If you can help someone, do it. This is not just a statement for the holidays, it's a lifetime mission statement. I will illustrate with two examples:
1) No one in every day life has a huge ego. There is some self-doubt or worry plaguing them. Therefore, building up someone else's ego is not a bad thing. So, if you overheard a compliment or have one of your own, pass it along. How it is taken is not your fault. Appreciating other people is not a bad thing.
2) Don't with-hold knowledge. For example, I had been looking for a job for months when I found out my electrologist's daughter is looking for a job as well. So, I passed along any contacts or suggestions that I have amassed. The daughter got a job thanks to me and I got thank by my electrologist a million times over!
If you're focused on behavior solely to benefit yourself, I guarantee that helping others can benefit you ten-fold in the future. When you are one your deathbed, regrets suck! Take it from the lady who almost died 6 years ago.
Friday, November 30, 2007
A Real Job
I had composed this long blog entry but lost it so here's my attempt to recreate it after watching and crying over, "The Pursuit of Happyness".
My family wasn't well off when I was growing up but we lived in a rich/well-off suburb. It wasn't that we were poor but I was aware that certain things were out of reach for me as I was growing up. I was teased in school for wearing the same winter coat year after year. The only reason why I was able to have a Cabbage Patch Kid was thanks to my Grandma. I had rich cousins and poor cousins. My family fell somewhere in between. That is why watching most of the movie was excruciating. Seeing this guy struggle and try to keep his son wasn't a level of desperation that I have experienced but it affected me. It was basically a primal fear of mine growing up. I had an active imagination and Dickeniasn levels of poverty haunted me. My mom likes to tell me that I offered to pay for my own ballet classes when I was 7. Maybe I imagined a job as a pickpocket or working in a mill?
After 3 jobs and 4 years of graduate school, I finally have a real job. A job where I'm busy for 40 hours or more per week. A job that can pay enough where I'm not living paycheck to paycheck (on a perm basis). A job where I would be earning as much as my dad in the 80's. I know from experience that money doesn't equal happiness. But taking money out of the worry equation, helps a hell of a lot! Since I was laid off, I had to face a lot of questions about my life and choices. For example, was getting an MBA a smart move? Also, wouldn't life be easier if I wasn't single? Why have lived in the same apartment for five years?
When this job fell into my lap after 5 months and 2 weeks of searching, I thought there was no way that the universe could be so kind. But after my interview, I knew I really wanted the job so I started researching unemployment procedures. Because if I really want something, I'm not used to getting it. Somehow I wound up getting it on a temporary basis! Since I'm still a temp, I know there's a wooing process and I really want to learn quickly and excel at every task. It looks easy in the movies. If only my life could be a movie montage...
I like my supervisor because I admire her brain and hidden sense of humor. But I do feel that she thinks light years ahead of me so I have moments of panic where I feel really stupid and overwhelmed. On the up side, she is willing to slow down her pace to explain procedures to me. It's kinda funny. She winds up slowing down so much that I ask questions way ahead of her and she winds up replying, "We'll get to that." I also work with two other guys. One is an awful explainer but is around my age so we get along on a social level. When he tries to train me on the ERP system, it is horrendous because if you have seen one, you've seen them all. Tabbing over fields and hitting "execute" is no big deal. But we can talk about our lives a bit and joke about rolling into the office barely at 9AM. The other guy is simply immersed in data and reporting 60/7 but he has such a warm and supportive demeanor, it makes up for his dry work duties. In fact, I have learned more from him than my supervisor!
The job is a lot of juggling tasks and 3 hour meetings where I only absorb 30 minutes worth. I have been working hard and learned a lot so hopefully I will be perm sooner rather than later. My goal is by the first week in Jan. Since I'm superstitious, I've made a point about greeting the security guards every day. Being friendly and conscientious never hurts!
It's weird now that I'm being forced to reconsider my outlook on the universe. I have spent so many years feeling like the universe owed me due to my stroke and shitty childhood and feeling like I will never be cut a break. It kinda reminds me of a quote from the final season of "Six Feet Under" - that I feel like each good act is a deposit into the universe that I feel entitled to drawing. Not anymore. I can appreciate the good things and work hard to keep them without a sense of bitterness or entitlement.
