End of the Year

So I, for one, will be very happy to see the end of 2014. I feel like there will be a whole new beginning for 2015 for me. For more than half of 2014, I was unemployed. Which sometimes, was nice. But most of the time it was stressful, depressing and not a whole lot of fun. I'm ready for a fresh start.

Last week I received an email from one of the owners of the small design company that I worked at that one day and hated... Well, she wanted to me come in for an additional day. My first thought was "No way!" But then I figured, what the heck. I'm not doing anything, they would pay me, and maybe it won't be as bad on the second day. Well, I was wrong. It was equally as horrible. Probably even more so, because they wanted me for the whole day, instead of just 5 hours. 8 hours is a very long time when you're somewhere you don't want to be! The woman is just nasty. I honestly think she has a dual personality. She's nice when you're chatting about life and family, but once the work face comes on, look out! There is just no way I would work for anyone like that. But I'm glad I gave it another try. Just to make 100% certain that my first impression was correct. I almost look forward to her offering me a job next week and getting to turn her down. I did not mention I had a job lined up already.

And in other news, I have one last interview tomorrow. My friend, the Executive Director of the Mansion, found out about a job opening at a company downtown. (FOCUS Greater Syracuse), and they need a marketing coordinator. It's not even posted yet. I sent my resume, 2 hours later I got a response and an interview lined up for tomorrow. Hey, why not. And sadly, I'm still waiting for some sort of response from the Housing place... they sure are taking their own sweet time! But it is the holidays, and I'm sure the ones that have to make the big decisions are all on vacation.

Meanwhile, I need to go pee in a cup today and pass a drug test so I can start my new job at Channel 3 next week...

Post-Christmas Post

Christmas 2014 is over. I think it was my favorite Christmas in years. Mostly because I didn't have to work. I enjoyed the tree every day. I listened to Christmas music, wrapped gifts, made dozens of cookies and other treats. And I had no stress to go with it. It was lovely. I also didn't have the stress of not having a job anymore, since I have one now. And I still have another week off before I have to go back to work!

This is the calm before the storm. 

We all ate breakfast before we tore into the presents. 

It didn't take long. Big things come in small packages these days. 

Eric was pleased with all his gifts.

Then we headed up to Fulton. We brought Sheila a shiny new grill for Christmas. And then Eric and Gary cooked up some amazing steak and turkey tips.

Oh, it was so good.

Some of the kids were on their various devices most of the evening.

Then dinner was ready. It was awesome. As usual.

Eric was all tuckered out.

The girls and Paula.

I think I need to get this recipe. Pistachio cool whip cake... OMG. It was so good.

Sheila gave Eric his old stocking. Isn't it adorable!? 

Update

Just wanted to do a quick update. No official or final news on any front. I've managed to hold off making a final decision with Ch. 3 until Monday. Have not heard from the Housing place, But wasn't expecting to until next week. No other news to report. Just looking forward to a fun holiday-filled weekend. I'm helping at the Breakfast with Santa event at the Mansion tomorrow. Then coming home to bake and wrap, stare at the pretty tree, listen to Christmas music and maybe watch some fun Christmas movies. We still haven't watched Christmas Vacation yet. So that will probably happen this weekend. 

I took Alex up to the Mansion today for a tour and a quick history lesson. He's going to be doing an internship there over break. They're putting together a museum room with a lot of the old artifacts, photographs, articles, etc. He's going to be working with a guy who is in town for the next month who is a graduate student/employee at the National Archives in Washington, DC. I think Alex will enjoy learning about the Mansion and meeting someone who shares his love for history.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

Job Offer #1.

Well, I got one! I got an official offer from Channel 3. The money was as expected, not so good. But it would be a job. I asked if I could consult with my husband and get back to them, so I have until close of business today to respond.

I have interview #3 today with Housing Visions. I am going to be giving a presentation to the VP of my portfolio of design work and PR/Marketing work. I'm kind of excited about it. After my last interview, I feel a lot more comfortable with that position. It's very graphic/social media/marketing intensive. All the things I love to do. There's some PR, but not a ton. And I can write press releases, so that's about all I'd need for that end of it. Yesterday they contacted my references, so I'm hoping that's good news. This job would pay $20k more (yeah, that's a lot) than the job at Channel 3. So that's really a no-brainer. And it would be a step up for my career and open future doors for me. It would be an amazing opportunity. I've just got to have a great interview today and secure the job. No pressure!!

