Aside from your own busy lives, you must have been worried sick about where I've been.
Let me tell you, it's been a long road!
It all started back on February 13th when I flew to Ohio to housesit/pet sit/teenaged boy sit for my brother and his girlfriend. It all seemed innocuous and relatively simple in theory.
My mornings began between 7 and 8:30 am. The dogs, Coonie and Cesar, would wake up and need to be put outside for a few minutes. Cesar had to be on a leash, but Coonie was allowed to run without one. However, Coonie was not allowed to run freely! She had to be watched so she wouldn't escape.
Once the dogs were rounded back up they would come in for breakfast, a mixture of dry kibble and homemade meatloaf. Cesar would eat his breakfast in two gulps by himself in the kitchen. Coonie ate by the fireplace, with someone watching. She needed to be coaxed to enjoy her food so Cesar wouldn't eat it for her. Then, within minutes of eating, Coonie needed to be let outside again, which meant Cesar would need to go also.
Once they got settled I could get the fireplace back up to speed. Stoking coals and adding wood Paul Bunyon style was another part of the daily ritual.
My notes indicated I could leave the dogs and the fire for about 3 hours. That kept me on a pretty short leash during the week! Garrett, the teenager, didn't cause me nearly as much grief! In fact, he was effortless.
A friend from Canada joined me for the first 6 days of my journey. So, between the dogs, the fire, the boy, and the friend...I was knackered. I had no time to myself and was physically and mentally exhausted.
My brother and girlfriend came home. The dogs were thrilled to see them. The fire was stoked. The boy was content. The friend was gone....and I was off to my parents house to help my mother who was having eye surgery.
A simple surgery turned out to be not so simple, which in fact is normal - for my mother. If there is a complication, it can find her.
I spent the next 10 days putting eye drops in her eyes 4 times a day. Two kinds twice a day and 3 kinds 4 times a day. I made breakfast, helped with lunch, and did dinners. I did laundry, dishes, vacuumed and dusted.I ran errands and took her to Drs. appointments.
At one point I lifted my pantleg to see if I was wearing the official bracelet of the house arrested. I was sure that somewhere, most likely in a post office, my face was plastered on a Most Wanted poster!
My crime? I am unemployed.
When you are unemployed you are at the mercy of others. There is very little wiggle room when a family member wants/needs/desires your time of you.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to help out my family. But to be honest, they ran me ragged. I was worn out.
I am actively seeking employment! I swear!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
The still of the night
There's nothing worse than the still and quiet of 4 a.m. to intensify and otherwise magnify feelings.
I tried to go to sleep around 2:30. As I laid there, the voices in my head got louder and louder. With the tossing and turning came an onslaught of tears. Choking tears that drenched the core of my soul.
I cried so hard my throat swelled shut.
There's nothing like the dark and solitude of the night to remind you that you failed at something, or you're not thin enough, or you're alone, or you have no money, and no job.
I know I am not suffering from terminal uniqueness and others have a much worse situation. I am empathetic and sympathetic to others. However, this is my life.
Someone told me it'd look better in the morning: It did - it was lighter outside.
I tried to go to sleep around 2:30. As I laid there, the voices in my head got louder and louder. With the tossing and turning came an onslaught of tears. Choking tears that drenched the core of my soul.
I cried so hard my throat swelled shut.
There's nothing like the dark and solitude of the night to remind you that you failed at something, or you're not thin enough, or you're alone, or you have no money, and no job.
I know I am not suffering from terminal uniqueness and others have a much worse situation. I am empathetic and sympathetic to others. However, this is my life.
Someone told me it'd look better in the morning: It did - it was lighter outside.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
The things I'll do for money
To bring in cash I have been cleaning houses. I don't mind doing it. I like
to do things that bring instant results. Mowing the lawn - instant gratification.
Sweeping a floor. Same thing.
However, I will no longer allow someone I clean for to think of me as his wife, his girlfriend, his squeeze...his anything. I am not his "Sweet Pea".
This morning my cell phone rang at 6 a.m. "Are you awake?"