My family wasn't well off when I was growing up but we lived in a rich/well-off suburb. It wasn't that we were poor but I was aware that certain things were out of reach for me as I was growing up. I was teased in school for wearing the same winter coat year after year. The only reason why I was able to have a Cabbage Patch Kid was thanks to my Grandma. I had rich cousins and poor cousins. My family fell somewhere in between. That is why watching most of the movie was excruciating. Seeing this guy struggle and try to keep his son wasn't a level of desperation that I have experienced but it affected me. It was basically a primal fear of mine growing up. I had an active imagination and Dickeniasn levels of poverty haunted me. My mom likes to tell me that I offered to pay for my own ballet classes when I was 7. Maybe I imagined a job as a pickpocket or working in a mill?
After 3 jobs and 4 years of graduate school, I finally have a real job. A job where I'm busy for 40 hours or more per week. A job that can pay enough where I'm not living paycheck to paycheck (on a perm basis). A job where I would be earning as much as my dad in the 80's. I know from experience that money doesn't equal happiness. But taking money out of the worry equation, helps a hell of a lot! Since I was laid off, I had to face a lot of questions about my life and choices. For example, was getting an MBA a smart move? Also, wouldn't life be easier if I wasn't single? Why have lived in the same apartment for five years?
When this job fell into my lap after 5 months and 2 weeks of searching, I thought there was no way that the universe could be so kind. But after my interview, I knew I really wanted the job so I started researching unemployment procedures. Because if I really want something, I'm not used to getting it. Somehow I wound up getting it on a temporary basis! Since I'm still a temp, I know there's a wooing process and I really want to learn quickly and excel at every task. It looks easy in the movies. If only my life could be a movie montage...
I like my supervisor because I admire her brain and hidden sense of humor. But I do feel that she thinks light years ahead of me so I have moments of panic where I feel really stupid and overwhelmed. On the up side, she is willing to slow down her pace to explain procedures to me. It's kinda funny. She winds up slowing down so much that I ask questions way ahead of her and she winds up replying, "We'll get to that." I also work with two other guys. One is an awful explainer but is around my age so we get along on a social level. When he tries to train me on the ERP system, it is horrendous because if you have seen one, you've seen them all. Tabbing over fields and hitting "execute" is no big deal. But we can talk about our lives a bit and joke about rolling into the office barely at 9AM. The other guy is simply immersed in data and reporting 60/7 but he has such a warm and supportive demeanor, it makes up for his dry work duties. In fact, I have learned more from him than my supervisor!
The job is a lot of juggling tasks and 3 hour meetings where I only absorb 30 minutes worth. I have been working hard and learned a lot so hopefully I will be perm sooner rather than later. My goal is by the first week in Jan. Since I'm superstitious, I've made a point about greeting the security guards every day. Being friendly and conscientious never hurts!
It's weird now that I'm being forced to reconsider my outlook on the universe. I have spent so many years feeling like the universe owed me due to my stroke and shitty childhood and feeling like I will never be cut a break. It kinda reminds me of a quote from the final season of "Six Feet Under" - that I feel like each good act is a deposit into the universe that I feel entitled to drawing. Not anymore. I can appreciate the good things and work hard to keep them without a sense of bitterness or entitlement.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Kitten Love
Even though we've been together for 3 months, Rasputin still finds ways to amuse and amaze me. The way he is able to hang upside down on his cat condo to attack a toy. How he watches TV with me. Or when he starts channeling a parrot by sitting on my shoulder while I type on my computer. The intent way he meows in my face when he wants to sleep on me. His tail is the best barometer of moods.
The day starts with him pawing my face or licking my nose around 6:00 AM. He has developed another wake up maneuver too. Lately he starts digging at my down comforter like I'm buried under a pile of sand that keeps me asleep. He doesn't use his claws but gets into it to the point where he is completely standing on his hind legs and both paws are working in unison. It's a good massage for me but it wipes him out. That is when he just gives up and lies down next to me on my pillow. He might be lying directly against my nose or snuggled under my chin. For some reason he rests his paws on my face as he nods off. I can't figure out if he's showing affection or trying to block my breathing. It's around now that my alarm goes off.
