Hey everybody. There are so many things I need to write about I don't even know where to begin. I think I'll just start and see where it takes us. Megan still doesn't have a job (obviously, we would have called you if she did) and things are getting a bit tight around here. I had one of my paychecks levied by the state of Arizona who thinks that no matter how much I pay them in taxes, it's always a couple hundred bucks short. We had our electricity cut off a couple weeks ago (We had the money to pay it, we just thought we had paid it when we apparently hadn't) which cost us some money then and is going to continue to cost us in the months to come (seriously, SRP is taking way more than a pound of flesh and it seems completely ridiculous). There are other depressing wastes of money all around us which I'm probably forgetting to mention. Megan and I are running out of money and there isn't any end it sight. The economy is horrible and the job market couldn't possibly be worse. I say all this depressing stuff because Megan and I have chosen to keep our hopes high in the face of all this stuff. We know that we have no idea where next month's mortgage payment is coming from. We know we're going to have to tighten our belts even more than we already have. Even though we're fully aware of the calamity knocking at our front door, we're choosing to keep our faith and hope alive. We do not have the power to deliver ourselves from these problems, so we are putting our trust in a higher power. That being said, please continue to pray for us. We really need all the help we can get.
"We had a really nice weekend," he said, making a very bad transition from one line of thinking to the next. But yeah, we had a really nice Halloween and everything. Mary and Konden were out of town so they dropped off a couple of their kids (Edie and Aster) and we got to take them trick or treating. We went trick or treating in Shannon and BJ's neighborhood because that's where the girls were spending the night. We started out as a group and even met up with BJ's parents (BJ's mom was our realtor so it was nice to see her again) but before too long it was just Megan and I and the girls. It didn't take too long for Aster's bag to get too heavy for her to hold. She was nearly falling over backwards because of all the candy (BJ and Shannon's neighborhood is one of those neighborhoods that parents bus their kids to instead of having them trick or treat in their own neighborhood) so I was carrying her and her candy before the night was over. But they had a lot of fun and Megan and I enjoyed ourselves as well.
On Saturday we ended up going to the zoo with Richard, Carol, BJ, Shannon and the kids. It was nice to be back at the zoo. The only thing I remember about the zoo when we went back in the day (I think I was 12 the last time I went to the zoo) was that there was a massive goldfish in the water under the bridge. Well, that gigantic goldfish is still there. So at least some things don't change. We had a nice time at the zoo and Megan and I spent a little extra time with the Aldabra and Galapagos tortoises because we can't help ourselves. We even went to a pet store afterward and they had a couple nearly mature African Spurred tortoises. They get to be pretty big (24" across the shell lengthwise and in the neighborhood of 150 pounds) but they're only about half as big as the Aldabra and Galapagos tortoises. Anyway, I still want an African Spurred tortoise about as bad as I ever have.
Anyway, we had a really fun weekend. I think I was going to write more in this entry, but I forget what. So I think I'll just throw this up and let you enjoy it...or not. Whatever. I won't tell you how to feel about it.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
You Take the Low Road and I'll Take the High Road
So things at work have been getting a little out of hand recently. I know that certain people are trying to force me out and are doing everything they can to paint me as a horrible person and all-around bad employee. I've gotten angry at times, I've taken potshots at others. I've whined, moaned, and complained about it enough to make all y'all sick. Granted, it is a hard thing working in a place where you are not valued and you are constantly being set up for failure by a manipulative liar whose greatest ambition is to see you fired, but that's no reason for me to take any retaliation.
I admit I have plotted, schemed, and planned ways to turn the tables in my present situation. I was actually going to take action today and do unto others the same slimy underhanded things they do to me. I have the opportunity to mess with the person who messes with me, but I decided not to take it.
In the early days of the church the saints had many horrible things done to them. I don't think having a petty insignificant supervisor make things a little hard for you while you continue to cash a steady paycheck can compare in any way with being tarred and feathered. Many times the saints wanted to seek revenge (some actually did take revenge and it turned out about as bad for the church as anything ever could) but were always counseled against it. Joseph Smith cried to the heavens for vengeance and the destruction of his enemies. I myself have wished plagues and all manner of horrible things on my oppressor. But the fact remains: the instructions the Lord gave the church was to be patient, seek legal recourse where they could, and trust in Him to give them what they need.
