Enter the Make Ur Lolcat Famous Contest
Mah lolkitteh could be on soda!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Mittie's Artwork
My cousin, Mittie, won the Onslow County art show for the second year in a row with the following piece:
Last year she won with this.
Congratulations, Mittie!
photos from Mittie @ MySpace
Last year she won with this.
Congratulations, Mittie!
photos from Mittie @ MySpace
More Updates
They didn't get any internal candidates for my position at work. So, they are going to start interviewing the external candidates. Lucky me, I get to sit in on the interviews for my replacement. Seems kind of weird...
The house opens up to us on April 1. So, unless they are completely out of the house by this weekend (and have returned the keys), we will be spending at least one day each weekend working down there and moving little by little for the near future. I'm excited about it and I know my grandmother is getting excited about it, also.
I haven't really heard anything back from anything I've applied for in Jacksonville. I've forwarded my resume to Wal-Mart through my Dad's Human Resources Manager at Hope Mills. I also submitted an application with them on-line and did their pre-employment assessment, which I passed. I've sent in one or two applications beyond that, also. Hopefully I'll hear something soon. If I haven't heard anything by April 1, I'll be changing my address to the address of the house in Stella. I think that will help, a lot. Then, if I haven't heard anything by the end of April, I'll probably just register with Manpower and try to get a temp-to-perm job.
Matthew has been sick for about a week now. He's having a problem with/some pain in his kidneys. I think he's going to the doctor today. Hopefully they will be able to give him something to fix the problem.
The house opens up to us on April 1. So, unless they are completely out of the house by this weekend (and have returned the keys), we will be spending at least one day each weekend working down there and moving little by little for the near future. I'm excited about it and I know my grandmother is getting excited about it, also.
I haven't really heard anything back from anything I've applied for in Jacksonville. I've forwarded my resume to Wal-Mart through my Dad's Human Resources Manager at Hope Mills. I also submitted an application with them on-line and did their pre-employment assessment, which I passed. I've sent in one or two applications beyond that, also. Hopefully I'll hear something soon. If I haven't heard anything by April 1, I'll be changing my address to the address of the house in Stella. I think that will help, a lot. Then, if I haven't heard anything by the end of April, I'll probably just register with Manpower and try to get a temp-to-perm job.
Matthew has been sick for about a week now. He's having a problem with/some pain in his kidneys. I think he's going to the doctor today. Hopefully they will be able to give him something to fix the problem.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Emerald Isle Beach Photos
Below are the pictures from our trip to the beach on March 15, 2008:
Click the thumbnails to get larger images.
Click the thumbnails to get larger images.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Updates
The part-time HR Job became full-time again. So, I sent my resume in again. Keep your fingers crossed!
Been sick today and yesterday and have stayed home from work. One and a half hours is a long, long drive with an upset tummy...
Other than that, not much to report. Went to the beach this past Saturday. Hope to post pics sometimes today. Going back down to Jacksonville on Saturday for our monthly family reunion. My mom and I are making a carrot cake for Easter and are going to decorate it with flowers and probably a bunny or some Easter chicks. I'll post pictures of those, hopefully, on Saturday.
Been sick today and yesterday and have stayed home from work. One and a half hours is a long, long drive with an upset tummy...
Other than that, not much to report. Went to the beach this past Saturday. Hope to post pics sometimes today. Going back down to Jacksonville on Saturday for our monthly family reunion. My mom and I are making a carrot cake for Easter and are going to decorate it with flowers and probably a bunny or some Easter chicks. I'll post pictures of those, hopefully, on Saturday.
Friday, March 14, 2008
*sigh*
I was searching Monster.com when I came home to see what new had been posted in the Jacksonville area. And, I noticed that the company that had contacted me back about a possible HR position had posted their HR job, finally.
It's part-time only.
Back to the drawing board.
It's part-time only.
Back to the drawing board.
More Work?
They posted my position at work so now the whole company knows I'm leaving. It's kind of surreal but I hope they find someone so I can train them and get down to Jacksonville soon.
A lady that I rarely work with came up to me and was visibly upset that I was leaving. As we talked, the tears started welling up in her eyes. Especially when we got to the part that I was moving to be closer to my grandmother (and to care for her). It kind of weirded me out a little bit but I guess it's nice to be loved, right?
I still haven't heard much from the jobs I've applied to in Jacksonville. I'm still using my Clayton address but I am going to start using our address in Stella starting April 1 (That's when the current renters have to be out). I think that will increase my resume's viability a bit since most companies probably don't want to pay for relocation (or think they have to pay for it).
