Max has a job! He has had it since Monday. He got an offer from Medical Present Value (MPV) to be a technical support engineer. He is SO excited! It is hard to find support positions (which is what he loves to do) that are senior level.
I am waiting to hear about my job offer. Michael is working on signing some more clients and, if he does, he wants to fly me to Indiana to talk. I am not expecting an answer any time soon, with the economy impacting the travel industry so negatively. Still, it's good to have the contact with him, and know that when/if he is able to hire, he's going to call.
I have been painting my kitchen/hall/bath and love the new color! Just looking at it soothes me. We are making repairs that are long-overdue. I seem to have been overdoing it, because my fibromyalgia is flaring up. I am taking a day off from painting today in hopes of recovering a little.
My weight continues to fluctuate. I am up two pounds, down two pounds, over and over. This week is up two pounds. At least I am basically holding steady. I walked with Diane yesterday for about an hour (slowly) and that felt great. The weather is amazing. This week has been 85, sunny and breezy. Perfect for walking.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Weigh-in Wednesday
Down 2, to 172. I like being able to report a weight loss, even if I am still heavier than my goal weight for the week. I am starting to see definite patterns of weight fluctuation, and think that is just going to be something I have to account for.
My goal for this week is to work in some exercise. I found a great 5k training plan that starts out with running for one minute, walking for 2 minutes, then repeat 4 times. Over 12 weeks it builds to mostly running or jogging. I thought I might try that.
Anyone have any experience starting out slowly like that? I know all my friends seem to run 5k's, or mini's, or tri's, or full marathons. Did you start out slowly, or have you always been a runner?
My goal for this week is to work in some exercise. I found a great 5k training plan that starts out with running for one minute, walking for 2 minutes, then repeat 4 times. Over 12 weeks it builds to mostly running or jogging. I thought I might try that.
Anyone have any experience starting out slowly like that? I know all my friends seem to run 5k's, or mini's, or tri's, or full marathons. Did you start out slowly, or have you always been a runner?
Is anything in my life not changing right now!?
Wow, what a crazy couple of weeks. I told the girls at Bible study this morning that I am a control freak (well, they KNEW that part) and that it's so hard for me to have so many areas of my life out of control at once. Max and I are both interviewing and feel like we are very close to getting job offers.
Assuming we both get the jobs, so many things will change. I'll be working full-time again, and that sort of freaks me out. It will be work-from-home, though, and I have already talked to Michael (the owner) about kids and flexibility and he seems more than accommodating for that. I am also a little excited. The job sounds great, with a lot of challenges, and it would afford me some "necessary" travel to Bloomington where my entire family happens to be. :) I am anxious to meet Michael. He seems like a neat guy on the phone (this is the guy whose wife my sister used to work with...small world, huh?)
Max's potential job also sounds amazing. It'll be a pay cut, at least at first, but he'd be working with former co-workers and FOR my former manager at living.com. Small world, huh? (notice the theme here?) The position has great potential to really grow into a long-term career path for him, and it's getting back into some job functions that he really enjoys.
We're also planning, at some point this year, to list the house for sale. We've needed to do it for a long time, and even with the market in a slump, we both just feel like this is the time to do it. It will take a few months to get it ready, but I hope to be able to list it by summer.
Then, there's my Olivia. What will we do if I get the job? Keep homeschooling through the end of the year and just juggle? Enroll her in school even though there will only be a couple of months left? She wants to keep homeschooling, but knows that if I am working full-time, we won't have as much time for the fun things she enjoys so much (field trips, park days, etc) I still want to make those happen, but it won't be like it is now with me blissfully unemployed. (OK, it was hard to even type "blissfully unemployed" but you get what I mean) She did say, though, that she is fine with going to school, and will do whatever we have to do with whatever circumstances we have.
So, lots of changes, none of which are in my control. Lots of excitement, and new adventures, depending how you look at it. My Bible study this morning really got me thinking...we were talking about Abraham and Sarah, and how when they went to Egypt because of the famine, he had her lie and say they were brother and sister so that the men wouldn't kill him to have her (which they would have done if they knew they were married, because she was so beautiful) Sure enough, the Pharoah chose her for his harem. This was not what God had planned for them (duh) so He had to extricate them from the situation, much to Pharoah's chagrin (and disease). Later, God had promised Abraham descendents "as numerous as the stars" but Sarah wasn't conceiving, so they devised a plan for him to have children with her handmaiden, Hagar (HOH-GARR, right G?) Again, NOT what God had in mind at all. Yet, Abraham just kept blundering through life, trying to force situations without waiting for God's leading, for God's timing.
