Wednesday, September 22, 2010

STORMS


Wow life is a roller coaster.
We are having ups and downs at every turn these days.  I had to take a breather.
Last you heard I had three interviews... as it turns out, they were actually "screenings" for interviews.
WTF?
So I dressed up and waited until they got around to me and then was screened... which basically meant I had three minutes to introduce myself and present my resume, letters of reference and make myself look interesting enough to interview.
Now I get to wait for three weeks to see if I even get the real interview.  Sheesh!
I was ordered by the emp. div. to attend a job fair.
I complied.  I want a job.
So there I was in a line that went down the block and around the corner with hundreds of other hopeful suckers.  It took a long time of waiting on the sidewalk, in the parking lot, up against the wall in the lobby, on the stairs and finally into a room with so many people in it that the smell was enough to make me ill.

Every man and woman in there seemed to be wearing enough perfume to kill a horse.
I spent most of my time in line thinking about what the weight limit was for the room.  I kid you not... the floor vibrated and shook. 
I thought... well, at least I have my cell phone so that I can call Randy and let him know I'm going to the hospital when the floor falls through.
Let us say it was a totally unproductive exercise that to my thinking was designed to mollify the unemployed masses into thinking that they are doing some thing for us.

I know.  I have a bad attitude.
I got official word that to the emp. div. thinking... I should not have moved until I had a job, therefore I forfeit my right to benefits, because I gave up a good job without just reasons.
Clearly they have never lived in Dumb Potter's Hell.

So... my mood soured and it showed.
Randy has not seen my mood swing aptitude prior to this.
It affected his mood.  He was worried about me.
Ironically, that made me feel better.
I don't like to see anyone else down... so I pulled myself back up to cheer him up.

So we decided to take it easy for the weekend.  No applications, no job talking.
BBQ and football.
Ducks did it again... 69 to 0 against Portland State.
That made us smile.
This week we play Arizona State there.
But we will be watching it on the tube.
I think it will be more of a challenge... but we will see.
After that we caught ex Duck, Dennis Dixson playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Unfortunately, he was injured and carried off... but wow, what a great game.

After our lazy weekend, we did Monday Night Foot Ball at T and K's.  Watched the 49ners lose.  But it was a good close game and fun to watch.  The nachos and beer were pretty good too.
But the best surprise happened when T gave us tickets to see Heart at the Cuthburt.  He had purchased tickets himself, then won a pair.
It was an excellent concert.
The Wilson sisters are northwestern girls, so a huge crowd showed up.  The lead in act told us they went to college here.  But they did not confirm that or deny it.  So I can't say if that is true.  But they are from Oregon.
I have to tell you, Ann Wilson can really sing!
There were some surprises to be heard...
a mix of Gimmie Shelter and Even It Up was very effective.  They hit all their biggies and some new material off of a bran new album titled "Velvet Red Car."  But the real surprise came at the encore, when you would expect nothing but Heart songs.
Nope.
Would you have ever thought of Heart doing Led Zep's What Is and What Could Never Be?
Ann absolutely nailed it down tight.
Amazing.  Truly.
There was nothing about the show not to enjoy.
Ann still belts out rock and blues and her sister is no slouch either.
We had a great time.

Today we are back to the grind.
More online aps for me.
Oh yeah... I've got to go fax my appeal to the under employment monsters.
Then I have to wait 60 days for their new ruling on the matter.
Oh joy.
I think they are stalling in the hopes that I will get a job and not bother to collect the money I've been paying into it since I was 16.
Is there any way I can refuse to allow the money I put into my unemployment insurance to be used for their pay checks?
I'm thinking that they have forgotten who they work for.

18 comments:

  1. Wow, ups and downs is right! I mean, the job stuff is the worst. It is awful to feel at the mercy of Unemployment and potential employers. Yet it sounds like you guys are managing to have lots of fun too. That's important. The concert sounds amazing! Anyway, I am continuing to send good job thoughts your way.

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  2. Oh, boy. Interview screening? That's a new one on me. Couldn't they just screen by resume/application? And the job fair sounds purely horrifying. Glad you were able to take a little time for fun.

