Temp Job!

I got a job! For a week! Woo!! It's for tomorrow and then next Tuesday through Friday because of Labor Day. I'm very excited because the entire paycheck is going to go towards next month's rent and will cover most of my rent save $25.

Everything adds up. I've been frugal with my spending and though it's only been a week, this will definitely help. I also have a paycheck coming tomorrow from Safelite and then I have my bonus check that will be coming next week or the week after.

I just have to keep my fingers crossed.

Day 3 of Unemployment: Saturday off

Wow. I have a Saturday off. A Saturday to do whatever I wanted! It's a little crazy. I haven't had a Saturday off for over three years. Three years! Not without calling, requesting, or switching off for it. Basically jumping through hoops.

It was weird. It felt weird. It felt like Sunday!

Now, I thought about going to church, and I almost did. But I just enjoyed the day too well. I made bread (which you'll see in my post tomorrow), and I went to the mall with Jon.

The mall was fun. I forgot how much walking was involved though. I just spent three years sitting on my ass, I'm not used to this walking bullshit. We stopped at Teavana. Got some mint tea. I'm excited for it, their tea is good. I also picked up an application. I'm trying to decide if I want to turn the application in there, or apply online. Online would be so much easier. But maybe meeting face to face would good.

Here's the problem. If I get a part-time job, I wouldn't be able to get unemployment. And though unemployment isn't that great (50% of what I made I hear) it's still getting paid while I look for what I want. Essentially two and a half weeks would get me my rent and bills. Also, I would make more off of unemployment than I would working part-time. How crazy is that?!

So after the mall, Jon and I went to Barnes & Noble. I like B&N, it's a nice bookstore. Everything was going fine until they couldn't find my B&N card information. I bought the discount card last year and then this past July was forced to renew it. It was an automatic renewal I had no choice and I didn't have the ability to refund it. So no one can find my information. Not the cafe, not customer service, not even the manager. So the manager calls the online number and the girl...She was a girl. So unhelpful. Like her voice alone made me want to strangle her. She sounded like she was 14! Is that a new thing in customer service? To make women sound like children so they aren't as intimidating? Because I would rather talk to someone who knew what they were doing.

So, the store is awesome, the people on the phone, not so much. Here's the cool thing about the story. As the manager is helping me, there are phones ringing off the hook. I make some comment like "Sounds like you could use some help. Are you hiring?" and she goes "Actually we are." When my conversation is done I ask for the application and go to the cafe, buy a key lime tart and the book I just wanted to skim through, and fill out the application. When she handed it to me, she said just bring it back and ask for her and she'd come up. So I did, she did, and we had a little chat and on Monday they are going to discuss who they are going to interview. I'm not getting my hopes up, but it's a good sign.

Then we came home. And...my bread. Oh lordy. But it was okay. Just needed a little tweak and everything was fine! You'll get to see the recipe tomorrow.

Day 1 of Unemployment: Scams and Porn

I am a little bit of a control freak. I have had a steady job for over three years now, that I don't know how to look for a job. One can say "Seriously?" and my response is "Seriously." The job market has changed, and before my job at Safelite, I really hadn't looked for a job in years. The job I had before Safelite was working in an athletic club that I got because Andrew worked there. Before that I was a color guard coach, which Andrew got me that job too. Before that I worked at retail places; Dakota Watch, Naturalizer, and Godiva. I got Dakota Watch because of a friend, Naturalizer I just filled out an application for a second job and then Godiva because pretty much the same reason.

I haven't done a "classic" job search in seven years! The way people search for jobs is different. Most online job websites are filled with scams or people playing ads wherever. Looking in Columbus? Don't be surprised if you find a job listing for Houston. Seriously. I keep looking on Chase and Houston keeps popping up.

Also, what is it with all of these sites requiring logins? You're only going to use it once! It's not a login for when you get hired to that company. It's just erroneous information flooding the system. I guess there are a couple that are okay, like indeed.com but who knows?

Well, I went on Craigslist last night just to see who actually posts there. To me, craigslist is so 2004 but whatever. At 1:30 this morning I get an e-mail in response to a resume I sent. My half-sleep brain was like "Awesome!" and then I get up this morning because I can't sleep and fill out the "application". The application then sends me to a background check site where on the previous page I was told it would be free, now I am being asked to pay $20. SCAM! I couldn't believe it. I wasn't crushed just...disgusted.

