To Much Time on My Hands

Drama on the UES

2009-12-21T18:11:00.007-05:00

I spent 20 minutes picking out a Christmas card to put the holiday tip in for my Super today and this is why...

Last night I was sitting on the couch when I heard loud voices in the hallway. They went on for awhile and in my head I was thinking, “What are my new, annoying neighbors doing NOW”. I was blaming my new neighbors because:

1. They own and play an electric guitar
2. Their toilet overflowed and flooded my apartment
3. They slam their door and the hallway door at all hours
4. I just don’t like them

The voices got louder and I felt compelled to play the nosey neighbor and see what was what. So I went to the door and listened in. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the new neighbors after all. It was another neighbor and my Russian Super’s wife. Seems the wife was accusing the woman of coming on to her husband. Keep in mind that the neighbor is also married and her husband was home and they were well into a heated conversation when I started listening.

Seems the neighbor sent the Super a text message that his wife read and was upset about. On a side note, you can text the Super? Why didn’t I know that? That’s the most awesome direct, yet passive aggressive way to complain ever and I want a piece of it.

Anyway the wife was freaking out about the text she said the neighbor had sent, and the neighbor was denying sending it. She did admit however that she does send him a lot of text messages because she complains a lot (again, I need this cell phone number).

I wanted to walk back to my couch and turn up the sound on my TV but I couldn’t, an actual Jerry Springer episode was playing out in my hallway! Apparently the text message said,
“I’m getting tired and heading to bed, I love you.” To be fair, if I read that on my husband’s phone I’d be pretty pissed off too. The neighbor kept denying, denying, denying. The wife had the phone and showed her the proof that it came from her number. The wife kept yelling for her husband for back-up but I guess he was really busy doing something else because he never appeared. After awhile the neighbor went to get her cell phone to “prove” she didn’t send that to him. Then her story changed she said she had been texting with her sister. After looking through her phone she realized that the Super’s number was underneath her sister’s number in her phone and she had accidently sent the message intended for her sister to him.

The wife seemed dubious. The neighbor continued explaining and showing her the phone and how the mistake could have happened, apologizing, explaining how she understood why she was so mad and finally the wife stormed off. I’m pretty sure she didn’t believe the text was a mistake and that things were pretty icy at their place that night.

Now that I know she has such a hot temper and has a jealous streak maybe I don’t want that number after all. I don’t need to give her any reason to come knocking on my door which is why I wanted to find the least warm and caring card possible and if you’ve been in a Hallmark store you know that isn’t easy.

NY Times article: Text Messages: Digital Lipstick on the Collar

Video Intercom System

2009-12-19T11:29:00.003-05:00

The new video intercom system has been installed! Of course, the instructions they left for me to figure out how to operate it are in Spanish.

How many calls, are too many calls?

2009-11-23T10:20:00.000-05:00

I’m being stalked! Ok, Not really but who calls anyone 2-3 times a day? Someone crazy desperate that’s who.

The story is that after all my dead-end interviews I thought maybe I’d meet with a professional that can give me some training, or direction or crib notes or something to help me improve the improve process. So I did a Google search and was lead to a woman’s website saying she was a seasoned professional in job interview training. I saw that she had a 212 area code which meant she was here in NYC and decided it was a sign (I’m a strong believer in “signs”). So I sent her an email telling her I was getting interviews but not second interviews and wasn’t sure exactly what I may be doing wrong. Only in a much shorter and funnier way because it was 2am.

The next day I was volunteering at the shelter when my cell phone rang, I didn’t recognize the number so sent it to voicemail. Two seconds later it rang again and was the same number weird. After volunteering I ran a bunch of errands and during that time the same number called again. OK I’m thinking if this was a guy I was dating, I’d be a little freaked out.
I listened to all her voicemails and she was kind of giggly talking about my nice email, how talented she was and how she knew she could help me. At that point I was keeping an open mind even though I was seeing a few red flags. The next day I planned to call her after volunteering but before I’d even gotten home she already had called TWICE. Who calls someone 5 times in 2 days without waiting for a reply?

That day I didn’t call her back, and the next day it was more of the same. My whole phone log was starting to only have only this woman’s name on it. I was beginning to believe I was her only prospect for business but that being said I haven’t had a job in almost 6 months now so maybe I’m off base and that’s normal behavior. So I started asking people casually their take on a woman you don’t owe money to and have never met calling you three times a day, they all were on the same page as I was, “Danger, Danger, Will Robinson”.

The next day she stepped it up and added emailing to her repertoire. I wasn’t even listening to her messages at this point I was starting to wonder what I needed to do to break things off with her and let her down easy. I sent her an email and said that I’d gotten all of her messages and emails and appreciated them and that since I’d been unemployed for awhile and money was tight could she let me know what her rates were. Ugh, that started a whole new flurry of calls and emails. She told me that she didn’t quote rates over the phone or in email. She then called back to tell me she accepts credit cards, lucky me.

Finally after almost two weeks she stopped contacting me. Her final message said that I owed her because of that email I sent her and she knew she could help me, but that she was putting my file away until I was ready to contact her. In the meantime a friend referred me to someone else who got back to me, said she was finishing up a book and would contact me in December. She hasn’t.

Locked In

2009-11-17T23:16:00.000-05:00

So the other day I walked into my apartment after being gone all day to find 7 holes in my walls SEVEN. And on top of that the plaster powder from the walls was tracked and scattered on everything and everywhere. They are replacing our old intercom system and installing a brand new video intercom system. The holes were in the hallway, my bedroom and the bathroom and so was the white powder. Seems they could have made a little effort to clean up.

