Mandelin Plays Along

Health with an infant?

2010-07-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

My company is doing this health screening thing today so no breakfast for me until it is done. But hooray for convenience.

Here are my numbers.

Triglycerides: 65 (good)

Total Cholesterol: 143 (excellent)

Glucose: 79 (good)

HDL: 57 (good)

LDL: 73 (good)

Blood Pressure: 118/82 (very good)

BMI: 43 (Morbidly obese)

Weight: 247

I like to pretend that all I care about is being "fit" but really I just want to eat candy bars and be a size 6. When I found out that I was pregnant I thought oh I will only gain 13 pounds and then it will all be gone when I have the bebe. Ha HA! I think I ended up gaining 45-50 lbs and maybe lost 10 lbs when I had the bebe. Now I have an even 100 lbs to lose 125 would be better.

Recent indicators that I have more than a weight problem and it is an issue of mind set.

I am scared to lose the weight because I don't want to yo-yo and I don't know what I will look like half my size.

After I had Saby my Mid-wife said I would need to eat more to support breastfeeding. Eat more??? what kind of advice is that? eat more of what? the extra weight I packed on sorta indicates that I was already eating too much.

A friend excitedly told me that she is now below her pre-pregnancy weight. She explained a bit about how much she gained and how happy she was to reach her goal. She then asked me how much I had gained during my pregnancy and I was embarrassed to say that I gained 50 lbs.

My Grandmother-in-law asks me if I am exercising every time I see her. Where is the time? I have a full time job, a beautiful bebe and am looking for a new job.

I suppose if I made it a priority in my life then I would get it done. Why was I embarrassed to admit what everyone can see? I think if I have to admit it to other people then I have to admit it to myself and own the weight gain.

Office Kitsch

2008-02-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

I have one of the most awesome jobs; at least I think it is awesome. I have my own office which is pretty dang sweet; considering that most of the world seems to be in cubical farms.

I get to listen to my own music as loud as I want, I have room for a little fridge (more on that later). There are drawbacks of course, but one of the very best is that I get to decorate it the way I want, and I really do not need to worry about what people think of what I do. So here are a couple of projects that I did especially for my office.

So these two were the molds that held my speakers in the box usually these are Styrofoam and never very interesting. I was really quite surprised that they were made from paper. The paint went on really well and I have gotten complements on them from my coworkers.

I used some old Ethernet cable that I had left over from this or that. I stripped the outer insulation off and then just twisted up colored pairs of wire to make a nice burst of color.

I may have a problem

2008-01-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

I love Sunday; it is the end of one week and the beginning of a next. Sunday is the most relaxing day for me. The day where I clean. Yes I know that sounds really odd. There is something about getting my house tidy and in order. It is like my house is an extension of my self and as I pick this up and put that away I am clearing my mind. As I throw out this bit of trash, I am tossing a little insecurity along with it. As I vacuum up my rug I am sucking up all the little mistakes that only I noticed. (*sigh*) :)

I know this must sound like I am a little neurotic and should be taking something for it. I am fairly sure that I do not have OCD, I go through my life like Pig Pen. I work in an office job but I swear I end up with more dirt on me then when I work in the garden. My house is pretty much in utter turmoil until Sunday. I still just drop my things as soon as I hit the door. Mail is opened and tossed on my Desk chair to be dealt with later. Ahh but that is why I love Sundays, the day where I clean up from the week before.

Refocus

2008-01-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

So I thought I would write about me in my job and working the corporate system. While I do have something to say about work, I wasn't feeling it.

Instead I am going to "play" along. That is I am going to focus on the things that get me excited. Duct tape, fabric, crafts of all kinds. Music, History, Art, Movies, Biking, Yoga, Cooking... All the fun Stuff in life. All the stuff I like to do when I am not rocking the Job. (Which I love!!)

I hope that everyone is really excited.

Here is my first post on The new Focus.

I have a super drafty door that leads to my laundry room and a back door. I have been sticking dish towels there to block the draft and they help quite a bit. However, since I only use paper towels to drain my bacon, I kinda need the towels. So I dug into my stash and found this great green stripped canvas and made a door snake and a matching "rug" for my dogs dish.

The Door Snake ended up a little short but that was because I was not paying attention.

I had to make a rug for my Toby-kins because he will get a mouth of food and walk 20 feet to drop it on a rug to eat off of. This is really just a piece of scrap material sewn into a rough square. I need to hit up a dollar store and get some of that non-slip shelve lining and attach it to the back.

I need your help. I got a 50 lb bag of potatoes when I went home to Idaho. I really need some yummy ideas for the potatoes.

New Year- New Start?

2007-12-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well I have been AWOL for a while. Thought I might give this another go. I will need a new focus. I really want to get away from the crabby bitching that I fell into before I quit blogging.

I toyed with the Idea that I would delete the previous posts, As they point to the total and utter loserdom that my summer became. (more on that later) Not sure how I am going to restart this thing....

Stay tuned for more.

The Mighty Mandelin

2007-07-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

I am back on that road again. I have been busy looking for the ideal position, one that will afford me some leeway time but allow me to use my skills right out of the gate. Ha! Well I have found what seems to be a few promising leads.

The first is a position I found while researching schooling for my husband. I was poking around the Green River Community College website. After gleaning the information for my husband I decided I would look to see if they were hiring. Wouldn't you know it but they are. (obvious since I am writing about it) So the position is for an Information Technology Specialist. The position requires all the stuff I know about. While it is not a management position it is not the bottom rung. The deadline for this position is July 9th and I have been working hard to write the little essays and gather the information they are requesting. I hope to have it in the mailbox tonight. Then on Friday I will casually stop by to ensure that they received the packet and then wander about for a while and hopefully bump into the Director of Information Technology. I just wish I knew for sure who that was??

I went to a job fair last week in Lynnwood. My advice, don't go to the job fair in Lynnwood. It was so sparse and most of the people are just there to advertise their company. I wonder if that is really an effective way to advertise. Anyway, I took a whole day off from work and it was wasted. Except I learned of a job that a friend from an old job would be good at, at least I was able to parlay that day into something positive.

One of the little essays that I had to write was about diversity. I thought I would share it:

We strive to employ individuals who possess the skills necessary to effectively interact with a diverse population of students and staff at Green River Community College. Our effort is to create a climate that recognizes, respects, and celebrates differences. Please respond to this statement by:
a. Describing what diversity means to you
b. Describing your experiences with diverse populations
c. Demonstrating how you apply these to the learning/working environment

Diversity, to me, means uniqueness. There is no one person who is the same as another. Diversity also means, to me, variety. Variety of backgrounds, education, lifestyle, experience and skills. As the old cliché goes: Variety is the spice of life.

I grew up in a small university town. This university recruited students and staff not only from across the country but from around the world. I met people from every continent on Earth. I learned about life in Nigeria, Peru, Australia and two dozen plus other countries. I learned what life was like on a farm and the inner-city in the USA. One of the best parts of growing up in a small university town was realizing that there was so much knowledge and talent concentrated in such a small place. Also the food was great.

I know from my experiences that everyone is unique and has strengths that can be invaluable in the work place. I learned from my management classes that a diverse work place is more productive, has less turnover and happier employees. I love to learn about people and their lives, and I like to incorporate that information into my interactions. I have found that talent and ingenuity knows no bounds.

If you think I am way off base let me know if you think I am right on let me know.

