Drivel

So I got a new header. Well not really new, just added a little button. How do you like it? John made it for me.

Things on my mind right now:

  • Have not weeded the vegetable garden in ages. Vegetables seem to be doing fine. Do I ever bother weeding again?
  • Dog-sitting for my parent’s dog Maddie. She snores like a freight train. I am not sleeping well of course.
  • I was going to try to cook dinner at home every night this week. Made it to Monday, then tonight I had a work event. So far not so good. The housewife-y thing is much harder with a full-time job, I must say.
  • Though I am sad about the end of summer, I am kind of enjoying the cooler days and nights and looking forward to fall. I’ve always loved the changing of the seasons. Maybe I’ll try leggings again this year.
  • I got the TurboFire DVDs and they are awesome. I love them. But nothing beats a group exercise session for me. What can I say, I enjoy a room full of sweaty ladies.
  • Did you know YouTube is the second biggest search engine after Google? I didn’t. That’s crazy.
  • There are some people I stay friends with on Facebook simply because their posts are such train wrecks. Can’t stop looking.
  • I need a good book to read. I just read a Jodi Picoult book and I hated every minute of it. Read the last page after about thirty pages in because I needed to know how this disaster wrapped up. Still read the whole book after that, though I have no idea why.
  • I’m just sitting around thinking up random bullet points now. I should just go through my twitter account and write that stuff out because it’s just as pointless. If you’re still reading, my deepest apologies.
  • Goodnight.

Word Vomit

I guess I was trying to be back but then I just left again didn’t I? Man I’ve been doing this for years now. Blogging. Quitting. Coming back. Not all at this blog mind you. But I guess that’s just how I roll.

Moving on.

My sister’s wedding was this weekend. It was amazing. We all had an incredible time. She looked beautiful. I had a braid in my hair. A squirrel ran into the dining room in the middle of my maid of honor speech. Pretty standard wedding fare, you know?

I have not been able to obtain any good pics of the two of us together yet, but I plan to. I do plan to of course.

What else is new? Work, it’s crazy busy and fun but I’m tired. I have to admit I miss my unemployed life of leisure. I do enjoy the paycheck though so that’s helpful. And I get to do fun things like go shoot a commercial on Thursday, so it’s all good. I’m happy.

I’m home on my lunch break watching some world cup. I like it. I like the pretty bodies faces of all of the players and I like how fast they run and how they sometimes try to hide their hands or even pretend they don’t have them. It’s entertaining and I’ll be sorry when it’s gone. Oh it makes me tired just watching it, it really does.

Let’s see what else. It’s summer and it’s hot. I’m growing my vegetables, and I think I’m even going to get some raspberries this year. I was thinking I’d attempt jam. My cousin (the one who gave me the yogurt-maker) said it’s pretty easy and it seems like a fun thing to try. So maybe if you’re lucky you’ll get some raspberry jam for Christmas.

Ping Pong

So, you know how I can’t sleep right? Well every time insomnia hits, as I lay in bed with a million useless thoughts bouncing around in my brain, I think, hey, I should get up and write some of this down.

Of course I never actually do that, but I do try to retain some of those thoughts the morning after. This being one of those mornings, I thought I’d just bullet point it out.

So, without further ado, here are some of the things I was pondering last night at 3:46 a.m.

  • How long does a dog’s memory last, really? I mean, when I get up to go to the bathroom, my dog acts like it’s no big deal when I come back. But when I take a shower, he’s thrilled when I emerge. So where is that line? Is it 5 minutes? Ten minutes? Surely someone has measured this somewhere?
  • What is really going to happen at my brother-in-law’s bachelor party this weekend? I mean, I think John has visions of Mike Tyson and tigers, but I have a feeling it’s just going to be a lot of farting. That’s just me.
  • I am turning into my mother. I talk the same way she does. I have the same health issues (sleep much last night, mom?). I don’t mind it really because I like my mom. But I vow to never shop at Talbot’s. No offense to anyone who shops there. It’s just not for me.
  • My kickboxing instructor is always saying things like, you can do these tricep push-ups while you’re watching American Idol. Does anyone actually do that? I mean really? Maybe I will tonight. Probably not.
  • The Oscars are going to be on this weekend and I’ve barely seen any of the movies. I must change that. After I see how long the running times are on all of them.
  • I must get a Cadbury egg.

Wow. I probably shouldn’t post this because it is just umm, kind of sad. But I guess I can’t be expected to solve all of the world’s problems at three in the morning. Maybe I’ll try that later today.

Sick Day

I am sick. I hate being sick. It’s just a cold, but man has it knocked me on my ass. I’m stuffed up, coughing, tired, headache-y and just all around miserable. I do not do well with sick. In fact, I’ve been trying to write this post for about four hours now but I can’t seem to focus on anything. Anyway, here are some of the things I’ve been trying to do to make myself feel a little better.

