Par-TAY!
Roomie is out of town doing international family things for the next week. What does that mean for me? If I were 15, that would mean a party of enormously drunken proportions. If I were employed, maybe a few friends over for a party of enormously drunken proportions. As I am 26 and unemployed, it really means nothing except that I can watch TV in the living room naked.
Life lately hasn't been much fun because of the employment situation, or lack there of. I have been rejected from all of the jobs I have applied and interviewed for. Am I that horrid in person? Well, it's starting to take a toll. And not one of those free tolls you get when a bridge just opens (free for a while to get you used to taking this fabulous new road). I am talking "just raised the toll price again after they said they would abolish said toll 4 years ago" kind of toll.
Anyway...Everyone has been super supportive and great and all, but I want a job. All friends and parents are out there helping me find opportunities. I have several agencies working for me too. There is a new one, who called me, that calls everyday with new opps. It's kind of cool. I hope something works out soon.
But today is leap day and I am feeling lucky. There is a buzz in the air and I sense good things on the horizon.
You gotta stay positive.
Also, the LLS is moving back to the Middle this weekend. She starts her drive today.That reminds me, Sister-in-Law needs a nickname. Any suggestions?
Valentine's Day - Belated
I experienced my first Valentine's Day last Thursday. No, I have not been living under a rock. I got the elementary school V-Days where you made a paper basket and everyone gave you a card. No, I got my first one as an adult. Yes, I have been with people on V-Day, but either he or I were too cynical to celebrate. Being a more positive person now than I once was, I wanted to celebrate, but not celebrate.
So TG invited me over for dinner. I bought a card and some chocolate for him. I dedicated the card to him with my usual Valentine's message: "It's not a real holiday," but this year I added, "but I do love you." Can we all say awww.
He cooked dinner. It was very good.
He also gave me a chocolate flower and hearts. Very sweet.
It was a very good V-Day.
Now, you all need to learn something, so look up: Lupercalia.
Impress your friends, have something to talk about at parties.
Unemployment Unabated
I saw my parents on Saturday, hoping to do my taxes. But, as I am a moron, I forgot that dear ol' Dad gave me back my tax stuff from last year and he didn't have a copy. I could have done them myself. Instead I hung out with them, doing projects with the moms. I want all the money I can get, so I am having an accountant do them. Thanks parents.
Mom also suggested that if I do not get a job this week, I should just apply for an easy service-y clerk kind of thing until something better comes along, to which I responded, "What about unemployment?" Why work and get money and mess with your very free interview schedule when you can not work
and get money from unemployment?
Hey, I don't like it either, but what else and I supposed to do?
We shall see how this week goes. I have 2 phone interviews that I am vigorously preparing for (cross your fingers, I am very excited about one of them), typing up answers and doing research into the companies and such. I am also trying to get some temp stuff lined up. I hate just sitting at home applying for jobs all day. And that's another thing:
Monster and CareerBuilder are a joke. You can sit and apply and follow up all you like, no one calls you back. It's a false sense of hope is what it is and I don't like it. Neither does JoAnna who I shared this theory with on Friday.
We had lunch and coffee and went to a poetry slam on Friday. Very righteous. All very talented artists. Some better than others, but all talented. Then we roamed around the museum (it was at the art museum), which felt very naughty seeing as how it was night and none of us had ever been there at night. The art museum is a daytime kind of thing I guess.
Identity Crisis
With one of the jobs that I am up for, they require a background check, which is fine. I have never been arrested, I haven't (knock wood) been in an accident or had a ticket in a while and I do not commit crimes. Or so I would think. I just got a call from the agency running my check and on their report, I am the third defendant in a case involving a 1997 Honda Accord and the City of Denver. I don't think I know anyone with a 1997 Accord and I think I would remember being involved in an accident and the resulting court case, if that is what it's for, I certainly didn't steal a car.
Is someone using my identity?
I am freaked out here people.
Birthdays Wishes
Belated Birthday Wishes to Abraham Lincoln who turned 199 yesterday and Happy Birthday Wishes to BF who turns 30 today.
Party on!
