i get a decent amount of questions or questionable looks when people hear that i'm from texas but i think of detroit at home. that not only did i make the trek to the metro area a little over 8 years ago. but that i also came back after my divorce. i could have gone anywhere... namely, atlanta where my mom lives. or back to texas where 80% of my family is. however, my heart was here in detroit. and the last week has served nothing but reinforcement of that decision. as i mentioned in my last blog, i've been pretty sick. i finally went to the doctor (read urgent care since i have no insurance).
in the weeks leading up to my 12 hour visit to the u of m complex, thomas has been amazing. being incredibly supportive and putting up with my whiny, whiny ways. and i assure you... i can be whiny when i am sick. but he has been a champ. including waiting with me in the e.r. and giving updates to kristy and my mom.
the following day of the e.r. trip, seemed filled with a million phone calls. my mom. every individual of the smallish clan (and there are 8 folks!!). im-ing with lor. i even had a call from the miss samantha (although it was completely unrelated). i was struck with how many people in my life love me. how many people in my life i am so blessed and fortunate to know. i don't think i can even take in the full impact of the whole thing. because a glimpse of it seems to blow me away.
so i found myself curled up in bed, exhausted and feeling rather puky thinking... this, THIS is why i moved to detroit.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
kicked when down
so it's been a bit. and i haven't fallen off the world. promise. well, maybe i did for a bit. but for the evening i've rejoined.
the past week i've been yuckily sick with mysterious sickness of no name. just symptoms of fever, backpain, and the amazing ability to sleep 17 hours a day (and other random irritations i will not mention). i really think sleeping this much is really quite a talent. i heard on CNN several weeks ago that NASA was running tests on sleeping and looking for volunteers to live in bed for three months straight and they weren't allowed to get up. i think this week, i would have been a fine candidate for such testing. The report said it was paying quite a bit for people who willing to stay in bed for three months.... and with the new status of jobless, this could come in handy. maybe i'll look into that for a new job... NASA volunteer. could look good on the resume. its' an option.
so we will rewind to the week after i got home from Arkansas and before i became ill and couch ridden. that week i spent feeling empowered. having spent that first weekend in shock and depression that for the first time in my life i had been let go from a job. been told my services were no longer needed. the last thing remaining from my "old" life of marriedom... i got to my feet determined to kick some job finding butt. and one thing stood in the way... a laptop cord that had a unrepairable short that caused it to REFUSE to work. i could jiggle. i could hold. i could do a little dance and pray and beg for it work... and it would not. it might as well been snapped in half. this little problem was discovered while i was still in Arkansas and trying to be proactive and on top of things ordered a new one over the net with "free shipping". if only they said... it's free but it will take an ungodly amount of time for us to get it to you because we send it around the world on a vacation before you get it. but they didn't. and it took over a week and a half to get the cord. a week and a half in which i was empowered to find a new job, with no ACTUAL way to search for one since my only means of technology only has a two hour battery time that had run out days before. not to mention, my little laptop friend holds all my top secret files... like my resume and my super duper cover letter.
so i tried to be resourceful and go to the library... but you can do very little in one hour increments. but i do now have an ypsi library card (go me!). i also successfully and quite humbly applied for unemployment. i thought i was not eligible... apparently i was wrong. this was good news as it will give me a little more time to find a job and not lose the roof over my head. so with the job stuff on temporary hold since i didn't actually have access to my resume, i spent this week to finally put my apartment together. i hung pictures. i went through my files and filed. i organized. i threw out 6 boxes of crap. i painted a table (which turned out great i might say) and i changed my address with the post office. i simply worked my butt off around the apartment. and then... i got sick. the cord did come the beginning of last week, but too sick to ACTUALLY use it. so. that brings us up to date.
so with any luck... i will stay well. who knows, i seem to be sick a lot and i'm pretty sure that even if this "spell" is over. i need to take actions to get to a doctor. this is not my forte. not a big doctor person. but i think it's time this changes.
the past week i've been yuckily sick with mysterious sickness of no name. just symptoms of fever, backpain, and the amazing ability to sleep 17 hours a day (and other random irritations i will not mention). i really think sleeping this much is really quite a talent. i heard on CNN several weeks ago that NASA was running tests on sleeping and looking for volunteers to live in bed for three months straight and they weren't allowed to get up. i think this week, i would have been a fine candidate for such testing. The report said it was paying quite a bit for people who willing to stay in bed for three months.... and with the new status of jobless, this could come in handy. maybe i'll look into that for a new job... NASA volunteer. could look good on the resume. its' an option.
so we will rewind to the week after i got home from Arkansas and before i became ill and couch ridden. that week i spent feeling empowered. having spent that first weekend in shock and depression that for the first time in my life i had been let go from a job. been told my services were no longer needed. the last thing remaining from my "old" life of marriedom... i got to my feet determined to kick some job finding butt. and one thing stood in the way... a laptop cord that had a unrepairable short that caused it to REFUSE to work. i could jiggle. i could hold. i could do a little dance and pray and beg for it work... and it would not. it might as well been snapped in half. this little problem was discovered while i was still in Arkansas and trying to be proactive and on top of things ordered a new one over the net with "free shipping". if only they said... it's free but it will take an ungodly amount of time for us to get it to you because we send it around the world on a vacation before you get it. but they didn't. and it took over a week and a half to get the cord. a week and a half in which i was empowered to find a new job, with no ACTUAL way to search for one since my only means of technology only has a two hour battery time that had run out days before. not to mention, my little laptop friend holds all my top secret files... like my resume and my super duper cover letter.