Alex returns today. He's taking the train home and will be here around 3:30. The house will be full. The fridge and pantry are already full in anticipation of more mouths to feed. Jenny won't know what to do with herself with all these people in her house again.

One down.

The only good thing that came out of today's working interview at the small design company was a paycheck. Well, that and the knowledge that I absolutely, positively do not want to work there. The woman was a nut job. A psycho, mean, nasty nut job. I am so glad I had the opportunity to see it first hand before I had committed to working there. I liked her during the initial interview. In a working environment with her as my boss? Not so much. So I'm taking that place off my list.

I have an interview on Thursday with the Housing Visions place. I'm nervous, but I am interested to see what transpires. Channel 3 has not called. Hoping they wait another couple of days before contacting me.

In the meantime, I have absolutely no commitments tomorrow. Not one. I can't wait. I do plan on baking some cookies and wrapping some presents. And eating some cookies. And listening to Christmas music. And eating some more cookies.

Multiple Offers??

So I feel like I am almost certain to have a job offer by the end of this week. But from where? And will it be more than 1 job? Might it even be 3 jobs? Perhaps! I might just have to pick one. What a quandary that would be after all this!

Well, so far I know that Channel 3 called of my references today. That must mean they're getting close to offering me a job. One would think anyway. Tomorrow I am working at the Type Partners place from 10-3. I hope we all work well together and that it goes really well. I also hope that if it does go well, they offer me something soon. Also, the 2nd interview at Housing Visions went so well, she wants me to come back this week for a 3rd interview, with the President of the company. (No pressure.) So yeah, things are moving quickly.

My hope is to start a new job at the first of the year. Wouldn't that be a great way to start 2015? It would be especially nice since my benefits run out the first week of January. It would be perfect timing.

Oh, and on the mouse front, we're at #4 on the captured list. There can't possibly be that many more, can there??

Job Update

I feel like things might finally be coming together for me. Yesterday I had a fantastic interview at a small graphic design company. By small, I mean 3 people work there. They've been in business for 20 years. The 2 partners have been anyway. Next Tuesday I'm going to go in for a "trial run" and work for a day with them. And get paid too! I think that's a neat idea. I'm pretty excited about it. I think it would be a nice fit for me. I passed the resume test, only 2 of us are left in the running for the job. Odd are good. Fingers crossed!!

Today at 1 pm, I have a second interview at the Housing Visions place for the Marketing Manager position. I'm actually surprised by this. My marketing background isn't that impressive. But maybe they're looking to expand the role into a more graphic intensive position. Which I'm kind of hoping. She said she wanted to discuss the position and my experience a little more. So that's interesting.

Other than that, I'm still waiting to hear from Ch. 3. Which I admit, I've been avoiding, I don't want to work there. The pay is miserable. And I've got these other opportunities that I'd rather do. It is my fall-back though. I wouldn't say no if I had nothing else. But I'd like to see how these other positions pan out first. I still haven't heard from Merry-Go-Round either...

Oh, and I almost forgot about this. I qualified to take a Civil Service exam. The test is tomorrow morning. That's almost a guaranteed job if I do well, but it takes about a year to work down the list of applicants. So while it might be a guarantee, it's wouldn't be for awhile. But it's something. And it will be interesting to take the test. And if I were to get a job, I'd have a pension and in essence be working for the government. In a secretarial sort of way. It would be job security and a no-brainer job.

Another one bites the dust.

The third mouse has been caught, detained and released into the weekly garbage can. It's garbage day today, so they will be enjoying their new home at the dump. Or should I say, enjoying their forever resting place. RIP mouse family. If there are others, they will join you next week. I bought more traps and I'm setting them out tonight.

We got a little snow today. It was the windy, blowing, sticky kind of snow that stuck to the sides of the deck railings. It's kind of pretty. I think we got around 10" so far. It's still snowing. I'm happy I'm home where it's warm and dry. I ventured out earlier. I dropped Novak off at Wegmans for a long shift of work. Wegmans was and always will be busy. Snow doesn't keep these hardy Central New Yorkers at home. Hope anyone who had to be out in mess today stays safe. 

Odd and Ends.

First off. about that mouse. He has a family. We're knocking them off one by one though. But we're going to need more traps. We had a BIG one this morning waiting for us. It was huge. Must have been the dad mouse. The other one was tiny and cute. This one scared me. Eric had to get rid of it. It freaked me out. I about jumped out of my jammies when I opened the cabinet door this morning.

