New Job Observations

Yes! That is correct! I FINALLY have a job!

It's been three amazing weeks in my new position and I am so very happy. I work in the office, as an Executive Assistant, at a textile company. I am creative with package design. I am organized with a multitude of projects. I am having fun! I am encouraged and respected and have quickly become part of the "family." This is something I missed being unemployed for so long.

This past Friday I deposited my first official pay cheque in a year (less three weeks) and it was fabulous. Suddenly, everything opened up for me again and light was let into my mind. The fog of unemployment is lifting and I am finally re-entering the world again.

As mentioned, I work in the office of this textile company, but there is a whole factory and warehouse part to this company as well. I go down there when I need to talk to the Warehouse Manager or check on something for a project I am working on.

In my ventures down to this interesting part of the company I have made some amazing observations:

"Break Time" is a real thing, not just fiction!
Everyday the bell goes at 10:15am and 3:15pm for a 15 minutes break. It's amazing to me because I have never worked any place where this is a regimented thing. It's a sight to see, indeed, because when you are down in the warehouse and the break bell goes all work stops. The workers scurry out from their respective corners of the warehouse and all make their way to the break room or outside for a smoke break (at lunch, outside to the food truck). At this point the warehouse is eerily quiet. If you stroll around, you can find some of the ladies sitting in groups around their machines. The guys sitting on boxes or leaning against the wall near the break room area. My first thought was "siesta" because it truly is. Then 15 minutes later, the bell goes and the warehouse is alive and breathing once again!

Time to go home!
Similar to break and lunch time, the end of the day is also accompanied by the bell. Everyday at 5pm the bell tolls for them, letting them know the day is over and they can depart...and they do...like fleeing a burning house! I have yet to see it with my own eyes, but from my office above I can hear the end-of-the-day sounds. Warehouse door comes rattling down. The beeping on the forklifts is silenced. The hum of voices gathers in the time clock hallway and then moves outside to where shoes disturb gravel and car motors "vroom" to life. Soon all is silent again.

These things have become a comfort to me. Knowing that they are part of my day now makes me feel happy, welcome and part of something again.

The new chapter in my life has begun and so far I am really enjoying the story!

BIG Update

Greetings!

So that BIG on Bloor festival has come and gone. It was an adventure to say the least. The day, due to rainy weather and nothing but personal-sized umbrellas, was ridiculously horrid! Only two of us, from our group of six, actually took part. We got there at 10am for set-up. The festival started at 1pm. Our table's first, and only, sale happened around 5:15pm - I sold three magnets. We left at 6pm.

I did hand out some business cards and told people I would be posting my creations online soon...something I still need to do. I think Etsy.com will be my place of choice for now. I have a store there already, just need to add product to it.

I was asked if I would participate again. My answer, "If they can guarantee no rain....or if we can find a tent for weather related protection!"

All in all, it was an adventure...and experience...and definitely something to laugh about later. LOL!

Busy Bee

Lately I have been buzzing around dropping in on this flower and that flower.

I am still unemployed or lady of leisure with a little bit of cabin fever, whatever title you want to apply to it! I have had some luck shine upon me in terms of interviews. I thought my job prospects looked great in February when I interviewed twice for a dream job. Alas, someone who could walk, talk, chew gum and sing a song at the same time got the job.

LOL! No, not really.

I moved on from that adventure with better interview experience under my belt and sense of relief and joy that my resumes were in fact being received by people and not being eaten by some cyberspace monster.

Since the end of May I have been granted interviews with four more companies. Some of these interviews have come and gone and some are still in my immediate future. Some of them are second interviews for the same position, holding promise. Some of the positions have been filled.

One of these four positions is for another dream job. I am not getting my hopes up for fear of jumping off the cliff of emotion if I don't get the job. I am letting the Universe work it's powerful magic in securing me a space in this new chapter of my life while I wow them in the interviews and make sure they understand how enthusiastic I am about working for them.

Also keeping me busy right now is preparation for the BIG on Bloor street festival being held here in Toronto this coming Saturday, June 20th, 2009 from 1-9pm on the 2.5km stretch of Bloor Street from Christie to Lansdowne. It's the festival's second year and an opportunity I could not turn down. A few friends and I have joined forces and are known as The Goddess Collective. We are located in section 'R' of the festival, between Russett and Pauline, one block West of Dufferin.

We all hope for good weather!

Quote Collector

I am a collector of quotes. They can be from what I've read, what I've overheard or what I've seen.

