Friday Fill-ins

And...here we go!

1. It's time for me to call my Daddy.
2. The couch; it's not a bad place for a dog nap.
3. I must be crazy for having a garage sale tomorrow.
4. My Daddy is the best thing I have ever known. **I'm on the phone with him as I'm filling these out and he's helping!!
5. My life is simply messy right now.
6. The last time I laughed really loudly was this afternoon while preparing for the garage sale tomorrow.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to resting, tomorrow my plans include the big garage sale (did I mention I'm having a garage sale tomorrow?) and Sunday, I want to get my car washed!

Until Next Time,

Kel

The Octagonal Red Street Sign

Since I'm not driving as much as I used to, I guess I'm getting less tolerant of stupid people that have a driver's license. And I seem to run across them every time I'm out and about.

Today, it was the group of drivers who apparently didn't learn what this sign means when they attended gangsta driving school.

Yeah, buddy, you're all bad in your souped up Dodge Ram with spinners and music so loud they can hear it in LA. You probably know every word to that Lil' Wayne rap, but can you READ? Do you know what S - T - O - P spells? Do you know the definition of the word?

Maybe you should go back to kindergarten and start all over again.

Oh, wait. I'll save you the time of going back to school (where you might even learn some manners) and I'll tell you what that sign means. Let's start with what it DOESN'T mean.

It doesn't mean: Stomp Toe On Pedal.

It doesn't mean: Spin Tires On Pavement.

It doesn't mean: Speed Through Other (car's) Path and give other driver the one-finger salute as you go by.

When you see this sign, it means you move your big ugly foot OFF the accelerator (the pedal on the right, in case "accelerator" is too big a word for you) and place it on the brake pedal - the one on the left. That will make your big ol' stupid truck slow down and actully quit moving for a couple of seconds while I, who have the right of way, pass through the intersection in front of you!

Maybe if we add some other words to the sign it'll help you follow the rules of driving. Ever play "Simon Says"?

Just stay out of my way on the road, ding dong.

Until next time,

Kel

How Much Technology Does It Take....

...For two women to make a lunch date?

I've been enjoying the company of my friend Angela and her cutie-patootie baby Max once a week as we tour the peninsula's eateries. Today was our lunch date.

It has taken us 3 days, 4 e-mails, 5 text messages and 2 phone calls to plan. And the 2 of us are not wishy-washy when it comes to picking a place to eat since eating IS a favorite hobby we share. One makes a suggestion, the other says "Great! I'll meet you there" and the rest is history. But for some reason, this week seemed to take a lot more effort to firm up our plan.

Should it really take 3 different technologies to plan a lunch date? Seriously!!! Are we all becoming so technology dependent that we've forgotten how to do something so simple very simply? Has communicating become difficult because it's so easy?

We're a step ahead for next week. We used an old-fashioned form of communication to pick our day to meet: we had a face-to-face conversation.

Shocking, isn't it?

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-ins

And...here we go!

1. Not having a job is not the end of the world.

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I doze off into a peaceful slumber.

3. Lunch with a friend tastes so good!

4. Sometimes, putting others first is all I can think of.

5. The Pacific Ocean is breathtaking, really.

6. Well, maybe there is a Santa Claus.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to working on some cards, tomorrow my plans include getting ready for my garage sale and Sunday, I want to go out for brunch!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

He's the #1 man in my life.

We talk nearly every day.

He's got a wicked sense of humor and can make me crack up without saying a word.

He's my Daddy. And, what Frenchie told Sandy in "Grease" is true: The only man a girl can rely on is her Daddy.

So, Happy Birthday Dad!!!! May you celebrate many, many, many more!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Big, Scary Tomatoes!

In New Orleans, summer always brought around one of my favorite foods: Creole Tomatoes. Very meaty, sweet and vibrantly red, they are a staple on the table because everybody grows them in back yard gardens.

When I moved to California, I quickly discovered that Creole Tomatoes don't exist here. I learned to eat run-of-the-mill vine-ripened and beefsteak tomatoes, but wasn't that impressed with the taste.