It really hit home with me, because I've been feeling a lot of stress from so many different angles. So many people to try to please, so many changes to consider, so many chances for me to goof it up by blundering ahead and trying to fix it myself, when maybe God has an entirely different plan for us. It was a good reminder for me to slow down, be patient and let God work.
We both feel like God has been very clear with us to this point. Arro (my old manager at living, and Max's potential new manager) had looked me up on facebook about a week before Max was laid off, so that opened the door for Max to interview for this job (he has wanted to work for the company since at least 2003). I just blindly sent a resume off to the only software company I could find in Bloomington, for a position that wasn't even listed, only to find out that my sister knows the owners of the company and that Michael had just said that week that he REALLY needed a QA person! It has just been unreal to me how clearly God has opened some doors and slammed others shut tight. I have applied for all sorts of other jobs, in Austin, Bloomington, Georgia, you name it...without a single response. Same for Max. Funny thing is, normally, I would be freaking out with both of us only having one real solid lead and the clock ticking on his contract, but I feel like it's all under control -- just not MY control. And that makes me feel even better.
Assuming we both get the jobs, so many things will change. I'll be working full-time again, and that sort of freaks me out. It will be work-from-home, though, and I have already talked to Michael (the owner) about kids and flexibility and he seems more than accommodating for that. I am also a little excited. The job sounds great, with a lot of challenges, and it would afford me some "necessary" travel to Bloomington where my entire family happens to be. :) I am anxious to meet Michael. He seems like a neat guy on the phone (this is the guy whose wife my sister used to work with...small world, huh?)
Max's potential job also sounds amazing. It'll be a pay cut, at least at first, but he'd be working with former co-workers and FOR my former manager at living.com. Small world, huh? (notice the theme here?) The position has great potential to really grow into a long-term career path for him, and it's getting back into some job functions that he really enjoys.
We're also planning, at some point this year, to list the house for sale. We've needed to do it for a long time, and even with the market in a slump, we both just feel like this is the time to do it. It will take a few months to get it ready, but I hope to be able to list it by summer.
Then, there's my Olivia. What will we do if I get the job? Keep homeschooling through the end of the year and just juggle? Enroll her in school even though there will only be a couple of months left? She wants to keep homeschooling, but knows that if I am working full-time, we won't have as much time for the fun things she enjoys so much (field trips, park days, etc) I still want to make those happen, but it won't be like it is now with me blissfully unemployed. (OK, it was hard to even type "blissfully unemployed" but you get what I mean) She did say, though, that she is fine with going to school, and will do whatever we have to do with whatever circumstances we have.
So, lots of changes, none of which are in my control. Lots of excitement, and new adventures, depending how you look at it. My Bible study this morning really got me thinking...we were talking about Abraham and Sarah, and how when they went to Egypt because of the famine, he had her lie and say they were brother and sister so that the men wouldn't kill him to have her (which they would have done if they knew they were married, because she was so beautiful) Sure enough, the Pharoah chose her for his harem. This was not what God had planned for them (duh) so He had to extricate them from the situation, much to Pharoah's chagrin (and disease). Later, God had promised Abraham descendents "as numerous as the stars" but Sarah wasn't conceiving, so they devised a plan for him to have children with her handmaiden, Hagar (HOH-GARR, right G?) Again, NOT what God had in mind at all. Yet, Abraham just kept blundering through life, trying to force situations without waiting for God's leading, for God's timing.
It really hit home with me, because I've been feeling a lot of stress from so many different angles. So many people to try to please, so many changes to consider, so many chances for me to goof it up by blundering ahead and trying to fix it myself, when maybe God has an entirely different plan for us. It was a good reminder for me to slow down, be patient and let God work.
We both feel like God has been very clear with us to this point. Arro (my old manager at living, and Max's potential new manager) had looked me up on facebook about a week before Max was laid off, so that opened the door for Max to interview for this job (he has wanted to work for the company since at least 2003). I just blindly sent a resume off to the only software company I could find in Bloomington, for a position that wasn't even listed, only to find out that my sister knows the owners of the company and that Michael had just said that week that he REALLY needed a QA person! It has just been unreal to me how clearly God has opened some doors and slammed others shut tight. I have applied for all sorts of other jobs, in Austin, Bloomington, Georgia, you name it...without a single response. Same for Max. Funny thing is, normally, I would be freaking out with both of us only having one real solid lead and the clock ticking on his contract, but I feel like it's all under control -- just not MY control. And that makes me feel even better.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Big fat weigh-in Thursday
174. I have no idea how that happened. How does a girl gain 5 lbs in a week w/o just going off the deep end with her eating (which I didn't) I blame it on hormones and monthly weight fluctuations. We'll see how next week goes.
