Well, I have a new job! And yes, it was all thanks to the very nice cable guy. Shortly after my "interview" where they really did most of the talking I was called in for my orientation. There was one other girl getting hired with me. The owner came in at the end (who was the person that the cable guy told me to call). She said that they had looked at thousands of resumes, did a bunch of interviewed and picked TWO people to hire. She looked right at me and said "as soon as I heard that Robert told you to call me I said 'call this girl now, because Robert knows what he's talking about'". I really truly got my job because of the cable guy.
I met my first client on Christmas eve. Had my first shift on the day after Christmas sleeping over until Sunday. She was very nice, very funny, and appreciative of me. It felt nice. I don't think that direct care is for me, but God put me here for a reason, so we will see what's in store for me.
I will really only be working 2.5 days a week through January :( And as soon as E gets into the academy I won't be able to do overnights because I can't leave my puppy locked up. Which is fine with me because I'm such a homebody that I really need that time to come home and just relax.
This month will be tight with neither of us making many hours, so we would appreciate prayers. Still no word from the troopers for E. Although we know the background check is done. We are basically just waiting for someone to look at the report and make an offer. Yay!
E seems to really be enjoying his job at Starbucks for now. He comes home often just rambling on and on excitedly about all that he is learning. He brought me to the store he works at on Sunday and kept referring it to as "his" Starbucks. How sweet. I'm happy for him that he is enjoying his time.
Lately I have been doing some problem solving with the pets. First, with Katniss I was just so tired of that dusty stinky clay litter. It smelled bad, I really disliked scooping it, and no matter how often we swept it still got everywhere. Because we live in a small apartment there is no convenient place to hide it, so it has to sit in the bathroom. A friend of mine recommended a kitty litter alternative. It has pellets which are big enough that they don't track, the urine goes into the bottom where there is a removable tray and a pad. You replace the pad every 1-2 weeks (probably closer to 2 with our tiny kitty) and replace he pellets every 1-2 months. It's no more expensive than what we were doing before and there is NO MESS!! NO STINK!! I LOVE it. Our bathroom will no longer feel like one giant litter box. How wonderful.
As for Harper, I finally decided to start getting serious about her crate anxiety. She's been having a hard time going to bed and in the morning when we wake up before we have a chance to get out of bed. She whines and barks a little (the shock collar doesn't work very well). She also hates it when we leave. We had been keeping her crate in the spare bedroom mostly to keep it out of sight, but also thinking maybe it's better if she's more isolated and can't see us when we are up before we get her out...wrong. I moved the crate to the living room. This way it will bother the neighbors less (if they were bothered at all) with her whining all the time. It also gives me a chance to teach her that the crate isn't a prison. I have been putting treats and toys in there and even feeding meals in there (upon the advice of a friend in vet school). Last night I also decided to give "down" another shot. She never really had been able to grasp the concept of laying down on command. She always backed up or stood up. Maybe being a little older and able to focus and problem solve helped because we got it down solid in 15 minutes! Now we are excited to start trying other commands. She recently has gotten very good at fetch. She loves it and will play for hours if you let her. A couple of nights ago E brought the laser out for the first time in a long time and Harper LOVES it. We wore her out good this morning running around the apartment. So good to see her happy.
Harper likes to chase Katinss, mostly Katniss will just swat at her face to see if it will make her go away, but sometimes Harper is a little too persistent. I felt bad that I had to take away all of Katniss' toys because Harper finds them and swallows them whole. So I got her a kitty play mat that you can put catnip in and has little mice an feathers attached to it. She was in love right away. I'm glad to have found something to keep her entertained. Harper got a Kong for Christmas. We are going to have to get more creative to get stuff stuck in there though, she's getting fast.
I almost forgot to mention some of our Christmas gifts! We had a lot of help this Christmas in purchasing a dresser. Oh how wonderful it is not to live out of Ikea bags on the floor of our closet. Our room is much cleaner and it's so much easier to find stuff. I will never take a dresser for granted ever again. It is a huge blessing. E and I also got some help purchasing rain jackets! Now we can be proper Washingtonians with our rain gear. We have gotten some good use out of them already taking Harper for walks an exploring. We had a quiet Christmas and hope to see family next year.