I have sought legal recourse with my oppressor. I have tried to call attention to the problems that plague this job through every authorized means I know, but it is all for naught. This is a state job and nobody gets fired unless they commit murder or something like unto it. I have applied to every other job in the system that I could find, but I don't think my deliverance will come that way.
Now back to the matter at hand: I have the ability and the resources at my disposal to play the same horrible mud-slinging game that is being played on me. The temptation to oppress the oppressor was unbearable. But I've been impressed by a couple things and I'd like to point them out here:
1) When I leave this horrible horrible job (and mark my words, I will leave it as soon as I am able) I want to leave it with the knowledge that even though I was mistreated in a number of ways and had every reason to seek vengeance, that I did not sink to their level. I don't want to leave this place knowing that they broke my spirit or that they brought me down to their level. It is my every intention to leave with as much dignity as I can muster.
2) This place has been as much of a trial as anything else in my life (living with horrible roommates, being single for way too long, being betrayed by friends, etc). If this is a trial, then there is obviously something I am supposed to learn here. If I ever want to get out, I have to learn what I need to learn and move on. I can't get caught up in revenge and hope to learn and grow. If The Count of Monte Cristo taught us anything (the book, not the 2002 movie which taught the exact opposite lesson of the book because some Hollywood executive wanted a happy ending) it's that revenge is never satisfying and it will ultimately consume the avenger and destroy their life. Just like it almost did for Sato in Karate Kid 2.
Anyway, the point of all this blabbering is to say that I don't want to be dragged down and end up staying here forever. I want to rise up and shake off these shackles. I don't want to be miserable for 40 hours a week for the rest of my life. I don't want to be so full of hatred that it seeps into my private life. So I'm letting a lot of that stuff go. It's a hard process and I'm not saying that I'm 100% done hating my oppressor right now as I write these words. But in choosing to not kick against the pricks, I'm taking that first step in the right direction that will eventually get me out of this place.
Anyway, this entry has been completely self-indulgent and I can't blame you if you didn't read it. I apologize for not writing sooner. I really wanted to let Megan write because you're all a lot more interested in what goes on with her job interviews than any whining or complaining I might be compelled to do. So I laid off for a while and let Megan take the wheel. Hopefully she'll get a new job soon and I'll be back trying to make mundane things sound interesting. But thanks for reading and thanks for all the thoughts and prayers on our behalf.
I admit I have plotted, schemed, and planned ways to turn the tables in my present situation. I was actually going to take action today and do unto others the same slimy underhanded things they do to me. I have the opportunity to mess with the person who messes with me, but I decided not to take it.
In the early days of the church the saints had many horrible things done to them. I don't think having a petty insignificant supervisor make things a little hard for you while you continue to cash a steady paycheck can compare in any way with being tarred and feathered. Many times the saints wanted to seek revenge (some actually did take revenge and it turned out about as bad for the church as anything ever could) but were always counseled against it. Joseph Smith cried to the heavens for vengeance and the destruction of his enemies. I myself have wished plagues and all manner of horrible things on my oppressor. But the fact remains: the instructions the Lord gave the church was to be patient, seek legal recourse where they could, and trust in Him to give them what they need.
I have sought legal recourse with my oppressor. I have tried to call attention to the problems that plague this job through every authorized means I know, but it is all for naught. This is a state job and nobody gets fired unless they commit murder or something like unto it. I have applied to every other job in the system that I could find, but I don't think my deliverance will come that way.
Now back to the matter at hand: I have the ability and the resources at my disposal to play the same horrible mud-slinging game that is being played on me. The temptation to oppress the oppressor was unbearable. But I've been impressed by a couple things and I'd like to point them out here:
1) When I leave this horrible horrible job (and mark my words, I will leave it as soon as I am able) I want to leave it with the knowledge that even though I was mistreated in a number of ways and had every reason to seek vengeance, that I did not sink to their level. I don't want to leave this place knowing that they broke my spirit or that they brought me down to their level. It is my every intention to leave with as much dignity as I can muster.
2) This place has been as much of a trial as anything else in my life (living with horrible roommates, being single for way too long, being betrayed by friends, etc). If this is a trial, then there is obviously something I am supposed to learn here. If I ever want to get out, I have to learn what I need to learn and move on. I can't get caught up in revenge and hope to learn and grow. If The Count of Monte Cristo taught us anything (the book, not the 2002 movie which taught the exact opposite lesson of the book because some Hollywood executive wanted a happy ending) it's that revenge is never satisfying and it will ultimately consume the avenger and destroy their life. Just like it almost did for Sato in Karate Kid 2.
