Working from home…and staying busy

Wow, so after my contract ran out with Western I really expected to have another job lined up…but I don’t.  Yet I’m not terribly upset.

I’ve got some prospects of course, a few resumes and applications still floating out there (only for jobs I’d REALLY love, because I’m trying to remain particular about that still), but overall, I’ve been SO busy working from home, I’ve surprised myself.

I’ve got a wedding I’m currently editing.  I have a picture restoration proejct on the way.  And a possible HD video project for a local company getting lined up.  Also a wedding in August.  Needless to say, I’ve found myself busily working from home everyday.

In fact, I feel a little guilty that I’m slacking and updating my blog instead of working…so goodbye for now!

PS Don’t forget to check my movie opinion blog at http://andylikesmovies.wordpress.com.  It’s not a review site…just an opinion site.  You’ll see why if you go there.

Marketing…not I.T.

So I knew this all along, but for some reason didn’t listen to my instincts.  Oh that’s right, because I have a family to provide for.  Today was Sparrow Hospital’s Career Fair for their I.T. department (Information Technology for those who were saying, “Wha..?”).  I went.  There were easily 100 people that I could see (and it has JUST begun), and we were all lined up in the Lansing Center lobby.  I got my chance at the table with the H.R. screeners and after reviewing my resume for a moment, the girl said, “I’m sorry…but I think…well…you don’t have the experience…or the education…or just the background even for the I.T. department.  Maybe you could sign up as a web developer…but that’s about it…”  Then she said something that she didn’t have to, but I still appreciated, “Keep an eye on our website, because you’d make a good fit with our marketing department for sure!”

I’d spoken with a marketing rep from Sparrow in the past.  I should re-contact them.  They asked me if I could do freelance video, which I couldn’t back then but can now…aside from that, no real news that most of you haven’t heard already on the job front.  I’ve had some very good interviews, and am waiting on two in particular right now.  I also have two more applications in that I’m awaiting a response on.

Am I alone?

Has anyone else seen the resemblance?

Ok, so Johnny 5 is missing the trash compactor body…aside from that, binocular style eyes, clamping hands, and bulldozer tread-like feet.  Nah…Disney’s original…I’m probably just crazy.

Wow.

I can’t explain this.  Sometimes it feels like even though I’m losing my job, we’re selling our house, and are starting a family very shortly, we’re just SO taken care of.  It’s the small things.  And yet, but small things, I mean it’s everything.  First of all, Chandra’s baby shower was incredible.  SO many family members showed up.  It was overwhelming.  And humbling.

THEN, people have been just coming out of the woodwork to support me.  Complimenting me and telling me how great of a job I’ve done and all that…it’s been so (again) humbling.

THEN, my sister-in-law Amanda had a birthday last month and her boyfriend got her an amazing new camera because he felt like it.  So the other day she GAVE US her (still completely functioning) old camera.  It’s GREAT.  Especially concerning our old camera’s battery life.  Nonetheless…just an amazing blessing with a baby on the way to have a new working camera.

THEN, my co-worker got a well-deserved job change moving into a position we’d both wanted (but he honestly was more qualified for since I’m more creative and he’s more technical).  When that happened, he realized he wouldn’t have time to work on the weddings he had to edit this summer and asked if I’d like to borrow his PowerMac G5 to edit it over the summer.  I agreed, he mentioned he couldn’t pay me as much as it deserved to pay…and didn’t want me to go without ample pay.  So I JOKINGLY suggested that he just GIVE me the computer.  He LOVED that idea.  He’s been trying to get out of the video/graphics side-business he started a while ago and his wife and he were wondering how to go about that.  So…short story long (you read that right) I’m typing this on my new PowerMac G5.  :)  At least, it’s mine when I finish those videos.  But it’s still here in my house.  WOO!

So needless to say…as much as I may worry about finances sometimes…we’re feeling VERY taken care of with the technology side of life right now.  Thanks everyone for the love.

We’re all fools…or at least that must be what Dubya thinks.

I’m sorry, this is it. If you don’t see it anymore you are blind. Completely. President Bush today is asking Congress to lift the ban on offshore drilling to ‘ease American suffering’ due to high gas prices.

First of all, that kind of relief wouldn’t come for at LEAST 8 years (both sides of the debate agree to that). Secondly, is anyone else less than surprised? Seriously, a President whose dubious family ties to oil companies (W’s grandfather made his riches in the oil industry) and a Vice President who had to resign as CEO of Haliburton to take up his post as VP…and all of a sudden in their last year in office our prices SURGE (right before you can bet their ties to the oil companies will begin to accrue financial gain again).

I’m not saying it’s ALL their fault. Obviously world demand (Chinese are now driving cars more than riding bikes etc) has a lot more to do with it…but off-shore drilling? Come on…that’s just a STUPID plan.

Sweet sassy molassey!

So I was with my wife’s family one night this week celebrating my brother-in-laws birthday (22…wow, I met him when he was 12…life is flying by crazy fast).  Anyway, while we’re there my sister-in-law was showing us the AWESOME new camera that her boyfriend had gotten her for her birthday (last month) and was asking me some questions about its features.  As we’re talking she says, “I’m not sure why he got me this, I already had a decent camera, but this one is definitely superior.  Hey…do you guys want my other camera?”

YES!!

So now we FINALLY have a working camera, that’s very high-quality, with a large memory cache (uses SD cards, which I have already) and doesn’t chew up and spit out batteries like our old one.

