Time Flies…

Is it really already Thursday????  Although I am SO excited to start my new job on Monday, I was also hoping that this week wouldn’t fly by so fast.  I have a rather long list of things that I want to get done before I get back into the 9-5 grind and now time is ticking…ticking…almost gone!

I really can’t complain, though.  This has been a super fun week filled with LOTS of friend time.  Oh!  And SHOPPING!  One of my favorite pastimes that had long been neglected due to months of no income.  But thanks to Gram, I was able to go out and buy some cute new pieces for my new job and it felt SO good to treat myself a little.  My goal was to bargain shop to make the money stretch as far as possible.  And while I did find quite a few great deals, I absolutely HAD to splurge when I found these friggin’ HOT black patent leather snakeskin mary jane peep toe heels.  *drool*

Oh, and in other news - Mr. Rawkstar will be starting a new job exactly one week after I start mine.  It’s an AWESOME opportunity - a 20% pay increase and state benefits.  I’m SO proud of him for taking charge and finding something so awesome.  These are exciting times for us!

What is everyone doing for Halloween?  Any fun plans?  We won’t be attending any costume parties this year and I’m actually pretty sad about that.  I absolutely LOVE dressing up and doing crazy make up.  And I have SUCH an awesome costume idea too.  I will definitely have to save it for next year!  Since Halloween is in the middle of the week this year, all the costume parties are this weekend and we are attending the bachelor and bachelorette parties of our friends who are getting married next weekend.  The girls are hitting the town and doing dinner and then going dancing at a gay club that I LOVE.  I’m really excited, but it should be interesting since it is costume night there.  We’ll just be dressed up, so we might be a little out of place, but fun nonetheless!

Hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!

Hip, Hip HOORAY!!!

I got the job!!!!!  And I was offered the very top of the pay range!  WAHOOOOO!!!!  I start next Monday and couldn’t be more excited!!!  Thanks for all the finger crossing and good vibes!!!!  Now I can finally ENJOY having a little time off.  These last couple months have been so stressful and I haven’t even appreciated the time off.  Now I plan on TOTALLY living up this week before I have to start working again!

Oh, and someone just found my blog today by googling “gangreen of the testicles”.  WTF?!?!  I honestly don’t think I’ve ever used that phrase.  And I think that person should be rushing to the doctor, instead of sitting in front of a computer.  LOL!

*Crossing Fingers*

Yesterday I had a GREAT interview!  I had a phone interview with the HR lady earlier this week and she scheduled me to come in yesterday.  First I had to do testing that took about an hour.  To my relief, it was actually pretty easy….basic work environment stuff, math (but I could use a calculator), reading comprehension, grammar and spelling (which I’m ANAL about anyways) and problem solving.  After the testing, I interviewed with 2 different managers.  They were both SO nice and I instantly developed a great rapport with them and by the end we were joking around and laughing.  It was great!

The job itself would get me out of the mortgage industry (HALLELUJAH!) and back into insurance.  Prior to getting into mortgage, I worked in the insurance world for a few years as a claims adjuster.  I really loved the actual job, but hated the company I worked at, which is why I eventually left.  This seemed like such an AWESOME company, though, and the pay and benefits are great.  Plus, they both said that with my past experience handling really high-level claims (this position is actually a little lower level), I would probably be promoted to a higher level adjuster position or even a team manager within 6-12 months!  This is exactly what I want in a job…..stability, benefits, good pay and room for growth. 

I’m crossing my fingers that I hear back from them soon!  They did mention that some new people are starting on Monday.  I can’t imagine that they would be able to do the background check and pre-employment stuff that fast, but HOLY HELL would I be SO stoked to have a new job to go to that soon! 

Just Wrong…

So Mr. Rawkstar and I were sitting there watching TV, when a lovely little commerical comes on for some new play set called the Rose Petal Cottage. They show some cheesy fake play house for little girls to bake and do laundry and play house in. Seems pretty normal, right?

Wrong.

They then show a little girl serving up something she baked out of her little play oven. As she’s handing it to her teddy bear to eat, she says, “Bite my muffin. It tastes really yummy.”

*cue the sound of screeching brakes*

Does anyone else find this disturbingly wrong? LOL!

