The Pod

Kent and I currently have most of our worldly belongings stored in a Pod. If you don't know what that is, a Pod is like the back of a moving truck delivered to your house, you load it with all of your stuff, then someone picks it up and they store it, stacked pod upon pod, in a warehouse until you call for it to be delivered to your home. You can also keep it in your yard if you would like. Well, we decided to access our Pod this past weekend so we could get some winter clothes, the karaoke machine, some Christmas wrappings and gifts, TETRIS and a pair of my boots. First of all we couldn't get the door open. It's one of those over-head, roll-up doors, and something was stuck about mid-way up that was keeping it from going up all the way. So, Kent was doing battle with the door and it was EXTREMELY windy that day! His hair was continuously whipping him in the face, so he went off on a mad search for a ponytail holder and I decided to stick my hand under the door and move whatever was jammed. I did, indeed, move the object, but not before an unknown object fell, smashed my finger and tore some skin off the side of it. It was very bloody and we couldn't find anything to wash it with except watered down coke and a kleenex. So then I had a sticky, bloody, fuzz covered finger. Excellent. We proceeded to unload what we needed, all the while, chasing our belongings that were blowing down the parking lot, like lampshades, baskets, and wrapping paper. Did, I mention it was windy? Meanwhile, my sister was enjoying the show (she did help us hold stuff though). We got some of the clothes we were looking for and the wrapping paper, but we gave up on the rest. It was just too deep within the Pod and digging in anything more than 2 feet from the door would have been a complete disaster. So, Karaoke, Tetris, Christmas gifts, and boots you will all have to wait until we find an apartment.

What do I, a 25-year-old girl, have in common with a 9-year-old boy?

I think I must have the sense of humor of a 9 year old boy. Nothing makes me laugh like gas and diarreah. I hope no one is offended by my talking about this, but to me, these things are just hilarious! If any of you know the "wal-mart story" then you know how funny bowel movements can be. Anyway, to get on with the story...

As you know, Kent and I are living with my grandparents right now. Well, one evening Kent was at the computer in the Utility Room which is right off of the living room and kitchen. My Grandpa was in the LR and Grandma in the Kitchen. I went in the Utility room to talk to Kent. I thought I would just sneak out a little silent gas in there and no one would be the wiser. Only, it wasn't silent. It was like a compact car's horn. Kent and I both looked at each other in shock with eyes bulging because we knew Grandpa and Grandma were both in earshot. So, I immediately started coughing to try to play the poot off as a cough. Then, what's the next thing I hear from the other room? "God bless you, Jessica!" Kent and I lost it! It was just so funny that my gas / cough was mistaken for a sneeze. We laughed and laughed so hard that we cried.
Oh gas...always brightens my day.

Unconscious Mutterings

Here's something interesting I found on a stranger's blog. It's a site that puts up new words each week for word association. It'd be cool to hear your responses to these words. My responses can be found by highlighting the words below. Don't look at my responses until you do yours.

I say ... and you think ... ?

Childhood:: run
Ransom:: kidnap
Melissa:: sweet
Trust me:: evil
Report:: card
Give up:: fight
Nightgown:: flannel
Smokes:: roll
Cookies & cream:: blue bell
Gameshow:: wheel

**Look for the next installment of Jessica's Big Ideas, in which you can read a slightly offensive story and learn about what age group my sense of humor resembles.**

Yes, I am Obsessed with Internet Quizzes

Which Colossal Death Robot Are You?
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

You're Cat's Cradle!
by Kurt Vonnegut

You believe quite firmly that free will deserted you long ago and far away. As a result, it's hard to take responsibility for anything. Even though you show great potential as a leader of a small 3rd world country, the choices are all made ahead of time. You're rather fond of games involving string. Your fear of nuclear weaponry is trumped only by your fear of ice.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Delightful Week With the Zest of a Car Problem

Well, I finished my very first week of work. It was actually a good week. I had no idea that today was even Friday. I totally thought it was Thursday. That never happens. Usually, I'll wake up and think "YAY! Friday!" But, no, it's Tuesday...wah wah wah waaaaaah. Anyway, I really like the people I work with. I think I'm getting to know them pretty fast, which is really out of character for me. They already know about my Karaoke addiction. That's a big step. Also, I have been doing many different tasks, so it keeps me busy and the day goes by quickly. That's the good part. The bad part of my week was that on my very first day of work, I get home and my car konks out. As, you know from an earlier post I HATE CAR PROBLEMS! Thankfully, Kent and my Grandpa have been taking turns bringing me and picking me up from work. The general consensus is that the problem is the starter, so Kent is going to pull it tomorrow and take it to get tested. Hopefully, that is the problem and Kent can install a new one easily.

A Painful Memory

Here's something funny from my childhood. I had a "big wheel." You have to know what this is because I'm sure most of you had one. It's like a plastic bike that's really low to the ground. The front wheel is really big and the two back wheels were small. My "Big Wheel" was Barbie themed. I loved it! Only I couldn't ride it normal. I insisted on dragging my knuckles on the concrete as a rode and ran over my fingers with the two small wheels on the back. I don't know why I liked doing that. It was just my thing. My parents would tell me not to do it, but riding the "Big Wheel" just wouldn't be the same without running over my fingers. I rode it and ran over my hands till the day it was stolen. Ahhhh...Memories.

