giant room divider/media stand. I managed to put one together yesterday, but the other will have to wait until this weekend. Eventually I hope to get a television also, but that will have to wait until a few more bills are paid.
It's a little frustrating because I can't really do anything until I get up and running on all the systems and that takes a while because of security clearances and whatnot. I don't like to sit there and be unproductive, but I guess I can stand it for a few days.
Also I have a new furniture addition to report. Thanks to my friend AJ, who has been personally responsible for delivering about 99% of the furniture in my house, I now have 2 Expedit bookshelves from Ikea. I plan to use them as a giant room divider/media stand. I managed to put one together yesterday, but the other will have to wait until this weekend. Eventually I hope to get a television also, but that will have to wait until a few more bills are paid.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Interesting Family History
Since I've been unemployed over the past month, I decided to pass the time with some genealogy research. My mom's side of the family has been much easier to trace than my dad's since one of her cousins is a genealogist. I've been using Ancestry.com which has a neat little feature that allows you to find "famous" people to whom you are related. Here are some of the coolest ones I found:
16th Great Grandfather (Mom's paternal line)
Geoffrey Chaucer: English author and poet
11th Great Grandfather (Mom's paternal line)
John Billington: first person to be hanged for a crime (murder) in the new Plymouth colony
10th Great Granduncle (Mom's paternal line)
Edward Winslow: Governor of the Plymouth Colony
8th Cousin, 1 time Removed (Mom's maternal line)
Amelia Earhart: Aviation Pioneer
I am also distantly related to: John Hancock, President James Garfield, President Jimmy Carter, William Wordsworth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Niccolo Macchiavelli.
I really wish I could get more information about my dad's side but so far I've been meeting a lot of dead ends.
16th Great Grandfather (Mom's paternal line)
Geoffrey Chaucer: English author and poet
11th Great Grandfather (Mom's paternal line)
John Billington: first person to be hanged for a crime (murder) in the new Plymouth colony
10th Great Granduncle (Mom's paternal line)
Edward Winslow: Governor of the Plymouth Colony
8th Cousin, 1 time Removed (Mom's maternal line)
Amelia Earhart: Aviation Pioneer
I am also distantly related to: John Hancock, President James Garfield, President Jimmy Carter, William Wordsworth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Niccolo Macchiavelli.
I really wish I could get more information about my dad's side but so far I've been meeting a lot of dead ends.
Friday, September 07, 2007
What a difference a day makes!
Don't you love when a company jerks you around and says they're going to hire you and then... oops, sorry we changed our minds!
After telling me for the past week that an offer was coming soon (mind you, this wasn't a "you're our top candidate so far" but a definite "we're writing up the offer but just have a few kinks to work out") I found out yesterday that the brokers from Company #1 have decided that they would rather just go ahead and use an assistant who already works in the office b/c they are "more comfortable" with her and know her personality better. Never mind that she isn't qualified for the job and will require training. I know if these guys were my investment advisers I would feel much more comfortable knowing that an assistant with zilcho industry experience was handling important aspects of my account. Thank goodness. Granted this was a decision made by the brokers and not by the people that I spoke to originally during my first two interviews, but still, it's grossly unprofessional. The office manager and HR person are supposed to be meeting to figure out another position they can fit me into, but I haven't heard anything back about that. And yeah, like I'd want to work there now??!! It really doesn't matter though b/c ...
In the meantime, Company #2 called this afternoon and actually offered me a position (none of this, "oh well, we have some minor details to work out..." bullshit). Salary + benefits, my own office, and it's across the street from a pub... WIN! I told them I wanted the weekend to think about it, but I'll be calling them first thing Monday to accept.
I suppose I should call Company #1 after I accept the position with Company #2 so they don't have to waste their time figuring out how to find an open position for me. Maybe I'll do that... maybe.