Anyway, the point of all this blabbering is to say that I don't want to be dragged down and end up staying here forever. I want to rise up and shake off these shackles. I don't want to be miserable for 40 hours a week for the rest of my life. I don't want to be so full of hatred that it seeps into my private life. So I'm letting a lot of that stuff go. It's a hard process and I'm not saying that I'm 100% done hating my oppressor right now as I write these words. But in choosing to not kick against the pricks, I'm taking that first step in the right direction that will eventually get me out of this place.
Anyway, this entry has been completely self-indulgent and I can't blame you if you didn't read it. I apologize for not writing sooner. I really wanted to let Megan write because you're all a lot more interested in what goes on with her job interviews than any whining or complaining I might be compelled to do. So I laid off for a while and let Megan take the wheel. Hopefully she'll get a new job soon and I'll be back trying to make mundane things sound interesting. But thanks for reading and thanks for all the thoughts and prayers on our behalf.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
My Two Minute Interview
I know a lot of you are anxious to find out how the interviews went. Well Wed was a fun day with just enough time time between interviews to go home, eat what ever meal was designated to that time of the day, and head out to the next interview.
The first interview was for a company called FreeLife International. Everyone there seamed really nice and they liked me enough to call me back for a second interview next Friday. I generally speaking like the job except for the fact that it's a multilevel marketing company. I know enough people that have had a negative experience in these types of companies (including myself) that it's left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. In the position that I would have with the company I wouldn't even really be able to tell that it's a direct sales company. I would be doing the same work as in any other job. It just depends if I can remove myself emotionally enough from the type of company it is to enjoy my job. In this case, if I needed to, I think I could.
The next interview with Ultra Entertainment had a much better cause than the first. Instead of promises of riches from selling Goji juice, Ultra Entertainment is a promotional company for emerging musicians around the country. I would be designing websites, press packages, posters and CD covers for independent musicians and small record companies. Everyone was super nice and the work there would be highly creative. Plus the company is in east Mesa so I would always be driving in the opposite direction as traffic. It's also about a mile away from where my sister Shannon lives, so I can go to her house during lunch. This is my favorite job possibility. My concerns with the job are that I know they are interviewing a lot of graphic designers so there's a greater chance that I won't be chosen and the pay won't be as high since they are dealing with clients that don't have a whole lot of money to throw around.
The next interview I has was for a position with a company in downtown Phoenix. This job is promising because I have a lot of experience in the type of work I would be doing. They really like the fact that in my last job I was responsible for proof reading the designs that went through our department to catch any possible mistakes. I also have experience in Quark which is a design program that is becoming fairly obsolete since the introduction of the Adobe Suite. My concerns with this company is that they are interviewing my for a position that already has a designer. Apparently they are unhappy with the designer because of some errors in proofreading that have gone through and some bad working habits that have developed. I know from personal experience that these types of behaviors are a system of low job satisfaction. I have had a position before that didn't give me enough time to properly check for errors and was stressful the the point where my work started to suffer. They seam to be having a consistent problem with this type of behavior and I'm wondering if it says more about the position than the people that have filled it. Plus this job is downtown Phoenix so I would be faced with 1-2 hours of total commuting everyday. This is probably my least favorite option, but It isn't bad enough that I would decline a job offer if I was given one.
Although the job interviews I had on Wednesday went well, none of them seamed like an absolutely perfect fit. The interview that I had on Thursday was one that both James and I had high hopes for. The pay was good, I met every qualification they were looking for and it wouldn't be that long of a commute. But even with everything that this interview had going for it, the interview was scheduled for 2:00 and I was back in my car by 2:02. The first thing the man interviewing me let me know was that the company was a distributor of adult items for relationship enhancement. He let me know that for the adult industry they were actually quite mild but for a hard core Christian of a Mormon it might not be a great fit. I let him know that I was indeed Mormon and we graciously parted ways without even cracking open my portfolio. So, I guess I found the limit of what I'm willing to put up with in a job. I'll take an MLM, lower pay or stress over working in the adult industry any day of the week.
Well thank you all for your love and support. I means a lot to us that we have so many people praying for our success.