But I needed to run to get to 2ChicksInc.com’s launch event. So I rushed around got dressed, put on my coat, grabbed my bag and keys and headed for the door. Except the door wouldn’t open. I kept turning the locks and shaking the door but nothing worked. I was actually locked INSIDE my apartment.

Can you think of anything more exasperating? Trapped INSIDE your own apartment. Some days I don’t even change out of my PJ’s or leave my apartment these days but here I am all dressed up and stuck. So I called my Super, and surprise he wasn’t home. I started pacing like a trapped animal, now it seemed imperative that I leave. I sent my friends a text telling them I was late and the reason. I called my Super again. I tweeted about my luck. I called the Super again. I called my mom, things were getting desperate I was getting desperate and the situation was ridiculous, seriously things like that only happen to me!

I called the Super again, and this time his wife picked up. “Oh!” I screamed, “please come let me out of my apartment!” They’re Russian so I had to tone it down and explain myself several times before she agreed to come. I heard her and her children get off the elevator and then nothing. I started yelling out, “Hello! Hello! Heelllllooooo! I’m in here” I knew she was outside the door but she said nothing. She was clearly as confused about the situation as I was from the other side of the door. “Please unlock the door” I pleaded.

“Hello?” I heard her ask. “Yes! Yes I’m in here! Please unlock the door for me.” She unlocked the door and stood staring at me completely confused. I explained that the workers must have done something to the door and I couldn’t get out. She told me that she’s thought I was locked out of my apartment and couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t in the hallway. Then she told me that the workers were told to push in a button on the inside of the door. I thanked her immensely and headed out to the party, feeling like I had a story about being late that no one would quite believe.

A couple days later when I recounted the story to a friend and showed him the pictures above from my bathroom he said, “I guess that’s where the cameras are going.”

Tragedy of Errors

2009-11-11T02:00:00.003-05:00

So I just blew another job interview. This is getting really annoying. If it wasn’t for that whole needing a roof over my head, cable and new shoes I’d give it all up. I really need to do something about my bumbling ways. You know how Terri Hatcher is such a cute, loveable character, bumbling her way into the hearts of America? Well in real life that crazy bumbling isn’t cute and adorable at all, it comes off more like someone you roll your eyes at and cross the street to avoid. Certainly not someone you’d trust with your company or clients.

Ok let’s start at the beginning. Today I had an interview for a short term job working at a very famous jewelry store (yes, THAT one), planning an event for one of their 4 very prestigious designers. The recruiter told me to “look the part” whatever that means. So I took care is dressing and accessorizing, I read over their website and about the designer and gathered samples of my work. I left the house feeling confident, which is of course where it all fell apart.

Before leaving I put a top coat of polish on my fingernails. I walked outside in my awesome 3 inch pumps that get RAVE reviews and hailed a cab. As I got into the cab my heel caught in an uneven brick, I tripped, fell and slammed into the side of the cab. I limped in, and gave him directions searching for blood. No blood just a small tear in the hose, ruined nails and a lot of pain it could have been much worse. I of course didn’t plan for NYC rush hour traffic or for it to take 30 min to go 13 blocks so I had to get out of the cab and run to the building. When I got to the building I found I’d forgotten my ID, and in NYC since 9/11 no ID equals no entrance. But he called up and since they were expecting me he let me in. In the elevator I went to turn my cell phone to vibrate when I noticed that at some point that button had fallen off. Hmm, of course, I’d have expected no less.

We sat down,chatte d and 5 minutes in I could see her eyes glaze over with disinterest. I have no idea what I did wrong except that for some reason the art of speech and thought seem to escape me in interviews. I kept trying to remember the phrase “high net worth clients” but all I could say was “really good clients”. Then I said something I never said before, I just laid it out there, and said, “I know I’m really bad in interviews, I get really nervous but I have really great experience and I am confident I can do a great job on this event for you.” Not too bad huh? She seemed somewhat turned around when the fire alarm went off. I’m not even kidding. The announcement said there was smoke in the basement and they would keep us updated. I tried to rack my brain for questions and nothing came to me so 10 minutes after the interview started she was walking me out.

I’m still feeling confident by the way, that I’m going to have a big bruise on my knee, that I need to redo my nails and that a certain blue box store will not be returning my calls.

Are you from Australia?

2009-11-06T14:00:00.001-05:00

Working on the Bloomberg campaign was exciting and challenging in so many ways. My job there was to work with the volunteers giving them things to do like, making phone calls and stuffing envelopes to name a few. But when a tall, cute guy showed up and started flirting with me I was a little thrown off. It’s a little like flirting with your boss. So I tasked him with passing out literature with another volunteer. When he came back he kept asking me questions, one of which was; where is my accent from? I told him GA and he said, “Oh, I thought you were from Australia. Hmmm, cute but maybe not so bright, that’s ok. So we talked about my hours etc., a bit more and he went home.

I relayed the story later to a friend, we looked him up on Facebook and after a few glasses of wine decided I needed to go for it.

On Election Day he came into the office to go out for subway visibility. Everyone on staff was tasked with getting volunteers in and then right back out. No hanging out in the office whatsoever. So he tried to have a conversation with me all the while a guy was standing over us saying things like, “YAY, Go Bloomberg! Get out there and spread the enthusiasm” etc, etc. It was awkward. When he came back a few hours later it was a little easier to talk and we said we’d see each other at the party later.