I haven't updated anything on the job front in a week or so. I have another interview this week, with a new place. It's called Type Partners. I'm intrigued. I know very little about the place, but they've been in business for 20 years. Run by 2 local women, it's over in East Syracuse, down the street from Channel 9. I passed the resume test. They were very up front about being extremely critical of the resume, spelling, formatting, design, etc., and apparently I passed, I got an interview! This one is Thursday at 2 pm. Still waiting to hear from any of the other 3 places...

I also got my first official freelance gig! It's just creating a logo for a car dealership, but it's a start. It's for an agency in town. I've done work for them in the past, I'm happy she gave me some work again. It's been awhile. They have an in-house designer, but sometimes he's swamped or gets a 'designers-block', so they call me. Eric does all their video productions and they love him. Hopefully I can get some more work from them soon.

Also this past week, as many of you know already, probably all of you, Liverpool XC got to go to Nationals again in Oregon. This time they made a much better showing. They came in 4th overall. And were SO close to the podium. But what a great couple of years for that team. They're losing most of the kids this year to graduation, so it might be awhile before Liverpool gets to go again. It's nice to see such good kids excel and be rewarded for their hard work. We're thinking one of the boys will be joining Alex in Albany next year. At least Alex is certainly hoping so! That would be awesome for Albany.

We're getting a big storm tomorrow and Wednesday. I am happy to report that I do not have to leave the house until Thursday. I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. Although I do have amazing new snow tires if I need to. I think Eric will be taking my car anyway, so it's just as well that I stay inside where it's warm and safe. The Subaru is in the garage, safely out of the elements if I need it. The Mini is still in the shop... sigh...

In other news, the Christmas tree is up. and in other bigger news, we changed up the location this year! We're throwing everyone for a loop. One child was already vocal about disliking the new location. We'll see what the other one says next week when he returns from school. I like the fact that we didn't have to move any furniture this time. and you can see the tree from every seat in the room now. It would be nicer if we could move the piano and just have the tree in the corner, but there would be nowhere for the piano to go. But the tree fits nicely there. And it's good to mix things up every now and then! To see where the tree used to live, check out a past Christmas post. 

One down.

I declared war on the mouse yesterday. I opened my utensil drawer to use my plastic spatula, and someone had chewed it to pieces. I was mad. So I set out 3 new glue traps, complete with cheese.

I had a customer overnight. He put up a valiant struggle. And sadly, never got the cheese. We're not sure if he has any relatives, but the other traps are still out. Just in case.

Mouse Update

Here's Jenny "alerting" us to some activity in the cabinet. I put down some Glue Traps last night. I figured it would be easier. I will rethink that next time and go for the old fashioned trap. The mouse got stuck on the glue trap. There was an obvious struggle and evidence of loss of fur/limbs/poop/etc. Eric saw the mouse hanging upside down inside the edge of the cabinet and dishwasher opening. He went to get a container for the mouse, went back and it was gone. So now we wait for an odor. Anyone wanna come fish it out for us?? Kelly? Are you available?? I'll make you some Jell-O!

2 Interviews. 1 Day.

Today was interesting. I had an interview in the morning and an interview in the afternoon. In between, I went to the Mansion to hang out. It was better than driving all the way home for 2 hours. It worked out very nicely.

One interview was at the NBC affiliate in Syracuse. It's not a great job, but it's a job. And it's stable and I'd have benefits. The pay is not great. But it's a job. And I could still keep looking, although I honestly think that once I get a job, I will be taking some time off from the job search. I'm burnt out. Some normalcy would be nice. And hey, if I get the job there, I will complete the circle and will have worked at every single TV station in Syracuse. Well, except the Fox affiliate. But I don't think they have much of a station to even work at. So that doesn't count.

The other job interview today was at Housing Visions for a Marketing Manager. I was hesitant about this job, but after talking with them, it really peeked my interest. I have about 95% of the skills they're looking for. And I guarantee nobody has 100% of all they want. There aren't many graphic designers who also have experience with social media, web design, event planning, marketing, and public relations. Plus all the other little things they wanted. There was a sales aspect to the job, which I know nothing about and am not interested in at all. But it really seemed like all the other things were much more important. So who knows. I had a nice rapport with the woman I interviewed with, so that was nice.

So at the moment, I have 3 good prospects. Just waiting on the next interview, or job offer, or rejection. I also have at least a half-dozen more resumes out there. And will keep putting out more as I find interesting jobs to apply for.

A Mouse in the House

We have a mouse in the house! Or an entire mouse family. They made themselves at home in the oven mitt drawer. (If anyone needs Christmas gift ideas -- some new oven mitts would be nice!)

