Thanksgiving Success! Finding a Job Failure!

Thanksgiving was a success!  The turkey came out scrum-diddly-umptious, there were no major blow out fights, and every thanks giving blooper we had we managed to salvage.  Ahhh yeah that's right!  Our turkey did not burn nor did it blow up!  Trust me there were family members rooting for this to happen.  Not that they were being malicious.  My aunt just wanted us with the rest of the family for Thanksgiving and my mom just has a twisted sense of humor.

Hey I never claimed that I came from a normal family.

So after getting over the Thanksgiving - I ate entirely too much food - coma, which somehow seemed to last about three days, I wound up going back to my job search.  I'm putting in applications, handing out resume's and doing my best to find something that's going to pay the bills.  That and ya know, buy food.  That stuff we like to eat.  To survive.

I'm getting sidetracked.

There was a job fair today.  I went. They lied.  Honestly not one of the vendors that they said were going to be there were there.  It was mostly no name companies (which I don't mind working for), but they were basically all looking for sales people.  I don't mind doing that either. However there were only about six booths and two or three of them were educational places.  Smallest job fair ever.

Then again it was the first one I've been to so I can't really say I've got something else to compare it too.  Still a few people said they're going to be giving me a call. We'll see if it happens of if they were so politely declining to give me a job.

I really hate being out of work.

Our First Thanksgiving

Brian and I have had a string of bad luck with illnesses and other general 'we're in a recession and have no money' incidents. This is the first Thanksgiving we're having in our own place.  So of course we said we have to cook. Neither of us have ever cooked a Turkey before, so we're using his mom's cookbook (which is pretty much his cooking bible and he holds it pretty close because his mom died when he was 15) and we've been going through the Thanksgiving steps this morning.

Let me just say that had someone not told me take my turkey out of the freezer on Sunday I'd probably be working with a frozen turkey.  I had no plans to take it out until yesterday. So we were saved on that one.

I knew about taking the giblets out.  My daddy is a good old country boy.  I'm generally pretty good with cooking meat, but I've also heard a hundred horror stories about people forgetting to take out the giblets.

Brian and I go to do this, and he only finds a neck.  He's adamant there are no giblets.  I'm adamant there are.  You don't get a turkey without giblets.  So finally after violating the turkey cavity victory is ours and he's found the giblets.

While we're oiling, seasoning, and stuffing the turkey I decide to start hardboiling the eggs so we can make some deviled eggs. 

Before I continue let me go back.

Thanksgiving Blunder #1 - While trying to get the plastic wrap out of the cupboard I spilled coffee all over the floor.

Not to horrible, but still it's a blunder and will be counted as such.

Thanksgiving Blunder #2 - While stuffing and seasoning the turkey I forgot all about the fact that I was boiling eggs.  Can you guess what happened?  Yup, that's right.  They exploded.  Brian is currently at the store getting more - wait strike that.  I just heard the car.  Brian is currently returning with new eggs.  Wish us well on round two of the deviled eggs.

Outlining and Me - Why it Never Works

Since I failed at Wrimo this year - which I think is for many reasons - I decided to actually sit down and think about a new story to write.  Now, when I say sit down and think, basically what happens is I get a random idea which turns into a blurb.  The blurb becomes what could either be a prologue, random musings, or even the start of the first chapter. From there I stop and think about where this could go and how it could work as a story.

My Wrimo novel however was just write and continue writing and see where it goes.  That worked for a while, but then real life decided to rear it's ugly head.  A close friend of the family died, I need to find a new job, etc and so on.  I wound up missing a few days and my muse was just gone.

That's when I decided to take this new random blurb I wrote and form it into a story.  To make it easier for myself, I said, "Hey let's plot this out a little bit.  Make some notes using Storybook and go from there."

Which I did. It was nothing to elaborate. Even when I attempt to outline I don't like to make it too detailed so that I have some wiggle room for twists, turns, and roundabouts to make their way into the story.  I never know when I'm going to get a burst of inspiration or a quirky idea that would fit the story.

So I made my note cards on Storybook.  Not for the entire story, but for a good portion of it to see how it went. I start writing. Just beginning chapter two I've realized that these note cards and semi outlining is moot because already my characters have taken over.

Structure is not my friend when it comes to writing.  It just doesn't work. I may want the story to go in one direction, but my characters tend to fight me tooth and nail.  It can be frustrating sometimes.  Not to mention the fact that I wasted half a day trying to figure out where I wanted the story to go only to be bitched slapped by my characters as they took control.

Honestly, I'm not sure why I attempted to outline or plot out this story.  It NEVER works for me. I'm not a linear thinker.  My mind is often chaotic.  Even when I plan things out it never goes that way. Sometimes I wonder if I really do have multiple personalities with all the character conversations and arguments that go on in my mind and on paper. 

Dear Characters,

It's come to my attention that you want to do what you want to do. My opinion rarely ever seems to count. While I understand that you are independent you are not always wise and should take my opinions into account. However, if you still wish to fight me tooth and nail I'll simply say this.

Sincerely,

Sully

Penguins Game Tonight! YEAH BABY!

Oh, oh what's that symbol? That's right!  It's the Pittsburgh Penguins baby!  I've got 5th row center ice tickets for the game tonight at the Office Depot Center!  Gonna be wearing my Pens shirt, got my Pens purse and my Pens keychain/bottle opener.  Damn straight!  I'm gonna watch them kick the ass of the Florida Panthers.  No offense to any Panther's fans out there, but they rarely win.

I was actually at the Office Depot Center last week for the Flyers vs. Panther's game.  We had box seats. (A friend of mine works for a company that owns four of them.) Let me tell how nice it is when each box has their own personal bathroom.  The seats were comfy, the boxes were warm, and the view was phenomenal! The Flyers of course won (much to my dismay as they are the Pens rivals and my best friends favorite team - oh the banter that ensues!) and on our way back to the truck there were several little kids standing on the curb.


