Bloggy

Thursday I had the first "real" job offer I've had in over a year in Portland. It's for a C.N.A/ unit secretary job in the telemetry unit at a hospital in East Portland. Night shift. I applied for it accidentally, and was shocked when the supervisor called me two days later. I scheduled the interview, then realized later it was for night shift. After debating whether or not to take it, I decided to go for it. My new motto is don't turn any work down, ever. Kind of harks back to a different era--- we're much more likely now to take work that we "like" and "is fulfilling" and "has great benefits," rather than take what you can get and hang on to it for deal life. But, that's what this year has taught me. So, night shift it is. I start July 2.

So I thought I was taping into my creative side when I started breaking mirrors for a mirror mosaic project. But all I got was a ton of bad luck. Or so it seems. Though I feel my luck is slowly changing, (I got a job!)there are still plenty of unlucky occurrences that keep me feeling as if I've been walking under ladders all my life. We're moving next week to the house in Cascade Locks. All is well, and a pretty job with 12-hour shifts fell into place so I'll only have to commute 3 days a week. I thought I was being proactive when I went to the post office online and changed my address. I changed it a couple days early knowing that it sometimes takes a while for it to kick in, at least that's what they say at the website. Lucky me, it kicked in immediately, and I won't be receiving my paycheck until next Wednesday when we go out there and check the mail. I had Brandon stop by the house today when he was out kiting and pick up my check from the mailbox. He called to...

On Sunday I received 4 emails in my inbox from Providence Hospital saying this: "Preliminary review of the information provided from your application indicates you may not meet the minimum qualifications, and therefore may not be considered for this position." I sent out 5 applications for CNA in all areas of the hospital, including ones I had worked in previously. Now, I don't know about you, but to me that there email sounds like rejection. Sure, I am used to this by now. I did think I had a better shot at getting a job in this, something that I have 5 YEARS of experience in. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I applied prematurely. My license is not yet valid. But waiting for the state bureaucrats to get their shit together and actually mail me my CNA license could take up to a MONTH! So, I thought I'd start early. Then again, maybe I am not qualified because I haven't worked as a CNA for 3 years now, and have therefore forgotten everything. Maybe they noted my Californi...

To get out of Portland, that is. You know how when you have something planned, the time just can't go by fast enough? That's how it feels waiting to move to our new house! It's SOOOOO far away.... all the way at the end of May! And we're totally unprepared. But, we can't wait to go anyway. Lulu is going to have a heck of a time getting acclimated. She's been an indoor kitty for years now, and she'll have the great northwest to explore. Brandon thinks she'll be eaten by raccoons the first night. She lost another tooth, and now has 0 teeth on the right side of her mouth, and only 2 big ones (one is loose and dangling, ew,) on the left. So, her tongue still hange out of her mouth, but on a diagonal, to the right. She's cute. Moving out there will surely quadruple our gas expenses, not to mention sewer, water, and rent increase. But, whatever. Today was my first day taking care of people in an old folks home for my nurse's aid training. It sucked. Th...

So, I've applied for 11 positions as a CNA so far this week. That's right, 11. And there's more where that came from. I'll be finishing up my CNA recertification sometime in June, and I hope to have a job waiting for me when I am done. At least that's my delusion now. I know all too well what the job market is like in this town. I wouldn't be too surprised if my 5 years of experience in this doesn't get me anywhere, since I haven't actually been a CNA for 3 years now, and according to a recruiter at Providence, that pretty much means I get to start from the bottom again. Life's grand:). On the bright side, the CNA jobs in hospitals around here go from about $13- $19 an hour to start. Journalism jobs, with similar experience (5 years), start at about $11 an hour, and go to about $12 an hour. So, ha. Go me!

So, we're moving. Here's the view from our new place in the Gorge, in the first photo, and the kiteboarding launch on the other side of the river--just 10 minutes away from home. Um, yeah, we're pimpin'.

And, yes, this makes my new hula hoop club null and void. Oh well. Brandon and I semi-secured this place in the Columbia River Gorge for the summer. It's a 4 bedroom, three bath pimp house right in the middle of all the columbia river action. There are two train tracks in front of the house that trains run on every hour..... every single hour. In front of that, is the river. That's right. Just us in a fat house, the trains, then the gorge. It's 10 minutes away from super sweeeet kiteboarding, and 45 minutes away from the toil and traffic of PDX. $995 a month, which is, yeah, a hell of a deal. One catch: The house is for sale. But we won't dwell on that now. If he sells it in June, we've got a contract drawn up that will give us the house until Oct. 31. A perfect summer house in the gorge! I have not been so excited about something since I left for Mexico. Or more terrified. We gave notice on our place today. Yay!