[I] Gotta Keep [You All Updated]!

So how crazy is it that I have been listening to a bit of The Offspring lately? I don't know why, but I recently downloaded one of their songs from freegal and now I'm linking this one to satisfy my song-title post :). I hadn't listened to the songs (or thought of the band much) in probably 5 years or so... But, conveniently, they have a song that fit syllabically (I think I just made that word up) with my life! And there's nothing like the hard-rock music of the mid-90s which I remember listening to on Casey Kasem's weekly top 40 countdown. I can picture myself at age 14 laying on the floor in my bedroom listening to the one English station we had. The band wavelength number escapes me. (And perhaps I'm not even calling that by the right name... But I know what I'm talking about :)).

So the big news in my life was all about the county job. I did not get the job. I got called just a little bit ago. I went in for my second interview yesterday, and found out I was one of two final candidates. And the official count of how many applied initially was over 60. My second interview was with the three commissioners for the county, because I'd have been working directly for them. The woman who called me was so nice! She told me that the reason the other candidate was chosen was because he had experience with cold calls from citizens and other constituents, and that was his strength. And then she proceeded to say a million really nice things about me. I mean, seriously glowing things. She told me she had really been pulling for me to get the job. She told me that she wished she had my credentials (I didn't even know I had credentials ;)), and that I was just such a pleasure to meet and interview. AND, probably most significantly, she requested that she be able to keep my resume on file, and when I said that I'd be thrilled for her to do so, she said, "Wonderful!" And she told me there are a couple of job openings that may be coming open there soon. She spoke of how over-qualified I actually was for this particular position because it was an entry-level position, and that she really wanted me to know that it was nothing I didn't do or did wrong that made me the second choice. It was simply that the other candidate had a strength I didn't have that was particularly useful for the job. At the end of our conversation, I expressed my gratitude for their time and consideration, etc. All those polite things. And, because she seems like such a nice lady (I really liked visiting with her yesterday when we were waiting for the commissioners to be free to meet with me. She was very nice and down-to-earth and also very friendly and "normal" for lack of a better term ;)), I said, "Well, I wish you all the best with your new employee and hope that he fits right in and that the transition is very smooth. Because it's just really nice when that happens." She said, "Yes, it is nice when that happens. And if it doesn't, well you might be hearing from us again soon!" So there you go. I didn't get it, but I was second choice, and that's not bad. And there is definitely nothing bad about having people in the county know my face and my name. It's not a bad thing that one of the commissioners was particularly impressed with me, and that I made a good impression on someone who was part of the interview team (the lady who ultimately called me today). In fact, yesterday, before I went in to meet the commissioners, she said, "Don't be nervous. I know you will shine." How kind she was!

So while it's not the news I was hoping for, it's not exactly bad news. I have my name out there now -- and my credentials. Hahaha... And who knows where this will lead. And maybe it won't lead anywhere at all. But you just never know!

Meanwhile, I have an application still out for a librarian position about 2.5 hours from here. It's been over a month and I hadn't heard anything, but then neither did one of my former co-workers, who also applied for it. So I emailed them and just asked what the status was. And it turns out, they are only just now going through the applications. Don't know why it's been so long, but you know what? No big deal. Though I'm quite under-qualified for that particular position, I might have a shot. So we just wait and see.

The truth is, I feel very hopeful in the future. I feel happy.

In other news, my last day at the library was Saturday. In celebration of National Library Week (which is this week), the library took us all out to Red Robin for dinner on Saturday. And they planned it for Saturday so I could be included. Which was very nice. So I rode with Lea and Chuck (who went, but sat by himself... hahaha). He was useful there by taking our picture :).
What you can't see in the picture was the bunch of helium balloons someone brought me for my going away. I was quite the spectacle leaving the packed restaurant with these balloons. All the little kids watched, pointed, and said, "I want a balloon!" Poor kids. Then Chuck, Lea, and I went to Target and then to Coldstone where we celebrated my last day with the library. Then we went to Lea's and watched the end of the Seattle Mariner's game. Gasp! What!?! The Nilla watching pro-sports on tv!?! I know. So out-of-character for me. I'm a little shocked myself. And even more shocked by what I'm about to admit... I kind of enjoyed it! Hahaha. Probably won't ever schedule my life around it, but it wasn't so bad to watch the last 2 innings with friends. Because then you can comment on the players that pick wedgies, blow snot-rockets, and are otherwise cute. Hahahaha. I still haven't gotten into watching football. Maybe I will one day, who knows. I know nothing about sports, really. In fact, I went to one of Morgan's softball games a couple weeks ago and saw the umpire had these shiny new-looking fancy-looking shoes. I turned to Lea and said, "Wow! Look at his fancy shoes! Is he trying to make a statement?" She looked where I was indicating, laughed her butt off, and then informed me that those were part of the shin guards (which were not visible underneath is pants) and that the bottoms of them cover and protect the shoes. Hahahahaha. Fancy shoes indeed! I'm a work in progress.

On Sunday we took Desiree and Emily to church. It had been 3 weeks since I'd seen them. How I miss them when I don't see them for a while. The day before, we had called Christina to see if we were taking the girls to church. Desiree wanted to talk to us. I told her I had missed her. She said (quite matter-of-factly), "Well you won't miss me anymore because you will see me at church tomorrow!" Sweet girl. Emily got on the phone to say hi. And she said, "Hi Ha!" Ha. That's what she calls me. "C'mon Ha!" Desiree drew me a picture of me. It was starting to sprinkle when we were leaving church, and Emily started singing "It's raining it's pouring!" That's the only part of the song she knows, so she kept singing that over and over. But it's way cute. Because she still doesn't enunciate everything correctly, so Desiree actually had to "interpret" that the first time she did it. But she's sure got the tune down! And actually, Desiree is the one who "interprets" a lot for us. It amazes me how well Desiree understand everything Emily says and wants. She is such a wonderful and loving big sister.

So that's it for now.

Music and Lyrics

So this was the view yesterday evening from where I'm house-sitting. We have had two beautiful days. Cold. But beautiful. Actually the temperatures warmed up nicely during the day, but brrrr! They started out cold. But with temperatures hitting into the 50s now (and sometimes nearing the 60s!), it is a definite thing that Spring is, well... springing!

And to go along with springing Spring, more of my plants are sprouting! I think all of the lettuce seeds I planted were successful in germinating and showing themselves. Tonight my mom reported that I have a zucchini plant sprouted and a spinach one! Yay! It's so exciting!

As you probably well know, I love quotes. I love music. I love lyrics. Shocking, huh? I listen to a lot of different music. And I enjoy singing along. But sometimes a lyric will smack me out of nowhere! I've had that experience a few times in recent weeks and days. For example, one day while driving back from the library, I heard a song on the radio. It was one I had heard before. By a band that has a few songs I like (such as Walking Contradiction and Basket Case). The band is Green Day. Anyway, the song I heard the other day... It was never a favorite song by them, at least not for me. But there I was, contemplating my current situation. Contemplating my next steps. Realizing the library job was not going to be able to be continued. And here is what I heard:

"Another turning point; a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, that in the end is right... I hope you had the time of your life."

I never really thought of those words before that moment. But I can guarantee you that I will never forget them now. Because those lyrics really struck me. They were so applicable to me. And I do believe that will forever more be one of my favorite songs. (It's called "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day). Granted, I know it wasn't exactly talking about my situation. But it was what I needed to hear. Because it turned out I was, in a way, at a turning point. And though unpredictable, perhaps, in the end, it will end up being right.

Then a few days ago, I believe the day of my interview, I was driving into the library and heard another song on the radio. One I hadn't heard in years. By Sheryl Crow. Again, not a song I particularly considered a favorite. It was jaunty, so I'd listen to it if I had nothing better to listen to. But it isn't on my mp3 player, if you know what I mean ;). I hadn't even thought of the song in years. But suddenly I heard these lyrics, and, again, they struck me. And put me in the best mood.

