Year: 2011

So as you may have noticed, I have updated my site with a new layout – at least for the blog. I also made some tweaks to the poetry site, but I don’t think I will touch that site much more unless I add a new poem or something along those lines.

School is the title. How crazy is that? I am out of work – with nothing coming in. There are talks of my dad getting a job. He has been applying in multiple places not excluding places that are out of state. Just throwing that little bone out there. The big elephant in the room would beg the question: Oregon or Washington? The answer: no. Not either of those places.

What else…..? oh yes the school thing. I am in the process of applying and getting things ready for classes (a big part will be to see how much help I qualify for with the government).

That’s right. Azusa Pacific University. I looked into them a little when Jars of Clay had a contest for free tuition. I won’t find out if I lost that contest until December. In the meantime I have been thinking that I need to do something with my life. I can’t find a job and don’t want to take anything to get by – so why not see about returning to school? Time is ticking either way – and if I am going to have to be out of work I might as well do something with that time. I think that it is something worth looking into…

So I wouldn’t be going to the campus for classes, rather I would be attending online. The choice for me to take classes at the campus would remain open if that opportunity ever became something that I could feasibly do. So that’s my news. Right now I am waiting to hear if I was accepted or not. I guess the whole thing could end quickly if they tell me that I am not accepted in. We shall see. I checked to see if they were like Cascade with a 100% acceptance and they aren’t. They actually pick about 80% of people who apply.

I met up with Ben and JJ and Krystal this week. It was nice to feel like there are people out there who still like me and want something to do with me. A lot of catching up was done. Caught up with Ben over water and coffee at a local Starbucks, and with JJ and Krystal we played a bit of basketball while talking throughout the night.

We have now watched Seasons 1 thru 3 of Greys Anatomy. Currently on season 4. So far my fav. have been the first three seasons. We are going to watch all 7 seasons (to the current 8th). Fun times.

That’s all I have for now. I will leave you with a picture I took recently while Jake was sleeping. It’s pretty cute.

Until next time,

just Pray.

Two updates over two days? Crazy.

Well in sports news the Yankees clinched a playoff spot and the AL east. Fun times, the post season is almost here!

I was reading news on my twitter the other day and thought this link was cool. It’s from my old church, thought some might also find it just as cool as I did. Here is the article.

So yesterday we took Jake (our cat) to the vet.

He is seen above chillin on the couch. We had to take him in to be checked out for vomiting. Unfortunately he has been doing so rather consistently for some time now (multiple months on end). We have tried expensive food, wet food, cheap food.. we have tried mixing up when we feed him, how often and even how much. Nothing helped.

Thankfully with a coupon for a free checkup we found online we brought him in. They let us know he needs blood work ($200) to start, plus we should also look into some of the prescription food they have as he may be diabetic. Costs of an 8lb. food bag is some 50 dollars.

Ouch, ouch and more ouch. I can’t afford that. I hope the little guy can stay healthy because I’ll need a job before I can start that process. Those are required if it’s a simple fix. He would need to stay on that new food going forward. Or if it did not take care of his issue there would be other surgeries that we could have them do. The cost would however be through the roof. Quite possibly through my credit card too.

So here’s hoping he can stay healthy until we can afford it. If he can’t then they said we would need to take him to the ER.

Sigh.

Can I catch a break already?

just Pray

So here it is.

It’s been a week or two after I had thought about writing an update.. and truth be told I had an extensive update typed up two nights ago but there were some technical difficulties and it was lost in the digital wave.

So lets begin with Chase. To put it simply, it is no longer. I am no longer working at Chase. I spoke to some of the management and let them know that I could not continue to work for the company. I really wanted something not call center based. They were very understanding, more than I had anticipated. It was good, plus I am rehire-able for future positions if I find I am interested in applying again.

About the same time I was offered a job at Mollen immunization. I would verify medical documents that needed to be in their system. In addition to paperwork that might need to be checked over and whatnot. It paid 10 per hour and was pretty far away from where I live, but I considered it a good opportunity to once again finally get out of the call center work.