But I was invited to stand on stage with Mike Bloomberg during his acceptance speech and they kept all of us in a separate room so we could line up together. At the end of the evening I was saying goodbye to people and had resigned myself to the fact that I’d missed the chance to see and give my number to my new crush. Then I turned around and there he was. He lunged at me and told me how he’d been looking all over for me. Then his friend agreed saying, “Yeah, all he’s been talking about was finding you.” As we stood there talking about the party he was rubbing my back. We took a picture together and he asked me to send him a copy and gave me his card. All sounds promising right?

The next day I looked at the picture in horror, I looked really awful and I was embarrassed to send him the picture but it was really my only option to talk to him again. I let the next couple of days pass while I considered my options. I could make up an excuse for not sending the picture or I could just send the picture and see what his response was. After all he’d met me, flirted with me, and rubbed my back the guy wants to see me right?

Wrong. He never responded.

I GOT A NEW LAPTOP!

2009-10-27T23:40:00.003-04:00

Whatever, maybe the all caps, streamers and balloons are overkill but that’s my shiny new laptop right there! I waited until Windows 7 was out, went to Best Buy and spent several hours begging someone to wait on me (that place sucks). I actually ended up asking a random guy that looked like a dad what he was going to buy and why. Then I took him over to the two laptops I was thinking about and asked his advice, he actually was extremely helpful and I ended up getting the one he told me to buy (he should have gotten the commission).

When I got home I logged in and of course couldn’t get online. The next day I spent 2 hours on the phone with Verizon trying to find out why my DSL wouldn’t work. The two hours was because the technicians were complete idiots. One actually told me that if the word Google was in the URL line then I was logged on. I yelled, “What about the error message saying it couldn’t connect?!?!” He hung up on me. In hindsight I may have used a couple unnecessary expurlatives. After finally getting someone who wasn’t a jackass he discovered that my modem box was outdated for my new fancy, smancy laptop. How to fix the problem? Mail me a new one. Yep mail. Then he said he’s call me back when it arrives to help me set it up. He never called back. Typical man. It only took two calls and an hour to finally get online when the new modem arrived. Ever have a new laptop and not be able to get online? Frustrating!

Getting used to the new keyboard, and overly sensitive mouse has been tricky but what’s really thrown me for a loop is trying to find my way around Windows 7. I mean why do away with things like file, edit etc? I’m still learning.

All and all it’s great to get online whenever I want and not have to stand in line, or pay by the minute to do it. Its great, I just wish those stupid MAC commercials would stop making me paranoid that it’s going to crash at any moment.

I Say Stupid Shit

2009-10-17T23:33:00.002-04:00

It's not a secret if you know me that I make a habit if saying what's on my mind or whatever weird thing may pop into it. Which could be fun if we are hanging out drinking but if you don't know me you could take it completely wrong which is the case in my recent interview and Erline.

I had an interview with a woman named Erline, which I believe is a country song but since I can’t find it online and no one seems to believe me including Erline herself I may have just made it up. The job was planning events with a PR firm that works with the UN. Only the position was just being developed and they didn’t have any events planned at all in the near future. So Erline wanted to know what I’d be doing to keep busy in my downtime. If you have a confused look on your face imagine how I looked in the interview. Uhm…Uhm…Uhmmm magic tricks?

So I was telling @Lostplum about how bad the interview was and how ever since she called I can’t get the (make believe) song out of my head and how I told her about it. LostPlum said, “You didn't actually SAY that did you?”

Yes, I did that's who I am, I say really stupid shit. There must be a job out there that appreciates that in an employee isn't there?

UPDATE: The song is actually Jolene by Dolly Parton

Virtual Dating

2009-10-10T17:00:00.003-04:00

So like most Americans I was conned by the eHarmony commercial and joined. Well to be fair a friend of mine joined and is currently dating and sleeping with a fireman, he has 2 children under the age of 2 so I'm not convinced he's not actually married but I haven't had a date in 6 months so I can’t exactly get all judgy. One very lazy afternoon a commercial came on to join for a free weekend so I thought I would check it out. After about an hour of answering at least 500 questions I'm ready to be matched up. That's when I find out that this glorious free weekend does not actually allow you to view your marches photos. Now I get their whole premise where they want to match you on this whole deep, we have so much in common level, but let's be honest I'm not going on a date with anyone without checking out their photo first and not too many other people would either. Needless to say I felt kind of duped.

Then my laptop died and the whole matter seemed mute. But they kept emailing me match after match and the anticipation was getting to me, damnit! I wanted to see these men that could all be my future husband! Joining however cost $40 a month at a 3 month minimum. And since in 3 months I could be living in a cardboard box it seemed like an excessive expense I didn't really need. But those damn matches kept coming day after day! My friend told me she'd found a coupon online and joined for just $20 a month. That seemed much more manageable so I searched for the coupon and if course I couldn’t find it. So I decide to send them an email, explain that I was interested in joining but could only commit to one month and they emailed me back saying that they would not let me join for just a month. Communists

And the matches kept coming day after day and I just knew I was missing out in my future hottie hubs like the guys on TV. So I asked my friend to find her coupon number, she found it and I tried it and guess what? It didn't work. A week or so later eHarmony sent me an email and said that they would allow me to join for 1 month after all for $60. SIXTY DOLLARS!! I thought they were just being mean now, enticing me with the prospect of love and regular sex, reeling me in and then throwing me back. So I wrote them a very thoughtfully worded email reminding them that not only am I unemployed but I have a friend that joined for only $20 a month and that was the deal I wanted. Guess what, they gave it to me. I had to agree to 3 months still, but it seemed like a fair tradeoff and frankly I wanted to check out those pictures!