Love you all,
Megan
The first interview was for a company called FreeLife International. Everyone there seamed really nice and they liked me enough to call me back for a second interview next Friday. I generally speaking like the job except for the fact that it's a multilevel marketing company. I know enough people that have had a negative experience in these types of companies (including myself) that it's left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. In the position that I would have with the company I wouldn't even really be able to tell that it's a direct sales company. I would be doing the same work as in any other job. It just depends if I can remove myself emotionally enough from the type of company it is to enjoy my job. In this case, if I needed to, I think I could.
The next interview with Ultra Entertainment had a much better cause than the first. Instead of promises of riches from selling Goji juice, Ultra Entertainment is a promotional company for emerging musicians around the country. I would be designing websites, press packages, posters and CD covers for independent musicians and small record companies. Everyone was super nice and the work there would be highly creative. Plus the company is in east Mesa so I would always be driving in the opposite direction as traffic. It's also about a mile away from where my sister Shannon lives, so I can go to her house during lunch. This is my favorite job possibility. My concerns with the job are that I know they are interviewing a lot of graphic designers so there's a greater chance that I won't be chosen and the pay won't be as high since they are dealing with clients that don't have a whole lot of money to throw around.
The next interview I has was for a position with a company in downtown Phoenix. This job is promising because I have a lot of experience in the type of work I would be doing. They really like the fact that in my last job I was responsible for proof reading the designs that went through our department to catch any possible mistakes. I also have experience in Quark which is a design program that is becoming fairly obsolete since the introduction of the Adobe Suite. My concerns with this company is that they are interviewing my for a position that already has a designer. Apparently they are unhappy with the designer because of some errors in proofreading that have gone through and some bad working habits that have developed. I know from personal experience that these types of behaviors are a system of low job satisfaction. I have had a position before that didn't give me enough time to properly check for errors and was stressful the the point where my work started to suffer. They seam to be having a consistent problem with this type of behavior and I'm wondering if it says more about the position than the people that have filled it. Plus this job is downtown Phoenix so I would be faced with 1-2 hours of total commuting everyday. This is probably my least favorite option, but It isn't bad enough that I would decline a job offer if I was given one.
Although the job interviews I had on Wednesday went well, none of them seamed like an absolutely perfect fit. The interview that I had on Thursday was one that both James and I had high hopes for. The pay was good, I met every qualification they were looking for and it wouldn't be that long of a commute. But even with everything that this interview had going for it, the interview was scheduled for 2:00 and I was back in my car by 2:02. The first thing the man interviewing me let me know was that the company was a distributor of adult items for relationship enhancement. He let me know that for the adult industry they were actually quite mild but for a hard core Christian of a Mormon it might not be a great fit. I let him know that I was indeed Mormon and we graciously parted ways without even cracking open my portfolio. So, I guess I found the limit of what I'm willing to put up with in a job. I'll take an MLM, lower pay or stress over working in the adult industry any day of the week.
Well thank you all for your love and support. I means a lot to us that we have so many people praying for our success.
Love you all,
Megan
Friday, October 24, 2008
Mele Kalikimaka Is Merry Christmas is Hawaii Talka
Hey everybody. I'm feeling pretty darn festive this week because I just started sorting through the songs for this year's Christmas CD's. Now you may be thinking, "Isn't it a bit early to start listening to Christmas music?" The answer is yes. It is a bit early. But here's the thing: the best time to look for Christmas music is right at or shortly after Christmas. It's too short a time for me to get a decent Christmas mix together and in all y'alls hands in time to enjoy it. So what do I do? I get all the songs I can during and after Christmas and then I use them for the next year's mix. So the songs you'll be hearing are all songs I actually found last year.
I throw everything that doesn't stink up the joint at first listen (the standards for what sounds good are pretty low when I'm at the stage in the process) into a playlist and let it sit for a year. Then I go through all that music and decide what's worthy and what ain't. Some songs get shuffled back in for next year when there are too many good songs to use in a single year. This year there are 271 songs in the running and only about 50 of them will get to be on the mix. So I decided to start my sorting now so I can have CD's to hand out to everybody at Thanksgiving. Unfortunately for me, the sorting is going faster than usual and I'm feeling myself slip into the Christmas spirit before we've even had Halloween. That just doesn't seem right.
The point of me explaining my holiday CD making process is to make you less likely to scratch your head at the title of today's entry. It comes from a Beach Boys song called "Mele Kalikimaka" and it's a fantastic/hilarious song. It actually didn't make the cut this year, so that ought to tell you how good the mix is going to be. You'll thank me later.
