And just like that ... I'm employed!

I got a job offer on Friday with Servpro of Weymouth, where I'll be serving as the office administrator. I would have reported this great news sooner, but I happened to be down with the flu at the time, and only after spending three days moaning on the couch did I recover.

So, praise God! I have a job!

Thoughts about what I need.

So yesterday I was turned down by the 3rd company I've with which I've interviewed. It was the same responses as the last two, "We really liked you, but found someone more qualified."

Oh, was a blow to my fragile ego this is! To think, somewhere, not just in the world, but in the South Shore of Massachusetts, there lives not one, but three people who are better than me in some capacity. I don't know how I'm going to handle this.

Of course, my Mom and Dad assured me (as I sniffled the bad news to them over the phone) that if those companies really knew me, they'd have hired me on the spot. This was the same assurance they gave me back in high school when I was the only girl without a date for Valentine's Day.

My best friend Krista then dropped by with some literal tea and sympathy, as I also happened to develop a nasty head cold yesterday and was in extra need of comfort.

I actually have an interview today with a company in Weymouth called Servpro, which does emergency restorations after flood and fire damage, etc. I have to admit I'm not feeling particular confident about this meeting given that my nose is red and dripping slightly, I'mb talkin lige dhis, and I'm slightly doped up on DayQuil. Is there a professional way to blow your nose during an interview?

"Excuse me, but I have to take this." Blows loudly into Kleenex.

The most difficult thing to deal with is not that I've been rejected three times, although that does sting. It's that I feel like my life is on hold right now. In a pay-to-play world, I feel like I can't do any of things I was to do. Plans to fix up the home, take a trip to Germany, start a family, are all being put off because we don't have the funds for it.

In the Bible, Jesus assures us that God cares for the sparrows, and we are worth so much more than birds! God knows what I need, and he will provide.

I have to ask myself, why is it that I don't need a job right now? Maybe the right one hasn't come up, or there's something else I'm supposed to be doing right now?

In the meantime, all I can do is keep believing, keep applying, and keep my eyes open for new possibilities.

How Twilight should have ended:

As atheists roll out London ads, believers unruffled

"The Atheist Bus Campaign organizer, a young comedienne named Ariane Sherine, took exception last June to several London buses swathed with biblical quotes, placed by Christian fundamentalists.

Her idea to fund a few challenge ads took off; donors sent in $200,000 in two days. Ms. Sherine was joined by Oxford zoologist Richard Dawkins, a leading British atheist and author of "The God Delusion."

He predicted anger from believers. "They have to take offense, it is the only weapons they've got," Mr. Dawkins said as the first bus rolled through the streets of London. "They've got no arguments."

But the response by most faith leaders isn't quite what was expected."

That response was a collective, "Eh."

The line from Richard Dawkins made me chuckle. Sounds like he was making a hypothesis based on a given that turned out to have been derived from his personal world view (i.e. "Anyone who is religious is stoopid."). Kinda irrational for an objective scientist, don't you think?

My reaction is the same as the believers in the article. Our faith has gone through thousands of years of persecutions, critics, revolutions, and revivals, and they expect a couple billboard signs to bring us crumbling to our knees?

As for Dawkins, maybe seeing one assumption proven wrong will cause him to reevaluate the rest of his beliefs?

Probably not, but hey, I am a person of faith.

Cute

Sad Day

My career counselor called me and said not to come in, because he doesn't have any jobs for me today.

Well, I guess it's time to find more lame stuff on the Internet.

Still No Job

I interviewed with another company on Monday, but was told that they turned me down because another candidate was willing to work cheaper. Well, all I can say is you get what you pay for! Not that I'm implying anything untoward about the other candidate, I'm sure she's a very nice girl.

So, today I'm headed back to the Quincy Career Center to talk to my career counselor. The last time we spoke it wasn't very encouraging.

Counselor: Wow, your resume looks great! You have good skills and experience!

Me: Really?

Counselor: Yes, too bad there aren't any jobs out there.

It's been a little discouraging that I haven't found work yet, but all my free time has given me the chance to find lame stuff on the internet.

Sent to me from my friend Garrett:

The Impossible Quiz

Of course, this is only after I've scoured the internet looking for job postings. Honest.

Happy New Year!

New Year's Resolutions are routinely broken, so I've decided that for this year I'm going to make opposite resolutions, so that when I break them, I'll actually be happy about it.

Meghan's Resolutions for the year 2009:

1. Spend less time in prayer and devotion to God
2. Gain 100 pounds
3. Stay unemployed
4. Be a worse wife
5. Stop taking embarrassing pictures of my dog

I'm off to a bad start already - this is going to be a great year!

I need a job ...

As evidenced by the fact that I just spent the last two hours on Facebook.

Christmas Eve Campaign

Every year I've celebrated a tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve. However, part of the tradition was the fact that the opening of a present wasn't a given - it had to be earned through steady manipulation of my father.

On Christmas Eve morning, my brothers and I would begin our campaign on our father, beginning with big hugs and shouts of "It's Christmas Eve! We get to open a present!" Pat would then respond gruffly "Of course you can't open a present!" We would then give him sad eyes and plead. "No," he'd say, "You're not opening a present today, and that's final!"

And thus it continued for the whole day. We'd snuggle into his lap and say "please Papa, just one little present?" He'd always respond no, until right before bed, when he'd finally give in and, with shouts of glee, Jordan, Logan and I would each tear into one present. Afterward, we'd give Pat more hugs and tell him what a wonderful, generous father he is. He totally ate it up.

