And Worse goes back to work

Well, I guess you can disregard that last whiny, emo post I wrote. This morning I received a call from the place I'd interviewed for and was offered the job, which I quickly and gratefully accepted. It'll take a few days to get me in the system and get an employee number, so I'll probably start on Tuesday. That's good because I need to do laundry and get a book of all-zone Trimet passes. So... yay!

Now I can stop being depressed and wash my hair.

On a sad note, to cut costs we're dropping our home phone line (we never use it anyway) and our awesome cable package and DVR. No TCM, no Ovation, etc. I see a lot of PBS in my future. I made a point to get through all of the Charles Boyer movies I'd saved, but didn't get to Errol Flynn or Cary Grant. Sigh. Around 2:00 am I just couldn't stay up any longer, so I lovingly stroked the DVR, told it I loved it dearly, and dragged myself to bed. It's now a goal of mine to restore self-indulgent cable service, including getting HBO again. I'll have the means soon, since, ya know, I HAVE A JOB. Ha!

Not only is this good for me, it's good for you, too! Now I'll have actual things to write about. You won't be forced to suffer through what I had for dinner or a detailed account of something cute my dogs did. Okay, okay, I'll still post that stuff, but I very much look forward to griping about idiot customers and relaying my various adventures on my public transit commute. It's a win-win, really.


Woo!

Maybe, maybe not

I was hoping to have some news for everyone today. I had a job interview this past Friday with a store in Clackamas Town Center mall. I had a follow-up interview two days ago, which was Monday. I know these things can take time, but from what I've read of other people's experiences with this company, job offers usually come on the day of the second interview or on the next day. I haven't gotten a call yet, and I'm feeling an odd combination of emotions about it. Actually, I've had mixed feelings about this entire process.

When I applied online for this position, it was for either a location in Tigard or one in downtown Portland. When the call came in from Clackamas, I hesitated. This is going to sound stupid, but for me, Portland doesn't exist beyond SE 60th Ave. It just doesn't. Clackamas mall is actually in Happy Valley, OR. I was all, "OMG, that's sooo far!" but my mom said, "Call them anyway!" She was right, of course. I was amazed that, despite my homemaker status, I was granted an interview. The first interview I've been given in years.

I had convoluted directions when I went for my first interview. I hate it when the internet fails me. I had allowed myself an hour to get there, and what should have been a 30-minute trip ended up taking 55 minutes to complete. But I made it! I don't know if many know about this, but Glassdoor is a great resource. I knew everything that was going to happen in the interview ahead of time, there were no surprises. Other than being slightly nervous, I felt that I'd done pretty well, and within 2 hours I got the call for the second interview. Score!

For round 2, I had much better directions, and ended up being about 40 minutes early. I just stayed in the car and went over what I was going to be asked. Went in, had what I felt was a great conversation, and was told they'd let me know.

And that's it.

From the moment of the first call, and especially after the first interview, I've felt relief, excitement, dread, and guilt. Relief because my chances are good, excitement because this is my field of expertise and I'm perfectly qualified for this position. Dread because I actually hate retail sales. Guilt because I hadn't even applied for 10 jobs and there are people out there who apply at hundreds of places without getting any calls at all.

Then there's the commute. I'd be using public transportation to get to and from work, and my commute would (will?) be about an hour and a half. Not only that, I would (will?) be going through the worst (highest crime) transit stations to get there. People get stabbed, beaten, robbed, etc. I understand that this happens when there is a high number of people, and public transit just carries risks with it, but... damn! I'd be going way past SE 60th Ave., into the area that just doesn't exist to me, where most of the problems are. Plus it's a 3 zone trip, which costs more. Am I whining? Maybe. Do I have money for a hospital bill, or savings in case I'm robbed, or an alternative mode of transportation if necessary? No, I don't.

I need work, though, so if that call does come in, I will gladly and gratefully take it. I like this store as a customer, and I think I would like it as an employee, too.