Oh, I should mention this: in one of the many podcasts I listen to (they keep me from getting bored at work...sort of)they were talking about the "Christmas Creep." It refers to the fact that stores are putting Christmas stuff out earlier and earlier every year. The term was actually coined in the 80s, but I just heard it a few weeks ago. Basically, retailers are trying to make as much money as possible from Christmas. I can't stand the commercialization of Christmas. Every year the people on the idiot box tell me I need to be spending more and more money on Christmas. They tell me I need to be buying new cars with big bows on them. They tell me I need to be buying diamonds. They try to sell me a grade A load of bull honky every single year and I get tired of it. But you know what I never get tired of? I never get tired of Christmas music (especially Christmas hymns), Christmas movies, giving and receiving goodie plates, caroling, spending quality time with the family, Christmas messages at church, reading the Christmas story, taking part in family traditions, peanut brittle...oh how I love the peanut brittle. I could go on and on about the things I love about Christmas (most of which don't cost a whole lot to enjoy), but I won't. The point is: I love Christmas. I can't wait for Christmas to roll around this year. The reason I can't wait isn't because I'm going to go crazy into debt so I can buy some love from friends and family by giving them extravagant presents. I'm looking forward to Christmas because I find that the older I get, the more the little things mean to me. So darn the Christmas creep and hooray for sorting through Christmas music in mid-October.
So I made a conscious effort to not write any entries this week. As you know, my lovely wife had several interviews this week, one that resulted in hilarious circumstances (I'll let her tell that story. It's a good'n). The interviews went well and she has a second interview lined up with one of the companies, so our faith and hopes are flying high as ever right now.
I've had a bit of a ridiculous week. Certain persons that I work for have really stepped up their efforts in trying to make me feel unwelcome in the liberry. I had no buffer yesterday and things got way out of hand. It is more clear now than it has ever been that I need to leave this place behind me. The only thing is: this is the only job Megan and I have between us. But rest assured: as soon as she's gainfully employed and we're back on our feet and rolling I'll be hitting the pavement looking high and low for any job that meets these two criteria: 1) They pay me better than this job, and 2) They aren't complete jerks. I don't imagine it would be too hard to find a job that meets those requirements even when factoring in the bad economy. But yeah, I think the point I was originally trying to make was this: there is a certain person who goes to great lengths to prove that there are no lengths to which they will not go to mess with me. Yeah, the boss man is a stinker.
One last thing I have to mention before I close this thing up: last week I missed the first Weezer concert of my life. I have seen them every single time they have been in Arizona from 1996 (the year I became old enough to go to concerts) onward. I have seen Weezer plenty of times, but I don't feel like I'm done seeing them. They are and will remain my favorite band of all time. Few bands have meant as much to me over the years (Jellyfish and The Band got me through some hard times, but I can't say that they have had as lasting an effect as Weezer). In many ways I wish I could have gone, but I'm okay that I didn't get to go. Megan and I are going through some of those hard times that define what a marriage is made of, and from what I can tell we're made of some reasonably strong stuff. I don't know if we've seen the worst of it yet or if there's more that will be required of us in the trials we're currently experiencing. But I can say that I'm proud of the choices I've made in the past year or two. I've had more joy and seen more improvement in my life than I've seen in a long time. So if I don't get to go to a Weezer concert because the wife and I are in the furnace of trial and affliction, that's okay. There are more important things in life, and I've already seen Weezer six times. This is not to say that I won't shoot for seven should the opportunity arise, but I'm acknowledging the fact that I'm a little more grown up than I used to be and that's not necessarily a bad thing.\
Okay, so I guess I've given you a hodgepodge of an entry today. Hopefully all y'all can figure out what I'm trying to say here. As always, thanks for your love and support. Megan and I appreciate it.
I throw everything that doesn't stink up the joint at first listen (the standards for what sounds good are pretty low when I'm at the stage in the process) into a playlist and let it sit for a year. Then I go through all that music and decide what's worthy and what ain't. Some songs get shuffled back in for next year when there are too many good songs to use in a single year. This year there are 271 songs in the running and only about 50 of them will get to be on the mix. So I decided to start my sorting now so I can have CD's to hand out to everybody at Thanksgiving. Unfortunately for me, the sorting is going faster than usual and I'm feeling myself slip into the Christmas spirit before we've even had Halloween. That just doesn't seem right.