so i tried to be resourceful and go to the library... but you can do very little in one hour increments. but i do now have an ypsi library card (go me!). i also successfully and quite humbly applied for unemployment. i thought i was not eligible... apparently i was wrong. this was good news as it will give me a little more time to find a job and not lose the roof over my head. so with the job stuff on temporary hold since i didn't actually have access to my resume, i spent this week to finally put my apartment together. i hung pictures. i went through my files and filed. i organized. i threw out 6 boxes of crap. i painted a table (which turned out great i might say) and i changed my address with the post office. i simply worked my butt off around the apartment. and then... i got sick. the cord did come the beginning of last week, but too sick to ACTUALLY use it. so. that brings us up to date.
so with any luck... i will stay well. who knows, i seem to be sick a lot and i'm pretty sure that even if this "spell" is over. i need to take actions to get to a doctor. this is not my forte. not a big doctor person. but i think it's time this changes.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
hell in a hand basket
so friday seems like it can not come fast enough. here i am in arkansas... just trying to squeak in the last bit of work before i am most officially gone.
on top of it all, my laptop cord has a short in it that is completely unfixable with electric tape or the fix-any-problem duct tape and thus i have had to order a new one... sent to home in Michigan. which means that my resume and all things on my laptop are not accessible until i get home. which means, hunting for a job this week is out of the picture.
all in all, i am in good spirits today. somehow we decided to have a pot luck here in the office for lunch today. i like to think of it the "we're all going to hell in a hand basket... might as well, be fat" luncheon. so i better go get my food because if i here one more hick say in deep southern ozark slang "c'me on erica!" i might get violent.
on top of it all, my laptop cord has a short in it that is completely unfixable with electric tape or the fix-any-problem duct tape and thus i have had to order a new one... sent to home in Michigan. which means that my resume and all things on my laptop are not accessible until i get home. which means, hunting for a job this week is out of the picture.
all in all, i am in good spirits today. somehow we decided to have a pot luck here in the office for lunch today. i like to think of it the "we're all going to hell in a hand basket... might as well, be fat" luncheon. so i better go get my food because if i here one more hick say in deep southern ozark slang "c'me on erica!" i might get violent.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Pink Slips
I just received the official word. as of friday, i have no work. i am told to check back to see "just in case there is something" in a week or so. but i know there won't be.
so here is to joblessness.
so here is to joblessness.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
What goes Up must come Down
This week on the job scene has been an interesting one to say the least. And everything pretty came to a head at about 4 o'clock central time on Friday (yesterday). The basic version is that the client we work for in Arkansas has complained about expenses and wants us to cut back on that in whole. Rumor has it they have an auditor fine tooth combing everything we have done and do. In response to this, many of the people who work out of the state of Arkansas and have work shipped to them are being told there is no longer any work for them on this project. When you are an independent contractor this is the polite language one uses to say you are "laid off".
I was told i was safe. How much stock i held in that, was not much, but knew all i could do was sit back and ride what there is to ride. However, the client this week began stopping work that was in progress. Twice this week, in the middle of working, i was told to stop immediately what i was doing and box it up. It would not be needed. And it is not just me that was stopped but at least 5 other examiners, as well.
So then i began helping the office manager assessing what work there was to do. and what people needed work. After doing this, the resounding conclusion was... all work that was still approved to do at this point, was in a county i am unable to work in from Detroit. No one has looked at me and said... we have no work for you. but i'm a smart cookie. when i leave from here on friday, aside from a miracle... i will be told "there is no work for me".
Our company does work in multiple states and there are other projects i could go to. Mostly the one that seems to have openings is in Pennsylvania. However, i would more than likely be asked to move there. I do not want to move Pennsylvania. I do not want to move anywhere. I want to be Detroit with my friends and my amazing boyfriend. and thus, clear as mud... come friday... i have no work.
So if anyone knows of jobs opening in the detroit area... please, please, please give me a heads up. i am very discouraged about the prospect of finding another job. I looked and looked several months ago and i couldn't seem to even get an interview. Which is frustrating, because i am a good worker and loyal and dedicated. I'm a smart cookie and i can handle a lot.
today is going to be filled with balancing the checkbook and going over the budget to see how small of an amount of money i can manage to get by on. and of course, looking online at job postings. i hate. hate. hate. applying for jobs online on stupid applications. it seems all the rage and they only make me go into a rage. but i guess it is what i have to do.
I was told i was safe. How much stock i held in that, was not much, but knew all i could do was sit back and ride what there is to ride. However, the client this week began stopping work that was in progress. Twice this week, in the middle of working, i was told to stop immediately what i was doing and box it up. It would not be needed. And it is not just me that was stopped but at least 5 other examiners, as well.
So then i began helping the office manager assessing what work there was to do. and what people needed work. After doing this, the resounding conclusion was... all work that was still approved to do at this point, was in a county i am unable to work in from Detroit. No one has looked at me and said... we have no work for you. but i'm a smart cookie. when i leave from here on friday, aside from a miracle... i will be told "there is no work for me".
Our company does work in multiple states and there are other projects i could go to. Mostly the one that seems to have openings is in Pennsylvania. However, i would more than likely be asked to move there. I do not want to move Pennsylvania. I do not want to move anywhere. I want to be Detroit with my friends and my amazing boyfriend. and thus, clear as mud... come friday... i have no work.
So if anyone knows of jobs opening in the detroit area... please, please, please give me a heads up. i am very discouraged about the prospect of finding another job. I looked and looked several months ago and i couldn't seem to even get an interview. Which is frustrating, because i am a good worker and loyal and dedicated. I'm a smart cookie and i can handle a lot.
today is going to be filled with balancing the checkbook and going over the budget to see how small of an amount of money i can manage to get by on. and of course, looking online at job postings. i hate. hate. hate. applying for jobs online on stupid applications. it seems all the rage and they only make me go into a rage. but i guess it is what i have to do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
