Busy Bee

Albertsons. Target. Supercuts. Limon. Cardio Barre. Gold's Gym. 24 Hour Fitness. TGIFridays. Bare Minerals. Babies R Us. Starbucks. Coffee Bean. Salon Centric. Kohls. Petco. Costco. Macy's. EVERY salon in Simi Valley. These are just a few of the places I've tried to get a job at. It is rough out there. Super rough.

I had no idea until I literally started to pound the pavement and applied to everywhere I could find. And heard nothing back from anybody. Once in a while I would get a thanks but no thanks email. From Target for example. When you have a ton of experience and a college degree and Target is rejecting you it's a bad day. Believe me.

I actually got an interview with Macy's a few weeks ago. An interview?! That is the most promising thing I'd had so far. I'm going to toot my own horn and say that I've never interviewed for a job and not gotten it. Never.

So, I interviewed at Macy's. I was in full form. We laughed, we agreed. I really thought my interviewer and myself made a connection. I didn't want to start counting my chickens before they hatched, but I did. I started counting. I waited and waited to hear from them. And then I finally received an email. That said thanks, but no thanks.

To say that I was crushed is an understatement. I was mortified. What went wrong? I didn't understand. After a lot of crying, and pondering on my life and it's current path I picked myself up and kept applying. And applying. Still nothing promising. Talk about feeling rejected.

And then on Friday I got a call. From Macy's. Asking if I wanted to come in and interview for a different position. A better position. I went. And I got it. Yay!! My hopes were not so high this time. I thought the interview went well, but I thought that about the first one so I really wasn't sure. So far my first few days have been filled with computer training. In a room by myself. Not so much fun, I'm not going to lie. But I'm so happy to be working there I don't even care. I'm so happy to be working in general.

I was so focused on getting a job that I didn't stop to think about how I would feel after being in school all day and then working at night. Well I'll tell you how I feel. Tired. I am tired. It's going to take some getting used to.

This unfortunately means not so much Brynlee time. Which is a bummer, and I'm adjusting to that too. But I have to think long term goals. I'm going to school to have a career I can plan around my kids. In order to go to school I need to work to pay for it. So, here I am. This will all be worth it a few months from now.

But as of right now, I am one busy bee!

Some People Change

I've always been a afraid of confrontation. In fact I tend to be non confrontational to a fault. I'll do just about anything to avoid an incident. I hate it. It gets really frustrating for me, and I'm not sure what to do about it sometimes. I'm not sure what I'm so scared of. That people will not like me? That I'll say something I regret? That people will say I'm mean?

I realized something today. So what. So what if all those things happen? Sometimes you just need to have a confrontation. Today, I decided to act on it.

At school we all have areas we are supposed to clean. At the end of the day we break into clean up groups and sweep/wipe/empty/mop... it's never ending. You would be amazed at how dirty a cosmetology school gets. Anyhow, there are 4 people in my group. But only 3 people clean. Everyday, only 3 of this. The fourth person seems to think they do not have to participate in the clean up I guess. My encounters with this 4th person have not been great. She is not my favorite.

So, after about of month of only 3 of us cleaning, I decided it was time 4th person helped out. Usually I'll avoid situations like this and just stay quiet. But enough is enough. So I went to 4th person and asked her to help. She was happy to help... which I thought was weird. I'm sure 4th person went and talked a bunch of crap behind my back afterwards. She is 18 after all. But whatever. Really, who cares?

I felt empowered by my experience. Maybe next time I'll hit that confrontation head on. Or maybe not. But for today, I changed. And it was a nice change.

Recycled Air

After working in an office for 4 years you'd think I'd be used to cold and flu season. Used to one person coming to work sick (and yes, many times it was me) and spreading their germy love all over the office. Ugh. But it was never as bad as it is now.

At school, we are all closed in together. And we all sit really close to each other. We share everything, including illness. One person gets it, then the next. And then the next before it just works it's way down the line. It's like survival of the fittest, and only the strongest survive. Unfortunately that is not me. Perhaps it's due to my steady diet of junk food and diet coke? Or my complete lack of in activity. I do take a vitamin. That doesn't counteract all the bad stuff? Hmm... either way I'm sick. Again.

I've never been sick so often in my life as I have been this past winter, and now summer. I'm sure having Brynlee in day care and bringing home all sorts of goodies does not help. But here we go. Unfortunately for me in recent years every time I get sick it turns into a sinus infection. I probably have some giant brain tumor or something blocking my sinus passage. Either way, I'm usually not better without a trip to the Dr in which some sort of antibiotic is prescribed.

It's not a ton of fun. In this case I hope Brynlee doesn't get it. The only thing worse than being sick is your baby being sick right along with you!

Ny Quil, Day Quil, sinus rinse and kleenex here I come! :(