The point of me explaining my holiday CD making process is to make you less likely to scratch your head at the title of today's entry. It comes from a Beach Boys song called "Mele Kalikimaka" and it's a fantastic/hilarious song. It actually didn't make the cut this year, so that ought to tell you how good the mix is going to be. You'll thank me later.
Oh, I should mention this: in one of the many podcasts I listen to (they keep me from getting bored at work...sort of)they were talking about the "Christmas Creep." It refers to the fact that stores are putting Christmas stuff out earlier and earlier every year. The term was actually coined in the 80s, but I just heard it a few weeks ago. Basically, retailers are trying to make as much money as possible from Christmas. I can't stand the commercialization of Christmas. Every year the people on the idiot box tell me I need to be spending more and more money on Christmas. They tell me I need to be buying new cars with big bows on them. They tell me I need to be buying diamonds. They try to sell me a grade A load of bull honky every single year and I get tired of it. But you know what I never get tired of? I never get tired of Christmas music (especially Christmas hymns), Christmas movies, giving and receiving goodie plates, caroling, spending quality time with the family, Christmas messages at church, reading the Christmas story, taking part in family traditions, peanut brittle...oh how I love the peanut brittle. I could go on and on about the things I love about Christmas (most of which don't cost a whole lot to enjoy), but I won't. The point is: I love Christmas. I can't wait for Christmas to roll around this year. The reason I can't wait isn't because I'm going to go crazy into debt so I can buy some love from friends and family by giving them extravagant presents. I'm looking forward to Christmas because I find that the older I get, the more the little things mean to me. So darn the Christmas creep and hooray for sorting through Christmas music in mid-October.
So I made a conscious effort to not write any entries this week. As you know, my lovely wife had several interviews this week, one that resulted in hilarious circumstances (I'll let her tell that story. It's a good'n). The interviews went well and she has a second interview lined up with one of the companies, so our faith and hopes are flying high as ever right now.
I've had a bit of a ridiculous week. Certain persons that I work for have really stepped up their efforts in trying to make me feel unwelcome in the liberry. I had no buffer yesterday and things got way out of hand. It is more clear now than it has ever been that I need to leave this place behind me. The only thing is: this is the only job Megan and I have between us. But rest assured: as soon as she's gainfully employed and we're back on our feet and rolling I'll be hitting the pavement looking high and low for any job that meets these two criteria: 1) They pay me better than this job, and 2) They aren't complete jerks. I don't imagine it would be too hard to find a job that meets those requirements even when factoring in the bad economy. But yeah, I think the point I was originally trying to make was this: there is a certain person who goes to great lengths to prove that there are no lengths to which they will not go to mess with me. Yeah, the boss man is a stinker.
One last thing I have to mention before I close this thing up: last week I missed the first Weezer concert of my life. I have seen them every single time they have been in Arizona from 1996 (the year I became old enough to go to concerts) onward. I have seen Weezer plenty of times, but I don't feel like I'm done seeing them. They are and will remain my favorite band of all time. Few bands have meant as much to me over the years (Jellyfish and The Band got me through some hard times, but I can't say that they have had as lasting an effect as Weezer). In many ways I wish I could have gone, but I'm okay that I didn't get to go. Megan and I are going through some of those hard times that define what a marriage is made of, and from what I can tell we're made of some reasonably strong stuff. I don't know if we've seen the worst of it yet or if there's more that will be required of us in the trials we're currently experiencing. But I can say that I'm proud of the choices I've made in the past year or two. I've had more joy and seen more improvement in my life than I've seen in a long time. So if I don't get to go to a Weezer concert because the wife and I are in the furnace of trial and affliction, that's okay. There are more important things in life, and I've already seen Weezer six times. This is not to say that I won't shoot for seven should the opportunity arise, but I'm acknowledging the fact that I'm a little more grown up than I used to be and that's not necessarily a bad thing.\
Okay, so I guess I've given you a hodgepodge of an entry today. Hopefully all y'all can figure out what I'm trying to say here. As always, thanks for your love and support. Megan and I appreciate it.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
New Hope
Hey Everybody,
I thought I would just drop a little line to let you know that I was able to schedule four interviews over the next two days. I have three interviews tomorrow and one interview on Thursday.
Wed 8:00am
I'm a little hesitant about this interview because it is for a multilevel marketing company. It's just a graphic design position, so I wouldn't be directly involved in the sales of the product, but I just don't know how I would feel about supporting a cause like that. But, what do I know? Maybe the Himalayan jungle juice they're selling is really changing lives and making a difference in the world. Who am I do judge.
