Its been long enough...

Well hello there people!

It seems I fell off the face of the planet ... again. LOL

The truth is I've been lurking in the background, reading all the blogs on my list and keeping up with everyone - I just haven't blogged, for different reasons.

But now, it seems that everything is finally settling back into a norm.

SO backtracking a bit here to briefly catch up with me ..

August 2011 - I was let go from my job in the port with the metal shredding company. Shortly after that I began temporary work with my dad at his courier job. This was supposed to be short term, but after my first experience of job hunting I knew there was a possibility of it being not so temporary.

Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do to keep up with all the bills!

September 2011 - January 2012:
In September we added a new member to our little family:

This is Jake

We rescued him from a shelter, he is about 2 years old and a full bred Shnauzer

Work wise, it was pretty much the same routine every day for these 5 months.

And now looking back, I kind of miss it. I miss seeing my dad everyday. I miss the sweating I would do loading up my route into the van and then delivering it. I miss meeting new people everyday. I miss the daily drives to SPI.

The end of January brought  some new things as well.

We finished our lease on our first apartment! And then were lucky to find a house for rent!!

Gosh those last few weeks in January were stressful! But it all worked out.

Our house is in a less than desireable location, but with all the little extras it had about it - we just couldn't pass it up.

Now we have all our pets with us and they have a yard to run around in. We have our own washer and dryer, huge deal! And no more stairs or downstairs neighbors complaining our tv/music is too loud!

I have to say, the first day out of the apartment I did not miss it one bit. It was a great starter for us, but we are definitely moving on to better things!

And the best thing that happened, I finally found a job!! Or well, the job kind of found me. LOL, GOD had it all worked out for us.

On Jan. 31st, I got an email asking to contact and go in for an interview. I was already driving to the warehouse to do the courier thing, but I went ahead and called anyway to possibly schedule something for the next day. I spoke to the Business Office Manager and he informed me that I had to go in that day, no other option. The owner of the business was in from out of town and pressuring the administration staff to fill the position asap. Initially I acutally said I would not be able to make it, so that was it. Then I called my dad who was already at the warehouse to talk to him about it. He told me I HAD to go, it was an interview and I couldn't pass it up. He took care of everything for me at the warehouse so I called back and said I would be able to show up after all.

Cue the hysterics and panic! This was my first interview in months! I rushed home to get dressed get myself together.

I do my interview and overall, feel like it had gone really well. I was done before 11:30 AM and they said they would make a decision within a few hours, so needless to say I was nervous the rest of the entire day. I was constantly checking my phone to see the time and check if I missed their call by any chance. When it got to 4:30, I pretty much gave up hope on it. I was already giving myself a prep talk so I wouldn't be too bummed about it. Then, lo and behold, I hear an alert from my phone - I had a voicemail!!

I GOT THE JOB! And the thing about it was they wanted me to start the next day! Crazy stuff.

I am the Assistant Business Office Manager at a nursing home.

I've had this job for about a month now and I like it. Its different, I have a lot of responsibilities, and I have A LOT of work. It's going great!

5 months ago I was delivering office supplies. Now I'm ordering it :)

Update - August 2011

Before begining this post, I hesitated for a few minutes - pondering how much longer I could put this off. lol. Yep, that's the procrastinator in me speaking! Shameful, yes, I know.

• 3 weeks ago today, Danny and I celebrated 1 year of living in our apartment together. I kicked myself for not having before pictures of our place when we first moved in. And then for not having cleaned the apartment to take pictures of what it looks like today. I definitely have had my moments of disliking the apartment, mostly because the kitchen is so darn small and cramped. But I've come to like this place, it's homey :D I will miss it when it comes time to leave.
• August 5th ended up being my last day of work at my super, cool, awesome and interesting job. Our company is closing down and they'd begun to make preperations to shut down. The office staff was one of the first casulties. It'd been up for sale for some time and when there weren't any big bites, the owner decided to close it down.  Right now, they have a limited amount of guys out in the yard-mostly for clean-up since the yard and everything on it is going up for auction on September 15.
• I  put off finishing my resume and sending out applications during that first week of being unemployed, mostly because I had high hopes of being called back for whatever reason. Or even that a buyer was in the process of making negotiations and wanted to keep the place running. Sadly, nothing to that effect happened. And I didn't really enjoy that week off. I felt annoyed, and I was a little mad that I was in this situation. Again. Looking back, I'm in the same place I was last year. Unemployed.
• I got to see Bella at my dad's house last week, after almost [or maybe even longer than] a month. It seemed like forever. Before that, I'd tried FaceTiming with her, and boy oh boy did she let me know she was mad at me! :( I felt so sad. Thanks to Audrey for kidnapping me that weekend because I got to spend some quality time with Bella and made sure to let her know she was my pooch! Love that punk!



