I diligently sent my weekly check-in email with AVID and I got a response!! I literally squealed when I got it, I was SO excited. He apologized for not getting back to me sooner and wants to set something up for next week. Looks like Thursday will be the day!
I also got most of my raised vegetable beds filled, pictures and explanations to come!
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Work. Show all posts
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
I was ok until this week with this whole unemployment thing. Now, not so much.
I hate not knowing what's going to happen.
I hate not knowing when the second interview is going to be with the housing design company.
I hate knowing that I have to shell out $150/month on health insurance starting 5/1.
The waiting truly is the hardest part.
I feel like I'm just stuck, going nowhere, in this big black hole. The longer time goes on, the further I'm sucked in.
I had an interview 2 weeks ago with an online housing design company that I thought would be a great place to work. I thought the interview went pretty well and he told me that everyone always gets 2 interviews. That was enough to keep my hopes up for a little over a week. I sent my requested weekly "check-in" email, no response. I sent my second email yesterday, no response. I don't know what to think. I LOVED the company. If the money was decent, I'd accept a job there in a heartbeat. Now I'm questioning everything and in all honesty, there just isn't much of anything out there that I'm qualified for.
I've been scouring websites, magazines, the paper, anything I can think of to try to find some sort of full time employment. At this point, the reality is starting to set in... without a full time job, savings is starting to be held up, I'm having a harder time reaching my goal of paying off my credit cards and student loans, and money is just starting to be all around stressful.
The biggest thing though is that this schedule is killing me. I'm sitting here working three different jobs again, just trying to piece things together. I am working at PT job #1 at 5am twice a week and then on the other days I'm working at 8:30 at PT job #2. It's killing me. I'm also teaching lifeguarding classes on the weekends. I spend more time in the car than I should, but there's no way around it considering that I go from A to B to C to B to D all.the.time. The sad thing is these jobs are no more than 10 miles from the house.
I'm so impatient, I know that. Right now it's only getting worse though in this never-ending wait. I hate waiting.
I hate not knowing what's going to happen.
I hate not knowing when the second interview is going to be with the housing design company.
I hate knowing that I have to shell out $150/month on health insurance starting 5/1.
The waiting truly is the hardest part.
I feel like I'm just stuck, going nowhere, in this big black hole. The longer time goes on, the further I'm sucked in.
I had an interview 2 weeks ago with an online housing design company that I thought would be a great place to work. I thought the interview went pretty well and he told me that everyone always gets 2 interviews. That was enough to keep my hopes up for a little over a week. I sent my requested weekly "check-in" email, no response. I sent my second email yesterday, no response. I don't know what to think. I LOVED the company. If the money was decent, I'd accept a job there in a heartbeat. Now I'm questioning everything and in all honesty, there just isn't much of anything out there that I'm qualified for.
I've been scouring websites, magazines, the paper, anything I can think of to try to find some sort of full time employment. At this point, the reality is starting to set in... without a full time job, savings is starting to be held up, I'm having a harder time reaching my goal of paying off my credit cards and student loans, and money is just starting to be all around stressful.
The biggest thing though is that this schedule is killing me. I'm sitting here working three different jobs again, just trying to piece things together. I am working at PT job #1 at 5am twice a week and then on the other days I'm working at 8:30 at PT job #2. It's killing me. I'm also teaching lifeguarding classes on the weekends. I spend more time in the car than I should, but there's no way around it considering that I go from A to B to C to B to D all.the.time. The sad thing is these jobs are no more than 10 miles from the house.
I'm so impatient, I know that. Right now it's only getting worse though in this never-ending wait. I hate waiting.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Thanks for the Memories
Yesterday was selection Sunday.
Today is the Monday before the start of the NCAA tournament.
Right now I should be paying my $15 to get entered into our office bracket pool. It's a funny pool though because you don't choose. You pick based on seed; everyone gets a 1 or 2, 3 or 4, etc. I think it's more fun that way. You can win based on sheer points or the champion.
What am I not doing right now? You guessed it.
Damn economy.
Today is the Monday before the start of the NCAA tournament.
Right now I should be paying my $15 to get entered into our office bracket pool. It's a funny pool though because you don't choose. You pick based on seed; everyone gets a 1 or 2, 3 or 4, etc. I think it's more fun that way. You can win based on sheer points or the champion.
What am I not doing right now? You guessed it.
