Job Interview with County

This afternoon, I received an unexpected call for a job interview.  She actually called last Friday but I decided not to call her back because the voicemail she left wasn't specific.  She just said she was calling for Social Services. 

Today, she called a minute before I had to leave to wait for Kyle at the bus stop, so I couldn't pick up the phone and risk getting stuck on a call for too long. 

I have a job interview next Tuesday for a County position.  Over a month ago (March 13th) I applied for 3 "office assistant" positions, so it could be for any of those three.  I did not expect to ever get called for an interview with the County because I have been applying for over a year with no luck. 

When I was applying for jobs last month, I was hoping my new certification as a medical administrative assistant would give me an edge with the County. 

I am excited but nervous about the interview.  She said to expect two hours.  The first hour is testing I think.  The second hour is interviews with at least 4 people. 

Weekend

Kyle wasn't feeling well all of Saturday.  He kept coughing throughout the day.  Saturday night into Sunday morning, he woke up around 1am and was coughing like crazy.  I tried sitting him up with a second pillow.  He coughed like that for about an hour and he finally fell asleep after that.  I could hear him wheezing too.  Then he woke up coughing around 4am but that didn't last long. 

On Sunday, he seemed a little better than Saturday.  I am going to send him to school on Monday.  He has a short school week this week.  He is off on Thursday and Friday. 

Shannon worked his regular shift of Friday night and Saturday.  He was just called in to work tonight for a full shift!  Hopefully there will be more shifts needing coverage this week! 

Shannon found a full time position with his current employer.  They are hiring for a manager and the pay is really good.  I just hope he actually applies for it.  I told him not to tell anyone at work about it, but knowing him, he will and everyone else will end up applying it and he will forget to apply for it.

Puppies, Jobs and had to see it!

This morning, we drove by our new apartment complex because we wanted to find the building and where our apartment is located within the complex.  We are slowly working on cleaning and getting our things ready to pack. 

While we were at the mall, we saw a pet store -- an actual store that sells pets!  Shannon and I haven't seen those type of stores in years!  Of course, I always wonder if the puppies come from puppy mills.  The puppies were so cute to look at.  They also had rabbits, rats and beta fish.  I think Shannon and I got a little "puppy fever."  However, we know we can't afford to have one, nor do we have the time for a pet.  We miss having a pet, but we know we are unable to care for one.

Tonight, I decided to do a little job searching.  I looked on craigslist and our local county website.  I found three different "office assistant" positions to apply for.  I updated my resume to reflect my recent certificate and skills gained.  I feel a little more confident with that information on my resume and application.  I hope it will give me a little bit of an edge? 

Changes at work

There are a lot of changes going on at Shannon's contract security job.  It looks like there will be more supervisor positions opening up.  Shannon mentioned that he's going to polish up his resume and send it in and let them know that he's looking for a full time position. 

Shannon also shared with me his future plans.  He said he was looking at several jobs ads and he noticed a pattern, they all wanted knowledge of OSHA, Safety, etc.  He decided he would look into getting OSHA certified and any other "certifications" he can find.  He wants to build his resume based on what he already has -- a Bachelor's Degree.  Instead of going for another degree (he was considering going for a paralegal degree), he's going for certifications.  He knows that we don't have the money for another degree program, so he'd rather build on his resume so that he can go for management positions to make himself more marketable. 

Needed to get out

I was feeling a little confined so we decided to get ready to go somewhere.  We ended up going for a drive.  We went to Red Robin to eat.  Kyle actually sat still the entire time!  We think it helped that we sat near the window so he had a nice view to look out of.  We had a nice quiet meal at a restaurant for the first time ever!

Afterward, we went to Target to walk around the store.  It was nice to get out of the house! 

Since being back home from our vacation, Shannon has been job searching and applying like crazy.  It's nice not having to do everything around here for once.  He's actually doing his own job search and filling out online applications.  I just wish he started looking for jobs weeks ago. 