A lady that I rarely work with came up to me and was visibly upset that I was leaving. As we talked, the tears started welling up in her eyes. Especially when we got to the part that I was moving to be closer to my grandmother (and to care for her). It kind of weirded me out a little bit but I guess it's nice to be loved, right?
I still haven't heard much from the jobs I've applied to in Jacksonville. I'm still using my Clayton address but I am going to start using our address in Stella starting April 1 (That's when the current renters have to be out). I think that will increase my resume's viability a bit since most companies probably don't want to pay for relocation (or think they have to pay for it).
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Unbelievable.
Yesterday, as I was browsing a local forum on the Internet, I came across the website for a new business in our area. I'm not sure why the existence of this place bothers me but, it does.
Let's think about it...
I've never been a "girly girl" and haven't really cared for them, either. Sure, I sometimes played with makeup and Barbie Dolls when I was a kid. But, I also spent a fair amount of time playing outside, riding my bike, playing video games and reading. It was rare that you saw me without a book on my person (still is) and even more so as I grew out of the doll phase. I understand the need of makeup and manicures and hairstylists for professional reasons but have no need for them beyond that (well, mostly, I do have moments when I like to look pretty just because). With the exception of a haircut, these are things I can and would do at home, for myself, and I can certainly leave the house without makeup or a fancy hairstyle (as long as I've had a shower...).
My parents taught me to be independent, strong and to think for myself. To see women who have to be propped up by their spouse, significant other or parents as an adult, really irks me. Or, worse yet, women pretend to be less intelligent than they are (whether to not intimidate some guy or whatever) and spending all their time worrying about their appearance. (Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being feminine and pretty sometimes even the most tomboyish of us feel the need to do that from time to time). I kind of feel like this place is teaching little girls how much their appearance matters and how important it is to be pretty above all other traits and I can't help but disagree with it.
Women have worked hard for the rights that we have now and being dependent on someone else or pretending to be stupid is not honoring those that have fought for you.
Also, the whole name of the place grates on my nerves. "It's All About Me." In my opinion, this statement is what is wrong with our society. People make decisions and take action based on what will benefit them the most. Not their family, their community or society as a whole, but themselves and this is causing such a huge rise in rudeness and hurtful behavior that it makes me angry to think about it. Parents, please don't teach your daughters to be pampered princesses that think only of themselves. Teach them how the decisions they make affect everyone in the world, not just them. Show her what an average child throws away per day and
Some of my disgust also comes from the fact that Matthew and I are trying to simplify our own lifestyle and something like this is such a needless extravagance...a plain waste of money. And, yes, I understand that the parents have earned the money they are spending and have a right to spend it however they please but they are teaching their kids that it's okay to just throw away money on something so superficial and temporary.
How many books would the money spent on one of these packages buy the child? Which one will have a better and longer-lasting impact on the child?
Let's think about it...
I've never been a "girly girl" and haven't really cared for them, either. Sure, I sometimes played with makeup and Barbie Dolls when I was a kid. But, I also spent a fair amount of time playing outside, riding my bike, playing video games and reading. It was rare that you saw me without a book on my person (still is) and even more so as I grew out of the doll phase. I understand the need of makeup and manicures and hairstylists for professional reasons but have no need for them beyond that (well, mostly, I do have moments when I like to look pretty just because). With the exception of a haircut, these are things I can and would do at home, for myself, and I can certainly leave the house without makeup or a fancy hairstyle (as long as I've had a shower...).
My parents taught me to be independent, strong and to think for myself. To see women who have to be propped up by their spouse, significant other or parents as an adult, really irks me. Or, worse yet, women pretend to be less intelligent than they are (whether to not intimidate some guy or whatever) and spending all their time worrying about their appearance. (Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being feminine and pretty sometimes even the most tomboyish of us feel the need to do that from time to time). I kind of feel like this place is teaching little girls how much their appearance matters and how important it is to be pretty above all other traits and I can't help but disagree with it.
Women have worked hard for the rights that we have now and being dependent on someone else or pretending to be stupid is not honoring those that have fought for you.
Also, the whole name of the place grates on my nerves. "It's All About Me." In my opinion, this statement is what is wrong with our society. People make decisions and take action based on what will benefit them the most. Not their family, their community or society as a whole, but themselves and this is causing such a huge rise in rudeness and hurtful behavior that it makes me angry to think about it. Parents, please don't teach your daughters to be pampered princesses that think only of themselves. Teach them how the decisions they make affect everyone in the world, not just them. Show her what an average child throws away per day and
then show her how landfills are piling up with trash that will just sit there for many years to come and calculate how much her trash alone will pile up for the next 50-60 years. Then, contrast that to the amount of waste that someone who recycles and composts sends to a landfill
and extrapolate that over the same period of time you used before. You both may be surprised with what you learn.