Well, I AM NOW! It was Charley. Someone I have been cleaning sty...I mean house for.
He's having a Super Bowl party and wants his house cleaned so it's spotless. So when I come over to his Super Bowl party *which I am not* he can tell everyone who cleaned his house, and "I'm not tryin' to pimp you out or anything like that...but...."
"I can tell everyone that you're the one who cleans my house and maybe you can get some more work."
There was more dialog but in my sleep-deprived stupor, I don't recall it all. Then, in a flash...he hangs up!
You KNOW I don't go to bed at an early hour, so the 3 hours sleep I did receive, was not enough! And, I was so angry to be called at 6 am that I just got up, got dressed and cleaned my own house! Then I grabbed my Swiffer and broom and left for Charley's house. NO, I didn't ride the broom there!
Thankfully he was leaving with his friend Mike to go to Sam's Club to get the 50#slabs of meat that he'll throw on his grill for the big game.
I busied myself with dusting. And, just to point this out to you, I started in the living room...at the computer. I dusted his huge wooden carved eagle, then the television and beyond. I did the mountain of greasy dishes and wiped countertops. I swept and mopped the kitchen floor. I put two globes back on light fixtures that had been sitting on the table for weeks. I spent 30 minutes attempting to clear off the coffee table in the living room to find the dust and crumbs that awaited. I got down on my hands and knees with the bottle of Folex carpet cleaner to clean up the black from his cigarette ashes. I vacuumed. I removed the mattress from his bed and put the new "free" bedskirt he received from a friend, then added the new *free* comforter.
I cleaned the bathroom that should have been done by a reputable biohazard team. I don't even know what was in the bathtub, but I DO know what was all over the floor!
I washed the old comforter that was on the bed because his friend's dog had umm...relieved himself on it.
After he came home kept asking, "Are you mad at me?" "Oscar *the dog* mama's mad at me."
Oh my God, I am not your mama!! Please note that in between these episodes of me gagging, I call my friend Tami and regale the stories to her. I can barely understand what she is saying to me because of the cachopanous roar that is coming from her! It's not funny!
At this point I asked him if there was anything else he needed done. He said he guessed not. And, I happily left.
When I got home, I changed out of my clothes that reeked of cigarette smoke, grabbed a snack and laid across my bed to read. In a short period of time I was sound asleep and dreaming peacefully. Then...go ahead - guess.
You got it! My cell phone rang! It was Charley! "What are you doing?"
I indicated I was sleeping. He asked me, "Do you have any idea what the purpose of you coming over today was?" I commented that it was to clean for his upcoming Super Bowl party. He yelled, "Then why is there an inch of dust on my TV?!"
He promptly hung the phone up on me. I laid on my bed and just stared at the phone.
I called him right back. No answer. I called again. No answer.
Now, you as a reader, are thinking, "What's this guy smoking?! She said she dusted the tv!"
Alas, I remembered that I had forgotten to clean the tv screen. I got in my car and drove the 4 miles to his house to clean the tv screen.
He had two friends there and we chatted amicably. Immediately Charley asked, "are you mad at me?"
YES!!
Anyway, to make a long story short, after that he said, "It has always been my belief that if you are employed by someone it's at their discretion when you work."
At that point I opened my purse, retrieved his set of house keys and threw them at him.
Sweet Pea has left the room and is currently searching websites for a real job!
to do things that bring instant results. Mowing the lawn - instant gratification.
Sweeping a floor. Same thing.
However, I will no longer allow someone I clean for to think of me as his wife, his girlfriend, his squeeze...his anything. I am not his "Sweet Pea".
This morning my cell phone rang at 6 a.m. "Are you awake?"
Well, I AM NOW! It was Charley. Someone I have been cleaning sty...I mean house for.
He's having a Super Bowl party and wants his house cleaned so it's spotless. So when I come over to his Super Bowl party *which I am not* he can tell everyone who cleaned his house, and "I'm not tryin' to pimp you out or anything like that...but...."