Turning a New Page

It’s been forever since I’ve posted and have entirely too much to update on, so I’ll just use the handy dandy bullet point method to try to make things a little easier:

• I still don’t have a job, but have been searching like crazy and have a couple leads that are exciting. 
• The fact that unemployment is about to run out makes me feel the pressure to get a job NOW, but I also don’t want to settle.  I want a career.  With a stable company.  That I can grow with and not worry about getting laid off from.
• Things with Mr. Rawkstar have been consistently good for at least the last month or so.  He’s been very supportive and I don’t know what I’d do without him.  It’s true that hard times can bring people closer.
• A few things have happened recently that have shown me who my real friends are.  And it is a small group.  But I’m okay with that.
• I haven’t even been working out, but somehow I’ve lost weight.  I thought it was only a few pounds (I don’t have a scale), but everyone keeps telling me how skinny I look.  Yay!
• I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that I’ll probably never be rich and have a giant house and travel the world.  And this isn’t a pessimistic thing at all.  I’ve just realized that the things that I truly want out of life probably wouldn’t fit well with that kind of lifestyle.
• I’ve been to lots of great concerts this summer (thanks to Mr. Rawkstar): Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson, Slayer, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Tool, Alice In Chains, Velvet Revolver, Evanesence, Korn, Flyleaf, Placebo…and we’re going to see The Cure, AFI and Kings of Leon on Saturday!
• Pets are a godsend.  If I didn’t have our little zoo of animals home with me these last couple of months, I probably would have gone insane.
• I’m craving In N Out to the point that drool is going to start running down my chin.
• During this time where money has been ridiculously tight, I’ve really learned how to live frugally.  I hope to carry these habits with me when I am making money again.
• I finally decided to change the header on my blog to a more recent picture.  But for some annoying reason, it won’t let me display the whole thing.  Here’s the full version of what I want to be up there:
  

Un. Motivated.

So, I think I might have mentioned it before, but I’ve been in the mortgage industry for the last 4-ish years.  If you’ve even flipped past a news station in the last several months, I’m sure you’re fully aware what a crock of shit the market is right now.  The company that I was working for at the beginning of the year did a pretty big layoff  in April that left me job-less (and the entire company has since shut down for good).  Within a very short period of time, I found a position with a new company and everything seemed great.  The people were awesome and it was literally a BLOCK from my apartment. 

Not long after I started there, I began to see some problems with the small company.  The market has changed so much and you have to conduct business differently to survive during these times.  Things were pretty slow, and being a processor means that you get paid based on the number of files that close.  Since that number wasn’t high enough to produce an income that I could live off of, I was also collecting unemployment as a supplement (I was getting paid under the table).  Now, I know that’s not the most honest thing to do, but if I didn’t, the bills wouldn’t have gotten paid. 

What I haven’t really talked about is that company I was most recently working for has sort of closed.  My boss says that he’s found a new office he wants to move into and start things back up, but the date that this is supposed to happen keeps getting pushed further and further out.  Needless to say, I’ve been looking for a new job for the last month or so.  Which SUCKS.  First of all, there are hardly any jobs in the mortgage industry.  With companies shutting down left and right, there are very few available positions and the market is SO saturated with people looking for work that it’s nearly impossible to get a response.  I don’t even think that I want to stay in the mortgage industry at this point, but anything else that I’d have shot at getting hired for pays about 1/3 of what I’m used to making.  And that’s hard to swallow.

I’ve worked since I was 14, and full time since 17.  It feels unnatural to sit at home and not have somewhere to be and things to do every day.  I’m sick of perusing the job ads that don’t offer anything enticing.  And half of the ones that I’ve responded to are some weird front for internet pyramid schemes.  Annoying!  I actually got a call yesterday about a mortgage position, but haven’t even had the motivation to call back yet.  You’d think that I would be all over it and returning the call immediately.  What is wrong with me?  I just have NO motivation.  I could at least spend my days doing projects around the house or going to the gym or SOMETHING.  But instead, I sit in front of theTV or computer and space out most days.  AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

Not Always The Brightest Candle In The Wick Shop…

 If only I’d seen the sign BEFORE frolicking in the ocean…..