"It's not having what you want.... It's wanting what you've got!"

Those lyrics are from "Soak Up the Sun." And how true they are. I have what I have. And maybe one day I'll have more... even more of what I want. But until that time, I should want what I have. Because it's really not too shabby, and I have much for which to be grateful.

So yep, definitely.... I love music. And lyrics. Sometimes I just listen to the song without actually hearing the lyrics. And then, when I finally hear them... Well sometimes it's quite an amazing experience :).

In other news, the county people called my references. Don't know how many they actually talked to. But they called them. Good sign, no? Well, then they called me Thursday afternoon. I will be going in Monday afternoon for a meet and greet -- sort of a second interview. I don't have the job. Well, I might. I don't really know. But I think I must be being highly considered for them to have me be going back in for this. I don't know if there are others who were called to do the same thing, and if there are, how many others... I guess I will know more answers after Monday! In the meantime, I get to be super-nervous all weekend! Aaaaahhhhh!

But even so, and regardless of what happens... Well, I'm gonna soak up the sun :).

She's Got Legs!

So I woke up bright and early this morning. Mostly because I was anxious about my interview. There's a lot to prepare when you know you have an interview coming up. For one thing, you have to get yourself into a brand new pair of nylons (the all-the-way-up ones) without putting a run in them. That's an adventure right there. If you are not of the female persuasion, just take my word for it.

So I wore my interview suit into the funeral home, but opted to wear a white shirt underneath the jacket this time. But I wanted to make sure it didn't look too casual (the type of material could have it mistaken for a t-shirt, which it isn't), so I also took my nicer button-down shirt with me so that I could get my mom's opinion. Now keep in mind that I pretty much always wear pants, unless it's church. So pretty much nobody at the funeral home has ever seen me in anything but pants. I got a lot of compliments on my outfit. And right in the middle of the morning meeting, John said, "Hey! Hila has legs!" Which made everyone look at my legs. And I turned red. Because, well... It kind of made me super-self-conscious! Hahaha. And so, in honor of that comment, you have your song title post song :).

In the interest of not being on my feet all day in heels or getting anything on the white shirt... I opted to put a blue t-shirt over the white shirt and wore my red crocs to the library. I briefly considered just going to the interview like this...
And then thought better of it. Hahaha... Bob said, "You know, with those shoes and the skirt, it looks like you have clown feet! So true... Without my "flare" pants, which is what I usually wear, the crocs looked ginormous. So when Lea got to the library, I went up to the desk so she could check out my get-up (I'd already texted her telling her "wait til you see what I look like..."). She busted out laughing. And then we took a picture to commemorate the moment :).

So while pondering what I must look like to the average Joe Patron... It was hard not to laugh at what they might be thinking. I mean, everyone I work with knew I had an interview. But not the patrons. They were left up to their own imaginations to answer the question as to why the crazy lady was wearing a Coast Guard t-shirt (navy blue), a black nice skirt, nylons, and bright red Alabama Crimson Tide crocs... I came up with two movie quotes that I felt were hilariously appropriate for what may have been going through people's minds. Gold star if you know either or both! (And I adapted them to fit my gender, but in both cases, the actual quotes were referring to a "he.")

"Aw! [She] must be in special ed."
and...
"Well, uh, let's see... was wearing a red argyle sweater, and tan trousers, and red shoes. What? No [she's] not retarded!"

I love pop culture. There's a movie quote or a song for every occasion :).

In all seriousness, though... I didn't go to the interview that way. That was just for comfort and convenience at the library. Here's what I really looked like:
I didn't have my camera with me, so I used the funeral home camera to take the picture... I think it's not the best quality. This is like the 4th picture I've used from that camera, and each one has been blurry. And they were all taken by different people. So yeah, I think it's just a cheap camera. But you get the gist anyway.

So how was the interview? Not bad. Do I think I got the job? No idea. I'm not sweating it. It would be cool to get it. No doubt about that. But if it doesn't work out, I'll have other opportunities. I think it's pretty awesome I got to this point in the selection process, because if I had to take a stab at how many people initially applied for the position, I'd guess at between 75 and 100. I mean, they tested 40. The three ladies who interviewed me were very nice. But you know... I've been turned down for jobs before. So if that happens again, then it happens.

And because I'm sure you wanted to know... I'm pretty stoked as far as putting on that suit, because the last time I put it on, it was a tight fit. This time, I had so much room that my cell phone wouldn't stay in place! (When I don't have pockets, I use the waistband of whatever I'm wearing. Heehee :)).

Also, it has not escaped my attention that I am due my quarterly update about how my goals are going for the year... I'll get around to it sooner or later.

Oh and!!! I have a bunch of romaine lettuce seedlings!! Nothing else has started growing yet, but I remain hopeful :). If nothing else, I'll have lots of lettuce!

Good Day With Bad Food

I do want to make sure everyone knows that I'm not down-in-the-dumps about the library job thing not working out. Seriously am not. Overall, I have seriously been pretty happy as of late. Life, as it always will, has had its bumps. But nothing tragic. Nothing that has ruined my happy state.

I have an interview Tuesday afternoon. It is for a job that is not in any way library-related. Go figure. It's an administrative position with the county. If it works out and I get the job, great. If not... No biggie. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. Including applying for jobs in yonder ;). But either way, I've survived two cuts with this job. So that's good for something at least ;).

Yesterday was a fun day. And also a "bad food" day. I'll recap for your benefit. Like you wanted to know... I went to the funeral home in the morning, because I had changed my shift at the library at the request of my boss (just for the day). So the project at the funeral home was filling bins with all the crap that has needed to be shredded for years and years. We got quite a bit cleared out. But we aren't anywhere near done. Unfortunately, there weren't enough bins. But we filled what we had. Woohoo! In the middle of that, Lea texted me and told me to meet me at the front of the funeral home. She and Morgan had brought me (and the staff) a box of celebratory donuts. And that made Lea the cool person as far as my co-workers were concerned. So I exercised self-control and only had half a donut. They were fresh and yummy too. But then lunch rolled around, and I hadn't brought anything for lunch. So I decided I'd go up to Jack-in-the-Box and grab something. Ended up with a sourdough burger and cheese fries. Man, when I saw those pictured on the menu... I had to. I loved those things at the cafetorium in Panama at CJHS. There's a place in the mall in Dothan that also sells them, and I bought them there on several occasions. I didn't eat all the cheese-fries. Couldn't. But I had enough to make me smile :). Then Cindy (at the funeral home) had a birthday, so they got a really nice cake for her. Way pretty. I didn't have any at that point, but decided I'd take a couple small pieces for me and Lea on our break at the library. Lea picked me up at 2:45 and we headed to the library. Well, Karen had made mini cheesecakes with surprises at the bottom (either a Hershey kiss or a Reese's Pnut Butter Cup). So of course we sampled those. Plus Lea had brought strawberries and biscuits for our break too (leftovers from her son's big breakfast with friends). When she showed me all of that, I said, "Man, we're going to have a veritable feast!" I don't even know what that word means, but I heard that phrase once, and it sounded good ;). So once we got to break time, we ate all that stuff. And I didn't intend to eat dinner, but when I got home, my mom was already cooking dinner for me (a chicken patty). So definitely not a good food day. But eh... Sometimes that just happens. And it was such a good day all around that I think there was plenty of cause to celebrate anyhow.

I got my 300-something pictures in the mail yesterday. Good gracious alive that's a lot of pictures! And that's only from my life since August!!! Only 243 of them are not duplicates. But even so... How am I ever going to catch up!!?! True, there are also a lot of food ones in triplicate from Monday Meals. Getting ready to work on the cookbooks :).

Now to start ordering from the past... Hahaha. I still haven't ordered pictures from my trip to Panama in 2008! Slacker.

Maybe I'll start writing on the backs of the pictures tonight while I watch some Futurama.