  • Tea. Lots and lots of tea. I enjoy tea almost every afternoon, but I think I’ve had about four cups already today. The heat of the liquid, the steam, the lovely aroma. Tea is the perfect drink for my sick head.
  • Movies – I’m watching P.S. I Love You right now. I have a sneaking suspicion it’s not a great movie. Or maybe it is.  I’m watching it regardless.
  • All supplies at arm’s length. I’m camped out on the couch with a cozy blanket, and I’ve got water, a cup of tea, kleenex, my laptop, my phone, and a dog to pet all within a couple of feet.
  • Snacks. You’ve heard the old saying “feed a cold, starve a fever,” right? Well me too. I have popcorn. And my trusty no good very bad day chocolate covered almonds. And crackers. And hummus. All the things I love just to make me feel a little better.
  • Sleep. Let’s face it, there isn’t anything much better than succumbing to the sweet black nothingness that a bottle of NyQuil provides. And sleep will help me recover better anyway right?

What else should I be doing to recover? Shots of tequila?

Taking Some Down Time

I am watching Paula Deen doing a “Fried Christmas” meal right now.

Seriously. Fried Christmas.

Oh Paula. If I was her husband I’d be sneaking spinach salads every day. She’s pretty much trying to kill everyone she loves. This meal includes a full-on fried ham, loaded mashed-potatoes, fried asparagus with cream sauce, and red velvet bread pudding.

Holy Lord.

courtestypauladeen

This in-between-holidays period is kind of a dead time for cooking for me. John has been/will be out of town for two weeks in December, and when he’s gone, I stick to easy meals like opening up a can of soup. In fact, I’m probably keeping Amy’s black bean chili on the shelves. I love that stuff.

I guess I’m just resting my culinary muscles for the big things, the pies, the casseroles, etc. Oh and for those of you wondering, the chocolate hazelnut pie for Thanksgiving was a huge hit. Will be my new pie for sure. Anyway, yeah. Just resting the culinary muscles. Gotta be well-rested if I’m going to attempt to another pie this month. Two pies in the span of two months. Wow. Makes my stirring arm hurt just thinking about it.

It’s not that I even have that much cooking to do for the holidays, because mostly the older generations in my family still own those duties. I think it’s just the idea of the holidays that exhaust me. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but the decorating, the list-making, the cooking, the dressing up, the parties, the mad dash to the mall, it’s all just sort of exhausting. It’s like every meal, every night and weekend, are scheduled down to the last minute. And for a girl who hates making plans in advance, it can really put a cramp in my down-time.

So tonight, because I can, I guess you’ll find my curled up on the couch, watching Paula Deen fry a ham, and eating a cup of black bean chili. This is what the holidays are all about people.

How to Wait

Searching for a job is difficult work. It requires diligence. Perseverance. And most of all, it requires patience.

As each day turns into the next, we wait. Wait for that phone call, the email telling you yes! you have a phone interview! Or yes, you’ve made it to the in-person round! Even yes, you’ve made it to the second, third, or fourth interview. And the elusive grand-daddy of them all – yes! we want you! for this job! Please, come work for us. Join us. Be our expert in this field. (And hopefully, that comes with yes! we will pay you lots of money, but that’s just the cherry on top at this point.)

But until that call comes, it’s how you pass the time that matters. What can you during your (non)working days?

  • Rework your resume: Yes, back when you left your last job you updated your resume. But have you updated it this quarter? This month? This week? It pays to take a look at your resume as often as possible. Tweak wording, add new content. Nothing says “throw it in the pile” like an outdated resume.
  • Network: I know, sometimes it can be tedious, but networking really does help. And it doesn’t have to be just attending events as some anonymous job-seeker. Often it can be as simple as reconnecting with an ex-colleague over lunch. You don’t want to be a vampire do you? So get out there and make some friends!
  • Learn  your industry: Of course you know your industry, you’re an expert, right? But things are always changing, so it’s important to keep up with the latest news and trends while you’re out of work.
  • Follow up: Sent the resume, but haven’t heard anything? Follow up. Had the interview, but haven’t heard anything? Follow up. Always follow up. And write a nice, hand-written thank-you note while you’re at it! It’ll help you feel proactive, and it beats waiting around, that’s for sure.
  • Do something else: I know for a fact you can’t spend all of your time job-searching. And you can only cook, and clean, and do other housewife-y things for so long, so do something else. Perhaps some reading? Or taking a class? Anything you can do to stay sharp is going to help you in your search. Or, you can check this out. You know, just to pass the time.

