A Full Plate - job hunting, a new car and endless squares

There are days when I would love to say that I am swamped at work, or work has been keeping me really busy. No such luck. Those close to me know that I have been looking for work for some time now. It has been very stressful, very depressing, and very aggravating.

OFFICIAL RANT

Why is it that common courtesy has gone out the window? For every 10 jobs I submit an application or resume I receive some type of response, such as "we've received your resume". Of all the jobs that I have applied for, I have received less than two dozen letters/emails saying thank you, but no thank you. How difficult is it to just send off an email saying that they have received the resume and will contact if interested? At least I would know that someone looked at it. Idiots.

I have been in the mortgage and real estate industry for 15 years. My last position was as a Vice President of Operations for a Mortgage Brokerage. I think I have industry leprosy. I am overqualified/under qualified. My background is too "specialized". They won't be able to pay me what I was accustomed to, so I won't be happy. Because of my previous position, a manager may feel that I will not be happy as a subordinate. I would be happy just getting a job, and if I didn't want to do the job I applied for, I WOULDN'T HAVE APPLIED FOR IT!!!!! As a grown woman, I find it slightly annoying that so many people are concerned for what would make me happy. Idiots.

Every morning, I start my current job of finding a job. I have several search engines set up within the various job seeking websites. These are emailed to me, sometime several times a day. I review them, send out the resumes with the customized cover letters, and have come to expect nothing. I have created 8 different resumes, so as to appeal to that specific employer or industry. On only one of the resumes does it mention my VP title. Otherwise, I list it as Operations or Office Manager. I can't change the company name or the industry, but I don't use industry lingo on 6 of them. I don't know what else to do. Idiots.

If anyone has any suggestions, email me at solslett at gmail dot com, or post something here. There's something missing and I need fresh perspective. And yes, I have gone the route of Employment Agencies, and even they have waffled on what they can do. 40,000 people in the mortgage industry have lost their jobs THIS YEAR. That doesn't take into account those laid off last year, or those that were on commission only. In the SF Bay Area, I would say that close to 10,000 industry related positions have gone by the wayside since Summer 2006. It's worse than most people think, and we're not done yet.

RANT OVER

So, what else is new.....

Kevin got his new car! Here it is .....

It is so pretty, with all kinds of modern gadgets like key less entry, cruise control, power windows, car alarm and an iPod Jack. I think this iron works and pottery shop were in American Canyon, but if we had enough "throw-away" money, we would have a T-Rex in our yard. Kevin thinks that a mail box in his mouth would be pretty cool. It would be the talk of the neighborhood.

As part of our day trip to the Napa Wine Country this past weekend, we visited my favorite winery, V. Sattui

and tried Taylors Refresher in St. Helena.

Contrary to the expression posted here, Kevin was enjoying himself. We did have to stand in line for almost 45 minutes, but how many places are there that serve Ahi Burgers? If you didn't catch it on the Food Network, Taylor's has the #2 rated Hamburger in the US. That's what I had. It was tasty. It was a lovely day. The car is a dream. If only there weren't car payments.

So, what else have I been up to since my last post? We took a trip to Sacramento to see my prize winning entries. Here I am with my first place winner..

The ribbon is huge!!! And it is so cool!!! The 3rd prize winner was in the same display as the Best in Show. It was a seasonal keepsake box; the lids were interchangeable. I know what I have to do to get Best in Show next year. I have it in me!


I've been knitting squares again. This time in the shape of dishcloths, burp cloths and small 4.5" squares for a blanket. They look something like this:

There were also the hats:

There were more, but it starts to look the same after a while. And I worked on a blanket for the Linus Project, am trying to finish up a pair of socks (I'm turning the heel tonight on the 2nd sock), and in general trying to reduce the stash. I am making progress, so I have no complaints.

If you want to see some more photos, check out Flickr, or if you are a member of Ravelry you'll find me there under the user name solslett.

I promise it won't be two weeks before I post again.

Thanks for stopping by!

I Guess I Spoke Too Soon

After much soul searching, I decided to leave the job I took just 6 weeks ago. This is something I've never done. I usually stick with something until way past the time a normal person would give up. I guess I've finally gotten to a stage in my life that I don't want to have to settle.

When one door closes another opens.

My reasons for leaving were simple - I couldn't stand the way they were running the company. Douglas Adams once said: "I love deadlines. I like the sound whooshing sound they make as they fly by." I think this was part of their mission statement. There was no sense of urgency. This is the first time in 15 years that I haven't had any part of the "operations" of a company, and, quite frankly, I was looking forward to it. Had I failed to provided system access or business cards to a new hire that had been in place for 6 weeks, I would have had my keister handed to me on a silver platter.

The job hunt continues.

Off to happier thoughts......

I love to knit, amongst other things. It has pretty much become an obsession these past few months, even though I learned to knit at the tender age of 8. Here is an example of something I finished just a few days ago....



They are green, aren't they? This is the 12th pair of socks that I have knit this year. This particular pair was knit using Schaefer Anne, a Superwash Wool/Mohair/Nylon blend that feels just wonderful to knit and wear. The pattern is from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush, and it is called Gentleman's Fancy Sock. I think this is the 4th pair I have knit from her books. I met her at Stitches West this year, and she is a very lovely, charming woman.

A couple of days before I finished another entry for Socktopia (www.socktopia.net). These are called Move Your Fanny, and the pattern is available at the site.



I used Tofutsies from Southwest Trading Company. The yarn was wonderful to work with, and I liked it so much and had enough left over for these....



These are called Wristers and are from www.soxie.com./wristers.html. Very quick knit. I finished them last Sunday.

I will blog again soon. I'll take some pictures of what I am working on and load those. It's supposed to be rainy tomorrow, so maybe I'll stay in, watch some movies and just knit.

Thanks for stopping by.

Welcome!

This is my first attempt at blogging, so I make no guarantees as to whether or not it will be interesting, or funny, or topical. It's something I've wanted to try, so here it is.

One month ago, I started a new job. For the first time since 1996, I have a view of something other than traffic, alley's or a wall. I’m working in the town of Emeryville, of Pixar fame. I am on a floor high enough to have an unobstructed view of the Bay – San Francisco, the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges, Treasure Island and the Marin Headlands. To say it is beautiful is too inadequate. Fortune smiled upon me this time.

This is a new career for me, a drastic change from my old life. It’s actually my 4th change. In my former life, I was an Operations Manager for a Mortgage company. Now I am a staffing consultant. The hours are better and I’m still able to work with a variety of people in a positive way. It’s taking a little getting used to, but I’m always up for a new challenge.

As this blog unfolds, I will be sharing some of the details of my life. Most of it, I have a feeling, will be craft related. Occasionally I might take a foray into politics, or something from the days’ news. I might share some family stuff. When we go somewhere, I might share that too. We’ll have to wait and see.

I have become a great fan of blogs and podcasts. You could say that I have become a little obsessed, even. I’ll probably share that too.

So, again I welcome you to my blog. Please let me know what you think!!




Not the view from my office, but from Vista Point from the Marin side of the bridge.