My apologies. Here's an update.

Greetings. It's been a while since I updated. And with Brian staring over my shoulder, I feel a bit odd about writing this blog...

All right, he's left. :-)

Anyway, I've been very busy over the last month and a half. I spent the last three weeks of March driving an hour between Killeen and Pflugerville for work. My Georgetown apartment was ready April 5 and on April 6 I moved in with the help of the most amazing friends ever. I've since mostly unpacked and am nearly settled in.

The job has been very nice. Not easy per-say, but the differences between this company and my last one are astronomical. 

Speaking of the last one, it was a long, twisted path trying to get a way from it, but I think I've succeeded (finally). From my knowledge, things have not been very smooth over there and I'm pretty satisfied to have been separated from it when I was. 

Deadlines are different at the new job, but it's essentially the same deal. I stay busy and they pay me. That's what I wanted, right?

Last weekend, Brian and I went on a spontaneous trip to Nac. Ever since, I've missed the piney woods. I'm seriously thinking that will be my next move if/when I separate from the capital area of Texas, but it may require a career change. Reporting in the rural areas isn't as exciting given the quiet nature, but I could see myself living there in another chapter of my life. For now, I still like the populated areas. 

And there's the biggest update I've done in, what, a month? Sorry, I would like to try and update more (despite the fact that nobody seems to read them). I just like to write out about what's going on.

Bare bones update

I can't do an in-depth post, like I'd like to, but here's a skeleton update on what's gone on since I last updated:

-Started my new job. It's much more technology-inclusive than my last one and I'm still adjusting. I think I'll have a firm opinion on the position and company in a couple more weeks, after I've adjusted to the vastly different climate.

-I moved this weekend. It was stressful. I hated it.

-My old apartment still has a lot of stuff in it, so the move isn't technically over yet. After I get everything out, then I have to clean it. THEN I will be done with Killeen. Except for aikido.

-My new bathroom requires shelves. So soon I'll have to go shopping again.

-Still dealing with some issues regarding the unemployment I'm no longer receiving. Blah.

-Tired as hell, but can't rest 'til I'm done with the move. So caffeine is my friend.

10th Post, Good News

I haven't been online in a few days, but it's good news this time around.

After two rounds of interviews last week, I got a call Monday offering me the job in Georgetown. 

I accepted. 

It's  a higher paying job, and from this perspective, appears to be a manageable workload. The location puts me closer to Austin, but still in a medium sized town with (likely) less city traffic. While the office is in Pflugerville, it will still be a doable commute to live in the area I'll be reporting for. 

I had to fill out a survey from the company asking me about my favorite cuisines and what song I would have play when I entered a room. Odd questions that probably took me way too long to answer, but it's in.

On March 18, I'll start the new job. In the meantime, all I can think about is having to move all the crap out of my apartment. Fortunately, the location means I don't necessarily have to do it all at once, which is very nice. 

Here's hoping for better days ahead. I'd also like to thank Denny's, Subway, McDonald's, Hasting's, the Copperas Cove Library and every other location I have gone to bum internet from in my search. Couldn't have done it without y'all.

Amazing Opening: Applied

Honestly not sure why I keep updating this. I really don't think it's being read or enjoyed by anyone, but I do enjoy writing so I'll continue. 

Anyway, as I restarted the search today, the first thing I saw was a reporter opening in Georgetown with the company I'd applied for last summer. Score! Took me an hour to apply because I wanted the wording in my resume and cover letter to be just right, and I had to select clips relevant to the type of reporting they want, but I'd really like to hear back on this position. Georgetown isn't too far, and definitely has more to offer than Killeen. The area, from the little bit I've seen passing through, is pretty nice. Maybe a bit upscale from where I am now, but probably manageable. 

Have yet to hear from any of my applications in Dallas or Austin yet. A little bummed about it, but I guess all I can do is keep putting myself out there and wait for a call back.

To date, I've sent my application out to eleven places. Kind of low for searching for two weeks, I suppose, but I was doing temp work for the last four days, and that kind of took up a bit of time (not going to have a huge check to show for it, but whatevs). Have to go to some kind of employment briefing in regards to my unemployment tomorrow. Three hours of "here's how to write a resume" is what I'm expecting. Ugh, so not looking forward to that, but it's just to keep them happy and providing me with a tiny bit of income I guess. 

Now I am hungry. Will search a short while longer, then I will need food.

Yup. Still searching.