Snow Day

Oh the weather outside is frightful, and it’s only October! So what to do on a deliciously snowy day?

snow day

  • Stay in your pajamas all day
  • OR, bundle up and shovel the walk (and your neighbor’s too!)
  • Bake something, anything (I’m going to try my Grandma’s brownie recipe, coming soon!)
  • Tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch
  • Learn to knit
  • Think about learning to knit
  • Build a snow fort in the backyard
  • Eat all the Halloween candy meant for the kids this weekend
  • Try the matte nail polish (again)
  • Drink a bottle of wine with your girlfriends
  • Catch up on the New Yorker
  • Love EVERY minute

Hours of Entertainment

It’s been brought to my attention that I’ve been talking about YouTube a lot lately. What can I say, it provides hours of entertainment. And, as an added bonus, it’s pretty educational too. What am I talking about? Well, last week I learned how to do my eye makeup like Lady Gaga from a wonderful young lady.

And, not so much educational but still ABOUT education (okay it’s tangent but I still like it) – this group of elementary school kids do an awesome cover of Jay Z and Rhianna’s “Run This Town.”

How to cut a pineapple:

And finally, how to cross country snowboard. Gotta love this stuff.

There Goes The Neighborhood

You might think that since I’m home most of the day I’ve gotten to know all of my neighbors and I’m baking them cookies every afternoon and having coffee with the housewife down the street and waving at little Susie every morning as she walks to school.

As much as I wish that were true, it’s not. Oh, I’m pleasant and I say hello to the neighbors, I even have a chat with the couple next door with some frequency, but for the most part I keep to myself. I keep to myself, but that’s not to say I don’t see what goes on.

Yes, I guess I’m a bit of a voyeur. I fancy myself a younger, more female Jimmy Stewart. But my Hitchcockian world doesn’t involve murder like Rear Window. I’m a bit more focused on whether or not Bob’s brother is going to sell his house now that he’s put Bob in a home (apparently he’s very happy there) and exactly how many single girls live in the duplex across the street (it seems dozens of them come and go daily) and why the people down the road never ever walk their dogs even though they could CLEARLY use the exercise.

To put it simply, I’m nosy. And though I don’t spend much time actually talking with any of our neighbors, I like to know what’s going on with them. I think it makes me feel safe. Secure in the knowledge that mostly they’re just regular people and they have their routines just like the rest of us.

I like knowing the rhythm of the neighborhood. The elementary school kids are usually walking to school right around 8:45. And the mailman hits my block around 11:30. The silver car across the street is washed, right down to the hubcaps, every Saturday morning. The woman at the end of the block smokes cigarettes and waters her plants in her bathrobe at pretty much all hours. The cupcake store is closed on Tuesdays. 🙁

It’s a nice little neighborhood, and I’m glad I get to be a part of it. That crazy blonde lady who walks her dog ten times a day and is always peeking in everyone’s windows.

One Car Family

As a one-income family, we’ve done a number of things to cut back and try to spend a little less. As of yesterday, one of those things was becoming a one-car family. It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while; selling the nicer car and maybe replacing it with something four-wheel drive, something mountain-friendly that we can beat up and “haul wood in.” Apparently John sees a lot of wood hauling in our future.

Anyway, the plan was, sell the car, put some of the money back into a cheaper vehicle, and then save the rest. But, after selling the car this week, we’ve decided to maybe hold off on purchasing that new vehicle and see how we fare as a one-car family. John works from home often, and, in my current jobless state I’m pretty flexible when it comes to my driving activities, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem right?

And in theory, it should save us money, not only on gas, but on insurance, maintenance and the like. It’s better for the planet, and hopefully it will be better for the size of our butts, because we’ll be forced to ride our bikes when the other person has the car.

Today is my second full day at home without access to a car though, and I have to say it is not going exactly the way I planned. I did get up and ride my bike to the gym and even stopped off at the grocery store for a few items we needed, but pretty much ever since then, aside from a quick walk with the dog, my butt has been planted firmly on the couch. That’s mostly okay though, because one of the hardest things about being jobless is the tendency to want to go out and DO something. SEE people.

And inevitably, DOING things and SEEING people involves spending money, whether it’s on coffee or lunch or a trip to the mall, and that is sort of missing the point, so I guess sitting at home on my butt is okay for a little while. I think it’s mostly just the psychological issue that I’m dealing with – it’s feeling trapped in my house without any way out. My bike is nice, but it doesn’t allow me that feeling of freedom that getting in the car and just driving does. The radio blasting and the wind in my hair and the feel of the open road and all that.

So will it be worth it, or is this just another sacrifice I have to make as a rank and file member of the unemployed? I am dedicated to giving it my best shot, and if that means I have to sit here and watch Top Chef all day, I think I’m okay with that.