Happy New Year - Happy New Decade!!!

Greetings to all my friends in the blog world - and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I can't believe that I'm sitting here and it's the start of a new decade.  I never really thought about new decades until this year.  Guess that's a sign that I'm getting old(er) and things like that matter.

Sorry for being absent since the end of November, but my life has gotten a little crazy since then.

Did I tell you I got a new job?  YEP, I GOT A NEW JOB!!!

Started on November 30 (hence the last post on 11/29) and it's been like a thrill ride at Disneyworld.  I'm working in the IT department of a Washington, D.C.-based law firm.  I'm based in the San Francisco office, but on my first day at work, they opened a brand new Palo Alto office, which I'll also be responsible for.

My first day on the job I reported to the Palo Alto office and needless to say, I hit the ground running.  And I've been running ever since.  I've spent 98% of time time there in the last month; I actually got to spend 2 whole days in a row in the San Francisco office last week.  As soon as things get to "normal" in Palo Alto, I'll be splitting my time between the two offices

I really like my new boss - I'm working for a man this time around.  He's a really nice guy and has a great sense of humor.  The best part is that he gets MY sense of humor.  The entire IT team, starting with the CIO, all seem to be extremely friendly and willing to help.  I haven't met anyone that I don't like yet.

It's been tough getting back on a schedule.  After all, when you sleep late every day for six months in a row, getting up with the chickens is a tough act.  But I'm not complaining!!

Aero's had a hard time adjusting to this new lifestyle.  He is not happy and has left me puppy puddles and puppy packages to show his disapproval.  To help ease the old guy's anxiety, I've hired the girl down the street, Sarah, to come by every day after school and let him out and spend a few minutes with him.  That seems to be working out very well.  Aero's happier when I come home, I don't have to clean up after him and Sarah, who's 12, is making some serious pocket money. 

So, as this new year and new decade starts, I'm looking forward to making progress in my new job and getting over the 'new kid on the block' jitters I've been experiencing.  And I'm hoping that on January 1, 2020, I'll be sitting here welcoming another new decade after finishing my first decade at this job!

May you all have a truly joyous and wonderful 2010!!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!


1. Wait! Wait, don't forget to dig out the birth certificate to bring to the first day of work on Monday!


2. A hot, buttered biscuit followed at once by a cold gulp of milk reminds me of home.


3. The trouble is I need to go buy some new clothes for the new job.


4. One of my best friends lives many miles away.


5. With a faint pop that champagne bottle will be opening soon.


6. At night, the side yard is shadowy and ominous.


7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on some shows on the dvr, tomorrow my plans include going to the gym and shopping and Sunday, I want to get ready to start my new job on Monday!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful.... It's the Big One....

Today is Thanksgiving Day.

I could take this "Thankful" post and go on and on and on about all the things in my life that I am celebrating today and thanking my lucky stars about.  But I'll try to be brief and just mention a few:

• Of course, first and foremost, I'm thankful for the job offer this week.  That goes without saying.
• I'm thankful for my friends, Marie and Hank, who each year for the last 20 years have saved a place for me at their family Thanksgiving table.
• I'm thankful for my family - even though they're far away, I know they love me unconditionally and support me no matter what crazy idea I may have.
• I'm thankful for my friends here in CA.  Without them, I would have gone insane between May and now.

Okay, that's it for now.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

Today I'm thankful for the FedEx driver that came to my door bearing the envelope with the offer letter!!!  I think he's my new best friend!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

Today is an easy one!!!!!

Today I'm thankful for the job offer that came my way this morning!!!!

Happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance happy dance

Until Next Time,

Kel

Day 194: Finally! A Job Offer!!!!

It's been exactly 194 days since I was laid off.  I lost track of how many jobs I've applied for in that time, but I think it's been more than 30.  I've mostly applied online, and have only heard no's from 4 of them.  Talk about getting lost in cyberspace!

Back in August, I enlisted the help of a technical recruiter who specializes in law firms.  While I didn't want to go back to the law firm world, I figured it's the devil I know and what I'm good at, so off my resume went.  Since that time, I've heard from 2 other legal recruiters (who both got my resume from either Monster or CareerBuilder), but they were only offering shift work on help desks.  Not exactly what I was looking for.

Finally, at the beginning of October, an IT support job opened up for a law firm in San Francisco.  The description fit me perfectly:  small office of a multi-office internation firm, network support, user support and training.  That was the beginning of a nearly 6 week journey.

There was an initial phone interview, followed by a face-to-face interview the next day with the Office Manager and West Coast IT Manager; then, a face-to-face interview with the managing partner; then, a videoconference interview with the top two IT guys; and finally, a second videoconference interview with the top two HR people.  That was on Friday.

This morning, around 10:30, the phone rang. It was Stephanie, the HR Manager from Washington, D.C. (the firm's home office).  Turns out the recruiter I'm working with ended up going home with food poisoning and Stephanie didn't want to wait for her to return, so SHE OFFERED ME A JOB!!!!!

Yippee!!  Yahoo!!!  I'm doing the happy dance today!!! 

Not only did I get the offer, she said that after reviewing my skill, my years of experience and all that good stuff, they were going to offer me $4,000 more a year than they had originally said!  I couldn't say YES fast enough!

So, I'm waiting for the offer letter to arrive by FedEx tomorrow and will be heading off to work on Monday morning!!

Only 194 days of unemployment and I only have to file for 1 more check (covering the last 2 weeks).  Soon, I'll have a real paycheck in my hot little hands!!!!