Quiz

Which flock do you follow?

this quiz was made by alanna




You're Captain Jack Sparrow: smart, savvy, a demon with the eyeliner and the best pirate we've ever seen. And only a little crazy. Savvy?

Which POTC character are you?

this quiz was made by alanna

Which X2 Character Are You?

Ahh, the Paperwork.

I just got home from filling out some paper work at my new job. Everyone there seems really nice. Including myself, there are 6 people in the office. I think I will fit right in because everybody's a comedien. And, as most of you know, I can't stop if I'm on a roll. I was very quiet today though. I'm quiet if I'm nervous or with people I don't know very well. One of the few things I did say I think may have given them the impression that I'm kinda odd. They asked me if I had a dog. So I told them no, but I would be getting a Chihuahua because they're so close to being human! Then I immediatly wondered why on earth I shared that with them. Only someone who has a Chi knows what I'm talking about. Good thing for me there was a man there who has 3 Chihuahuas, so at least he didn't think I'm crazy. :) I was excited to find out that I have my own, my very own, office! It's like the size of a king size bed, no windows, but I've never had an office to myself before so, I'm thrilled.

I am covered in dust!

After all my excitement with the new job I haven't really posted anything. Well, that's because I'm working on a big project. I decided to devote my last week of freedom to helping my mom sand down and refinish all of her kitchen cabinets. It's quite a big job! Altogether there are 41 cabinets and drawers! Oh well, I like stuff like that. Until I get tired, that is. It will be so much fun to have a house someday. I can hardly wait to buy a house that needs a lot of work and then fix it all up! I have so many ideas in my head but no house to put them in. However, I don't think that will happen for a long time, since Kent and I can't seem to commit to anything longer than a 6 month lease, much less commit to a mortgage.

Oh yes, so I did forget to actually say what I'll be doing at my new job. I will be helping with the leases and attending to the Dr's needs, such as calling repair people or cleaning people, or whatever. I'll also be doing some stuff with entering money and rent payments into the computer. They said that I will have projects, as well. I will be working from 8 - 5 Monday through Friday, so that's good. There are some apartments we're interested in that are about 2 blocks from the building where I will work. They're also right by the library, you know how much I love the library.

I'm just so tired and I feel like if I sneeze a cloud of dust will come out of my nose. I need a nap.

I'm Officially Hired!

That's right, I got a job! They called around 8 last night and made me an offer, which I accepted. I'm SO happy and thankful! Now here's something very rare to appear on my blog...something serious. This is what happened with my job search.

