Delusions of... Everything

Sing-A-Long Saturday

Yesterday, March 19th, marked the 20 anniversary of the death of Andrew Wood, lead singer of Mother Love Bone.  When I started this video series two weeks ago I didn't know this date was coming up.  Good timing on my part.

This is the second of a three part series about Mother Love Bone, The Love Bone Earth Affair.  If you didn't see the first post you can go here.

The Job Hunt

The statistics...

• Weeks unemployed - 8  The unemployment average before finding a new job is 28 weeks!
• Number of jobs applied for - 40  Ten were government jobs, 5 of which have not conducted interviews yet, 17 non-profit, the rest private.
• Times I got a confirmation of application received - 26
• "We hired someone better suited to our needs, please apply again" received - 5
• Number of jobs I applied for that I really, really wanted - 16
• Number of jobs applied to that I spent time dreaming about what it would be like to work there - 9  Five of which I did not get, 4 have not closed yet (2 I applied for yesterday).  *crosses fingers*
• Number of times applied to a job blind... meaning there is no name of company or contact information besides an email - 12  This is very frustrating when you want to customize the cover letter.
• Number of interviews - 1  This number truly amazes me.  You'd think it would be more like 4, 1 in 10, wouldn't you?
• Number of government tests taken and and scored high enough to be invited to take another test - 1 (I will take the next test in the series on April 20.)
• Number of follow up letters or emails sent - 16  Number of responses - 1
• Ads applied to that say "DO NOT CALL ABOUT THIS JOB" - 39  One said call if you have any questions.
• Number of people I've talked to about my job hunt - countless  These are people who I have contacted letting them know that I'm job hunting and the type of job I'm looking for.
• Number of job boards visited daily to search for jobs - 10
• Number of bookmarked websites of agencies I'd like to work for that I check at least once a week - 29
• Number of jobs applied to, as advertised on Craigslist, suspected to be a scam - 1  After applying for a job that seemed too good to be true I received an email saying I was the perfect candidate and that I should immediately "click on this link to give us a credit report".  I can now recognized the ads that are "scamish" and skip over them.
• Number of books checked out from the library related to resumes, cover letters and interviewing - 8
• Number of books purchased - 1
• Number of job hunting advice websites visited - I have no idea, but it's a lot
• Number of different cover letters written - 40

The cover letter.  I don't think I've read more conflicting information about something that seems like such a simple thing.  Apparently in this time of high unemployment the cover letter IS the first impression.  If a potential employer does not like your cover letter they do not even look at your resume.

Some people say, short and sweet; don't be redundant and rehash what's on your resume.  Others say list the skills that fit the job.  Still others say "grab their attention with a killer opening".  I've used all these techniques and have only been called for one interview. 

The last few cover letters I've sent out I've been very thoughtful with.  Researching their website and what others are saying about them and using a tidbit of info in the cover letter.  If in the job description they say "must have a sense of humor", I try to be light-hearted in part of the letter.  We'll see if those make an impression over the next few days.

A couple days ago Handy Man said... At what point to you start doing something different to find a job?  A great question to which I have no answer.

This and That Thursday

While doing the dishes this morning I broke my favorite wine glass.  I'm so sad.

Is it possible to "wish-a-way" the monthly visit from Aunt Flo?  She is almost two weeks late!  No, I am NOT pregnant.  Could this be the end of the monthly visit?  Or is the beginning of the big tease?

I really love Chex Mix.  All the salt of potato chips, without all the fat!

While I was away for the weekend scrapbooking Handy Man did the following:

• Treated the hardwood floors making them shiny, slippery and looking brand new
• Scrubbed clean the downstairs bathroom, including the ceiling!
• Kept the house super uber clean

I'm sure he did a bunch of other stuff, but that's the stuff that stood out to me.  I love that man!

My cat has caught two bunnies in the past two days.  Would you like to see?  If you don't like seeing dead bunnies you should probably skip over the photo!

Not only does she catch them, she eats every last bit of them, even the fur.  Gross!  She thinks she's a lioness.

Any random stuff you want to share with me today?

Comfort

Since being laid off in January I've had bad neck and back pain.  I think it's from sitting in front of the computer for hours and hours searching for and applying to jobs.  This is probably one reason I haven't been blogging as much.  I've been really uncomfortable.

A couple weeks ago I switched pillows and the crick in my neck improved.  That got me to thinking maybe my old pillow had failed and maybe the bed is failing too.  It is pretty old.  When I get out of bed in the morning I can hardly move because I'm in so much pain.  After I move around for a while it gets better, but that initial getting up is so hard.

While at the island last weekend I used a Shiatsu massage pillow.  OH. MY. GOD.  That thing was amazing.  It worked on my back every bit as good as a massage.  It heats up too.  It worked so well I swore I would get one for myself.  Yesterday I found a 20% off coupon to the local, large bed and bath store and bought one.

(photo from here)

Homedics® Shiatsu Neck Pillow with Heat

Soft plush pillow has a relaxing rotating massager, plus spot shiatsu for a great target massage. Also features soothing heat for deeper relief.

While I was there I decided to get a new pillow too.  I really wanted a Tempur-pedic one, but they are very expensive and right now I just don't have that kind of money.  I ended up getting this one...

(photo from here)

Isotonic® Memory Foam Contour Pillow

Yesterday evening I used my Shiatsu massager, it worked every bit as good as it did at the island.  I also used my new pillow and slept with my old pillow either under or between my legs and had only minimal pain this morning!  I can't afford a new bed or weekly massages but I can afford a massaging pillow and a nice sleeping pillow!

Is there anything you've treated yourself to that has brought you much comfort and joy?