I have to say that I am glad that the holidays are almost over...It's been kinda hard this year not seeing family, especially in the middle of the stress. It would have been nice to see them again.
Today is sunny, like yesterday. There is actually frost on the ground today...The radio said it's 36 degrees out right now...this is maybe the coldest it's been here so far. But it means you can see Mt Rainier from our window!
Tonight I will make copycat Panera bread bowls to go with the Panera broccoli cheese soup I picked up yesterday. Yum!!
I suppose I'm done now. I did a lot of rambling on and on this time. Oops.
Until next time!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Surprise!
Surprise!! That's what I imagine God saying to me. Last weekend we had the cable guy show up at our door. He wasn't even our area rep. He was filling in for the normal guy. We think he knocked on our door to try to sell us internet, not realizing we already had internet with them. Instead of leaving it at that he struck up a conversation with us. Told us about a cool Christian youth organization where they spread the word through sports. He then asked us about our job situations. Upon hearing that I have a degree in social services he offered me two phone numbers. He told me to call them and tell them who I talked to. He also said to tell them that I'm normal haha. As it turned out he worked in Child Protective Services for 15 years and his wife still does. As we closed the door we just felt bewildered. We really have no connections here in WA. He didn't need to stop at our door, talk to us, or offer us numbers.
The next day I got over my fear of talking on the phone and called one of the numbers. Nobody picked up so I left a message. And then I waited. I had almost forgotten all about it the next day when my phone rang. The woman on the phone told me she heard the message and would like me to come in for an interview. She told me where to go and what to bring. I had to quick catch her before she hung up...the thing was, I didn't even know the name of the company or what they did!
The next day I went in for an interview. There is just something about small businesses/organizations that I like. I feel more welcome. I walked up to their tiny little office and was welcomed warmly. The interview went like this: "How long have you been a caregiver?" I then proceeded to explain that I didn't really know anything about this position, I just called. And when I called I really was looking for more information. She then proceeded to tell me all about what they do. They are a home care agency that works primarily with elderly. I told them the closest thing I'd done to that was residential care. Upon hearing this, the other woman in the office popped in and told me she had done that for years. We had a nice chat about that for a while. She looked over my resume and told me that she would call around and see if she could find me a social work job, since that was my background. They told me that this company really likes to help ALL people to reach their full potential. How sweet, and totally unnecessary?? They told me that they weren't trying to push me away from my company, but wanted to make sure I had a job that I could grow in. They said they would call around.
This morning I received a call asking me to come in tomorrow morning for an orientation! God works in mysterious ways.
Just yesterday E and I were talking about this in the car. We realized that since we've moved out here, nothing that we have actually tried has worked out. I haven't gotten any calls or replies from any places I sent my resume into, neither has E. But here comes the cable guy handing me two phone numbers and just like that I have a job. And as far as E goes, it feels like God has been flashing bright neon lights saying "APPLY TO BE A TROOPER!!!!"
On that note, still no word back from the WSP with an offer. Although E has been in contact with the background check guy who says it should be done soon! Maybe we will hear back this week! We have had so many people here encouraging us. There are several people at church looking out for us and checking in each week and cheering along with us. How comforting.
Speaking of church, a family has invited us to their place on Christmas in the evening because they heard we had no family here. How kind. I do miss family.
Yesterday on the way to church we got a call from Italy!! My dear friend called using FB. We met in Missouri and have been staying in contact. It was so nice to hear her voice. I really hope to get to visit them in Italy someday!
This weekend E and I got rain jackets! Now we are set for hiking in the rain! Or even just walking. This weather is so different from MN winters. The rain was really the only thing keeping us inside at times, now that we have jackets it makes it a lot easier to be outside. We took Harper for a walk by the sound, discovering new paths. We decided we wanted her to be a hiking dog. When we were out getting our jackets in Seattle we saw saddle bags. We decided if Harper was going to hike, she'd have to carry her own water :P Someday.
We also visited the space needle and the glass garden this weekend. We went at night and were so glad we did!! It was really pretty and so much fun! It was a little pricey, but worth doing at least once! We are hoping to do some more exploring this week.
That's all I've got for now!
The next day I got over my fear of talking on the phone and called one of the numbers. Nobody picked up so I left a message. And then I waited. I had almost forgotten all about it the next day when my phone rang. The woman on the phone told me she heard the message and would like me to come in for an interview. She told me where to go and what to bring. I had to quick catch her before she hung up...the thing was, I didn't even know the name of the company or what they did!