After telling me for the past week that an offer was coming soon (mind you, this wasn't a "you're our top candidate so far" but a definite "we're writing up the offer but just have a few kinks to work out") I found out yesterday that the brokers from Company #1 have decided that they would rather just go ahead and use an assistant who already works in the office b/c they are "more comfortable" with her and know her personality better. Never mind that she isn't qualified for the job and will require training. I know if these guys were my investment advisers I would feel much more comfortable knowing that an assistant with zilcho industry experience was handling important aspects of my account. Thank goodness. Granted this was a decision made by the brokers and not by the people that I spoke to originally during my first two interviews, but still, it's grossly unprofessional. The office manager and HR person are supposed to be meeting to figure out another position they can fit me into, but I haven't heard anything back about that. And yeah, like I'd want to work there now??!! It really doesn't matter though b/c ...
In the meantime, Company #2 called this afternoon and actually offered me a position (none of this, "oh well, we have some minor details to work out..." bullshit). Salary + benefits, my own office, and it's across the street from a pub... WIN! I told them I wanted the weekend to think about it, but I'll be calling them first thing Monday to accept.
I suppose I should call Company #1 after I accept the position with Company #2 so they don't have to waste their time figuring out how to find an open position for me. Maybe I'll do that... maybe.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
The Saga Continues...
When we last left our young heroine, she was waiting for news on an awesome job offer. We pick up the story now and ...
she's still waiting for the job offer.
Company #1 decided that I needed to speak with some of the brokers I would be working with just to make sure we would get along. Now I can get along with anyone unless they're a certified asswipe and even then I'm pretty good at faking it, so I didn't foresee this being a problem. Luckily I was right and we all hit if off well. That was yesterday. They are supposedly going to call sometime this morning with an offer. I certainly hope so b/c I'm tired of waiting.
In the meantine, I have another meeting with Company #2 this afternoon which will turn into an eventual second job offer... at least that's what I'm hoping.
In case I haven't mentioned it before... job hunting blows.
This New Yorker cartoon says it perfectly:
she's still waiting for the job offer.
Company #1 decided that I needed to speak with some of the brokers I would be working with just to make sure we would get along. Now I can get along with anyone unless they're a certified asswipe and even then I'm pretty good at faking it, so I didn't foresee this being a problem. Luckily I was right and we all hit if off well. That was yesterday. They are supposedly going to call sometime this morning with an offer. I certainly hope so b/c I'm tired of waiting.
In the meantine, I have another meeting with Company #2 this afternoon which will turn into an eventual second job offer... at least that's what I'm hoping.
In case I haven't mentioned it before... job hunting blows.
This New Yorker cartoon says it perfectly:
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Is that a job offer I see on the horizon??
Why, yes it is!!! Company #1 has informed the employment agency I'm working with that they will be drafting an "irresistible" offer for me to consider tomorrow. They found out that I was interviewing with another firm (Company #2) and didn't want to risk losing me. Yes, the rumors you've heard are true... I'm really that awesome.
While I'm pretty sure that the offer will not involve a 6-figure salary and access to the company jet, hopefully it will be enticing enough for me to accept. I would still like to talk to Company #2 again, but they are holding off until one of their employees returns from vacation. This is the employee that I would working under (not literally, perverts) so I can understand their desire to have us meet. Unfortunately, I really would like to be employed as soon as possible because of these pesky things called bills.
Perhaps I will be employed by this time next week??!!
While I'm pretty sure that the offer will not involve a 6-figure salary and access to the company jet, hopefully it will be enticing enough for me to accept. I would still like to talk to Company #2 again, but they are holding off until one of their employees returns from vacation. This is the employee that I would working under (not literally, perverts) so I can understand their desire to have us meet. Unfortunately, I really would like to be employed as soon as possible because of these pesky things called bills.
Perhaps I will be employed by this time next week??!!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
One month anniversary
Well, I have officially passed the 1 month mark of unemployment. Yippee!
Luckily all the resumes I sent out are starting to pay off. I had a promising interview last week and have been asked to come in to meet with the senior members of the department on Monday morning. I'm happy to be called back, but all the waiting is kind of frustrating. On Tuesday I have an interview with a different company. According to the guy I spoke to on the phone, they are going to try to get everything out of the way in one afternoon. In other words, I'll be meeting with everyone I need to meet with at one time, rather than being called back for multiple interviews. I think I like that method better, even if it will kill most of my afternoon. Then again, it's not like I'm doing anything anyway.
