It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

{image via the limited}

Sporting this super cute cardigan sweater vest (a la Mr. Rogers) and some kick ass heels to dinner tonight. Time to toast my fresh start. And maybe eat dessert too!

Officially unemployed

{image via google images}

Okay, so maybe I'm not exactly popping the champagne, but suffice it to say, I'm pretty darn relieved.

It was a tough morning. Had to say goodbye to a lot of good people. A few of them co-workers, most of them vendors (sad, but true, folks).

I was getting all sentimental thinking back to the day that I interviewed (I still remember the date - 11/5/04) and how I totally was not qualified for the job, but the interview lasted over an hour and I walked out of there just knowing he was going to call and offer me the job anyway. So what if I didn't know a VIN from a vase? I will be forever grateful to the guy who took that chance on me.

And then there is my current boss, who saw someone who was bored and underutilized and fought to give me the chance to prove that I was a star. Once again, I had zero experience in purchasing. I'd never read a contract before, unless you count those 20 pagers they make you sign to get a cell phone these days. And just three short years later I can tell you that I managed $40 million dollars, a portfolio of 150 commercial properties and a fleet of 2000 trucks (wanna hire me?). No way would have near the experience and depth of resume from any other company. I have been given (well, earned) some amazing opportunities in my time with that company.

No matter my personal feelings on how it was run and the agony of the end, I know that I was fortunate to have been there. To have met the people that I met. To have built the relationships that I built. To have gained the experience. To have exceeded my own career expectations. To know five years later, how much I am capable of. I should be so lucky as to find an opportunity like this again.

Here's to hoping lightening strikes twice.

Can I get a 'Woot, woot'?

{image via google images}

Finally, finally, finally some progress on the job front. I was seriously beginning to think I was a major loser.

It's not much right now, but I have an interview with an executive search company tomorrow. I didn't really expect to be able to work with one since I don't technically qualify as an 'executive' but I must have matched enough of their criteria to merit a screening tomorrow at 2:00pm. The lady said she had a particular position in mind so that is good news too. At the very least, maybe they'll be willing to work with me even if I'm not a match for this particular position. If I could get in with an executive search company, I'd be in a much better position than searching all by my lonesome.

So keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer for me tomorrow. Even if nothing comes of this, I am at least grateful for the boost in my woefully flagging confidence.

Seriously?

Who thought bringing MC Hammer pants back was a good idea?

{image via The Look 4 Less}

Except now they call them 'harem' pants. Because you know every independent woman wants to dress like a female sex slave. WTH?

Worth the wait

{image via JodiPicoult.com}

Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned wanting to get my hands on this book? Well the sassy and very sweet KT sent me a note not too long after offering me her copy when she was done! She read it in about two days so I knew it must be good and I could hardly wait for it to come.

I started it on Friday and, despite a jam-packed weekend, managed to finish it on Sunday. I couldn't put it down. As always, the subject matter was thought-provoking and the twists were unexpected. The last five pages of a Jodi Picoult book are always the best and this one did not disappoint.

This copy is already spoken for (keeping the book-gifting chain alive, KT!) but I would highly recommend heading down to the local library to check it out. You won't regret it.

Tuesdays at the Table

A few things you should know about me and my kitchen abilities:

1. I hate to cook. Detest, loathe, despise, abhor and any other synonym you want to put in there. Hate.it.

2. My idea of cooking usually involves heating up something that's frozen or came from a box.

3. If the recipe requires more than 10 ingredients, I'm out.

4. Spices are expensive. I believe in using garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Why would I spend $10 on 3 ounces of some random spice (cardamom, anyone?) that I will use once and then knock over the next time I reach for the basil?

5. I refuse to touch raw meat. I am a master at maneuvering all manner of frozen and thawed meat using tongs, forks, knives and spatulas.


So, if you are visiting from My Chihuahua Bites and were expecting to find the next Martha Stewart, you've come to the wrong blog, honey. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I made this super easy dinner for the first time last week and was going to post it over the weekend, but then I saw Andrea's post about Tuesday's at the Table and decided to hold off a few days so that I could enjoy the Mr Linky fun.

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Chicken Nacho Bake
{recipe found through Kraftfoods.com}

Ingredients:
4 small boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup mexican style shredded cheese
1/4 sour cream

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Slice three cuts on the top of each chicken breast.
Top each chicken breast with salsa and crushed tortilla chips. (The recipe says to put the sour cream on in this step too, but I prefer my sour cream cold, so I left it off for now).
Bake 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

I added my sour cream on top after it came out of the oven and served on shredded lettuce.

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Five ingredients, barely ten minutes of effort and you've got a super yummy mexican meal. That's my kind of cooking!

Grateful

My sweet sister sent me this card today just to cheer me up. On the inside it says 'Sounds like a plan. Seriously.' and plays the song 'All Right' . I don't know how she managed to find a card that was so completely fitting - shopping, two of my favorite catchphrases and a song about being all right in the end. Now that's a good sister.

And if that wasn't enough for one day, she finally booked her ticket to come and see me! Hurray! We have been planning it for months and kept having to postpone, but it's finally a done deal. I can't wait for some good sister time.