New Resume, New Focus, Same doubts

2007-06-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

I now have a new "simplified" resume. I am a little clearer on what I am looking for in a job and how much of my life I will trade for a specific amount of money. However, I am still dealing with the loss of the WaMu Deal. I keep searching the web for articles on what mediocre students can do to improve there station. There is still a little anger. (ooo... yes anger, it is a part of life, if anyone thinks that anger can be suppressed, think of the humble postal worker :) Over all though is a desire to do better than tech work. One of the greatest outcomes of The WaMu Coup is that my ego got some needed stroking. They really did like me, it was just my grade point average that caused issues.

Here is my new fantastic resume. Enjoy! I welcome constructive comments from all.

Mandelin C. Carlsen

Education

7/04-6/06 Devry University Federal Way, WA
Bachelor of Science in Technical Management
Emphasis in Network Communications

Studied Cisco Certified Network Associate curriculum, Management, and Project Management. Lead class project groups both for in person/online classes.

Related Experience

2/07- present Clearwire, for Harvey Nash, Kirkland, WA
Commissioning Technician

Collaborate with on-site technicians to turn up and maintain microwave sites. Build configurations for switches and microwave equipment. Create and update site documentation. Combine and distribute network data to partner companies.

7/06- 1/07 Aubeta Networks Seattle, WA
Technical Support Representative

Monitored 1500+ network connections to ensure 98% network uptime; resolving issues with in 30 minutes. Configured DSL routers. Assisted end users to identify and troubleshoot network issues.

5/02- 5/03 Idaho State University Computing and Communications Pocatello, ID
Desktop Support – Weekend Operations Supervisor

Supported faculty/staff computing needs, defining and resolving issues, documenting procedure through a ticketing system. Supervised operations center and student computer lab on weekends, processing backup and server upgrades, monitored campus wide systems for stability, edited and updated operations procedure manual.

Software/Systems Skills

Operating Systems: Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Macintosh OS 10, Linux
Desktop Applications: Word, Excel, Visio, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Open Office
Protocols: TCP/IP, SNMP, DHCP, FTP, TELNET, HTML, Frame Relay, ATM, OSPF, RIP, VTP, 802.1Q
Equipment: Cisco Router 3600/2600, Cisco Switch 2500, Foundry Switch 2402/4802

Movin' on.

2007-06-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

I have taken a few weeks off from blogging and just generally thinking. I went on a two week vacation and have just focused on my work here at Clearwire. My contract was extended till the end of July. Which gives me some money and more work experiance. I picked up a few books about resumes. I have heard more than twice that my resume is confusing and that it is difficult to see what I have done. Here is my current resume minus the header. If anyone have thoughts on it I would love to hear them.

Education
Bachelor of Science in Technical Management June 2006
Emphasis in Network Communications
DeVry University Federal Way, Washington

Skills

Windows XP
Macintosh OS 10
Linux RedHat 9
Microsoft Office
Open Office
MacAfee 8.0
Symantec

Technical Knowledge/ Experience

* Network management skills developed through hands on practice both in class and through team projects which involved precise record keeping and leadership skills
* Cisco Router 3600 and 2600 experience gained from, weekly setup and tear down of networks including LANs, Frame Relay, WANs.
* Cisco Switch 2500 knowledge gained from weekly setup and tear down of networks including NSA security guidelines, VLANs, Trunking.
* Provided clear and concise onsite/in office computer troubleshooting and support which included software help, computer and virus scan updates, virus clean up and fixes as well as PC reformats and fresh installations.
* Maintained a GIS, a PC and an Apple computer lab; duties included, computer repair and troubleshooting, software installation and updates, networking and support of peripheral equipment such as printers and audio visual equipment.

Leadership/Management

* Project leader for group projects in Management and Project Management Classes; applied lessons learned to establish project/organization goals. Set timelines, and delegate work based on skill.
* Project Manager for Senior Class project in Network Design; Developed scheduled and measures to achieve success; First Senior Project class in five years to complete project in advance of deadline allowing for more advanced work to be added to projects.
* President of Student Organization; assisted in planning of actives, service projects and fundraising Took organization to national conference and doubled size of group in under one year. Assisted in developing and creating a campus newspaper relevant to group objectives
* Created and Lead public group to attract more participation in community activities; establishing a permanent meeting environment to nurture group connections and encourage group efforts.
* Facilitated study group; creating schedules and determining locations. Offering choices in material and developing program of study

Customer Service

* Aided customers with selection and purchase of merchandise including returns pursuant to policy

* Provide excellent customer service in answering question on products and explaining statements and billing procedures, as well as managing challenging customers with finesse.

Rescinding the Future

2007-05-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

The fantastic offer from WaMu has been rescinded. They job requirements as with every aspect of the offer were not flexible. Meaning even though they supposedly really liked me and thought I would be a great fit; my grade point average is more important to them. I have been sitting with this news for five days now; still not really sure what to do with it. I have been immersing myself in sewing projects and doing research for my resume. I knew there was a reason why I could not get excited about the offer.

At least I found out before I told too many people. I still have no idea how to share this with the few people I did tell. (Hoping the blog will do the work for me!) This is actually really difficult for me. I am not usually told no; unless I orchestrate that way.

I had a professor tell me that he felt really sorry for me when I shared with him one of my personal maxims: If you have no expectation, you can never be disappointed. I was really expecting and hoping this would come through. Now I am really disappointed. I had even started working on a five year plan.

Oh! F^(& it all!!! My husband asked me if I wanted to move back to Pocatello. Of course I do right now! I need to feel safe and home is the best place for that. I actually thought that because I was so impressive I could get around the GPA crap. Yeah right. They offered though to help me get in at the bottom. Hooray another year of boring tech work. Do I even want to work for a company that cannot circumvent their own bureaucracy? These are the issues I am left to sort out.

The Curse of the Low GPA

2007-05-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

How many of us actually believed that having a low GPA as in under a 3.0 would prevent us from getting a great job? Well if your GPA was above a 3.0 you believed it but if it was under then you would console yourself thinking that once you are out in the world for a few years no one would care. The only problem with this comforting thought was that your had to get through the "few years". What do those "few years" look like and how long is a few? I have always argued that three was equal to a few. Reality is that there is no hard a fast definition for a few. So a few years could be anything under say 10 years (if you are lucky). As to the look of those "few years" think underpaid (based on what you think you deserve), and under challenged as in bored or stressed.

Yup, if you really want the fat paycheck and the good job right after university you have to work hard to maintain a good GPA try for a 3.8 just to be safe. Not to nerdy but obviously smart and a hard worker.

So, I have this awesome offer from WaMu; with contingencies. One of the contingencies is verifying my transcripts i.e. is your grade point average where we would like to see it. Well I must say mine is not where they want it. I have a 2.7; yes I am just average (well if you don't account for grade inflation). I am not really sure what it is I will have to do now to get the job but I am working on a defensive strategy. I have asked a few people whom I have worked with during school to write up a couple of references for me. I have found a great site that explains how to overcome objections. Now, I just have to try to anticipate what hoops they will ask me to jump trough.

The moral of the story kids: stay in school, buckle down, get good grades.

Seems I heard that from someone who I just celebrated. (Sorry Mom, I should have listened)

Signed Sealed & Delivered

2007-05-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

I met with Mary on Monday to ask her all of my questions and sign my offer letter. The bad news is that they were not able to make changes to the offer. So all the research I did on how to negotiate and what to negotiate went to waste. The good news is that I will be able to re-negotiate my salary at the end of the program. This gives me a great place to start the negotiations.