Plus I need to get ready for house-sitting tomorrow and next week for Wendy. Plus I'll be watching Desiree and Emily tomorrow night so Christina and Nick can go out to celebrate 5 years of marriage. I do believe we will watch Tangled, since my mom bought it :).

Factoids

My dreams amuse me. And it's funny how my dream is brought to my conscious memory by a random thing I encounter during my day. Today I was looking through a kids' cookbook during my break at the library and saw the ingredient "cilantro". I was thinking to myself that in Panama, we grew culantro (related to cilantro) in our backyard, and it was soooo good. And then I remembered I dreamed about picking some last night, because I guess I was back in Panama. Only it didn't smell quite right. Because culantro has a very distinct, very strong smell. Weird.

I love the movie Where the Heart Is. I'm watching it now. It is just such a feel good movie :).

The new Taco Bell cantina tacos are gross. Not worth $1.49. They are dry. Their $2.00 meal deals are an awesome bargain, though. Especially for their 5-layer beef and bean burrito. Oh my gosh. Talk about filling. For like $2. 34 or so. And it's good too. (Even if it does resemble horse tongue...).

I have to apply for another job here in the next couple of days. It's nearby. It's a librarian position. It's part-time. I doubt I'll get it, because again, I'm underqualified according to what they want. I have not worked as a professional librarian for 3 years. (This means working as a librarian for 3 years post-graduate degree). But I'm going to apply anyway. Because why not?

I apparently don't have rhythm. Or something. I cannot keep up with the dancing off the pounds video. Not because I'm tired. I just can't learn the steps. Yikes! My dream of learning how to ballroom dance might not ever be fulfilled ;).

Despite my undying love for sugar cereals (like Fruity Pebbles and Cap'n Crunch), they just don't "stick" with me. But raisin bran does. And I love that. I will likely continue to buy the sugar cereals on occasion because they are good (and nobody makes fun of Nilla's cereal ;)). But I like that, if I eat raisin bran for breakfast, I am not hungry for a loooong time.

I went to get groceries for our back-to-school themed party and also for the dessert I'm making to take to Lea's on Monday as well as a few of the fixings for our taco dinner. My total came to exactly $20. Which I thought was cool :).

I'm going to go finish reading my book. Because I want to move on to the next one ;). I like to cross things off my list like that :).

Shorts

It's hot. High temperature advisory has apparently been issued through tomorrow night. It's disgusting. But it's not humid. So at least there's that. But it's hot. And that is gross. These are the times that try Nilla's soul ;). Also the times when life in the basement is a good thing :). That and the fact that there is a/c upstairs. Woohoo!

My name was included on a referral list for a government job about an hour from here. A librarian position on an Army base. My hopes are not high, simply because I am sure there is steep competition. And the email I received (3.5 months after applying, mind you) indicated that the selectors do not have to choose names off the referral list on which my name resides. So there is obviously a chance there are other referral lists. And that's fine. I'm counting it a good thing that my name was passed to the next step, because it means I managed to decipher the code for applying for government jobs. At least in this case. I had to rewrite my resume to be in accordance with their format standards, etc etc. So to say I did that right is at least a boon.

I'm lacking the shopping gene held by so many members of the female part of the species. Seriously. Grocery shopping, for whatever reason, doesn't usually fall into this category. But other types of shopping do. Especially in places like Lowe's or Target. I go, get what I need, and leave. I do not browse. And wo be unto the soul who accompanies me to such a store and then has the audacity to want to browse things that peak their interest (and are of no interest whatsoever to me). I lose my patience -- and fast. And even faster when I'm really really tired. I'm a horrible person sometimes. I know this. Hahaha. I am working on it.

There is a grocery store here called Grocery Outlet. I love that place. I just wish it wasn't on the East side of town. Which is like 15 minutes away. But when everything is generally within 5 minutes, those extra 10 seem interminable. Yes Julie, I know you live 20 minutes away from most civilization (so I should stop whining). All the more reason you should get stationed out here :). You will be close to everything! Including the Nilla :). But anyway, it's kind of like Big Lots for groceries. Close-out type stuff. So their selection has a pretty decent turnover and it's like a treasure hunt. You never know what goodies you'll find. Last week I found these Edwards brand desserts that come with 2 desserts per pack. There's the brownie kind and the chocolate chip cookie kind. You cook that in the microwave for 55 seconds. Let it cool for a minute. Top it with the mini-chocolate chip topped ice cream (also in the package) and eat. It's phenomenal. And each box is only 50 cents. Yeah. Talk about a bargain! So I went back on Friday and stocked up! And got a few boxes for Alligator Bob and his wife and also Rebecca and her hubby. I spent $5.50. And based on manufacturer's suggested retail price... I saved over $38. Hahahaha. It was awesome. I so love a good deal.

And if it seems weird to have that paragraph directly below the one describing my bad shopping attitude in other instances... Yeah, the irony isn't lost on me either. Oh irony, how I love thee.

And in spite of the paragraph that oohs and aahs over the fabulousness of a dessert that cannot possibly be good for you (because it's not), I do continue to lose weight (more irony). Which makes me happy. I'm down 10 pounds from where I was in October. And I hope to keep up the losing streak. Tomorrow Lea and I are planning to try Zumba. Hopefully that happens. We shall see. Because it's really too hot to walk.

Still no ripe tomatoes. I tended my garden quite intensely yesterday. And sweated a lot in the process. Because it was hot yesterday too. But I cut back some of the acorn squash leaves. I hoed and pulled all the grass on one half of the garden. It seems the cucumbers might be reaching the end of their productivity. I have only 5 out there growing right now, and they still have a couple of days before they are ready to pick. So, there's that.

We are planning a back-to-school themed party for next weekend. It will be fun.

I will be house-sitting again from Tuesday until the day my mom and I go on our Oregon Coast trip (Goonies house, here I come!).

Tuesday marks 6 months that I've been at my library job. This means I can finally use my annual leave. So far, the best thing to come out of it was my cool-awesome friendship with Lea. Well, that and the insurance. I'm thankful for that. Just wish it could be a little more fun. But then, it is only fun when it's fun....

Well, I'm off to eat some chicken salad sandwich for dinner. Something cold. It's too hot to cook.

Did I mention it's hot?

This Just In

I got the phone call about the job today. They did not offer it to me. But I am totally fine with it. I was not technically qualified, because I do not have supervisory experience. And it is entirely possible that they chose someone who is closer to the area anyway. Which makes a lot more sense. And I'm so relieved I didn't have to find a way of politely declining the job, because I really knew it wasn't for me (I tend to know this when I hope that they don't offer me the job after I have interviewed -- or even before! This is my 3rd experience with that feeling. As Julie says, 'it's very telling'). I'm glad I went. Glad I got the experience of interviewing. And it has to say something that they interviewed me for that level of a position, so all around, it was a good experience and a good thing. And hopefully eventually the right thing will come along. Until then, I will keep on keeping on.

I will have a couple of pictures to post -- probably tomorrow -- from my brief visit with Ladonna. The whole Olympic National Park thing didn't end up happening, but we still were able to visit and spend some time, and it was enjoyable. I will write more about that when I post the pictures. And I'll write more about my week at that time too. I will have a lot of fun stuff to do this week -- always a grand time :).

So, that's it for now. Back to work :)! Just wanted to update.

The Low-Down on the Small Town

So Friday I had my job interview.