I suppose I thought wrong. Let me explain.

It began two weeks ago this Sunday at orientation. They had informed me that the need was strong to start ASAP. This was my understanding as well. Why else would you host an orientation on Sunday Sept 11th? Other than that it seemed to be what I wanted to hear too, busy with lots of work. Plus there was an option for overtime. Lots of it. Even better.

At the end of orientation they told me and everyone else (after pulling each one aside to tell them individually) that work would not start for at least another week as there wasn’t enough work to start right away.

Um… in this economy that’s not so much what I want to hear. Did I also mention it would be a temp job? Yep. It was scheduled to end in December.

They told us we would hear something by Thursday. So I wait. I waited and heard nothing. I contacted them and have received no response.

Saturday comes along and I finally get a working schedule emailed to me- except it’s part time. Really? Even better than that, I get a call later that day saying that the next week schedule that I had received is inaccurate and will need to be pushed back another week due to low levels of work. Also, the hours are given based on work. So some weeks might be part time, others full time.

Really? Could it get any worse?

A day or two later I receive a call explaining that they have an opening in high demand for a new position. They thought that I would be a great fit. Not only that but I’d be able to keep my rate of pay going forward. As if that were some kind of favor.

“it will be strictly phone work, in a call center setting”. I’d be taking calls all day, everyday.

I didn’t like what I heard. I felt that perhaps this company wasn’t really hiring with the intent to give me the other job. I let them know that I couldn’t move forward with their offer. In turn, they have not contacted me once since then. I assume I’ve heard the last of them as they fail to effectively communicate unless it is them who wants or needs something.

Fun times, right? I’ve not had that experience before, but in this economy I can believe it.

For the record I find it annoying. I’ve been applying to other jobs but have not heard anything from anyone that wasn’t spam or a scam.

I have however been watching a tv series to occupy some spare time.

You see it above, Grey’s anatomy. I’ve taken a real liking to the show. Plus I have extra time during my evenings so we are currently trying to catch up on all 8 seasons. Right now were almost done with 3 full seasons. Shouldn’t be too much longer before we are current.

Maryia has had a little success as of late and landed some photography jobs. It will help. Plus it should expand her contact list out here.

This was taken at one of the locations her photo shoot was.

Other than that, Maryia was out of town for a week- last week visiting her family. She enjoyed herself.

I suppose that’s all of an update I have in me for now.

just Pray

Wow. So much can happen over a short time.

Never forget.

It blows my mind that TEN years has past since that day.

I still remember. I was woken up early that day by my mom who rushed into my room and turned on my TV. She told me I had to see the news and what was going on. There I was, a junior in high school- sleepy eyed and half awake thrown into shock and confusion on what was unfolding before my eyes. Then – an explosion. Now the second tower is in flames. I didn’t know what to think or believe. I was in shock watching these business people hanging outside a sky scraper some 90+ stories above the ground holding on for dear life. Some people fell (or jumped) rather than fight the inevitable death. It was like watching a horror movie but knowing it was all really taking place.

I went to school that day. Half the student body didn’t show up and the rest – like myself – appeared to be in shock. I remember in math class the teacher paused when entering the room, went over to his radio and turned it on. The rest of the period we listened to what was reported. The pentagon. The towers falling. And speculation of another plane headed for the white house? Additional planes they didn’t know about yet?? Our world as we know it was thrown into war. A war on American soil.

We were released early from school that day. I remember walking home and staring at that sad looking flagpole with the flag hanging at half mast. At home I watched the news until I couldn’t keep my eyes open, talking to friends on AIM and really just not knowing what else to expect.

Thankfully that was the extent of the attacks that day. Rescue crews would tirelessly look for survivors over the next week or two, all to come up empty handed. This event has forever reshaped history, domestically and internationally.

9/11/01
Never forget.