butterflies

They want an in-person interview on Friday afternoon…!

umm…hi.

yeah.  it's been a long time with no blogging.  sorry about that.

The interview went well.  I talked with the guy for about 40 minutes, instead of the scheduled 20.  I could tell that many times I said things that were things that he wanted me to say, so that's good.  The phone interview was, indeed, a screener for those people who they'd want to bring in for in-person interviews.  They said that I'd hear back, one way or the other, sometime LAST week.  Yep – notice the "LAST" week.  I still haven't heard anything at all.  But he did say that I was the first interview in the second round of interviews, so I'm thinking that they are just waiting to get those finished up before making decisions. 

I'm still interested in the job, but I am a little concerned about the stability and size of the company.  Company X has about 1,000 employees, total.  My Company has about 300,000, literally.  That's a huge difference.  My position at Company X would be as part of a team of 3 people.  My position at My Company is part of a team of about 20 or so.  Company X only has 75 people, total, at the office in which I'd be working.  Additionally, although Company X is a good company, I'm concerned that if it went downhill, I'd be laid off.  Usability is often like school music and art programs – if funding is short, it's the first to be cut. 

So, I'm content to "wait and see".  I haven't really made up my mind one way or another.

the first day of the rest of my life?

my phone interview is today at 3pm with the hiring manager, who shares the same last name as my mom's side of the family.  maybe he's a distant cousin or something.   my mom said there was a very distant relation who she thought lived in the area.  if we have a good rapport going, maybe i'll inquire about it.

i have really mixed feelings about this interview.  on one hand, i am really really really excited at the possibility of finding a newer and better job.  on the other hand, change is always nerve-wracking for me.  i just hope the decision isn't too tough, whether it's that i want the job, or that i don't want the job.  

not quite dead yet…

today i got an email from a new HR lady at the prospective employer…it sounds like the assignment of staffing the job got reassigned.  she asked me to send my resume directly to her, and she would deal with it…

happy dog

Teego comes from a long line of hunting dogs, so I feel like I owe it to him to train him to hunt. The AKC has competitive simulated hunt tests that we can participate in, without ever actually going "hunting". Last night, Teego and I made our first journey into the field, with the help of a very experienced friend. Saying Teego was a happy dog is a total understatement. He was out in a country field, doing long retrieves (100 yards) through tall grass and wide open fields.  At the end, we walked around the land, and he jumped in the freezing cold lake of his own accord.  Competitive obedience is obviously something I really enjoy — but field training for hunting is amazing because it's something much more natural for the dog. It's just in his genes to understand what to do — all the handler has to do is fine-tune those instincts. And he certainly does have good genes — his grandfather is the only Golden Retriever in history to have competitive championships in both obedience & hunt tests. He has even competed at the top level, internationally. Teego had the time of his life, and I had a great time too! I think we're hooked.

still waiting…

no word yet on the possible new job.  not a peep.  i'm getting pretty disappointed, and it makes me feel even more stuck in my current job.  while before i didn't like it, i felt like it was my choice to stay there because i wasn't really looking for a new job.  but now it doesn't feel like it's my choice anymore.  it feels like nowhere else wants me.  *sigh*  hopefully they will contact me.

A step forward

The best session i went to at my conference last week was entitled "Stepping out of Your Comfort Zone". It was really great, and there was a lot in it. The main message was that many of us strive to be comfortable in life – but instead we should strive to contribute to the world and challenge ourselves. He said…"If you don't like your job…quit! If you are in a bad relationship…get out! What are you waiting for?!?"

That same day, I found an ad for a job that sounds like it would be really great for me. So…today I submitted an application. It doesn't hurt to shop around, right? I figured that if the only reason not to do it is that I'm afraid of the change, then that isn't a good enough reason. So we'll see. I won't really have any big decision to make until when/if they offer me the job. I kind of hope they do, though!

yeah, i suck

…i haven’t posted for a really long time. sorry about that.

on sunday, i’m off to a conference for work. however, it’s really not that exciting because it’s in minneapolis. originally it was supposed to be in new orleans…but that didn’t quite work out. so, i’ll get to sleep in my own bed at night, which is good. but what isn’t so good is that i didn’t realize that most nights i won’t get home until after 10pm, and i’ll have to leave again in the morning at least by 6:30. we live probably 30 minutes (no traffic) away from the conference site, but add in morning rush hour…and it will be much longer. oh well – this should be a really good learning experience for me, so i am excited to go. plus, because of all the extra time that i have to spend at this thing (way over my 40 hour work week), i get to take a few days off for comp time. so that’s good. it seems that i burn through my vacation pretty quickly, so extra days are always appreciated.

i think that’s about all i got for now. at least it’s all that comes to mind.

for lunch today…

This is one of our favorite recipes. You’ve got to try it!

POTATO, CORN, & BACON CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups water
3 cups half & half
1/4 t salt
1 package au gratin potatos
12 slices ready-to-eat cooked bacon, cut into pieces
1 cup Green Giant niblets frozen corn

Heat water and 2 cups of the half & half just to boiling in a

1. 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in potatoes and seasoning mix. Cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.Stir in remaining 1 cup half-and-half, the bacon and frozen corn.
2. Cover and cook 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chowder is hot.

it just figures

so i move to a new blog with cooler templates. however, i cannot customize those templates. then, of course, i come up with a masthead that i really love, but can’t use. ugh.

i think it’s too wide and it’s cutting off the right side of it…but you get the idea.