Interviews...

YEA!!! I'm getting interviews!!! This is such a blessing!!! To get this far in the process in this job market...

When every position has 100+ applications and resumes submitted, to get asked for an interview is really great. It gives me the chance to get in front of the employer and show them how I can be an asset; how I can contribute to their organization.

Do I always want to be part of something else - some one else's dream? Yes and no.

I love being out on my own, running the show! I really do. I love the freedom to schedule myself, drive myself and only work as hard as I want to - or drive myself to distraction when a great project pops up! But the money isn't steady. I like the combination of my own stuff and a steady paycheck.

So, a part-time entrepreneurial drive seems to be more my style. That means that I won't ever make it "big time" and become a millionaire by those efforts - most likely, unless I get a great idea and design the next MAC computer system or something...

But for working in my "dungeon," helping in the community and spreading my efforts around, I think this is probably the best way for me right now.

Besides, I just "volunteered" to run a community garden! Who has time to spread themselves so thin??? And I still teach FPU, so that takes time...

Garden Progress

I prepared the buckets for the tomatoes. I checked the trees, and they all have buds, except the crape myrtle. Those aren't going yet. I even have two flower buds on the dogwood! YEA!!!

I repotted a house plant, and potted up some Italian Oregano, and the Basil. I'm ready for greens and squash/cucumbers. I re-planted some of the beans, after the wind pulled over the support and pulled up several of the plants. I moved that planter to where it has more shelter from the wind.

I'm deciding where to put the grapes when they arrive. If the posts are in before my surgery, then I can easily have the plants put in the ground where they need to go. If the posts are not in the ground, who knows if they will even get planted!

Oh well, buckets are about $5 each.

I wrote up a list of stuff that needs to be done before I go into the hospital, and assigned tasks to each day. As long as I follow my schedule, no single day is overwhelming, and everything will get done.

I have this great organizing gene inside me, but it only gets to tell me what to do. It can't enforce things. My follow-through isn't as good as I'd like it to be. Well, I hope to post each day before surgery, and set out my accomplishments and cross stuff off my schedule! So, stay tuned...

Planting!

I planted up the Asparagus yesterday. I didn't do it quite "by the book" as I need large bins, and used short ones. Oh well...

I also set up some planters for strawberries and stevia. That was all I had in me to do yesterday. I have more planting mix, humus and planters, along with a lot more seeds. I got some 5-gallon buckets for the tomatoes, but they all have gunk in them. Maybe I'll toss them and get some pristine ones from the Home Depot later today. I need at least 6, with tomato cages to go in them and a bag of soil each. That's for the 6 tomato plants for this year.

There's no way I can get everything into the ground this year. Just no way I can do it, with the soil conditions, my health, the surgery, and everything. So, this is a viable alternative.

Trees Planted, General Updates

I have my 5 trees planted, now. I got the first 4 in, but they were too deep, so I had to dig them up and raise them. They arrived bare-root, so had to go in the ground right away. I got the 5th tree in a pot, but it was basically bare-root as well. However, it took me a couple of days to get it into the ground.

So, the trees are in, and the asparagus crowns arrived yesterday. I have no place prepared for them. I need to build the beds for the vegetables. The beans I started are taking over the kitchen. The other starts are all showing distress and need to be re-potted into flats with better drainage. I'm not prepared. It may be that this year's garden is a bust. I would like to get the strawberries going this year, though. And I'm really looking forward to some home-grown tomatoes. They taste so good!

I'll do what I can, but I think I bit off more than I could handle for this year. Just getting the perennials and trees in the ground is a great start this year, I guess.

On a completely different subject, work is looking a little better. I don't have a steady job, but my efforts are paying off for internet marketing, cat whispering, and coding sites for better SEO and SEM. If you don't understand the terms, don't worry about it. Just know that my efforts are showing fruit.

I've had to crash-learn several things lately, too. Moodle, Word Press, HostGator, PHP, Javascript, and others. It's fine, really. I needed to learn but didn't have any way to apply it, so didn't push it. Now, I have places for all of that to be applied, so it's sinking in better. It can be overwhelming, and my brain feels like mush after 6 solid hours, but TV is a good diversion, and the biggest problem is that I forget to eat.

