Navigating the job hunting world

I have another interview set up for Tuesday. It's a state job with the Department of Natural Resources tracking abandoned oil wells and gas tanks. Not a library job, but it has state benefits and pays well. It's a virtual interview. Wish me luck!

That's:

34 job applications
4 interviews completed or set up
8 rejections (1 post-interview)
2 webinars attended
1 job fair attended
1 job fair planning to attend

Also:
UI applied for the very day I lost my job, but was denied.
UI appealed, awaiting hearing to be scheduled (20 days past acknowledgement of receipt of appeal letter--I sent an email yesterday because I couldn't get anyone one the phone and they won't let you stay on hold, it just ends the call if no one is available, and they got back to me this morning say it was with the schedulers still) [not an issue with my employer, but rather an issue with the explanation of the 'waiting week' requirement'.]
Medicaid was applied for, too and approved.
SNAP was applied for, too and approved (finally--it took exactly 30 days)
Moved every bill I could to May.
Took a small distribution from retirement to pay bills; I couldn't move; I can't draw on my pension until May without penalty for the rest of my life because I'm turning another year older, 24 hours into next month.

It has been a very busy 38 days. Whew!

The job fair was a bust. I got there a little late because I had to go to the library to print some résumés after my 15-year-old printer died, and they had a lot of trouble with their printers. A lot. But we got it all worked out. I got there about the time you'd expect a lot of people to get there after work, but most of the prospective employers had packed up and left. The only ones left were construction and a temp agency (I have tried temp work before, and it was not a great experience, would not recommend at all. I got two one-day replacements in food service, even with clerical experience (back in the day, mind you, but still, I was very annoyed). I remember it was with the Snelling agency. They were absolutely useless. We had an excellent temp who covered me while I was out on medical leave. They really wanted to hire her for an open position, but couldn't because they'd have to pay over 30% more to her and them as part of a finder's fee in the contract, and it was just untenable, so they lost her to another employer.) Anyway, it turns out I could just upload my résumé to the website, so I grabbed a card to prove I'd gone, scanned the QR code, uploaded what I needed, and just went home. I'd already had a webinar and interview that day.

The interview that day was for a patient access position and went so well I was invited to come in Monday for several hours to shadow the people I'd work with to see how we'd get along, sort of a long second interview, I guess. The next day, I got an email saying they'd decided to take the position in a different direction, but that I had good qualities and would be considered for other positions within their practice. So I don't know if that meant they retooled the position, went with another candidate, or what. It was a little confusing. But I'm okay with it. It would have been a good job, and I think I would have liked working there, but I would rather work in a library, of course.

I am trying not to be constantly on the phone or computer doing this sort of stuff. I am volunteering for the Kentucky Talking Book Library as a proofreader. I picked up my first book and have my first two chapters to listen to. Essentially, I listen to the recording and see if there are errors, mark any issues with a timestamp, and turn in the paperwork so it can be cleaned up before final production. These audiobooks are loaned to patrons with low vision, ADHD, dyslexia, inability to hold traditional books, and other issues that keep them from enjoying standard books. It is a division of the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.

A month later, and it's been a bit dire, but I'm okay

32 job applications put in with:

• 4 rejections
• 2 interviews scheduled
•     1 completed (and it was for a library!) 
• 26 up in the air

2 job skill webinars scheduled

• one completed (on résumé building)
• one on Tuesday on strategic upskilling

1 job fair scheduled (March 24th)

2 Career counselling sessions attended through the UK Alumni Career Centre

Of the 61 books I currently have out from the Lexington Public Library:

• 19 books relate to job hunting
• 9 relate to getting particular library jobs [as subject matter]
• 5 relate using mindfulness for work or to prevent burnout

I also bought the 6th edition of the classic What Color is Your Parachute? (used, from Better World Books) because I'd seen a companion at Barnes & Noble called The Job-Hunter's Workbook, and I'd been intrigued by the exercises. I have an old copy of WCIYP? (I think it's 2012), But this was different. So I got both and returned the copy of the text back to the library, getting both of them used for less than what I'd have spent on the workbook on its own there at Barnes & Noble, and then, also, for less than that one book, I added What Color Is Your Parachute? for Retirement. The whole order was just over $20, and considering that it includes two $1 donations, that's pretty decent.

The interview this week went really well. I did a little stumbling here and there verbally, but never once said the word 'thing' instead of a specific noun. I was not nervous at all. I felt prepared. I was very excited about the position, as it served a particularly overlooked population. We'll see how well it goes. I really think it would be a good fit for me and vice versa, fingers crossed. In the meantime, I have another interview scheduled for this coming Wednesday.

I'm also starting to volunteer with our state talking book library, which creates and distributes books for those with low vision or other disabilities that prevent them from using standard books (including dyslexia or ADHD). They start you out as a proofreader, and that sounds exciting, where you compare the text with the spoken word to catch any errors.  Eventually, you may go on to narration if you like. This gets me out of the grind of looking for jobs at my desk, only requires an hour or two a week, and offers a remote option for proofreading, so I could do it even once I get a job.

My unemployment appeal was accepted, but the hearing date hasn't been set yet, so I have not been receiving payments. On the one hand, I am old enough to draw my pension, but I'm not at full retirement age for the plan (65), and my birthday falls right into next month.  So, if I take it now or anytime in April, it is substantially less than in May, and since it works just like Social Security in that once you draw it, the amount that you draw it at is what you get for the rest of your life, which is less if you draw early. I confess that I'm really angry that I'm in the position that I'll likely have to do this, shaving hundreds of dollars A MONTH for the rest of my life from something I earned because I lost my job this close to retirement, but not close enough. Considering the difference between 58 and 59 was about $400, I think it could have been substantial. But it happens a lot. My mom lost hers right as she hit 62, without a pension. She drew Social Security early and was on unemployment at the same time.