Well, it all goes back to July. Kent got accepted to the school and we decided that IF we got jobs ahead of time then we would move. It turns out we both felt like God wanted us to go ahead and just move. Without jobs. With only the money we had saved up. So we moved in with my grandparents. Kent got a job 2 days after being here! They offered him flexible hours to work around his classes and the right amount of money. It seemed just right. I had more difficulty finding a job. Our goal was that my job needed to meet ALL of our needs outside of Kent's tuition (his job would pay for that). So we figured out how much we needed and it came to X amount of dollars. We and other family and friends began praying that I would be able to find a job paying X dollars. Well about a month and a half into the search we began to get discouraged. No one would call me back after I told them my salary requirement. Other people told me "you won't be able to get a job making that much, you don't have enough experience", meanwhile our savings was dwindling away. We then re-evaluated our budget and made some cuts. We also decided that we could live on campus, although that wasn't really what we wanted to do and Kent would take on a few more hours. So, I began searching for Z amount of dollars. I got a few calls back after that amount was decided, but none of them worked out. About 2 months into the job search I got really down about the whole thing. I started thinking maybe we made a mistake moving here. Maybe we read things wrong and God really didn't want us here at all. Not to mention, I looked at our budget and realized our money would run out on November 15th. Then I signed up with a staffing agency. They sent me on a lot of interviews! One in particular was an interview on friday October 22nd. They really liked me and I got a call from my recruiter saying that they would probably make me an offer. It was an "okay" job. It paid Z dollars. I would be doing ALOT of filing. I would also have to drive downtown everyday and pay $1000 per year just to park! Well, as soon as I hung up the phone it rang again in my hand. When I answered, a lady said "Hi Jessica. I'm _________ a recruiter from ______ and I have your resume' in front of me." She went on to tell me about this job that sounded EXACTLY like what I'd been looking for! It paid X dollars, health insurance, vacation and the possibility of promotion. Plus it would pay the tuition for any industry related degree or license I wanted to get. It's about 1 mile from where we live and it's in the property management industry! The whole time she was talking I just kept thinking things like "How much of a chance do I really have?" "Should I turn down other offers for this job?" God answered all my questions through her as she talked. I didn't voice any of them. She also told me that she usually has a feel for these things and she thought I'd be a great match for the company. She was only selecting 3 other people for interviews. I didn't even apply for this job. Somehow she got a hold of my resume'. Possibly from somewhere I posted it on the internet. We left it as she would contact me on Monday to set up an interview for Tuesday. So, all weekend we prayed and tried to figured out what to do. On Monday the downtown job made me an offer. It was a good offer, but I couldn't help think of this other opportunity that God put in front of me. So we prayed and read and asked for God's guidance as to what to do. I had until Tuesday morning to make a decision. I just kept thinking how could I justify turning down a job OFFER that I'd been praying for for so long for a job I hadn't even interviewed for yet! Kent and I agreed though that we both felt like this other opportunity was put in front of me for a reason and it's all in God's control anyway, so if he wants me to turn down this offer then he will provide something else, whether it's the property management job or not. So, we decided that if the recruiter actually called me back to set up an interview, then I would turn down the downtown job (yikes). Well, of course I waited and waited for her to call back. When it was after five I figured she wouldn't. So, I prayed again for her to just call me and let me know either way. It didn't have to be the way I wanted. She called at 5:30 and told me I had an interview! I was so excited and nervous. The next morning the downtown job called and I turned it down. They were not happy. They tried to press me for information about the new company and how much they pay and all that, but I wouldn't give it out. I went to my interview and, by the way, I've lost all of my ability to read people. I used to be pretty good at that, but not anymore. I don't know what happened. Anyway, I wasn't sure if he liked me or not. The interview lasted about an hour and he said he would more than likely call me the next day to meet with the VP who would be in town on business. He called me the next day and asked if I could meet him and the VP for lunch (see the post that is below this one). So, I met them and it went okay. I say the strangest things sometimes and I think how on earth could these people like me. But, my recruiter called me back and said they loved me, but no offers yet. All the while we still were continually praying that I would be shown if this is the right job or also if there are any red flags I should know about. Then the guy that interviewed me called me back and said we're very interested but we need to work some things out. Okay. Recruiter calls back, they're very interested, but they need to work some things out. Hang on until next week. Alright, I will. Monday, recruiter calls again, they really like you when is the latest you could start. I tell her November 15th (that's when our money runs out, but I didn't tell her that :). Tuesday, my interviewer calls me back and wants me to meet him and one of the partners for cocktails ( I was so nervous about that). It went really well. They were very nice and relaxed people. They kept asking me if the recruiter had called me yet. I told them just that she'd called and asked when I would need to start. So, finally one of them said, well, you know, we want you. And hopefully we can get this worked out and the recruiter will call you. YES! But of course It's not official yet, so I still think there's the possibility they might not hire me. Well, on the way home I get a call from the recruiter. She says they'd like to make you an offer of X dollars per year. Do you accept? I accepted. "You're officially hired at X dollars". Oh I'm so happy! Thank you God! I just can't believe that what I had given up on over a month ago God didn't give up on at all. He knew all along what was waiting for me. Even when I acted like a baby and cried when I got turned down for jobs and said things like We should've never moved here, He knew that I was getting turned down because He had the job for me waiting that paid the amount that we had originally prayed for. Even the recruiter said, "You know, it's still a mystery to you and me how we actually got your resume. I can only assume it was from the internet, but I don't know." Someone had just given her a stack of printed out resume outlines to look through. All the work and money I spent on my own sending out resume's and paying for postage, in the end wasn't even needed. I didn't have to search for the job, God sent it to me. I just feel so "taken care of", if that makes sense. Thank you so much to anyone who prayed for us during my search. :)

Symptoms: Can't sleep, loss of appetite, angry stomach

**I've had this saved as a draft since Wednesday October 27th. I didn't want to write anything that might jeopardize my chance for the job, so now that the decision has been made I feel free to post. However, no specific names will be mentioned**

Diagnosis: My first "Business Lunch" (well really it was more like an interview while eating)

That was stressful. Going to a regular interview makes me nervous enough. I alredy have quite a few nervousness problems with the neck spasms, heart palpitations, and chest tightness. So, now I had to interview and eat! That added a whole new dimension to my anxiety. I began to think, what should I eat? Are they paying for me? What if I get a bean sprout stuck in my teeth? If I choke and require the Heimlich maneuver am I still a candidate for the job? I survived though, but not without quite a bit of sweating and an insanely long spit string connecting my mouth to my straw (I really hope they didn't see that).

Pigeons Plot in Secrecy

There's a Simon and Garfunkel CD called "Bookends" and on this CD there is a song called "At the Zoo." I would love to do a painting of what I see in my head when this song plays! It's very funny to me, but so far no one else really thinks so. In the song it talks about the animals at the zoo and what they're known for. Here are some of my favorite lines! You should download this.

Orangutans are skeptical of changes in their cages,
And the zookeeper is very fond of rum...

Zebras are reactionaries,
Antelopes are missionaries...

Pigeons plot in secrecy...

What do you think those pigeons are plotting? I think they're plotting graphs.