Some of my disgust also comes from the fact that Matthew and I are trying to simplify our own lifestyle and something like this is such a needless extravagance...a plain waste of money. And, yes, I understand that the parents have earned the money they are spending and have a right to spend it however they please but they are teaching their kids that it's okay to just throw away money on something so superficial and temporary.
How many books would the money spent on one of these packages buy the child? Which one will have a better and longer-lasting impact on the child?
Friday, March 7, 2008
Updates
So, everyone in HR knows that I'm moving as of about 8:30AM this morning. The HR Manager announced it to the department in our weekly staff meeting. Everyone was shocked, as I expected. Our receptionist teared up (but she tears up at everything...Matthew thinks I'm bad...). I'm glad that bit is over. One less worry goes away.
Our recruiter is worried about writing my job description. I do a lot of odd tasks and it takes a couple of days just to remember all the bits and pieces of my job. I don't envy him that task, either, but I did, at my boss' request, write down everything I could think of. So, that should make it easier.
Our payroll lady is worried about me leaving because I help her a lot on the computer. I assured her that I'd be leaving contact information so that I could still help even though I was far away. She was telling me that her in-laws own some land on the White Oak River in Swansboro. So, I'll probably be seeing her in the future ;)
Still haven't heard much on the job front. I've gotten a couple of rejection letters and have applied for a few more. I think my Clayton address is hurting me but I don't want to use my grandmother's because she'll be getting all the letters. I think once the house opens up in April, I'll start using that address if I haven't found anything by then.
Our recruiter is worried about writing my job description. I do a lot of odd tasks and it takes a couple of days just to remember all the bits and pieces of my job. I don't envy him that task, either, but I did, at my boss' request, write down everything I could think of. So, that should make it easier.
Our payroll lady is worried about me leaving because I help her a lot on the computer. I assured her that I'd be leaving contact information so that I could still help even though I was far away. She was telling me that her in-laws own some land on the White Oak River in Swansboro. So, I'll probably be seeing her in the future ;)
Still haven't heard much on the job front. I've gotten a couple of rejection letters and have applied for a few more. I think my Clayton address is hurting me but I don't want to use my grandmother's because she'll be getting all the letters. I think once the house opens up in April, I'll start using that address if I haven't found anything by then.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Preparing to Interview
Now that our move to Jacksonville is getting closer, it's time for me to start poring through the classified ads in hopes of finding another job. I've sent in a dozen or so applications so far and have not really heard anything back from them save a couple of e-mails here and there but, interviewing for these positions is in the back of my mind.
When I'm preparing for an interview, I'm not only thinking about what I will say and what questions may be asked. I'm thinking about the fact that I'm sorely overdue for a haircut, the way I'll do my makeup and also what I will wear. These are not normally things that I think about on a regular basis as I'm a low-maintenance kind of girl but, these things are important, when interviewing, because you want to make a good first impression. Most of you who know me, know that in addition to being somewhat low-maintenance, I'm also very shy and don't have many friends that I could call upon in "real life." Most of my friends live around the world and we commune on the Internet. This is normally not a problem for me unless I need fashion advice (and I think we all know that husbands a
re only so good about that) but there are limited ways to get fashion advice from my friends through this medium.
This leads me to Fashion Mash. Fashion Mash is a fairly new site that is designed for real people to organize their clothes into outfits and get feedback from their friends. You sign up for the service, take pictures of your clothes, upload them and then "mash" them into outfits. You and your friends can also share clothes or create outfits from each other's clothes and come up with combinations that maybe you hadn't thought of before.
This service should help me inventory all the clothes I have that are suitable for an interview and let me mix and match them so I don't have to wear the same thing to every appointment which is a small load off my brain. Now to schedule that haircut...
When I'm preparing for an interview, I'm not only thinking about what I will say and what questions may be asked. I'm thinking about the fact that I'm sorely overdue for a haircut, the way I'll do my makeup and also what I will wear. These are not normally things that I think about on a regular basis as I'm a low-maintenance kind of girl but, these things are important, when interviewing, because you want to make a good first impression. Most of you who know me, know that in addition to being somewhat low-maintenance, I'm also very shy and don't have many friends that I could call upon in "real life." Most of my friends live around the world and we commune on the Internet. This is normally not a problem for me unless I need fashion advice (and I think we all know that husbands a
re only so good about that) but there are limited ways to get fashion advice from my friends through this medium.This leads me to Fashion Mash. Fashion Mash is a fairly new site that is designed for real people to organize their clothes into outfits and get feedback from their friends. You sign up for the service, take pictures of your clothes, upload them and then "mash" them into outfits. You and your friends can also share clothes or create outfits from each other's clothes and come up with combinations that maybe you hadn't thought of before.