Unfortunately, even if I win the appeal, that'll likely put me over the income limit (no doubt in April), and I'll lose my insurance (Medicaid). I'm likely eligible for subsidised health plans, but it'll still mean a significant portion of my premium going toward a less robust plan.  On the other hand, it's better than the COBRA option, which costs over $ 1,200. If I had kept my insurance, which admittedly, I'd met my out-of-pocket, but oh my, how would I have done it short of draining my retirement?

I did call every creditor I could, pushed back as many bills to late April or May that I could (most worked with me), and then took enough out of my retirement to pay the rest of the bills for March and get into April so that I'd have a place to live, a phone, car insurance, etc.  It didn't throw me off Medicaid (it was under the limit), and then the day after, I pulled the money out, and after a month of daily paperwork, I was approved for SNAP, so I was afraid the distribution would mess all that up. Still, it apparently didn't matter as it was a low amount and wasn't recurrent. I have not gotten the EBT card yet. Fortunately, a couple of friends have helped with food during the month when there was nothing at all coming in.

The last thing I did with my final paycheque was to pay for my storage unit, where almost all my things actually are, so I wouldn't lose it at the end of the month (you only have three days to pay past the due date), leaving me about 32 cents in the bank. I've never been what you'd call financially comfortable, but this is the first time in a very long time that I haven't had a paycheque coming in to fill things back up. So the distribution really was the only way to go, especially since the SNAP application was going so slowly (they tell you to upload a document, but then you have to call requesting why--in the last case, it was because work had signed a form with a computer-generated form rather than a person signing it. Once I took the distribution, I had to send in the stub, a statement, and my 15-year-old printer just died. I saved a signature file and used it, since I couldn't print and didn't have time to go to the library to print the one sheet and then take a photo to upload to the Commonwealth's website. It is an image of my actual signature, not a computer-generated one.  It was, fortunately, accepted.

I hope that means everything has gone through. I have worked hard to get all of that through. People who complain about SNAP have no idea how difficult it is to get and keep the benefits. I have had two friends on disability who have had it. Both got less than $20 a month. One had to fax his renewal, and we spent weeks trying to get it to them (this was before the upload option) and had to actually call the governor's office at one point, finally, only to discover that the machine was broken--had been for months, and then by the time we were able to get in the other route, it was too late and they lost that. I've found the upload process easy; it's just the sheer amount of paperwork. And I've filled out a form saying I'm already registered to vote twice online, yet I still got a form today that I'll mail out Monday. I'm very grateful they've awarded it to me. I hope to use it soon. Having no income at all for over a month, with no savings, nothing, was hard. I had just what I had in the bank from my last paycheque, plus the final one, 3 days' work [they paid me a full day for the day they let me go], plus 3 days' worth of PTO. If it weren't for my retirement savings and the fact that I rent from a friend rather than a complex, I'd be in a much worse position. I don't have much in my retirement, though, not what I should. So hopefully this won't last long.

In the meantime, I'm actively looking, and I'm staying upbeat. I'm really trying to get back into librarianship again--it's where my passion lies, after all, and my skillset is the greatest there. Here's hoping I'll be back in a library soon.

And just in case you hadn't noticed it on the sidebar, here's my résumé.

It is a pleasant morning

I am almost ready to begin my chores, which I'm dreading a bit because the air conditioning is not working.  So we have the windows open and it's 77 degrees right now inside and perfectly fine under the ceiling fan at the moment, but that's going to change, as it'll be pushing 90 this afternoon.

I awoke to birds chirping and plenty of sunshine coming through my windows.  I've had a shower and am in the minimum acceptable clothes (denim shorts and a light blouse I usually wear a tank top under but I'm choosing to forego that today, as there are solid panels in all the important places).

As my agenda states, I have a full day planned.  I want to get my hair cut; it's atrocious and it's been more than six months.  I'm thinking of a short layered bob.  Also, a friend who is homebound right now with cancer asked me to pick out a hanging basket of petunias for his mom yesterday for Mother's Day, so I did so and will deliver it when they're up and ready, around noon.

There's the normal Sunday chores to do, laundry (mine and YKIWA's, and that includes his bedding), and helping him apply for a part-time job at the public library and applying for two jobs at the University of Kentucky for me.  One of them was the one, reposted, that I terribly flubbed the phone interview on last year.  I'm hoping they'll give me another chance.  I'd tried to do it on my lunch break surrounded by distractions, and it didn't go well.  But it is in my field of health science librarianship, I would do a good job, and I'm very qualified.  I'm just terrified of interviews, at least ones that are by committee.  I do fine one-on-one, and can teach one-on-one, in small groups, and larger ones.  But being grilled by 3-5 people, whether on the phone or in person, flummoxes me.  This is ultimately why I didn't finish my graduate studies in ancient, mediaeval, and early modern history.  Thank goodness the library science master's degree didn't require an oral defence.  But I am going to apply again anyway.  The other one I may get dinged on because I haven't been in an academic library setting in some time, and while I was trained by the best for the job, I don't have a lot of professional-level experience in aspects of it.  Again, I can do the job, and I think I would be good at it, but it would mean changing things back to what I trained for rather than what I've been doing for 20 years.  But I'm up for it.

Okay, the cat boxes aren't going to clean themselves.  One more review of the timeline/agenda, and I'm ready to go.  Have a great day, including a great Mother's Day (I'm a little sad this year, as I have neither mother nor grandmother to give flowers to and spend time with).  So I'll try to use this opportunity to get some things accomplished.

Timeline of my ambition

SUNDAY, MAY 13^TH AGENDA

0800      Wake up. Shower. Caffeinate. Take medicine.

0915      Do cat boxes.

0930      Take out trash and recyclables.

1000      Clean the bathroom.
1030      Start laundry.

1045      Go to Supercuts.

1100      Get haircut.

1145      Go to a friend’s. Take his mom’s flowers he had me get for her.

1200      Visit for a bit.

1230      Go to the storage unit.

1245      Drop off winter clothes.

1300      Root for exercise equipment.

1330      Return home. Rest.
1430      Sweep whole house.

1530      Rest.
1545      Mop kitchen and bath tile.
1615      Wash mophead.
1630      Go to Kroger for bread yeast. -- Put off until tomorrow.
1700      Start bread maker.  -- Put off until tomorrow.