Is This Thing On?!

Hello Blog,

It's been a while. 

I hosted a scrapbooking retreat at Anderson Island over the weekend.  It's so pretty there. 

These people scrapped away the weekend!

This was Saturday breakfast!

I used this banana bread recipe, but made it into a coffee cake.  It was soooo good!

We saw this rainbow out the window...

I didn't do much scrapbooking myself, but I did finish one book and start another.  I also walked on the beach, even though it was cold, windy and rainy.  It was refreshing to breath in the sea air!  I went to bed early while everyone else stayed up to scrap.  I can't wait to go back in May!

Well blog, I hope to not be so neglectful in the future!  I have ideas, but my mind is all in jumbles, hopefully the jumbles will smooth out and I can get back to writing.

Hoping to be back in full force,

Tammy :)

This and That Thursday

All packed up and ready to leave for a weekend of scrapbooking!  This time Dancing Daughter is coming along.  This is her first "women's weekend"... Should be interesting.

The cycles of the woman's body are amazing, but I'm really sick of my cycling.  I want the cycling to stop, I'm done riding the ups and downs caused by the monthly visit from Aunt Flo!  I'm sick of her, she makes me crabby, crampy and tired.  I'm so over her!

I've lost track of how many jobs I've applied for, but I'm guessing it's in the 35 range!  I've heard back from roughly five of them.  What I've heard is, Thank you for applying.  We have received, 200, 700, 1100, (insert super large number here).  We will be sorting through every application (usually meaning the cover letter and resume submitted) and then begin the interview process.  Mostly I hear a lot of this....  *crickets*  Do you hear it?  It's a whole lot of nothing!

I'm really glad to be getting away from the computer for a few days.  I've become obsessed with the job hunt.

I wish all of you a happy weekend filled with things you love and I'll catch up with you next week.

Not Feelin' It

I'm sure I'll be back to blogging like normal soon, but for now I'm taking a break.  I'm just not feelin' it.

I'm doing fine, not depressed anymore.

The job hunt continues.

I'm going scrapbooking for the weekend, so I've been busy planning, shopping and cooking for that.

I just haven't felt like going into much detail about anything, or even writing at all.  Probably means I should, but I'm not.  :)

Just wanted to check in so you don't worry!

Pearl Jam Sunday

Yesterday I posted about Mother Love Bone.  Today I'm posting a song from a one time collaboration that netted one album.  It was a tribute album to Mother Love Bone lead singer Andy Wood, who had died from a drug overdose. 

The story goes that after Andy died, Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden and good friends with Andy, wrote a couple songs in tribute to him, Reach Down and Say Hello To Heaven.  He asked Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, who were band mates and friends of Andy, if they wanted to record them as a single. 

Stone and Jeff were in the process of putting another band together (Pearl Jam) and were working with Mike McCready, they along with Matt Cameron, Chris Cornell's band mate from Soundgarden, got together to "jam".  They ended up also inviting Eddie Vedder, who had recently come to Seattle, to be a part of the project too.  The two songs grew into a full album... Temple of the Dog ended up being one of those magical things that grew out of grief and love for a well loved man who couldn't control his demons.

Who could have guessed that five of the guys from that project would be reunited in 1998 and still be making music together in 2010 in a band called Pearl Jam?

This is one of the songs off the album, Hunger Strike.  Enjoy!

Sing-A-Long Saturday

Last week I posted about my second favorite Seattle band, Brad.  They announced an upcoming show with special guests from a long ago Seattle band called Mother Love Bone.  For the hardcore Seattle music fan this is a huge deal.  I want to go so bad, but our current financial situation will not allow it.  There have been a buttload three shows I've wanted to go to since being laid off.  It's really sad. 

Pearl Jam was born after the tragic and untimely death of lead singer Andy Wood.  Guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament, who were first members of a band called Green River, decided to move forward after Andy's death and went on to form Pearl Jam.

It's hard to say how big Mother Love Bone would have become, but I'm guessing they would have been pretty successful.  Andy Wood was a very charismatic lead man that drew people in.

This is the first of a three part series of a home video by Mother Love Bone called The Love Bone Earth Affair, which features live footage and interviews covering the bands formation to the eventual disbandment caused by the death of Andy Wood.

I'll be posting the series one part at a time over the next couple weeks.  The segments are a little long but I know there are a couple of you out there who will enjoy them.

You Might Be a Redneck...

Text conversation between Handy Man and myself...

Me:  The dog escaped again, hopefully no big pukes tonight.

HM:  Do you leave him out while you're gone?  Or does he do it while you're home?

Me:  Both.  Today while I was gone.  He knows how to nudge the gate open.  We either need a redneck lock, like a bungee cord, or you need to fix it! lol

HM:  Lol.  I like the redneck lock of some kind.

Me:  Figures!

HM:  I'm tired of fixing it only to have the kids slam it and break it.

Me:  You might be a redneck if you have a twist tie as a gate lock.

Me:  The dog looks really fat.  I should prepare for the worse.

HM:  Get a clamp or something from the shop to lock the gate and put his ass outside.

Me:  Ok, Larry!

HM:  Larry?  Hell no.  I want to be Ron White!

Me:  You don't drink or smoke cigars!

HM:  Meatballs and gravy for dinner?

Me:  Ok, but I don't want to peel potatoes.

HM:  Dancing daughter will do it.

Me:  She said UHHH WHAT?  Where did he hear that?!

HM:  Or we could just nuke them.

Today I'm sliding a case of Bud in front of the gate to block it!

Why does the dog escape, roam the neighborhood, eat everything he comes across only to be sick for the next two days?!  What do your pets do that drive you crazy?