Honestly, no idea where their moms were.  I imagine they were close by, but the parking lot was crowded with plenty of fans leaving. These kids had hockey sticks and were banging them on the curb.  I was wearing an orange sweatshirt, not in support of the Flyers, but because orange is my favorite color, and but the couple in front of us were indeed wearing Flyers jerseys.


This was not okay to these Shorty Panther Fans. They started banging their sticks harder and looked right at us chanting, "Flyers are cheaters! Flyers are cheaters!"


Everyone started busting out laughing.  You don't mess with the the Shorty Panther Fans! They'll tell you how it is! The next time the Flyers play the Pens, if they win (highly doubtful) I'm going to look at my friend and be like, "Flyers are cheaters! Flyers are cheaters!"


If nothing else it'll be good for a laugh.


Tonight it's just me and the hubby. Unfortunately they're remodeling the store at the Office Depot Center so all they've had is a small kiosk with trinkets and such, so more than likely I won't get that Penguin's Fleury jersey I've been wanting.


Yes, that's right.  I said Fleury.  I know everyone generally has Crosby and Malkin fever, but it's all about Fleury baby.


I'm kind of hoping that once the Penguins kick ass and take names those little kids are out there chanting, "Penguin's are cheaters!" Don't ask me why.  I know I'm weird.

The Stresses of Job Hunting Without a Degree

So recently I've had to start looking for a job.  Here's the problem I'm running into.  I have the experience but everyone wants me to have a (&#(&@(#$&@#() Degree.  More specifically a bachelor's.  Now, I have a degree in Massage Therapy (which I no longer due as it was ridiculously expensive to keep up with the license and besides my wrist decided it didn't really want to handle the stress), but alas, no one is going to hire me with an Associates of Massage.

Granted, I probably should have gone to school when I was younger.  I imagine I'm in the high numbered populace of people going through the same problem. To be honest I fell into my last writing job because a friend of mine is in the business.  She knows I have the skills even if I don't have the degree.  Unfortunately no one else seems to care.

So, what does this mean? This means that I'm going to have to get a crap job while going back to school.  I haven't been to school in over eight years now, but hey, I gotta do what I gotta do.  A Bachelor's in English may be tough to get but I figure if I don't want to be fifty-five working at a retail store for minimum wage I should probably get off my ass and make something happen.

It got me wondering though, how many people went to college straight out of high school? How many people have gone back in later years? Do you know someone who is in their late 20's or 30's or older going back to school? Are you contemplating doing it yourself?

To be perfectly honest I'm petrified, but then again if I let everything that scared me stop me from doing something I wanted to do, well I'd probably live a pretty dull life.

THE BITCH IS BACK!!!!

Did ya miss me? Did ya huh, huh, huh? 

Okay so I'm a little excited.  I fell off the blogosphere when life caught up.  I MISSED it though. I know I never got to finish up with a lot of stuff I was doing, but meh moving and other such things got in the way. The hubby and I are in our place.  Thank you powers that be!  It was a long time coming and seriously, there's a lot less stress now that we're not sharing space with three or four other people.  So YAY for being on our own!

I've been working on NanoWrimo, or rather I was except I got thrown off the last couple of days because I wound up at a funeral on Monday.  No one likes funeral's or having to say goodbye, and it seems like I've been to far too many before I even hit thirty.  (Still haven't hit it, just sayin'.)

I finished one novel though and I'm in the process of editing it.  My Wrimo novel is sort of a sequel to that, but not.  It was on a whim because November came entirely too fast.  Still writing is writing and I love to write and figure that maybe when I start a project on a whim the crap will come out first before it starts to take shape.  That's my story and I'm sticking too it.

Unfortunately I feel like crap today. My allergies are hitting me hard now that it's warming up again. Florida has plant life year round, so pollen, ragweed, all that lovely stuff that makes you sneeze ten ways from Sunday.  Anyone want to exchange noses?  No?  Yeah I wouldn't want to trade with me either.

On that note, I really need to go and shower. My pup has an appointment at the vet for a booster shot.  You'll be hearing from me soon. ;)

Something's Gotta Give

I have been Missing in Action for a while.  I know.  Life caught up with me mostly.  The hubby has been away for two weeks after we sat down and made a decision about our future. 

Mainly, there isn't one for us here.

There are no jobs outside of the medical field.  The economy is geared more towards the older crowd here and we're struggling too much where we are at.  Basically I can work from anywhere as I do work for a publishing company VIA Email.  Plus I work on my stories. Not that any of them have been published yet, but I'm going off track here.  The point is I work from home.  Brian doesn't.  So we need to go where the work is for him.

So he's in South Florida now staying with his father at the moment.  I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Brian moved there when he was fifteen.  We know the area, we have friends, there's plenty to do, and lots of jobs to be had.  He has another job interview tomorrow for an armed security task force for a private yacht club tomorrow.  Cross your fingers.

Basically he's down there looking for a job, I'm up here, and I'm missing him IMMENSELY.  It's put a damper on my writing.  The good news is though, that hopefully after the interview he's going to come and pick me up.  We'll head down there.  I have to reorganize my work stuff to go off my laptop, but that's simple enough.  Although someone has stolen my flash drive.  Okay so I lost it, but it has to be around here somewhere!

There I go on a tangent again.  So I'll be down there for him for hopefully a few weeks. In that time, we're hoping he gets a job.  Then we can come back up here get our stuff and move down there...again.  As long as we're making money, as long as we're progressing and not just...stagnant we're both happy  It's just gotten to the point where something's gotta give.