The next day I went in for an interview. There is just something about small businesses/organizations that I like. I feel more welcome. I walked up to their tiny little office and was welcomed warmly. The interview went like this: "How long have you been a caregiver?" I then proceeded to explain that I didn't really know anything about this position, I just called. And when I called I really was looking for more information. She then proceeded to tell me all about what they do. They are a home care agency that works primarily with elderly. I told them the closest thing I'd done to that was residential care. Upon hearing this, the other woman in the office popped in and told me she had done that for years. We had a nice chat about that for a while. She looked over my resume and told me that she would call around and see if she could find me a social work job, since that was my background. They told me that this company really likes to help ALL people to reach their full potential. How sweet, and totally unnecessary?? They told me that they weren't trying to push me away from my company, but wanted to make sure I had a job that I could grow in. They said they would call around.
This morning I received a call asking me to come in tomorrow morning for an orientation! God works in mysterious ways.
Just yesterday E and I were talking about this in the car. We realized that since we've moved out here, nothing that we have actually tried has worked out. I haven't gotten any calls or replies from any places I sent my resume into, neither has E. But here comes the cable guy handing me two phone numbers and just like that I have a job. And as far as E goes, it feels like God has been flashing bright neon lights saying "APPLY TO BE A TROOPER!!!!"
On that note, still no word back from the WSP with an offer. Although E has been in contact with the background check guy who says it should be done soon! Maybe we will hear back this week! We have had so many people here encouraging us. There are several people at church looking out for us and checking in each week and cheering along with us. How comforting.
Speaking of church, a family has invited us to their place on Christmas in the evening because they heard we had no family here. How kind. I do miss family.
Yesterday on the way to church we got a call from Italy!! My dear friend called using FB. We met in Missouri and have been staying in contact. It was so nice to hear her voice. I really hope to get to visit them in Italy someday!
This weekend E and I got rain jackets! Now we are set for hiking in the rain! Or even just walking. This weather is so different from MN winters. The rain was really the only thing keeping us inside at times, now that we have jackets it makes it a lot easier to be outside. We took Harper for a walk by the sound, discovering new paths. We decided we wanted her to be a hiking dog. When we were out getting our jackets in Seattle we saw saddle bags. We decided if Harper was going to hike, she'd have to carry her own water :P Someday.
We also visited the space needle and the glass garden this weekend. We went at night and were so glad we did!! It was really pretty and so much fun! It was a little pricey, but worth doing at least once! We are hoping to do some more exploring this week.
That's all I've got for now!
Monday, December 15, 2014
Long weekend
Last week I had Friday off...as some of you know, this is a little frustrating. Working out logistics with the family I nanny for has been tough. However, I did nanny for them last Sunday to make up for it.l
On our Friday off we decided to make a trip to the mall. E had to get some black shirts for working at Starbucks and I'd never been to the mall here. While out and about we had lunch at this cool pizza place where all the pizzas are personal sized and made to order...and very yummy :) While sitting down for lunch I glanced at my phone and noticed I had a missed call and voice mail. It was the background check guy! I called him back right away but no answer. So I left a message and turned my phone up all the way loud while we continued to walk around the mall. I eventually got the call back and spent about 20 minutes on the phone. Wooo! Yay! My part is over! One step closer!!
One of the guys from church who works at the academy told E in an email that considering how far along he is in the process that he should expect to be in the next round at the academy. How exciting! I know it seems like I say the same thing every time I post, but it is finally starting to feel close to possible.