Yes, I will be starting the negotiations now. One of the keys to negotiating a raise or any contract is to clearly define the benefits the employer will receive. I will need to track my accomplishments, growth areas, goals and any praise that I receive in the program. Keeping track of these things will allow me to prove that I am worth the amount I am requesting. Of all of the article I have read on negotiation I find that Suze Orman's article on Yahoo Finance is good concise,solid advice. I have read several books and articles that address the gender pay gap that inspired the Article from Suze Orman. I read, in Jean Chatzky's book Make Money, Not Excuses, that in a study of new MBA graduates those who asked for more money starting out ending up making more money at the end of ten years. Also, the majority of those that attempted to negotiate were men. That was the number one reason I even attempted to ask for more money, before I singed the WaMu deal. I realise that the way I start my career will be the tenor through out.

There were several really good articles on the web that give good advice on the topic of negotiation. I have listed a few below.

Negotiating Job Offers Guide from

The Riley Guide: Evaluating and Negotiating Job Offers (a general collection of information)

Salary Negotiation and Job Offer Tutorial

Due Diligence

2007-05-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

I have been doing my “due diligence” considering the offer from WaMu. I have been talking with my co-workers here at Clearwire, my financial advisor, and my husband.

I have come to the conclusion that the offer is very good for someone just out of school. However, the market for someone with just 1 year of post-graduate work in this field is higher. Part of the reason I came to this conclusion was what one of the interviewers said to me; when I asked him if he had any concerns that would prevent me from being selected. He said “You don’t project confidence. You know your stuff, you have been working in your field for the past year; you should not discount that experience. Don’t sell yourself short” After I received the call confirming that I had been selected I began to review the interviews to see what it was that sealed the deal. Mary the recruiter for WaMu made it sound like they had decided on Saturday to offer me the position. Then I remembered that I had asked this one simple question of every interviewer. “Do you have any concerns that I need to clear up in order to be the top candidate?” I think this was the deal sealing question. Every interviewer seemed to be taken off guard and they all gave me valuable advice. The advice that is most immediately useful: “You should not discount (your) experience”

So, now I need to make a decision; how much or what should I ask for? I can just ask that they bump me up to the bottom of the scale based on my experience or I could ask for another week of vacation and a full compensation for my metro pass. I think that with training that I will receive on the job it would not be appropriate to ask to be bumped the full amount. So if I split the difference I will end up requesting an additional 3k or so.

I found this information out at http://www.payscale.com. I have looked at the other salary comparison sites, but I like this one the best. PayScale is very detailed for a free service. At the end it gives a nice chart that compare where you are compared to the market.

The problem I am having is justifying the increase in pay. I find it hard to believe that one year makes that big of a difference. Although, I have already been through the new-grad-stay-up-all-night-sleep-in-slacker period; so they will not have to get me to understand that point. I also have participated in a few meetings and know a how to navigate the corporate HR maze. I could act as a mentor to the fresh off the turnip truck graduates. Now all I have to do is remember to emphasize my experience and how it will benefit the company and the program.

The Ominous Job Offer

2007-05-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

I have been working so hard for the last 4 months. This Thursday will mark 4 months since my being laid off. I have worked through quite a lot, to get the big offer.

I worked my way through the resultant depression of the lay off.
I have identified and begun work on my biggest work impacting flaw.
I learned some top tricks to presenting myself in an interview.
I had to recall how to do proper research I have not used that skill in a while.

I have dealt with the bureaucracies of COBRA and unemployment.

Now, I finally have the offer I have been working to get; and I am not sure what to do. I am finding a strange disparity between the massive (and repetitive) information about the interview and the information out there about considering and accepting the offer. I have been looking for something like the top five questions I should ask before I accept the contract. Or maybe the three things that I need to make sure are in my contract. Anything to help figure out if I should accept the offer as is or if I should push for full coverage of public transport, or flexible start times. I am working on a list of questions to ask my soon to be manager before I accept the offer.

1. What parts of the offer (if any) are negotiable?
2. At the end of the program will I be able to negotiate my salary when I move to a new position?
3. Is it possible to get a list of the expected standards for the program?
4. What is considered full time at WaMu? 40 hrs? 50hrs? 5days? 6days?
5. Does WaMu help to cover any professional organization dues? i.e AWC
6. Is there a pets policy?

Seems a little silly I do a ton of research, hours of preparation, multiple interviews and only after the offer is it appropriate to start asking questions about specifics. I think it would have been much easier for the company to just show me the offer upfront once I got past the selection interview. Then I would know all of this stuff and there would be no questions. I am sure however that there is a reason for the order of things.

I have much to think about.

Do you all have suggestions on what I should clarify before I accept the offer?

A very long anxious Weekend

2007-04-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

I finished up my interviews on Friday at about Four O'clock. The interviews were not too bad, although they were to be behavioral interviews. I actually received some technical questions. The nature of my education included some very technical work so I guess the interviews felt that it was appropriate to ask those questions of me. However, the other candidate had said they did not have any technical questions asked of them. I was not really prepared to answer the technical questions. I felt good leaving the interviews. There were a couple of blunders but I think they were minor like telling one interviewer that I had "fun".

After the interviews we went out to our favorite Chinese place and I got a fortune that read You will accept a new challenge, the outcome will prove rewarding.
I think that is good news. I have spent all weekend waiting, I checked my email in the hopes that they wanted to let me know sooner. I have essentially glued my phone to myself just in case they needed to call. I have run through so many scenarios in my head. I am trying to not set myself up in for disappointment, by telling myself that they probably chose someone else. I want it too much though. I know that if they tell me no I will likely cry. I spent so much time preparing, I have a lot invested in this.

They said that they would be calling me today to let me know either way. All that is left to do is wait... wait... wait..................................................

I got the call, they wanted to say thank you for my time on Thursday and Friday. The deliberations were very difficult. They thought that I had a strong background in the technical aspects as well as a strong potential for leadership.

Well that about says it all.

They would like to extend the offer to me to be a member of the Inaugural class of the Technology Leadership Program.

HOORAY!!!!

Twenty-Five Resumes and Two Dozens cards

2007-04-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the interview. My clothes are pressed my shoes are shined. I have Twenty-five copies of my resume and Two dozen business cards. I created a binder to hold all of my questions to ask and my research.

I customized the front cover with the WaMu Logo and my name.
The First Section is Key Points which includes my commercial, the job description, and my Big Five (the five most common questions and my answers).
Section Two is filled with question to ask the interviewers.
Section Three has all of the research articles I found on WaMu
Section Four includes all of the interview articles I have accumulated.
Finally Section Five has my supporting materials such as a map to the WaMu Center, Time Tables, and the emails I have received from WaMu.

I leave in a half-hour. I am really quite nervous, but not the panicky kind of nervous. This is the good kind; what an Opera singer might feel on opening night. I am very excited. I bet WaMu is even more excited because they will be getting the best of the bunch with me. Just call me cream and watch me float to the top.

Recap: Networking Event

2007-04-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

I went to a meeting last Thursday for the Association of Women in Computing/Puget Sound(AWC/PS). It was a small group about 18 people total. The evening started with a light networking session. I was introduced to a few people. Then I joined a couple of small groups where we talked about where we worked and I explained what I do at Clearwire. The women there seemed to either be programmers or managers.

I enjoyed the speaker, Curt Rosengren, he showed us a tool we can use to determine what our passion is so we can then look for opportunities to work in our passion area at work.

I had a much easier time talking with this group than I had talking to people at the job fair. Perhaps because it was a more informal event and it was quieter.

We will be right back after this Commercial Message

2007-04-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

I have been working on my personal commercial the last few days. Here is what I have so far...

Interviewer: Tell me about yourself.

Me: I have had a life long connection with business, having been the fourth generation to work and help run my families blacksmithing business. I have been working from about the age of six; I understand the importance of hard work, follow through and what my contribution means to the final result.