Last week (08/14-08/20) I started helping my dad out at his job. They're couriers [kinda like the UPS] guys, out and about delivering stuff. They'd just landed a great contract with Staples so there was gonna be some extra work. I'd helped out several years before when my mom used to work there too and she went on vacation or whatever reason she couldn't work. It's not hard, it's just work. lol. Does that make sense?? Well, luckily for me I had Danny to help me get into it for a few days. And the true test came on Friday when he couldn't go with me. The biggest obstacle for me is going to be the cases of paper because they're so darn heavy! Just being in the warehouse loading up for deliveries is a work out so you know I'm getting my exercise on! lol. You sweat so much you need an extra shirt or two to get through the day. So for temporary work, I'll be ok. But I still miss my old job and being in the nice, comfy air conditioning.

Just today, [08/21] I filled out 2 applications, and sent out 4 more resumes. OOh and I baked a cake! How awesome am I?? ;) I kid, I kid. Seriously though, one of the applications is for a job that I really, really want. And I really did bake that cake ...  So say a little prayer for me while I go through this awful process of "job hunting" again. Please and thank you!

Smokey has been a lot more cuddly! :) Thank goodness, it's comforting and makes me smile.

Friday, the 13th ..... OOOoooohhh!! o.O

Hahaha. Creepy?? Nah, not unless you're superstitious.




Well here I am! I haven't really gone anywhere, yet.

This post is going to be a little random and all over the place, so I apologize in advance :)

1. So where have I been?? Well, my computer at work totally crapped out on me. Not in the sense that it crashed and everything on it was lost, but rather it just became extremely, and frustratingly [<-- is that even a word?? lol.] SLOW!!

My boss tried everything he could to make it run faster, but had no luck. Then we did the next best thing and called in a computer technician. Did it help? Heck no! For some weird reason there was 8GB of memory on the computer, and only 3GB's were available. He thinks that the chip must've been ruined which in turn made it run really slow, and it would be really expensive to fix - it would be cheaper to just buy me a new tower.

So did I get a new computer?? NO! The software I use to run payroll will only run on a 32 bit tower.... And all the new, off-the-shelf towers at the stores come in 64-bit. Yes they're better, and probably faster [can you tell I don't know much about computers?? lol. all this technical mumbo jumbo stuck in my head after some repitition of hearing it over, and over .... ] I did get a replacement tower, just not a brand spanking new one. It is way better than the one I had, I noticed a drastic difference from the old one when I began to use it yesterday. A new tower is not going to make me better at my job, and not getting a new one isn't going to make me be a bad employee either. I can rock this job, even if I had to use the old one!! :D

2. I've been feeling under the weather for the past several days. It's not a cold, or the flu .. .I think it's some kind of throat infection. My throat is just irritated. I'm not coughing, not a lot anyway just every once in awhile something I breathe in will rub it the wrong way and I'll cough as a result of that. My sense of taste has gone - everything tastes bland :( and when I salt something, the salt really comes out and then it's all I can taste. I've been feeling really drained of energy, and have had no urge to cook or clean at all.

3. This week flew by really quickly! It seems like just yesterday was Monday. Maybe it's because every, other day I was the county court house trying to renew a registration sticker ... I've had to go back repeatedly because of bumps that have come up. Finally, though we made a break only to go in today and find that the clerk/notary that was on our case wasn't going to make it in to work today :( There's always next week ...

4.

It's almost time for the concert! I just saw a clip his page uploaded on Facebook, and now I'm even more anxious!!!

5. I've stayed late at work everyday. Right now, I'm still here. I'm completely caught up on my work for the week and I'm just waiting on 2 trucks to make it into the yard. One is to be unloaded, the other is going to be loaded up with shredded aluminum.

***EDIT - 5:50PM : Both trucks just showed up - at the same time!! lol. Score! :D



6. I think it's time for some Netflix while I wait!

Tonight is banda night. ...... Mission - "Video Clip" is on! I hope I get a good one :)

I hope everyone has a great Friday Night!!

Interview #1, Part 2.