Damn economy.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Wanted: Magic 8 Ball
::sigh::
Unemployment is no fun. No fun, I tell ya.
I fell victim to the sucktastic housing market on January 26. This wasn't a "termination," we were told; it was a "temporary" layoff with the opportunity to be called back for a day's worth of work if we were needed. Health insurance is good until April 30, so that's at least something positive. The thing is, this being called back sounded great in the beginning... then reality set in. I've got a feeling that they're going to work the staff left there to death before they'll ever call us back.
When someone finds a reliable Magic 8 Ball, please let me know. I'm stuck in a position right now where I don't know what to do, where to go, who to talk to. I'm working part time at a second job, which has definitely been a blessing. Thankfully the executive board approved me upping my hours from 6 days a month to 12, which helps pay some bills. The PT job #1 though is going to be the death of me from how much I've been working there this month, but if it helps us even stay a little bit on track for our financial goals then I guess it's OK.
The financial goals is what I'm having the hardest time parting with. We had just talked about opening IRAs this year when I got laid off. There goes that idea, at least for the time being. I'm still trying to get out of credit card debt and then aggressively tackle the student loans.
All in due time, I guess.
Unemployment is no fun. No fun, I tell ya.
I fell victim to the sucktastic housing market on January 26. This wasn't a "termination," we were told; it was a "temporary" layoff with the opportunity to be called back for a day's worth of work if we were needed. Health insurance is good until April 30, so that's at least something positive. The thing is, this being called back sounded great in the beginning... then reality set in. I've got a feeling that they're going to work the staff left there to death before they'll ever call us back.
When someone finds a reliable Magic 8 Ball, please let me know. I'm stuck in a position right now where I don't know what to do, where to go, who to talk to. I'm working part time at a second job, which has definitely been a blessing. Thankfully the executive board approved me upping my hours from 6 days a month to 12, which helps pay some bills. The PT job #1 though is going to be the death of me from how much I've been working there this month, but if it helps us even stay a little bit on track for our financial goals then I guess it's OK.
The financial goals is what I'm having the hardest time parting with. We had just talked about opening IRAs this year when I got laid off. There goes that idea, at least for the time being. I'm still trying to get out of credit card debt and then aggressively tackle the student loans.
All in due time, I guess.
Monday, February 4, 2008
What kind of world do you want?
I received an email yesterday from an old friend. Inside was a very simple message:
One, I really like Five for Fighting. Two, Autism Speaks is an organization I truly believe in. The song "World" is so fitting for these videos. It's a song of hope, dreams, and optimism. For a disorder that has few answers, hope and optimism can be difficult to keep.
This May marks my nine year anniversary of teaching swim lessons. Since I started working with special needs children about five years ago, my love for children has changed. I have found that special needs children have this amazing ability to love. On top of that, they have an incredible love for life. While some of these children may test my patience to the greatest extent on some days, I can't help but look back at the lessons each of them have taught me.
Isabel has several muscular and developmental disabilities, but she has never, ever let them get in the way of having fun. In my five years of knowing her, I have never once seen Isabel cry. Trust me, I have a habit of making children cry (I don't exactly let kids get out of things easily, which they don't like!). She always has a smile on her face and is so excited to come swim. When I left my former pool, I unfortunately had to leave Isabel. I saw her parents a couple weeks ago and we caught up on life in general. We were able to make things work out so I am able to teach her again. It absolutely thrilled me to hear that she still talked about swimming with me. I saw her for the first time in 2 years last week and her smile and love for life is enough to make anyone's day. She has taught me that there's a silver lining in life and that a smile can truly make someone's day. Her giggle is contagious and even with her extremely limited vocabulary, she still tries her hardest to convince you not to work but to have fun!
Brandon had a stroke when he was just a couple weeks old, followed several weeks later by open heart surgery. At the age of 3 when I first met him, he was barely walking and didn't really speak. I was teaching his older sister, Kayla, and the mother was having a difficult time keeping Brandon away from the water. We didn't get very far in learning to swim, but he was so fearless when it came to trying out new things. He loved to imitate what I would ask him to do (his favorite was "kickkickkickkickkick") and tried so hard to get himself out of the water. Brandon taught me that you cannot let things get in the way of having fun and enjoying life; for him, he never let his disabilities get in the way of enjoying swimming.