I moved to Seattle to get my Bachelors degree from Devry University. At Devry I learned the importance of team work and how to lead my teams to success. During school I continued to work to support myself. I graduated from Devry this past June with a Bachelors of Science in Technical Management emphasizing Network Communications.

I also take time to volunteer with community organizations. I believe that it is important to contribute positively to my community whether that community is my neighborhood or my workplace.

I am organized, focused and motivated to help Washington Mutual achieve its goals. I will be a great addition to Washington Mutual and to the Technology Department.

Whew! that is a mouthful. I think it have many areas for the interviewer to explore and reveals alot about me that people would not guess from looking at me.

Hope in COBRA skin

2007-04-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

I think things are working themselves out well. The EX (company) is working diligently to have the coverage reinstated. The COBRA administrator is sending me my new packet and all seems to be going well.

I read an article today that I thought was interesting. According to kipligner.com; if you are a college student who is covered by your parents insurance until graduation or a specific age, and you have a pre-existing helth issue you can take advantage of COBRA to extend coverage. (see quote below)

The COBRA option. If your child has an existing health condition, your best option might be to take advantage of COBRA, the federal law that allows an adult child to remain on a parent's policy for up to 36 months.

Coverage your grad receives through an employer-based or individual health plan is usually more comprehensive than what your child would get with student health or short-term insurance, but it's also more expensive. With a COBRA policy, you have to pay both the employer's and employee's share of your group premium plus a 2% administrative fee. Still, COBRA can serve as a safety net while you look into other options. After a child is dropped from your policy, you'll have 60 days to decide if you want COBRA coverage. If a grad gets sick or is injured during that period, you can retroactively buy coverage to pay the bills. More Here about student health coverage and graduation.

What is a better gift than a brand new car? Maintaining good health! COBRA coverage would probably cost the same as a new car payment plus full coverage insurance, but good health is worth much more.

When the COBRA attacks and your commercial is unfinished

2007-04-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today was filled with such hope. I was going to write my personal commercial so I could have it ready for the big networking event. Well unless I write on the bus home or in the dentists chair I don't know if it will get done today.

I finally decided I could no longer put off dealing with COBRA. As the deadline is approaching in four days. I sent in the last months premiums on Monday and just had to follow up. Turns out my ex-employer switched COBRA administrators and my info was lost in the conversion(this is to be expected, no one is at fault). So I am not really sure where I am at with COBRA. My ex-employer, however, did reinstate my benefits so I will be covered on Monday. Then comes the paper work to be reimbursed for all of the stuff I paid out of pocket and such. When I was laid off I should have just started paying for the premiums right off.

With COBRA you have two months from the time the COBRA administrator is notified of the separation to decide if you will keep the benefits. This is nice in case you get a new job with benefits and you have no pre-existing conditions for which you will need coverage. Then you just ignore the whole issue and move on. However, if you do have a pre-existing condition you should immediately start to pay the premiums because you will need continuous coverage (no gaps) to be covered by your new employers benefits(usually).

In my case I needed the coverage because I took a contract position which has no benefits. So, I messed about and put the issue off until close to the end. NEVER PUT THINGS OFF! This should be tattooed to my arm or something. I used to put things off in high school, I thought I learned my lesson. Well things should work out with a couple of hiccups, but se la vie.

For more on COBRA check out these sites.
US Labor Department FAQ a bit wordy and bureaucratic but it has it all.
Advice from Bank Rate scroll down a bit, clear advice and totally non judgemental.

2007-04-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

I got a call from a recruiter that was trying to place me in a position with Expeditors. I had interviewed for the position on April third. I did not get the position. Oh I am so very very upset. Yeah, right. It would have been an alright position but they wanted me to be able to start right away. Although, they had expressed concern that I was not stable; they wanted me to end my contract early. I guess my instability is subject to their whim. Any way I was glad to hear that they had decided not to hire me. It took the pressure off of me. I have been trying to figure out how I would have delayed them enough to be able to interview with Washington Mutual. I just don't want to take myself out of the race for that position.

I was out the end of last week so I am playing catch up this week. I am still plowing through Interviews for Dummies Second Edition and should have that finished up today or tomorrow morning. I put the other book I was working through on hold. Careers By Design is a good book; it include alot of key information on how to function in the working world. I was working on the Attitude section. I learned that you have to make a conscious decision to have an upbeat attitude.
I am sure it is easier said than done. I have been working on it. I have to verbally remind myself that "I can choose my attitude." Well enough psycho-babel.

I have found another networking event to go to(see below). I found it on The Seattle Networking Guide; which has a great list of things going on in the area and I was able to even add it to my Google calendar.

ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN COMPUTING -- Passion Dinner
Thursday, 4/19, 6pm
Details at: www.awcps.org

Join AWC os Puget Sound for networking and dinner with presentation by Curt Rosengren whose talk is entitled "Planning for Passion: How to get Wild About Work", starting at $25.

I hope I will be able to make it up there after work in time to get my networking groove on.

Panic in Meydenbauer Center.

2007-04-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

It was not really a panic; it was difficult. I went to the job fair today. I was able to talk to eight people. I introduced myself, and explained my background. At First it was really difficult, but after about the forth person I felt a little better. I was disappointed with the number of employers there, but they all had positions open that fit my skills.

I learned alot about networking. It helps quite a bit to show interest in the other person. Even if it is just superficial. For example, asking how they are today and wishing them a good day seemed to catch them off guard. I was there for about forty-five minutes. At the end of that time I was wiped out. Interacting with so many people drains my energy.

Afterwards though I thought to myself. I need to find another place to network soon. The Job fair was a good place to start but I need a more traditional networking environment.

So off I go to into the web to look for more events.

Oh Hooray!! It is a Behavioral Interview

2007-04-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

I got a response from the questions I sent to WaMu. I will be in 3 one-on-one interviews. The questions will be Behavioral type. Oh boy the dreaded behavioral interview. Well at least I know in advance to prepare for the interviews. I also know that while I will likely meet the people who will interview me during the networking event, I do not need to worry as much about buddying up to them. I just need to work the room, talk to lots of people and remain upbeat.

For most people that is easy. I, of course, am not most people. This is terrifying. I can handle and enjoy people one-on-one, but a whole room of people. This is my weakness. This will be the deal breaker, I can tell already.

So here is the plan. I will go to three networking events. One per week until the interviews. This way I can stretch my people muscles and try different tactics to approaching people.

This week there is a job fair sponsored by Dice.com, while this is not a traditional networking event, it will give me the opportunity to learn to introduce myself to strangers.

Apparently the old saying "Don't Talk to Strangers" that I learned growing up had a detrimental effect on me. I think that I still carry a residual effect of that mantra with me. When faced with new people, I tense up and suddenly lose my ability to speak normally. Just this morning I was greeted at the bus stop by another person waiting. It was just a Good Morning!, but I barely was able to mumble out a mornin'. Luckily this person just assumed that at 5:30am I was not sure if it was good or not. I just stood there, gave a little hurmph and nodded my head.

Monday with an Easter Buzz!!

2007-04-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

I remember the day after Easter when I was a kid. I would crawl out of bed, sneak a peep or two from my basket and then eat breakfast. By the time I reached the bus stop I was in full sugar rush mode, with back up jelly beans in my pocket. I would chow down on those beans all day. I really feel sorry for my teachers. I know how "inquisitive" I was normally. I must have been a question machine on the day after major holidays.

Well I had a couple of pieces of candy and some cake, but I feel more blech than sugar rushed. Too much salt and sugar together. Oh well.

