Wow, I really need to get back to writing more often. After reviewing my last post - I realized just how behind my blog is. So much has happened in my life in just a short period of time. I am having a hard time coping with everything but I'm thrilled with the path my life is taking. Just take it one day at a time, right? Wouldn't hurt to have friends to talk to about it :)
Well - first things first, I didn't take that ASL job offer. First I thought I might take it, then decided "absolutely not." Then a few days later, I woke up feeling anxious about my bills and thought that money would be the way to go. More money = bills paid = happy life, huh? Probably not. I've searched within myself and asked different types of friends for their advice. Funny thing is - I don't even know why I asked for their advice because I already knew what type of responses I'd get from each of them....
J - sure enough, he told me to go for what would make me happy and not for the money. Probably because he went for the money and is miserable.
R and C - Both told me to go for the money. Obviously because they'd like to have better opportunities and their bills paid.
Everyone else - "That's something you have to decide for yourself." Gee - big help from them.
As you can see, after talking to a select few friends - I was getting nowhere.
So.... one morning, I woke up and decided - I better talk to my boss about the possibility of leaving. I talked to her and after a long and productive chat, she convinced me to stay. I have to say - I'm extremely happy with my decision right now.
Now - about the house... yes, I can't resist. 4 MORE DAYS!!! I cannot WAIT to finally move into a house where there's room for my children and dog to run around in. The backyard is super and extremely roomy. I see the possibility of having get-togethers at the house... yay!
I'll say this now... L & P - you guys would be the first people I'd invite. You guys mean lots to me!
Everyday whether I'm packing, watching TV, working or driving - my mind wanders over to the house and the tons of opportunities I'd have. I thought I'd record them here so that I don't forget my ambitions!
1. I'd love to get some canvases and just splash and flick on it to make abstract paintings. Wouldn't that be so cool!?
2. I would really like to get into the garage (or backyard) and try my hand at spray-can painting again. I adore the painting I made over 10 years ago and would like to make more.
3. I really need to have a space where I can do scrapbooking and finally finish the 5 quilts I've started. My bedroom is HUGE so I can set up a nice desk with organizing drawers next to it in the corner of my room for all my craft supplies. One reason why I don't do puzzles or scrapbooking is because my kids will get into them or my cats will sit on them and scatter everything around. With tons of space in my bedroom, I'm hoping I'll be motivated to finish my projects. I can lock my kids, dog and J out of my room and FOCUS! Looks like a trip to "The Container Store" is in the near future! Or probably Hobby Lobby would be good enough.
4. I've always wanted to try my hand at decorating. It takes money and I never felt the need to go all out at an apartment. But I'm hoping that this time around, I'll roll my sleeves up and put some nice looking stuff (and not too expensive) in the house and make it feel like a home.
5. I'd LOVE to get a big flat-screen TV. I'll have the space for it now. Yay!
6. My neighborhood has a walking trail by a creek (or a bayou, whatever it is) and sidewalks all over the place. I'm going to start rollerblading again and allow my kids to ride their bikes on the sidewalks so that we could all get some exercise. Who knows if I'll keep up with it.
7. I can finally get back to working out with my Jillian DVD! I bought it last summer and it requires jumping jacks and stuff like that. There's people below me that doesn't appreciate my working-out, so once I move into the house - I'll have the go-ahead to jump all I want. When I started on the DVD, I worked out 6 days straight and was seeing the difference by day 3. I've LOVE to start feeling that way again!
8. More to come.... :)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Major Decisions Suck
I hate what luck I've been having. As many of you know, I've been looking for a job for a long time. I've worked different odd jobs, taking whatever income I could get. I landed a full-time job that I hated for little money - but it was better than no job at all. Then I got laid off. Fun, huh?
I've had to learn to make ends meet with just my part-time data entry job (from which I was laid off in May), my volunteer teaching position and whatever savings I had left. In the spring, I applied to any school district I could think of and that I was willing to work at. When summer rolled around, I was as positive as possible - thinking that I would land a teaching job by fall. As the days went by, my positive thinking became diminished. Halfway through summer, I was contacted about a job out of state. At first, my initial thought was "no way" but then I reconsidered and decided that it might be fun. Once I convinced a friend to move with me, I went ahead and applied for the position. Weeks went by and I heard nothing. I was feeling pretty discouraged.
August came and by then, I've had 3 job interviews but no offers. By luck, I got a job through networking. A girl I went to high school with contacted me and asked if I wanted to work at her mother's company. She knew I was looking for a job, but she wasn't sure if I'd want this job. After a week of being in contact with my friend's mother, an interview was set up. I went to the interview and was hired on the spot - but only as a temporary assistant to help them through the busy season (which would last through October). This position may or may not become permanent. I was in desperate need of money so I took it.