So, Porn. There was an ad on Craigslist for this "Adult Shoot". I sent my stuff in as a lark, and they responded! It made me laugh to see they responded. So I e-mailed them back asking for more information. There will definitely be some nudity and I don't have to do the "office theme" if I don't want to. There are of course, other casting options but for less pay, but all involve nudity. Is anyone else laughing? Because I can't stop.

They of course asked for my age, height/weight, measurements, dress/shoe size, and whether I have any experience in adult work and why I want to do it. Also, could I send some more pictures?

Here's the thing, I think this is actually legit. But I don't want to be on screen, I want to be behind screen. I'll work in porn if it's behind the scenes. I can shoot camera, edit video, I was a production assistant for five months. But on camera? No. I've been known to take some "sexy" pictures of myself, but that's for myself.

So right now I'm deciding on whether to tell him I wanted to do only production and not on camera work...Yeah I'll just come clean. I've been out of work one day! I'm not that desperate that I'll become a porn star. I think I should point out that I have nothing against adult "performers" (they are NOT actors, Justin!) they are people who have found a way to get paid for what people give away for free. But, I'm trying to find a television reporter job, and if they found out I did porn...? I can kiss my career and family good-bye.

I said I was going to take a week or two for just me to get my head on straight before buckling down on my search. But I don't know if I can wait that long. I have this feeling like something is going to happen really soon. Not that excited anticipation feeling just... I'm looking at a curtain wanting to know what's behind it, but I don't have the means to pull it open. It's just kind of...there.

I'm Going to Make a Mechanic Out of You Yet

So after I posted such an uplifting post for all of you that hate Mondays, like I do, I had a bad rest of the day. I got what is known as an "All-Inclusive Final Written Warning" on my record. Which means, that if I do anything that incurs an "infraction" which is a corrective action, then I can and almost positively be terminated.

So, I know when all of my "infractions" are going to come off that have resulted in this "All-inclusive" one. One of the ones is tardiness. All of my tardies are going to come off by the end of the year. So, when I go out to my car today to get to work on time, guess what I find. My battery dead. D-E-D dead.

This is exactly what I need, not 24 hours after I get issued this "all-inclusive" tardy. I sent my job coach an e-mail telling him I would be late. And I had until 11am, to get to work or I would be counted as off completely and I really can't have that. I am at six tardies which means I'm on a "verbal". At seven, I go to a "written", and at eight I go to a "final written". Hopefully, with all of the tardies that are supposed to be rolling off within the next two months they won't fire me. If I were to come in after 11 or take off the day completely, then I would be fired because I'm at eight occurrences.

Now, I'm sitting in my car, trying not to panic. My first thought was, my battery was dead except for my lights and electronics were working. So, maybe some how, my key got unprogrammed. I call my grandfather, he comes as soon as possible, with the extra key. When he gets there, the key doesn't work and when he tries to turn the engine on, he goes "yep it's the battery".

We try for 20 minutes to jump it, and it's just gone. So, he drives me to Advanced Auto Parts to buy a battery that we take back to my car. Sure they'll install it for free, but we don't have time for the truck to get back from the delivery. Because I can't call off work, but if I'm late, I might not lose my job. To top it all off, my grandfather has pulled something in his back so he is in excruciating pain. He's confused himself because he told me to program a key but I do not have a second key to program (he has it), and the information he's going off on was from when I had my mustang and not the Taurus.

So, we get the battery and take it back to my car. Then, I install the battery myself. It's really not that hard to install a battery. You simply, unscrew the lines, take off the cover, unscrew the back take out the battery, put the new battery in and reverse what you just did. Voila! Installed battery. If I had time, I would have turned this into a tutorial but time was not on my side.

I must mention now, that while we're doing this though, my grandfather says "I'm going to make a mechanic out of you yet." Hence the title of the post.

I can only sigh, because it's apparent he's forgotten that he's taught me all this stuff on how to be a mechanic. Now, am I a mechanic, compared to him? No. But I can change my tires, battery, oil, air filter, etc. That's more than most people can do.

Anyway, I get the battery installed and thankfully the car starts. For some reason now, there is no "battery dying" process, the battery just goes. Not fun. If it wasn't the battery, it would have been the starter and that I don't know how to change.

Now, I sit and I wait. Because when I get that corrective action, that could be my last day... I need a drink.