There's a Dog in my Bathroom
Thus begineth week three of unemployment.
I am home now to witness the strange goings on in the house that I am usually not here to see. Roomie's dog sleeps in my bathroom, Cocoa on my bed. That's pretty much it , and the Cocoa thing isn't that strange, she sleeps on my bed no matter where I am. Cats do that.
In other news, I have traversed to a new level of girl-dork. I spent the weekend watching
Star Wars.
TG is sick, although he is going to work today, but the worst is over. Being the nice person that I am, I spent Saturday and Sunday with him, making soup, tea, etc. All he could really do is sit and vege in from of the TV so I got to pick the movie. Out of his large collection, I picked about 5 and he got to make final cuts.
Star Wars it was, the original, not the crappy new ones. I have seen them all, but only when I was very young and couldn't understand them anyway. We watched them all plus the making of movie.
Side Note: TG has them all, has seen them all and reads the supplemental books. I like them, honestly. The first one is my favorite (Episode IV, A New Hope), followed by number V. Number VI is the weakest one though.
I want a C3-PO.
This Sucks
Hunting for a job bites. I went on an interview today after my 6th employment agency appointment (they are getting very repetitive, BTW). Well, the interview didn't want me. But I just have to think that it's for the best, that it wasn't the job for me and that I will find something perfect soon and not sink into a depression.
I am trying to keep busy so I am having a dinner party tomorrow night with TG, Roomie, BF, JoAnna and her boyfriend.
But still, I really want to find a job soon. I can't do what happened last time: 6 weeks of sitting on my couch loathing myself.
KEEEEEE-RAP
So I got a flat tire. No big deal right? Wrong, I also bent my rim so they can't patch and pump the tire, I have to replace my rim and possibly the tire. CRAP!
I am currently driving on the spare.
Overheard in Denver
Well, Manitou.
"Camels are just awkward."
I love where I live.
City vs. Suburban Life
So I have lived in the city for 6 months now. One of the things about living in the city that differs from suburban life is the amount of homeless people that you see on a regular basis. This is a very sad sight. And on Saturday, I saw my first homeless person going through a dumpster, he had a dog.
Here are some causes of homelessness:
- Lack of affordable housing
- Substance abuse and lack of needed services
- Mental illness and lack of needed services
- Domestic violence
- Poverty, caused by many factors
- Prison release and re-entry into society
- Lack of affordable health care
- Natural Disaster
- Lack of strong support system
There are 847,000-3,470,000 chronically homeless people (those with repeated episodes or who have been homeless for long periods) in America right now. I think this is incredibly sad, and I try to donate to shelters as much as I can, but I find it too heartbreaking to work in one. It's just too much.
But I urge you to do as much as you can to help anyone that you see on the streets. I gave all my change to a man on the streets on New Year's day, he looked about my age and had the saddest, but most hopeful eyes I had ever seen.
Rocks are Hard
In honor of Super Bowl 42 (yes, I know the number, only because I flipped passed the channel right as they were awarding the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Giants), TG and I decided to walked through a very cool cave system here in the Middle called "The Grands." It has a very interesting history and our guide was a strange, small man named Adam who scared the bejeezzus out of me with his stories (I was fine near the end though, but I swear I saw the ghost of the first owner of the caves, his name was George).
So we drove down to the caves, paid our exorbitant entrance fee (they aren't national parks and don't get Federal monies, so it's OK to pay through the nose, I am supporting cave conservation and the scary guide's salary) and went in, lanterns (yes, lanterns) ablaze. Many ghost stories and stalactites and stalagmites later, we were near the end of our "Voyage to the Center of the Earth"-like journey when I stood up too soon and hit my head really hard on the cave ceiling. True to what Adam said at the beginning (you weren't there: he said, if you hit your head, say "rock is hard" to warn those behind you, if you happen to miss it, turn and laugh because you did miss it and they didn't). So the 2 people behind me were warned and TG laughed at me. That's fine now as it doesn't hurt anymore, but he owes me booze, damnit. All in all, it was a good day and so pretty up there. TG had pics and I will try and finagle a few from him soon.