Within days of starting at AFT (A Finishing Touch), I was contacted by the state school in PA and offered a job. This was two weeks before their classes would start. My friend had already started classes and made the decision to stay another year. It wasn't realistic for me to pack up and move everything within two weeks and then start teaching. I had to turn them down. Two days later, they contacted me and asked if I'd please reconsider and that they will have a sub to take my place until I was ready to move. Nice, huh? I felt it wasn't the right timing and since I had a full-time good paying job already in Houston, why move? So I turned them down again, but expressed that I would love to move up there next year.
Now - a day after THAT, I was contacted by HISD and was asked to be a long-term sub for 6 weeks. I would be subbing for a teacher who needed to be out for surgery. While I really wanted the job, it was only temporary. At the time, my position at AFT was temporary, but had the potential to become permanent. So I said no to HISD.
A week after HISD, Cy-Fair contacted me and asked if I wanted to come on as a long-term sub for a new girl that would be transferring into the district. She needed full one-on-one attention. However, this position would only last until they had a meeting to decide where to place this girl. If she stayed in the Deaf Ed department, the position would become permanent for the current school year. If she was moved to an adaptive behavior classroom setting, the position would end. Again - I was thrilled at the offer but had to turn it down. I couldn't leave something that was potentially permanent for something that was probably only temporary.
After 2 weeks (just one week after turning down Cy-Fair) of working at AFT and proving my skills, my boss gave me a raise and asked me to stay on as a permanent employee. She wanted me to take on more responsibility and take over for a girl who would be quitting in February when her baby was born. Turning down HISD and CFISD seemed to be good moves. Everything worked out....
I was contacted again by CFISD asking to be a regular sub and I was promised I'd be called in everyday and kept busy. They desperately need sub teachers that are qualified and know ASL (so if any of you are looking for jobs, contact CFISD). I decided to stay with AFT because of the income and other reasons. Now - with a flurry of job offers coming my way - that had to be the end of it, right? Wrong.
A few days ago, I was contacted by Fort Bend ISD to join them as an ASL teacher. This was one of the positions I interviewed for during the summer. They didn't want me and decided to go with someone else. That person decided not to take the job and the other candidates turned down the position as well. Basically, I was their last choice and they need me now. My first initial response was to say "No, too bad." If I'm so bad that they considered me as the last choice, then I wouldn't want to work with/for them.
All day long, I felt queasy. I was put in a position that I didn't want to be in. Yes, I know I shouldn't complain. Getting all these job offers has been nice but the timing on all of them sucks. It seems to me that the school districts are scrambling to fill in their empty holes and they want me to fill it. How does that make me feel as a person? I understand that as a new teacher, they may be apprehensive about hiring me and once I proved myself, they'd be happy with me and ask me to stay another year... but still, it makes me feel lousy.
I've gone back and forth in my head millions of times about what to do. No brainer - right? It's a teaching job, pays well, has good benefits and not to mention all the vacation time. But that's where the positives stop. Here are all the negatives: I just got a house and I'd be moving away from Fort Bend (and closer to AFT). It would be a 45 minute drive to work - which is what I'm driving now. I guess it shouldn't make a difference but I moved partly so that I could be closer to work. Ironic, huh? Another thing is that I'm not looking forward to dealing with high school students. I don't like them - simple as that. The third thing I don't like about this job is that it's an ASL position. I never wanted to teach ASL (I don't even use it). Fourth - I'd have to make new child care arrangements. Right now, I'm able to get my kids off to school then go straight to work. I only have to worry about child care for after school for about two hours until I got home. Now I need someone to get them off to school in the mornings and watch Logan until I get home around 3:30. Anyone interested in a paid part-time child care position? :) Fifth, the hours aren't flexible. At AFT, my boss says to just come in whenever I can in the mornings and work 7.5 hours from there (we get paid for lunch). It has been nice being able to do that. And 6th (yes, the list goes on and on), I'd have to (ew) dress up. At AFT, I come in wearing jeans, t-shirts and sneakers. How nice. At Travis HS, I'd have to wear nice clothes. Gross.
I really like being at AFT... although some of the rules are a little strict (no Internet and no phones), I can get by. The co-workers are nice and I work with two deaf people. I actually like my job - I'm busy, have my own desk, responsibilities, etc. I see a potential of getting raises and stuff if I stay there. I get to play with the websites that we have. I'm learning codes. I upload photos, add products, organize the website, do the invoices, sales orders, manage the customer contact list, get the email newsletters out to them, etc, etc.. Lots of things to do so it's not just one mindless boring thing.
BUT... the money just keeps getting back to me. I'd be able to pay off my debt in just two months. I'd have plenty of money left over for fun and the best thing about all this is that I will finally have good benefits.