He hangs out by his food dishes until I make it into the kitchen to feed him. Since I check my email while I eat breakfast, he perches on the back of my chair sometimes leaning over my head with his front paws on my lower neck. Again, excellent massage and good use of pressure points. I leave the window blinds open for him so he can perch and be entertained for the day. He follows me into the bathroom while I wash my face and brush my teeth. He's very stealthy. The only way I know he's in the room with me are his furry paws on the sink while he intently watches what I'm doing.. Getting dressed is another adventure for him. I usually lay out the clothes I will be wearing on my bed and he usually camps out on some item of clothing. If it's s sweater, that's fine but if it's pants with shiny new buttons, he'll start gnawing on them. His behavior determines the way I get dressed in the morning. Once dressed, he has no patience while I put on my make-up. Either he meows at me or paws at my leg to get my attention. For fun, I sometimes let him smell the perfume I will be putting on. The face he makes always cracks me up. Even though he can't understand me, I always leave saying, "Okay buddy, I'm off to work. You have food (I say as I check his bowl) and be good!"
When I get home. He sometimes is sitting in the window and meows when he sees me. Once I'm through the door, he is lying on his back rolling around my collection of shoes purring as loudly as possibly. I don't know why but I always pitch my voice babytalk high as I say hello to him. He goes over to his scratching post as I unload my stuff and kick off my shoes. I do a quick tour of the kitchen to check his food and the hallway with his litter box and when I get back to the livingroom, he's sitting waiting for me so I swoop him up. He gets a little antsy around 6pm. He meows a lot if I'm in another room and if I'm making dinner, he tries to jump on counters or paws at my legs. So I wind up telling him, "No, this is human food." often. If I have time, I try to sit down in the kitchen and play with him. He gets so happy that he winds up just plopping down next to me and showing his belly. WARNING cats aren't like dogs. They don't like their tummies stroked. It looks like an invitation for a petting but if you do you'll have 4 limbs and 20 claws attacking your hand. If he is very quiet during the evening and not in the room with me, he's either getting into mischief or playing in another room. More often than not, it's mischief. He likes to bring his toys to me if he's playing. If I catch him doing something bad, he does his "Oh shit." look and scurries off. I start with a stern no but wind up hooting with laughter as he runs away.
I clean his litter box as part of our going to be ritual. He knows the drill for going to sleep but whether he's ready, depends. Some nights he jumps in bed with me, curls up and goes to sleep. Other nights, I can hear him playing in other rooms and he comes bombing into my bedroom with a toy in his mouth. If I'm awake enough, I like to lie in bed and watch him play. Since I know he's extremely intelligent, I have come to the conclusion that he constantly "loses" squeak toys under my bookcase as a grand plan to set up a toy ambush. Or that area is his toy stash. Last night, I watched him play with 3 different toys that had been stashed there. I love his nonchalant move of walking away which turns into a violent attack. It's like he's saying, "You know what? I just don't care. See? I'm walking away. My mama is a what? OH NO YOU DIDN'T!" If it's that kind of a night, I will be waking up to a bedroom scattered with various cat toys from other rooms. Sometimes I roll over onto a jingle ball or a fur mouse. The toy battle has no boundaries.
The day starts with him pawing my face or licking my nose around 6:00 AM. He has developed another wake up maneuver too. Lately he starts digging at my down comforter like I'm buried under a pile of sand that keeps me asleep. He doesn't use his claws but gets into it to the point where he is completely standing on his hind legs and both paws are working in unison. It's a good massage for me but it wipes him out. That is when he just gives up and lies down next to me on my pillow. He might be lying directly against my nose or snuggled under my chin. For some reason he rests his paws on my face as he nods off. I can't figure out if he's showing affection or trying to block my breathing. It's around now that my alarm goes off.
He hangs out by his food dishes until I make it into the kitchen to feed him. Since I check my email while I eat breakfast, he perches on the back of my chair sometimes leaning over my head with his front paws on my lower neck. Again, excellent massage and good use of pressure points. I leave the window blinds open for him so he can perch and be entertained for the day. He follows me into the bathroom while I wash my face and brush my teeth. He's very stealthy. The only way I know he's in the room with me are his furry paws on the sink while he intently watches what I'm doing.. Getting dressed is another adventure for him. I usually lay out the clothes I will be wearing on my bed and he usually camps out on some item of clothing. If it's s sweater, that's fine but if it's pants with shiny new buttons, he'll start gnawing on them. His behavior determines the way I get dressed in the morning. Once dressed, he has no patience while I put on my make-up. Either he meows at me or paws at my leg to get my attention. For fun, I sometimes let him smell the perfume I will be putting on. The face he makes always cracks me up. Even though he can't understand me, I always leave saying, "Okay buddy, I'm off to work. You have food (I say as I check his bowl) and be good!"