On Saturday E was gone for drill during the day and then came to get me in the evening for the dinning out. We went to the VA in Tacoma and I finally got to meet more people than the Captain and his wife. This was also my first experience being a part of a receiving line (if you ever go through one, please don't stare deeply into people's eyes even after you finish shaking hands...) and also my first time seeing a grog bowl. For any of you who do not know, a grog bowl is a giant drinking game/mockery of Army buracracy (I heard someone else point out the whole mockery of Army buracracy part). There are three bowls at the front of the room. Two are filled with punch and alcohol, and the other has no alcohol for those who choose not to drink. They even do this little ceremony where they tell you the significance behind each item they put in the bowl as they do so. The president is the company commander, and there is a Mr. Vice president and a Ms. Vice president. And then there are rules. Such as if any guest gets up all the soldiers at the table have to get up. The lowest ranking soldier has to charge all the glasses at the table. If anyone wishes to address the president they have to address him as Mr. President and request permission to speak. You may not leave the room (even to go to the restroom) without asking permission. And the president can make up any rules at any time for any reason. If you break a rule you have to go to the grog bowl salute it and every corner of the room, drink and hold the cup over your head. Thankfully guests did not have to participate/go to the grog bowl. Only their soldiers did if their guests messed up. I didn't mess up for E's sake. Overall the night felt silly and fun. The president had a lot of fun calling people out for silly infractions and coming up with other punishments as well...like singing the itsy bitsy spider in front of everyone, or making someone taste the food before we ate to make sure it wasn't poisoned. The night was much less formal than I had expected it to be. It was nice.
Sunday E had drill again all day. He didn't come home until late in the evening. So I watched movies and crocheted! I made chunky slipper socks and almost finished before I ran out of yarn...poo.
Now I'm nannying...and both parents are home for the WHOLE day. It's weird enough with one parent, now I have two watching every move I make. But I am thankful for the job that I have. That is for sure.
Hopefully the next time I post I have something really exciting to share!!
On our Friday off we decided to make a trip to the mall. E had to get some black shirts for working at Starbucks and I'd never been to the mall here. While out and about we had lunch at this cool pizza place where all the pizzas are personal sized and made to order...and very yummy :) While sitting down for lunch I glanced at my phone and noticed I had a missed call and voice mail. It was the background check guy! I called him back right away but no answer. So I left a message and turned my phone up all the way loud while we continued to walk around the mall. I eventually got the call back and spent about 20 minutes on the phone. Wooo! Yay! My part is over! One step closer!!
One of the guys from church who works at the academy told E in an email that considering how far along he is in the process that he should expect to be in the next round at the academy. How exciting! I know it seems like I say the same thing every time I post, but it is finally starting to feel close to possible.
On Saturday E was gone for drill during the day and then came to get me in the evening for the dinning out. We went to the VA in Tacoma and I finally got to meet more people than the Captain and his wife. This was also my first experience being a part of a receiving line (if you ever go through one, please don't stare deeply into people's eyes even after you finish shaking hands...) and also my first time seeing a grog bowl. For any of you who do not know, a grog bowl is a giant drinking game/mockery of Army buracracy (I heard someone else point out the whole mockery of Army buracracy part). There are three bowls at the front of the room. Two are filled with punch and alcohol, and the other has no alcohol for those who choose not to drink. They even do this little ceremony where they tell you the significance behind each item they put in the bowl as they do so. The president is the company commander, and there is a Mr. Vice president and a Ms. Vice president. And then there are rules. Such as if any guest gets up all the soldiers at the table have to get up. The lowest ranking soldier has to charge all the glasses at the table. If anyone wishes to address the president they have to address him as Mr. President and request permission to speak. You may not leave the room (even to go to the restroom) without asking permission. And the president can make up any rules at any time for any reason. If you break a rule you have to go to the grog bowl salute it and every corner of the room, drink and hold the cup over your head. Thankfully guests did not have to participate/go to the grog bowl. Only their soldiers did if their guests messed up. I didn't mess up for E's sake. Overall the night felt silly and fun. The president had a lot of fun calling people out for silly infractions and coming up with other punishments as well...like singing the itsy bitsy spider in front of everyone, or making someone taste the food before we ate to make sure it wasn't poisoned. The night was much less formal than I had expected it to be. It was nice.
Sunday E had drill again all day. He didn't come home until late in the evening. So I watched movies and crocheted! I made chunky slipper socks and almost finished before I ran out of yarn...poo.
Now I'm nannying...and both parents are home for the WHOLE day. It's weird enough with one parent, now I have two watching every move I make. But I am thankful for the job that I have. That is for sure.
Hopefully the next time I post I have something really exciting to share!!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Almost there!
For anyone that didn't already hear, E passed the oral board! It took a lot less time that either of us expected. That same day he got to do the polygraph and passed that as well! Now we wait for the background check to go through and he's as good as gold! They said the background check should take 1-1.5 months, which sounds like a long time, but not compared to the usual 2-3 month wait. Because they are so busy trying to hire a bunch of people they're doing something to help the background checks not take so long. Yipee!!