Yesterday - I had decided. I wasn't going to take the job. But today is another story. I think I'll take it.
Sometimes good luck can be a curse.
I've had to learn to make ends meet with just my part-time data entry job (from which I was laid off in May), my volunteer teaching position and whatever savings I had left. In the spring, I applied to any school district I could think of and that I was willing to work at. When summer rolled around, I was as positive as possible - thinking that I would land a teaching job by fall. As the days went by, my positive thinking became diminished. Halfway through summer, I was contacted about a job out of state. At first, my initial thought was "no way" but then I reconsidered and decided that it might be fun. Once I convinced a friend to move with me, I went ahead and applied for the position. Weeks went by and I heard nothing. I was feeling pretty discouraged.
August came and by then, I've had 3 job interviews but no offers. By luck, I got a job through networking. A girl I went to high school with contacted me and asked if I wanted to work at her mother's company. She knew I was looking for a job, but she wasn't sure if I'd want this job. After a week of being in contact with my friend's mother, an interview was set up. I went to the interview and was hired on the spot - but only as a temporary assistant to help them through the busy season (which would last through October). This position may or may not become permanent. I was in desperate need of money so I took it.
Within days of starting at AFT (A Finishing Touch), I was contacted by the state school in PA and offered a job. This was two weeks before their classes would start. My friend had already started classes and made the decision to stay another year. It wasn't realistic for me to pack up and move everything within two weeks and then start teaching. I had to turn them down. Two days later, they contacted me and asked if I'd please reconsider and that they will have a sub to take my place until I was ready to move. Nice, huh? I felt it wasn't the right timing and since I had a full-time good paying job already in Houston, why move? So I turned them down again, but expressed that I would love to move up there next year.
Now - a day after THAT, I was contacted by HISD and was asked to be a long-term sub for 6 weeks. I would be subbing for a teacher who needed to be out for surgery. While I really wanted the job, it was only temporary. At the time, my position at AFT was temporary, but had the potential to become permanent. So I said no to HISD.
A week after HISD, Cy-Fair contacted me and asked if I wanted to come on as a long-term sub for a new girl that would be transferring into the district. She needed full one-on-one attention. However, this position would only last until they had a meeting to decide where to place this girl. If she stayed in the Deaf Ed department, the position would become permanent for the current school year. If she was moved to an adaptive behavior classroom setting, the position would end. Again - I was thrilled at the offer but had to turn it down. I couldn't leave something that was potentially permanent for something that was probably only temporary.
After 2 weeks (just one week after turning down Cy-Fair) of working at AFT and proving my skills, my boss gave me a raise and asked me to stay on as a permanent employee. She wanted me to take on more responsibility and take over for a girl who would be quitting in February when her baby was born. Turning down HISD and CFISD seemed to be good moves. Everything worked out....
I was contacted again by CFISD asking to be a regular sub and I was promised I'd be called in everyday and kept busy. They desperately need sub teachers that are qualified and know ASL (so if any of you are looking for jobs, contact CFISD). I decided to stay with AFT because of the income and other reasons. Now - with a flurry of job offers coming my way - that had to be the end of it, right? Wrong.
A few days ago, I was contacted by Fort Bend ISD to join them as an ASL teacher. This was one of the positions I interviewed for during the summer. They didn't want me and decided to go with someone else. That person decided not to take the job and the other candidates turned down the position as well. Basically, I was their last choice and they need me now. My first initial response was to say "No, too bad." If I'm so bad that they considered me as the last choice, then I wouldn't want to work with/for them.
All day long, I felt queasy. I was put in a position that I didn't want to be in. Yes, I know I shouldn't complain. Getting all these job offers has been nice but the timing on all of them sucks. It seems to me that the school districts are scrambling to fill in their empty holes and they want me to fill it. How does that make me feel as a person? I understand that as a new teacher, they may be apprehensive about hiring me and once I proved myself, they'd be happy with me and ask me to stay another year... but still, it makes me feel lousy.
I've gone back and forth in my head millions of times about what to do. No brainer - right? It's a teaching job, pays well, has good benefits and not to mention all the vacation time. But that's where the positives stop. Here are all the negatives: I just got a house and I'd be moving away from Fort Bend (and closer to AFT). It would be a 45 minute drive to work - which is what I'm driving now. I guess it shouldn't make a difference but I moved partly so that I could be closer to work. Ironic, huh? Another thing is that I'm not looking forward to dealing with high school students. I don't like them - simple as that. The third thing I don't like about this job is that it's an ASL position. I never wanted to teach ASL (I don't even use it). Fourth - I'd have to make new child care arrangements. Right now, I'm able to get my kids off to school then go straight to work. I only have to worry about child care for after school for about two hours until I got home. Now I need someone to get them off to school in the mornings and watch Logan until I get home around 3:30. Anyone interested in a paid part-time child care position? :) Fifth, the hours aren't flexible. At AFT, my boss says to just come in whenever I can in the mornings and work 7.5 hours from there (we get paid for lunch). It has been nice being able to do that. And 6th (yes, the list goes on and on), I'd have to (ew) dress up. At AFT, I come in wearing jeans, t-shirts and sneakers. How nice. At Travis HS, I'd have to wear nice clothes. Gross.