1730      Cover Letter-YKWIA

1800      Cover letter 1. -- Put off until tomorrow.

1830      Cover letter 2. -- Put off until tomorrow.

1900      Feed animals.

1915      Apply for the job for YKWIA.

2045      Read.  -- Not up to it tonight.

2115      Listen to music.

2200      Go to bed.

UPDATE: I also unpacked the exercise equipment, blew up the balance ball, and put things away.   The cat is enjoying the box, so I haven't recycled it yet. I brought in my microwave from storage as well since the one we're using is perhaps on its last legs, but then it's way over 30 years old.  Mine is only 26. :)

My job applications aren't due for a couple of weeks to a month, so I'm going to work on those tomorrow.  I'm still working on the laundry, actually.  I've done all his clothes, my clothes (and I put all of mine away from last week and today), and I'm about halfway through his bedding.  So it'll probably be a later night than 10 pm.  Also, the bread I made yesterday came out better than I thought--it had a huge air bubble in the bottom, but not in the top half so I can wait for the yeast and the new loaf.

Of concern is the heat.  Tomorrow in addition to the yeast, I am going to stop by the storage unit and get my fans, something I should have done today, but he is almost never really hot.  But he was today, and the dogs certainly were--we can put the fans in the living room and that should help, as it's the only room other than the bathroom without a ceiling fan.

Okay,  either the washer or dryer just buzzed, so I should go check on the bedding.  Have a good night if I don't write more.

I'm up and

listening to Pandora this morning and getting some caffeine after a fitful night's sleep. This song came on, which I have always loved. Today we're going over to an old friend's house who is very ill and helping him with some things. I think I'm going to consider this an anthem for today, in terms of helping make the world a better place and making a difference in other people's lives.  Since we're going to be there this afternoon, I'm making bread now and then later, when we get back, I need to do laundry.

Yesterday was pretty productive.  First, I went over my next few pay periods to see if there was a chance of taking care of anything I'm behind on financially.  Then I called H&R Block to discover that the Richmond Road office is already closed, but my paperwork should be at the Tates Creek office waiting to be filed as soon as I can pay to do that, and they'll keep it up to a year. I filed for up to six months of an extension with both the state and federal governments.  Then I called a creditor, but they'd closed a few minutes before.

I took the recyclables out, repotted several plants and watered them all, put the strawberry plant Brenda gave me for my birthday back out on the hanger (there was a freeze warning the night before).  I cleaned and dusted two shelves (we're doing that on a rotating basis so the bookshelves aren't too overwhelming.  There are five walls between the library (my bedroom) and the bedroom that are entirely built-in bookshelves.  Next week I'll only do one, as it's a large shelf of magazines on the bottom of a range.

I spoke to our friend on the phone, and then to Brenda's husband to cancel the game since we're going over there today.  Because of that, I didn't work on the game notes.  Instead of that, I went and looked up part-time work (I'd applied to Kroger earlier in the week, as well as a part-time computer associate at the public library), and in the process discovered a job at the University of Kentucky and one a Bluegrass Community and Technical College, and I applied for both.  The first is a temporary, grant-funded position but pays very well and while only lasting two years, pays over twice what I make now.  YKWIA thinks I shouldn't consider it. because it's essentially got an expiration date.  But one thing I've discovered in the lay off is that all jobs do, and at least this one has a set date you know to have everything wrapped up by.  It could also help me with my need for more supervisory experience and consists of digitising a collection, which appeals to the historian and librarian in me, but also would help increase my experience in digital preservation and provide professional academic library experience.  So I went ahead and applied.  The BCTC position is a circulation manager; again, it would help with being pigeon-holed as a solo librarian for all those years.  I have supervised student workers, but I need more real-world experience as a manager.

YKWIA is up and has made coffee.  The cat is very happy as YKWIA does morning feedings and I do evening, and we instituted that from the get-go so the animals wouldn't beg for food and be loud in the morning when I was getting ready for work and YKWIA was asleep.  He's been fed, and the dogs have as well and are outside, although little dog didn't eat (she does that sometimes) and I had to take her food away from the cat, as he's allergic to, we think, chicken and grain, and so he has his own special grain-free fish-based food.

Okay, I'm going to go check the news.  Have a woderful Sunday, and remember, it's Earth Day!

Sigh

After writing today, and visiting our friend--which it was very good to see him and speak with him after all this time-- I went to the grocery to get more contact lens cleaner, took out the trash, and started the laundry (I'm having a devil of a time trying to get the bedclothes dry), and then I've spent the last couple or more hours going over some financial things. I've come to the conclusion that the only way I can make it at all, especially with the taxes to pay, etc., is to get a second job, something part-time.  I went ahead and applied to the Chinoe Kroger, and I'll keep looking for other opportunities.  I think I could work on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday evenings and most of the day on Saturday, without being terribly tired, maybe 16-20 hours a week.

YKWIA is watching 'Hunderby', a British comedy set in the 1830s.  It's got a lot of mystery to it.  I moved into my room (although I can still hear it fine), mainly because the computer has been off its charger all day and I needed to plug it back up.

I called Brenda and we're set to play tomorrow.  So it's just the laundry to get finished, and like I said, it's being very slow to dry.  I'm thinking I may use the spare bedding and concentrate on the comforter and blankets.  The pillowcases didn't really need to be done (the sheets, despite a cover, get the blonde dog's little tiny hairs all over them).  The black dog is blowing her coat; I'll have to sweep the house tomorrow in addition to the usual things I do to prepare for the game.  But they are very sweet doggies.

Okay, I think I'll listen to some music while waiting for the laundry to finish.  Good night.

