Steve Perry is a national treasure

As of today I am gainfully employed with the state!!!!  Go, me!!!!

They called this morning; this afternoon I was downtown filling out paperwork; and I officially start Monday, March 3, 2008.

My job title is "Eligibility Counselor 1", and my basic duties involve getting people/families approved for various types of state/federal aid programs based on their specific eligibility qualifications. At the end of one year I automatically get a promotion to "Eligibilty Counselor 2" which means a pretty sizable raise, and more authority.

I'm really excited about this for a bunch or reasons which I will gladly list because it's my blog, and that's what it's here for.

1. I don't have to look for a job anymore. Not that I was really doing that anyway, since I had a feeling I'd get this one, but it's still nice not to have that hanging over my head.

2. This job is a lot closer to home. Right now I'll be working right downtown about 5 minutes away which is nice. Later on I'll probably be transferred, but even that will be closer than before. No more traversing miles of interstate!!

3. I have successfully and proudly doubled my annual income. Now we can save student loan money for house down payment money, and invest in some things that really matter like the two new singstar games coming out and of course, Rockband!!!  (party at my house)

4. Benefits. This will save us a ton of money in private health insurance costs.

5. It has nothing to do with eyes, eye surgeries, glasses, or people not being able to see in general. I was getting burned out on that stuff.

6. I finally get to use that degree!!!!!!

Priceless.

As of 2-1-08, I am officially back on the market as a free-agent.. in terms of employment status. That's right, I took a leap of faith and quit my job. I was quite proud of myself for handling it just how I had imagined I would in my head. It actually went better than I expected, since I had prepared myslef for a tirade from the boss, but instead I got a pretty supportive response, even offering to be a reference if I ever needed him.

On the upside, I definently got some points in the "you're an adult now" category. If I were a SIM, I would have leveled up. On the downside, I am again unemployed. Luckily, it's tax refund time, so that will be a help. I really don't know what I'm going to do about a job. The day before I quit, I actually had a job interview with the state. It went very well, but as with all things state related, I won't find out anything for another month or so. That was really my only lead.

I don't feel bad saying how much I hate being the bread winner. It's just so hard being in a place where I barley know the layout of the city much less any personal contacts for jobs or anything. Having zero social network sucks, and I have no real friends of my own yet. I'm really at a loss; I have no clue what I want to be or what direction I wish to take my life. Right now I feel like my only purpose is to feed the cat and make enough money to house, feed, and pay for Nils' expenses.  Basically I work so that Nils can go to school in the most comfortable fashion possible. I have no career, ambition, or goals of my own.

I need a purpose.

The definition of unequivical joy:

 

 

I had way too much fun with this application!

 

Click here

 

(Sorry Brice I could only fit four elves).

At 9:30 yesterday night, I received a call from an opthamologist that I've had two phone interviews and one face-to-face with asking if I could be at work at 8:00 AM this morning. I guess my days of sleeping in and cooking are over. The work is different than what I'm used to,but definently different in a good way. Since I've spent most of my career under an optometrist, I don't have much experience with surgery being perfomed in-house, but today I got to see my first chalazion (big word for an eyelid lump) removal. The procedure only required local anesthetic, but it was cool to watch. Hopeful I'll be asisting soon and setting up all the insturments and tools for the doc.

Work. Whoo! Hoo! :-(

I've been wanting to show everyone the apartment for a while, so here's a few random shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These  are pics of fire casualties. The first being my baking sheet and corn torilla pieces directly involved. The second being the previously stark white bath towel I had to use to wipe up all the water inside the stove.

 

While making dinner last night, I was utilizing the broiler in my oven to bake some tortillas. I had my back turned on the stove momentarily while I chopped some scallions, and when I turned around I saw billows of smoke coming from the oven door. Confused I reached for the oven door handle, pulled it open, and out came the flames. These were not tiny candle flames but strong, oven-engulfing, fireplace type flames.

I bolted to the door of the study, where Nils was, yelling, "There's a fire! There's a fire!" We both ran back to the kitchen, and I yelled at him to make sure the oven and the rest of the stove was turned off. It was amazing how many thoughts were racing through my mind as the flames were leaping out of the oven door, smoke was fillling the room, and the loudest smoke alarm on earth began to go off.. Thoughts like, 'at what point should I dial 911?'; 'Fuck, I don't want to be the girl who burned down the apartment complex'; and 'Thank God we bought renter's insurance'.

As I was trying to recall what my mother had taught me about putting out kitchen fires, I was grabbing objects like mugs and bowls out from the cabinet above me, filling them up at the sink,  shoving them at Nils, and shouting "Just throw water on it! Just throw water on it!". So we did... and it took a lot of water.

When the flames were dying down, and after I had pulled the smoke alarm out of the wall and made sure the cat was okay, I noticed Nils rumaging around under the sink in between throwing the bowls of water I had filled up into the oven. I thougth he was going for protecting the very flammable cleaning supplies we have stored there, but, instead, he was fishing around where the fire extinguisher should have been. I say 'should have' because apparently Folgelman managemnt company doesn't find it necesary to outfit our apartments with luxuries like that.

We did eventually get the smoke and burned smell out of the house, and I was able to salvage what was left of dinner, that is, after I stopped shaking.

One interesting note: the day we applied for our renter's insurance, the lady looked up any past claims made on our apartment. Turns out there were a couple... all fire related.

I'll have a picture up by sunrise.

It's called Pandora, Radio from the Music Genome Project. Basically it's an internet radio station that works like Google and 6 degree of Kevin Bacon combined. You can search for music that is similar in tonality, meolody, style, etc.. to songs you already know, and create personalized stations from your results. Best of all it's free.

Here's the link Pandora

This is my new favorite song!