Because of where the job interview was (about 3 hours away from me), and because my interview was scheduled for 8:30 in the morning (gross), my mom and I decided to drive down the night before and stay in a hotel. My older brother came to stay with my grandmother and my mom and I headed down. We had an enjoyable trip, and I think it was nice for my mom to have the opportunity to get away for a night. Plus we got to see an area of the state we hadn't seen before. So we got there and ate at a Mexican place and then went and checked in to the hotel. And we just relaxed. We turned out lights around 10:30 and within about 5 minutes, my mom was out. I didn't sleep all that well, and then when she woke up at 5 in the morning, I woke up too. I tried to go back to sleep. I mostly failed. My alarm was set for 6:30 so I could get ready and we still had to drive another 45 minutes to where the actual location really was. So at about 6:15, I heard my phone. At first it registered (in my somewhat comatose state) as my alarm. But it turned out it was 3 texts from Lea in succession. Hahaha. So I was up at 6:15 for sure. And so I went down to the hotel lobby and ate some raisin bran and then came back to the room to start getting ready. My mom and I drove north 45 minutes after checking out of the hotel. We got to the library. And that is in a one-horse town for sure! It didn't even have a stop sign that I could see. I got nervous at first, because I was the only one there! Turned out my interviewers who were coming from the service center were late. I was really starting to get nervous, because I was worried that maybe I was supposed to have gone to the service center for the interview and that I'd gotten the information wrong! And man oh man, that would have been a long way to go to be wrong. But they showed up. And I interviewed. And I think the interview went well. The library is adorable. Right up my alley, really. I'd be supervising 2 other people if they were to offer me the job. Smaller than Ashford, though. Smaller collection (though it is a shared collection, so that changes things a bit). I got a lot of those "what would you do if..." questions. Or "where would you go to look for this if a patron wanted it..." I also had to come up with a program for families based on a book they handed me, and I had to explain to them what I would do. So anyway... I think the interview went well. I am one of 5 candidates they interviewed. But the truth is... I probably won't take the job if they offer it to me. It is just too much in the middle of nowhere. And it turns out this Nilla Wafer is not a one-horse town kind of gal. I don't care to live in Seattle. But I sure need more than a gas station without an attendant that only takes debit or credit and therefore only has outhouses for bathrooms (ask my mom). The job really appeals to me in so many ways. But I could never be happy 40 minutes away from any real city in a town where everyone knows my business and I know everyone else's (these were the interviewers' words, not mine). And I'm not saying I know they will offer it to me. I'm just saying I am pretty positive I will turn it down if they do.

After the interview, we headed back. A long story ensues here that I will not share, but basically, the clock was ticking and my boss at the library was expecting me back there if I made it to the library where I work before the end of my regular shift. You see... They paid me for the day whether I was interviewing or driving or doing my regular job -- but only between the hours of 9:45 and 1:45, as that is my regular shift. My interview, which started and ended before 9:45, didn't even count. And so, I ended up getting back to the library with an hour and a half to work -- in heels and my interview suit. Fun. During the drive back in, we stopped for a potty break (and to get some food) and this is where I discovered I had put my nylons (or pantyhose, hose, or stockings ;)) on backwards. The really sad part about this is that I had already peed at the library before my interview, and I didn’t notice this at that time. (Is that TMI ;)?)

So that was the day. Very exhausting, and by that evening, I was bushed. I’ve spent the weekend resting, hanging with friends, and laughing. Last night I hung out with Lea and her family. And I learned a new term. Probably a made-up one, but funny. Right up there with “wacka-wacka.” Zeeba-zaba. This is a person who speaks English, but you need subtitles to understand them. Hahahaha.

And tomorrow, if things swing the way I’d like them to, I may have the opportunity to see someone I haven’t seen in 10 years! One of my Young Women leaders from Panama is in the area with her family and I might be able to spend the day in Olympic National Park with them. Even if I cannot, though, Ladonna assures me they will not leave the area without seeing me, even if only for an hour or something. So how cool is that!?!

Not That Kind of Gal

Today I discovered that I'm not a one-horse town kind of gal.

Nor am I the kind of gal who functions well at 6:30 in the morning (just ask the pantyhose I put on backwards -- and didn't discover that I did until much later in the day).

I'm also not the kind of gal who can watch X-Files alone when I'm in a house alone. I suspected as much. I confirmed it while I was house-sitting this past week. I made it through one episode, even though the cat freaked out in the middle of it, because the washer I had going started making weird noises -- and so I had to check that out, just in case ;). Then I stopped. Because even the music for the following episode was creeping me out. I'm wimpy like that. Hahaha.

I had my interview today. I think it went well. I will elaborate more at a later date.

Dot Gov

So I'm trying to figure out the crazy application process for civil service jobs. What an adventure. It's asking me to remember all the classes I took for my highest degree. Thank goodness there were only 12 of them. And thank goodness for internet and course listings online. This is nutty!

I Said Hey... What's Going On?

I came up with a song-title post. It's been a while ;). And P.S... I do not care for having to watch a dumb commercial before seeing the youtube video. I shouldn't be surprised. I find it interesting that life is made up of highs and lows. I have been really happy lately. Not that there aren't blah moments. But overall, I've been so happy :). So here's what's going on in the Nilla Life this week -- so far.

Garden, garden, garden. Is that all I ever talk about? Well sort of. Mostly I'm just posting a couple of pictures here this time. But here's my commentary. I hoed the garden. My mom bought a new hoe, because the last one broke. Bummer. But I think I'm getting better at this and I'm really breaking in my body! The last two times I hoed the garden, my opposable thumbs wouldn't work right (ie for things that require a lot of thumb usage like texting). I might as well have been a monkey! Hahaha. I'm a dork. Anyway. I didn't have any thumb soreness this time. Also I didn't get tired as easily. I hoed my whole garden in one fell swoop! And watered it with the sprinkler -- ghetto style by moving the sprinkler from spot to spot. And I got soaked from the waist down, because sometimes I don't think things through. See, the neighbor has seen me out there hoeing twice now. So today he asked if we'd like some of his roll of stuff (don't know what it's called) that you put down in your garden and it prevents the weeds from growing much, because it blocks the sun. You just cut out little holes for your plants. So this sounded like a fabulous idea (less hoeing!). What I didn't really think about is that it was probably the smarter thing to lay this stuff down first and then water. But no. That's just not the Nilla way. Nilla waters first and turns the garden into a muddy mess so that when she's trying to lay down the papery stuff, she is sinking into the mud. Ah yes. The Nilla brain is a very scary place. And nevermind how hard it is to cut spots for your plants to grow through. Grrr. This was not a fun project. And I was already sweaty and hot (it was almost 80 degrees this past weekend -- and now we are cooling off again and tomorrow should be highs in the low 60s -- and I ain't complaining!) and therefore irritated. So I gave up after 2 rows. I will go back to it another day. And boy oh boy was I stanky when I was done (and it wasn't even midnight ;)!). I was in dire need of a shower. So I got one at the house rather than at Bob's house, even though I was still house-sitting. I also weed-whacked the rest of the yard before starting on the garden. And also some of the side yard that was way overgrown. Sigh. It's hard work. But to see strawberries and tomato buds is very exciting! And that's what the pictures are of. And cucumbers. Because I gave up and bought some since my seedlings mysteriously disappeared. Maybe I'll start them indoors next year.

House-sitting is over. For now. (I included a picture of Max who made himself at home on my lap on the couch while I watched tv.) I'm actually house-sitting for Wendy next week. Woohoo! I picked Bob and his wife up and his wife's sister and husband also at the ferry. I drove Bob's big old Titan truck. And I am not good at parking big vehicles. I couldn't tell how close I was to the wall in front of me. I looked pretty darn close. So I parked and got out. Shoot, I was practically a mile away! Oh well. Better that way than scratching it up by hitting the wall. I don't make a habit of driving other people's vehicles. But that was the only way 5 adults and a bunch of luggage was going to fit. On the up-side, I do manage to stay in my lane and only my lane ;).

I made my last payment on my student loan today!!! I'm so happy! Of course, it won't clear for a couple of days. But it's floating out there in cyberspace somewhere. And it'll be posted soon. And I will have met one of my huge goals for the year :). I am out of debt.