"I can tell everyone that you're the one who cleans my house and maybe you can get some more work."
There was more dialog but in my sleep-deprived stupor, I don't recall it all. Then, in a flash...he hangs up!
You KNOW I don't go to bed at an early hour, so the 3 hours sleep I did receive, was not enough! And, I was so angry to be called at 6 am that I just got up, got dressed and cleaned my own house! Then I grabbed my Swiffer and broom and left for Charley's house. NO, I didn't ride the broom there!
Thankfully he was leaving with his friend Mike to go to Sam's Club to get the 50#slabs of meat that he'll throw on his grill for the big game.
I busied myself with dusting. And, just to point this out to you, I started in the living room...at the computer. I dusted his huge wooden carved eagle, then the television and beyond. I did the mountain of greasy dishes and wiped countertops. I swept and mopped the kitchen floor. I put two globes back on light fixtures that had been sitting on the table for weeks. I spent 30 minutes attempting to clear off the coffee table in the living room to find the dust and crumbs that awaited. I got down on my hands and knees with the bottle of Folex carpet cleaner to clean up the black from his cigarette ashes. I vacuumed. I removed the mattress from his bed and put the new "free" bedskirt he received from a friend, then added the new *free* comforter.
I cleaned the bathroom that should have been done by a reputable biohazard team. I don't even know what was in the bathtub, but I DO know what was all over the floor!
I washed the old comforter that was on the bed because his friend's dog had umm...relieved himself on it.
After he came home kept asking, "Are you mad at me?" "Oscar *the dog* mama's mad at me."
Oh my God, I am not your mama!! Please note that in between these episodes of me gagging, I call my friend Tami and regale the stories to her. I can barely understand what she is saying to me because of the cachopanous roar that is coming from her! It's not funny!
At this point I asked him if there was anything else he needed done. He said he guessed not. And, I happily left.
When I got home, I changed out of my clothes that reeked of cigarette smoke, grabbed a snack and laid across my bed to read. In a short period of time I was sound asleep and dreaming peacefully. Then...go ahead - guess.
You got it! My cell phone rang! It was Charley! "What are you doing?"
I indicated I was sleeping. He asked me, "Do you have any idea what the purpose of you coming over today was?" I commented that it was to clean for his upcoming Super Bowl party. He yelled, "Then why is there an inch of dust on my TV?!"
He promptly hung the phone up on me. I laid on my bed and just stared at the phone.
I called him right back. No answer. I called again. No answer.
Now, you as a reader, are thinking, "What's this guy smoking?! She said she dusted the tv!"
Alas, I remembered that I had forgotten to clean the tv screen. I got in my car and drove the 4 miles to his house to clean the tv screen.
He had two friends there and we chatted amicably. Immediately Charley asked, "are you mad at me?"
YES!!
Anyway, to make a long story short, after that he said, "It has always been my belief that if you are employed by someone it's at their discretion when you work."
At that point I opened my purse, retrieved his set of house keys and threw them at him.
Sweet Pea has left the room and is currently searching websites for a real job!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Busy day!
Today was a busy day. I woke up at 10:45 a.m. - get used to it!
My daughter was still sleeping so the computer was all mine. I checked a couple of sites right away, checked my email, and chatted with Tami from Ohio.
I was suddenly sleepy so I walked away from the computer and climbed back in my nice
bed. There was a song on the radio that made me sad, and these days with no job, it doesn't take much to feel that way.
Quickly I bucked up and jumped out of bed. Ok, I remembered I had to get to the bank to deposit my Christmas money that was supposed to be for a new kitchen floor, kitchen countertop and sink. Now, it is my mortgage payment.
This actually turned out to be a productive day. I filled out the bank deposit, completed two rebate forms for $6.00 each (one per household, so one is going to Mom's in Ohio). Please don't tell Gillette. I also put the completed job application for the community college in an envelope, addressed it and stuck the entire lot in my purse.