I think that I saw a dress that would be perfect for the dinner portion of my final interview for WaMu.

I am not really sure if this is appropriate, but I like it.

I have three full weeks to prepare for the interviews. I get nervous and excited. I just don't want to blow it. I need to practice talking to strangers, but I get scared. You never know who will be a crazy. I could end up with a stalker or worse.
That is all worse case, I know. Still that thought lingers.

I have a whole bunch of information gathered, though not organised. About interviews of this type and about networking. Once, I get it organised I will post it.

"Everybody Wants Me!!"

2007-04-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

I am just super excited. Which can be a lot for me!! I had an Awesome interview with WaMu, it was so awesome that I have been asked to come back for the final round of interviews. I am just so impressed with WaMu; the benefits and culture seem like a perfect fit. I have never felt so at home in an office building. I am truly smitten. I met with Mary the HR recruiter, and Chris the program manager/advisor; or in Her words "The Den Mother".

The final round of interviews is going to be a two day event. The first evening we will meet together with managers and senior execs; for a networking event. The following day I will go through three one hour interviews then we will have lunch. They hope to have the offer letters out that Saturday. The event is three weeks away. That means that I have three weeks to prep my interview answers, work on a funny icebreaker and figure out what I am going to where to the networking event. I do not want to wear a suit, but I am not sure if I really can get away with it.

Anyway, if you have suggestion please let me know.

whoa!! I think things are moving kinda fast!

2007-04-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

I have been busy the past 2 weeks! I had a phone interview last Thursday. Wow that was really nerve racking. I like to read people and that is almost impossible to do on the phone. Also, I tried deviating form my preset answers to questions like what is your Strength, what is your weakness. I tried to tie them into the corporate value statements. I am not sure if it sounded good or not. But, Um, I can, Uh, tell you, uh, um, what it sounded like. (see previous sentence) I must have impressed them with however, because I had an in person interview yesterday.

I am not real sure about this place just yet. The CEO seems to be a Canadian cowboy, his motto is hire slow, fire fast. They like to hire for attitude, and then just train for the skills. I am sure you can tell I am not upbeat 100% of the time, more like a consistent 70/30 split. Not really sure why that is but I am working on it. I have been looking into attitude lately and have come to discover that much of attitude is dependent on self-esteem. Not the cheesy, flowery, hug the world kind of self-esteem, but the genuine I am a good person and life is good kind of self-esteem.

They interview went well and I should know the results in the next few weeks. If I could just interview I would be so much better. I have resume that does not get the results I need but if I talk to the person first they always seem really impressed.

Take for example; I got the name and phone number of a hiring recruiter (in house) for WaMu. I called her and left a nice polite message letting her know I was REALLY interested in a particular position. She called back and we talked about the position and the requirements. I then filled out an online app and attached my resume. I called her back and left a message that I had filled out the online app and was available anytime for an interview.

I did not hear back from her for almost a month then last Friday she called to ask if I could come in for an interview, the following week. So here I am my first contact was February 13th at a job fair where I got the recruiters info, and today I am going for an interview with a good company, for a position in Information Management I just think that is awesome. I know that if I had just done the online app and resume I would not have been called at all.

Anyways I feel like I am on that French train that just broke the world record for speed. Moving really fast, I hope the wheels hold.

Blogging to Network for Career Success

2007-03-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a math formula. As will all word problems; let us begin at the end. I know this is contrary to our traditional Maria Von Trapp influenced world thinking. Trust me this is the easiest way to solve a word problem.

Career Success

This should be a pretty simple process (one would think) but it is not. Just walk down to your local independent booksellers and ask to see the career section. At the Elliot Bay Book Company they have a section that is twelve feet high and twenty feet wide. This does not indicate a simple process.

Essentially though the idea is that you (as in me, you, everyone) are happy with what you do. It is the reason you get up in the morning upbeat and happy; or at least only hitting the snooze once or twice. (I am up to five now) Because really if there was a career out there that would let me sleep until eight or nine but still be home around five I would so totally be there, alas I have not found it. Career Success is where you end up with a harmonious balance of work and life. You work just as much as you want and you still have a life (house, spouse, dog etc.) that is happy.

The key then would to be to find a career where you want to work enough to cover the expenses of your life. The customary workweek which in the U.S. of A. is forty hours (bore) is typical, although may gigs out there can be pretty flexible, with half and three-quarter time hours.

Unless you have been blessed with the knowledge all your life that you would be happy being a Professor of Onionology; there will be some work involved with narrowing down what it is you would like to do for the next seven years. (There was a study done a couple of years ago that stated that the average adult will change careers five to seven times in their professional life. I assumed that most people will work about thirty-five years once they are out of school and five into thirty-five is seven. end digression) However, once you have that narrowed down to some degree the next part of our word problem which is becoming something of a iteration.

Networking

The beast that is and will always be; the beast that should become your very best friend. I read another very helpful article on networking today. Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Penelope Trunk (There are tons of articles online about networking) This one was quite insightful in so much as stated very clearly that if you are looking for a job you SHOULD NOT NETWORK i.e. if you are out of a job this is not the time to be dragging your sad sour puss all over town with your sad sob story and puppy dogged eyes hoping someone will take pity on you and give you a job.

This is such an awesome concept that I just didn’t get before. I actually thought that was networking. ‘Ding’ and ‘Chorus of Angles’ My life has been transformed. Well maybe not that much but it does take the fear out of networking. This is my definition of networking, the play ground of our youth transfigured in our adult lives. Remember how easy it was when we were in kindergarten to just walk up to another kid or group of kids and start playing. Networking is the equivalent of that playground process, as long as we don’t through sand or pine cones at each other all is well. You can however throw pinecones at the bigger kids as long as it is mutually agreed upon in your group. The bigger kid being Howard Schultz or Bill Gates or some other public figure, and I would suggest that you not really use real pinecones. Think verbal pinecones. So what if you are one of those kids that hates rain or dirt or is so over scheduled that you cannot get to the playground. Well that brings us up to the beginning of the equation.

Blogging

Apparently, blogging is the new networking medium. Yeah, yeah we know that. The afore mentioned article explains how 'blogging to network for career success' is an easy strategy for connecting with “people who wouldn't normally give you the time of day” There are some other great little tidbits in the article about blogging. The most important part to me was that the best way to meet people is to read their words comment intelligently and just play along. It would probably be a good idea though to stay away from the pine cones for a little while at first. Remember the revolution will be backed up nightly.

I think this at least explains the word problem; still it brings up other questions. Well unlike math not everything can be wrapped up in string theory.

Changing Times

2007-03-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

The switch to daylight savings time really sucked. It was bad enough when it happened later in the year. Moving it up while does make the evenings nicer really messes up the mornings. It has been over a week now and I am still behind. I was late to work everyday last week by exactly 1 hour. When I have to get up at 2:45am and then spring forward to wake up at what in standard time is 1:45am, I am not likely to accommodate that change well. I am a little better this week (so far)only 1/2 hour late. Luckily the Clearwire folks don't seem to mind to much. I did not hear a peep about what time a came in. Although the answer to that my be in one of the posters hanging in the lobby of our building. Focus on results not process. So as long as I perform to expectations perhaps exceeding, the is not too much concern for what time I clock in or out.

I am working on developing a project out of my job search but have hit a motivational wall. I find it relatively difficult to focus on the issue of my future I would like to be like a dandelion seed floating off into the big blue sky to land and grow some place just as long as I am free of making that decision. How do I motivate myself. I have a faith in God that if I just take a very no active position I will eventually be where I need to be. God will take care of it. Still I feel as if I should be more proactive in my life, doing the leg work and such.

