Well, its a miracle, but I got a job. Don't get too excited. They only committed to 2 weeks. I am sure it will go longer...but I have to keep on looking. Just in case.
As far as the first week goes...it was rough. For one, I had to force myself to go to bed on Sunday at a decent hour. I wanted to be bright and fresh, and on-time for the new job. When I got home on Monday, I was exhausted. I felt like I ran a marathon. I went right to bed.
My second day, I had a BRUTAL allergy attack. I blamed it on the pollen, but I actually think it was due to a dusty shirt selection from the closet. Think about it. I haven't worn these clothes in a year!
By the time Friday came along..I felt relieved. I made it through my first week. I can STILL do it.
Anyway. I'm back NYC. I have my fingers crossed that this job will lead to full-on employment or will help me bridge on to my next job. I think the cloud is lifting...a sunny future is around the corner.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Happy Anniversary???
Well...its been a year unemployed. Not where I was hoping to be, but I have to say, as much as I would like to get back to work, I can't complain too much. I've learned a lot about myself and have had the chance to do a lot of different things that I wouldn't have been able to do if I was working. And every time I want to feel bad about myself, I meet another person who is right here in the same boat as me. I'm still in very good company.
The good news is that I am getting more frequent interviews. My chances of landing a job are going up every day.
The bad news is that my computer crapped out. I guess my "fix" didn't work as well as I had hoped. Well, at least I tried.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill
The good news is that I am getting more frequent interviews. My chances of landing a job are going up every day.
The bad news is that my computer crapped out. I guess my "fix" didn't work as well as I had hoped. Well, at least I tried.
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Sometimes I amaze myself
A few months ago I dropped my laptop and cracked the screen. Anyone that knows me, knows my laptop has become my life. Its how I am able to "work at Panera," and get out of the house.
I spoke to my techie friends, who told me, "Forget about it...at work, we trash laptops with broken screens." "Well, that's it," I thought, "your laptop days are over." I went a couple days working on the fractured screen, slowly accepting defeat, and then I did a little more research.
I found a fantasic site, called Notebookreview.com that features all the instructions you need to replace your laptop screen. Then I found a site called Laptopz.com that sells screens, and for $125, I fixed my laptop. BY MYSELF.
Last week, my laptop started giving me a new problem. The DC power jack started flaking out on me. Sometimes the DC power was recognized, and sometimes, the computer would automatically switch to battery power. I asked my techie friends again for advice. "Forget about it...you need to buy another computer." Well, I was ANGRY. How could Dell create such a fragile part? Here the computer is running fine, the screen looks great, and I am about to be done in by a loose power jack. But researching the issue, I found hundreds of other people describing the same problem...and advice that matched that of my techie friends. (Dell Computers, seriously...you stink and I am on to you and your evil ways.)
But even with the bad news, I wasn't ready to give up. I was encouraged by the success of my previous repair, and found another great website, insidemylaptop.com, that had clear instructions on how to take my Dell Inspiron B130 apart, and make make repairs to the DC Power Jack. I got a perfect list of tools needed, and instructions and pictures on how to dissemble the computer. I bought the items I needed at Radio Shack, and got to work. To make a long story short, I fixed the problem, and gave my laptop an extended life.
Long story, with the full truth, I couldn't unsoder the power jack from the motherboard, but I was able to clean the contacts on the jack. I also lost the functionality of the touchpad in the process, but I still consider this repair a win. I can now power up the computer AND I was able to replace functionality of the touchpad with a USB mouse. This repair cost $40.
Why is this a big deal and how does this apply to my story of unemployment? First of all, I have to stop and celebrate a "win," which in this case is fixing my laptop. I am impressed with what I was able to do with help of great instructions from the websites mentioned above. Second of all, I saved myself big money, which is now a current theme in my life. I estimate these two repairs would have cost me another $200-300 to bring to a professional. But most importantly, this is something I NEVER would have bothered with had I been employed. I would have never learned that I was capable of making this type of repair... I would have moved on with a new computer. To me, this is a big deal.
I'm always looking for a sunny side to my unemployment experience. This week, I think I found another one. (There's always a sunny side...sometimes you have to look a little harder to find them. )
I spoke to my techie friends, who told me, "Forget about it...at work, we trash laptops with broken screens." "Well, that's it," I thought, "your laptop days are over." I went a couple days working on the fractured screen, slowly accepting defeat, and then I did a little more research.
I found a fantasic site, called Notebookreview.com that features all the instructions you need to replace your laptop screen. Then I found a site called Laptopz.com that sells screens, and for $125, I fixed my laptop. BY MYSELF.
Last week, my laptop started giving me a new problem. The DC power jack started flaking out on me. Sometimes the DC power was recognized, and sometimes, the computer would automatically switch to battery power. I asked my techie friends again for advice. "Forget about it...you need to buy another computer." Well, I was ANGRY. How could Dell create such a fragile part? Here the computer is running fine, the screen looks great, and I am about to be done in by a loose power jack. But researching the issue, I found hundreds of other people describing the same problem...and advice that matched that of my techie friends. (Dell Computers, seriously...you stink and I am on to you and your evil ways.)
But even with the bad news, I wasn't ready to give up. I was encouraged by the success of my previous repair, and found another great website, insidemylaptop.com, that had clear instructions on how to take my Dell Inspiron B130 apart, and make make repairs to the DC Power Jack. I got a perfect list of tools needed, and instructions and pictures on how to dissemble the computer. I bought the items I needed at Radio Shack, and got to work. To make a long story short, I fixed the problem, and gave my laptop an extended life.
Long story, with the full truth, I couldn't unsoder the power jack from the motherboard, but I was able to clean the contacts on the jack. I also lost the functionality of the touchpad in the process, but I still consider this repair a win. I can now power up the computer AND I was able to replace functionality of the touchpad with a USB mouse. This repair cost $40.
Why is this a big deal and how does this apply to my story of unemployment? First of all, I have to stop and celebrate a "win," which in this case is fixing my laptop. I am impressed with what I was able to do with help of great instructions from the websites mentioned above. Second of all, I saved myself big money, which is now a current theme in my life. I estimate these two repairs would have cost me another $200-300 to bring to a professional. But most importantly, this is something I NEVER would have bothered with had I been employed. I would have never learned that I was capable of making this type of repair... I would have moved on with a new computer. To me, this is a big deal.
I'm always looking for a sunny side to my unemployment experience. This week, I think I found another one. (There's always a sunny side...sometimes you have to look a little harder to find them. )
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