My first stop was to the bank. I presented my deposit to the very nice teller, Michelle, who promptly stated that because I am a valued customer of Bank of America, that I was entitled to transfer any credit card balance to this new card at a rate of 2.9% for one full year. I told her I'd consider it, and thanked her for the information.
Receipt in hand, I walked over to the customer service side of the bank and wrote my name legibly on the sign in sheet. I noted that the three people ahead of me did not sign in, but I guess it didn't matter because they were being taken care of. I, however, follow the rules.
A very nice woman came out, shook my hand, and guided me to her office. I then explained to her that I was not working and no longer had direct deposit to my checking account. Then, with sad eyes, asked if she could please waive the monthly fee that goes along with that action. She smiled, tapped a few keys on the keyboard and said, "Yes, I can do that for you until May." She then also told me about the credit card, and was thoughtful enough to call another office to see what my payment would be if I were to actually take advantage of their offer. Since I was pre-approved I would have no paperwork to fill out. I could do it over the phone!
I indicated I would think about it. Since that time I have thought about it and I am going to call her in the morning and have this balance transfer take place. I know, it's not zero percent interest, but it will save me a bundle for the time being. When I am actually working again I can make a double payment and get the card paid down quickly.
I left the bank and headed to the post office for my 3 stamps. No incidents there to report. All went smoothly and I headed off down the road. I turned into the shopping center so I could go to Target and while passing Pier 1 saw a 90% off Christmas sign. I parked the car and made my way through the doors. Oh what a deal! I bought 4 adorable glass candles packaged in a nice Christmas box, and 2 stocking holders for my mantle. Seventy dollars worth of merchandise for a whopping $7.62. I am ahead of the game for next Christmas!
The topping on the cake for my day...I voted early for the Presidential primary. I'm thrilled to have done this with my daughter. I want it duly noted that we agreed on our candidate!
OH! My gosh, I nearly forgot. I had a job offer today! Before you breathe a sigh of relief bear in mind that if it was spectacular I would have led off this posting with said information!
The job was for a Block Clerk for a car auction company. It was one day a week and paid $80. Imagine my disappointment. Unfortunately I did not accept the position. Something better will come up, right?
I'm still angry that I wasn't born rich and have to go through this whole job thing. However, I shall persevere!
Better things will come. Now...I'm off to check Craigslist.
My daughter was still sleeping so the computer was all mine. I checked a couple of sites right away, checked my email, and chatted with Tami from Ohio.
I was suddenly sleepy so I walked away from the computer and climbed back in my nice
bed. There was a song on the radio that made me sad, and these days with no job, it doesn't take much to feel that way.
Quickly I bucked up and jumped out of bed. Ok, I remembered I had to get to the bank to deposit my Christmas money that was supposed to be for a new kitchen floor, kitchen countertop and sink. Now, it is my mortgage payment.
This actually turned out to be a productive day. I filled out the bank deposit, completed two rebate forms for $6.00 each (one per household, so one is going to Mom's in Ohio). Please don't tell Gillette. I also put the completed job application for the community college in an envelope, addressed it and stuck the entire lot in my purse.
My first stop was to the bank. I presented my deposit to the very nice teller, Michelle, who promptly stated that because I am a valued customer of Bank of America, that I was entitled to transfer any credit card balance to this new card at a rate of 2.9% for one full year. I told her I'd consider it, and thanked her for the information.
Receipt in hand, I walked over to the customer service side of the bank and wrote my name legibly on the sign in sheet. I noted that the three people ahead of me did not sign in, but I guess it didn't matter because they were being taken care of. I, however, follow the rules.
A very nice woman came out, shook my hand, and guided me to her office. I then explained to her that I was not working and no longer had direct deposit to my checking account. Then, with sad eyes, asked if she could please waive the monthly fee that goes along with that action. She smiled, tapped a few keys on the keyboard and said, "Yes, I can do that for you until May." She then also told me about the credit card, and was thoughtful enough to call another office to see what my payment would be if I were to actually take advantage of their offer. Since I was pre-approved I would have no paperwork to fill out. I could do it over the phone!