When I get home. He sometimes is sitting in the window and meows when he sees me. Once I'm through the door, he is lying on his back rolling around my collection of shoes purring as loudly as possibly. I don't know why but I always pitch my voice babytalk high as I say hello to him. He goes over to his scratching post as I unload my stuff and kick off my shoes. I do a quick tour of the kitchen to check his food and the hallway with his litter box and when I get back to the livingroom, he's sitting waiting for me so I swoop him up. He gets a little antsy around 6pm. He meows a lot if I'm in another room and if I'm making dinner, he tries to jump on counters or paws at my legs. So I wind up telling him, "No, this is human food." often. If I have time, I try to sit down in the kitchen and play with him. He gets so happy that he winds up just plopping down next to me and showing his belly. WARNING cats aren't like dogs. They don't like their tummies stroked. It looks like an invitation for a petting but if you do you'll have 4 limbs and 20 claws attacking your hand. If he is very quiet during the evening and not in the room with me, he's either getting into mischief or playing in another room. More often than not, it's mischief. He likes to bring his toys to me if he's playing. If I catch him doing something bad, he does his "Oh shit." look and scurries off. I start with a stern no but wind up hooting with laughter as he runs away.
I clean his litter box as part of our going to be ritual. He knows the drill for going to sleep but whether he's ready, depends. Some nights he jumps in bed with me, curls up and goes to sleep. Other nights, I can hear him playing in other rooms and he comes bombing into my bedroom with a toy in his mouth. If I'm awake enough, I like to lie in bed and watch him play. Since I know he's extremely intelligent, I have come to the conclusion that he constantly "loses" squeak toys under my bookcase as a grand plan to set up a toy ambush. Or that area is his toy stash. Last night, I watched him play with 3 different toys that had been stashed there. I love his nonchalant move of walking away which turns into a violent attack. It's like he's saying, "You know what? I just don't care. See? I'm walking away. My mama is a what? OH NO YOU DIDN'T!" If it's that kind of a night, I will be waking up to a bedroom scattered with various cat toys from other rooms. Sometimes I roll over onto a jingle ball or a fur mouse. The toy battle has no boundaries.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thanksgiving
November 22 was Thanksgiving and my 31st birthday. The holiday was a lot of fun. I got to eat lots of good food. I always say that I eat the most veggies on Thanksgiving. God, I love orange veggies! I also drank a lot of seabreezes. I forgot I liked those.
Also November 22 is Rasputin's 6 month birthday. He's now 18 inches long in his body and his tail is 13 inches long.
I had to work today but the office was dead. I did have a good meeting with my boss where we analyzed a couple projects. The weekend should be pretty lowkey (I have 4 more birthday gifts - woohoo!)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Tuesday Update
I'm composing this post at work while it's snowing out and I'm sipping cocoa. Snow simply requires cocoa. Work has been pretty quiet with interspersed periods of training. When my boss returns tomorrow, the real work should hit hyper-drive just in time for the holiday break. Woohoo! Timing kinda sucks when I started this new job. I won't get a full week's paycheck until December. My plan for my lunch break today is to go to TJ Maxx and see if I can find a holiday outfit plus swing by Payless. The shoes that left my heel bloody a couple weeks ago haven't gotten any better. No matter how many layers of band aids I slap onto my heel, the shoe still cuts into my skin. I don't know why the shoes suddenly are painful now considering that I picked them up in September. I need some comfy professional loafers for work so I'll look appropriate (today I'm wearing my green and orange sneakers).
Last night my first Mary Kay inventory order arrived. I had ordered the lowest possible quantity - $600 worth. I had also cleaned out my closet and bought one of those cheap rolling plastic drawers. $600 buys a lot of stuff and my closet is basically overflowing!. I also got my personal color makeup compact which was so much fun to use this morning. I have to say, the lipstick is perfect. The eye colors look pretty good too! My mom is letting me throw my premiere Mary Kay party at her house Dec. 2. Hopefully, I can sell a lot there. I'm swimming in skincare products. If I don't sell products, at least I'll book some consultation appointments.