In Florida, we ended up having a discussion about our marriage and I told him everything that bothered me and angered me about our marriage.  He didn't realize, nor did he see that everything was just building up and making me unhappy.  He thought that the little things do not matter, only the big things.  Since then, he's changed completely. 

For the last 3 years, he would talk about nothing but his case.  He would always brush off what I wanted to talk about or my hobbies as things that do not matter.  He has also changed his direction in life.  He no longer bases his future on what a psychic told him.  He's finally thinking and planning for Plan B, rather than what may happen.  All of which, I believe he/we should have been doing the entire time.

Disney World July 2012

Last Tuesday, we left for Disney World.  We ended up staying overnight in Georgia on Tuesday night and continued on our journey on Wednesday morning.  We've visited Disney World parks for 3 days and taking Saturday off.  We also went today.  We went to Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios.  We tried to give Disney Hollywood Stories another chance, since we didn't like it the first time.  The park disappointed us yet again.  The park is mostly for older kids or childless couples.

Since we've been walking for hours since being at Disney World, we have noticed how healthy and fit we feel.  Shannon has noticed a huge difference since he's been sitting around for the last 4 years.  

Tomorrow is our last day at Disney World and we will check out on Tuesday morning.  On our way back home, we plan on stopping in Myrtle Beach, SC to visit my in-laws for two nights.  We plan on returning home on Thursday.

Shannon plans on looking for jobs as soon as we return home!  Finally!  With all of this exercise, he should be ready to return to work.

No good news

We still have not received any good news. We have about a month's worth of living costs in the bank right now. I told Shannon that now would be a great time to look for a job, since he's been putting it off for so long. He also agreed to turn to food banks again. We only went one time last month which was disappointing! I don't think he wants to realize how little money we have.

Tonight, he agreed that he should start looking for jobs, so we'll see how far that goes.

The money that is in the account will cover us if we continue to live the way we are. It is also disappointing that he continues to smoke and buy bottled water. He's too good for faucet water. That would be a great expense to cut down on...considering. It's too bad he continue to buy cigarettes every other day as well.

I decided to...

A few days ago, I decided to quit college because I was feeling way too stressed and overwhelmed with it all.  Being responsible for Kyle, doing our chores (cleaning/organizing), job searching for both Shannon and myself, and studying for school became too much for me.  Even when I tried to study, Kyle would be by my side.  I felt like I didn't have the help I needed from Shannon.  I have always been a "day time person" so I can't see myself doing school work at night.  Now, I am now less stressed and not feeling the pressure.  If I do decide to do school again, I am going for a "self-paced" online school.  I am looking at Penn Foster, if I do decide to sign up for college again. 

Since I am no longer in college, I am trying to focus on job hunting again.  I applied/re-applied for 3 new jobs in the last 48 hours or so.  We live in such a small city, there aren't many jobs around here and if there are, they hire their friends or family.  Lately, I miss working in the hotels and hotels/casinos!  I wouldn't mind moving back to Northern Nevada to work in the hotels/casinos!  I hate it here!  At least Northern Nevada had public transportation and an actual mall!

There is a psychic named Nancy Bradley that my in-laws have consulted with 5 or 6 years ago.  Everything she has told them has come true or is about to come true.  Everything that she says about them (their family, background, etc) is also true.  She has the same ranking (or whatever they call it) as Sylvia Browne.  I've been suggesting to Shannon that we get a reading from Nancy too.  Well, he finally asked me if it was okay with me if he does and I told him, "go for it!"  I need her advice too!  He also plans on asking her about Kyle and his special needs.

Home early from school

We received a call from Kyle's teacher, he was crying all morning.  They were trying everything to calm him down.  We ended up picking him up after only 2 1/2 hours of being in school.  We're looking at having Kyle go to school for 5 days a week instead of 3 days.  His teacher said we will have the IEP meeting at the end of this school year so he'll be ready for next school year.  This will give us more time to ourselves and Kyle more time at school! 