Isaiah and Jayson are very high functional Autistic twin boys. When I first started teaching them 13 months ago, they refused to go under water, wouldn't let go of me, and threw fits when I would ask them to do something out of their comfort zone. The lap pool was absolutely out of the question. My greatest moment with these two boys so far was watching the dad start crying the first time he saw both boys not only jump into the deep end of the lap pool (which originally they were deathly afraid of) and then swim unassisted down the length of the pool. He was so excited to see his boys successful and pushing their fears aside. It has been a long, slow process, but truly worthwhile. Isaiah swallowed too much water one day and threw up all over me and in the pool. We had to shut down the pool to clean it and I told him that we would try again next week. While on my way to the other pool to teach Jayson, I noticed Isaiah was crying. When I asked him what was wrong, he kept telling me that he was sorry he got sick and asking if I was mad. I realized that for him, all he wants is to please people. He gave me the biggest hug when I finally convinced him that I could never be mad at him for getting sick, but that he had to understand why he got sick (blow your bubbles!!). From that point forward, things became much easier. I finally realized what made him "tick". If I could get him to understand that I was so proud of him for how hard he has worked and how far he has come, teaching him would be easier. Jayson is a little different. The praise does little; for him, it's letting him realize that he can do things and that it's not so bad afterall. These two boys have taught me that no two children will ever learn the exact same way and that you have to find what makes them tick, even though it may take several months to find it.
Jessica has Cystic Fibrosis. When I first met her, she had a somewhat limited lung capacity and could barely swim the length of the pool. There were many cancelled lessons due to illness, but when she was having a good day, we really worked. It was hard for her. We pushed her limits. She loved the water, but not necessarily the work. What 10 year old loves working hard? When the doctors noticed her increased lung capacity, they were pleasantly surprised. Swimming has helped her so much. Last I heard she was swimming on a year round team. Jessica taught me that even though the work may be hard and we don't want to do it, the benefits are sometimes so great that that work may not be so bad after all.
Caleb had a stroke in-utero. He is another one that gives 110% all the time. We started out with basic skills and are now working on fine tuning some form. Caleb is funny. He always knows what he's doing wrong and how to fix it, but part of the problem is it takes so much effort for him to get both sides of his body to do the same thing that it's just difficult for him. His left leg and arm were affected and he walks close to "normal", but has several difficulties with his arm/hand. He tries so hard to do everything his friends do and goes hunting with his father. Caleb is another that has taught me to never let the little things get in the way. Obstacles can be overcome.
There are a few more children I would love to write about, but I need to save those for another post. These kids have each taught me a special lesson and I will never forget them. I can only hope they know how special they are to me. I not only have the opportunity to work with special needs children while I teach, but also through Special Olympics, where I serve on the county steering committee. Volunteering is probably the single most important thing that one can do to help out these children and adults; they really do appreciate it.
Now, back to Autism. http://www.autismspeaks.org/ has some astonishing facts on their site. A new case is diagnosed approximately every 2o minutes. It affects 1 in 150 children. The worst part is, the early intervention that is so desperately needed is usually not covered by insurance. I was blown away by these facts.
Hopefully one day (soon) we'll have solid treatment plans for this and many other developmental disorders. According to the Autism Speaks website, $30,000 has already been raised with the Five for Fighting charity site. I can only hope that this is the beginning; one of the things on tomorrow's to-do list is to forward this link to everyone I know.
The band, Five for Fighting, is generously donating $0.40 to Autism Speaks for *each time* this video is viewed. The funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to your friends and family. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal.
If link does not work, copy and paste.
http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/
videos/view/id/408214
One, I really like Five for Fighting. Two, Autism Speaks is an organization I truly believe in. The song "World" is so fitting for these videos. It's a song of hope, dreams, and optimism. For a disorder that has few answers, hope and optimism can be difficult to keep.
This May marks my nine year anniversary of teaching swim lessons. Since I started working with special needs children about five years ago, my love for children has changed. I have found that special needs children have this amazing ability to love. On top of that, they have an incredible love for life. While some of these children may test my patience to the greatest extent on some days, I can't help but look back at the lessons each of them have taught me.