Wed 11:00
This interview is for creating websites and other promotional resources for local musicians for what I can tell. It sounds like a really interesting job, but I'm not sure if I'm that qualified since I haven't had a whole lot of web design experience. I honestly don't remember applying for the job because I didn't think I applied for any jobs that list web design as one of the main aspects of the job. It would be great if I got the job because it would give me experience in designing websites which is something that I've really been wanting to do. This job would be nice because it is located in East Mesa, so I would be driving against traffic everyday.
Wed 2:00pm
This job seems like it would be the best career choice because it is for a larger advertising firm in downtown Phoenix. The major drawback is that the job is located right down town. This means that the traffic getting to work would be terrible. I feel a little bad though because the position is to replace a graphic designer that is already working there. The poor guy doesn't even know he's loosing his job. This job does seem promising since they have already seen several example of my work and like what they see.
Thurs 2:00pm
This is a position that both James and I feel pretty good about. I have all the basic requirements for the job, plus some qualities that they listed as a major plus that other designers might not have. They are looking for someone who has product photography experience(which I do)and someone who is customer service oriented (which I am).
I'm really happy to have gotten all the calls for interviews today after not getting anything the previous week. Hopefully I will be happily situated in a new job by the end of October.
I'll let you all know how the interviews went when they're done. Thank you all for your support and prayers. Wish me luck!
Megan
I thought I would just drop a little line to let you know that I was able to schedule four interviews over the next two days. I have three interviews tomorrow and one interview on Thursday.
Wed 8:00am
I'm a little hesitant about this interview because it is for a multilevel marketing company. It's just a graphic design position, so I wouldn't be directly involved in the sales of the product, but I just don't know how I would feel about supporting a cause like that. But, what do I know? Maybe the Himalayan jungle juice they're selling is really changing lives and making a difference in the world. Who am I do judge.
Wed 11:00
This interview is for creating websites and other promotional resources for local musicians for what I can tell. It sounds like a really interesting job, but I'm not sure if I'm that qualified since I haven't had a whole lot of web design experience. I honestly don't remember applying for the job because I didn't think I applied for any jobs that list web design as one of the main aspects of the job. It would be great if I got the job because it would give me experience in designing websites which is something that I've really been wanting to do. This job would be nice because it is located in East Mesa, so I would be driving against traffic everyday.
Wed 2:00pm
This job seems like it would be the best career choice because it is for a larger advertising firm in downtown Phoenix. The major drawback is that the job is located right down town. This means that the traffic getting to work would be terrible. I feel a little bad though because the position is to replace a graphic designer that is already working there. The poor guy doesn't even know he's loosing his job. This job does seem promising since they have already seen several example of my work and like what they see.
Thurs 2:00pm
This is a position that both James and I feel pretty good about. I have all the basic requirements for the job, plus some qualities that they listed as a major plus that other designers might not have. They are looking for someone who has product photography experience(which I do)and someone who is customer service oriented (which I am).
I'm really happy to have gotten all the calls for interviews today after not getting anything the previous week. Hopefully I will be happily situated in a new job by the end of October.
I'll let you all know how the interviews went when they're done. Thank you all for your support and prayers. Wish me luck!
Megan
Friday, October 17, 2008
An Hour From the Weekend
Hey everybody. I'm sitting here at work with a little less than an hour left between me and the weekend. I must say I really need this one. Every now and again the downpresser man decides he's not annoying me enough and decides to really heap it on thick. Today was just such a day. He usually picks Fridays because at the end of the week he suddenly realizes that he only has a few more hours to pester and annoy me before I go home to my loving wife and enjoy yet another fantastic weekend. Everything I've learned over the past little while indicates to me the fact that the boss man wishes he had friends, so when he sees the other workers and I chatting and generally enjoying the camaraderie of the moment, he gets jealous because he doesn't have that. He also doesn't have a lovely wife to go home to. If I had to guess, I'd guess that his home life is far from satisfying.
Over the last little while I've been trying to humanize the boss man in hopes that when I leave this place in my rear view mirror, I'll be able to forgive him for every mean, nasty, or evil thing he's ever done to me. I don't want to haul that baggage around forever, and I would toss it right now if only he wasn't adding to the size and weight of the aforementioned baggage on a daily basis.