I indicated I would think about it. Since that time I have thought about it and I am going to call her in the morning and have this balance transfer take place. I know, it's not zero percent interest, but it will save me a bundle for the time being. When I am actually working again I can make a double payment and get the card paid down quickly.
I left the bank and headed to the post office for my 3 stamps. No incidents there to report. All went smoothly and I headed off down the road. I turned into the shopping center so I could go to Target and while passing Pier 1 saw a 90% off Christmas sign. I parked the car and made my way through the doors. Oh what a deal! I bought 4 adorable glass candles packaged in a nice Christmas box, and 2 stocking holders for my mantle. Seventy dollars worth of merchandise for a whopping $7.62. I am ahead of the game for next Christmas!
The topping on the cake for my day...I voted early for the Presidential primary. I'm thrilled to have done this with my daughter. I want it duly noted that we agreed on our candidate!
OH! My gosh, I nearly forgot. I had a job offer today! Before you breathe a sigh of relief bear in mind that if it was spectacular I would have led off this posting with said information!
The job was for a Block Clerk for a car auction company. It was one day a week and paid $80. Imagine my disappointment. Unfortunately I did not accept the position. Something better will come up, right?
I'm still angry that I wasn't born rich and have to go through this whole job thing. However, I shall persevere!
Better things will come. Now...I'm off to check Craigslist.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
My first day here - Tuesday
Ok, it's my first day here. I'm testing the waters to see if 'blogging' is something I find rewarding or if it's just going to be another annoyance in my life!
Is "blogging" a verb? I know Google seems to have become one. "Hey, I googled you today!"
Anyway...a day in the life of a job hunter. *sigh*
This morning I woke up at 10:08 a.m. Oh I can see your faces now thinking she slept until ten!?
I was awake until 4 a.m. After a long conversation on the phone with a friend in Pittsburgh, I finished Sue Grafton's latest novel: T is for Trespass. Reading is a great way to pass the time when you have a lot of it! I read between 4 and 5 books a week.
Back to my day. My cat came into the bedroom to say good morning. We spent several minutes talking. Ok, I spent several minutes talking to her. Telling her how beautiful she is and how much I love her. She replied with a heartfelt purr.
I then hopped out of bed and headed to the computer room to begin my daily search on the Internet job sites for meaningful employment. As I rounded the corner to the room I heard the steady clackity clack of the keyboard and realized the best seat in the house was already occupied! My daughter had taken to roost.
It happens!
Since I had to wait my turn, I cleaned the kitchen, folded a load of clothes, and threw another load into the dryer and tossed another load in the washer. (Thank God I didn't have to pound them on a rock at the river!) Then, I got dressed and left the house. I headed down Old Hickory Blvd, turning at Juarez - a shortcut to Lebanon Pike. Traffic was light as I made my way to the little side right behind Two Rivers Ford. There's a backroad that connects to McGavock Pike that allows me to avoid the traffic. I cut over to Two Rivers Drive and made my way to Briley Parkway and the exit for Opry Mills mall.
It wasn't difficult to find a parking spot in the middle of the day, so I parked at Bed, Bath and Beyond and made my way inside. They still have clearance items from Christmas! My palms were sweaty. I showed great restraint as I perused the candles and gift sets from theYankee Candle line. I dragged myself kicking and screaming from BB&B and headed out into the mall. I window shopped at several stores, and walked into many more.
If you've never been to Opry Mills in Nashville you don't know that it's huge! It boasts over 200 retail stores, along with fabulous restaurants, 20 movie screens plus IMAX theatre and the famous Bass Pro Shop! It's a shopper's paradise. 1.2 million square feet of shopping, dining, and people watching. One lap around is a mile.
I bought a soft pretzel across from the Old Navy store. No butter. Finished my walk and made my way out of the mall.
When I got home I decided to vacuum and dust. Not sure why they call it "dusting" when I'm actually removing the dust and not adding it.