I cleaned out the entire drawer and dumped all but one oven mitt. 

Then I looked at the cabinet under the drawer. And yeah, that needed cleaning out too. We think the mice have made their residence under the dishwasher. We're going to need some traps... 

Belated Birthday Post

I was just going through photos and realized I never posted these fun pictures from my birthday! Sheila took us all out to the Retreat for dinner, one of my favorite places! 

Laura and Kelly had a blast and are always good for a laugh.

Kelly was my helper with blowing out all those candles on that gorgeous cake courtesy of Paula! (Thank you Paula!!)

Double blow-fish!

Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes, it was a quiet day, but quite lovely.

Another Week Goes By.

Nothing new to report on the job front. The holidays slowed things down to a grinding halt. I sent my regrets to Time Warner. Which is too bad. If it didn't involve a move, I would have taken the job. And I let them know that. It was my fault for applying and getting their hopes up, but after thinking it over and losing sleep over the decision, it was the move that was the biggest challenge. I do hope I don't regret the decision. A woman at the unemployment office gave me the advice "Never let an opportunity pass you by..." But I did. Hopefully there will be other opportunities closer to home.

I finally got snow tires on my car yesterday. What an ordeal that was. Eric said I have the Hayden curse now. The tires were supposed to take 4 days to get here. And they would call when they arrived. On day 7, I stopped by the store to find out where they were. And guess what? They had given my tires away to someone else. They never even called me to let me know they were here. So I put up a big fuss. I ended up getting $180 off the tires (20% off each tire + free installation). And then on day 11, I got my tires installed. I guess it was worth the hassle, I saved a good bit of money! So in the end, it all worked out. And the tires are sweet.

Thanksgiving came and went. As did another Turkey Trot. I just love the photo above, with all the snow and colorful runners. We had a bit of an "emergency" change of plans on Thanksgiving morning, but quick thinking and Wegmans saved the day. We're sorry we weren't able to spend the day with the Haydens in Fulton, but it was probably for the best. And Kelly is feeling much better now, so all is well. 

Oh, and one more thing before I end this post. I have another blog! Yes, I know. How many blogs can one girl keep? It's sort of a spin-off of the Aldi blog. I noticed that most people really liked the recipes and photos of food. I mean really liked it. So I have been taking all the recipes (and creating more) for a new blog, called "CookingWithAmanda" So feel free to stop by and check it out. Oh and if you're ordering anything from Amazon or Target this holiday season, feel free to take the link off the site to do your shopping, we'll get a percentage of the sale! The hope with this blog is to make it "big" and maybe actually make a few bucks in the process. So click here to visit the new site: CookingWithAmanda. It's in its early stages and very much a work in progress. 

UAlbany Track & Field

Alex's official "UAlbany Track" photo has been taken. It's on their website. I just happened to be poking around and found it. His bio isn't up yet, but his photo is, so it must be official. He had a rough XC season, with a couple of injuries. He says he's healthy now and looking forward to a great indoor track season. 

Check out the online Bio section by clicking here.

I'm picking him up this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. It'll be good to have him home for a few days. 

Cars

We basically have a used car lot in our driveway. Which isn't a bad thing when one car goes down, we just use a different one! The Mini has been out of commission for a couple of weeks now. It needs a new clutch. It sat in the shop for a week, they wanted to charge around $2400 to fix it. Eric tried to make a deal with them to trade/purchase one of their newer Mini's they had for sale, but they wouldn't budge on their price. So Eric picked up his car. Unfixed. He's been calling around to get the price lower, he got it down to around $1600 at another place. They're waiting for parts to arrive from Buffalo. That might take awhile. So the Mini sits. We're afraid to use it. Why are Mini's so expensive to fix? They're so tiny!

Eric has been taking my car to work, it's the newest and most reliable. But it sucks in the snow. So we just invested in snow tires for it. The tires should be here in a couple of days, it'll be my birthday present. I've never had snow tires and I'm very excited about them. I almost want it to snow. (Not as much as Buffalo though, please!)

So, while Eric has been living in luxury with my Mazda, I've been using Alex's car when I need to go out. The 2004 Subaru with 149,000 miles on it. It is surprisingly, a very nice ride. Except for the brakes. I had to take it up today to get it inspected and held my breath the entire time. It needs new back brake pads and rotors, but it was good enough to pass inspection. Phew. He gave me an estimate, which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it's not a priority. So it can wait. It will most likely be stored for most of the winter, so it's not a rush.