So how's that, eh? I start out the post with total vagueness. Anyway, I would have started this post a lot earlier in the day had I not come across a fantastic photo blog. I was searching through the uniwatch blog (where they fanatic about every last detail of sports uniforms) and they had a link to another blog which has high resolution scans made from old timey photo negatives. Some of them are really impressive. Take a look over at http://www.shorpy.com/ if you want to see the sorts of pictures I was looking at for two solid hours. If you click on the "view full size" links for the photos, you can see them in all their high-definition glory. They have all sorts of stuff there. They have pictures of spectators on a hillside for one of the early civil war battles, they have pictures of Japanese Americans being transported to the relocation camps in the 1940s, and lots and lots of other interesting pictures. I feel like these pictures give a pretty good view of what the world was like 80 or more years ago. It's definitely worth a look-see.
So Megan still hasn't heard back from that job she interviewed with over a week ago, so we're assuming that call won't come. She's been really good at keeping busy and taking on freelance work and finding ways to bring in a little extra cash so we can keep our heads above water. We're still hoping and praying that she'll be able to get a new job soon.
As for me, I can't say that I've been looking too hard for a new job. I feel more strongly than ever the need to leave this place and go work somewhere normal where you aren't punished for having ambition or doing the right thing (I can tell you stories about both being punished for having ambition and being punished for doing the right thing. Actually, scratch that. I can think of several stories in support of both statements). I desperately want to work in a better place, but it's hard to start looking when this job is what pays the bills these days. But don't think for a moment that I won't hit the job market like a tonne of feathers when Megan is working again and we've built up our savings a little.
These days we seem to do a lot of hoping, wishing, and praying (as well as an awful lot of window shopping). The bad economy seems to be affecting a lot of people these days, and Megan and I are a far sight better than a lot of people out there. So I guess we can't wallow in despair too much. We've got to move upward and onward.
Anyway, it's now Monday. I thought I actually finished this thing and got it up before the weekend, but I guess not. I don't think I was quite done saying what I was going to say, but I'd wager I lost my train of thought over the weekend, so I'll just post this thing as-is. Enjoy.
Over the last little while I've been trying to humanize the boss man in hopes that when I leave this place in my rear view mirror, I'll be able to forgive him for every mean, nasty, or evil thing he's ever done to me. I don't want to haul that baggage around forever, and I would toss it right now if only he wasn't adding to the size and weight of the aforementioned baggage on a daily basis.
So how's that, eh? I start out the post with total vagueness. Anyway, I would have started this post a lot earlier in the day had I not come across a fantastic photo blog. I was searching through the uniwatch blog (where they fanatic about every last detail of sports uniforms) and they had a link to another blog which has high resolution scans made from old timey photo negatives. Some of them are really impressive. Take a look over at http://www.shorpy.com/ if you want to see the sorts of pictures I was looking at for two solid hours. If you click on the "view full size" links for the photos, you can see them in all their high-definition glory. They have all sorts of stuff there. They have pictures of spectators on a hillside for one of the early civil war battles, they have pictures of Japanese Americans being transported to the relocation camps in the 1940s, and lots and lots of other interesting pictures. I feel like these pictures give a pretty good view of what the world was like 80 or more years ago. It's definitely worth a look-see.
So Megan still hasn't heard back from that job she interviewed with over a week ago, so we're assuming that call won't come. She's been really good at keeping busy and taking on freelance work and finding ways to bring in a little extra cash so we can keep our heads above water. We're still hoping and praying that she'll be able to get a new job soon.
As for me, I can't say that I've been looking too hard for a new job. I feel more strongly than ever the need to leave this place and go work somewhere normal where you aren't punished for having ambition or doing the right thing (I can tell you stories about both being punished for having ambition and being punished for doing the right thing. Actually, scratch that. I can think of several stories in support of both statements). I desperately want to work in a better place, but it's hard to start looking when this job is what pays the bills these days. But don't think for a moment that I won't hit the job market like a tonne of feathers when Megan is working again and we've built up our savings a little.
These days we seem to do a lot of hoping, wishing, and praying (as well as an awful lot of window shopping). The bad economy seems to be affecting a lot of people these days, and Megan and I are a far sight better than a lot of people out there. So I guess we can't wallow in despair too much. We've got to move upward and onward.
Anyway, it's now Monday. I thought I actually finished this thing and got it up before the weekend, but I guess not. I don't think I was quite done saying what I was going to say, but I'd wager I lost my train of thought over the weekend, so I'll just post this thing as-is. Enjoy.
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