While I wait, I need to think of other places to apply. It also occurred to me that I might be able to use this opportunity to get into another line of work. I have no idea what that might be, but it's a thought. I doubt anyone would be willing to hand me a welding torch (seriously, would I not be the coolest metal worker ever?!), but maybe I could get on with a bakery or something.

Also toying with the idea of making something to sell, but of course there are no guarantees with that either.

So, I don't actually have any news to share. At least I know now that there are places willing to give me an interview. I'll just keep at it. I'm feeling depressed and hopeful at the same time, if that makes any sense. If you're in the same boat as I am, hang in there.

We'll get through this.

Thanksgiving 2011

I was planning on posting a slew of photos, but the truth is, I'm just too tired to edit them all, put them in order, write up the descriptions, etc. Luckily, my wonderful mother made a video with pictures of the whole process, so I'm going to be lazy and post it. I give you... An Old-Fashioned Vegan Thanksgiving!


Those rolls almost did me in. Everything had been going so well up until that point. I'd prepared the stock, apple relish, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie the previous day, and I was ahead of schedule. Feeling way too good about myself, I turned some music up obscenely loud (through headphones, I didn't make anyone else suffer) and semi-danced, semi-headbanged along while mixing the dough. Yeah, well, pride goeth before a fall, and all that. I left out the milk and by the time I realized it, it was too late. I had to start over, but ran out of flour. I was 1/2 cup short, give or take. I tore through the cabinets in desperation, found some oatmeal, and threw some of it into the blender. Instant oat flour! So they're actually oat dinner rolls, and they turned out fantastic. Still, dinner was half an hour late because of my mistake. I hate that.


Mmmmmmmmmmm. Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. You know, I've been so stressed out about finding a job (no luck yet), and I've been feeling pretty discouraged about everything. Several people we know, or know of, who all seemed to have perfect lives, have had some truly awful things happen to them recently. I mean, horrible stuff. All I have to do is find a measly job, that's all. Things could certainly be worse. So... I'm thankful that things aren't so bad, that we had a wonderful meal, and... I'm extremely thankful that my wonderful aunt and uncle are lending me money so I can buy a ticket for...


Omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg!!!!!!!!!!! :D May 14th, baby!!!!

*ahem*

I wanted the dogs to have a Thanksgiving meal, too. I served them their everyday food with pumpkin brown rice, roasted potatoes with nutritional yeast, peas, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans, and a cranberry.

Basil knows what's up.
So everyone here is stuffed. Somehow we managed to find room for pumpkin pie and chocolate cake...


And that's it!

You know, for all the effort that went into this post, I could have just stuck with my original idea of posting pics. Hmmm.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!!!

How do I end this extended vacation that I didn't want in the first place?

Through a series of unfortunate circumstances and undesirable events, I have basically been a "homemaker" for a little over 4 years now. Oddly enough, I never seem to have any free time, as there is always some sort of crisis happening that requires my attention. I've been a busy girl! Wrinkles are being ironed out, though, and it's time for me to regain some independence. In other words, I need a job.

What a miserable time to re-enter the workforce, eh?

I realize that the longer a person has been out of work, the less desirable he or she is to a potential employer. I've read that if you've been out of circulation for more than 6 months, many places won't even consider you. Apparently we get stale like old loaves of bread. In an attempt to sidestep this, I decided to aim really low. I've applied at a thrift shop, a pet supply store, and a convenience store.

Nothing.

I really don't want to have to apply at a fast food chain. I don't think I'd be able to stand the stench of cooked meat sinking into my pores. I may not have a choice, though. And even then, they may not want me either. Maybe I could clean motel rooms? How did my life trickle down to this sludge of an existence?

This much rejection can make a person feel absolutely worthless. I have to remember that this isn't personal. I know that there are people who had to submit hundreds of applications before they found something. I am by no means unique in this struggle. Empathy doesn't pay bills, though.

So I'm pressing on. I'm a drop in the sea of desperation, surging toward a solid shore, but always sliding back with the tide.