So, how am I keeping myself busy? Well for the first couple of weeks I spent most of the time blasting out resumes. I've slowed down a bit on that now that some responses are coming in. If none of the positions I'm currently interviewing for work out, then I'll resume with the resume blasting. I've also started working on a novel that I've been contemplating for a while. And when I say working on, I mean jotting notes on paper napkins. I'm not staying up all night in front of the computer... well, okay, I am staying up all night in front of the computer but that's not the unwritten novel's fault... that's because of insomnia.
Anyway, on an unrelated note, I posted a few photos of Sammy the snake in my last message. One of the photos showed Lucy sitting on top of the cage. Well, now Zen is getting into the act:
Is it just me, or did it suddenly get dark in here??
Do you ever get the feeling you're being watched?
Luckily all the resumes I sent out are starting to pay off. I had a promising interview last week and have been asked to come in to meet with the senior members of the department on Monday morning. I'm happy to be called back, but all the waiting is kind of frustrating. On Tuesday I have an interview with a different company. According to the guy I spoke to on the phone, they are going to try to get everything out of the way in one afternoon. In other words, I'll be meeting with everyone I need to meet with at one time, rather than being called back for multiple interviews. I think I like that method better, even if it will kill most of my afternoon. Then again, it's not like I'm doing anything anyway.
So, how am I keeping myself busy? Well for the first couple of weeks I spent most of the time blasting out resumes. I've slowed down a bit on that now that some responses are coming in. If none of the positions I'm currently interviewing for work out, then I'll resume with the resume blasting. I've also started working on a novel that I've been contemplating for a while. And when I say working on, I mean jotting notes on paper napkins. I'm not staying up all night in front of the computer... well, okay, I am staying up all night in front of the computer but that's not the unwritten novel's fault... that's because of insomnia.
Anyway, on an unrelated note, I posted a few photos of Sammy the snake in my last message. One of the photos showed Lucy sitting on top of the cage. Well, now Zen is getting into the act:
Is it just me, or did it suddenly get dark in here??
Do you ever get the feeling you're being watched?
Friday, August 17, 2007
Three Week Update
Maybe I'm just being impatient, but three weeks seems like a long time to be out of work. So, yes, to answer your question, I am still unemployed. I've started carrying on conversations with Sammy the Snake, which experts have told me is much worse than talking to your cats. I'm not sure the reasoning behind this, but I think it has to do with the fact that snakes really can't hear, don't make any noise and have no expressions. I personally don't think that Sammy is expressionless, I just think he's really concentrating on what I have to say. So far, he has not been very forthcoming with job hunting advice though.
Speaking of jobs, I have now resorted to sending my resume in for every job that I am remotely qualified for. I'm not even paying attention to the salary because $10/hr is still better than $0/hr. I'm beginning to think about going back to school full time so if I'm able to find a part time gig that will pay enough to cover my bills, I'll probably end up taking that. I would love to find something that would allow me to carry over my Series 7 & 63 licenses (they're only good for 2 years if I'm not employed by a NASD member firm) but right now that doesn't seem likely.
Lastly, speaking of Sammy the Snake... I didn't realize how much he has grown since the last time I posted photos. Look how big he is now.
He was being particularly clingy in this photo. Maybe because Lucy the cat was staring at him. She likes to watch him and I'm sure she's trying to figure out how to get into his cage:
Don't worry, he's locked in extra tight and the screen cover is very strong.
Speaking of jobs, I have now resorted to sending my resume in for every job that I am remotely qualified for. I'm not even paying attention to the salary because $10/hr is still better than $0/hr. I'm beginning to think about going back to school full time so if I'm able to find a part time gig that will pay enough to cover my bills, I'll probably end up taking that. I would love to find something that would allow me to carry over my Series 7 & 63 licenses (they're only good for 2 years if I'm not employed by a NASD member firm) but right now that doesn't seem likely.