On the way home, Shannon wanted to make a few stops.  I saw a big "now hiring" sign and it turned out to be for a new Dairy Queen that is currently being built.  I asked Shannon what he thought about me applying there and he said I should!  At first, I was a little worried about it being right next to/attached to a gas station, but Shannon didn't seem to be worried about that.  I have a pen pal who started working at a Dairy Queen a few months ago and she loves it!  I have been applying for jobs for the last two weeks and still no calls.  I know that it is difficult to get a job out here because of the economy and because employers seems to want to hire family or friends.

My in-laws are going on a little vacation this weekend.  They are leaving on Sunday and will be gone for at least 3 days.

I am still working out with the kettlebell!  I love it.  I haven't even touched my other workouts in the last few weeks.   I am still on the same workout that is only 20 minutes.  I am still getting tired about halfway through it, so I am glad it is still a challenge for me.  I have even started doing an extra 10 minutes of a different DVD workout in the set!

I had to call again

Kyle had school yesterday!  He's still not feeling well.  He doesn't eat much when we do try to feed him.  While he was at school, I called Speakability and asked for "what's her name" and she ended up answering the phone!  I told her that I called her two weeks ago and called her again last week.  She already knew who I was and said she received my messages.  Apparently the speech therapists that are in our area are either on maternity leave or getting ready to come back from maternity leave.  Plus a lot of the speech therapists have a "full plate" of clients.  She said she would call me or have the speech therapist call me when there is one available, hopefully in the next couple of weeks. 

I received my kettlenetics set!  It arrived just before I had to pick Kyle up from the bus stop (which is down the street).  I had enough time to unpack it and quickly look through what came in the set.  I had a chance to try the first DVD where she walks you through each move. I didn't realize how "dance-y dance" it was, but the person who created this workout is a dance professional!  But overall, it looks fun to learn and motivating.  I am glad it isn't what I was expecting because I don't want all my workouts to be the same stuff. 

I applied for another job last night.  I am looking forward to possibly going back to work again.  There are some people that we live with that I am annoyed with.  If only we could have our own place to live!  Unfortunately that won't be happening for at least a year to a year and a half! 

Not Feeling Well, More College, and Back To Work

I've been asking Shannon to let me know when he thinks it would be a good time for me to go back to work.  I have to admit, I've been a little bored, but trying to enjoy being at home full time.  A part time job would be nice, especially for the extra income.  I am not sure if I want to go back to Wal-Mart because I had such a crazy schedule.  I was working up to 33 hours a week, which is much more than I wanted.  I also didn't like having split days off.  I just felt I was never home.  I will re-apply at Wal-Mart as a last resort.  Don't get me wrong, I do miss my co-workers, the people were nice!  Today, I applied online to two different places.  Hopefully either one will call!  Shannon seems to want me to go back to work at Wal-Mart since we always shop there anyway. 

Shannon has been looking closer at his college and he needs 21 more units than he thought, in order to graduate.  Which means a year and a half of classes.  He was thinking that if I am working, he could double up on classes so he can graduate sooner.  He wants to graduate as soon as he can! 

Kyle came home from school on Friday looking tired.  We thought he was tired, but it turns out he's not feeling well.  He woke up this morning (Saturday) at around 5:45 AM coughing and then threw up!  I could tell he didn't eat at all on Friday!  He threw up one more time a few hours later.  He's still not feeling well.  He hasn't eaten much today, but still drinks water!  He even took a nap this afternoon.  I had to wash the sheets and bedspread today!

Carpet Cleaning Friday

While Kyle was at school today, I shampoo'd the carpets -- the carpets we walk on everyday! They really needed to be cleaned, there were various stains and it started to smell. I haven't had any carpet cleaning solution since I bought my carpet cleaning vacuum (it came with a sample size), so instead, I use some Shaklee product that is super concentrated all purpose cleaner. The carpets look so much better and our rooms smell better!

I happened to find a "rug & carpet shampoo" product that is earth friendly and safe to use around pets and children. I am excited to try it, as the reviews are very positive. There are still some stains and hope to get them out with this product. I miss using my carpet cleaning vacuum, it was fun shampooing the carpets! I plan on shampooing the carpets on a regular basis now. I like having clean carpets to walk on.