Also last night I had chorus rehearsal. I have figured out a way to deal with the Soprano diva. I don't maintain eye contact and if she's speaking in general to the group, I just space out. She's one of those people who announces a "witty" observation waiting for a response from the humble masses. Also, it's not my fault that she's a first soprano and is sitting next to and in front of second sopranos. Wince all rehearsal long and send me dirty looks over your shoulder, I will be singing the second sooprano part. Deal with it. To balance out her yuckiness, I got a really nice compliment from another chorus member. She told me that she doesn't know how I can find the second soprano notes and hold them so clearly. Aww!
I think Rasputin is sick. He isn't eating as much as usual. He's a lot more meowy and aggressive. He actually bit a guest last week! Plus, he seems to be less nimble lately. I've caught him falling off the sofa and completely missing a jump. I know he's congested and has a runny nose. It seems like he has had this cold for 3 months with flair ups every couple of weeks. It's vet appointment time and hopefully they can figure out what's wrong!
Last night my first Mary Kay inventory order arrived. I had ordered the lowest possible quantity - $600 worth. I had also cleaned out my closet and bought one of those cheap rolling plastic drawers. $600 buys a lot of stuff and my closet is basically overflowing!. I also got my personal color makeup compact which was so much fun to use this morning. I have to say, the lipstick is perfect. The eye colors look pretty good too! My mom is letting me throw my premiere Mary Kay party at her house Dec. 2. Hopefully, I can sell a lot there. I'm swimming in skincare products. If I don't sell products, at least I'll book some consultation appointments.
Also last night I had chorus rehearsal. I have figured out a way to deal with the Soprano diva. I don't maintain eye contact and if she's speaking in general to the group, I just space out. She's one of those people who announces a "witty" observation waiting for a response from the humble masses. Also, it's not my fault that she's a first soprano and is sitting next to and in front of second sopranos. Wince all rehearsal long and send me dirty looks over your shoulder, I will be singing the second sooprano part. Deal with it. To balance out her yuckiness, I got a really nice compliment from another chorus member. She told me that she doesn't know how I can find the second soprano notes and hold them so clearly. Aww!
I think Rasputin is sick. He isn't eating as much as usual. He's a lot more meowy and aggressive. He actually bit a guest last week! Plus, he seems to be less nimble lately. I've caught him falling off the sofa and completely missing a jump. I know he's congested and has a runny nose. It seems like he has had this cold for 3 months with flair ups every couple of weeks. It's vet appointment time and hopefully they can figure out what's wrong!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Weekend Blogger
I kicked off the weekend by drinking Beaujolais Nouveau while watching "Knocked Up". Pretty good movie with some awful dialogue. Since I left my job and started a new one this past week, finances are pretty tight. I signed up to be a Mary Kay consultant a couple weeks ago. It seems like a fun way to earn extra money. Plus, I get to sample the products - which will help my sales pitches. I also participated in an audience development survey which could result in prizes. Hell, I signed up for a Buzz campaign because I get free snacks! In theory, I'll receive my severance the last week of November.
Last night I got really close to drinking Patron but had to back out due to having no money and already being drunk enough that my taste buds weren't really up to par. Patron is like my Everest. Some day I'll climb but I have to work up to it. I had planned on drinking a lot last night so I took the green line into the city. End to end, it takes about 45 to 60 minutes so that would be perfect sobering up time. It was a lot of fun and I tried a new beer that I wound up loving - Sam Adams seasonal.
Today is errand day and as I was driving home I saw the most hilarious car accident ever. A car took a left and swung too wide and crashed into the opposite curb. I can't figure out if the driver was drunk or on a cell phone. It could be both. Good old Waltham and their crap ass drivers...
This Thursday I'm turning 31. It will be a very sleepy birthday.
Last night I got really close to drinking Patron but had to back out due to having no money and already being drunk enough that my taste buds weren't really up to par. Patron is like my Everest. Some day I'll climb but I have to work up to it. I had planned on drinking a lot last night so I took the green line into the city. End to end, it takes about 45 to 60 minutes so that would be perfect sobering up time. It was a lot of fun and I tried a new beer that I wound up loving - Sam Adams seasonal.
Today is errand day and as I was driving home I saw the most hilarious car accident ever. A car took a left and swung too wide and crashed into the opposite curb. I can't figure out if the driver was drunk or on a cell phone. It could be both. Good old Waltham and their crap ass drivers...