Today E is going into Starbucks to get his schedule. As much as we are thrilled that he has something to do until the WSP comes through, it's a bummer that we won't be able to come home for Christmas. I have to say, I've been feeling a little homesick this last week. I miss traditions and family of course, but I think the weather and the lack of snow are really making it harder. Yesterday I wore a fleece sweatshirt and a light fall jacket and was too warm, so today I wore a light sweater with my light jacket and today was even warmer! The weather is a little big gloomy, which I don't think I really mind, I just miss the snow. When it rains it's warm. As in, you could probably get away with shorts (I did see a dad in shorts bringing his daughter to the bus stop today). Even Christmas songs don't feel right. How in the world can I sing about sleigh rides when there is no snow? Just weird.
This last weekend E and I went to IKEA. We miss the one in Minnesota. This one was all on one floor and it all felt cramped. I don't mean to complain about everything, though. We did feel like grown-ups buying curtain rods and curtains (for our bedroom window that lets in so much light it's hard to sleep in the morning) and a lamp for the living room (yay for no more dungeon!!). We set up these things and also picked up a little tree houseplant thing instead of a Christmas tree this year. I got the idea from the family I nanny for K (the mom) told me that they got one last year when they didn't want to buy a fake tree, but couldn't get a real one just yet. So now we have our little plant lit up with Christmas lights! It's too small for ornaments though, boo. We also strung up a few lights around our sliding glass door. So our little living room feels nice and festive.
On Sunday I babysat for my nanny family so they could take their boat out. E made gingerbread cookies from his favorite recipe while I was gone. He rolled, cut and baked them when I came home and I watched. He wanted to give some to our neighbor (who we couldn't remember his name...) so I decorated a festive bag to put the cookies in.
Other than that, there is nothing really exciting. I finished a book yesterday...so now I have that happy/sad feeling. I have a three day weekend this coming weekend, so we shall see what this weekend brings.
Thanks for thinking of us and praying for us. Especially since we are so far from home, family, and friends it's nice to know how many people are thinking of us right now.
Love to you all!
Today E is going into Starbucks to get his schedule. As much as we are thrilled that he has something to do until the WSP comes through, it's a bummer that we won't be able to come home for Christmas. I have to say, I've been feeling a little homesick this last week. I miss traditions and family of course, but I think the weather and the lack of snow are really making it harder. Yesterday I wore a fleece sweatshirt and a light fall jacket and was too warm, so today I wore a light sweater with my light jacket and today was even warmer! The weather is a little big gloomy, which I don't think I really mind, I just miss the snow. When it rains it's warm. As in, you could probably get away with shorts (I did see a dad in shorts bringing his daughter to the bus stop today). Even Christmas songs don't feel right. How in the world can I sing about sleigh rides when there is no snow? Just weird.
This last weekend E and I went to IKEA. We miss the one in Minnesota. This one was all on one floor and it all felt cramped. I don't mean to complain about everything, though. We did feel like grown-ups buying curtain rods and curtains (for our bedroom window that lets in so much light it's hard to sleep in the morning) and a lamp for the living room (yay for no more dungeon!!). We set up these things and also picked up a little tree houseplant thing instead of a Christmas tree this year. I got the idea from the family I nanny for K (the mom) told me that they got one last year when they didn't want to buy a fake tree, but couldn't get a real one just yet. So now we have our little plant lit up with Christmas lights! It's too small for ornaments though, boo. We also strung up a few lights around our sliding glass door. So our little living room feels nice and festive.
On Sunday I babysat for my nanny family so they could take their boat out. E made gingerbread cookies from his favorite recipe while I was gone. He rolled, cut and baked them when I came home and I watched. He wanted to give some to our neighbor (who we couldn't remember his name...) so I decorated a festive bag to put the cookies in.
Other than that, there is nothing really exciting. I finished a book yesterday...so now I have that happy/sad feeling. I have a three day weekend this coming weekend, so we shall see what this weekend brings.
Thanks for thinking of us and praying for us. Especially since we are so far from home, family, and friends it's nice to know how many people are thinking of us right now.
Love to you all!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)