Cross your fingers

Although I enjoy my job (and having insurance after being unemployed and on COBRA), I haven't given up on being a librarian. Today I applied for a job with the public library which, while a bit of a longshot, I'd enjoy immensely, and I feel I'm qualified for. Wish me luck! There's another position, at the university, that I need to apply for in the next couple of weeks, too. Both pay well and would really go a long way to having some financial stability after the roller coaster of 2017.

Chanukah has been rather nice so far...

On the first night of Chanukah, my friend lit the candles and I made three types of latkes. It took me an hour and a half from start to finish, long after the last candle burnt out. :)

In process

The final result: cheese, zucchini, and potato latkes with sour cream, applesauce, and homemade tzatziki as condiments.

Now we're on night six. He gave me a nice periwinkle fleece hooded scarf; I gave him a nice set of 100% linen napkins.  It was a small celebration, but it was nice.  My holiday is the 21st, Yule.  It's on a Thursday.  I'm not sure if I'll do anything for it.  My one thing I did was buy a live rosemary bush in the shape of a fir tree, but it's not going to make it, I  don't think.  I'd taken it to work, as there's more light there, but alas, it's drying up despite a not-too-much amount of water and as much light as I could give it.  I've only ever been able to keep them alive outside.  I'm a little sad about it.  I cut back some of the dead growth and watered it before I left for the weekend.  We'll see if it's alive come Monday.

Today we played the game.  Our characters are in Norman England, and not only do we need to prevent the King in Yellow's coming, but there are two ancestors of the non-player character who brought us here to keep alive, and oh, by the way, that means they're ancestors to several other characters, including player ones.  So we have incentives to both save the world, the future, and the lineage. Ah, fun.  We won't be playing the next two weeks due to Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve (YKWIA and I aren't Christian,  but Brenda is and no doubt wants to be with her family for Christmas, and we certainly don't want her out on New Year's Eve with the drunks).

My only New Year's resolution this year is to try to write more regularly.  It amazes me how my blogging has fallen off. It's not from disinterest.  It's just sometimes I'm so tired.  On latke night, for example, we'd had a busy day, I'd worked all day, and after preparing and cooking the latkes, I was so tired I almost didn't have the strength to eat them.  On Wednesday, we had 200 people on the schedule.  Thankfully there are two of us at checkout now, and that's helping me immensely, and allowing us to do better at answering the live calls and voicemails. I left Friday having actually caught up with my e-mails with care managers and having scheduled everything I should have.  It felt good to finally get those things done that needed to be.

The Sunday before last I applied for a job, and I was called on Tuesday. I'd mentioned that I couldn't have my phone with me during work when I'd sent the application.  It was for an outreach position in a neighbouring county, delivering media and services to seniors and other homebound patrons.  I e-mailed her that afternoon, trying to set up a time for the interview.  I never heard back.  Thursday I sent an enquiry asking for feedback, again, by e-mail.  Nothing on that one, either.  I had gotten back in a timely manner, albeit not by phone.  All the application had been through e-mail, with  'no phone calls please'.   I know I probably should have called, but I only get a short lunch break that basically allows me to eat and not much else, am lucky to get a pee break twice a day, and I didn't want to speak to a prospective employer while in our break room, so I'd e-mailed back instead, but the lady never replied.

I'm disappointed, of course.  They were so quick to ask me for an interview, and then just nothing.  But it didn't require a master's degree, so I'm not sure it would have paid enough to be worth the drive, and I'm going to go with this just wasn't the one for me.  But yes, I'm still disappointed.

Sigh

Today was busy. After work, I went and got some medicine for a friend and a couple of things I forgot at the store, mailed X-Men: Apocalypse back to Netflix, and came on home. So I feeling productive but a bit drained. Still, I was doing fine until I opened my mail, found something that upset me, and then everything unravelled, and I had a series of minor yet unfortunate events, things like going to the bathroom and discovering that YKWIA had forgotten to replace the toilet paper (it's something he does--I hate to make generalisations, but I'm convinced it has something to do with that Y chromosome). The last straw was taking out my contacts and one of the lids to the case fell behind the pedestal sink and I had to go digging for it. I just started crying. YKWIA and I talked about what was bothering me, really, and then I fed the animals and decided to soothe my mood with some music for about 20 minutes. I ate dinner (Morningstar veggie 'ribs' in hickory barbeque sauce, acorn squash soup, and bread). Then I went into the other room, found a mouse, put that on the desktop in the library because the wireless mouse's wheel has stopped working, cleaned up a bit in there, and then sat down and read, finishing the book I mentioned the other day. It really is enlightening, and it helped put my reaction into perspective, as I was responding as a Good Girl, and that's never good, with all sort of embarrassment, guilt, and the sense that people wouldn't like me because I failed to do something.

I really need to get rid of that Good Girl inside me and grow up completely and be a strong, independent woman.

Yesterday I applied for an outreach librarian at Frankfort's Paul Sawyier Public Library, which delivers materials to seniors and others who find it hard to get to the library itself. It doesn't require a master's degree, but I was interested in doing that, so I went to apply. I haven't given up the idea of being a librarian, after all.

Every morning the cat comes into the bathroom with me after I wake up, no matter where he might be in the house. He usually sits on the ledge that the shower enclosure is built into, but will move to the heat register if the furnace comes on. But he stays while I shower, in the hopes that I will feed him, which isn't going to happen. I don't feed them in the morning because that would encourage barking and the cat acting out. Instead, YKWIA feeds them in the morning, and I usually feed them in the evening. Anyway, he was in the bathroom and I went and got my hair dryer, something I rarely use, but I'd decided to use it today, and apparently, he had not been in the bathroom whilst I used it before. Needless to say, he freaked a bit. Poor kitty. But my hair looked nice today. :)

I'm getting sleepy. YKWIA is on the phone with a friend from Cicero, Illinois. I'm in the living room (my bedroom) using the hotspot on my phone. I've been listening to Pandora, specifically the Imagine Dragons station. I think I"m going to head on to bed soon. I need to get up early to make sure I don't have a flat tyre; I was at the store earlier, and someone came in pretty much on my side of the drive, leaving me just a little room to exit, and I wound up running roughly over a kerb. So, there's always that chance. I backed into the driveway so I can easily see the passenger rear tyre. Of course, I'll need to get up early, about 6 am, so if I need to, I can take the bus. Here's hoping that it's fine, as I don't really have any more repair money just now.