THANK YOU AMANDA!!!

Stupid phone…

I lost my stupid ugly phone somewhere.  I hate it anyway…but it’s our main line of communication into and out of this house.  However, it’s interesting that when I have to rely on Chandra’s phone for my cell (I drove around today) it DOES NOT get cell signal where my phone DOES.  Same brand, same model.  Stupid Nextel.

Anyway, I’m probably going to have to get a new one, because I called the hotel where I thought I lost it (was in Chicago moving my brother back to Clio this weekend).  Then I called my brother and he said they’d scoured the truck and didn’t find anything.  My parents scoured the van I’d ridden in out to Clio…I have absolutely NO idea where it is.  I don’t remember at all….honestly.  Weird.  Hopefully it turns up, because while Nextel OWES me a new phone anyway (I’m a great customer apparently) I don’t want to deal with set up charges and such.

Luckily I was smart and backed up my phone book onto an excel spreadsheet recently.  But still…*sigh*.

So don’t call me.  And if you do, my message will direct you to Chandra’s phone or my work phone (depending on the time of day or day of the week obviously).

Prepping the house

Stress…sheesh.

I have to finish painting two walls in the baby’s room tonight.

When it stops raining this week I have to mow the lawn.  Also, I have to use Round-Up on all the weeds and then lay down mulch.  Think it’ll stop raining enough for me to do this before our open house on Sunday?  I doubt it too.  Especially since I’m heading out to Chicago on Friday night to help my brother move home.  Wow…I typed the word home and then almost corrected it to say, “back to Clio” but I think the way it is is appropriate.

Anyways…I’m just praying it stops raining.  I REALLY had counted on getting some yard work done this week.

3 Major Stresses

Why we do this to ourselves, we’ll never know.  But Chandra and I always seem to just LAYER major life stresses on top of each other…maybe it’s to get it all over at once, or maybe like my parents always claimed, I’m just a glutton for punishment (FYI mom & dad, didn’t know what that meant for YEARS). 

We’ve decided to have a baby (obviously), and look at selling our house, while I’m under the constant pressure of losing my job at the end of this month.  Now, that last one I can’t control, and we didn’t know I was losing my job when we decided to try for a baby…but the house thing?  I dunno…expanding family needs expanding house?  That’s what we’ll say for now I guess.

Oh, and we’ve decided to just go public with the baby name.  Elliott Claire.  That’s her first & middle and if you don’t know my last name…well then you’re a creepy lurker reading my blog…which is cool, welcome!  But yes, Elliott Claire.  Elliott because we love boys names for girls, and are big fans of Scrubs…and frankly Chandra can be just as goofy as Elliott on that show.  And Claire because we met in Clare, MI (but wanted it spelled differently because frankly there’s not a lot of pride in having met in THAT town of all towns).

Ok, I need to go get groceries while my 7 months pregnant wife sleeps on the couch.  Pray that I don’t shut the door too loudly and that she doesn’t wake up and freak out not knowing where I’ve gotten off to!

Update. (What a crappy “title”)

So it’s been a few days since an update.  Actually 8 I believe.

Last weekend we went to the boat, had a good time.  Got sunburned, both of us.  Chandra’s is worse SOLELY because of the pattern (farmers) and the fact that she’s in a wedding next weekend which means pictures of the goofy shapes will be immortalized in their wedding pictures forever.

The neighbor kids are out in their yard enjoying the weather and sliding uphill on a slip and slide.  Not sure how they’re warding off gravity, but I may go and ask.  It’s the kind of slip and slide with a hose connection thta sprays water up out of some inflatable half-circle at the end.  Those things used to hurt so bad…but I could’ve cared less.  Those bumps and bruises from the rocks that we inevitably laid the slick piece of yellow plastic only wide enough for half my body while my knees dragged on the grass thus decreasing my intertia/rate of speed…were awesome.

Chandra and I are considering selling the house.  Yeah.  We love our little house.  But the word little there is more prevalent than the word house.  Maybe I should says we love our little bungalow.  It’s quaint.  It’s comfortable.  And it’s clean.  However, it’s small.  And we’re starting a family now, we need to consider those needs.  Anyway, the first thing is to meet with a realtor, which we’re doing tomorrow at 11am.  She was the selling realtor when we bought the house almost two years ago, and she did a wonderful job posting it all over the internet, and just plastering information about it. Very detailed, including one of those panoramic virtual tours.  We’re hoping she does the same thing this time.

Anyway, that’s half the plan.  The other half would be where do we move if we sell?  Dewitt probably.  Chandra’s mom volunteered to watch our girl for at least the first year (until boating season kicks in) and it’d just be nice to be near someone who we knew would babysit at the drop of a hat.  Although, no matter the distance, I know my mom feels the same way, so I think either way we’re covered.  :)  We’ve found some homes online we think are nice, but we really shouldn’t even start looking.  With my job situation and not having been pre-approved for anything yet, we’re not really sure what our range will be, and are just basing it on what they told us last time (but we do make more money now).

Anyway, that’s my update.  Still super excited about having a daughter too!  We got the crib, and the pack and play, and the high-chair which were a few of the big ticket items we were REALLY grateful to get.  Chandra and I need to write some thank you notes though…we’ve NOT been good about that yet.  I wanted to do them tomorrow, but with the realtor coming over and Enoch’s Path, I’m not sure when I’ll have time.  May Chan can start them.  …and finish them if she gets carried away.