This Thursday I'm turning 31. It will be a very sleepy birthday.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The New Job
Blogger is blocked from work so I'm going to write in the evenings from now on. My first day at the new job was yesterday. It was weird, I wasn't nervous at all. The morning was insane though. I sat for 4 hours with my boss with her explaining the company and our department. There was no clock in sight so I had no idea how long the sit-down was taking but I knew that my mouth was getting pretty dry and I was spacing out towards the end. Then came lunch.
The office building has a huge cafeteria that takes debit cards (deadly to know). I had a nice lunch with a co-worker then we took a stroll around the building because it was gorgeous.
After lunch, I was thrown into a conference call with my boss that went completely over my head and started panicking me. I had no idea how to absorb all the moving pieces in the project. Numbers, maps, and lingo were thrown around that I had no idea what to do with so I jotted down notes like a madwoman hoping eventually it would make sense. After the meeting, I was left alone to work in my cubicle. I didn't really work so much as go over my notes from the day. Panic was building a bit.
A very cool occurrence happened in the morning. As I was being walked over to HR by my boss, I noticed a nameplate outside of an office that looked familiar. It was the name of a former MBA classmate of mine! He greeted me and I felt like it was a good omen to see a friendly face on my first day. We had 3 classes together and worked in a group for our Stats course.
Today was much better. My boss is out of town for a week and I was left on my own to get trained by other co-workers. I asked good questions and have a glimmer of a grasp on my job. Plus, I have work to do tomorrow! Oh yeah, I actually have to adjust to a real dress code. My jeans and sneakers will be banished into non-work wear.
The office building has a huge cafeteria that takes debit cards (deadly to know). I had a nice lunch with a co-worker then we took a stroll around the building because it was gorgeous.
After lunch, I was thrown into a conference call with my boss that went completely over my head and started panicking me. I had no idea how to absorb all the moving pieces in the project. Numbers, maps, and lingo were thrown around that I had no idea what to do with so I jotted down notes like a madwoman hoping eventually it would make sense. After the meeting, I was left alone to work in my cubicle. I didn't really work so much as go over my notes from the day. Panic was building a bit.
A very cool occurrence happened in the morning. As I was being walked over to HR by my boss, I noticed a nameplate outside of an office that looked familiar. It was the name of a former MBA classmate of mine! He greeted me and I felt like it was a good omen to see a friendly face on my first day. We had 3 classes together and worked in a group for our Stats course.
Today was much better. My boss is out of town for a week and I was left on my own to get trained by other co-workers. I asked good questions and have a glimmer of a grasp on my job. Plus, I have work to do tomorrow! Oh yeah, I actually have to adjust to a real dress code. My jeans and sneakers will be banished into non-work wear.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Morning Thoughts
"La, la la brushing my teeth... Swabbing out my ears... Huh, why is it extra noisy in my right ear? Oh my God, where is the cotton swab!"
Yes, this morning I had the drama of losing a Q-tip's cotton swab in my right ear. I panicked initially. Thinking that I would need to go to the ER to get it removed because who knows how far up my ear it had gone? Then, I remembered that I'm not 2 years old and only babies get stuff stuck in their orifices. Very calmly, I was able to extract the cotton with tweezers. My dignity is intact.
Yes, this morning I had the drama of losing a Q-tip's cotton swab in my right ear. I panicked initially. Thinking that I would need to go to the ER to get it removed because who knows how far up my ear it had gone? Then, I remembered that I'm not 2 years old and only babies get stuff stuck in their orifices. Very calmly, I was able to extract the cotton with tweezers. My dignity is intact.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Comics Come Home XIII was the 8th time I attended the show. I enjoy the show a lot more now since it's being held in Agganis Arena. The Orpheum sucked. Agganis is perfect and there's no bad seat in the house.
Getting into the city was a bit of an adventure. Commuter rail from Roslindale to Ruggles. Trying not to get stabbed by forgetting the name of "festivus" while waiting for the bus. Then walking up Comm Ave to Sunset Cantina. Margaritas were had and lots of cheesy bad for you Mexican food.
Then onto Agganis. The security pat down resembled a restroom line situation. The women's pat down lines were huge and the lone security pat down guy had no line. Our seats were pretty good but very narrow (narrower than I remembered). It was a joy to have armrests digging into my hips.
The comedians:
Denis Leary - as always, hilarious. A great MC and comedian. But did we really have to see Britney's cooter on the projection screen? Boy he cracked himself up on that. The scream that erupted from the audience was hilarious.
