Wednesday, February 20, 2013

It's Who Ya Know

My son finally got a job.  After two years (really 1 year and a half.  The first half he was half-heartedly trying) of applying and applying and applying, he's gotten a part-time job.

He's a full-time college student in desperate need of funds.  We're helping as much as we can (I did the prepaid college plan for him when he was in Kindergarten - 5th grade. For five years, every month I paid into a fund that he is now using) and we're tapped out.  I'm keeping track of his expenses.  He has to pay us back; he's 19 and we're not rich nor are we a bank.

The frustrating thing, the thing that just makes me mad, is that it all boils down to who you know.

Retail outlets post "Now Hiring" signs.  When you ask, they say you have to apply on-line. So you do.  Then you wait, and wait, and wait.  You call and they have no information to give you. Thirty days later, you have to update the application on-line again.

Walmart is half a mile away.  He applied over a year ago, and updated his application every 30 days.  The "now hiring for the holidays" signs were up.  No call.  I know a manager who works there.  His suggestion: apply for every single position, even if you know you can't do it.  What? That's crazy!  My kid did it anyway.  No call.

Target was hiring for the holidays.  Same thing; apply online. Wait, wait, nothing.

Publix a mile away - same thing.  He applied on the computer in the store.  He talked to an assistant manager one time to let them know he had full Friday through Sunday availability.  *I* talked to the head manager twice while shopping there.  Nada.

Costco  - online.

The kid had Fridays (no classes) through Sundays completely free and most nights too.  He applied (online) at the movie theater too.  Nothing.

The two interviews he got?  One because my co-worker also has a part-time job at Winn Dixie at night and suggested Jacob.  He was told to, guess what....apply on-line BUT this time, the manager called him because my co-worker kept pushing.

The second interview was because David works for the same company in a different location.  They went to the closer location where David worked once before transferring,  called the local shop, went to the local shop again, called again, applied on-line again and again, called, and 5 months later, he was given the job today.  He starts tomorrow.

There are jobs out there?  So they say.  If you are trying to get one, I wish you all the very best of luck. I do.  I know how very hard it is to get one.  I can only imagine being the main supporter of a family and going up against what my kid, who has us, had to go through.

Sadly, it's who ya know.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Crafty Gal 2013 Edition

Like last year, Isabel wanted to make Valentine cards rather than buy them.  A-ok with me!

I unloaded all my scrap-booking crafts onto the loft floor and we got to work.



Total spent on these cards; $0.99, because I bought her a pack of glitter heart stickers.  I think she did a great job.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Massage!

Holy guacamole.

I'm back from getting my first ever professional massage.

I baked a cake for a company function last week  and as a surprise, they got me a $100 gift card to Massage Envy.  How excited was I? Very.

See, if someone hands me a $100 bill, check or Visa gift card, guess what I am going to do?  Right. Pay a bill, buy groceries or get clothes for my kids. I am never going to spend it on myself, please.  And I would never spend it on a massage.  It's just so....excessive.  I am very glad they got me this, because I never would have done it for myself.

I arrived at 9:45 a.m., filled out some paperwork and was in the room by 10:00 a.m. talking with the massage therapist.  She left the dim-lit room to let me undress and get on the heated table, under covers, and then came back in.

I had a choice of Soft, Medium or Deep massage.  I chose deep.  Cause I'm stupid apparently.  As a first time ever customer, I really should have said Medium.  This tiny 5' 4" 120-something pound gal can get deep into the muscle!!  It was all o.k. really until she got to my lower back and lower sides of my waists.  Then I was in pain and had to ask her to take it down a notch.  As I sit here, my lower back is still sore to the touch.

Aside from that, it was wonderful!  Wow.  I had an hour massage with mellow calming music in a dimly lit room.  With tip, I still have $41 to spend on another visit.  Granted, I got the introductory price for first-time visitors to the spa, so the next time, it will be in the $70-something range.  I'll need to spend some of my own $$ to finish using up the gift card.  They offer monthly memberships, but I am not doing that because $59 a month every month is a little crazy and I am not made of money.  Thankfully, there was no high pressure to join.   I think I'm going to save up next  for "Hot Stone Envy" to use up my gift card money.




Saturday, February 2, 2013

Time is Relative

You know what bugs me?  When people say "You/They must have a lot of time on their hands" when they see something crafty made like jewelry or props (or cakes), or something redesigned in a home, or someone hiking for a day, etc.

It irritates me because they are implying that said crafty/active person has NO responsibility whatsoever and can just spend time "goofing off."

I've had it said to me. I've seen it said on-line about others and it bugs me.

We all have the same amount of time in a day.  How you choose to use it is your problem.  If you choose to spend 4 hours watching tv, then of course you can't repaint that room, do that cross-stitch pattern, bake those cupcakes, make that extra-nice meal tonight.  "Oh, I have kids."  Yea. So do I.  (I had someone once tell me, when I had one kid and kept a spotless house "Well, you don't have two kids." I then had another child and the same person did too.  My house was spotless with 2 kids.  "Well you don't have 3 kids."  *snort* )  "Oh, I work a full-time job."  Yea, so do I. 

My days are full.  Monday to Friday I am out of the house from 7 a.m. to about 4:30-5 p.m.  I run errands on my lunch breaks.  I come home and immediately cook dinner and clean up.  I get on-line for about an hour, in snippets in between cooking, doing one load of laundry maybe twice during the weekdays, and reading.  Every other day, I watch one episode of whatever show I happen to be watching on Netflix as I walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes.  On my off-treadmill nights, I'm reading, prepping for a cake if need be, etc etc.  I go to bed at 11 p.m.

Weekends are spent sleeping in on Saturday (9 a.m., watch out!) and then doing household cleaning.  They are usually spent indoors with my hubby who I see awake on weekends because he works nights and I work days.  We eat out together as a family for a treat.  Sundays, we head to church and then back home to relax, read, bake, play video games, whatever.

Time is relative.  If you choose to spend it on the couch, in front of the computer or a video game for hours, of course it looks like you don't have enough time. It's your time, do with it what you will, just don't knock down the crafty, active people for how they spend their time.