That's right... Walk away!

Bye Felisha! An old classmate posted this pic today and, well, it's kinda how I am feeling today. I am fed up with my job. I physically feel like crap. But guess what? Things are going to get better. I am going to claim it!

I decided (after seeing this gangsta baby striking a pose) that I am not going to let the devil get in my way of my joy or stop me from going after the things I want. #1, a new job! And already today, I received 2 different calls about job opportunities. Hot dawg! Maybe there is something to this "claimin' it" :) Even though neither job is in HR, which is where I was hoping to move to, they are promotions and a considerable salary raise from where I am.

So - something good is gonna happen. Devil, move over, step aside and eat my dust!

3 years toward forever...

Happy Anniversary Boo! 

I can hardly believe it's been three years. Some days, it feels like just yesterday that we were surrounded by our family and friends, promising to love one another forever and ever. Other days, it feels like longer than three years. Maybe it's because we already felt married long before it was ever legal.

Regardless, you are mine and I am yours. I cannot imagine my world without your smile to brighten my days or your hugs to comfort my sensitive spirit. I am so thankful... blessed... that you were created just for me. I could not fathom loving or trusting a person this much, but you changed that. You changed me - and I am better because of it.

Cheers to three years - and many more to come!

Poltergeist movie night!

Last Friday, we hung out with some coworker friends for Poltergeist movie night! We decided it'd be fun to watch the original and then follow that up with a late-night showing of the new remake. After a long work week, I was SO ready for some fun!

We met at our friend's house around 6. We ate pizza, drank beer (and Fireball shots!) and then started the movie around 7. I have to say seeing the original Poltergeist as an adult is so much different than as a child. When I was little, that movie SCARED THE CRAP out of me!

As an adult, it wasn't nearly as scary as I remembered. In fact, I found myself noticing how indifferent and unfrazzled the parents seemed to be. If some of those things were happening in my house, I would've moved LONG before they did. The one bright spot was the short paranormal lady. I crossed my fingers that she might make an appearance in the new remake - but I was disappointed on that one.

The remake was actually good. Better than I expected. Some of the parts were actually a bit more creepy and scary in the newer version. Especially, if you hate clowns. Even this movie poster looks frightening!

I hate interviews!

I know I cannot be alone in this! Phone interview, face-to-face interview, and now, add Skype interview. I hate them all. Who wants to dress up and put their best foot forward only to be critiqued under a microscope and grilled about what type of an employee you might be?!

Luckily, I have not had many phone interviews lately. Those are the worst. I mean, how can a manager or recruiter possibly get the full scope of who you are over a 30 minute phone conversation? There are the same old "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" and "What motivates you?" and "What is your ideal manager?" questions. Although you can ask questions at the end of a phone interview, some things are off limits and you have to be careful not to blow your chances by bringing up salary, time off or anything that might give your interviewer the wrong idea.

On Friday, I was supposed to have 2 live interviews. One cancelled and will probably flake out on hiring externally altogether. The one I did have was just mediocre. I had to do some testing on my personality and smarts. Really, people? Because a person who holds a 4.0 and gets a Master's degree must be a complete idiot! On top of that, the person interviewing me had little to no personality and basically did not veer from her two pages of standard questions. I feel like she got no real glimpse into me or what I can do. It's a shame that I will probably not even make the top 3 cut for round 2 of interviews. The job itself could have provided some great HR experience.

Then, yesterday morning, I subjected myself to a Skype interview with my alma mater to potentially be an instructor. No one looks good on Skype. There are internet connection issues. It is SO far from personable, it is basically a method that should never be used. My school has instructors and administrators in my city, so why not use one of them instead of an old geezer from Indy? Or, if you must use his Ph.D-ness to vet me, fly his butt to my city to conduct a live interview. Overall, it was a waste of time. I feel nothing good came of the Skype interview.

So - back to the drawing board. For my next interview, can someone please hire me on the spot and put me out my misery from doing anymore interviews!?

Lazy is A-ok!

Typically, we have some party or gathering to attend on Derby day. Sometimes, more than one. This year, we were thankful to not have plans so we could just be lazy! It was just what the doctor ordered! We did some laundry and took care of some household "to-dos" (hanging new curtains, putting up new pictures, rearranging the living room). Now that I have time and the focus is no longer on school, it feels like our home is really coming into view.

Sunday was nice too. Relaxing. Lazy. Awesome! There are weekends when I want to get out and do things - but this wasn't one of them. Luckily, my hubs was on board with being homebodies and chillaxing!

Officially "Living on a Spare"!

A couple years ago, my husband and I joined a bowling league. We were recruited by another couple (who later dropped out on us, but that's beside that point!). It was still a fun experience though. We'd been talking about doing another one - and recently, when we were out with a few friends, it came up in conversation.

So, we all discussed it - scheduling, costs, team name, etc. - and decided to go for it! We went to the informational meeting last night and, even though they're a bit more hardcore about the league than the one we had before, we have a good team and it should be a good time. "Living on a Spare" officially gets their bowl on next Wednesday :)

A win-o birthday!

Every year, Rodney and I spend considerable time planning a special day for his mom's birthday. It usually involves dinner someplace, but also, we try to treat her to something she hasn't done before. Last year, it was painting at like a wine/canvas place. This year, we decided to take her to an actual winery for the day... take a tour, do some tasting and then just enjoy a few bottles before dinner. We invited her baby sister to come along because she is a barrel of laughs and knew she would accent the day perfectly.

We woke up to a wet, soggy, blah kinda Saturday. It was NOT the kind of day where you want to be driving on curvy, narrow roads to get to a winery where you can't sit out on the patio as planned. But, we were determined to still make it a great day - and it was! Rod's mom had such a good time and probably had a bellyache at the end of the day from laughing so much. She enjoyed the winery very much and then, because she likes seafood so much, we hit the Red Lobster for dinner. While the food is typically good, we don't always get the best service... but on this day, we did. Halluyeerrrr!!!

Birthdays are special. It is important to celebrate and share them with the people who mean most to you. It's a treat anytime we are able to share a new experience either with each other or with other people we love. You only have one life, so why not live it to the fullest!?