Random Thoughts

is melting in the front lawn.

The neighbor across the way built a large snowman two weeks ago which turned into a snow blob and now is a small pile of slush.

I would have been happy if it hit 50d today – even better that the high is currently 56d!  I thought about breaking out the shorts…and that quickly passed.

We got a little sun today – enough to work on that snow issue.  Quickly clouded over and moved onto rain in the afternoon.  Better than snow.

It gave me the chance to not only vacuum out my car, but to get a much needed sweep down of the garage.  The car was in the driveway while I took out the pushbroom and shopvac to clean up.  I threw down some sweeping dirt and tried to pick up the crud and salt my car dropped over the winter.  It was a mess – but better now.

Tags: melt, rain, snow, winter

Tags: Handsome Men's Club, HMC, Jimmy Kimmel

Nothing new unfortunately.

The one company that I interviewed with almost a month ago that told me I would hear back from them in a few days…yeah – haven’t heard anything.  I guess “a few days” is the same as “more than thirty days if ever”.  I’m upset, but there’s nothing I can do about it – I’ve already called twice to the individual I interviewed with, but he told me that he passed everything on to his manager.

I’m well over 300 resumes sent out and into my second notebook.  I document all the resumes and applications submitted with followup notes.  I highlight the entry when there is a change or notification.  I don’t use the highlighter that much.

I am again seeing the same jobs posted online.  I wonder if the companies are even hiring for the position or if they are just adding to their potential candidate databases.  I’ve applied to <a major home decor retailer> three times since becoming unemployed and haven’t heard back any of the times.  And I don’t think it’s because they aren’t getting candidates – their standards CAN’T be that high – its ridiculous.

I had a friend recently tell me that I should take a vacation.  I have the time and won’t be missing any work, so I should pack a bag and head to Aruba for a few days.  He informed me that he had a lot of friends who used this opportunity to do some traveling and see some sites.  While it may work for some people – I’m more interested in getting back to work.

Tags: depression, failure, fear, job hunt, Reposted Blog, Toledo, unemployment

No Soda Report: Week 3

So it’s been three weeks since I have had any pop.  Overall I feel a lot better.  I don’t feel as bloated as I was before and the headaches (from last week) have stopped.  I have noticed that the cravings for pop aren’t as strong as they were in the past and I am much more apt to pick up a bottle of juice or water at the store.

I’m still craving sweet things.  I’ve gotten all the cookies and candy out of the house so I don’t substitute one thing for another.

I’ve been drinking a lot more liquids.  About 64oz of liquid (Crystal Lite or water) or more a day.  I keep track of how much I am drinking by making a pitcher of drink mix in the morning and by the end of the day it has to be gone.

More energy – I don’t know if that is because of the warmer weather or the sun but I am more bouncy.  And when I do have coffee, it affects me harder and for a longer period of time. (I had a Butter Bear from Biggby yesterday morning and was still sleepless at midnight).

Tags: Biggby, Caffeine, Diet, pop, soda

Tags: WHAT THE....?!?!

Okay, by now you’ve seen the super awesome graphic that I helped to create with my friend, Tina – right?

Well, we’ve taken that design and transferred it to a few other products so that you can share it with family and friends.

1) Poster: sizes start at 11″x11″ up to 23″x23″ with archival inks on media from poster to UV Gloss Canvas with custom frames.  Prices start under $20

2) Postcards: standard heavyweight postcards with gloss front.  Prices start at $1.00 and dip to only $0.35 when buying in bulk.

3) Totebag: variety of fabrics from 100% cotton to heavyweight canvas.  Prices start at $10.55 for the economy tote.  All totes are under $30.

4) Note Card: Write a note to friends or loved-ones on these note cards.  Heavy card stock with included white envelopes.  We’ve left the inside blank for you to write your own message.  Prices drop when buying in bulk.

Tags: graphic design, t-shirt, Toledo Neighborhood, Type B: CPG, zazzle, zazzle.com

Sunday morning at Biggby Coffee.

I enjoy coming here on Sunday mornings before the day really gets started to get my dose of caffeine and get some work done.  At this time of the morning, there aren’t a lot of people here (yet) and its almost a spiritual event.

I’m able to log onto the wifi, check my mail, and get some things accomplished without interruption.  The sun is just barely over the horizon and a new day beckons.

Thank you Biggby for starting today off right.

* No payment was received from Biggby Coffee for this unsolicited posting.  It was a good morning and I decided to write about it.

Tags: Biggby, Coffee, Sunday Morning

Wildwood Park hike 03.06.2010

Today the temperature was in the low 40’s and the sun was out in a cloudless sky.  It might as well have been the middle of summer as far as we were concerned.  It was a perfect day for a winter walk.

A lot of people (and their dogs) took advantage of the nice weather today and were out on the trails with us.  We also saw the last remnants of the cross-country skiers as they work out the last days before they have to pack their gear away for the season.  The trails were snow-covered and packed, which made for a sometimes slick, sometimes muddy walk.  We had two dogs with us (Max & Sasha) which kept us company along the way.

We walked the red onto the orange trails ending up in front of the Manor House at Wildwood Park.  The Manor House is the old home to the Stranahan family, of Champion Spark Plug-fame.  We built a snowman (see above) and concluded the walk.  We were on the trails for about an hour and a half – an excellent way to spend a late morning out with friends.

Tags: hikes, meetup.com, wildwood park

Today is an errands day.  I have to pay my condo dues, make my car payment, and mail out some checks.  I’m also off to the grocery store to stock the pantry a little.  I realized this morning that I am out of salt.  Really, salt?  Exactly.

I really hate hitting the Kroger on a Friday morning.  So many people inside in absolutely no hurry to get anywhere.  I walked around with my list and made it out in 20 minutes.  I ran into no less than 15 older couples taking up the entire aisle.  Full cart < $50.

It’s headed towards the 40’s today – feels like summer.  I opened up all the curtains and am trying to get the most amount of sun into the house as I can.  Love the sun.

This weekend, I have a hike/walk at Wildwood Park and then on Sunday a Type B: CPG meeting at Biggby Coffee .  We’re planning a new social network project and need to hammer out the details and brainstorm the next steps.

Tags: condo23

It was a good day today.  The sun was out melting the snow and everything seemed just a bit warmer.  I did some cleaning today, and laundry – but it didn’t bother me.

The job boards were light, and a lot of reposted positions.  I guess companies are collecting resumes right now and not actually hiring.

A jobs bill was passed through Congress and awaits for evaluation with the Senate before it can be signed by the President.  It offers incentives to upgrade equipment and to hire individuals who have been unemployed for 6 months or longer. (that’s me!)

I played around with Adobe Illustrator today, trying some new things in anticipation of our next project at Type B: CPG.

A little relaxing tonight – Thursday night television is new.  Tomorrow, I’m hitting the grocery store to stock up on some food.

Tags: depression, fear, job hunt, snow, Television, weekend projects