Isabel has several muscular and developmental disabilities, but she has never, ever let them get in the way of having fun. In my five years of knowing her, I have never once seen Isabel cry. Trust me, I have a habit of making children cry (I don't exactly let kids get out of things easily, which they don't like!). She always has a smile on her face and is so excited to come swim. When I left my former pool, I unfortunately had to leave Isabel. I saw her parents a couple weeks ago and we caught up on life in general. We were able to make things work out so I am able to teach her again. It absolutely thrilled me to hear that she still talked about swimming with me. I saw her for the first time in 2 years last week and her smile and love for life is enough to make anyone's day. She has taught me that there's a silver lining in life and that a smile can truly make someone's day. Her giggle is contagious and even with her extremely limited vocabulary, she still tries her hardest to convince you not to work but to have fun!
Brandon had a stroke when he was just a couple weeks old, followed several weeks later by open heart surgery. At the age of 3 when I first met him, he was barely walking and didn't really speak. I was teaching his older sister, Kayla, and the mother was having a difficult time keeping Brandon away from the water. We didn't get very far in learning to swim, but he was so fearless when it came to trying out new things. He loved to imitate what I would ask him to do (his favorite was "kickkickkickkickkick") and tried so hard to get himself out of the water. Brandon taught me that you cannot let things get in the way of having fun and enjoying life; for him, he never let his disabilities get in the way of enjoying swimming.
Isaiah and Jayson are very high functional Autistic twin boys. When I first started teaching them 13 months ago, they refused to go under water, wouldn't let go of me, and threw fits when I would ask them to do something out of their comfort zone. The lap pool was absolutely out of the question. My greatest moment with these two boys so far was watching the dad start crying the first time he saw both boys not only jump into the deep end of the lap pool (which originally they were deathly afraid of) and then swim unassisted down the length of the pool. He was so excited to see his boys successful and pushing their fears aside. It has been a long, slow process, but truly worthwhile. Isaiah swallowed too much water one day and threw up all over me and in the pool. We had to shut down the pool to clean it and I told him that we would try again next week. While on my way to the other pool to teach Jayson, I noticed Isaiah was crying. When I asked him what was wrong, he kept telling me that he was sorry he got sick and asking if I was mad. I realized that for him, all he wants is to please people. He gave me the biggest hug when I finally convinced him that I could never be mad at him for getting sick, but that he had to understand why he got sick (blow your bubbles!!). From that point forward, things became much easier. I finally realized what made him "tick". If I could get him to understand that I was so proud of him for how hard he has worked and how far he has come, teaching him would be easier. Jayson is a little different. The praise does little; for him, it's letting him realize that he can do things and that it's not so bad afterall. These two boys have taught me that no two children will ever learn the exact same way and that you have to find what makes them tick, even though it may take several months to find it.
Jessica has Cystic Fibrosis. When I first met her, she had a somewhat limited lung capacity and could barely swim the length of the pool. There were many cancelled lessons due to illness, but when she was having a good day, we really worked. It was hard for her. We pushed her limits. She loved the water, but not necessarily the work. What 10 year old loves working hard? When the doctors noticed her increased lung capacity, they were pleasantly surprised. Swimming has helped her so much. Last I heard she was swimming on a year round team. Jessica taught me that even though the work may be hard and we don't want to do it, the benefits are sometimes so great that that work may not be so bad after all.
Caleb had a stroke in-utero. He is another one that gives 110% all the time. We started out with basic skills and are now working on fine tuning some form. Caleb is funny. He always knows what he's doing wrong and how to fix it, but part of the problem is it takes so much effort for him to get both sides of his body to do the same thing that it's just difficult for him. His left leg and arm were affected and he walks close to "normal", but has several difficulties with his arm/hand. He tries so hard to do everything his friends do and goes hunting with his father. Caleb is another that has taught me to never let the little things get in the way. Obstacles can be overcome.
There are a few more children I would love to write about, but I need to save those for another post. These kids have each taught me a special lesson and I will never forget them. I can only hope they know how special they are to me. I not only have the opportunity to work with special needs children while I teach, but also through Special Olympics, where I serve on the county steering committee. Volunteering is probably the single most important thing that one can do to help out these children and adults; they really do appreciate it.
Now, back to Autism. http://www.autismspeaks.org/ has some astonishing facts on their site. A new case is diagnosed approximately every 2o minutes. It affects 1 in 150 children. The worst part is, the early intervention that is so desperately needed is usually not covered by insurance. I was blown away by these facts.
Hopefully one day (soon) we'll have solid treatment plans for this and many other developmental disorders. According to the Autism Speaks website, $30,000 has already been raised with the Five for Fighting charity site. I can only hope that this is the beginning; one of the things on tomorrow's to-do list is to forward this link to everyone I know.
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