Things To Be Happy About

• I have rawkin’ blog friends that give great advice (even though they might not all agree on that)
• Mr. Rawkstar and I had lunch with his parents (who’ve been married almost 30 years) and got a lot of great insight from them about making a relationship endure through hard times
• I’ve begun to notice a difference in Mr. Rawkstar after said lunch and feel positive about things
• Tomorrow I’m piling in a stretch SUV limo to celebrate my birthday and go wine tasting with 13 of my closest friends
• On Sunday, we’re going to my mom’s with two other couples to enjoy the Italian feast she is preparing for my birthday
• On Monday, Mr. Rawkstar is taking me to dinner at my favorite restaurant to have a romantic birthday celebration
• Next Saturday, my mom has asked me to reserve the entire day for something extravagant she has planned for my birthday present
• I am, yet again, having a birthWEEK, rather than a birthDAY…can you guess that I’m an only child?  LOL!
• Although I don’t have a scale to prove it, I’m quite certain that I’ve lost about 7-8 pounds!
• Even though I’m not really working right now (yes, AGAIN….mortgage is the WORST industry to be in right now!), we have 5 adorable pets to keep me company and entertain me throughout the day
• Because I haven’t been working, I’ve had time to relax and almost fully recover from whatever illness was kicking my ass this week - just in time for all the fun to begin!

Sorry that I’ve been a bad blog friend lately and haven’t left many comments - I’ve been reading and trying to stay caught up, but my laptop keeps powering itself off after about 20 minutes of being on and my patience with that is wearing thin!  :-)  Have a great weekend everyone!

Advice

So, amidst all the fun things I’ve had going on in my schedule, Mr. Rawkstar and I have been working at ways to improve our relationship.  While it isn’t perfect, it certainly isn’t to the point that I think we need to run out to a counselor just yet.  Not to mention the fact the cost of that just wouldn’t really work well right now (that’s an entirely different topic).  Anyways, my current solution is to look into some books geared at relationships.  We are both in favor of this idea and would like to get a couple books that we can read a chapter of two of together each night. 

I’ve spent an hour or so on Amazon looking at different ones and reading the user reviews.  I’ve narrowed it down to a shorter list and wanted to check with you guys and see if you’ve had any experience with/heard anything about any of these books.  They all have great reviews on Amazon, but I sometimes wonder if those are put on there by people affiliated with the book or author.  So, without further adieu, here are the books.  Let me know if you have any input or if you have any different suggestions!  Thanks! 

Love Busters: Overcoming Habit That Destroy Romantic Love

Fall In Love, Stay In Love

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate

His Needs, Her Needs

Update

Thank you to everyone for your comments and concern in regards to my last post. Things with Mr. Rawkstar are improving, but I can’t help but be a bit cynical from past experiences and wonder if I’m being naively positive about everything working out. In the end, I soothe my worries by telling myself that it’s better to be optimistic in situations like this, as having a sour attitude never gets you anywhere. Deep down, I do believe that we belong together, but I also know that the success of our relationship is dependent on much more than just some cosmic fate bullshit.

My lack of recent posting is more because of a crazy schedule than anything, so no worries about me, ok? I’ve actually had a great week while I’ve been away. I went and saw this totally fun Rolling Stones coverband with a dear friend last week, followed up by a camping trip with 7 of our closest friends. We arrived home with barely enough time to unload the car and shower before leaving to go see a concert by a good friend of mine who was in town. Mr. Rawkstar and I then decided to take the next couple of days off work to spend time with him and his guitarist, which was awesome. He just signed a huge record deal and has some amazing things happening in his future. We’re really excited to be able to provide him with a place to stay whenever he’s in the area and support him in any way we can. I’m certain he’s going to be a big thing in the near future. It’s pretty crazy, actually. Check out his stuff if you have a minute.

After all that fun, I’d really love to relax for a bit, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. Tonight I’m getting together with some of my best girls for dinner and the wine bar and then tomorrow is the beginning of a hectic weekend. My mom’s best friend is coming to town with her daughter (who’s a few years older than me) and we’ve got non-stop plans to shop, go out on the town and wine taste. My poor liver. It’s seen more wine in the last week than I think it’s ever cared to! Next weekend we’re going camping again (MORE wine…last trip polished off 9 bottles between 3 people) and then the following weekend, 15 of my closest friends and I are piling in a limo to go wine tasting for my birthday. After that weekend, I think I’m going to need to detox…or pull a Lohan and check myself into rehab. LOL!

So, despite a little bit of drama in the love department….life is good. I do have faith that we’ll get through this rough patch, but no matter what, I know that I am surrounded by amazing people and a steady flow of wine.

As I would say if we were parting in person, “Kisses!”