I got a phone call from the service center of my library system today. They left a message, because I was out in the fileroom shifting files and didn't have my phone. I took my time in calling back. I was nervous. I figured this was about the job for which I applied at the end of April. The one I figured I wasn't being considered for since I'm in my probation period. And I was okay with that. Well, so I got the call today. And I'm being considered. And asked to interview. And so I am going to interview. Next Friday. At 8:30 in the morning. 3 hours away. Ugh. So my mom and I are going to go down the night before and just get a hotel. Mommies are wonderful, by the way. I think it'll be nice for me and my mom to go have a night hanging out and seeing somewhere new. I still have reservations about the job. Mostly about how far away it is. When I moved to Tuscaloosa, that was really hard for me. I knew no one. I was 4 hours from my dad and everything familiar. And when I left there, I told myself I wouldn't do that again. Not because I couldn't (because obviously I succeeded and made new friends etc). But because I decided I wanted to be close to my family. And so this would kind of fly in the face of that. So... I'm not sure about it. And I'm not saying they are going to offer the job to me or anything. But I always think ahead. Just so I can worry pointlessly for 2 weeks before I even interview. It's the Nilla way. Ask anyone who has known me for any length of time ;). But I want to go and check it out and see how it feels. It would look great on a resume. I'd be making more than I'm making now and be working a lot fewer hours (28 per week, to be exact).

So today was a nutty day. Full of interesting happenings. And it was only Monday! I wonder what this week will bring.

Oh! But I've also made another new friend! She works at the funeral home and is the new location manager there. She is a lot of fun. We've been talking and laughing for about a month now and we just click. It's awesome to meet new friends and just click with them!

And I finished the Michael J. Fox biography I was reading. I really liked it. And if he can be up-beat and optimistic with his disease (which sounds horrible, by the way), then I have no reason not to be! So, here's to always looking up :). Which actually works on two levels, if you ask me :).

Updates

As you can see from the pictures above, I have planted my garden!!! I'm so excited! It was so much fun! Who knew!?! It was hard work, don't get me wrong. Very hard work. That roto-tiller was killer! I definitely got a workout and really worked my latissimus dorsi muscles -- I felt them for 2 days afterwards. But I learned a lot. Here are the things I have now experienced: I bought my first gas can. I went and got gas in said gas can. I filled the roto-tiller with gas (after spilling some on hand -- always have to do something dumb like that ;0)). And I roto-tilled. And I planted all my garden. Turns out, also, that gas smell stays on your skin a long time. I washed my hands 3 times, plus took a shower and my hand still smelled of gasoline! So I washed my hand in bleach water. And that resulted in my hand smelling like bleach and gas. Clean and manly. Very sexy. Hahahah. Kidding. So anyway, Saturday I did most of the tilling after work and shopping for supplies like garden gloves and fencing (to keep an annoying daschund out of my garden since he won't use it when there's grass on it for his bathroom, but the minute it's tilled under, he's in there to poop in it. Dumb dog). I finished tilling it on the deepest setting and then raked it over once. I really didn't know what i was doing ;). So I checked in with my co-workers Buck and Bob and they told me what I needed to do. And so today after work, I raked it over twice more. By about this time, my friend John got here and he helped me dig holes and completely dug up the area by the fence where I couldn't reach with the tiller. Lots of yuck worms. I know they are good for the soil and the garden. But ewww! I don't want to see them. I'm kind of prissy like that. Anyway, it is so nice to have it stay light outside until after 8, because we were able to get everything planted. I have 14 tomato plants, 1 pepper plant, 1 raspberry start (hoping it will take), and a row of bush peas and a row of cucumbers. This has definitely been a fun and rewarding experience for me. I had no idea this could be so much fun! It is hard work. But definitely fun. I'm excited to see what will come of it all :).

In other news... I am not hopeful about that job for which I applied. It seems there has been discussion about the cost of allowing employees who are on probation (their first 6 months of work in the system, which includes me at this point) to move into other positions. Nothing definitive has come across yet, but I am figuring this pretty much means I won't get that branch manager position. I'm fine with it. I at least did my part, and if that is a door I'm not meant to go through, I would rather have it shut completely.

I could probably write more, but I'm really tired. :). Gardening is whooping my tail!

Opinions Needed - And Fast!

So there is a job opening in my library system for a branch manager. It has been open for quite some time now, but I kind of thought I'd wait and see if they filled it, and if they didn't -- and re-opened it, then I'd apply at that point. And I was happy with that decision (probably mostly because I could just not do anything about it...). But then today, my boss at the library called me to the back and asked me if I had seen the job posting. She said she understood there were "negatives" to my taking that job, but she wanted to be sure I knew that she would understand if I wanted to try for other positions, even though I've only been in my position there for 2.5 months. She said she knows I'm a professional librarian and that I will naturally want a professional position. So I told her my thoughts, assuring her that I had seen the posting. And she said that, while they try to get professionals into certain positions, if none apply, they very well may opt to hire a paraprofessional for the position just to fill it, if they have no other choice. So there's the possibility that they wouldn't re-open the position at all, and would instead fill it with someone less qualified than I am. (Not that I'm tooting my horn saying I'm uber-qualified or anything. Just that I have the degree they want to have, and the experience -- well, except I've never managed other people). So here we go with a decision I need to make -- and fast (as in the close date for application is Friday -- as in the day after tomorrow :)).

The pros of this position are that I would be a library manager. Yes, I've been that before, but it's a little different here, and I'll be managing other people. This will look fabulous on a resume. It's a small library, and I like that. I loved Ashford. I loved the small-town feel of it all. This position is an increase in pay by about $7000 a year, and I'll be working a lot less hours. 28 to be exact over the course of 4 days a week. Which would mean I could take on a part-time job if I really wanted to. Plus it still has all the insurance and retirement benefits I enjoy now as part of the library system.

The cons of this position, were I to be offered it, are as follows: It's 3 hours away. I'd have to relocate. I'm so ready to be on my own, it's not even funny. But I moved to Washington, in part, to be close to my family. Living 3 hours away is practically like living in another state. It would be a "trip" to come and see my mom and my siblings and my nieces and nephews. (Although I would be a lot closer to Forks, so maybe that's a plus ;) -- haha, totally kidding). The other thing is that this library is kind of out in the boonies. It's about 40 minutes to the nearest real town, though my understanding is that there are some convenience stores and such there. Plus it's probably beautiful, since it's in the rainforest and right next to a lake in the Olympics. And it's a bit less expensive to live there according to alligator Bob, so my salary should probably be sufficient. I'm pretty sure I could live on that salary here where the cost of living is a bit higher, so I think I could definitely live there just fine. Mostly my biggest concern is being as far away from my family. The kids already grow up so fast.

But I'm single. And I don't have anything tying me here. I could pick up and move to Timbuktu if I wanted (though my best friend tells me I'm not allowed to leave the States). And this is a great opportunity to get a really great position on my resume (possibly -- this is all assuming I even was offered the job). And there's nothing to say I would have to stay there for the rest of my life. It could just be a stepping stone. A way to get that kind of a position under my belt and then, should something open up here in this county, I could apply for it and maybe have more of a chance of being considered.

Ultimately, I've never wanted to be a career woman, it's true. But like one of my favorite quotes reminds me: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." What I had planned for my life is not what I'm doing now. I wanted to be a wife and a mother. And somewhere along the way, I got a bit derailed. And while they are still what I want, I am learning to accept that they may not be what I get. And so maybe I need to consider this, because maybe it's the path I need to take.

And I totally realize that, in the end, the decision to apply or not apply -- or to accept the job or not accept it, should I be offered it -- is mine and mine alone. I will have to pray about it and ponder it. But it never hurts to ask my loved ones (ie all of you ;)) what their opinions are. So, feel free to comment with any thoughts :).

Finally It Happened to Me!

Well today is the first day of the rest of my life ;). How cliche.