The computer was then mine! I checked my email - bellsouth and yahoo. I finished an application for a job as a Student Support Specialist at a local community college and checked the Center for Non Profit Management website for today's listings. With nothing interesting there, I pushed back my chair and headed to the kitchen to begin dinner.
I breaded pork chops, boiled potatoes and made nice salads.
Dinner was a hit, and hit the spot. I curled up on the couch; watched the end of Wheel of Fortune, showed what a half-wit I am by screaming out my answers for Jeopardy and dozed intermittently.
Being unemployed is tiring. I don't think people realize that.
Eventually I made my way back to the computer and brought up the Jobslink website. Nothing new there that was going to help me. So...I chatted with my friend Tami.
Now, after chatting with Tami, and some guy from Knoxville - I'm back at the jobsites. It's 12:37 a.m. - Thursday!
I do my best work at this time of night.
Is "blogging" a verb? I know Google seems to have become one. "Hey, I googled you today!"
Anyway...a day in the life of a job hunter. *sigh*
This morning I woke up at 10:08 a.m. Oh I can see your faces now thinking she slept until ten!?
I was awake until 4 a.m. After a long conversation on the phone with a friend in Pittsburgh, I finished Sue Grafton's latest novel: T is for Trespass. Reading is a great way to pass the time when you have a lot of it! I read between 4 and 5 books a week.
Back to my day. My cat came into the bedroom to say good morning. We spent several minutes talking. Ok, I spent several minutes talking to her. Telling her how beautiful she is and how much I love her. She replied with a heartfelt purr.
I then hopped out of bed and headed to the computer room to begin my daily search on the Internet job sites for meaningful employment. As I rounded the corner to the room I heard the steady clackity clack of the keyboard and realized the best seat in the house was already occupied! My daughter had taken to roost.
It happens!
Since I had to wait my turn, I cleaned the kitchen, folded a load of clothes, and threw another load into the dryer and tossed another load in the washer. (Thank God I didn't have to pound them on a rock at the river!) Then, I got dressed and left the house. I headed down Old Hickory Blvd, turning at Juarez - a shortcut to Lebanon Pike. Traffic was light as I made my way to the little side right behind Two Rivers Ford. There's a backroad that connects to McGavock Pike that allows me to avoid the traffic. I cut over to Two Rivers Drive and made my way to Briley Parkway and the exit for Opry Mills mall.
It wasn't difficult to find a parking spot in the middle of the day, so I parked at Bed, Bath and Beyond and made my way inside. They still have clearance items from Christmas! My palms were sweaty. I showed great restraint as I perused the candles and gift sets from theYankee Candle line. I dragged myself kicking and screaming from BB&B and headed out into the mall. I window shopped at several stores, and walked into many more.
If you've never been to Opry Mills in Nashville you don't know that it's huge! It boasts over 200 retail stores, along with fabulous restaurants, 20 movie screens plus IMAX theatre and the famous Bass Pro Shop! It's a shopper's paradise. 1.2 million square feet of shopping, dining, and people watching. One lap around is a mile.
I bought a soft pretzel across from the Old Navy store. No butter. Finished my walk and made my way out of the mall.
When I got home I decided to vacuum and dust. Not sure why they call it "dusting" when I'm actually removing the dust and not adding it.
The computer was then mine! I checked my email - bellsouth and yahoo. I finished an application for a job as a Student Support Specialist at a local community college and checked the Center for Non Profit Management website for today's listings. With nothing interesting there, I pushed back my chair and headed to the kitchen to begin dinner.
I breaded pork chops, boiled potatoes and made nice salads.
Dinner was a hit, and hit the spot. I curled up on the couch; watched the end of Wheel of Fortune, showed what a half-wit I am by screaming out my answers for Jeopardy and dozed intermittently.
Being unemployed is tiring. I don't think people realize that.
Eventually I made my way back to the computer and brought up the Jobslink website. Nothing new there that was going to help me. So...I chatted with my friend Tami.
Now, after chatting with Tami, and some guy from Knoxville - I'm back at the jobsites. It's 12:37 a.m. - Thursday!
I do my best work at this time of night.
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