Officially Technological

Today I finished cleaning out my desk. I shredded all my time and attendance paperwork and brought in all the books for the classes that I didn't want and/or need. Last night I returned movies to Blockbuster, books to the library, and returned pop cans (for those of you who are unaware we get paid 10 cents per can in Michigan). I packed all my clothes (now I can't find anything), finished the flowers I was working on for the wedding (because I have a morbid fear of losing my supplies in the move). I washed all the dishes (our dishwasher is broken), I dusted all the furniture, and I did all my laundry. I filled out all the paperwork that I have for my new job in Fort Wayne (Oh! I don't think I told you that I got a job as a math instructor at a local community college - is that redundant?). I called the post office in a panic because I haven't gotten mail in about a week even though I only formally changed my address a few days ago. I scheduled an appointment for tomorrow evening in Fort Wayne to do a demonstration for my new boss, but I have to be back to work on Friday for half a day. *shake head* While I'm in Fort Wayne, I hope I can drop off my clothes and stuff at Jeff and Margo's. We'll see if I can find the time. I'm hoping that I can move on Saturday (Brian has to work on Friday now) but that too is looking unlikely. Maybe I'll just leave all my stuff there and let them take care of it after my lease is up. Can you do that? The weekend/Brooke and Vince's wedding was really nice. We enjoyed ourselves a lot. Even though it was really cold, it was a nice weekend and many congrats to Brooke and Vince.

Anyway, I feel way scattered. And I have a sore throat. And I'm a little hungry even though I just ate lunch. But on a lighter note, tonight is my going away party with my work friends. We're going out to Chinese. That's fun. Anyway, hopefully everything will get done. I don't know how it'll get done, but it has to right? And next week I have "off". By "off" I mean I have an appointment on Monday in Ft. Wayne and have to sit at Brian's house until our table comes while he's at work on Tuesday and then come back to Michigan to "clean" my apartment and turn in my keys etc. But other than that, I have next week "off". So, maybe I'll get some sleep and be able to relax then.

It just dawned on me that my last day of work is next Friday. Whoa. Slow the horse down! Here is a summary of my schedule for the next nine days:

Thursday

• Work until 11:45
• Doctor Appointment
• Interview in Ft. Wayne
• Get stuff for trip to KS

Friday

• Drive to KS with Brian (Yea! The KS trip/Brooke and Vince's wedding is by far the best part of my near future)

Saturday

• Pictures for Brooke's wedding
• Drive to Sabetha
• Rehearsal
• rehearsal Dinner
• Hymnsing
• Young group thing

Sunday

• Morning Church
• Wedding
• Reception

Monday

• Drive back to Indiana

Tuesday

• Work all day
• Phone interview at noon
• Pack
• Go out to dinner with my branch for my "farewell"

Wednesday

• Work all day
• Pack
• Change all my bills to my new address

Thursday

• Work all day
• Pack
• Go out to dinner with my fellow interns (the people I was in my training program with) for my "farewell"

Friday

• Work half day
• Move
• Max's Birthday party in OH

Wow. It's going to be crazy. But it's going to happen

LOOPY SMELL

I work in Battle Creek, Michigan, the founding city of the Kellogg empire. Periodically, the smell of the Kellogg factory permeates the air causing the entire city to smell like cereal. Today is such a day. It smells like: Fruit Loops (?) No, burnt Fruit Loops. See "Smells" in the City Pulse section for more details.

WEATHER DRIVES ANNOYED EMPLOYEES TO DESPERATE MEASURES

The ceiling in my office is leaking. So there is a perpetual *drip* *drip* *drip* See "Annoying" on page one of the Weather section for more details.

HUMOR LIGHTENS MOOD OF JOB HUNTERS

My co-worker, James, has agreed to be one of my references. He sent me the following Menu of Services: Great comments - $35; Good comments - $25; Avoiding bad comments - $100; Intelligent (requiring thought) comments - $55; Accurate comments - $17. See "Humor" on the first page of the Classifieds for more details.

EXCITING WEEKEND PLANS LEAD TO BAY CITY

Brian and I are going to Bay City this weekend. This is only the second time we've both been in the area since we've been engaged and the first time that we'll be able to go to church (the church at which we'll be getting married). See "Exciting" on the last page of the Entertainment and Food section for more details.

SAM TO LIVE WITH SUCKERS

Sam (my Jack Russell) will be temporarily moving in with my mom and dad because Brian and I will be going to Kansas next weekend for Brooke's wedding. See "Suckers" on the front page of local news.

HEALING POWER OF NEOSPORIN REDISCOVERED IN LIP BALM

My bottom lip is on the mend thanks to Neosporin Lip Treatment. Somehow it got really chapped and raw. But it's feeling better now. See "Heal" on the third page of News in Medicine section for more details.