Dodging Bullets

Wow. Did Syracuse dodge a HUGE bullet. Buffalo has gotten more than 4 feet of snow in the last 24 hours. That is insane!!

Here's a photo of the Thru-way in Buffalo. Doesn't that look like fun? The Thru-way is closed from Rochester to Buffalo. And it's still snowing. And will continue through tomorrow. 5" an hour of snow. Wow. 

In the meantime, I am heading to Albany on Friday for another interview with Time Warner. I'm very much on the fence and leaning more towards no than yes. But it'll be good to go and see what they have to say. I have nothing else moving at the moment, so I'm just keeping the momentum going. And maybe I can get a sneak peek of Alex while I'm in Albany. 

Birthday party

Today we went up to Fulton to celebrate Laura turning 12. I made a fun cake, I still need work on the writing part. My hand is too shaky. I definitely need some practice with that. This was my first time making roses, those need more practice too, but they worked.

The in-action blowfish picture.

Bella is very lovable and very, very patient. 

Bella and the girls. Best friends.

Contemplations

I had a great phone interview this morning with Time Warner in Albany. They made it no secret that they want me. It was nice to hear such positive feedback on my resume and website for a change! I wonder if I'm destined to continue in television. It's what I know. They didn't offer the job, but I am going to interview with them in person next Friday. I have a feeling they will offer me the job. We already talked money and benefits and he asked how quickly I could start. So this gives me time to figure out what the heck I would say if they offer me a job.

That's kind of a huge decision. And I'm honestly not sure what the right thing to do would be. We'd have to sell the house and move. But would we wait until after winter and work and live long-distance for a few months. I could come back on weekends. Eric wouldn't have a job in Albany. The tables would be turned. He'd then have to start the job hunt process. He could obviously start now if we decide to do this and hopefully get a head start. But you never know. These things apparently take time! It would be nice to get him out of that evil WCNY place.

Or... do I say no and stay here and keep looking? Get a job at the mall until I find something. I mean, I will eventually find something. But when?

So. What would you do? I'm looking for advice. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Oh and a positive would be that we'd be closer to Alex and closer to Boston. The Time Warner Albany offices are 2.6 miles from the UAlbany campus. Heh.

When it rains, it pours.

So to say I've been getting a lot of activity on the job front lately would be an understatement. Which is not a bad thing! Last Wednesday I had a phone interview with the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn, for a Digital Media Manager. I passed the first phase and was granted a second interview, which was this morning. I was there for 2 hours, spoke with 4 different people. I would LOVE to work there. Very much. Do I think I got the job? I have no idea. They are bringing in 5 people, 2 will get a chance at a 3rd interview with the Exec. Director. I will hopefully know within the next week or two if I passed phase 2.

On Thursday of last week I received an email from ESPN. They wanted to do a phone interview with me. Funny thing was, during that phone interview, I was 20 minutes from Bristol, CT. The interview was on Sunday afternoon. I thought it went well. I can talk sports, so I think I passed. That would be a fun job. It's for a Design Publication Specialist. Mostly online digital and social media graphics. And all about sports. I think that would be a hoot. I will know by the end of next week if I get an in-person interview. (That will consist of a 2-day trip to ESPN in Bristol, CT.)

This morning, before my interview at Merry-Go-Round, I got an email from Time Warner Cable in Albany. We set up a phone interview for Thursday at 11. I'd really like to live in Albany. That would be fantastic. It's a graphic design position, which I'm way over-qualified for. (read: low pay)

So then on my way home from the Merry-Go-Round I got an email from Arc of Oneida County. I sent them a resume a month or two ago, probably longer. They want to set up an interview too. The pay sucks, but it's a job. And a long commute. But it's a job. And it's a graphic design position.

So THEN (yes, there's more!) a friend and former colleague from WMUR in Manchester emailed to tell me that his place (NECN in Newton, MA) is looking for a designer. And he gave me the managers email and told me to hurry and send a resume. So I will. Why not! That's 5 irons in the fire. It would certainly be nice if one of them panned out. Especially the one closest to home!!

Driving Miss Daisy

Tomorrow I'm heading to Connecticut with Sheila. She asked if I would be her chauffeur and drive her to her sisters house for the weekend to celebrate her sister's birthday. And she said she'd pay me too. Who could pass up that offer? I get to drive her fun new luxurious SUV and have a nice weekend away. I'm not really sure where we're going in CT, it's somewhere south of Hartford, that's all I know. I have no idea what the itinerary is, but I'll just go with the flow! I did have one requirement, that wherever we say, we have to have wifi. (I must keep up with the job listings and the blog!)