Now that I've left the home and am married to Taylor, my Christmas Eve campaign continues. Taylor's a harder nut to crack, however, because he can't play the Bountiful Father like Pat, so I have to try a different angle.

Taylor's really big on traditions, so I stress for a week before Christmas how my favorite family memory was the opening of one present. Taylor then says that it's important that we start our own family traditions. I then respond by saying my family has hardly any traditions and he can't take away the one that we consistently celebrated. Taylor then ignores me.

But, so far in three Christmases together, I've won. I'm going four for four this year!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Snow Storm 2008 Update

This snow is still going strong! I shoveled our sidewalks, but they're filled with snow again. :(

I've really glad I bought that extra pound of coffee.

Snow Storm Update

I'm guesstimating that about 10 inches of snow has fallen, but it's hard to tell, since the wind has created drifts. Some parts of our yard are up to 14 inches deep and other parts have barely a dusting of snow.

Below is a captioned picture of my pets' reaction to the snow.

This is a slide show of all the snow so far. It's still going strong, and notice how the snow is darting horizontally in the pictures! Wild!

Snow Storm!

A big storm is on it's way into Boston - the weather reports say that we can expect up to 12 inches of snow tonight and more over the weekend.

Naturally, in the calm before the storm everyone is freaking out and stocking up on bread, milk, and battery chargers for their cell phones. I shouldn't judge too harshly, since I think this is a reaction to the snow disaster we had last year, when everyone ignored the weather reports and all tried to leave work at the same time when the storm struck.

Taylor and I took stock of our winter survival gear, and realized that we have no shovels, rock salt, ice scrapers or windshield wiper fluid. While Taylor went to work, I traveled around Quincy picking up we needed. Unlike apartments, houses don't come with people who shovel the snow for you.

I also picked up an extra pound of coffee, and am waiting in my warm and cozy house for the first flakes to start falling.

The best weather quote I heard today: "The clouds don't look like they're doing much, but they're working themselves up to it."

A Christmas Miracle

I got a good parking spot at Wal-Mart yesterday AND I had a pleasant cashier.

Malls at Christmas

I thought I'd take advantage of my unemployed state to head to the mall today to do an exchange of a present I bought for Taylor. Earlier that morning he and I used a gift card given to me by my parents to order some movies, and he happened to pick a movie I already bought. I tried to dissuade him to no avail. After all, I couldn't go right out and say "Don't order that movie, you dummy, because I already bought it and it's hiding in my pantie drawer!" Like I need to give him anymore reasons to go into my drawers.

I thought that, since most people are working, I would have a pretty easy time navigating the mall. What a fool I was. I should have known that there is a population of people just like me: unemployed but still like to spend money.

All rules that normally apply to social interactions fly out the window when you're searching for mall parking spot. People cut in front of each other. Eye contact is made and maintained as drivers mentally contend for the same spot. Hitting pedestrians is not only acceptable but encouraged. Stalking someone is no longer creepy, it's a smart move to ensure you get their spot. I sometimes wonder if some people, knowing that another is waiting for them to vacate, don't purposely take longer than usual to leave. They kick their tires, open their hoods and check their oil levels. Uh-oh, too low. Gotta get the oil bottle out of the trunk and top it off. Re-check the oil level. That's better. Get inside the car. Take care in buckling the seatbelt, now have to adjust the mirrors, first the left side, then the right side, now the rear view mirror - can't be too careful!

By this time, the other driver has given up and the mall has closed anyway.

All the same, I managed to find a parking spot in a neighboring zip code, battle the lines, be sent to three difference customer service managers, and exchange the movie for another of equal or lessor value. Flushed with victory, I am now ready to face the ultimate holiday nightmare: Wal-Mart.

But I'll do it tomorrow.

First Snow of 2008

A little late in being posted, but this was our first snow! It's gone now, but being New England I'm pretty confident that it will be back again soon.

Sweet!

A new Terminator movie is coming out!

Speaking of interviews ...

I got called in to do a second interview with the architectural firm! Yay and praise God!

The Interview Process

One of the most difficult parts about going to interviews is the feeling that I'm not being entirely honest. They say that the job of the interviewee is to sell herself (figuratively speaking of course. The literal selling of oneself is illegal in most states except Nevada). That's well and good, but I don't want to be accused of false advertising.

For example, I say that I am hard-working, diligent, dependable etc., but the reality is I like to believe I am these things; I often fall short. That honesty, however, doesn't work so well during the interview process.

"Meghan, would you say you are detail-oriented?"

"Well, I would say that I can pay attention to details, like when I re-read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and compared its to The Half Blood Prince and I really picked up on some nuances that I missed before - oh, you mean like, accounting and math and stuff. No, that's boring. "

One of the things I learned in my last job is the importance of managing customers' expectations, such as quickly squashing the notion that they can hire a contractor to remodel their entire home for only thirty-five grand. I feel I should somehow incorporate this principle into my interviews so I can make sure I'm as good a fit as possible for a new company.

"To be frank, I'm really not interested in putting in an ounce of overtime, thank you."

"No, I wouldn't describe myself as a 'team player.'"

"Sure I'm friendly, but only after I've had my 3rd shot of espresso, ya know what I mean?"

On the other hand, I do want to be able to pay my mortgage, so perhaps the real expectations I should be setting are the ones for myself. I can be hard-working! I can be diligent! I can be dependable! Just not for less than $35,000 a year, okay?