On a drive with my mom recently I made a joke that it's a shame that I don't have a nice enough body to be a stripper. Not 5 seconds later we passed a gentlemen's club with a sign that said "Now hiring dancers." Argh!

Something has to work out eventually, right? I mean, it has to. Doesn't it?

Just smile and nod. It'll make me feel a little better, at least.

Und schlimmer!

I've made no secret that my Spanish half was a source of frustration when I was younger (see here). Living in Florida didn't help. I cannot tell you how many times a random person would approach me and just start speaking to me in Spanish, only to be met with a blank stare and a mumbled, "No hablo español." This resulted in anything from mild disappointment to complete outrage. "But you should! Is good language!" someone once yelled at me. Evidently, I am a disgrace to every single one of my ancestors in Latin America. Oops.

No one has ever looked at me, taken in my 5'6" build and my dark features, and exclaimed, "Guten tag! Wie geht es ihnen/dir?" This never bothered me, as I was convinced that the world should converse only in French. Lately, though, I've taken a bit of an interest in my German heritage. As far as I know, my family is from Großkarlbach in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Ta da!
Actually, my journey into this is silly. We had company from out of town, and everyone wanted hamburgers (gag), so I was dragged to Buffalo Wild Wings with the promise of beer and a football game being shown. I made a meal of their soft pretzels with mustard and a side salad (and beer, of course). This was almost a month ago and I've been hooked on pretzels ever since. That got me thinking of other German foods. Also, I was spending a lot of time alone during much of October, so I started using a free online German course. And, separately, I've recently become a huge Rammstein fan. So if someone were to ask me, "So, what got you interested in Germany?" I'd say, "Well, pretzels and Rammstein." Then whoever was speaking to me would roll his or her eyes and walk away. But there it is.

I connect to cultures through food, as many do, so of course I had to get in the kitchen. First off, I made a cake!

Versunkener Apfelkuchen - from The Joy of Vegan Baking
I bought a package of Tofurky Beer Brats, did the typical sauerkraut, onion, and mustard on a brat in a bun. Meh. I was more interested in veganizing...

Currywurst mit pommes!
O...m...g... That's a Tofurky Beer Brat cut up, browned in a pan, with curry ketchup and more curry sprinkled on top, with french fries topped with Vegenaise. Oh, curry ketchup, where have you been all my life? Seriously, this is love. Anyway, the meat version of this is apparently really popular in Berlin. The vegan version? Yum!

Kartoffelpuffer - potato pancakes
Those were a big hit with everyone. I'll be making more things over time. I checked out "The German Cookbook" by Mimi Sheraton from the library, which is a more horrifying read than a Stephen King novel for a vegan like me, but I'm getting ideas for some dishes that I want to adapt.

My language course is okay. It just teaches you things you'd need to know for a vacation, like asking for directions and ordering food. Red wine in German is really hot, by the way. I may or may not have fantasies of a hot waiter growling "rrrrrrotWEIN" in my ear now. Once I finish this, I want to go back to basics in grammar and all that.

The majority of German I'm learning is from Rammstein's music, though. Yeah, sure, I remember when "Du Hast" came out. I thought it was good, but didn't notice much else. Sometimes it takes a while to really connect with a band. "Ich Tu Dir Weh" is what did it. I have 3 albums so far, "Liebe ist für alle da," "Rosenrot," and "Reise, Reise" (my favorite). I've also joined the thousands of women who lust over Till Lindemann. Sigh. I mean, how can you not?


Ahem.

I recently caught a cold, and I don't even feel like speaking English, much less German. I'm content to just glare at people and grunt responses to yes or no questions. I got tired of having a runny nose, so I packed some cotton in there so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I have no idea if "du riechst so gut" or not, as my nose is packed up tighter than a porcelain vase being shipped through the mail. But I'll keep at it. I want to take a trip to Berlin someday, preferably in December. It's surprisingly easy to find veg options there, thanks to Happy Cow. Plus...


The Christmas markets are calling to me!

;)