I do have a nice stack of applications to go through I suppose I should just start there. Hmm... But maybe I really just need another cup of coffee.

Project: New Job

2007-03-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

Still not much going on in the job front. I was reminded yesterday that in 51 days our jobs will be gone. Some people focus on strange things. If you know that your job is going to end why would you focus on that end. I cannot imagine it does much in the way of motivating stellar job performance. I suppose though since they went trough all of the trouble to count the days I should use that to my advantage to develop a Project plan to get a new job. If I set my parameters and measures up I could theoretically manage my way into a new position. I was not going to worry too much until the first of April. However, the strange obsession of my co-worker has inspired me to "push" the project up.

This should be fun.

What I do at work.

2007-03-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

SSSSHHHHHH!!!!!

Don't let my co-workers know but I actually spend much of my time doing nothing here at work. We are in a waiting mode as a department. We are waiting for the projects we need to work on to get through the previous steps. So there is not much for us to do right now. So I spend my days reading articles online and reading the news from all over the world. I shop and check on my favorite craft sites and blogs.

I found this very funny (funny because it is true) article all about "How to... get fat in five easy steps". I loved it because when I go grocery shopping I like to look to see what all the super sized Fatties have in there cart. My favorites are the ones that mill about the health food section and buy 4 bags of organic Lays potato chips and 4 boxes of organic chocolate dipped chocolate chunk cookies. Or the ones who have to go get veggies and come back with a prepackaged iceberg lettuce salad mix and say to there Husbands "It's healthy 'cause it gots carrots in it" as they throw 6 boxes of organic mac and cheese in their cart. Love those people. Now I like organic foods, it is what we live off of but "those" kind of people think it means that the bag of organic chips is good for you. Junk is Junk. Organic does not mean it was not dipped in a vat of hot oil. It just means that the oil was made with out pesticides. Those chips and cookies will still kill you. You will just die of heart disease faster instead of some weird cancer.

Full Disclosure time I guess.
I am a Fattie.
I have managed through all my choices to pack 200 pound on a 5'4" frame, and still look Smokin Hot. It takes Talent. Anyway, I made poor choices when it came to portions and to the type of food I ate. When I was a kid it was so much easier. All I did was eat what my parents gave me. The only food I would not eat was cooked Zucchini and still won't eat. I will still eat cheez-its and chocolate. But I realize through much research and experimentation that I can have a quarter of what I used to eat, or half a serving; eat it slowly to enjoy the flavor and be satisfied. I have begun to carry quart sized bags of precut -bite sized- bags of vegetables around with me so when I think I am hungry I stuff my face with carrots, broccoli, bok choy, and peas. What I have really found helpful was using a free website to determine how much of each type of food to eat as well as track my caloric intake and weigh it against the average energy need for someone my size and weight. My Pyramid and My Pyramid Tracker help to establish what types of food I should be eating and then by inputting what foods I do eat (or at least the ingredients for the meals I cook) and the portions I get a rough idea of what I need and how much is too much.

I try to eat 300 under the recommended calories, therefore I put the food I plan on eating for the day into the system so I can adjust. Also if am offered something at the office I can figure out how to fit it in.

I have also begun to ride the bus everywhere, this has increased the amount I walk a day to over a mile. I have really just started busing it as one of my friends puts it. But I changed my eating habits to include more veggies and virtually no processed foods about 3 years ago and have since dropped close to 45 pounds. Hooray for Me!!

2007-03-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

I have now completed a full month here at Clearwire. I have just 3 months left here. A little bittersweet. Today is exactly 90 days before the end on the contract and the end of the department in Washington state. I am sure that the time will fly by as with most things I tend to misjudge the actual value. In this case the value of an hour. For instance it is almost 11am now I have been here for just about four hours. It feels, however, like I have been here for perhaps an hour. So if every four hours feels like one then in my value a week would be 10 hours. Take that 10 hours per week and multiply by say 12 week and that is 120 hours. Close to three weeks. Still the value of a day will increase as it is filled with different and varied tasks. This is my hope.

We (my husband and I) have employed the services of a financial advisor. After almost 7 years of managing my household budget and income. I surrender. Deep in debt it is time to recover out losses and plan for the future. We met with the advisor on Saturday. We handed over the scraps of our bills that we were able to cull together, and discussed our goals. The conversation reminded me of the discussion we had with our priest before we were married. Now, Just and then, we have similar goals and interests. This in fabulous news! One of the highest ranked reason that couples divorce is due to issues related to money. Not having the same vision or goals is a major cause for money issues. (No direct source) So it was nice to hear that we are on the same page.

After the meeting we wandered around Seattle. I really really do not like that city. They built the Olympic Sculpture Park and while the park is nice; the art is hideous. It neither reflects the spirit of Seattle nor the landscape. I would really like to know what the freaking fascination is with textured concrete is in the area; it is on the freeways and used to retain the walls of the park. In Phoenix it is really nice as they have actually spent some time on the design. It reflect the landscape and is visually interesting. It is my opinion that if you are going to spend the money on textured concrete pick a nice design. While we wandered about I dropped my bus pass somewhere and as the Metro will not replace lost stolen or damaged bus passes I will have to buy another. Oh well, my only hope is that it was dropped in the road and run over so it will not work anymore.

A Cube To Call My Own

2007-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have set my cubical up with some things to personalize my space. I stopped by the QFC this morning and bought a four inch Polka Dot plant (mine is smaller and more of a red color). I think it is just the thing. Where my office is if I stand up I have a nice clear view of Lake Washington and the famous floating 520 bridge.

I really like bridges they are just beautiful. I think that had I grown up in the Seattle area I would have become a bridge engineer. I would love to design or even just build bridges. Growing up in the desert we had very few bridges. The bridges we do have in Idaho are not very long and certainly not as elaborate as the bridges here.

Back to the message of the day... I have a cute little Dilbert wall calendar for laughs. For inspiration I printed off some short quotes:

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

“Good breeding consists of concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person.” Mark Twain

“I passionately hate the idea of being with it; … an artist has always to be out of step with (her) time.” Orson Welles

I also have a couple of prayers up to keep me grounded;

What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?
Bible - Romans 8:31

God, I don’t have great faith, but I can be faithful. My belief in you may be seasonal, but my faithfulness will not. I will follow in the way of Christ. I will act as though my life and the lives of others matter. I will love. I have no greater gift to offer than my life. Take it.

And a lovely notice to remind myself that I am not a failure:

I found some bits of the carpeting they put in the new office and glued small squares to thumb tacks to make custom matching thumb tacks. I also glued some to a small jar to make a matching pen cup.

In all I am sure that my space is truly my own.

Moving with the Machine

2007-02-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend the company I work for moved its headquarters just 2 short blocks down the road and a little closer to Starbucks. I am so excited to have my own office space. It is and open cubical but I have my own drawers and I have lots of desk space. Of which I promptly spread out all of my stuff. It is nice to have a space to call my own.

The new office is nice. There is the usual complaining from the veteran employees that they liked the old office better. That is to be expected, people really don't like change. I am happy though because I get my own little space. I can turn my back to the world and just work or I can join in the conversation with my team. Options is what it is all about options. Moving day was fun. I did not have much to pack or unpack so I was able to set up pretty quickly.

We started our move last thrusday when we packed everything up and then turned in our door keys for the old building. That meant we had to work from home which was different. I took the company laptop home, set up my wireless LAN finally and went to work.