So I checked the pictures and guess what? My matches were BAaaad. I'm talking beer bellied, bald, 50 something year olds with names like Barry, Stu, Jerome, Ira, and Bert (and those are some of the good ones), and they live in NJ. After all of that this is what I'm rewarded with?! I have since learned that you can adjust the age and location even though they warn you against it. So I have been communicating with a couple of guys now and frankly the back and forth communication process is annoying as hell and my patience has worn thin waiting to reach the end. They make you send each other questions, and then likes/dislikes it takes weeks! One guy called me and within the first 5 minutes I was bored. We are supposed to go out soon but I don't think I want to bother. Plus every time he guy calls me he blocks his number, which strikes me as odd. I mean it's not like I'd be calling him, but if you are a guy on a dating site looking for your soul mate would you be blocking your phone number? Maybe he's a cereal killer? But my guess is it's nothing that exciting. These days when my matches arrive in my in box I can wait to see them. It gives virtual dating a whole new spin because at this point checking out my so called marches makes me extremely happy I'm not actually dating.

Volunteering (Part 3)

2009-10-02T15:20:00.002-04:00

After my bizarre experience with the crazy cat lady I went to the humane society and asked them about volunteering. They are a no kill and veterinary clinic. During my interview I asked them about normal adoption procedures to clarify for myself if the rules and restrictions she had were actual practice and I found out that most of them were not.

I'm working there 3 days a week now. I help feed the animals, walk dogs and socialize the cats. Chasing cats around for 4 hours us exhausting and so fun. The animals are really sweet and the people I work with are kind and caring. It's hard to hear stories about how some if the animals had been abused or ended up there because their owners were evicted from their homes. The other day a woman from the called and said her yorkie had been attacked in the park by a pit bull and she thought it was dying. They told her if she brought it in they would treat it for free. She said she might bring it in, I'm still haunted by the fact that she opted to just let her dog die a painful death at home instead of bringing it in for help. The stories are sad but the office is professional and real animal lovers.

I love my 2 volunteer jobs and feel great about my contributions, if only doing this would pay my rent.

Volunteering (Part 2)

2009-09-30T15:03:00.003-04:00

You may or may not know this about me but I've always been involved with politics. My father was a City Councilman in GA for 7 years and a prominent figurehead in the community. I was a political science/prelaw major as well as being an elected student senator in college. I worked on the 2004 presidential primaries with General Wesley Clark. I was a paid employee of the Kerry presidential campaign and have worked on fundraisers for Hillary Clinton.

So when I was considering volunteer opportunities to get involved with I naturally turned to politics and thought about the campaign for mayor of NYC. I called a friend who worked on Hillary's presidential campaign and he referred me to some people on the Bloomberg campaign. I knew it was a long shot that they'd give me a jib more challenging than stuffing envelopes but they have me assisting the Volunteer Coordinator. It's a different experience than a presidential campaign and working without worrying about fundraising and having unlimited resources is so great. I'm working 3 days a week and am kicking myself for not getting involved earlier that the election is less than a month away. Most of the volunteers during the day are retired and there is even a 90 year old man that comes in! It's so inspirational to me to see so many people so dedicated and work so hard for what they believe in.

Volunteering (Part 1)

2009-09-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

Instead of sitting around watching my ass grow as I fused to my couch I decided to start doing some volunteer work. So when I stumbled across this article about a woman in NYC who is rescuing kittens I was really excited. I emailed her and let her know I wad recently laid off and an animal lover who read her article and would love to help out. She responded quickly and wanted to know if I would foster cats in my home. As much as that idea appeals to me there is no way Hank would allow it. Hank by the way is my sweet cat who was an abused stray that adopted me. I never considered myself a "cat person" and never would have gotten a cat on my own but Hank has changed all of that for me.

Anyway the Little Kitten Rescue suggested I work with another group that runs a shelter on my side if town. She cc'd the woman in my email but the woman didn't respond my first few emails and when she did she came across as curt and rude. But I was determined to do something good and worthwhile with the free time I currently have and I know it's hard to determine a persons tone through email. She asked me to come to her apartment (which was no where near my apartment) to help her transport cats to a pet store to try to get them adopted. When I got there she made me wait in the hall for her. When she came out finally I knew my initial instincts were right I immediately disliked her. We got to the pet store and setup outside on the street. She told me that it costs $125 to adopt one of the cats but that it includes all their shots and they are spayed or neutered. In fact she had so many rules about who she adopts to that I'm not convinced she actually wanted to find homes for them.

Some if the rules made sense but one of them was that she didn't allow anyone to adopt just one cat. I understand that she doesn't want a cat to be lonely but if you are willing to open your home to an animal and give it love you should be able to without so many restrictions. Especially now when because of the economy so many pets are being given up or euthanized. Several people came by and played with the cats but there weren't any serious adopters’. Many people asked questions about them and I tried to be helpful but she was not. She didn't make eye contact or act interested in fact she seemed really put out by their questions. In fact one guy actually called her out on it and said exactly what I was thinking; he told her she was there to help find the cats hone but instead was unhelpful and rude. She was unfazed, later she told me that no one who'd come by had asked her the "right" questions. I realize that she obviously had a lot mire experience in this process than I have but...