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  3. laura b.-- Thanks for your continued support. It is a BIG help to have people backing me.

    Yes, we have to unwind some how or another. It was a real stroke of luck that T came through with those tickets and a welcome, unexpected surprise.

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  4. secret agent woman-- I know... screening is a new one on me too!
    Things have changed so much that I am near lost in the process.

    Fun keeps us sane. And each other.
    :-)

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  5. Well, I was afraid of this. I do somewhat see their point, that if you don't like where you live you can't just move and quit your job and expect to be on unemployment, or else we would all move to LA or something. But I wonder if the answer would have been the same if you had waited a bit and gotten married first (or at least been officially engaged first and in your new home looking for a job), cause they can't expect that you're going to live in one place while your husband lives three hours away.

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  6. the job situation is definitely a buyer's market right now. making people stand in line for hours wouldn't put them in their best light when the audition occurs.

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  7. Heart doing Led Zep, huh? I could see that. I once saw an all-girl tribute called "Lez Zeppelin." They were pretty good, even looked a lot like them if you squinted a bit. I think they have some vids on youtube.

    Sorry 'bout the continued job hassles. You two are in my prayers as always.

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  8. Yeah, I was thinking what laughingattheslut said. Perhaps if you said you were engaged? I mean, well, no harm in saying it if it helps in the argument. I'm glad you two could give yourself a break. It's nice to be able to take care of yourselves. Sounds like a great show - gotta go see some music sometime.

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  9. Sorry to hear about the job search. i hate looking for jobs. I'm just glad you have such a good guy to take your mind off of it.

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  10. laughing-- Actually they don't know we weren't engaged at the time and I did not apply for it until we were.
    With so many people just living together these days, I don't see that married or not should enter into it.

    I actually waited three months after I moved to apply and spent that time looking for work in my field. I was not going to bother with it unless I could not get on for this school year. I do not like the hassle that it requires.

    Randy gives me whatever money I want... but I do not like that. I have taken care of myself for a long time. Its a matter of pride that I have my own money and that I also contribute to us.

    I think the biggest problem is that I was a state employee... and my employer, who also happens to be that of the employment division does not want to part with its money. That would be like being a clerk at Safeway and allowing Safeway to be the "impartial" judge of paying that person unemployment or not. I do not have the same rights as anyone not employed by the state... we have a different set of rules than the average joe... by law.

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  11. laura b.--Thanks. We'll keep riding the roller coaster until we find a way to end the ride.

    You have to have some fun. And in all honesty, I'd still rather be here no matter what challenges. We are pretty lucky. Many people don't have it as good who are unemployed.

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  12. secret agent woman-- I know... I've never heard of that before either. It was very weird.

    I think with so many out of work, the job fair was more of a sedative for the masses.

    I have to have fun.

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  13. All-- Strange thing. I'm hooked into my email and I get comments from Funch there. When I click on the post a response button... it puts me in here at odd times. Some comments that have been made aren't here, including my own and so I re-answer them. So I haven't lost my touch with reality. I'm just lost as usual.

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  14. billy pilgrim-- It was an odd experience and you are right we all looked darned frazzled and frustrated by the time we got near any recruiters.

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  15. Cricket-- Ha! The name makes me laugh. I've heard of Dread Zep too.
    Fun stuffs!

    Thanks Cricket... always appreciated!

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  16. Pamela-- Yep. I actually did tell them that because we were by the time I applied. I also told them that I commuted here last winter and it was too dangerous to continue. I had three car breakdowns, thousands in car repairs, gas and upkeep. Not to mention the ice storms, snow and sleet. Twice when I went home I had to go to Washington to reach my home because the Gorge was closed down. Just crazy to me to think that it's not worth considering.

    Possibly the funniest point in my head was that they wanted to know why Randy didn't move up to where my job was. Like his giving up his job would have been ok?

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  17. Churlita-- You are right. I do have a real sweetheart of a guy to help me along and he does. :-)

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  18. I think the reason for the job fair is to get you to quit. Hell no, I won't go, you say, and they say, too bad, you lose!

    What insanity! I'm glad the floor didn't collapse - although if it did, they would owe you some money, now wouldn't they?

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