Today was full of events to proclaim. Well, okay... Maybe there weren't all that many. But there were some events. One of them was the email I got from the public library saying that Ender's Game was waiting for me at the library. To say I was ecstatic is an understatement! I had visions of me curling up with the book and finishing it tonight. (I think I'm a loser after reading back over this paragraph, but oh well...). Those visions were quickly dashed when I made it all the way to the library and found out they were closed until 1. That's what I get for assuming. I mean, what main branch of a library doesn't open all day on a weekday? But then I must remember that budget cuts hit libraries in a particularly nasty way. Economic hardships are not friendly, ever, to the public library. Shoot... Economically good times aren't especially favorable to most library systems in my experience. It's a sad fact, really. But I digress. So I drove all the way over there to have my hopes dashed. And since they closed at 5, I couldn't pick the book up after work either. This will help to remind me to check the hours next time. I didn't learn my lesson the first time I did this either, but that was with the downtown branch, so it has different hours anyway. But still, I could learn the lesson of looking up the hours online before heading over!!! So, tomorrow is the day then. Tomorrow I will go check out the book. Yay!

The other awesome event is the reason for the blog post title (which is a song title post). (Although I just realized that the whole Ender's Game thing is also applicable :)). I finally got a job in the library world again! Woohoo! It is a part-time job in the same town where I volunteer at the middle school. I will continue to work at the funeral home, and I am glad for that. I love my job. Thinking of having to leave it and the people there had made me sad. So I'm glad that, at least for now, that isn't an issue. I have a foot in the door in libraries here now, so that is good. I got the phone call this morning and they offered me the job. And this is why I mentioned the other day that I talk way too much with my hands when I'm nervous. I noticed the hand-talking a lot during my interview. So anyway, I have to give a world of thanks to Mary, Annie, and Donna for being my references and for letting me know they had gotten phone calls! And I know this is seemingly out of the blue. But I got so tired of mentioning jobs I applied for; jobs I interviewed for; and then having to say, "No, I didn't get it." It made me feel like a total loser. So, I've kept quiet about things of that nature (not that there has been a whole heck of a lot of library job openings in my area for which I applied), because I just didn't want to have to do that again and again.

Perks of the job: It's a 2nd job and supplemental to the one I have. It's a foot in the door of the library world. I'm back in the public library world, where I haven't really been for almost 6 years, and I have missed it. I will now know when Tess Gerritsen will come out with her new book. Or what the best-sellers are. Yep, I've been out of the loop for far too long, and I've felt it.

"Downfalls" of the job (circumstantial/situational, not the job itself, mind you ;)): Schedule is Tuesday through Saturday, which means I will no longer be receptionist on Saturdays at the funeral home. Not that I'm totally bummed about it, I just feel bad that they have to readjust. And also I will miss working with Mary every 3rd Saturday. I will, however, enjoy having part of the day off on Saturdays. This also means I definitely will not be able to make the New Moon party with my dear Alabama friends. I knew this was likely true for other reasons, but this pretty much nips it in the bud. I will be sad to miss it. But I will be there in spirit! And, there's always Eclipse, right :)? But thanks anyway to all you lovely ladies who really wanted me to be there -- to the point of saying you'd pick me up at airports from Birmingham to Montgomery to Panama City, FL! You all are awesome! And seriously, I will miss being there to party down with you gals.

The other event of the day was what happened on my way in to work. I had a gift card to this little coffee establishment that is on the way to the funeral home. I'd been scoping it out to see if the only option was drive-thru, because remember, my windows don't roll down. Now, I don't drink coffee, but I won this during the Dirty Santa we played at work in December. And Bob told me that this place had a really good Italian Soda. So, in my days of scoping the place out, I noticed that there was a door, so I figured I could probably go in, even though it wasn't set up as a shop. So, I pulled in there today. Turns out you can't actually go in, but upon closer inspection, there is a walk-up window. So I was pretty excited. So I asked the girl about the Italian Sodas and she told me all the different types and said the orange one was like an orange dreamsicle. That sounded fantabulous to me. So, I got that. Used my gift card. Still have money on it. Yay. Headed for work. Parked my car. Got out of my car with the Italian Soda (which I tasted and it was way good) and my purse and my other bag I take to work with me (because it has things like make-up, in case I want to put it on, and my mp3 player, and my reading book, if I have one I'm currently reading...). Plus I had my keys in my hand. So, I put everything on top of my car to get organized, and when I went to pull my bag back off my car, it knocked off the Italian Soda and it went SPLAT! all over the cement. I was soooo bummed. Honestly, I'm still rather bummed about it. I'm just glad I didn't actually pay for it. And I can go back one more time and try again. This time, I will not put it on top of my car and knock it off :).

So, that's my news. I'm excited. I don't know why it took as long as it did for me to get a library job. I may not ever know. Or maybe I will one day look back and find out why things have been the way they have been. In spite of all the hard times (and during those times, I most definitely don't see it this way, even if I know it to be true), I do know that I have been watched over. I know that things don't happen randomly, but that all things (both the good and the bad) are for my experience and growth. And if I just have faith (I know, easier said than done... at least for me), it will all be ordered for my good.

"Sometimes He lets it rain. He lets the fierce winds blow. Sometimes it takes a storm to lead a heart where it can grow. He can move mountains of grief and oceans of pain. But sometimes He lets it rain." (lyrics by Hilary Weeks)

Upcoming...

I don't feel like blogging right now, other than to say a few things. I will divulge more information later...

But... This past week I:

1. chopped off 3 inches of my hair -- or rather, I had my mom do it

2. had a work conversation about animals of the serengeti

3. went to an AWESOME Enrichment meeting

4. went to a really great dinner and Relief Society broadcast

5. sung my voice (almost) out along with Mary and a few others at a dueling pianos function

6. drove to the high school where I will start volunteering tomorrow and met the librarian there

7. submitted a job application for a public library job

8. went visiting teaching

9. got and got over a minor cold

10. pondered why sometimes life is so complicated

Details to come on at least a couple of these -- with pictures guaranteed for number 5.

Hila-Lights

Okay, so I'm a lame blogger. I have no excuses. But let me apologize to Jessica, who guessed the movie quote correctly last week, but I never acknowledged it, because I never even logged in to Blogger... So, I'm leaving the movie quote up for another week. It's only one of the greatest movie quotes of all time :).

So, from recent weeks, these are the highlights -- or the Hila-lights :).

*I got pulled over for the first time ever. My luck finally ran out on that whole "my back right brakelight and blinker aren't working" thing. I'd say I had a good run, since I'd been driving my car (a lot) over the past year like that. I know, I know... So irresponsible of me. The good news is that John fixed it and it cost me a total of $25. And since the Buick dealership was quoting me $200 for a whole new light assembly, I'm thinking I got a really, really great deal on that.

*I am going to start volunteering at a high school library about 20 minutes from here. This may lead to a job down the road, but then again, it may not. Either way, it's something to do that will get me back into the world of libraries.

*I spent last Tuesday with Christina, Desiree, and Emily. Emily has learned a new game: pass around. And because we are such big suckers, we think it is absolutely adorable when she holds her little arms out, so we play along.

*Samuel is in kindergarten this year and loving it. And Saria is doing well in 2nd grade. I cannot believe how big these kids are getting. Benjamin is still at home all the time, but he is talking more and more and is more intelligible.

*My grandfather has been put on Hospice, so a lot is changing in the house.

*I am walking still, but it isn't doing me any good. But then, neither is the fact that people always bring treats to share at work...

*I went and saw The Time Traveler's Wife and Post-Grad the other night. I liked them both, though the former is not one I'd own, simply because it was a little bittersweet. The second one I don't know if I'd own either, but it was pretty funny. I didn't even know what it was about. I mostly went so I could see The Time Traveler's Wife. I'm going to read the book soon... After I finish Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs.

*I'm getting ready for my 4th and final trip to the South this year for April's wedding!! I'm very excited. It's coming up fast.

*I'm applying for a part-time librarian position in the area. Not getting my hopes up, but giving it a shot anyway. Either way, I'm still liking my job, so I can't really complain.

*I wish I was more motivated to write. I've been wanting to write a book for a while now. I have ideas all through my crazy head. I just need to get motivated. Part of it is I want to get a laptop. I need to start saving toward that. I need to put that on a list :). Hahaha...