{my sister, Katie, with our sister Amy's puppy, Java}

Pray

{image from mycharmingkids.net}

Pray hard for baby, Stellan.

I can haz shooz?

{image via lolcats.com}

I am in shoe lust. These are completely out of character for me but I am digging them big time. A little too much for Easter Sunday though, right?

{image via VictoriasSecret.com}

Dear Sister

{image vie someecards.com}

Today is my middle younger sister's 20th birthday. It seems crazy to me that she can be starting a whole decade already. Somehow 20 seems like a pretty darn big deal. What happened to that sweet little gap-toothed kid?

She called me yesterday, to see how my first day as an unemployed gal was going. Apparently she didn't get the family memo that my last day had been pushed out, but that's not the point. I got off the phone, marveling at what an incredible adult that kid has turned out to be. {I'm getting all misty-eyed just thinking about it.} She's beautiful and generous and pretty damn funny. She's just a cool person to be around. I am blessed to have her not only as a sister but now as a friend. Cliche? Yes. True? Absolutely.

Happy birthday, Amy Grace!

So, in honor of Amy's birthday (for those of you who know her in real life, of course), leave me a comment sharing your funniest or favorite memory of Amy. This will embarrass her big time and teach her to read her big sister's blog more than once a week....HA!

Thundering incompetence strikes again

Today's conversation with the boss....
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Boss: Don't panic or anything, but I've got something to tell you. {No good conversation starts out this way}

Me: Um, okay.

Boss: Apparently, you were terminated two weeks ago.

Me: {Crickets}

Boss: Remember when I asked for you to be paid for the off-the-books vacation days you didn't take last calendar year? Well, they assumed that meant you'd been terminated so they took you off the payroll.

Me: {Still struck silent by the sheer incompetence of our payroll department}

Boss: Don't worry, I think we have it all figured out but I wanted you to know....
___________________________________________________


Seriously? There are like fifteen people left on the payroll and you can't manage to pay them correctly? Did he tell you I've been terminated? No? Well then maybe you shouldn't take it upon yourself to assume what he meant when that is so clearly not what he said.

So this week I will be paid the three extra days vacation, plus the eighty hours of vacation that I am owed upon my termination. But not for the eighty hours I actually worked. Supposedly, I will be paid that NEXT pay period.

I am so going to end up getting screwed. I just know it.

How's that for comedic timing?

{image via dilbert.com}

Remember how I said yesterday that we were three weeks behind on our project time line? Today's Dilbert explains it perfectly.

What to do?

So the boss called this afternoon to let me know that my official last day will be Friday, March 27th. That is a week longer than the first 'official' date I was given. I have mixed feelings on this but had told him I would stay until then if it was necessary.

Since we are a full three weeks behind on our liquidation time line (through no fault of mine, I will add!) it is clear to anyone with half a brain that we will not be done with everything by this new deadline either. The original time line was ludicrous to begin with and I voiced my opinion that it was unattainable six weeks ago, but of course, no one listened. And now they have themselves in a very bad spot. Told you so.

You see, they have committed to letting everyone go on the 27th, but the vehicle liquidation will be light years away from finished in just 10 days. So the boss says they mentioned keeping me around on a contract basis after the 27th. Damn.

I know, I know. I should be jumping for joy at the thought of another paycheck. I'm lucky, I know. I get it. But these people are absolutely impossible. They seriously just don't get it. Every time I think the situation can't get any worse, they plumb the depths of stupidity to find a new all time low. They can't even go out of business the right way!

As much as I covet another paycheck, I have been anxiously counting down the days until I am rid of this mess and I'm just not sure I can stomach any more.

PRO's

• I can just about name my rate because they are desperate.
• I am the only one who knows how to do what needs to get done.
• I can do it faster and more accurately than any of the monkeys people left.
• It's another paycheck. Maybe even two or three.
• It would be part time so I would have time to look for a job.
• I have a long-standing relationship with the company that is liquidating the vehicles and I hate to stick them with the person I know will end up on the job.

CON's

• My boss and his boss will be gone. I will have to work directly for someone I don't know very well and don't particularly care for (what little I do know).
• The decisions this man makes are hard to swallow (today he had a whopper). I will likely have trouble holding my tongue.
• I hate what my job has become. Hate.it.
• I can't collect unemployment until the contract job is over, so as it dwindles down, I might be making less than I would collecting a government check.
• Who knows how long it will take to get it all done. I hate the idea of no end in sight.
• Did I mention I hate this job? Hate.it.
  

Decisions, decisions, decisions. I've got a lot of thinking to do. Luckily I have until next week to decide.

(Ad)Venture on over....

Some day when you need a good chuckle, go check out Demon Baby and Me. This is one of my all time favorite blogs and it never fails to make me smile. Erica has the patience of a saint, Demon Baby has the face of an angel and their adventures are nothing short of hilarious.

Dang

Don't you just hate it when you get into the car and realize that the doggie bag you put in the backseat yesterday at lunch are still there?

So not only does your car stink to high heaven, but you totally ruined three perfectly good Chili's Southwest Eggrolls?

What? You never needlessly waste good food because you are a total space cadet?

Must just be me then.