I also needed more homeopathic medicine for my allergy to cats! I am running low and don't want to risk running out.

I am job searching daily for Shannon. I am only focusing on finding State, City, and County jobs. I have applied for several so far. I check several times a day and search at least 4 or 5 surrounding cities and counties in addition to the State website. Every once in awhile, I will apply for other positions that are not State, City, or County jobs. Hopefully we'll get a call back soon.

I am looking forward to Kyle's doctor appointment next Thursday! Hopefully the doctor can direct us on what we should do and give us a few referrals to other specialists.

Happy New Year's

Tonight is the last day of 2009! I hope things turn around for us in the New Year! Shannon has been unemployed for 10 1/2 months of 2009. I went back to work in August of this year, which has helped us financially. I am already ready to be a stay at home mom again!

Shannon finally saw things my way and is now going to pursue state, city, and county jobs! For years, I have tried to convince/steer him towards applying for state, city, and county jobs. He never wanted to listen to me. One day, I was browsing through the state jobs and he asked me, "is that all of the open positions?" I told him, "yes, and there are much more to see!" Our goal for the new year is to search and apply for any and all state, city, and county jobs that we can! Just tonight, I found one that is open in our county with the Judicial system.

Tomorrow is our 7th Wedding Anniversary! We don't have any special plans. We have been sick for the last 2 weeks now.

Kyle's 4th birthday is this Sunday! We still can't believe he'll be 4 years old! Our little boy...

Kyle goes back to school on the Monday after his birthday! I think he misses school. He knows we're supposed to go somewhere, he just doesn't know he's on winter break! Shannon is also on winter break from college. He starts back the same day as Kyle.

9 Long Hours of Express Lane

I was stuck at work for 9 hours in the express lane! It was pretty steady but I just hate that people only seem to see my register and never avert their eyes to the other 10 or more registers that are open! My day went by fast, yet slow at the same time. I couldn't wait to get off of work. I am already tired of working there.

I am really excited about the county job that I found and hope to at least get an interview. I filled out the application tonight and it's ready to be mailed out tomorrow!

Apparently, our store decided they were going to stay open until 8 PM on Christmas Eve (instead of 6 PM). With that change, they had to take down the current schedule and re-do it to cover the entire time we are open on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, I have to work 9 1/2 hours on Christmas Eve. I have 10:30 AM til 8 PM!!! I heard a few people in the break room complaining and talking about leaving at 6 PM on Christmas Eve. They were also saying that a lot of people are going to be upset since they may already have plans with family, etc. I try not to complain at work, instead I wait til I get home and complain and whine to Shannon! I am not really upset, just annoyed since I seem to get so many hours each week.

A county job to apply for

Tonight I found a county job that I want to apply for! I am so excited that I told Shannon about it and what the job entails and he said I would definitely qualify for it! So I am going to apply for it. I have 10 days left to turn in my application. Since I don't have access to my old computer, I no longer have a resume on this computer. Luckily I went through some of my old emails and found a copy that I had emailed out to someone. I did have to update it a bit, but it's better than starting from scratch.

The job pays much more than I am making now working part time. Right now, I am making about $8000-$9500 a year! LOL There is talk going around work that after Christmas, our schedules could result with even less hours. There was also another rumor that I heard that they plan on laying off the recent part time cashiers that were hired (which includes me and 2 other people). Right now there are full time cashiers getting LESS hours than me, and I am a part time worker! I just don't get it!

All in a days work

Yesterday was my Saturday from work. I ended up doing two loads of laundry. I didn't really do any cleaning, I just wanted to relax. My body was sore from work. I have been too worried about wearing my WalkFits to work since my feet are still getting used to them. I did wear them once for a 4 hour shift and my feet hurt so bad. I may wear them for another 4 hour shift to see how it goes. I have realized that the pain that I get in my feet and legs is not normal, especially since I have no arches in my feet.