I finally passed the Census test with a 100%, so when they begin hiring, I may have a job. I've also applied several other places for full- or part-time employment. I just need something I can count on, so that the bills get paid. The extras can be cut, removed, or ignored.

Money is dwindling, and I have expenses coming up, as usual. I can't really go out and purchase lumber or blocks to build the beds - not even for the asparagus!

I've canceled cable TV. Not a bad thing in the long run. I generally don't have time for it during the warmer weather, anyway. Running around, yard work, and so on. I'm in a 3-year contract on the internet/phone, so the only way to reduce expenses with Comcast is to cancel the TV.

I need to put brakes on the car, and it needs a full tune-up, to keep it running right. I'll do that, if and when the government finally sends the money on the first-time homebuyer's credit rebate. That, and pay my taxes. If there's anything left, I'll schedule the surgery.

On the surgery, I've been having symptoms, yes. It's like having a period, but I'm too old for them. The pain in my lower back is increasing, too. I'm pretty sure there is a growth around my colon/large intestine. The tests show something in that area, but they aren't specific enough to know exactly what. When it all comes out, I bet I'll feel like a million bucks!

I'm grateful, though. I have a breather - time to shift focus. I have enough food, the lights are on, the bills are not late (some are ahead!) and my debt load is very small. The house is new, so anything that's wrong is still under the warrantee.

I'm thinking about renting out my sewing room, too. The rent I receive will help with the house payment and electricity. Since I have the contract on the internet, I can offer wi-fi as a regular benefit. I just need to set-up the room. I'm working on it. That's the room that is a total mess right now. I still haven't unpacked all the boxes, you know.

Well, that's quite an update from an unemployed, but positive person....

Restless, Crocheting up a storm...

I've been crocheting a project for several months. It's a patchwork sweater-jacket, probably with a hood. Anyway, it's taking a while, and it will be a while longer.

Anyway, I hadn't crocheted for about 3 months, but kept it close. Lately, I'm crocheting again - to the exclusion of other things.

I've been very restless, and overwhelmed daily by this house. It's just past 20 years since my first AA meeting. I can't count that as my sobriety date, but it's been that many years since my first meeting.

It's also getting close to 3 years since my last cigarette. I think that's more what's behind my restlessness. I even caught myself wanting to pick one up the other day. Not because I wanted a cigarette, but because I wanted that familiar action and feel. I certainly don't ever want to smoke again! I wanted that repeating action of carrying the cigarette to my mouth, and I wanted something in my mouth. That explains a lot of why I've been shoveling stuff into my mouth, lately. And it's probably why I've been crocheting non-stop for a few days.

I had 2 meals, my morning muffin, and 2 bowls of ice cream yesterday. That's all. No other snacks or food. So, the ice cream wasn't good for me, but I'm concentrating on the fact that that is all I ate! That's probably the best day I've had in a long time.

I also spent a bit of money this week. I got seeds, a seed-blocker and subscribed to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens so I could get 4 reports sent over the 2010 gardening year. It was spending on good stuff, but spending when I don't have a lot of $$ is never a good idea. I also ordered several catalogs

I have more money coming in, thank goodness! My bills are paid! I'm really in good shape, but I feel so out of control right now.

On another note, I finally figured out which circuit keeps blowing in my kitchen. It's the stove, and a wall of outlets, all on the same circuit. Not good. The stove should be on it's own. So, the electrician is again not returning my calls. This really needs to be escalated. I just don't know where to go with it.

And the light in my bedroom is still coming on and going off by itself. I really wonder if this house is safe!

Weird and busy day!

Busy because I've been running since I got up. I only just checked my personal e-mail at 9pm. I usually get to that by 10am. But not today...

Weird, because it was such a mix of stuff! Habitat, personal, friends, work, all jumbled up together.

And work...

Yeah...

Another strange day at work. I ask you - how can someone not fix something that isn't broken? And then get in trouble for it? Goodness!

Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Schedule Conflicts...

Man! I just can't seem to get to that OA meeting! I have something to do for Habitat this Saturday, so again, I have to put off going to the meeting. It's like the biggest sabotage I have! At the same time, it's fun to do the stuff for Habitat!

House maintenance aside, this one is about gardening - edible gardening! Wow! Right up my alley...