Tuesday, November 18, 2008

I can still be grateful...

Well, Monday we received it...the rejection letter from Hodgson Russ. So, now we are out of job prospects, but we're still not out of the running. Just on Saturday we mailed out another 118 resumes to firms in New England, Illinois, Colorado, Texas, and maybe even Utah. Mark will also be working with the CDO (the career center at the school) to find an internship for next summer. As for now we're still doing what we can to find ANYTHING for next year. Sure, we have our concerns, but we're trying hard to be positive about it all. (Admittedly, Mark is a lot better at that than I am right now.)


I often feel happier when I have a project to work on, so I've given myself the task of making an outfit as my gift for my friend's baby shower. Of course, the baby shower is in the past, so the gift was that she could help me design the outfit and that I would make it for her. I've already given her a baby blanket, but I took it back to do one last finishing touch. I took advantage of the Veterans' Day Sale at JoAnn Fabrics (thanks Aunt Colette!) and I'm ready to get started with this project. My only problem is that I seem to have so many other things that occupy my time. So...I've had the material for a week, and I still haven't been able to get started. Hopefully I will soon. I would like to have it done before the baby is born; if not, then before I leave for Christmas. We'll see! It's all just a matter of time, and how I schedule it. :)


Despite the fact that we're searching for a job in the worst market in the history of our lives, and the fact that I don't seem to ever have both the time and energy to make dinner after a long day at work, there are so many things that I must be grateful for. In an attempt to turn my attitude into something great, I will make a list (not all-inclusive by any means) of random things that I am grateful for:
-The sunny sky: when the wind stops blowing for just a moment, I can feel a split second of warmth amidst the 32 degree Boston weather.
-Facebook online chat: when I'm so bored at work with nothing to really pass the time, at least there are chances to rekindle old friendships or talk to family far away, and it gives me a little more joy in an otherwise boring day.
-Space heaters: it may not be that cold in the office, but a space heater under my desk certainly does make it a lot more comfortable.
-Computers with Internet: if I didn't have a way to blog and work with digital photos, I would feel like I had a lot more work to do in order to to keep up with scrapbooks and personal history. At least this way I can do it at work while I'm just killing time.
-Skinny Cow Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwiches: when I need to indulge, at least I can do it for less than 120 calories.

See? I feel better already! Maybe you should try it! What are a few random things that you're thankful for? Of course I would include in my list things like my husband, and family, and my Savior, but what about the little things? What small things bring you joy? Leave a comment and share the joy!!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Here's to hoping!

Yesterday was the 2-week point after Mark's second interview at Hodgson Russ, and we got something in the mail from them. Lo and Behold...it was not in a letter-sized envelope, so we weren't really sure what to make of it. It turned out to be the reimbursement check for his flight/hotel/etc. to Buffalo, NY. In the card were pleasantries of, "great to meet with you" and "if you have any questions..." And yet, it was NOT a rejection letter. It wasn't an acceptance letter either, but it still give a ray of shining hope. Maybe they're still mulling it over and trying to find a place to put Mark. We can hope, right?

Mark has spent some time researching more firms and has about 150+ that he's about to send applications to. Hopefully we'll be able to get something out of all this. What a hard year to be a 2L! Oh well...here's to hoping...and a lot of prayer!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

A Truly Historic Event

Barrack Obama has been elected to be the first Black-American President of the United States of America. He was practically unknown to the country before his candidacy, and now he's elected to this highest office in our nation. This is one of those events where we should record our feelings in a journal and express our emotions of such a historic event. Knowing that this will be an important milestone in the future of America, we should contemplate the possibilities for the future and what it means to us and our posterity...so here I go...but note that it is totally acceptable for you to not agree with what I'm about to say. In fact, you may think that I'm totally ignorant, which is OK too. You're entitled to your opinion, but remember, so am I! :)

Honestly, I'm not sure what my feelings are about it, maybe I'm just indifferent about the whole affair. I mean, yes, it's a big deal that the Blacks in this nation can now feel like there is a leader in the White House that will represent all of America, including them...but I never felt that the previous leaders were NOT representing them. (Maybe it was they who decided to not be represented.) It's great that there were so many people who are being more patriotic by voting in this election that never participated in the past because they felt that there was someone now that they could support. The only problem is that they never participated before because they didn't feel like there was someone that they could support. I don't want to come off sounding racist, but I think it's a shame that it took a Black-American candidate to get the Black-American public to participate in an election. I'm not totally convinced that Barrack Obama is so original in his ideas, but his rhetoric about "Change" is what captivated America.

Does he really stand for something that's a new concept in this country? Well, I don't really think so, but it's the fact that he has spoken so eloquently against how things have been run lately in Washington. (Which is fine, don't get me wrong!) I'm glad to see that the candidate that was elected is the one that so many in this country want to have in office. I think (and hope) that his heart is in the right place and that he will use his office to truly help this country and not for his own objectives. I can't really say that I know exactly what it takes to be a great president, but I do know that uniting the people in a cause is a big start. If the country will really rally behind Obama, then we will improve our current situation dramatically. I supported George W. Bush, not because he was White, or from Texas, or because he was a Republican. I supported him because he was our President. He may have made a few mistakes, sure, but I think the media made him to be a worse villain than he really was. The troubles of this nation are NOT ALL Bush's fault. However, I supported him because I knew that he was in a better position to make decisions than I was. He had his advisers and several experts (who know much better than the general public or the media) to help him make those critical decisions.

I may not have voted for Barrack Obama, but I support him now... not because he's Black, not because he's from Illinois (my home state), not because he's a Democrat. I support him because he will soon be our President. I support him because I choose to stand for a united country and for a united people. I hope that those of us who did not vote for Barrack Obama will listen to the message of John McCain's speech last night after the election was pronounced. We need to allow our love for this country unite us as one people under the support of one president, President Obama. May God bless the man who will now make such an impact on us and our lives!

On a much less serious note totally unrelated to the above topic: I do love our country, but I certainly get frustrated with people who decide that vandalism is a good way to have fun. The morning after Halloween I found that someone had knocked off both of the side mirrors of our car. They were still attached because of the electrical cords that ran into the car, but Mark and I had to go and get new mirrors this week. Gluing them on was not going to be a feasible option this time. We tried it before, and it just didn't work right. More money being wasted when we didn't plan on spending it on the car! *sighs*