Well, I guess those are some good high-lights for now. There are probably tons more I could write, but I can't think of them at the moment.

My Life in Snippets

It's late. And I'm tired. But, I promised my cousin -- you know: the one, the only, the fabulously great Elka -- that I'd update for her benefit. So, here are a few snippets from my last few days...

Went to another Twilight party. There were 6 of us there, all ladies from church. We watched the movie again and pigged-out on junk food. Seriously. I'm still feeling like a heifer, and it's been 2 days. UGH.

Walked with Sue. Which always feels great, even though I still feel like a heifer. Hahahaha...

Got an awesome calendar from Heidi:


Realized that sometimes I look really bad in pictures.

Worked.

Tried the new Twisted Frosty at Wendy's. I'm assuming they are new. I'd never seen them before. Of course, when was the last time I was at Wendy's? Who knows... Anyway, I got a chocolate frosty with cookie dough. It was okay. Probably not worth the $2 and change I paid for it. But whatever.

Worked on applications for a library job. And then found out about another one that I will be working on applying for. And that is grammatically incorrect.

La Vida Nilla

I am often amazed at how the week gets away from me. What can I say? I stay busy these days. Busy and laughing. And it's all good :).

So, Monday was a regular old work day. Nothing terribly exciting happened that day, as far as work goes. But, instead of walking, Heidi, Em, Wendy (all from church) and I went to a movie. The first movie in a theatre I've seen since I moved here. Okay, so I'm kind of a loser... Anyway, we went and saw Duplicity with Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. I really quite liked it, though I hadn't even heard of it before then. The four of us made 4 of the 6 people in the theatre that night. So close to being the only ones... Oh well. So, I got home sometime around 10 that night and grabbed a quick shower, and then went to bed.

On Tuesday, I went to work for the morning, and then I left at noon and went by a department of transportation office to get myself a "Good2Go" pass so that I can cross the bridge and not have to stop to pay the toll. So, my car is now RFID-tagged up. Also, the toll is cheaper this way. Yippee. Also, I don't have to worry about my windows that don't roll down -- especially in cold weather. And then I drove the rest of the way to Sumner to do a meet and greet with the people who interviewed me while I was in New Mexico. They seem nice. The library is a lot smaller than I imagined. Much smaller than HLML, maybe twice the size of Ashford. For most of you, this description is meaningless. For the rest of you... now you know :). Anyway, I got shown around and mainly just went to meet them and kind of get familiar with the situation so I can be a substitute. So, toward the end, they are showing me their "slipping" room -- or where all the behind-the-scenes stuff goes down. And one of the ladies working there is writing something and then turns to me and says, "Hablas espanol?" To which I reply "Si." And somehow, before it's all over, I end up making a phone call to these people who didn't return the DVD with the case -- all in Spanish. And, while I was assured that they always get the answering maching, I got a real live person. So, how about that? It was a success, though, since I understood the dude, and the dude understood me. And then the lady that would've made the call had I said no, said, "Wow. You're good. Is your Spanish Mexican Spanish?" So I told her I learned my Spanish in Panama. Seriously... How do these things even happen to me? I was so embarassed. I was being watched (and listened to) by 4 people. Talk about on-the-spot. I soooo enjoy that feeling. Anyway, I went back to work after that and just did a few more files before calling it quits. And then Sue and I walked for about 45 minutes after work.

Wednesday helped me cross something off my Nilla list. Which I need to go find. But anyway... The morning was hectic, because I had to make an unanticipated trip to the pharmacy in Silverdale for my grandparents. My mom was in Seattle for mangers' meetings. And then I had a Relief Society meeting to attend at 10. And then, I had to make sure they knew at work that I was planning to go to Seattle with them. But, it all worked out. We loaded up the van at about 3 -- all 7 seats full. I was jammed in the middle in the back. Felt like the airplane. We laughed and cut up all the way over. Then we got to the hotel, where they were having the meetings. Turns out the President and CEO of the company was here, and so we got to rub elbows with the big whigs. Once the room was ready for all of us to go in, we sat down together and had cookies, chips, and sodas while listening to the "town meeting." After that, we were, quite unexpectedly, invited to join everyone at this place called Mangiamo's. So, we all walked the 4 blocks from the hotel to the restaurant and enjoyed a lovely dinner. In a restaurant with 3 forks per place setting. Which totally qualifies for whatever that was on my bucket list :). It's one of those frivolous things I've always wanted to do -- that and ride in a limo. Hahahaha :). So, I had my camera, but had left it in the van, because I thought I'd look dumb. Yet another regret. I should have brought it. Darn it. But thank goodness for camera phones. I took a picture of a place setting to show off all the forks and plates. And then John took a picture with his phone of me. It came out a bit blurry, but my camera didn't look like it got enough light when you held it up, and John's seemed to get more light. So, we made do. But either way... I have a somewhat record of this experience :). It was like a 4 course meal. First there were appetizers: fried cheese (always a winner) and stuffed mushroom caps (another winner). Then there were salads. They put two big salads on the table: caesar and chopped. I preferred the Caesar. The chopped had bleu cheese. Ick. That taste really stays with you. The main course was also served in big dishes and we all got some of everything: veal scallopini, chicken saltenboca (or however it's spelled), sausage spaghetti, four cheese ravioli. I didn't eat the veal. By about this time, I was completely stuffed. But, there was still dessert. I had the 7 layer chocolate cake, but I didn't have much of it. No more room in my tummy -- or my pants for that matter ;). But anyway, we laughed and enjoyed wonderful conversation. It was a fun night. We left the restaurant around 10 and walked back to the hotel. Then we still had over an hour's drive back to the funeral home where we work. Which got even longer when we couldn't get onto I-405 due to construction. So, I got home sometime after midnight and still had to get a shower and all that. So, it was about 2 before I got to sleep this morning.




But today was a new day, and I got up and made it to work by 8:30. Impressive, no? Hahaha... After a full day of work, I came home, made dinner (my mom was on the ferry back home after 2 days of managers' meetings), and then rushed off to Enrichment at church. So, it's been busy. And I still have a new episode of Lost to watch. But, I thought I should fill in my blog about my fun night in Bellevue/Seattle ;). Way too much fun. Even though it probably doesn't sound like it, since I left out all the fun details ;).

Only Nilla

So now that I know the outcome of this story, I will share it. Let me preface this story with this statement: they didn't end up hiring me for the position. Okay, so back in February, I think I mentioned a job for which I applied that required Spanish knowledge. And then I had to go take a Spanish test. I didn't hear anything for a long time, and figured maybe my Spanish was way worse than I thought it was. And then around March 4, I got a phone call about the job. They wanted to interview me, and they were setting up interviews for March 25. Well, by that point, I had already purchased my ticket to Alabama, and I knew I'd be somewhere in the middle of these great United States on March 25. So, I explained that to the guy, and he told me he would see if they could arrange an interview for the following week, and he'd call me back either that afternoon or the next day. Well, I didn't hear back. And I figured they didn't want me enough to really work that out -- but took comfort in the fact that my Spanish wasn't totally sucky. So then comes Tuesday, March 24. And I'm somewhere around Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. And I get a phone call about that job. They want to set up a phone interview -- on my cell phone mind you -- for the following day. He apologizes for "being remiss" in getting back to me. I figure, "What the heck, I can try this phone interview thing." But I do explain that I can't guarantee good cell phone service, because who even knew where we'd be by 3:00 the following day? Turns out, at 3:00 Washington time the following day (which was 5:00 in the place where I set up the interview time, and 4:00 in the place where I ended up having the interview), we were just over the New Mexico state line. Okay, do any of you know how awkward it is to interview on a cell phone flying 75 mph down I-40? I mean, seriously... Who should know that? Who do these kinds of things happen to? Apparently, the answer is Nilla. And do you know how much more awkward it is to have your parents listening to your half of the interview? I think that was the worst part. But thankfully, my wonderful dad found the first exit he could, and he and my mom got out of the Jeep and let me interview in solitude. So there you go. That's my story. I swear, I need to pen my memoirs. Anyway, so I don't really know why I didn't get the job, but they did ask me if I'd be interested in working as a substitute librarian for the library system there. I figure: why not? He mentioned something about it allowing me to get my foot in the door, which makes me think perhaps the person who got the job is someone who was already working in the system. Which is cool. And actually, I'm pretty relieved. That would've been an hour commute each way -- which would have not been fun. And really, the main reason I wanted the job in the first place was just because the pay was good and I'd be able to (finally) get my own place. But, for now... Here I stay. And I'm actually quite content.