After a few hours she started opening up to me. She told me that she had twenty cats, 20!! I admire what she was doing; I'm just not sure she hasn't lost sight of what she set out to do. Gradually her stories of living with 20 cats unfolded, she told me how she is constantly late for work because she is always cleaning up messes and how before she left a cat got sick down a file cabinet and she needed to clean it when she got home. She talked about how some cats will only pee in her tub or the bathroom sink, how she's has 3 laptops in 6 months because the cats always ruin them. No wonder she didn't want me to come in her apartment it must have been disgusting. After 5 hours I helped her take the cats back home and she asked me to come by Petco the next day to meet other volunteers and see how adoptions work there. I told her I would but instead I slept in and went to the computer place to use their Internet and job hunt. Of course I let her know and didn't feel bad about it since I knew other people would be there. All the next week I went back and forth about how I felt about working with her. Her heart had to be in the right place but I decided it wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted to volunteer during the week and she needed help on the weekends and I wanted to do something that made a difference and I didn't feel confident that she was focused on finding homes for the cats and kittens she had. Maybe she'd become too attached to them or maybe she'd become a crazy cat lady, either way it wasn't a good fit for me.

Love & Laughs

2009-09-17T21:42:00.000-04:00

Simone Grant invited me to attend a night of comedy and match making at Comix. She'd been invited to write about the event on her blog and hopefully get the word out to improve attendance, and they definitely needed it. The guy/girl ratio was less than 1%. The first comedian and host of the event was Helen Hong, she was really cute and really funny which is more than I can say for most if the other comedians.

Helen explained how the concept came about and how the process worked. It seems that in Japan it's frowned upon for guys or girls to approach the opposite sex without an introduction so they'd start paying waiters to bring girls to their table and introduce them. That is where the idea for this event originated from. The way it worked is that after the comedians set an alarm would go off and the lights would come up. The comedian would pick a man or a woman from the audience and then they would walk through the crowd to match them up. The matches didn't go all that well most if the time they just plopped a guy down at a table full of girls and them gave them all shots. In fact one guy who was the best looking guy there and admitted to being "kind of in a relationship" was matched up three different times.

Simone and I didn't get picked to match up which I was very relieved about. I don't think any love matches were actually made that night but I thought the concept was a good one and could make for a really fun evening. But they really need to advertise it better and try to even out the guy/girl ratio. The next event is October 24th.

You can read Simone's blog about the event here.

Times up!

2009-09-16T14:04:00.001-04:00

Incase anyone is wondering what it's like to use the library laptops and Internet I'll be happy to tell you that it's a little like Hell.

As I mentioned you can only use the Internet for 1 1/2 hours, what I didn't mention is that it actually starts out at only 45 minwith a count down clock keeping you updated/stressed out the whole time. Then with 10 min left a popup appears letting you know your time is nearly up. So you start reading or writing faster to beat the clock then another popup appears when you've hit 5 min and then a new one comes up telling you to save your work and just when you are scrambeling to finish a new popup appears telling you that they've given you 15 additional minutes and you sigh in relief only to have the whole popup craziness start all over again at 10 min left. The aditioal 15 min happens 3 times but with the added stress it delievrrs I'm not sure it's worth it.

Today the whole library's Internet went down when I asked for more time because much of my time was lost they said no. Not nicely, not sympethetically, not with an explation just no.

Not to mention the people there giggleling shuffeling papers answering their cell phones it's enough to drive a grown woman without a laptop crazy!

Dr. Phil Show Taping

2009-09-15T16:47:00.002-04:00

A friend emailed me and said she had VIP tickets to the taping of the Dr. Phil Show. I'm not exactly a fan of his but what would I be doing instead? Sleeping, so I decided to go. I was expecting a front row seat what with VIP tickets but nooo.

The show’s new season kicks off with "Taking it to the Streets" and taping was indeed outside next to the street. People obviously got there really early and refused to give up their spots so VIP didn't really mean much except we could go "backstage". Much of the show had been taped previously and the outside stuff they filmed live just filled it in. Most of the crowd was from New Jersey and one woman approached us and asked my friend if she was famous and said she looked like Ann Coulter. "I get that all the time" my friend said. The woman seemed doubtful that my friend wasn't really Ann, as if she would be hanging out at a Dr. Phil taping or I would be hanging out with satan’s spawn.

The show passed out hostess cakes and sandwiches to the audience which struck me as pretty odd especially at 10:30am. Robin his wife is pretty in person but for some reason was wearing 5 inch stripper heels. He also had on one of the Blue Collar comedians who I guess is one of his golf buddies and is in the next Sex in the City movie. But the guy had on more makeup and highlights than I did. There was a break in which he and Robin changed clothes and came back out pretending it was a different day. Robin had on a new pair of stripper pumps how anyone walks in those is beyond me.

Standing around was getting tedious and when the New Jersey housewife approached us again with a gaggle of her friends to point out "Ann Coulter" we decided to call it a day, especially after she said maybe she should have gotten her autograph!

Twitterships

2009-09-05T15:33:00.002-04:00

In the age of the Internet and Social Media you can interact with hundreds of people a day. People you've never even met follow you on Twitter or read each others blogs and you establish a fan base and ultimately friendships. In the past few weeks alone I've attended a Twitter Meetup for Southerners in NYC at @BBQNYC with @Jaxthatgirl, @Districtbelle, & @Lavieenrose12 to name a few. I went to see Julie & Julia with @Queenie_NYC and @Abbyjayne and to District 9 with @Jaxthatgirl. And drinks and chicken wings with @Simonegrant, @Lostplum and @Vanillabean45.

Thanks to Twitter I've been fortunate enough to meet really interesting and fun people I never would have had the opportunity to meet and connect with several others in other states and countries.

Laptop Interruptions

2009-08-30T13:30:00.001-04:00

It's not that I don't love my blog readers, or that I've been oh to busy to write or that I've found a job(unfortunately) it's that my poor little laptop seems to have a black cloud over it's head.