And speaking of jobs, I have a second interview at a place on Tuesday. I'm reluctant to mention any more details for fear of jinxing it!! So send some good thoughts my way on Tuesday! It would be a very good thing if it were to work out.

Elections are over!

I am SO thankful the political season of 2014 is over. There are 19 flashing messages on our answering machine from candidates. And that was just from the last 3 days. The house is once again quiet from the ringing. And quiet from the awful, horrible, annoying and most often times mean political ads. Good riddance Election '14.

I have one bit of good news in the election world. Sutter Brown gets to continue his clickity clacking throughout the Governors Mansion in California. He's an adorable Corgi who I happen to follow on Twitter. He even favorited my Tweet last night. I was giddy. I'm a little unsure of how a dog without opposable thumbs can tweet, but I imagine he has a personal assistant to help him.

Trick or Treat

Here are a few photos from the Barnes Hiscock Mansion's Trick or Treat event Thursday. It was a huge hit. Over 150 kids stopped by, We had over 3000 pieces of candy to give out. It was so much fun and we got nothing but rave reviews! The Mansion has got to be one of Syracuse's best kept secrets, but the secret is getting out. Which is a good thing! 

No-Go

So Plan B is a no-go. The state will not approve funding for my training. Apparently I picked a field (and wasted 2 weeks researching it) that the state thinks isn't marketable. Well, either is graphic design apparently! So bottom line, I have 8 weeks to find a job with the skills I have. I've sent out 7 resumes so far this week. And will be sending out more. Anything and everything I'm remotely qualified for will get a resume from me.

In the meantime, I'll be spending the whole day at the mansion for our Trick or Treat event. At least it will be a good distraction. I even convinced Eric to stop by and take photos for us. So I'll try to post some of those tomorrow!

Oh, interesting side note. The hiring guy for the Sports Network job I applied for in Burlington, MA went to Fitchburg State also. Small world.

Status Quo

  

The leaves are slowly disappearing from the trees. Winter is fast approaching. November starts on Saturday. Snow is even in the forecast. 

But here's something good in the world! Gas is below $3/gallon. I hope it keeps going lower. That would be nice. 

At 3:30 today I have a meeting with the Unemployment Office regarding the funding for training and getting an extension. I have all my paperwork filled out. I won't know for 30 days (or more) if it gets accepted. Nothing like living in limbo.

I'm still sending out resumes all over the place. For everything. I just sent one last night to CSN New England. The NBC Sports Network, in Burlington, MA. I have a friend who works there who sent me the info. She's telling the hiring manager about me. I'm way over-qualified and probably want too much money. But it would be a fun place to work. Although moving with winter fast approaching doesn't seem like much fun. I like my Plan B better. 

On the up side, a brand-new giant 2-story Wegmans just opened in Burlington, MA...

Plan B

It's been a few days since I updated the blog. I've been busy working at the mansion and I was at the unemployment office 3 times in the last week. I took 2 workshops and had a meeting with a counselor. And I have another workshop this week. I have a Plan B in the works. A Plan B that hopefully extends my unemployment benefits and gets me trained for a new career. I have a ton of paperwork to do and hand in over the next week, and hopefully within a month I will know if I will be heading in another direction, all paid for by the great state of NY. (And my tax dollars.) I will still be looking for a job in my field, and will continue to look for that, but I need to have another option just in case that doesn't work out. I will keep you posted!

Meanwhile, here are a couple of pictures I took on my phone this week while out walking Jenny...

The Mansion, etc.

So this is where I get to go hang out whenever I can. This is the Barnes Hiscock Mansion. A National Historic Site, and site of the Underground Railroad. Just a very cool and fun place. I enjoy every minute I get to spend there. I feel appreciated and I just really enjoy helping out.

And in other news, Novak visited New Zealand on "Spring Break"...
and went Bungee Jumping. Weeeeeee! 

Dancing Fools

Eric and I went to a wedding on Saturday night. My former co-worker and friend Jim Beebe (Beebs) and the lovely Liz Marcy got married. They met on a blind date and married 5 years later. It was a fabulous evening, probably one of the most entertaining weddings I've ever been to. They thought of everything. It was truly a lovely evening and I wish them nothing but the best.

The photo above was just leaked. I fear there will be more. We were dancing fools all night long! 

It was so nice to see the old crew too. I missed them all so much!