Joe Yannetty - I have never been on a cruise but I laughed at his cruise ship material
Mike Birbiglia - woohoo making fun of Catholics!
Pete Correale - a new comedian to the line-up. Pretty hysterical. Was able to sneak in a 9/11 joke that was actually funny!
Lenny Clarke - I love Lenny but his set was really uneven. I think it was due to the fact that no one could hear him because he held the mike around his belt and cracking jokes about immigration was pretty tired back when they were new.
Jim Norton - eh, offensive just to be offensive. A couple genuine chuckles.
Artie Lange - not a fan
Robert Kelly - brought the house down. I was dying laughing. Tears, hyperventilating, the whole works
Cracked Rappers - I think that's their name. They did two raps One about the "flap above the pussy." The second was introduced as something they like to rap about because they are really good at it. So, you're thinking sex, right? No. I am not kidding, it started, "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...." It was hysterical. Two white guys gangsta rapping numbers.
The show lasted about 2.5 hours. Our seats were pretty good but I wanted to punch the lady behind me. She had a really shrill Boston accented voice and was one of those audience members who feels the need to say, "It's funny because it's true." Wow, I'm glad she grasps the concept of humor! Also, they were almost fisticuffs in the balcony area which Agganis security responded to. That was more entertaining than Artie Lange's set so I enjoyed the drama.
4AM Earthquake?
At 4:00 this morning, my entire apartment building shook back and forth plus there was a rumbling. I checked and made sure it wasn't a giant oak crashing into the building (like last time). No one was screaming and there was no commotion. Sufficiently creeped out, I couldn't fall asleep.
The second I got into work, I checked Boston.com. Nope, no reported earthquakes. Either a huge truck raced down my street or my inner ear is completely screwed up.
The second I got into work, I checked Boston.com. Nope, no reported earthquakes. Either a huge truck raced down my street or my inner ear is completely screwed up.
Friday, November 09, 2007
I Got a Job!!
At 4:30PM today I found out that I was given a job offer based upon an interview I gave yesterday. I had a feeling that the interview went well since it lasted 2 hours! I have to say, my Emergenetics reading really helped me during the interview. I made sure to match the interviewers' expressiveness and assertiveness (which was minimal so I basically dialed myself down). While expressiveness was minimal social and easiness with jokes was plentiful so I got to let my expressiveness seep out that way. I also had new ways of calming my nerves. If a very analytical situation makes you nervous, the best way to calm yourself is to think of/do something creative. So, I did.
The job starts 8:30AM Wednesday and my current company is allowing me to cut short my final week plus I'm still getting my severance. This is a temp to perm position but as my staffing rep told me, once I'm in there the job is mine to lose. I'm hoping I'll be converted to perm in a couple weeks. Oh yeah, have I mentioned that the benefits are amazing?
I walked into the interview dressed to the nines so I was hoping the effort would be rewarded. I wore my new Macy's suit jacket which was my job hunt investment. I also decided that I didn't like how open my shirt color was so I accessorized with a scarf. It took me about 20 minutes to figure out how to tie that darn thing! Since I'm superstitious, I also put on a bracelet my Grandma gave me before she got really sick. I was completely overdressed for the company but interview-wise, it worked. I matched my first interviewer with my shirt color - which made me feel good. Plus, my second interviewer was a red head so I knew Grandma was working her heaven mojo for me.
The job starts 8:30AM Wednesday and my current company is allowing me to cut short my final week plus I'm still getting my severance. This is a temp to perm position but as my staffing rep told me, once I'm in there the job is mine to lose. I'm hoping I'll be converted to perm in a couple weeks. Oh yeah, have I mentioned that the benefits are amazing?
I walked into the interview dressed to the nines so I was hoping the effort would be rewarded. I wore my new Macy's suit jacket which was my job hunt investment. I also decided that I didn't like how open my shirt color was so I accessorized with a scarf. It took me about 20 minutes to figure out how to tie that darn thing! Since I'm superstitious, I also put on a bracelet my Grandma gave me before she got really sick. I was completely overdressed for the company but interview-wise, it worked. I matched my first interviewer with my shirt color - which made me feel good. Plus, my second interviewer was a red head so I knew Grandma was working her heaven mojo for me.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Extremely Shallow Post
As an attempt to cling to sanity, I have to write about something other than my job hunt. Imagine that I'm a body part poacher:
Skull - thin hair, good color, good skin, decent ears, pretty eyes and lips
Neck - short and stumpy
Arms - well defined upper arm and perfectly proportioned to torso
Hands - small with thick fingers.