First I accidentally knocked a full glass of water on top of it. I immediately freaked out and held it up as water poured out of it. I spent the next couple hours plugging it back in to see if it was working and listening to disturbing frying, crackling and popping noises. I felt utterly deflated at how unfair my situation felt, unemployed and my actual lifeline to searching for for a job and all of my files, everything was lost. Over the next several days I got advice from friends, went to a couple computer repair shops, shopped for a new laptop and got a library card so I could use a free laptop. All the time carrying my laptop around with me in my bag like a puppy and randomly plugging it in with my fingers crossed. Then one day it booted up. I continued trying to turn it on hoping to get further than the screen page until one day it just started working! I couldn't believe my luck. I went from a place of complete disappointment to utter amazement at my luck. So for the next week or so I talked encouragingly to my laptop, I was back and my luck was back! Things could only get better from here, I even scheduled a job interview!

Then the preferable shit hit the fan yet again. I'd spent 3 days nonstop hitting every job search site imaginable applying for jobs like it was, well my job. Feeling incredibly productive and pleased with myself all came to an abrupt end when I got a message that I had a virus. Unsure if it was a fake message or a real one I decide to search for and download McFee antivirus program, or at least what I thought was an antivirus program but turned out to be an actual virus that locked up my computer. When I turned it back on the word WARNING in big red letters appeared across my screen page telling me I had a very serious virus. I tried to open programs that would help me scan my computer or delete programs I'd downloaded but nothing would open and a fake popup telling me to download a virus protection program for $89.99 immediately just kept popping up over and over until everything turned off and I realized how incredibly screwed I really was. So at this point I know I can't really afford to purchase a new laptop and I've given my laptop to an old co-worker to have a look at. I haven't heard from him in a week, I can't decide if that is a good or a bad thing. Right now I've just been going to the library to use the Internet but they only allow you to use it for 1 1/2 hours total so you can imagine how little I'm accomplishing these days. Luckily I can check my mail and compose this post on my phone

Pencilism

2009-08-24T15:07:00.001-04:00

My friend NYCnole and I went to The Chelsea Art Museum, for their Summer Soiree the other night. The gallery is a really great spot for events and we saw some pretty amazing and bizarre art. Just incase you don’t feel like moving your mouse over and clicking the museum link the event promotes itself as; “Open Bar. Djs. Roof top views. Random Performances. Art.” Got your attention right? I know we were intrigued too.

I don’t want to complain but sometimes it’s necessary. Like in the case where you attend an event that costs $20 ($40 after 8pm seriously) to get in and is advertised as open bar but when you get there the bar consists of Tanqueray and tonic and Tanqueray and tonic. Then they give you a wristband that only allows for 2 free drinks. Ok in full disclosure we also found all you can drink “summer wine” and by “summer wine” I believe they meant sparkling apple juice. Either way it was much better than Tanqueray and tonic if you ask me, which meant Nynole got my 2 drink tickets and I drank sparkling sugar water. So the whole “Open Bar” thing seemed fairly confusing to me because it seems to denote somewhat of a larger option in the actual drinking choices and the whole “Open” thing usually means there is no limitations to the number you have.

Other than that little snafu (which was actually a big annoying snafu if you ask me) we met some nice people and the museum actually ordered pizzas which luckily for us we were sitting next to, and a slice of free pizza somewhat made up for the “Open Bar” debacle.

What I really want to talk about is the really incredible pieces called “Pencilism" we saw, which is an installation built entirely out of color pencils and broken pieces of colored pencils. What an incredibly creative concept to use colored pencils as a medium as you can see from my other links he’s also used several other found objects. The pieces are so intricate and the amount of time it must take let alone patience it takes to put together one piece is amazing when you think about it. The website describing his technique says it is embroidery-like and almost compulsive craftsmanship. A few of Federico Uribe "paintings" and "sculptures" are here and in the links. Federico Uribe is extreemlytalented, in the past he’s also made sculptures from tennis shoes and coins. The installation is only there until Septermber 5th so if you get a chance I highly recommend seeing it.

Happy Anniversary

2009-08-18T21:50:00.000-04:00

Today is my anniversary of being unemployed for 2 whole months. I’m still unemployed and job hunting still sucks. I’ve had a few interviews none of which I would call exciting career opportunities. I’m terrible in interviews I think because I know how much is weighing on it, the pressure gets too much and I crack. I always say something dumb and end up blowing it whether I want the job or not and let’s face it, in this economy, I want the job.

In one of my last interviews I told her I’d brought samples of my work and emails from clients talking about how great the events I planned were. She seemed really intrigued and said she would be interested in seeing the file. Later, I remembered that conversation on the subway home with the file still neatly tucked away in my bag. Recently I interviewed for a job and she told me they were going to move quickly and I would hear from her soon maybe even that afternoon and then I didn’t hear from her. When I did hear from her two weeks later I thought she was calling me to tell me they hired someone else but she was calling to tell me that they still want to meet with me, and what was the first thing out of my mouth? “Oh I thought you hated me! I couldn’t figure out what I did wrong in our interview!” Can you say ACKWARD?! Who says that to the head of HR? What is wrong with me? I’m still waiting for her to call back to schedule that second interview.

So I need to find a coach, or take a class or read a few dozen books and figure out how to improve my interview process and not say the first stupid thing that pops into my head or stubble over the things that don’t.

I had also been considering moving back to Atlanta to make my savings and unemployment last longer and I’ve been floundering about where I want my career to go and what it would mean to take a job just to pay the bills. I think unemployment is a journey in self exploration maybe it’s all the free time you suddenly find yourself with or maybe it’s just the fact that so many of us define who we are but what we do.

