Not a Great Week

I've been sick, and I've gotten some disappointing news on the job front (nothing dire; I just didn't advance to the final round of candidates for a couple jobs).  So time for a goofy storyline from my solitaire game to cheer me up.

Once again, Hercules the clueless fish and Sally (who is a jellyfish, not an octopus--duh) have gotten a writing assignment in school.

Working together on a school project?  This sounds ominous.  But Hercules is a well-meaning, hard-working clownfish and he's determined to do his part.  However, his fundamental misunderstanding of the assignment is problematic...

...and things go from bad to worse for him as he tries to come up with a solution.

 

With the gathering of a scary-looking mask, which isn't even a doll, Hercules finds himself in very serious trouble.  What is a poor clownfish to do?

Well, I didn't see this ending coming, even though I should have.

It is, after all, pretty much the story of my life.

THE END

Perhaps the Worst Job Match of All

Phlebotomist?  I really, really don't think so.  Let's just say this is a job I will endeavor not to imagine myself doing...unless I want to pass out.

The fact that I have almost none of the required qualifications and that the job hours are 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. doesn't even come into it.

Frustrating My Inner Homer Simpson

Here's an inappropriate job for me that showed up on my job alert this morning:

Project Estimator - Nuclear

I liked this: "Must live within 60 minutes to ensure proper implementation of Emergency Response Plan."  But damn, in current traffic, I'm 1 hour 5 minutes away according to Google.  Guess I'm gonna have to pass on this one.

Or even better, how about this?

On-Air Host

I could be like the youngest wife on Big Love.  I really think my "captivating presence and amazing ability to connect with others" make me the obvious candidate for such a role.

Or a job posted on agcareers.com:

Product Lead - Corn Genetics

Somehow I don't think my knowledge of rabbit fur coloration genetics, gathered by reading stuff on the internet for a couple hours, is going to help me here.

Almost Last Cardigan

Today's cardigan is a heavier, warmer one.  I do not normally gravitate toward heavy sweaters, but there are times I really want to cozy up.  I half-expect to find myself using it as a mini-robe over my PJs.  (I can't stand actual robes--they are too long and can get twisted up and annoying.  This cardigan is good because it does have a single button at the waist to keep it closed, unlike robes that you have to try to tie closed with a gigantimous tie-thingy that doesn't want to knot neatly, etc.)

New items:
*Blue cardigan from Lands End (still on sale for $24.99, fits true to size, about 27" long)
*Coral knit top from Lands End
*Grey pants from Rafaella

But it was too warm today to actually wear this cardigan.  I looked like this all day instead.  (Hurrah for my excellent scarf collection.  Couldn't believe I had one to pull the blue and coral together.  I'm getting toward the end of my new clothes, so it's a bit tougher to make coherent outfits from them, but a scarf saves the day.)

And DAMN these are some long pants.  I'm wearing shoes with about a 2" heel and they're still too long.  Will definitely be hemming these puppies.  But they're super comfortable pants, so it's worth it.  I actually got turned on to this brand and style when I bought a pair at Goodwill (aka Our Favorite Store aka The Other Rafaella Sportswear).  They are jeans style, but made from a thicker version of the fabric that is common in pants made for business casual wear--do you know what I mean?  Business casual pants can be tough because the fabric is often so flimsy that it doesn't fit or drape well.  I guess these pants are that basic kind of "wear to the office pants" (made from polyester/rayon) that are thicker than the typical business casual pants but a bit thinner than suit pants.  I would wear them either casually or business casual (in many offices).

I like how the decision to post this stuff is motivating me to dress a bit better--or at least less boring--than usual.  Because I'm at home all day, I often will wear the same jeans and cardigan for several days in a row.  I'm enjoying taking advantage of the variety of my closet and the challenge of wearing new things each day.  I think I'm going to continue wearing new things every day--I have stuff I purchased months ago (mostly at thrift stores) that I haven't worn yet.  And that's just dumb.

An Interesting Alternative

Today I received an email from an HR rep stating that after reviewing my resume, they want me to fill out a brief questionnaire (self-assessment) on which I briefly list specific experiences/accomplishments that match up with the job requirements.  Completing this questionnaire was very much like having that initial HR screener call, only more concise (and clearly a lot faster for them).  I guess they'll decide who talks to the hiring manager on the basis of this questionnaire.

In other news--you know how companies say they will keep your resume on file in the event of a future job opening that matches your skills, blah blah, and obviously that's totally bogus?  Well, apparently it does happen sometimes.  I applied for a job at a market research firm a couple weeks ago (and heard nothing) but then this week, their HR rep emailed me to ask whether I was interested in an opening that had just come up (which was the same job title as the job I'd applied for earlier).  I responded Yes, and we chatted briefly by phone, and I now have a phone interview with two of the directors on Monday.  Nice!

My current situation looks like:
--Have received an email following my in-person interview with a market research company, asking me to keep them updated on my status as they continue with their process.
--Have an in-person interview with a state agency next Thursday (I have not had phone conversations with anyone prior to this, the only time this has happened yet in my current job search).
--Had phone interview with hiring manager at a company (client-side) on Monday and am waiting to hear back as to whether I will be brought in for in-person interview (there will be only one in-person interview before they choose their candidates--they are hiring either 2 or 3 people, I wasn't entirely clear which).
--Have phone interview with hiring manager at a different research company this coming Monday, as mentioned above.
--Completed the questionnaire alternative to HR screener with a company (client-side) today, as mentioned above.