Competition is Good

2007-02-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

So I got a call yesterday from a new recruiter, not one of my contacts. He has what he thinks would be a great fit for me. (Phone work! HA! Ya Know I thought all of those jobs had been shipped off to India.) Well I am not going to turn down an interview so I sent my resume and work history to him. He is going to send it off to the company. It is a UNIX/Networking opportunity and the company is willing to train if I don't have SQL experience. (which I don't and my resume is clear about)

The best thing is that if they want me they have to meet my price. I have been reading alot about women and money lately. According to Jean Chatzy in her Book Make Money not Excuses. One of the reasons that Women earn less than their male counter parts is that they do not determine what they are worth and fail to even attempt to negotiate. Where as there male counter parts will have researched the current market and pay rates and they will ask for more than they are worth in the current market.

Today I read on Dice.com that "The gender gap narrowed slightly in 2006, as women in technology earned an average of 9.7 percent less than their male counterparts. (http://career-resources.dice.com/tech_salary_survey_06.shtml) In a Kiplinger online article "Making It Big on a Paycheck " I picked up that if you at least attempt to negotiate for a higher salary you can increase your starting salary.
"those who negotiated their first salary boosted their pay by 7.4% compared with those who didn't bargain" (http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2007/03/12step.html)

That would leave me just 2.3% behind and I could leverage investments and benefits to cover that easy. So I high balled the recruiter when he asked. I actually want more than what they are willing to pay! Right now, I have some wiggle room, that is if they want me. It would mean that I could end up getting some other benefits or extra training. I just have to keep my self open. It was tough though to just mention the amount I wanted, I think I even qualified it by mumbling about transportation and benefits etc.

Oooh! I am really excited.

Where have I Been?

2007-02-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have not posted for so long, I have writing stored up. I will try to include some of the finer points from the last 2 weeks. I went to a job fair this last week made a couple of contacts but I have not followed through with them. This is my problem in life and Golf. I have no follow through. I went last Wednesday and there were 3 companies that seemed interested. I just cannot get up the nerve to call them back.

Today I will take a paid lunch at about 10am and call the contacts. I hope that I am not too late, nor too early. I am not even sure if I should be looking for a new job, considering I just started here. Still how loyal should I be to a company that is not Loyal to me? I only have 4 months here and I will need to have a new job lined up in under 3 months.

I start to think I could be really happy here, then I remember that it will all end shortly. June really is not that far away. I will have to try to get something lined up starting today.

At the job fair I went to a workshop/conference. A career coach started her talk with; "The Days of Gold Watches are Gone" I thought well duh! I have been raised my whole life knowing that the old employment model of working for a company for 40 years then retiring is way past going the way of the dinosaur. We are almost to the point of using this employment model as fuel. What really struck me was that I had been talking to a man maybe in his early thirties that had just been let go from a position that he expected (EXPECTED!!!) to be the Job he would have for the next 30 years. He had been let go at the end of the probationary period. He apparently thought that he could argue with his boss and still keep his job. Very Strange.

I believe that if I want a gold watch I will buy my own.

So I actually did call the two leads I had. I had to leave a message for one and they other phone number lead nowhere. Oh bother! anyways it took less than 20 min and I was able to at least get something accomplished.

Monday Blessed Monday

2007-02-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

So here it is the very first Monday at my new job. I was able to actually do some work today. I am in the midst of a slow season here and with not much to do I end up reading quite a bit. It is nice to be able to really absorb and process all the information. Then again it is nice just to be working.

This past weekend was so very frustrating. I am going to vent for just a second. I was just trying to buy a bus pass. There are very few places to buy a pass in this area, most are located within the Seattle city limits. If you have cash you want to carry into a seedy part of suburbia you can stop by a local drug store and you have a limited choice of 4 bus passes. Well I drove all over looking for a place that could sell me a $2.50 bus pass. So I had to take 5 buses to get into Seattle (I missed a connection by 30 seconds). I was so fed up and tired after my bus pass ordeal that their was no way I was going to ride another Stinky, Sticky, Jerky bus.

I considered giving up and taking up residence under a bridge.
I wonder if there is not at least one person out there that when faced with an almost endless commute decided to just scrap all and move to Seattle. A regular person just trying to make it work in this cold damp Liberal Holy City, they just give up when they discover that they only rent they can afford is under a bridge living next to the troll. Still though their commute is endless, they become despondent, frustrated and hopeless. They retreat into their minds stop going to work as the only was to truly escape from passive-aggressive drivers on the roads. Poor traffic planning and patterns. I bet it has happened at least once.

Thankfully the train was near by. I hopped on the train and 20 min later I was relaxed and home.

The second day of the next 4 months

2007-02-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

So here it is day two at my new job. It is pretty sweet so far. I get my very own laptop to work on. Today I also was able to see what the job was all about. The only bummer is that this job will end in four months.

It is alot like going out with a guy that will be moving far far away in four months, and you are not likely to ever see him again. My thought is why put the effort into the relationship if there is no hope of it going anywhere after 4 months. Seriously what does it matter if his favorite meal is tacos. In four months that will be useless information. You see this is one of many reasons I did not date in his school.

The reason, I discovered, that the job ends in four months is the whole department is moving to Las Vegas. I do have the opportunity to apply for the job and then move to Vegas. Which let me tell you would be fabulous. The sun and dessert. I would be less than 5 hours from one of my little brothers, and on the same freeway that I grew up on.

But besides all that drama. There is a spectacular view of Lake Washington with the Olympic mountains above. Oh yeah! they also have killer free coffee. Hooray!

I can fill the days

2007-01-25T11:57:00.000-08:00

So I figured out how to fill the days. I have been crocheting alot. Also I created a new cake recipe.

Molasses Spice cake; I took a very basic cake recipe for chocolate cake. Left out the coca powder and added Cardamom, Cinnamon and Molasses. I like it plain with a bit of butter on top. It is also good with a nice cream cheese frosting. In all it take the same amount of time as a box cake. I think.

So here is my recipe for Molasses Spice Cake

Ingredient:
1/2 cup butter softened (A tip from Martha: to soften the butter faster cream it in a separate bowl with beaters.)
2 cups + 1 tablespoon flour(I use whole wheat all purpose)
1 1/2 cups White or Cane sugar
1/2 cups brown sugar lightly packed
3/4 tsp each Baking Soda and Baking Powder (note: if you leave this out you will get a spice blondie)

1/2 tsp each Cinnamon, Cardamom and Vanilla (you can also add Allspice and/or Nutmeg)

2 tablespoons Molasses (grease the measuring spoon first and the Molasses slides right out)

1/2 to 3/4 cup milk (add 1/2 cup first then more if the batter is too dry.)

2 eggs

First; grease a 13x9x2 inch pan and then coat the pan with the tablespoon of flour this is very important as the batter is very sticky and will not release with out the flour on the bottom and side to act a a liner. You also could line the pan with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Then Using 1 large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly (including brown sugar) Then dump in the wet ingredients. With a mixer mix all of the ingredient together until the batter is completely mixed and resembles ribbons. If it is too dry or stiff add the remaining milk a little at a time until it is ribbon like.

Next dump the batter into the prepared pan and level a little. Bake @ 350 for 30- 35 minutes.

You can also make the cake in 2 nine inch rounds or squares. I like to make one round and one square. I use the square as the base and put the round on top. With different colored frosting it is visually appealing.

So that is what I have been doing to fill the time. Cooking and Crafting.

Splendid Seattle

2007-01-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

I rode the train into Seattle today. I sat opposite a dead man. He was all dolled up in standard mortician style. Eyes closed, cheeks slightly caved. He had nice rosy cheeks, pale pasty skin, and ruby lips. He had his hands crossed over his gut, and a bulge of skin over his collar from a too tight tie. When I departed the train amidst a throng of people. I was pushed into the train station. The King Street Station is just beautiful. Polished marble, bright lights, a bid old clock built into the wall, and the original tile. A delight for my eyes after the dead man.