As part of a "stuff" cleanse in my life I am currently (slowly) going through all my VHS tapes of things I've taped off TV over the course of the last countless number of years. I have many of these VHS tapes.

One of my tapes contained an episode of NCIS. In this episode, Anthony DiNozzo, the character played by Michael Weatherly, was more thoughtful and a little less shallow than usual.

"If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always got."

I like it. I gives me thought.

Opportunities - When It Rains It Pours!

This last week has been a busy one of opportunities.

I am currently unemployed and am searching for my next opportunity to shine. Sometimes the quality job postings are few and far between and I must tuck my pride away and apply for "other" jobs that are out there.

This past week however has abounded with positive prospects of employment and opportunities. I am happier this week. Not that I was not happy last week or the week before that, but this week the feelings bubbled a little closer to the surface. Maybe it's true that if you send out positive thoughts, positive things will come back to you. "Smile and the world smiles with you."

I have been sending out job applications, pretty much, each day. When my positive thoughts well gets a little dry, my energy for these applications becomes less. The month of May has been pretty good to me and I've got many files containing cover letters and job specific "summary of strengths" to show for it.

On Wednesday, May 27th, I received a phone call for an interview from one of the applications I emailed on May 10th. That's two weeks. To me that's promising. Why? Due to the fact that I know I am being heard and that my resume is making into someone's, anyone's, hands! This is a positive thing. The interview was set for Friday, May 29th.

On that same Wednesday afternoon I read my horoscope in the newspaper:
"Everyone knows how dependable you are, but don't let anyone take advantage of you. Job prospects look good."

"Job prospects look good." I like the sounds of that, especially on the same day I get a call about an interview.

The next day, with my spirit invigorated and my positive feelings bubbling away, I sent out more applications and did some question prep for my interview on Friday. What does my horoscope say today?
"You're so close to succeeding, but the one thing holding you back is your inability to ask for help. Maybe it's time to swallow your pride?"

Close to succeeding sounds pretty great to me!

Friday morning arrives. My interview was set for early afternoon. Freshly showered and interview outfit set out on the bed, I sat at my desk to ensure all my references and questions were in order. I noticed that a new voice mail had arrived on my cell phone. I checked, but it was just a hangup. Back to my prep work. After a few minutes another call came in and I let it go to voice mail. A message was left and I checked. It was one of my applications from Thursday calling to set up an interview for Monday! Wow, only one day from email to phone call!

So now with Friday's interview done and that prospect looking promising, I am in prep for Monday's interview. Positive energies are flowing and I don't want to waste them! Friday's horoscope reads:
"You're going to have a great day at work. But make sure that doesn't compromise your sensitivity or compassion towards others."

"...a great day at work." Could this be foreshadowing for great things to come?

To top all this goodness off, a few friends and I are planning to showcase out creative talents at the "Big On Bloor" street festival on June 20th. I will keep you posted about developments on this.

Oh, the excitement of it all!!

Me, Myself & I

I realize that I see myself as a completely different me. Actually there are two completely different mes, but they're not so different.

There's completely different me one: She's always been around. She's skinny, she fits into everything she tries on and she's the centre of attention. She has a great job only because she has all of my skills, talent and experience. Yet, people love her. Like really love her. Like popularity love her. She can do anything she wants. She walks into a room and she commands the attention of everyone there. She's skinny. She's beautiful. She's popular.

Completely different me two has only recently appeared. She looks like I look now. She's overweight, but she's happy. She wears slightly different clothing; not so baggy, not so I'm trying to hide myself. When she walks into a room she commands the attention of everyone there. She's popular. She has a great job because she has my talent, my experience and my skill. She can do anything she wants and she does. She'll walk into the clothing store and be able to command, politely, the attention of the clerk. Set up a dressing room, take anything off the rack and be able to try it on and it seems to fit. She walk into a hair salon to get her eyebrows done. She is cheerful and everyone smiles at her and no one gives her that second glance.

I'd like this person, #2, to be me now and she is, but she isn't. Let's call her a work in progress.

Once Again

I have given this blog much thought lately. I was very close to deleting it. I always have numerous ideas for what I am going to write here, but then never do write anything.

I have friends who blog and are quite successful at it. Their posts aren't always long, in-depth studies of the human condition. Sometime there are only one or two line...and that gets their point across just fine.

So, I will given it another try and see where it leads me.

This is me and all I can do is give it my best shot. BANG!