But the truth is no matter how stressed I feel over being unemployed, or bills, or blowing an interview I still feel hopeful that all of this has happened for a good reason and I’m going to come out ahead in the end. So bring on the next interview, I have to get better at some point right?!

Jerry! Jerry!

2009-08-16T17:00:00.001-04:00

This afternoon I was walking down the street with a friend and he says, “Did you see who that was??” I turned and saw Jerry Springer and without thinking blurted out, “Hey, Jerry Springer!” He turned and said hi back and then since we are New Yorkers we regained composure and kept walking. As a New Yorker I see celebrities on a regular basis and never say anything to them because we are all WAY too cool for that.

But this wasn’t my first contact with Jerry Springer so I guess I felt some kind of kinship with him. Forever ago when I was fresh out of college I was working at a company that sold broadcasting and editing equipment and we went to a trade show in New Orleans. Every time I went to the bathroom at this trade show, I had to pass a man on a stage who would always yell into a microphone for me to come over and chat with him. At that time I had no idea who Jerry Springer was, I mean how much TV do you watch in college?

I of course avoided the guy with the microphone as much as possible. But one day when leaving the bathroom one of his stagehands came and got me and took me on stage, and here I was face-to-face being interviewed by Jerry Springer. To this day I will never forget him asking me what type of TV shows I watch, and my answer, “Educational”. Yes, that is what I said to Jerry Springer. Don’t judge, I was fresh out of college and totally green. Jerry’s response was, “Oh, just like my show.” And of course like a dumbass I agreed.

While on stage they took our picture and I took it back to my boss who asked why it took me so long to go to the bathroom. I told him the story and showed him the picture and he said he didn’t know who the guy in the photo was either. Cut to a few weeks later, when I was home sick and channel surfing and I saw that very same man on TV interviewing fighting transvestites while the crowd chanted his name, boy was I mortified.

I ran across that picture again a few years ago and had put it up on my refrigerator for the entertainment value (my hairstyle alone gave it that). For a brief moment I was tempted to recount this story to Jerry on the street but something told me he wouldn’t have found the humor in it that I did, maybe if I’d flashed for beads?

Job Hunting Sucks

2009-07-19T18:51:00.002-04:00

I’ve spent several weeks attached to my computer searching job sites, submitting resumes and have met with several recruiters. All my meetings have gone really well and they’ve gotten my excitement level up to 110% only to never return any calls or emails again. What is up with that? I met with a guy who told me he thought I was perfect for a job, before I left his office I asked if he’d be submitting my resume to them and he told me he wanted to send me their job specs first. I went home and hit refresh on my computer (I know I don’t actually need to do that but you know, just to be safe) the rest of the day only to get nothing back. The next day I sent him a thank you so much for your time email and reminded him to send me the job description. Nothing. A day later I called and went to voicemail, and got no return response. The next week I spoke with him and he gave me this whole song and dance about it not actually being his job and he needed to have the other guy speak to them and then he’d get back to me. He still hasn’t and it’s been a month.

Then I found a temp job for someone to work on a trading floor, which I’ve obviously done. So I sent them my resume. The response? Nothing. So I called them, and we set up an appointment, they rushed me in, seemed really excited about me and that this job is a no brainier for me. They told me that they would be submitting my resume for the position that day and would get back to me. Again nothing. I waited a day because you know people are busy, then sent the obligatory thank you email, follow up to see if the employer would like to meet me blah, blah. Still nothing.

I found the job online that the other recruiter had told me about and it was listed with a new recruiting firm (maybe because they haven’t sent them anyone?). I wasted no time in contacting them and setting up an interview for the next day we had an amazing meeting, I believed we really click and once again this recruiter seems certain the client will want to meet with me. She assured me that she will be submitting my resume and will be sending me forms in the morning to complete. 5 days later…no forms. Once again I sent the thank you follow up email and once again no response.

Who does business this way? Maybe the company wasn’t interested, maybe the job was filled, I don’t know but how hard is it to send a return email saying as much? I can’t imagine being in business and not answering my voicemail or email messages.

The process has been really frustrating. I feel like I’m being really proactive, hell I’d be knocking on these company’s doors myself if I thought it would help (or knew their names). I really don’t want to be unemployed girl anymore.

No longer Under-Employed Girl

2009-07-09T14:35:00.002-04:00

I came back from vacation to find myself laid off. It’s a shock, and not. I saw it coming for months with the current economic climate but that doesn’t change the fact that in reality you never really expect it will happen to you. So now what? Do I change my Blog name from Under Employed Girl to Unemployed Girl? I decided if I did that I might be jinxing myself and right now I need all the good karma I can get!

So unemployment...It’s a lot to grapple with. I find that I’ve gone through several stages of loss, happiness, fear, depression, uncertainty, alcoholism, tanning…

I spent the first few weeks trying to get myself organized, making notes, sending emails, networking, applying for unemployment. I was sure that even though the country is in a recession and we are at the lowest unemployment rate in 12 years I would be able to find a job before the first unemployment check comes in.

After 3 weeks, I’m rethinking that philosophy. I’ve sent my resume to at least 40 places so far all I’ve gotten back has basically been a few thanks but no thanks emails. Every single headhunter I’ve met with wants me to change my resume to his or her liking and none of the changes are even remotely similar.

Everywhere I turn someone has advice. I’m not saying I don’t appreciate or need it, or ask for it. I'll take all the help I can get but just because you work in a specific industry or found a job in a particular way doesn’t mean it will work for me and everyone seems to be really adamant that their way is the right way.