Kyle and I ended up taking a nap yesterday. He and I started feeling tired around the same time. We both crawled into bed and he fell right asleep. I fell asleep soon after. I slept for about an hour and a half or so and Kyle slept a full 2 hours! Thankfully he woke up in a good mood. I gave him a bath after he woke up. He was just fine for the rest of the night.

I did some job searching online for Shannon last night. I checked craigslist again and found a few to apply for. When I checked Shannon's email this morning, he already received a response from one of the jobs I applied for. It's for a management job in Virginia. Then a few hours later, the [same] corporate company emailed him saying they received his email from their HR department. They are looking for a General Manager for a brand new property in Virginia!

Kyle Approved

The last two days, Kyle has "helped" me choose what to wear for work. I am not sure if you would call it "helped," or rather he insisted on what I should wear! Yesterday, I choose a shirt and pair of pants to wear to work. He quickly pulled the shirt off the bed and pulled me towards the closet. I wasn't sure what he meant so I kept resisting, finally I grabbed another shade of blue shirt and he was okay with that color.

This morning, I chose a pair of pants and top and he didn't like either. I gave him a choice of another pair of pants and another top and he approved both of them!

Last night was pretty busy at work! When I walked in, there were long lines! I didn't get out of there until almost 15 minutes after I was supposed to. The lady that was supposed to relieve me, didn't show up until then!

I also overheard that we are on a "hiring freeze," which is too bad since the holidays are quickly approaching. Hopefully they will hire extra people for the holidays!? The Christmas merchandise is already out on the floor! It's so crazy!

I did find two very local management jobs and applied for both for Shannon. These jobs are both located in a neighboring city that's about 20 minutes away! So, we're hoping he gets a call for either or both of them.

Another Long Day

Yesterday went by pretty quickly, we were busy! I was also on the grocery side of the store, so that helped. My body is aching and sore from having to stand for so long in one spot.

Shannon received a call back for a position I applied for on craigslist. The General Manager emailed him last week and Shannon called last Friday and left a message. The General Manager called back yesterday morning. Shannon returned his call in the afternoon. He has a job interview on Wednesday. The hotel property is about 6 1/2 hours away. Since the interview is so far away, he's probably going to stay the night.

I asked Shannon to wash our bed sheets and he ended up doing all of the laundry for me! He did at least 3 loads of laundry yesterday! I am off tomorrow, so I plan on doing some cleaning and washing my work clothes.

I have another long day at work today. I have an 8 hour shift, with an hour lunch. I am definitely looking forward to my day off tomorrow.

Birthday Weekend

On Friday, July 24th (my birthday), I decided to treat myself and I bought more mineral makeup. The company that I represent is having a really awesome sale, so I had to take advantage. Plus, I am in need of more makeup. The makeup that I bought will last at least a year, if not more! A little mineral makeup goes a long way!


We had another quiet weekend. All I can think and hope for is the two recent jobs I applied for! I am really hoping to get a call back for the County Job, although the other job would be just as great! From what I hear, this city/area hires based primarily on nepotism, friendships, and schoolmates. I am still keeping my fingers and toes crossed!

I've been blogging like crazy this weekend. Some of my blogs have been neglected, so I am trying to keep them updated. In addition, I did a "paid to blog" post, now I am just waiting for it to be approved. There's another opportunity for me to do, I may work on it when I have free time. I was looking for other ways to get paid to blog and joined a site where I can submit my articles/writings. I get paid when people read them. All but one has been approved so far!

Shannon and I went out to Chili's today (Sunday) for my birthday! I originally wanted to get the 3 courses for $20 special, but Shannon didn't want to. Shannon got ribeye steak and I got a shrimp alfredo dish. The food was so-so, nothing to be impressed about, but the service was great.

Another Application

I did a quick job search locally and found a job that was posted earlier this month, and it was posted again today! I told Shannon about it and he said I should definitely apply for it! It's for a customer service position, it looks to be a call center type of job. This particular company provides uniforms and other supplies such as floor mats, restroom supplies, mops, and shop towels. They also specify that this is a "day shift" position, so that's good! No mention of pay, except "based on experience."

I just applied online. We'll see if I get a call back.