Lastly, speaking of Sammy the Snake... I didn't realize how much he has grown since the last time I posted photos. Look how big he is now.
He was being particularly clingy in this photo. Maybe because Lucy the cat was staring at him. She likes to watch him and I'm sure she's trying to figure out how to get into his cage:
Don't worry, he's locked in extra tight and the screen cover is very strong.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Two Week Update
Newsflash: I'm still unemployed.
I did manage to qualify for unemployment insurance so now I'm sticking it to the man and using my checks for liquor, cigarettes and lottery tickets... just kidding... I don't smoke. I've sent my resume out for about 10-15 positions, mostly admin assistant type stuff. I had one interview yesterday and one is scheduled for tomorrow. The one today was with a staffing agency and they are going to forward my info on to the hiring firm for further consideration so I guess that's a good sign. Unfortunately the one for tomorrow is located way over in SE Portland which would involve commuting. I am not a fan of commuting especially since I have classes scheduled for this fall, so unless they offer me some unbelievable deal, I'll probably end up passing on the job. It's always good to get interview experience though.
Overall the worst thing about being unemployed is the boredom. I thought about taking a few weeks off to travel, but then I remembered that I didn't have a job which also means that I don't have any money. I don't have a television so I can't just sit around all day and watch soap operas. I finally broke down and signed up for the internet at home b/c I needed to use it for job searching and I was getting tired of having to go out to a coffee shop every time I wanted to check my email. That gets expensive, too. I've been reading A LOT.
The one class I'm taking now is going pretty well. I've gotten an "A" on all my assignments and just took my midterm on Monday. I think I aced that one too, but I'll have to wait and see.
I did manage to qualify for unemployment insurance so now I'm sticking it to the man and using my checks for liquor, cigarettes and lottery tickets... just kidding... I don't smoke. I've sent my resume out for about 10-15 positions, mostly admin assistant type stuff. I had one interview yesterday and one is scheduled for tomorrow. The one today was with a staffing agency and they are going to forward my info on to the hiring firm for further consideration so I guess that's a good sign. Unfortunately the one for tomorrow is located way over in SE Portland which would involve commuting. I am not a fan of commuting especially since I have classes scheduled for this fall, so unless they offer me some unbelievable deal, I'll probably end up passing on the job. It's always good to get interview experience though.
Overall the worst thing about being unemployed is the boredom. I thought about taking a few weeks off to travel, but then I remembered that I didn't have a job which also means that I don't have any money. I don't have a television so I can't just sit around all day and watch soap operas. I finally broke down and signed up for the internet at home b/c I needed to use it for job searching and I was getting tired of having to go out to a coffee shop every time I wanted to check my email. That gets expensive, too. I've been reading A LOT.
The one class I'm taking now is going pretty well. I've gotten an "A" on all my assignments and just took my midterm on Monday. I think I aced that one too, but I'll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
You're fired!
That's right people, I've been fired. Well, technically I was laid off. I think you're only fired if you do something wrong. I've never been unemployed involuntarily before. It's kind of weird.
Ok, to add a little more detail... I was not completely surprised about being laid off. Sales have been slow for a very long time, and my boss warned me a few months ago that things were pretty bad. Of course it sucks to lose your job for any reason, but at least I wasn't completely blindsided. I had been tweaking my resume recently, so it was all ready to send out. I applied for unemployment, just to be on the safe side and I have some money in savings, so I'll be fine for a while. I always like to look on the bright side of things... in this case it could definitely be worse... I could be unemployed and pregnant. See? Now being just unemployed doesn't seem so bad!
Ok, to add a little more detail... I was not completely surprised about being laid off. Sales have been slow for a very long time, and my boss warned me a few months ago that things were pretty bad. Of course it sucks to lose your job for any reason, but at least I wasn't completely blindsided. I had been tweaking my resume recently, so it was all ready to send out. I applied for unemployment, just to be on the safe side and I have some money in savings, so I'll be fine for a while. I always like to look on the bright side of things... in this case it could definitely be worse... I could be unemployed and pregnant. See? Now being just unemployed doesn't seem so bad!
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