And what about my blog? There seem to be a lot of social media marketing positions out there (I’m interested! I’m here!). But just how much do you reveal on your website while you are trudging through the muck of unemployment? In this new internet networking envirponment everything you write, think or feel can be found, read and judged by a potential employer.

A couple times I’ve read a job description online and thought, “Oh my God that’s me! That’s everything I’ve done and exactly what I want to do!” I take additional care writing my cover letter, sleep on it, reread it and finally send it out with every fiber of positiveness I possess only to never hear back or get a confusing email back thanking me for my resume but that they have no current positions available that fit my experience. WHAT?! Ok it’s probably just a form letter but I’M PERFECT FOR THAT JOB! Why can’t they see what I see?? I tell myself they probably don’t pay well, or it wasn’t really what I wanted in the long run.

So for now I’m spending several hours a day focusing on my job search, I’m trying to not get too caught up in Maury’s DNA baby daddy shows or Jerry’s fighting transvestites and not let my cat convince me that a nap is exactly what I need. I’m starting to get out of the house and enjoy the weather and am trying to do things that don’t involve checking job wesites or obsessively refreshing my incoming email in general. If you have any recent unemployed or job search advice please send it over. But I’m warning you, if it’s to completely change the format of my resume please forgive me in advance if I don’t jump at your great advice.

My Trip

2009-06-17T14:34:00.002-04:00

As I said I traveled with my friend, her boyfriend, her dad, her cousin and his wife from hell. After the first day I knew she and I were not going to leave the trip the best of friends. She’s one of those people that complains a lot and she seemed to know everything about everything (must be nice). She talked so much she made my ears bleed and when she wasn’t talking she was reading out loud from her guide book. She criticized and belittled almost everything that came out of her husband’s mouth and started every single sentence with I. Their relationship is the poster child for why I don’t want to be married.

We went to Dusledorf, Wurtzberg, Nuemburg, Munich, Dresden, Berlin, Hamberg, Calogne, Burbach and Siegon (I think that’s it). Berlin was amazing, very urban with tons of different eclectic neighborhoods. I could picture myself living there except for the fact that I had no idea what anyone was saying and vice versa. We saw a million castles and churches, and drank almost as many types of beer. I scoffed when my friend told me the food there was great, I expected to lose weight, instead I of course gained 5 pounds. We ate and drank our way through the entire country and I loved everything I tried, bratwurst, curry wurst, weiner schnitzel, suckling pigs, I had a lot of fish and it was white asparagus season so I had to try that too! They are known for their great chocolate so I ate and brought back too much of it. We over shopped the gummy bear store and even had amazing Italian and Thai food. We would ask for menu’s in English (most didn’t have them) and have a good laugh over the translations (Salmon/Trout, Lion of Lamp) When I pointed out the lion of lamp to my friend she informed me that meant without bones (she’s German). I asked her which part came without the bones the lion or the lamp!

A few observations on the trip were that MTV actually played videos both American and German. No channels had any shows in English but they did an excellent job dubbing German over several shows we have like Law & Order and Sponge Bob. It is illegal to jay walk, which is almost impossible not to do as a New Yorker. Pillows are huge and beds are usually two twins put together or separate and hard. Skin heads are a big thing over there, who knew, I didn’t know that was even a “thing” anymore. Oh and the punk skin heads that I saw walked around with rats as pets. Hookers seem to be very prevalent and they all seemed to wear a version of the same outfit, tall pleather boots, very short plaid skirts and low cut tops. Breakfast always consisted of breads, meats, cheeses, and a soft boiled egg (yuck). And everywhere I went people rode bikes. They all had cute bikes with baskets and used them to get around, no wonder all the cities were so clean. They made me so jealous that by the third day in, all I could think about was going home and buying a bike. I developed major bike envy! Also, my favorite phrase of the trip was, “Un Bier Garten!”

It was completely freezing almost every day and of course I only took summer clothes. My cute little sundresses only saw the bottom of my suitcase! And of course I lost my debit/credit card somewhere and left all copies and phone numbers at my friend’s house. Did I mention I slept in a castle? That’s a picture of it up top. I took about 300 pictures which I’ll add a few to Flickr.com and post a link at some point. Germany is so rich in history, and although my guide book was really helpful (I suggest you always buy Frommers) I really wish I had brushed up on the history before I’d gone.

My trip home was pretty eventful too, I tried to buy a NY Times at the airport because I was dying to know what was happening in the world and they tried to charge me 15 euros for it ($18)! I guess it was written with gold ink or something. Typical, I sat next to a fat smelly man who took up part of my seat as well as his. Unlike the woman in front of me who sat next to a cute guy. They proceeded to get very drunk and gave everyone an in-flight show by spending the second half of the flight making out!

Kreativ Blog Award!

2009-06-16T19:58:00.003-04:00

I would like to thank Renee's World for awarding me with the Kreativ Blogger Award!

Thank you so much, I am so excited to get an award for my blog! I'm hoping it's the tiny nudge I need to write more often and stablish some more loyal readers.

Here's how it goes:
Post the Kreativ Blogger logo on my blog
List 7 things I love
Nominate 7 other bloggers worthy of this award

7 Things I Love:

My Mom
New York!
Fashion
Cheesy TV shows (+ my DVR)

My adoreable cat

Traveling
warm sunny days (where are they??)

And the 7 nominees are...

Actress in the City

Miss Adventurous

The Catherinette Chronicles

Two Can Anne

Bridget Jones Has Nothing On Me

pink india ink

La Dolce Vita

Germany

2009-06-11T15:13:00.012-04:00

I’m back! I have much to tell and share but while I try to pull it all together here are a few pictures!