Good night. Hope your Monday has gonne well.

I helped a friend

work on some job application materials, namely cover letter, résumé, and the online application, for a job at a local hospital. He's currently in the hospitality business, but wants to get back into healthcare, where a good bit of his experience lies.

I went through and filed a stack of papers regarding insurance, retirement, separation, unemployment, student loans, all that stuff that had been piling up in my inbox. I discarded anything I didn't need, and just put the rest into individual folders and into my little filing cabinet, which admittedly is falling apart, but will serve for now. So my inbox is clean and happy.

I also looked through some paperwork from the credit union on accidental death and dismemberment insurance, which was reasonable, so I think I may get it. The credit union pays for a couple of thousand dollars' worth, and then it's $1 per $10,000 per month after that, taken out of the account quarterly. So I do still have insurance, between that and what I ported from work, although neither lasts after my late 60s, early 70s. But in the meantime, if I die, particularly if I die accidentally, my loved ones can pay off their house and fix it up some. :) I already have funeral insurance, car insurance, renter's insurance, health and dental (I dropped the vision, as I'd already gotten glasses and contacts in the past year), and AFLAC. Insurance can be kind of scammy, to be honest, but on the other hand, it can be handy. My car was bought from my mom by my AFLAC money when I got hit by a car, for example.

I took a plastic crate and put it under my desk for recycling. There's also a small trash can nearby (that's what I hooked my toe upon), and together they're keeping the work area pretty clean.

I called YKWIA, but apparently he's just waking up, is still hacking, and I was using too many words. It takes him about two hours and two giant cups of coffee to really get going. He has an appointment I need to take him to, but it's not till 4 pm, so I'll venture over there in a couple of hours.

So that leaves some time. Mmmm...I'm really avoiding getting into the apartment clearing, especially as they could come by, and I already have plenty of stuff dragged out. The hangers I'll wait until after the inspection. My drill (and the drill bits, presumably) are in a closet that has some stuff that needs moving right now. Goodness, I wonder if I'll ever reduce the clutter in this place to where I can truly have friends over and be comfortable in my own apartment. But I do have several boxes of books to go right now.

It's sunny again. I wonder how humid it is out there. It's lovely in here, as the air conditioning is working just great. I did turn it so it wasn't too cool (didn't want to affect the fish or plants). That one orchid has put out six more buds, and that may have had something to do with how warm it had been in here. I don't know enough about orchids to really know. I must see if the public library has a good book on them. The only one I have is a very small guide, mainly with details on various varieties, rather than taking care of them.

I'll go look that up. Maybe I'll go to the library if there are any. I'm down to eight books from the library (mostly on job hunting). That's pretty good. I usually have far too many and don't get to them all in a timely manner. In fact, maybe I should just read one of the ones I have out. There's one on clutter, for example, and it's pretty small, but it may be useful, and it's due soon.

What a day!

• Did laundry very early in the morning.
• Went to my meeting at the career centre/unemployment office, handed in my paperwork, went through a seminar on job searching and résumé-building, and asked some questions I needed to know more about.
• Went to Lowe's and got a 2-foot stepladder that is rated for my weight, some swag hooks to hang plants from, and some knobs to try on the floor lamp, since the one that came with it fell, hit something, and disappeared somewhere under the bed or in the aether, for all I know.
• Came home and tried a knob, but unfortunately it doesn't fit.
• Forgot my rehab equipment and had to drive back to get it--but I just got out of the parking lot, and if I'd left the spirometer and the other thingy, I do live practically across the road.
• Had a kick-ass session with pulmonary rehabilitation; I pushed myself, and oddly enough, did much better than normal (maybe it's the steroids).
• Got something at McDonald's and watched nearby geese with their goslings.
• Got a temporary job offer finalised that I accepted (and I think will work out for both me and the employer).
• Sent my e-mail address to the folks I sent the computer back to. They sent a $15 credit to Amazon to me for my trouble. :)
• Called UK parking to get some clarification on their tags.
• Picked A up from work, took him to the doctor, went home (I'm across the road), found a job to apply for, started working on it, and then picked him up from there.
• Took my friends to the credit union, the grocery, to pay a bill, and home.
• Helped my friends pay a bill online (I do the techy part, but they pay the money).
• Texted with a former co-worker.
• Applied to a job which was posted today at a local university.

So here's the deal. My former workplace is really busy, someone is on maternity leave, and they need someone to help, so they changed the offer to full-time for about twelve weeks, via contract work, for a much better pay rate than I was previously offered. I was willing to take on the duties given that offer. They will work with my appointments and any interviews I need to go on. I start Monday, working a normal schedule, starting at 8 am. The parking is at the University of Kentucky, and they thought the single-use scratch-off tags might work, but I called UK Transportation Services and explained that I would be a contracted employee working full-time on a temporary basis, and she said that they do offer regular tags at a monthly, rather than yearly, deduction, which would be almost half the price of those scratch-offs, and I'd just have to go ahead and come down and set up an account with them. I need to call tomorrow to find out 1) can I get one before I get my badge, so I'm ready to go on Monday, and 2) where on earth do I park if I need a tag, as I don't see a visitor section to the garage that the main office is in, and the actual visitor garage is a good deal away, so it would behoove me to check. As far as the unemployment goes, I would simply stop filing for benefits after this week and then re-activate the claim after the temporary position ended. I have a full year to actually claim benefits, but I'm limited to 26 weeks of actual benefit payments, so they'd resume (assuming I haven't found another job by then), and that will get me almost to the end of the year in better shape than I would have been.