On the bright side, I have a phone interview tonight and Max has one tomorrow morning! Mine is a possible work-from-home position, and his is full-time with a company he's been interested in for 5 years. So, the next 24 hours are big for Casa De La Garza! I'll let y'all know how it goes!
On the bright side, I have a phone interview tonight and Max has one tomorrow morning! Mine is a possible work-from-home position, and his is full-time with a company he's been interested in for 5 years. So, the next 24 hours are big for Casa De La Garza! I'll let y'all know how it goes!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Clothes shopping...not as fun as it sounds!
I had a very good morning at church...lots of great songs, a great sermon, lots of friends and support. Then I went clothes shopping. Yes, we are unemployed, so shopping alone was tough for me. Shopping for CLOTHES was a nightmare! Nothing to remind me that I've gained weight like trying to decide what size to pull from the rack to try on, deciding to go large, just to be safe...then seeing it not zip in the dressing room.
I went clothes shopping because I am applying for jobs and have absolutely no professional clothing that fits. I have professional clothing, but it's all about 2 sizes too small. So, in case I should get called in for an interview next week, I had to go buy some clothes. JCPenney was having a big sale, so I got some cute stuff cheap. And I won't wear it unless I have to, so maybe Max will land an awesome job, and I can return it never worn (except the fabulous shoes I got for $8) and we'll move on with our lives. :)
Funny thing happened this afternoon...I told my sister that I'd sent a resume to a software company in Bloomington (can you believe there is a software company in Bloomington!?) and it turns out she knows the owners! She just called the wife to let her know that I had sent my resume, and she (the wife) said her husband had mentioned me. The catch is that they do not have a position open for me. I just saw them and sent it on the hope that they were looking for a QA person and hadn't posted it yet. Still, they know who I am now, and that has to help.
I am coming to terms with the possibility of going back to work full-time. Olivia seems to be taking the news well...that she will be going to school (if this happens) and may need to stay at a friend's house over the summer. Max and I have talked and are (obviously) leaving this in God's hands. If He intends for us both to work, I am sure that's what He will provide. If He intends for Max to be the one working, He will provide the right job at the right time. I have a great deal of peace about this, except for the stress of knowing that there are big changes going on.
We are planning to sell the house by the end of the year, even if we find jobs here in town. It will take so much work to get it ready to sell, it just exhausts me to think of it! I think I need a nap!
I went clothes shopping because I am applying for jobs and have absolutely no professional clothing that fits. I have professional clothing, but it's all about 2 sizes too small. So, in case I should get called in for an interview next week, I had to go buy some clothes. JCPenney was having a big sale, so I got some cute stuff cheap. And I won't wear it unless I have to, so maybe Max will land an awesome job, and I can return it never worn (except the fabulous shoes I got for $8) and we'll move on with our lives. :)
Funny thing happened this afternoon...I told my sister that I'd sent a resume to a software company in Bloomington (can you believe there is a software company in Bloomington!?) and it turns out she knows the owners! She just called the wife to let her know that I had sent my resume, and she (the wife) said her husband had mentioned me. The catch is that they do not have a position open for me. I just saw them and sent it on the hope that they were looking for a QA person and hadn't posted it yet. Still, they know who I am now, and that has to help.
I am coming to terms with the possibility of going back to work full-time. Olivia seems to be taking the news well...that she will be going to school (if this happens) and may need to stay at a friend's house over the summer. Max and I have talked and are (obviously) leaving this in God's hands. If He intends for us both to work, I am sure that's what He will provide. If He intends for Max to be the one working, He will provide the right job at the right time. I have a great deal of peace about this, except for the stress of knowing that there are big changes going on.
We are planning to sell the house by the end of the year, even if we find jobs here in town. It will take so much work to get it ready to sell, it just exhausts me to think of it! I think I need a nap!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wednesday weigh-in...Thursday style
Yes, I know it's Thursday. I did actually weigh myself yesterday, but didn't get it posted. Drum roll please.....
168.5! That gets me back on schedule (goal for this week was 169) and gives me an 11 lb. weight loss from the first of the year.
That virus I've had sure works as a weight loss diet. Now, if I can keep from gaining it all back this week now that my appetite has returned, but I am still too tired and weak to exercise like I should.
Wish me luck.
168.5! That gets me back on schedule (goal for this week was 169) and gives me an 11 lb. weight loss from the first of the year.
That virus I've had sure works as a weight loss diet. Now, if I can keep from gaining it all back this week now that my appetite has returned, but I am still too tired and weak to exercise like I should.
Wish me luck.
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