Keepin' on.

Just completed my

42nd

job application!

Friday Blogging

Requested Blogging #2 has arrived.   When I began my internship, there was a group of 4 or 5 interns leaving who had worked there the previous semester.  They were gathering their personal items from the office to take home, and each had varying amounts of pictures or office items they had brought with them.  One intern said to another, "I noticed that you tend to nest."    "What?" the other intern asked, smiling.   "I've shared two offices with you now, and you nest- you bring stuff from home to decorate your desk," she said, noting the items the other intern was gathering up.    "Oh.  Well I guess I do- it's nice," she responded.   The term made me laugh, because I am a nester myself.  And I haven't had an office allll my own in FOUR years, so I'm really enjoying having one at my internship site this summer.  Nesting?  Ha.  Mayby pack-ratting or moving in is a better term.  I actually made a list of all the stuff I brought into the office so I can even remember to bring it all home with me:   Coffee mug Drink tumbler thing (coffee container #2) Water bottle Hand lotion Hand sanitizer Nature calendar Penguin mouse pad Rain jacket Umbrella Stuffed bunny rabbit for by my monitor Brita water pitcher Box of berry flavored powdered drink packets Box of granola bars Bag of pretzels Hand weights (ok ok...I read about a way to counteract sitting at a desk/office all day, is to use the hand weights if you think about it once in a while and I always wanted to do this, but never had my own office in which to do this inconspicuously.  I've been so busy I haven't used them though. Although I've been able to do some yoga stretching when I've been sitting in front of the computer too long.  Woooooo for offices!!) 9 psychology books   I guess I am a nester.

Requested Blogging

Apparently I have a blogging request all the way from Paris Texas! I can certainly ramble for a bit, but I can't promise to have a point. In fact it's so random I should probably make it a list. 1. Recipe for the smelliest lunch box in history of the world: -Cut up fresh veggies for lunch like cucumber, red peppers, and raw asparagus. Add jello pudding cup and cheese sticks. -Forget to freeze your normal ice packs the night before, so opt for inferior smaller ice packs for the lunch. -Get called into an interview across town at the last minute, throw your bag and lunch box into the car and driiiiiiive -Leave your bag and lunch box in a closed car parked in the sun for an hour and a half It's like a composite pile taking place in your lunch box! I think it's the smell of the aspargus mostly, but the veggies are wilted and slimey, the jello pudding appears to have heated up from the inside out.....WOW. 2. As noted, I had an interview yesterday, scheduled at the last minute, and it went very well! They said I'll have a second interview. 3. I'm a job-applying-for machine. I saw a new job posting this morning at 7:20 for an employer I applied to before. I changed the application and cover letter I had sent to them previously, printed them with my resume, addressed an envelope (this place is low tech) and was out the door with it by 7:30. Application is on its happy way to the employer today care of US postal service. 4. I dont' know why I packed raw asparagus today again (different asparagus...the composted stuff got thrown out). But it smells almost as bad even when not sitting in the sun. But using Jedi mind tricks on myself, I ate the stinky veggies. 5. I like round numbers, so I needed to add a number five. HI to Michelle in PARIS!! (Texas...)

Here Is The Idea...

So, I have been unemployed for over a month now. Unemployed is a misnomer, because I have been employed in many, many tasks, and I report to not one supervisor but two. I just don't get paid for it. But I love what I'm doing. So much so that I haven't worried too much during this adventure (as compared to my astounding capacity for worrying). The choice I made just feels right. How being unemployed during a recession with a mortgage to your name can feel right, I can't explain, except to say this is the idea...


The idea was/is that I will start a job shortly after finishing my internship in August, which places me in the middle of job-hunting now. I've applied for 20 good jobs over the past month. I have one interview coming up so far. It still feels right and okay. While I don't know what I will be doing in August/September, I believe I will be employed. That's the ideal.

Happy Fourth!!!

Happy Fourth from all of us at Lisa's Safari Household.

Sphinx: "Have baskets of fun!"

Sahara: "Visit the park! Everyone should visit the park!"


Tracy: "What is dis ting?"

"Oh, pictures! Pictures!" *SMILE*

Record Heat

Being without air conditioning in my car in the Texas heat has changed my behavior.  I'm learning some new tips and tricks common to my without-AC culture particular to summer.  Like:   Wear layers and remove all that are socially allowable when you enter the car   Keep at least 2 bandanas in the car, one to restrain hair while windows are down and another to dry face, neck, arms as needed.   Plan your clothes carefully if you know you'll need to drive somewhere in the middle of the day, such as a change of shirt and wearing dark pants..    Check the weather before getting in the car.  Encountering rain means choosing between sweltering heat in an enclosed car or allowing the rain to tumble in through open windows.  Alternatively, encountering rain can signal the need for a spontaneous trip to Taco C to wait out the weather.    Check traffic before getting in the car.  It's not so breezy this summer, so the car moving is the only source of air flow usually.  It may be worth taking a longer route home to avoid stopped traffic.    Memorize where road kill is located on your commute in order to choose lane furthest away   Notice garbage trucks.  Figure out where "down wind" is located and avoid.   When encountering roadkill/garbage/smokers in stopped traffic, check the wind direction to strategically select one window to roll up.    Accept that your primary descriptor this summer will frequently be "sweaty."    Think of every car ride as a free session in a sauna.  No gym fees needed.    And so far this summer is setting heat records!  Woooooo HOOO!  For my continue health and basic survival, I am getting a quote on fixing my AC soon.    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6493802.html

Top Ten

I have definitely been able to fill up my new found free time. I have finally been able to cross somethings off of my "good intentions list" (and add new ones)

10. Bake! Quiche, turkey artichoke casserole, turkey philo pie, cheesecake, chocolate cake, cookies

9. Paint my nails

8. Clothes shop (necessary evil)

7. Clean off a 2 foot pile of last semester's school work from my kitchen counter

6. Go on vacation

5. Take the dogs outside—to the park, arboretum, lake

4. Sleep! relax!

3. Reorganize/shuffle items and furniture in rooms

2. File/follow up on paperwork including receiving 5 refunds

1. Get my car fixed. Well, step one of two is done at least. No more "check engine" light.

But the awesome part is I'm loving my internship almost as much as my new-found free time. It's good to know that after 2.5 years and so-man school loans later, that I picked my career correctly.