Then, about 5 years ago, my friend Angela and I signed up for a local organic farm's vegetable delivery service. We'd get to pick a combination of 5 organic fruits and vegetables a week and they'd be delivered right to our office, most times with the dirt still on them. They advertised heirloom tomatoes during the summer, which I had never heard of. Angela encouraged me to order some one week with the promise that if I didn't like them, she'd be happy to 'trade' me some veggies for them. So I did.

The day our veggie orders arrived, Angela came to my office to show me the beautifully (and oddly!) colored tomatoes in her bag. She had about 5 of them and she asked to see mine. I opened the paper bag and all I saw was one giant yellow and red variegated tomato! I took it out of the bag and exclaimed "That's one big, scary tomato!!!!" I thought Ang would fall on the floor she was laughing so hard.

It took me a couple of days to work up the courage to cut that monster, but I did eat it and enjoy it. From that day on, I anxiously await summer so I can buy me some big, scary tomatoes.

Tonight, I headed to the grocery store for one thing: heirlooms. They're on sale this week (only $2.49 a pound, which is a steal!) and I'm sure I'll make several trips back to buy some more over the next week.

So Angela, this one's for you my friend!

Oh, yeah, and thanks for making me buy that first BIG SCARY TOMATO!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Wow... I'm Pretty Impressive on Paper!

Today was my final call with Julie, my career coach. I'm going to do a little advertising here: if you find yourself wading through the waters of the modern job search and feel like you're drowning, get in touch with Julie and let her give you a life jacket. I feel so much better about the process and about myself professionally than I did back in May.

We finished the resume and I actually printed it tonight. I like the way it looks in hard copy: clean lines, concise formatting, strong wording. It's two pages of me and what I do best. I only hope that anyone reading it will feel the same.

And it got forwarded for the first time today. Remember the job I've been agonizing about all week? As it turns out, I know someone who works there and I contacted her on Monday to talk about the firm and see what her thoughts are on their IT department. She was honest and told me the good, the bad and the ugly so that I could make a decision about applying. She also offered to talk to the IT guy about me and mention that I was contemplating sending in my resume. Well, she called me yesterday afternoon and said the guy wanted to meet me - even before seeing my resume! Hot dog!

So, I guess I'm applying for the job. I forwarded my shiny new resume on to my friend today and am waiting to hear back about an interview. I'm looking at this as a positive step, no matter the outcome. It's good experience to go on the interview so I can prepare myself for future interviews. If I get a job, bonus! If I don't get the job, well, I won't be devastated because the whole experience is the first step to a new job. Right?

So, if you need some bedtime reading and are curious about the new resume (or you know someone that might be willing to hire me!), just drop me a line at kelskorner at sbcglobal dot net and I'll send it your way.

Sigh. Now the fun really starts!

Until Next Time,

Kel

To Apply or Not to Apply....

THAT, my friends, is the question that's been plaguing me for the last 48 hours.

As I was searching my usual job-search websites Friday afternoon, I ran across a job that I'm so qualified for. The description of the job is exactly what I've done for the last 20 years: help desk and training - in a law firm.

So, why didn't I immediately send in my resume and cover letter? Well, there's the rub: I can think of about a million reasons why I shouldn't apply and only one reason that I should. Don't mind me while I think 'out loud' here....

Reasons to not apply for the job:

• It's a law firm. I really want to break out of the law firm gig and work in an office that's not filled with lawyers. Not that I have anything against lawyers generally, I'm just tired of working with them.
• It's in San Francisco. I'd have to commute over an hour in each direction on public transit. I enjoy letting someone else do the driving, but over the last seven years, I've grown accustomed to a short commute (25 minutes at most) and having my car at my disposal each day. In SF, I can't afford to pay the $25+ a day to park my car. Ain't happening.
• It's in San Francisco, right across the street from my former law firm. Too much of a chance of running into the very people who made the decision to lay me off. That could be an ugly encounter.
• The hours. The ad posted that it's a 35 hour week (woo-hoo!), which is a definite bonus. The down side - it's a 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. shift. 7:00 a.m.? Yikes! I am SO not a morning person and with the commute, I'd probably have to get up at like 4:30 in the morning and be out of the house by 5:45 in order to get there by 7:00 And I'm really cranky before 8 in the morning.

I could go on with this list, but these are the biggies for me.