So after the first interview I had with the children's rehab clinic, I got a call back later that day for a 2nd interview! I was super excited to have gotten a quick response. I was really nervous during my first interview, remember?!

The 2nd interview was with the Operations Manager [I think]. He is what would be the office managers boss. He was also really nice and helpful in explaining the duties and responsibilities in much greater detail. I have to admit, I was a little overwhelmed when he was explaining it all. So much at one point that I even thought to myself "what the heck am I getting myself into?!" But that quickly passed.

At the end of it all he didn't offer me the job. Rather, he said sometimes they call for a 3rd interview with the Administrative Director, the head hauncho of the place. So either way if they call back it will be to offer me the job or to get me in for the 3rd interview.

Right now, I don't know that I would want to work my brains out like that. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with me being "on vacation" right now or if that job is just to much for me.

I knew finding a job was going to prove to be a challenge. And so far it's been just that. But now, it's not just about finding a job. It's about finding the right job.

Interview #1

So I went to my first official interview this morning. I really wasn't sure what I was interviewing for as the paper reference only indicated the title as "Office Clerk/Auditor". But as I went in and began the interview I quickly learned that it was for an Office Manager position and that person is basically in charge of overseeing the clinic and the employees. There are so many duties and responsibilities, which will clearly be a challenge, but I'm more than up for it. I just have to keep praying and hoping that the lady that interviewed me was impressed.

The vibe was definitely good and she was so nice.

Now I just have to wait for a phone call for a second interview. That's the hardest part :-/ but I'm going to do my best to have faith and pray that it works out.

I'm on the hunt down after you!

So to bring everyone up to speed, we've moved into our apartment in our new city and finally feeling settled in. We miss all our family in the mid-valley! Especially you Yum-Yum! And also, we've been lucky to have a neighbor with a router that is not password protected! Thank you mystery neighbor, whomever you are :)

Our car is all nice and fixed! I'm so relieved and so grateful! Even  more so because our mechanic is allowing us to make payments instead of having had to pay it all up front for the labor and parts. Which is great because I'm unemployed.

Speaking of which - I woke up this morning having mixed feelings about finding work. I think I like this not being obligated thing. But at the same time I'm disliking the fact that our checking account isn't getting nice big deposits anymore. Since I've been over here in Brownsville, I've filled out I don't know how many applications and left equal amounts of resumes.

So now we wait.

*** While typing this post, I got a phone call about a resume I'd submitted! I got a call back for an interview! I'm really excited and hope it goes well. I don't know much about the company, but I'm more than willing to learn.

Last Manic Monday! - for now.

So today was my last Monday at my current job. It wasn't bad at all, but man did it (kind of) fly on by!

I spent pretty much the entire day "coding". Yep ;-) at least I was while my little sister was failing me all day! Yeah you know who you are! So yeah, I forsee that I'll be "coding" at least through Thursday. I think I can make it last that long. There isn't much going on at the office anyway. Payroll reports have been completed and sent off.... maybe a payroll to do by Friday and then that's it!

During my oh so tedious day, I couldn't help but get excited [just a little bit] about the move. I think I'm more excited about using all of our stuff rather than the move itself. I'm comfortable where we are right now, but it's not ours and who knows what new and hopefully amazing things await for us. That's the exciting part I guess ... the not knowing. But now that we're moving we kinda wish we'd gotten the 2 bedroom place ... oh well. It's only for 6 months. Hopefully we can find something equally afforable, only bigger .. with a fence... and a big kitchen ... is that too much to ask for?? 

Today I started packing up the china cabinet. We're going to take it and all my grandma's china. She gave it to my dad and well it's my dad so he said I could have it :) In the cabinet I was storing all our wedding shtuff: toasting glasses, cake toppers, cake knife .. etc. And well I actually have most of  the toasting glasses still, about 14. We'll only be taking 8 though. They're only for decoration! 6 seemed to be too few so 8 seemed good enough.

Next is kitchen items that have been in use, i.e. cookie sheets, pastry blender, mixing bowls ... etc. I hope we get it all done by Friday night.

Packing has been fun. .... Not. lol. It's been bittersweet.

I'm a maniac, maniac that's for sure!

Drivers in Donna beware if I wake up late! Stay outta my way! lol.

Oh and then I hate the people that are turning [to go to the high school] and they still try to turn after the protected turn light shuts off and the northbound traffic gets their green. I honked and got all up in front of some stupid cars. lol.

