Mariannes Motifs

What's Shakin in the Job Market and 2 Socks on 2 Circular Needles

Wall Street had a little rally, and my job search had a little rally.  I have a second follow up phone interview set up for tomorrow morning, and a first interview set up for Friday.   I also got a call from a recruiter regarding a 3 month contract they wish to submit me for.  I hope that one of these opportunities comes through for me soon. 

I am knitting 2 socks at a time on 2 circular needles.  It's kind of like knitting an octopus, but at least when I am done I will have the whole pair finished.  I am not sure I could face knitting a sock and then having to turn around and do another one.

I had the 2 circular needles for this already (inherited from 2 grandmothers and  1 moms  knitting needles)  I like knitting with these needles, they have a good feeling about them somehow.  Like family.

Another Interview Set Up

I m very excited - I have another job interview set up for next Friday.   I was recommended to this company by a former co-worker who is now consulting with them.  It's quite flattering that they sought me out at his recommendation, and they are looking for someone with my skill set. 

I had two interviews last week and I was concerned that I might get an offer without this place getting back to me.  We shall see.  If any of these three offers for me I would accept.  But one of them was not my favorite as I got a strong feeling from their interview that they did not quite know what they were looking for.  Its hard to be all things to all people, you know?  It seems like in the current job market employers are getting greedy and asking for one applicant to have every of the skills they are looking for.  The truth is that if you have a specialist, you might not have a generalist.  And likewise, if you have a generalist, they will not likely have the specialized skills.  The trick is to find someone that has the correct background and talents you need, and work from there.  Someone can become a specialist in new areas - a good IT person must in fact be very flexible and able to learn new technologies.  Everything changes in IT in the course of just one year there will be new software packages, versions, hardware breakthroughs, as well as changes to the business markets.  Someone with good troubleshooting and learning skills who can get along with the other people in the workplace is going to be a valuable asset. 

Specializing in email and messaging has been very valuable to me in my career so far.  If I have to abandon that specialty and go back to being a generalist I am willing to do that.  However, if I can find a place looking for someone with my special skill set then I will feel more secure in the position and about my value to the company.

Of course, after a few months of being a "victim of the recession" money is getting tight.  There are so many things around the house that I would like to fix up.  My kitchen cabinets are literally falling apart, my discount blinds need replacing, I need new carpet and an interior paint job.  All of these things will have to wait, but I vow that when I am again working I am going to continue to live very thriftily so I can put our money back into our biggest investment - the house.  This recession has taught me a lesson.  When I was making good money I did not save enough.  I won't make that mistake again.

Just a Silly Picture of the Kids

kids1
Originally uploaded by mar1annec

The kids figured out they could play with the camera on my MacBook and they got really silly. Here is just one of the bazillion shots they took of themselves.

Migraine from the pits of Hell

I am suffering today from one of those killer migraines that just knock me out.  I mean, its time to consider cashing in on the life insurance because I feel like death warmed over.

My dear sweet husband took some time out from being a typical man to get me a beautiful vase full of spring lillies.  Very sweet of him.  The kids had "Kid Cuisine" frozen dinners and Jin's eating leftovers. (Which fortunately we have alot of)  I think a bowl of cereal is the most I can aspire to eating. 

Thank god for the weekend.  I sure hope I feel better tomorrow.  I got everything to make a nice breakfast so hopefully I will be up to making pancakes for the kids and dill eggs and bacon for the hubby. 

2 Job Interviews

I am about to be off on the way to my first job interview of the day.  This is with an aerospace firm needing to migrate from Lotus Notes to Exchange and Active Directory.  Both the companies I am talking to today are close to my home and both jobs look very challenging and fun. 

Mom-in-law has flown home, we drove her to the airport yesterday.  The kids had fun spotting Chick-Fil-A cow billboards during the drive.  Unfortunately we had a stomach bug running through the house for half the time she was here.  We did get to go to the High Museum Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit, to the playground, and a little bit of shopping.  Plus lunch out. 

I think I lost about 10 pounds on the stomach virus diet.  (More effective than weight loss pills like Solo Slim but no fun)   I just do not feel like eating anything at all - it just wiped out my appetite.  The poor kids... I will not go into details to spare you the grossity.