FAVORITE WRITING UTENSIL RESTORED TO OWNER

I found my favorite pen. It's a promotional pen from the Defense Logistics Agency Training Center and has a fine-point pen on one end and a yellow highlighter on the other. It was at the bottom of my purse and was recovered while I was mining for quarters. See "Joy" on the front page of Lost and Found section for more details.

CAFETERIA CONTINUES TO DISAPPOINT LAZY WORK-FORCE

I didn't pack my lunch again today (for the third day in a row) because I forgot I had to be at work 15 minutes earlier than usual. So, instead of having juicy cherry tomatoes and clam chowder, and Goldfish I had some sandwich they claim to be a "Ranch Chicken Wrap" with "Ruffles" Potato Chips. See "Disappointing" on the front page of Entertainment and Food section for more details.

Tomorrow is March 8th. That means nothing to most of you. Let me explain. It was a year ago tomorrow that I (sicker than a dog) flew down to Kansas to spend a month at Ft. Riley. I wasn't there long enough to say that I lived there, but I was there long enough to meet some neat people, make some great friends, and have some good times.

I pretty much always remember significant dates in my life because on significant dates, I like to take note of what I was doing then and where I was in my life so that I can remember and reflect on the things that have gone on in my life since that date. The year from March 8, 2005 to March 7, 2006 was probably one of the busiest, most stressful, most fun, most interesting years of my life and could probably only be rivaled with my Senior year of High School.

In Disney's "The Kid" Bruce Willis's character is faced with the childhood version of himself and he is embarrassed of the reminder of what he was like as a child. However, sometime near the end of the movie he realizes that as a child he just wanted affirmation and received none. And that he was scared and received no comfort. So, he wants to be able to tell the childhood version of himself something that would comfort him (because the kid was really distressed with his adult form - he had "no wife, no kids, and no dog!"). So, he dug up a friend (played by Jean Smart), and asked her what he should say to the kid, and she said, "If I had little Deirdre sitting right here I would say, 'Baby, hang on, it's going to be great.' Because some things happened that I wouldn't have liked, but it's been great."

So, with this past year behind me, with all the challenges with my career, with all the joys of getting engaged to Brian, with all the grief, with all the vacations, with all the hot weather this summer, and all the cold this winter, it's been great. So, as a reminder to myself, and maybe to you too, if you face yet another busy year, "Baby, just hang on. It's going to be great."

I think I may be able to have a sense of humor about it now. Last night I was super annoyed about my interview. Even this morning I was annoyed, but I suppose there's nothing I can do about it except chalk it up as another weird incident. I collect weird incidents. Some people collect stamps. Some collect baseball cards. Some collect books. Me? I collect weird incidents. It's too bad I can't pawn them. I might be tempted to in a month or two.

Back to the story. Here are some reasons why my interview was weird.

1. I sat outside the door of the HR department for no shorter than a half an hour waiting for my interviewers/tormentors to get there.
2. Once they got there, they sat in the next room with the door closed and the shades drawn but talking about me and my qualifications (or probably my lack of qualifications) loud enough for me to hear bits and pieces.
3. Once they called me into their office, they proceeded to ask me weird questions like: How did you get ready for this interview? I don't think that question is too weird. I think it was the wording, because I wanted to say (but didn't) "I showered and put on make-up and clothes, and drove down from Michigan."
4. Some of the questions were little role-playing exercises like: I'm a disgruntled employee and my dog just ran away and I had to chase him down the street and now I'm just in a bad mood. Motivate me. Hmmmmm...... Weird....... "Um.... I don't care. Get to work!" I doubt that would have been an appropriate (though probably a realistic) response.
5. They asked me to tell them something about myself, to which I wanted to say, "you have my resume right there, but besides that I enjoy bubble baths, long walks on the beach, and am currently working for world peace."

OK. It may not seem that weird to you, but trust me, it was really weird. Maybe it was that they were trying to come off as fun and friendly and wound up just coming off as antagonistic. I think it was after the second or third exchange with them where they pretended to be people other than themselves, I was thinking to myself, 'this is so weird.'

So, if you want to know how I feel about how it went; it went strangely. I kinda walked away feeling like a babbling idiot because so many of the "questions" were so similar in nature that I felt I kept saying the same thing over and over. And wound up just feeling cheesy. Grr. So, needless to say, I don't think I got the job - but you never know. So, I kinda feel like I'm back to square one.

Incidentally, after an interrogation about an incident in Iraq, I will drive inch by inch on the interstate in an imposing ice-storm for an interview.

Translation:
I have an interview tomorrow in Ft. Wayne after my weekly Iraq meeting at work. We're supposed to get an ice-storm. Eek.