Torso - pear shaped, strong muscles at the top.
Legs - ice cream cone shaped, heavy with muscles
Feet - wide and flat with minuscule toes.
Skull - thin hair, good color, good skin, decent ears, pretty eyes and lips
Neck - short and stumpy
Arms - well defined upper arm and perfectly proportioned to torso
Hands - small with thick fingers.
Torso - pear shaped, strong muscles at the top.
Legs - ice cream cone shaped, heavy with muscles
Feet - wide and flat with minuscule toes.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
T Minus 10 Days
I will be unemployed in ten days. All my time online is spent looking for a job so my blogging will be sporadic. I had the lovely experience talking to an unemployment agency rep yesterday. It's amazing how someone who is supposed to be there to help can be so demeaning and impatient that they can make you feel worse.
I've applied to 65 jobs so far. I'm also weighing my COBRA options. Mary Kay might be a viable supplemental income option for me too. Any tips or good vibes sent my way would be appreciated!
I've applied to 65 jobs so far. I'm also weighing my COBRA options. Mary Kay might be a viable supplemental income option for me too. Any tips or good vibes sent my way would be appreciated!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Doctor Love
Just when my geek cred seemed to be waning, I started watching the new Doctor Who series on BBC. It took a little while but I am a serious fan of the show! So, of course, I checked out Torchwood. That show is a bit hit or miss. I think it took me a while to get into Doctor Who because of the character Rose. She was supposed to be the audience's POV character but since she was so stupid and aggravating, it was hard to get into the series' vibe. Plus the whole cockney accent was difficult to understand. I'm not a big fan of the Daleks as enemies. I just wince when they show up with threatening music. They are evil tin cans! Everything Christopher Eccleston does is perfection for me so if he's in a scene with Rose and evil tin cans, I can be mesmerized.
It was tough to get into Doctor Who's tenth regeneration. He was shouty and scrawny. His outfit and completely geeking out enthusiasm won me over. Plus, David Tennant is pretty easy on the eyes! Thank God Rose wound up leaving and damn it that episode made me cry. Martha was an awesome replacement Companion. Season 3 has some of the best episodes ever. I watched Blink (the evil weeping angel one) on Halloween and it scared the crap out of me. Wow, The Master was an amazing villain and had kind of a sexy vibe with the Doctor!
Now I'm anxiously awaiting the US showing of season 4. Who will be the new companion?
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Keep On Keeping On
50 job applications and one interview under my belt this week so far. I feel a lot more hopeful and upbeat today than yesterday. Yesterday was my emotional, weepy day. Tuesday was my pissed off denial lock down day. What has changed? Again, it's like a terminal condition. You have good days and bad. Plus, I ended last night reading an Emergenetics book that totally blew my mind. I was laughing from what I recognized in myself and feeling pretty darn encouraged by the strengths and weaknesses my profile has.
The interview today went fine but I had the unsettling feeling that the company is similar to the whole AFLAC bs business where they don't tell you up front that BTW you'll be making cold calls or making no money. On the upside is that they offer really quick training - which can give me the experience I need on my resume. Also, they have a lot of charity clients so that falls in my socially responsible company target.
Also today I started telling people about my lay-off. And boy, that was a good idea! Rather than stewing in my cubicle or blinking back tears, I get to be proactive and see that people are sorry that I'm leaving. I also had a really nice conversation with my HR manager where another career direction for me popped up: human resources training and development. It would utilize my teaching skills, creativity, and be in the business field! Perfecto.
The interview today went fine but I had the unsettling feeling that the company is similar to the whole AFLAC bs business where they don't tell you up front that BTW you'll be making cold calls or making no money. On the upside is that they offer really quick training - which can give me the experience I need on my resume. Also, they have a lot of charity clients so that falls in my socially responsible company target.
Also today I started telling people about my lay-off. And boy, that was a good idea! Rather than stewing in my cubicle or blinking back tears, I get to be proactive and see that people are sorry that I'm leaving. I also had a really nice conversation with my HR manager where another career direction for me popped up: human resources training and development. It would utilize my teaching skills, creativity, and be in the business field! Perfecto.
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