Because with all my glorious flexibility at my current job (have I mentioned how I love this job?), I can do things like buy yet another plane ticket. To places like Orlando, FL. Where my BFF Julie will pick me up and then we'll both go live the dream of all dreams. (Okay, maybe not the dream of all dreams, but pretty darn close). We're going to the New Kids on the Block concert in Tampa on May 30!!! Well, okay, pending purchase of those tickets. They don't go on sale until Friday, the 10th of April. But as for me, I've already bought my roundtrip ticket. So, even if we don't get to go ooooh and aaaah over Danny, Donnie, Jordan, Jonathan, and Joey... We'll still have a great time :). But, since we both have been wanting this -- and I missed out in November at the Tacoma Dome -- I really hope it happens :)!!!

In other news:

Today was day 3 in walking. And it was uber-breezy. And cold. And so I'm sure I looked ridiculous wearing my shorts and my leather jacket over my shirt. But hey -- it's all I had in the car, since I didn't come home after work.

I think my camera's memory card is going bad. This is bad news. But, at least they are relatively cheap to buy. I'll see how this round goes. At least I didn't lose pics from my Alabama trip. I'd already put those on my mom's computer.

I finally filed my Alabama State taxes. Did you know I couldn't file the easy form, because I was only a part-year resident? That was lame. Especially since I filled out the easy one first -- and then I noticed that rule. Ugh. Thank goodness I thought to grab one of each from good old HLML.

My new shoes rub the tops of my feet in not-so-pleasant ways. But my feet will have to suck it up. Because I'm not wasting that money. And for Kira... Here's a picture - or two.





Okay, so the second picture is hard to see well. But the flash in the mirror ruins the picture anyway, so there you go. And Dad, that's you on the phone that I was talking to :). Now you see how I can multi-task.

And this is 2 posts in 2 days. I'm on a roll! And I deserve a prize :).

Spanish and Birthdays and Files, Oh My!

So as I mentioned last week, or earlier this past week (so much for that great memory...), I had to go do some English to Spanish translating. And did I mention I was a little nervous about it? Let me tell you just how nervous: I dreamed about it. I had no idea what to expect for this test (okay, what I didn't mention earlier was that this was for a job possibility, and the job requires Spanish and English fluency -- how fluent am I???). I was seriously hoping it wouldn't be oral, because I get so flustered when I speak in Spanish. It's not that I can't hold my own. It's just that I get nervous and self-conscious and end up slipping and tripping all over my words. Which, of course, totally helps to calm me down and do a better job, right? Anyway, so Thursday night, I actually dreamed about it. I dreamed they handed me a sheet of paper with the months and days of the week written in Spanish and they wanted me to pronounce them. So, I began... "Enero, Febrero..." Is it weird that I can read stuff written in my dreams? Do any of you do that? I can literally see things written and they are real words. Is it weird that I can dream in another language? Apparently both written and verbal... Huh. Anyway, so to say I was nervous is an understatement. So, I get in there about 30 minutes before I am due to go. Oh, but here's a shot of Mt. Rainier (or Fudge Mountain, if you're Sam) on my way down. It wasn't the clearest of days, but you could still see the mountain.

Oh, and I should also tell you that I was giving a chocolate cake a ride in the backseat. I'll explain why later :). So, anyway, I get there earlier than I was due, and they ended up just having me go back with all the others at the 10:30 slot. When I walked in, I was shocked to see so many people. But, the reason there were so many was because they were taking other tests that I had already taken previously (proof I can write a cohesive memo, I can file alpha-numerically, and I am at least a little bit library-savvy). So I just had to take the Spanish part. Well, it was written. Phew! I was still nervous, though. And I had to think as I translated, so it wasn't helpful when the lady started giving loud instructions to everyone else... But, I finished in about 10 minutes (I had to translate the instructions on one of the tests I took previously (the writing sample) from English to Spanish). I don't know how I did, but I hope it wasn't bad. I'll tell you what I didn't know: how to say "suddenly" in Spanish. I thought about it yesterday, and I think I could have put "de un momento," but maybe that isn't right either... Oh well. I'll keep you posted. Even if it's bad news :(.

So, then I went and picked up frosting and ice cream for Christina's birthday celebration! Because she turned 24, you know. And Desiree turned 4, but I think Christina and Tarylyn are doing a joint-birthday for Desiree and Benjamin again this year. So, Friday's celebration was all about Christina! I wanted to do something unique to her, and I had been thinking about it for a while. I finally came up with it! I decided to decorate her cake with things from things we both like! And I know that made a lot of sense. But, so you know... We both like Bones, and Roswell, and Twilight. So, I found gummy vampire teeth to symbolize Twilight. I found little green aliens to stand for Roswell, and I couldn't find any of those Halloween candy skeletons they have (go figure, since it's nowhere near Halloween!), but I remembered a skull lollipop we actually had in the candy stash upstairs (it's not chocolate, so it was safe)!! And the skull was to represent Bones. And I even made it look like it had been buried and dug up :). See!!!

My one mistake was thinking I could use the candles to form the letters for each thing... Not so much. Thank goodness Tarylyn had a thing I could squeeze the frosting through and fix my mistakes and write the letters! Too bad I didn't have a different color of icing, though :(. But, it was sooo fun! And here was Christina's reaction:


Brad's reaction was that he called me a dork. However, my recollection is that my rock says conceited and his says dork. So, there! Anyway, we ate pizza, drank sodas, and had cake and ice cream and peanut butter blossoms that Christina made (and I couldn't tell her about the cake, or that would ruin the surprise!). But they were so good anyway, so no complaints here! We also played Apples to Apples, which is always fun. Sometimes we laugh sooo hard!

And oh yeah... Check out how bright the room was with just the candles! You are an old lady, Christina!


So here we are, right before we were leaving for the night... Sam should be a poster-child for good dental hygiene. He was brushing his teeth during the picture. Funny kid.


On Saturday, believe it or not, I went to work. With my mom. This is mostly because we needed to do some serious work on that filing room (including moving filing cabinets... Good grief that was some hard work!). My mom had taken Friday off to take my grandfather in for a minor surgery, so she was making up the day on Saturday. I went in to get ahead on my hours in case something last minute came up this week... since that seems to happen a lot. This way I have some leniency in my hours and can hopefully get all 30 this week. So this is the file room...


And this is how I felt about it at the end of the day... After moving 6 or 7 filing cabinets, which we could only do after we emptied the files (hence the boxes on the floor full of files) and then re-filling the cabinets in the reverse order of how they were put in there in the first place! My defense is that I didn't give the go-ahead on the funeral files. I was in charge of the cemetery files. They are in there just fine and dandy. And the funeral ones would have been okay, but for the fact that you have to account for expansion and what is easiest in that regard. Anyway, it's unfinished (those boxes of files are still on the floor as I type), and I'm hoping no one goes in and has a heart attack tomorrow morning!


And this is what I look like when Desiree takes a picture of me :).


And this is something I got that made me smile :). Julie found a friendship journal idea and so we are going to start it! We are going to write our favorite memories we've shared in this journal and take turns. Like one month I'll have it, and then the next month she will. And it'll be so fun to see each other's perspectives on things! And see what one remembers that the other doesn't! I'm so excited about it!