In the meantime, I'll continue to look for jobs. I've applied to eight so far, since being on unemployment (two this week alone, and I've only been required to apply for six so far). All but one was library-related, and both of this week's are. One is a public librarian in Owen County (an hour's drive away), one is at Transy, here in Lexington.

So what else to do today? Our inspections were put off till tomorrow, and the house is about the same as it was the other day, but not too bad. I might move a few things around, but no major rearrangement. Mainly I want people to be able to walk through without causing issues--so I need to move the hand truck with the cursed cinder block (my toe did partly turn black) away from the middle of the living room. There are also a few things that can go in the walk-in closet. And there are those plants to hang, but I don't know if I should do that just now, or wait till tomorrow when there's a lot of light in the window. That may very well depend on whether I can find a 1/8" drill bit for my drill. I think they're in the closet with the drill, but I'm not sure. The plan is to hang three plants in the living room window (and there's already been a hook in the middle before) and one in the bedroom. The stepladder should allow me to do it, as I think I have eight-foot ceilings (except the hallway, which is shorter), and I'm 5'4" tall, so that gets me close, anyway, although I have those short Tyrannosaurus arms, so close may not work. If that's the case, A may need to help me later.

Tomorrow there's the parking office, an appointment with a friend, and otherwise I think I'll just hang around here and work on the apartment some. Maybe I'll try to go to the pool early in the day so that I can enjoy it with some peace and quiet before all the kids come out, and start exercising in the fitness room as well, now that I know I can kick butt with my breathing techniques on the equipment. Okay, I think I'll go look for that drill bit.

This afternoon I:

1. Corresponded with the company over the computer I sent back.
2. Signed an author agreement for a book review.
3. Applied for a job as an electronic resources coordinator in the county my dad grew up in (and I spent a good bit of my early life).
4. Got my job applications binder ready for tomorrow's review.
5. Ordered four macramé plant holders to suspend from the ceiling, three for the living room and one for the bedroom, to be sent to YKWIA's in the hopes that it will work better than sending things here.
6. Took A home so he could wash up and get ready for a meeting that I will also take him to and from tonight.
7. Picked up some medicine for a friend.

So not quite as productive this afternoon, but hey, it was important stuff, at least. I found today that I (almost) had no anxiety driving in rush-hour traffic, as my general stress level is down, despite the need to find a job soon. I think that's a good thing. I did manage to break a tumbler that was in the drainer when I went to get a saucer out, which amazes me, as the tumblers are thick and sturdy, but I managed not to hurt myself on it, either. A is going to call me about 6:40, and I pretty much just got home, so there's no point starting laundry quite yet. I think I'll have dinner and maybe do something fun for about an hour, rather than work on the apartment, then go get him, drop off that medicine, take him to his meeting, and come back and work on everything. If I have to wait on the laundry, I can--I plan on wearing a nice skirt and top tomorrow, and I have underwear and such to wear, at least in the morning, and I can probably change into my jeans, which aren't too bad, and a shirt for pulmonary rehab, so I'm fine at least until Wednesday. I might even wind up actually doing the laundry at YKWIA's, depending. I knew today wasn't good. But on the other hand, his washer has a hand-wash setting that is superior to the delicate we have on our washers in the laundry room. So we'll see. Tonight I'll focus on getting the rest of the bedroom in shape, straightening up just a bit, etc. I don't want to stay up too late, though, as I need to get up early for that review tomorrow. But that'll give me about four hours to work on things till bedtime. I'll also wash the few dishes that are in the sink (I've kept up with them, the trash, and recyclables really well the last couple of weeks).

I got up early this morning

for an appointment with, ironically enough, my sleep doctor, who was on the elevator with me as we rode up to his office. He's pleased with how much I use my CPAP and ordered more supplies.

I got gas (I was on my light again), came home and took my medication and ate breakfast, and then went over to YKWIA's, as he was going to go to a library programme, but he had a lot to do at home, so he decided not to. Instead I came home and worked on a job application, this time for a non-library job at the hospital across the street, a patient access job I was pretty well qualified for that is full-time from 3:30 pm to midnight. So I got that in, after having to go through a math and vocabulary test, and so I can tick that off. I just got the mail, and one of the things I received was the mandatory eligibility time, which is next Tuesday at 9 am over at the career centre. I have a notebook full of my job applications, so I'll take that with me.

I also got my AFLAC continuation papers and a duplicate card for UnitedHealthcare. So it was productive mail today, with just one advertisement, from Spectrum (Time Warner Cable).

A is going to call me in a little while for a ride. I think this afternoon I'll work on the entertainment centre, which my counselor and I agreed on as the next step in the de-hoarding process. I'll be able to break that down and get rid of it; it's about 30 years old. :)

I don't think it actually got to the mid-30s last night, but I covered the window boxes with Hefty bags, and so I took them off this morning after my appointment.

Okay, I guess I'll listen to some music and check with A on his schedule. I'll write later, hopefully.

I'd gone to bed around 10 pm

because I was just really pooped after running around for several hours this evening, and then when I woke up, I thought that it was maybe 5 am (because it was still dark), and I should probably just go ahead and get up, because I have to call A to wake him up at 6:30 am.

It was 12:45 am.

So now I'm awake, it's in the middle of the night, and I have to wake up early so I can get A up and then take him to work. Sigh. Maybe I shouldn't have had coffee after all, although that was hours ago. I haven't had any caffeine of any sort (my last was a soda at 3 pm) too late.

I'd taken my meds and done all my normal bedtime things except turning the aquarium over to the blue light, so I did that. Now I'm listening the the Bastille station and contemplating whether I should do any of the three or four things I meant to accomplish tomorrow, namely:

1. Finish scoring for Doody's Core Titles (it's due Sunday, and I'll be busy then).
2. Get that job application in (I need to get one in by end of week, which is Saturday).
3. Do the game notes (due by midnight Saturday night).
4. Do a 10-15% water change for the fish tank.