This service should help me inventory all the clothes I have that are suitable for an interview and let me mix and match them so I don't have to wear the same thing to every appointment which is a small load off my brain. Now to schedule that haircut...
Monday, March 3, 2008
Updates
Last week, I gave my notice at work and told my boss that I would be leaving between March and May of this year to move to Jacksonville to be closer to my family. She asked me late last week if I would stay through the month of April to transition someone to take my job. I agreed since it will take some time to find and get accepted into a new job.
At that time, we thought the lease on my parents' house in Stella would expire in May.
My dad called me at work today to tell me that the Realtor that handles leasing the house called him and told him that the lease on the house ends March 31 and that the renters are not interested in renewing. So, now, I suppose we can go ahead and start moving some stuff down there early when they move out.
I think everyone is starting to get excited about it now. My dad told me that he was excited about it and my grandmother has been searching the newspaper for a job for me. She actually called me yesterday to tell me about a job. (She has called me twice, I think, since I got married not including this one). Matthew is still somewhat worried but I think everything is going to turn out okay.
At that time, we thought the lease on my parents' house in Stella would expire in May.
My dad called me at work today to tell me that the Realtor that handles leasing the house called him and told him that the lease on the house ends March 31 and that the renters are not interested in renewing. So, now, I suppose we can go ahead and start moving some stuff down there early when they move out.
I think everyone is starting to get excited about it now. My dad told me that he was excited about it and my grandmother has been searching the newspaper for a job for me. She actually called me yesterday to tell me about a job. (She has called me twice, I think, since I got married not including this one). Matthew is still somewhat worried but I think everything is going to turn out okay.
Voices from the Past
We decided, on Saturday, to drive down towards Jacksonville (instead of Boone since the snow would be going away before we got there) and explore a bit to see how far things were from one another and what the area looked like, in general(and as an excuse not to do housework).
Since we got so close to both of my grandmothers, we had to stop and visit, of course.
When we got to Grandmama Morton's, we found out my uncle, Vince, was there visiting and that they had found a video in a dresser that my grandmother had been looking for. The video was of my grandparents being interviewed when they donated some land (see the area that talks about Percy and Rachel Morton) to the Wildlfe Commission in 1987. I didn't really want to watch the video because I knew what my reaction to it would be but both my grandmother and my uncle wanted to watch it so, I told them to go ahead and turn it on. I won't go too much into my reaction since I'm not posting this from home but I'll say that it's strange, to me, to see videos of people who have passed.
After that, we chatted for a while about different things. Somehow my grandmother got started on a conversation about farming and how she wanted all her buildings torn down because no one was ever going to be farming there again. I know when we told her that we would be moving down there we mentioned having chickens but I think that she missed that bit because she was so excited about what we told her. Anyway, this rant against farming had Matthew somewhat worried but I feel like she'll be happy to see the land coming alive again and having family around instead of the strangers who've been renting the house/land that is surrounding her. As time gets closer, we'll probably talk to her about it again and explain it all.
Since we got so close to both of my grandmothers, we had to stop and visit, of course.
When we got to Grandmama Morton's, we found out my uncle, Vince, was there visiting and that they had found a video in a dresser that my grandmother had been looking for. The video was of my grandparents being interviewed when they donated some land (see the area that talks about Percy and Rachel Morton) to the Wildlfe Commission in 1987. I didn't really want to watch the video because I knew what my reaction to it would be but both my grandmother and my uncle wanted to watch it so, I told them to go ahead and turn it on. I won't go too much into my reaction since I'm not posting this from home but I'll say that it's strange, to me, to see videos of people who have passed.
After that, we chatted for a while about different things. Somehow my grandmother got started on a conversation about farming and how she wanted all her buildings torn down because no one was ever going to be farming there again. I know when we told her that we would be moving down there we mentioned having chickens but I think that she missed that bit because she was so excited about what we told her. Anyway, this rant against farming had Matthew somewhat worried but I feel like she'll be happy to see the land coming alive again and having family around instead of the strangers who've been renting the house/land that is surrounding her. As time gets closer, we'll probably talk to her about it again and explain it all.
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