Join me in doing the happy dance!!!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful....

I'm thankful that today, 25 years later, I'm a stronger, wiser woman than that 22 year-old girl that walked down the aisle...

I'm also thankful that the marriage didn't work out because that's what made me the stronger wiser woman I am today.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

You know what's coming because it's Sunday....

I'M THANKFUL FOR ANOTHER SAINTS WIN TODAY!!!!!

WOO-HOO!!!!!  10 AND 0!!!!!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful...."  Yep.  Today it's rainy and dreary and kinda cold.  In my opinion, the perfect day to cuddle up on the couch with my four-legged furry friend.

So today, I'm thankful for the "frightful" weather.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!


1. We need some popcorn for dinner tonight.


2. I saw an old man walking a chihuahua, carrying a large green lawn & leaf bag to pick up the poop and it made me smile.


3. If you want anything in life you have to work hard for it.


4. I'm excited because I'm one of the last two candidates for a job.


5. Massachusetts has a proposed 5% sales tax on elective cosmetic surgery; I think it beats any "fat" tax on junk food.


6. Getting together with friends makes for a happy holiday.


7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with my four-legged furry friend, tomorrow my plans include going to the gym and continuing the work in my workshop and Sunday, I want to go somewhere and watch the Saints game!
 
Until Next Time,
 
Kel

Thankful...

I'm thankful that today is Friday.  It's been an interesting week with lots of interviews, and now it's just a matter of waiting.  Waiting to hear if I get the job or not.

I think I can relax a little over the weekend.  At least I know that the interviews are over for this job for now.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

You might find this strange, but today I'm thankful for my dentist, Dr. Austria.

Yes, I said dentist.

As a kid and teen, I spent lots of time at the dentist, orthodontist and oral surgeon's offices, trying to get my teeth straight.  I guess because of that, I was never afraid of going to have any kind of work done on my mouth.

But Dr. Austria is truly one of a kind.  He (and his wife, who's the office manager), treat everyone with a kindness that goes beyond customer service.  He remembers things about me that I might have said a year ago and always remembers that my friends, the Galindos (who are also patients of his) and I are very close, and we chat about things that I do with them.

So, yeah, I'm thankful for my dentist.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

Today, I find myself being thankful for the wonderful women who own the gym I go to, Stephanie and Anne.

During the long summer, they offered me a chance to volunteer at the front desk of the club and earn credit toward services or products there.  But more than that, they got me out of the house at a time when I didn't want to leave, they got me back in the gym working out and they've been cheering me on all these months, keeping the faith that a job was just around the corner for me.

They're more than people who own a business I patronize.  They've become my friends.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

Today, I'm thankful that I've been called in for another interview with the law firm in San Francisco that I've applied to.  This will be the third interview (4th if you count the initial phone screen) with them.  I guess that means that my chances of getting a job offer are good!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

Well, it's another Sunday and today, I'm thankful for my 'partner in crime' Joyce.

We've been friends for nearly 20 years now and all I have to do is pick up the phone and say "hey, you wanna go on an adventure" and she's ready to go!  Over the years we've done lots of fun things together and have supported each other through some tough times.

Today we're heading out to do one of our favorite things:  shop the crafts and handmade goodies at the annual Harvest Festival.  We're both really good at helping each other spend money!!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

Today, I'm thankful that my Saints are 9-0!!!!!!

9 and 0!?!?!?!  Are you kidding me?  This is their best season in their history!

Come on - you know you want to chant along with me:

WHO DAT SAY DEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS?!!  WHO DAT!!  WHO DAT!!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

Today, I'm thankful for my friend Evans.

We met back in 1990 or '91 - I can't remember which year it was.  I was working at a law firm in San Francisco and she came on board as the assistant to the executive director.  Over the next 10 or so years, we became very good work friends, and I was sad to say goodbye to her when I moved to another firm in 2000.

Over the years we've kept in touch and have had dinner and lunch on occasion.  Today, she's having a dinner party and has invited 7 guests.  Around the table, 7 of the 8 friends have worked or are still working at that firm, and we've all been friends through the years.

Besides the friendship, Evans is a fantastic cook and an excellent hostess!!

Until Next Time,

Kel

Thankful...

Today, I'm thankful that I had the chance to do some temp work for a law firm nearby that was doing a computer rollout.  I got to have my hands on computers that needed software put on them, data transferred to them and then be installed, which included my favorite pasttime, crawling around under desks.  :-)

It's a little bittersweet, though, because tonight was my last night on the project.  But, it was a great opportunity that made me feel smart again.

Until Next Time,

Kel

Friday Fill-ins

And...here we go!


1. The last band I saw live was Bon Jovi - last year, not back in the day.


2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is spending the day with my California family, the Galindos. (if you don't celebrate thanksgiving, insert your favorite holiday)


3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is going to be very limited this year.


4. Thoughts of a new job fill my head.


5. I wish I could wear sleeveless tops.


6. Bagpipes have a time and a place.


7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to working at the temp gig, tomorrow my plans include a fun dinner party with some old friends and Sunday, I want to go to the Harvest Festival with my partner in crime, Joyce!
 
Until Next Time,
 
Kel 

Thankful...

Today, I'm thankful for my hairdresser, Eileen.

She was able to squeeze me in to her busy schedule this morning and give me a much-needed hair cut. I think the last time I saw her was back in July, so I was looking kinda like the shaggy dog's mother.

At least now I'll have really good hair if I get a job offer this week!!

Until Next Time,

Kel