Wish me luck on my interviews.

I "pimped this bum"

I just visited the controversial website pimpthisbum.com and was really drawn in to Tim's story.   Basically some guys turned one homeless man into a viral marketing campaign.  Some say it is taking advantage of Tim, or degrading.  I tell you what is degrading, turning the other way to people living on the streets.  That is what is degrading, and its not so much degrading to the homeless, its degrading to us, the people that look the other way and don't help.  It brings us all down when one person is suffering.  Like John Donne said, no man is an island.

Through this web site Tim is getting a chance at treatment as the Sunray Treatment center in Seattle has donated the fee of alcoholism treatment for him.  I donated a few dollars.  I am out of work right now and I normally am not giving any money until I get back in the workforce, but I was moved to help out.  I always give a few dollars or what I have handy when I walk past a panhandler.  If it was me asking I would want someone to help me.  I don't have any judgement on what they will do with the money either; a real gift of charity should not come with strings, I don't think.  So I am pretending Tim is someone I am walking by and giving $5.00.

China's First Emperor - Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit

Since my mother in law is visiting, and we had passes to the High Museum, we kept the kids out of school today to go on a field trip to see the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit.  Just wonderful!  I had no idea that they were painted.  The detail on these guys is so fine - individual hair, toes and toenails, armor pieces, and each one is unique.

Look at this pic - we saw one just about like this in the exhibit, with red lacquer paint on the armor, and fine detail such as the tread of the boots.  (No picture taking was allowed, but they had a cardboard cutout soldier we posed the kids in front on...)



Apparently, these soldiers were made in pieces (8 different head molds for example) and then assembled.  They made them in the same way they made terra cotta drain pipes and roof tiles.  Can you imagine today making over 7,000 life size people the same way you would make ceramic vessel sinks or something?

Is Hugo Chavez the new Robert Mugabe?

Today Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he will nationalize the operations of US headquartered company Cargil, and Caracas-based food maker Polar.  Here is a frightening quote from Mr. Chavez as reported on CNN.com.

"We can expropriate all the plants of Polar. Mr. Mendoza, be alert. Because then you will go out and order your pricey lawyers and I don't know what to say that this is a violation of the constitution. Well, fine. If you want to fight with the government, brother, there you go. It's not with the government, it's with the law!"

It sounds to me like Chavez is taking a page out of the book of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, whose policy of seizing the assets of white farmers and giving them to his cronies, ("land reform" is what they call it) along with other corrupt and unwise economic policy has ruined the entire economy of Zimbabwe.

I have nothing against socialist concepts in moderation, but Chavez' anti-capitalistic and aggressive style is becoming more and more alarming.  When you seize the assets of companies that are providing a good service, giving people jobs, and running smoothly, you are likely to disrupt operations and lose efficiencies.    

Dish Cloth Dress

dish cloth dress
Originally uploaded by mar1annec

Yes, this is pretty much the silliest thing I have ever knit. Sillier than a coffee cup cosy, sillier than a kitty made out of a square. Sillier than elf slippers.

Just say no to naked dish soap - knit your very own Dish Cloth Dress.

Here is the pattern I used. This actually took a long time only because I made a mistake and I had to rip one row back and I put it down for about a month before I decided to finally finish it.

http://www.knitnsewstudio.com/knit_dish_cloth_dress.htm

Snowy Day in Atlanta

My friend was supposed to fly out of town and all the flights were cancelled due to "a snow storm in Atlanta."  We were laughing at this as it was raining heavily and about 40 degrees out.  Then about 10 minutes later it started snowing BIG puffy snowflakes which as actually sticking a little bit.  The temp is still only 35 so it is melting, but that did not stop us from running around outside, making a tiny snowman, and throwing snowballs.

So we will wait and see what happens as the afternoon goes on.  If it stays warm everything will melt.  If it goes down to freezing we are going to have yucky ice.

Home Depot Expo is having their going out of business sale.  Too bad I am unemployed or I would be checking out discount bath fixtures.  I could totally use new sink faucets for the master bath.