Now, the one reason I should apply: IT'S THE THING I DO BEST. Help Desk and Training. I'm good in front of a group of people. I'm excellent at help desk calls and requests. I know law firms and how they operate. I'm good at this position.

So, help me out here - what do you think I should do? I can't wait too long - the job was posted last Tuesday and in this market, you snooze, you lose. I just can't decide if I want to snooze or not.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-Ins

I always see "Friday Fill-Ins" on some of my blogging buddies' sites and enjoy reading them. It's a great way to get to know more about your friends. So today, I thought I'd join in on the fun. My answers are in red.

And...here we go!

1. The last thing I ate was a ham sandwich on potato poppyseed bread from Specialty's bakery.

2. Fancy paper to print copies of my resume on is something I recently bought.

3. When it rains, it is a great time to take a nap!

4. The helpful clerk at Office Depot was the first person I talked to today (unless you count the dog!).

5. Hugs are something I don't get enough of.

6. Hearing my Dad's voice on the phone each day brings me extra comfort.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to another quiet evening, tomorrow my plans include getting back to my Yo'lates class, and Sunday, I want to go to a local art & wine festival!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Day 56: Getting to Know Me Better

Wow. I find it hard to believe that it's been 56 days - 8 weeks - since I was laid off. I can still hear the HR manager's words in my head just as clearly as if it happened yesterday. It must be one of those moments in my life that isn't going to be forgotten for a while.

As much as I try to keep busy in the time that I'm not working on my resume or searching for a job that fits my skill set, I still spend a lot of time alone with just Aero to keep me company - and he's not a great conversationalist. It's the quiet times that I dig deep and examine myself and who I am, trying to figure out what it is I'm supposed to be doing. Sometimes this self-analyzing leads me to dark places, and other times, to very positive, happy places.

Some of the things I've discovered about myself are:

• I look really good on paper. As my resume is nearly finalized, I realize that I have many strong, desirable skills that should open a lot of doors.
• I don't look so good in person. I find that people are generally fat-phobic and that will probably work against me in a face-to-face interview.
• I need a schedule. I don't get a lot done when I have too much time on my hands.
• I miss talking to people every day. Like I said, Aero's not much on conversation.
• Aero still dislikes my being home. I guess I shouldn't find a job that lets me telecommute.
• I break out in a cold sweat when I think of having to go shopping for an "interview suit." Julie told me I should buy one six weeks ago. I've been shopping once and thought I'd pass out in the store. That was a short trip.
• I'm still scared shitless about the whole unemployment/trying to find a new job thing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I've got some great friends looking out for me and helping to keep me sane. But they've got their own lives and challenges and I can't keep complaining about the same things over and over to them. I must be driving them nuts by now because I'm driving myself nuts listening to me.

And now I'm rambling. That's another thing I've learned recently: I'm a rambler. Somebody just smack me on the side of the head and tell me to shut up and get a job.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Day 49: Everything's Coming Up Roses...

Well, not really. But at some point it will. Right?


I'm lucky to live where I do, because just a short distance from here is the Pacific Coast. There's lots of nurseries in that area, and on my drive from my house to my friend Marie's, those nurseries have flower/plant shops that are open to the public.


Today, I was driving home from her house and as I passed one of the flower farm's shop, there was a huge sign out front: Dozen Roses $5. Almost like a mosquito drawn to a light, I hit the turn signal and made the right turn into the driveway and parked my car. I decided that I needed roses today and here was my opportunity. I mean why the heck not?


There were so many roses to choose from! Every color you can imagine. And the fragrance! When I walked into giant flower refrigerator, I felt as though I had stepped into some story-book meadow filled with rows and rows of beautiful, fragrant flowers of every sort. Except that it was freezing cold! I picked out two lovely bouquets of roses, exchanged pleasantries with the nice lady at the cash register, and was on my way with Ethel Merman's voice belting out that famous tune on the 20 minute ride.


The roses have brightened up my living room and dining room. And they've made me happy tonight. I don't ever get flowers either for myself or from someone else, so what the heck! For the next few days, instead of staring at the muted yellow walls of the house or the computer screen, I can stare at some gorgeous roses!


Until Next Time,


Kel