This time, from the Hardback Cafe in my local Hastings. 

I went through my Texas Workforce materials last night. My possible unemployment benefits will even out to around half what I was making before. I still have no promising leads, thought I've been applying to well more than the minimum of three I'm required to do to receive unemployment.

Dallas Morning News emailed me Monday to say they got my application and if I hear from them, it will be later this week. Obviously I'm hoping for sooner rather than later. That position is much more attractive than the Houston Community Newspapers one, in all honesty.

Today, I interviewed at a local screen printing place through a lead from the temp agency. I'd be a perfect fit if I was interested in staying for 2-3 years, so I've scrapped any hopes of that position. 

A TV station and the housing authority in Austin both should have received my applications today, and I may be sending an application to a copywriting job (also in Austin) after this update. 

I'm noting that my frustration and anger at being jobless seems to manifest itself once the sun goes down. I can be productive in my search all day long, but when it gets dark I start feeling hopeless and helpless. The materials from TWC are difficult to understand, I can't continue searching from my apartment except via my phone (which is a pain in the ass), so all I can really do is stare at the mess and wish the job search motivation translated to cleaning up when I'm unable to continue for the day.

That and I am also hungry right now. Been staring at the cafe menu since I set myself up here, my mind has been on what possible Valentine's candy may be left on sale at Walmart right now, but my desire to save every bit of money I can keeps telling me to just go home and eat some Ramen. Because that's what WINNERS have for dinner right before they go to their aikido club!

Here I am in Houston

I interviewed at Houston Texas Consulting this afternoon. They told me if the manager likes my resume and the notes from the interview, I would get a call to schedule a second interview between 3:30 and 4 p.m.

So 4:00 came... and went. But my trip wasn't a complete bust. Besides getting to hang with my friends, a Facebook status about being in the area prompted a friend who works for a news company to message me that they're "hurting" for reporters right now. There are a couple positions open, and they're generally like what I did in Killeen/Copperas Cove. The pay seems to be lower, but it may have the potential to increase as the company does better. The options are between a somewhat-uppity, family-centered sounding community, and a more rural community, each pretty far north of the busy-ness of Houston itself. 

Austin is still a possibility, but I'm seeing fewer options there at the moment. I'm about to draft a cover letter, relook at my resume and pick out a few clips to send to this possibility. 

Honestly though, the traffic of Houston is the most offputting thing. I was nearly sideswiped trying to leave McDonald's this morning (the guy, whose car I honestly did not see, rolled down his window to say "Are you stupid?" When I, probably foolishly, answered "no," he called me a "f*cking asshole" and sped away to the red light... a couple hundred feet away), and am still sore from being rearended trying to leave Temple yesterday afternoon. The thing is, the two times I've been rearended, once in Killeen, once in Temple, both people were apologetic. I get almost hit in Houston, and then there's namecalling. What the hell?

It's been a while since I was in Conroe, which seems to be the more bearable of the two locations, but it would still put me in weekend visiting distance of my friends, as well as close enough to do shopping/eating in the city if I ever felt like doing so. It will also be a change of landscape and demographics. Then again, the job is the same thing I did for the last year and a half. I kind of wanted to do something new (and better paying). I guess I'd be closer to better options in Houston, should a better-paying, higher-advancing option opens up. 

For now, I'm just going to apply for everything I can. I really don't like not having an income.

The Search Begins

Hello from the free WiFi of Subway.

I've been here nearly four hours, I believe. After I ate and nabbed a table near an outlet, I applied for a local temp agency and three PR-type positions, two in Houston, one in Austin. 

I'd forgotten how annoying it is to enter the same information over and over on different sites, and I didn't expect a customer service/sales rep application to include a questionnaire that seemed very interested in my ability to do math. Some of the questions were:

[Sample questions deleted to discourage excessive post views from people answering the same questionnaire and just Googling the answers instead of actually figuring them out themselves.]

All were multiple choice, and I only guessed on the airplane one (there was a whole other page, as well, and included questions about percentages and volume). Thank goodness I didn't forget all my middle-school math skills!

I'll be back at the same thing - applying like a madwoman - tomorrow. But now, I really have to pee and I'm tired. So, because I've been so productive today (also visited the Workforce Center and applied for unemployment. Take that, old boss), I'm going to go home and either clean or lay down for a few hours before aikido tonight.  

I hope this taking charge stuff pays off well. I'd really like to start my life over in a happier place, with a more enjoyable job. But I guess we shall see.