I really like being at AFT... although some of the rules are a little strict (no Internet and no phones), I can get by. The co-workers are nice and I work with two deaf people. I actually like my job - I'm busy, have my own desk, responsibilities, etc. I see a potential of getting raises and stuff if I stay there. I get to play with the websites that we have. I'm learning codes. I upload photos, add products, organize the website, do the invoices, sales orders, manage the customer contact list, get the email newsletters out to them, etc, etc.. Lots of things to do so it's not just one mindless boring thing.
BUT... the money just keeps getting back to me. I'd be able to pay off my debt in just two months. I'd have plenty of money left over for fun and the best thing about all this is that I will finally have good benefits.
Yesterday - I had decided. I wasn't going to take the job. But today is another story. I think I'll take it.
Sometimes good luck can be a curse.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Movin' On Up!
Well, it's been a while since I've been back. I don't think I'll be able to write as much as I could before. That's a bummer. Having a full-time job really takes a lot out of a person..
A lot has happened in the last month. Since getting a job (which was supposed to be temporary), I've been promoted to a full-time position that is permanent. I was also given a raise. Two raises, actually - but that's not important....
With my new permanent job and income, I decided it was time to start looking for a new place to live. Almost 4 years here at the apartment on the 3rd floor is enough for me. In order to afford all the deposits, the moving expenses, start up fees, etc - I needed a roommate.. and a roommate I got!
I signed the lease papers on the house on Thursday and I am so thrilled. I am eagerly anticipating moving into a roomy house with a backyard for my children and dog to play in. This house is a little over 2,000 sq feet, has 3 bedrooms and a game room upstairs. We plan on converting the game room into a bedroom for one of the kids. With my roommate helping out with a little bit of the rent, I'm going to be paying LESS than what I am paying now for my apartment. How good is that!?
The kitchen is huge and will be a nice upgrade from the small one I have in my apartment. I no longer have to worry about my children or dog being too loud and bothering the people underneath us...
I took some pictures of the house on my phone when we went to do out final walk-through to make sure we still like the house... and like it, we did!
This.. is the pantry. Huge, huh?
Living Room - view from the kitchen. That door is the front door.
Standing in the same place in the kitchen... to the left of the living room is this breakfast room. The living room and breakfast room is divided by a 1/2 wall.
This is the kitchen - view from standing in the breakfast room. Don't worry - that wall isn't pink. It's just bad lighting! If it IS pink (and I think I would have noticed), that wall will be the first I will paint... if I ever do paint.
A lot has happened in the last month. Since getting a job (which was supposed to be temporary), I've been promoted to a full-time position that is permanent. I was also given a raise. Two raises, actually - but that's not important....
With my new permanent job and income, I decided it was time to start looking for a new place to live. Almost 4 years here at the apartment on the 3rd floor is enough for me. In order to afford all the deposits, the moving expenses, start up fees, etc - I needed a roommate.. and a roommate I got!
I signed the lease papers on the house on Thursday and I am so thrilled. I am eagerly anticipating moving into a roomy house with a backyard for my children and dog to play in. This house is a little over 2,000 sq feet, has 3 bedrooms and a game room upstairs. We plan on converting the game room into a bedroom for one of the kids. With my roommate helping out with a little bit of the rent, I'm going to be paying LESS than what I am paying now for my apartment. How good is that!?
The kitchen is huge and will be a nice upgrade from the small one I have in my apartment. I no longer have to worry about my children or dog being too loud and bothering the people underneath us...
I took some pictures of the house on my phone when we went to do out final walk-through to make sure we still like the house... and like it, we did!
This.. is the pantry. Huge, huh?
Backyard
Living Room - view from the kitchen. That door is the front door.
Standing in the same place in the kitchen... to the left of the living room is this breakfast room. The living room and breakfast room is divided by a 1/2 wall.
This is the kitchen - view from standing in the breakfast room. Don't worry - that wall isn't pink. It's just bad lighting! If it IS pink (and I think I would have noticed), that wall will be the first I will paint... if I ever do paint.
Nice house, huh? :) I didn't take pics of the upstairs because it's just too much to take pictures of... Ya'll come and visit once I get settled in... ya'hear?!
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