I suppose I should tackle them in that order. So the plan is this: try to go back to sleep, wake up early, call A, get ready (I normally just go over in whatever I sleep in, which scares them sometimes), take him to work, come back, make coffee/eat breakfast, and start working on my list. It's supposed to be sunny and a little warmer, so I may open the windows, since most of that is on the computer, which is next to the living room windows.

I am so not sleepy now, though. :( Maybe if I just lie in the quiet, dark room it will help, but I think it'll be awhile before I get back asleep.

Relief

If I have seemed particularly stressed of late, it might have something to do with the fact that I spent the last nineteen days without any money coming in, save a $41 Kentucky tax refund that credited yesterday. I set in motion everything to have income, including unemployment benefits, coming to me a month ago, but things came in much later than expected. I have been bugging the mailman, who comes about 1:30 pm for parcels and 3:30 pm for regular mail, to look at what might be there for me, as I was expecting two cheques, since the unemployment office voice response system said one had been mailed Friday. The other was my final cheque from work, which I expected about mid-month, but in retrospect that was entirely too optimistic. Unfortunately, because of everything, I am now late on several bills, had one credit card actually suspend, and was seriously worried about paying my rent. I had almost no food in the house, was subsisting mainly on rice, premade Indian dinners, and homemade bread with honey, and was running low on gas. In fact, today, my gas light went on almost the moment that I checked my mail and discovered one of the cheques. Then, when some friends and I went to the credit union (they needed to do some things there, too, and we're all members), I discovered that the unemployment had actually been put into my account electronically, like it was supposed to, today. So I guess when it rains, it pours, and all I can say is, thank goodness. I was really getting stressed.

The first thing I did was get some gas. After helping a friend apply at the VA (my, they have a confusing site; the link to the job was a closed position from a year ago--I had to go find the correct one via a search, and I'm still not sure we did everything right), I took him home and then went to the grocery, where I proceeded to fill up an entire cart, something I have not done in years. The bill came to $225, but I should be good for quite some time. The fridge is completely full, save the crisper, since that doesn't really keep things crisp long enough for me. Instead of fresh vegetables I got canned, but otherwise things were pretty healthy. I also got a small desk fan that is helping in the living room.

I started the morning with a trip to the library with some books and CDs that were due yesterday that I was returning before they got in this morning so they wouldn't be overdue. Then I got a phone call asking for a ride when a friend got called into work on his day off because the other person in his position came to work sick and had to be sent home. After that I laid down for about an hour, as I didn't sleep well at all last night. Then it was time for pulmonary rehab, and I had a good session, starting with the breathing exercises and then working on the treadmill and weights. I have become puny. I have never had much upper body strength, but lifting ten pounds in several types of repetitions is challenging. When I was in high school, I could do the press with my feet to the tune of about 190 lbs--more than I weighed, and better than any of the football team that were in our class. Now I'm at twenty, and that's enough. I could probably go up a little bit on the normal press. They've got another though that has you press up on the balls of your feet like your on tip toes and lifting that way. Between breaking my ankle and general deconditioning, that's harder. I remember when I was in physical therapy for my ankle, doing that from a standing position was the very last thing I could do of all the exercises, which surprised them.

Even though I don't officially have anything scheduled tomorrow, I think I'm going to busy. I have to:

1. Pay my car registration, which is past due (it was due by April 30th, and so I'll have to pay 3% more. Fortunately mine is under $50 even with a special library association plate, so that's not too bad. It's actually still under $50. But I had a couple of police cars behind me today and was just a bit nervous. I know a citation would probably be dismissed if I brought in proof of an updated registration, but still....)
2. Balance my cheque book. I'm no longer destitute, but I can't go willy nilly. This has to last awhile, as the unemployment is not enough to cover my bills alone.
3. Pay my rent.
4. Pay my electric bill.
5. Pay my credit card bills.
6. Pay for my Internet connexion [I don't have cable TV, but I have an Internet connexion with Wi-Fi through the cable company].
7. Pay my cell phone bill.
8. Let my student loan servicer know that I am unemployed. Since I'll be paying a lot for health and dental insurance, I think I should try to see if I can get a deferment or reduced payment.
9. Check to make sure my COBRA enrollment went through--the pharmacy ran my meds and it was saying I was uninsured. I think the website said to wait five days to get it through, and it's just now that. I didn't get my first paper work so they sent me it again (I got it yesterday) but also e-mailed it, so I enrolled online. I also need to pay my bill with them.
10. Get my allergy shots.
11. Apply for a job.
12. Pull things out of the walk-in closet.
13. Call in my air conditioning issue and the fact I have to jiggle the toilet handle to keep it from running. [The walk-in closet is where the pan for the air conditioning is, and most likely it needs to be emptied, hence the need to get the mass of stuff out of it. There aren't many things, really--they're big, like a bedside commode or shower chair, that sort of thing. I don't need to take everything out, just enough so they can get in. I did put a new light bulb in the other day that I had, though.]

I'd say that's pretty busy.

I did find out I didn't get the one children's librarian position at the Lexington Public Library that I'd applied for in March. There's still one other position that I haven't heard about from them, three from UK, and I'm about to apply with the state. I've applied for the last before, with no luck, but 1) I have to apply actively on unemployment, and 2) maybe persistence will actually pay off. I also need to mail a form and cheque that have been sitting above my computer for two weeks waiting for money in the account to get my certification from the state of Kentucky, which is required to work in public library settings.

Okay, I think I'm going to get something to drink, maybe a snack, and sit down and enjoy something, like watch a DVD or listen to some music or read. I dropped my friend off about 7 pm, went to the store, got out after 8 sometime, and probably got everything put away by sometime after 9. It took four trips back and forth from the car just to get everything in. :) I don't think I could get anything else into my cabinets or fridge if I tried, and that's great. Not having food may be helping my weight (I'm 8 lbs less than when I was working), but it doesn't help diabetes, that's for sure. There's some days my meal consisted of glucose tablets, just to keep my blood sugar up, and that's not really what they're designed for--they're more rescue to be followed by real food. Like I said, it's been a hard two to three weeks.