So, the job search continues and all is going well.

New Cardigans and Other Stuff

UPDATE:  My mom was curious about the cardigan lengths so I added them below.  (I measured from the outer shoulder, where the shoulder meets the sleeve, and straight down.)

I did a major online shopping run over the Labor Day weekend and was lucky to mostly find what I had been looking for.  One of the primary targets of this shopping was some colorful cardigans.  I had a good number of black and grey cardigans but was low on brighter colors -- and with cardigan season lasting about 9 months in Snow City, having cardigans is important.  (By contrast, I own one pair of shorts that are not wear-while-I-exercise-only shorts.  I'm not in Texas anymore.)

My mom has also been in the market for cardigans so I thought I would show some (terrible!) photos of the cardigans I bought, as well as some other things.  (Because I often buy new things and put them away, not to wear them for a while, I've been striving this week to wear several new items every day.)  Because I'm holding my arms up to take the photos, it's kind of hard to see exactly how the sweaters lay, but none of them are horribly baggy/shapeless or anything, and you can see how they look on a model at the links that I'm including along with prices -- though of course you don't want to buy anything online without checking for a coupon code at retailmenot first!

Day 1

This is such a common look for me in the summer.  T-shirt, skirt, cardigan, and necklace or scarf.

New items:
*Olive cardigan from Kohl's (still on sale for $30.80, fits true to size) (26.5")
*Olive patterned skort from Kohl's (I love the pseudo-camo look to this, esp. as a birding skirt)

Day 2

This one was so fun; I was smiling every time I saw myself in it.  I loved adding another graphic T to the mix and this one was super on sale.

New items:
*Teal cardigan from Lands End (still on sale for $24.99, fits true to size) (26")
*Parrot t-shirt from Kohl's (can you tell it also has postage cancelation on it?  I was like, WTF, and Robert suggested that it is intended to be reminiscent of a vacation postcard from an exotic locale.  I'm all over that.  Note: it's important to pronounce parrot as "pay-rot" when referring to this shirt.  Because...well...it rhymes with "kay-rot" that way, and I always called carrots "kay-rots" when addressing my bunnies.)
*Burgundy jeans from Kohl's
*Leopard belt from Target

Day 3

I didn't wear a cardigan with this outfit until later in the evening, when I added my beloved cheap-ass Wal-Mart cardigan -- black and thin fabric -- that I bought to wear in OK and TX last winter (a winter cardigan for the south = a summer cardigan up here).  The fish scarf isn't new, but I haven't worn it much yet and love it (Target).  Something about black and white striped shirt + scarf = as close to casual French chic as I ever get (not that close, admittedly, but still).  Also note that yes, I am a convert to the semi-tuck.  Please excuse my pathetic photo fix of the hovering Grey Box Menace -- I didn't really want the world to see my undies hanging on the drying rack.

New items:
*Striped shirt from Macy's
*Jeans from Kohl's

Day 4

Because it was the weekend, I got Robert to take this photo.  I had initially thought, damn, too bad I don't have any grey shoes....then remembered these comfy old Skechers shoes. 

New items:
*Berry cardigan from Lands End ($30, fits true to size; I also got this in cobalt blue) (25.5")
*Grey jeans from Kohl's

Day 5

Again, I added that same black cardigan when I got cool later.  I decided to dress up a bit in honor of a phone interview I had in the afternoon.  The blouse looks a odd with my arms in this position, but under normal circumstances, it is loose but has a nice drape so it isn't totally shapeless as it might seem here.  (This kind of shirt is not as "figure flattering" as some, but I really like to wear something looser that surrenders the waist sometimes.)  These pants will need to either be hemmed or relegated to wearing with shoes that aren't totally flat.  

New items:
*Red animal print blouse from Jones New York
*Black pants from Rafaella
*Red flats from Nordstrom

Day 6

I love these braided belts I bought at Target a few months ago -- I hate it when you are between holes on a normal belt, and these avoid that issue altogether because you can size them at any point.

New items:
*Teal cardigan from Macy's ($27.99, fits true to size; I also bought it in berry).  I know this is two teal cardigans, but they have different fabrications and different shapes.  This one is gathered in the back so it is more curve-fitting than the other. (26")
*Sleeveless shirt from Kohl's
*Jeans from Kohl's

Day 7

This brings us up to date to today.  These shoes have a 2" wedge heel and are super comfortable and as stable as much flatter shoes -- excellent.

New items:
*Royal blue cardigan from Lands End ($59, fits true to size) (26")
*Jeans from Old Navy

You can see that my fall formula is knit shirt, cardigan, pants/jeans, and scarf.  I love layering and am glad to be living somewhere that supports that choice most of the year.

I still have a couple other cardigans to add, which I'll do over the next few days.

Favorite Inappropriate Job of the Week

Despite my marketing background, I don't think I have what it takes to be a Bee Squad Coordinator.