I came to Seattle today for an appointment early in the morning. After my appointment I just hiked around Seattle. I finally ended up at the Seattle Public Market. It was nice to finally find a place to sit for a bit. I have a beautiful view of the sound just below and a majestic view of the Olympic Mountains just ahead. Sometimes, If you can tune out the noise and grim, Seattle is Spectacular.

Well that lasted for about 15 minuets. What is it with people. I try to spread my stuff out as much as possible to indicate that I have a space issue. Shees. Well I had enough of Seattle.

FABULOUS

2007-01-19T22:29:00.000-08:00

I got a call from the headhunter. They really liked me. Oh Joy! So I will be starting work at Clearwire on February 1st for a 4 month contract. So in just a little over 2 weeks I have a job. Now all I have to do is keep applying to places to keep my options open for after the contract.

Finally Some Movement

2007-01-18T22:14:00.000-08:00

Today was a very busy. I went to an Interview this morning. Hooray!! I received a call from the headhunter yesterday afternoon. He was happy to report that the company he had done the preinterview for on Monday wanted to meet with me. He suggested today. So I said sure but it would have to be in the morning. So the time was set for 10am.

The interview was in Kirkland some 20 plus miles away. So I got in the car at 9am figuring it would take 30 min and give me time to stop off and get a cup'o coffee. I needed the caffeine to perk up my otherwise very reserved self. (My name is Mandelin; and I am a caffeine-holic.) I got on to the freeway and was doing just fine; 60 MPH traffic was clear, oh but then I reached Renton. Renton is a traffic Phenom. I reach the city limits and suddenly find I am only able to go at most 15 miles per hour. So at a quarter of, I called the headhunter to ask him to please call and let my interviewer know that I will be late. (I knew there was a reason I had a cellphone) It took me another 45 minutes to go the remaining 15 miles. I pulled into the parking lot at 10:30am.

Geez, I hate being late. Which is funny because I am late for most everything. When I started to date my husband, my Dad really did not like him until we came for dinner and we were 15 min early. My Dad said, jokingly, "you are alright with me if you can get her any place early". The really funny part is that I actually was living with my Dad at the time. I digress.

The interviewer was not at all upset, I just explained that I am a traffic novice. The interview went really well; very informal. Which is fabulous because I really Shine in the informal interview. Given that I prepare all kinds of scripts and questions and generally impress the heck out of the interviewer. I should know by Monday what the outcome of the interview was. It would be great to get the job. It is a four month contract, kinda disappointing, but at the same time really good. I will be able to tell for sure if I want to work there or not. I would be able if I wanted to apply for other open positions. I will also get a substantial pay boost.

Later in the afternoon I trekked down to Tacoma. I wanted to check out the UW at Tacoma's graduate degree program. I picked up some information and I am looking forward to speaking with an adviser next week. I think it is time that I pursue my passion, something I should have done long ago, Political Science. I just really enjoy studying and participating in the political process.

How do I fill the days??

2007-01-16T22:50:00.000-08:00

Well What do you do with a day? I have been sitting at home for almost 2 weeks. The headhunters are calling but not much else. I fill out applications and send in my resume. Waiting.

I am crocheting a blanket and that seems to be going well. I have had to limit myself to only watching Martha and Rachael Ray. (Ha! That is a tough limit to stick to.) The rest of the day should be spent toward productive activities. Instead I watch a little of Ellen then shut the TV off and stare out at my patio and watch the birds eat the bird seed I put out for them. I watch the squirrels run around and flick their tails around. Not really sure what that means. I have a list as long as my hair of productive actions. However, I just sit around and before I know it night has come and Robert Stephen McRatterssen is out and about. He scrounges around looking for leftovers from the birds.

It has come to this I have named a personified a rat. Just for the record rats are gross and in my opinion unnatural. If your tail is pulled off it should not grow back. Bleh!! Yes I have a rat in my patio space. He is rather nice looking, about the size of a house mouse, a beautiful bronze brown coat, a small rat face and a long brown black tail. He is an amazing animal. Mr. McRatterssen can climb trees and rain gutter down spouts, run atop the fence and I suppose that he has been the one that keeps things nice and tidy. I tried to take a picture but I do not have the patients to sit out is the snow and cold.

Ya know, I used to live in Idaho where snow and cold are very common. Still here in the emerald city it is very strange to see a white blanket of snow. Like frosted emeralds.

The story continues; the (r)evolution of me.

2007-01-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

Monday, January 15, 2007

So the other day I got a letter from the unemployment office that stated how much I would be getting each week. The figure they came up with was based on the work that I had done for a retail outlet. Essentially I will be getting what I made in one for the whole week. Bah! This puts me in quite the financial predicament; as the only way I was able to continue to exist on the retail job was to live off of student loans. This really, truly (redundant I know) seems worse than scurvy.

On the plus side there are quite a few jobs out there in my chosen field. (From here on out I will be pretending that I actually like my profession.) Also my house is much more organized; I joined this group/movement that helps to schedule tasks around the house and they send handy little reminders to your in box. Check them out at http://flylady.net .

I have also been listening to this audio book, Make Money, Not Excuses by Jean Chatzky. It has opened my eyes to where I should be going; also to some of my strengths. Not sure if it was the right idea to listen to it right now but when else would I have had the time.

It is a little difficult to adjust to not going to work. I keep thinking that I need to get up and go to work. I have been waking up at 3:52am for the last 5 mornings thinking I need to get ready for work. It felt a little like a vacation until the shutdown. I find that if I have not packed my day full of "things" I just end up sitting and watching TV. I think to myself, get up make something! Read! Clean! Do Something!!! But still I just sit, and sit. Strange. If you all have ideas of "things" to pack into my schedule let me know.

Oh yeah and if you want to know I listen to KEXP while I write. A great mix.
http://www.kexp.org

Wowie!! I am joining the revolution

2007-01-16T11:39:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 13, 2007

So here is the story thus far:

I graduated in June, Finally!! After years of jumping around I finally settled for a degree in Network Communications. I have a bachelor's degree in a field that I abhor. Uber boring stuff here folks. Now I have taken on so much in student loans, and my parents have this idea that since I graduated in that field I feel that I should give it a try. This means that I must feign interest in Network communications so that I can try to excel at this career.

Anywho, I took a job right after graduation with a company that I had never heard of. The university sent my resume to them and I accepted an interview. Well five and a half tedious annoying months pass by. As the new year approached I decided I had had enough. I needed to find a new job and somehow make this one bearable. I decide to rededicate myself to doing the best job I can and the very next day. My manager tells me he needs to have a meeting with me. Oh this cannot be a good thing. Two months earlier the staff received an email asking for cost cutting measures because the company is operating at a 500k loss each month. Well here in the meeting with my manager and another manager. (They like to hunt in pairs ya know) Yup, I am that cost cutting measure (I made 31K). I was being laid off, no severance just an old coffee box and benefits till the end of the month (they had already paid for them).

That was January 3rd. In the last 10 days I have had the joy of filing for unemployment, no lines to stand in but the joy of having to go back to my last employers for my employment history. I shut completely shut down for 2 days. Refusing to get out of bed, I don't handle rejection well. One of the reasons I did not date in high school.

Well they story will continue as it always does. I wanted to start writing down my feelings and thought that everyone in the world needed to know as well. (I am "mildly" self-centered)