I will not scream, I will not scream

When you have to remind yourself that most of your situation is out of your control, it is better to breathe than scream, and it will all be sorted in the end, so just do what you can, call a calming friend, pray to your Goddess, and go do dishes, because *that* you can control.

On the plus side, I applied for another job today, at the Lexmark library (which is apparently staffed by UK). That's five active applications since the last week in March, and a non-librarian one that looks to be a good fit to apply for before May 1st. Here's hoping one of them will pan out soon.

I got

My last of the yellow-coded allergy shots today, meaning I have ten more (red) trips before going to maintenance dose. Yay, and finally!

I signed a friend up for his work benefits, taught him about emoticons and texting, took YKWIA to an appointment and to the pharmacy, came home, ate, applied for a job I really, really want--a faculty position at UK in the medical library--went and got A and took him somewhere, came back and got my cover letter finished for another job at Lexmark, tweaked my  résumé for it, and then got A and took him to another place he's staying over at for the night.

So it was a productive day. Now I'm home and I'm considering going to bed because there's no alarm clock where A is, so I'll call and wake him up at 6:30 am and get him at 7:30 am to get him to work by 8.

Busy, busy, busy

Today I:

1. Did my laundry (three loads) at YKWIA's.
2. Took YKWIA to an appointment.
3. Discovered that today's mail carrier doesn't understand what the 'outgoing mail' sticky note taped to the outside of my locking apartment mailbox means. This is not normally a problem. But my payment for my librarian certification did not go out today for that reason.
4. Got some food from Captain D's and took it to YKWIA's. They got his order right; I got tilapia instead of salmon. Oh, well, I like tilapia.
5. Watched the season finale of 'Legion' with him on Hulu.
6. Came home and crashed for three hours, and feel like I finally caught up on rest from the weekend.
7. Came out and did some stuff on the computer.

Tomorrow I:

1. Need to go over about 10 am to help YKWIA with a project.
2. Have pulmonary rehabilitation at 1 pm.
3. Need to take YKWIA to an appointment and to his class at the library.
4. Should get YKWIA to go through the books in my trunk so that I can give any rejects to the library and clear out the four copy paper boxes that are in there.
5. Need to pay for and officially file my state taxes. Federal was filed weeks ago, but I have to pay for the state taxes, and they wouldn't let me take it out of my refund. Almost forgot to finish!
6. Should review my cover letter and apply for the job that closes on the 25th.
7. Need to check the various sites for new job openings.
8. Need to water all my plants.
9. Need to give the fish water.

So far there's just one thing on Wednesday, thankfully. Tuesdays and Thursdays are pretty busy due to my rehabilitation, which last an hour and a half, so if anything else is scheduled, it can be hectic. But I'm definitely keeping busy.

I didn't go to bed last night, really, or at least didn't sleep

It wasn't from lack of trying. I guess I'd had too much caffeine after not having any for awhile. I went to sleep about 8:30 this morning after taking A to work at his new job (he's working three over the next week, as they overlap). I got up a little before noon. But my night was not absolutely wasted. I got up about 3:30 am and finished and submitted a job application for a Digital Humanities Librarian at the University of Kentucky. I also did a cover letter for a job that closes April 25th, also at the University, and a medical library faculty position, but decided to wait to submit until I could absolutely proofread it while truly awake, as it fits my qualifications perfectly, and oddly enough, when I was looking to see to whom to address the cover letter, it was the only librarian at that part of the system I had not met. I'll go ahead and apply Sunday or Monday, when I've gotten some more rest. But it looked fine last night. Here's hoping that remains the same.

I'm connecting on Facebook with several former coworkers, both those still at the facility and those laid off. At least two of those laid off have new jobs, which is incredibly good, and I'm happy for them. I think it's going to take a lot of effort to get the type of job I want. My priority, of course, is to find a full-time medical librarian position. Barring that, I'd like to find a full-time librarian job. If those dry up, I'll expand my to things like retail and medical billing or scheduling, things I have experience in but I do not enjoy quite as much. But we're only two weeks in, entering the third, and so hopefully I'll find a library gig, as it is my first love, I care about patrons, and well, I'm pretty darn good at it.

It's a beautiful day, a little more windy than yesterday, and I have the windows open and Ed Sheeran's 'I See Fire' playing on the speaker in the living room. I am consuming more caffeine, which I suppose means I may make the sleeping thing worse, but I can't afford to spend an entire day, a lovely one at that, doing nothing but sleeping.

I am thankful that the orchids are actually pretty darn resilient, as I knocked over two (one was blooming, and fell right on the blooms, but they were okay) when I opened the windows. I guess I have too many plants, and they're pretty tall, most of them. Plus, I got a new one yesterday. I really had no business getting it, but I love lavender and it has certain spiritual connexions for me. And not only does it look beautiful, it smells divine, even when the breeze comes from the open window. Now to see if I can grow it okay indoors as a houseplant.

It's been a VERY busy day

I:

1. Called my friends at 7:30 am to wake them up, then went back to bed.
2. Fell back asleep till 9 am. Decided to wait to get a shower and everything, so I just went on out.
3. Got A at 9:30 for an interview.
4. Got some gas with money given to me by my friends I take all over the place.
5. Texted with a former co-worker.
6. Picked A up from his interview.
7. Took him home to change for work, then took him to work.
8. Did an errand for YKWIA.
9. Came home, showered, ate, took my medicine, etc.
10. Checked into the job classes offered by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension/Alumni Association.
11. Picked YKWIA up for an appointment.
12. Got my allergy shots.
13. Took YKWIA to the pharmacy and grocery store, and then dropped him off.
14. Came home, watered the peace lily, made a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grabbed some water, and checked my blood sugar.
15. Applied for the children's librarian position.

Now I'm listening to Pandora, I've had dinner, and I'm going to go get A from work in a little while. Then I'm going to help him with an application on the computer. :)