Alas, this still remains true and sad. I am always late. I'm not exagerating either. I'm ALWAYS late. I'm also not trying to brag as I am NOT proud of this. I get mad at myself all the time, yet apparently not enough to actually change it.

I work for my uncle at his CPA firm. Lucky? Yes. Priviledged? No. Although I probably should've been fired by now, but I haven't so I guess that last one is kinda true. I do my work. And I like to think I do a pretty good job too. But that's not enough. I know it's the principle that I'm not getting. I need to get to work on time! So after having been gotten after at last week, because well I was 20 minutes late [and seriously not my fault], I've made a personal goal to myself that from here on out I'm going to make it a point to get to work early and or on time. That's enough.

I've been successful 3 out of the 4 days this week already. That 1 was out of my control, and I would've been on time if it weren't for that stupid 3 car pile up on the highway that caused traffic to go nuts. Lucky for me I was at the front of all that mess and was able to get out in 10 minutes - making me 10 minutes late to work. Awful I know. But later that morning I heard on the radio that the traffic wasn't moving at all! Everyone who was on the highway was stuck, and I heard this at about 9 AM I kid you not. So I was lucky. But apparently the part I haven't learned yet is to call when you're late and it's out of your hands, which would've helped avoid the awkward silence and silent treatment at work . . . well, now I know!

Wish me luck!

My butt.

What a title ey? Lol. Well this blog is entirely devoted to what happened this afternoon.

So I decided to wear a skirt to work today. A black, form fitted, pencil skirt. It zipped up and buttoned all the way up this morning when I first put it on. And then I went to sit in the car and I have to admit I did notice the tight squeeze sitting down. But I sat, and I thought nothing of it. And so that's how I continued the day. Up, down, sit, up, down, sit ... .and so on. However, when I came to sit at one point this morning, I heard a rip. I freaked out! Luckily, nothing major had happened. I didn't even see/feel the tear that I heard. It also happened that I didn't fix my skirt before I sat, so that could've had something to do with it as well.

Then later this afternoon, I did the same thing. Didn't adjust before I sat - and this time I wasn't so lucky! My zipper split from the end and opened up all the way to the buttons on top while I sat down! I was shocked! I still am. Although, now that I look back on it I'm way more embarassed. Lol, who wouldn't be. So I had my sister go to Wal-Mart and see if she could find me a skirt that I could wear, since well you know - the one I had on was kaput!

She did and for $7! Way to go Audrey!

So yeh, that's my story for today. Hope it was enjoyable!


Gas update: $2.53 everywhere by the expressway, $2.49 in Edinburg - $2.46 if you're in Mission!

My Mornings

I am not, for the life of me – a morning person! I have always had problems waking up early and getting ready to go wherever it is I needed to go. And now, all I have is work. Work, work, work … everyday! 8-5. Even getting to sleep at a decent hour is proving to be a challenge. When I get home from work I feel like I don’t have enough down time to bum around and relax. So we have dinner, then a movie, or TV and then more TV because I just feel like I can’t get enough. And the worst part is I’m supposed to be doing the P90X weight loss thing to prepare for the wedding. I was supposed to start January 1. Well originally December 21. Guess where I am??? Guess! – I have yet to start! How horrible am I? I’m not fat, and on the contrary from what my friends and loved ones have told me I look normal now. I just want to be fit and look and feel comfortable in my own clothes. And of course I want to fit into my beautiful wedding dress!

So anyhow, I start my mornings – not with coffee, but with a nice [or 2-4 nice cups] of Chai Tea lattés. Mostly for the caffeine. Chai is a black tea, and I’m not even sure if it has any caffeine whatsoever! But it’s warm, and it keeps me awake, so it works.

I heat up a cup of water in the microwave, it’s all I have to work with – don’t judge me! And then I steep a bag of my chai tea for about 5 minutes or so. Then I remove the bag and add 2 packets of pure sugar, some milk, and top if off with cinnamon.

The whole purpose of this is to try and recreate a truly blissful cup that I once had at this place my mom used to work at where they sold these. Only this particular mixture was already prepared and all you needed to do was add it to hot water or milk, like Nestle Nesquick chocolate milk. I am so close I can taste it! I think I am missing a drop or two of some vanilla syrup. I think. And I keep forgetting to buy a small bottle when I go to HEB or even Starbucks. Shame on me!

I think now though I'm going to just research recipes and compare others against mine. Hope I find what I'm looking for soon! But in the meantime, this works just fine for me!