They had short cubicle walls.

At the company I interviewed with this morning.

That wasn't my only take-away, but it was disturbing! I am a loud-talker. And if I got this position, I am not sure if I would even be in a cube or in an office or what. But if I'm in a cube I need TALL CUBICLE WALLS.

Seriously, I don't even think that these cube walls went to the top of the computer monitors. So I can just imagine sitting at my cube typing away, all while being able to look my cubemate directly in the eyes.

Weird.

Perhaps even stranger, I have had conversations with people before about short cube walls. Maybe my friends an I are oddly obsessed with how we think cubicles "should" be.

I just know from past experiences that if I get this job, and I am in a cubicle, I am going to get "shushed". I don't try to be a loud-talker. I just am. Perhaps I have hearing loss? I don't really think so, though...

So pumped, so pumped, so pumped!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Interview for what might be my dream job in Austin is set for 8:30 Monday. Kind of surprised for an early AM interview, especially on a Monday, but whatever. I'll take it! I just might have to wake up at like 5 in order to be awake. I was NOT blessed with whatever it is that makes people morning people. I'm definitely more of an owl than a lark, a trait which is shared with my sister, mom, Maw-Maw, and several other family members.

I kind of just want to run around and yell and scream. I'm just that pumped.

I have to go in there and knock their socks off. I know I am an awesome meeting planner, but since this is a corporate meeting planning position (as opposed to association/nonprofit), some of the position is marketing, which is different for me. Association meeting planners generally just do logistics-pure meeting planning. In the corporate world, meetings are usually a function of marketing so there's a difference.

I CAN'T WAIT!

Also, my sister is going to have that baby any day now. She's already dialated 2-3 cm, and the OB told her he doesn't think she'll make it to her due date. And he thinks she'll have an easy delivery! Yay for her! I hope so. I can't wait to meet this kid.

YAY!

The job search is filled with highs and lows. Mostly lows. So I thought I would post about something good! A little over 3 weeks ago, I interviewed for a position that I was (am) really interested in. It was a phone interview, which I think are SO TOUGH. I got off the phone feeling just OK about things, sent the HR person a thank-you note in the mail, sent a follow-up e-mail maybe a week or so after that, and heard nothing, so I'd pretty much written this position off.

But just now, I got an e-mail and they want me to interview in person! YAY! I am thrilled because this is a position I am really interested in, not just one that I applied for because it seems decent and is what I want to be doing.

Fingers crossed...I really want to start 2011 employed!

Oh, I see...we give up our rights when buying a plane ticket.

Naked body scanner, or being groped?

How about neither?

This is disgusting and disturbing.

First:

http://www.ourlittlechatterboxes.com/2010/11/tsa-sexual-assault.html

Second:

http://www.reddit.com/tb/e5p2r

UGH. GROSS. WRONG. And the guy in the second post is so right. They wouldn't be able to do what they are doing if they weren't the government. And outside of the airport, they would have to have some reasonable suspicion to do this.

I don't even know what do do here. Write our congresspeople? Write the president? Janet Napolitano? This just makes me sick. Flying has become more and more of a joke and 3-ring circus since 9/11.

This so is not what I wanted to do.

Just called TX Workforce Commission because I decided to break down and see if I can file for unemployment. On their web site it says that you may be eligible if you moved to be with your husband or wife. But now I have to call IL, which I am sure is going to be 10,000 times more annoying than calling Texas.

I just want a job. As a planner. Hopefully making no more than $10K less than I made in Chicago. I am trying to be nice to the universe. Please universe, send it back to me.

All I can think of is Jen Lancaster in Bitter is the New Black when she's like "I can't file for unemployment, I'm a Republican".

Off to try to call IL. Yeah.

Isn't Austin a great city?

That's what I am asked when I lament having to move back here. And truth be told, it is. If I had never lived in Chicagoland, I would be 100% content being here. But now, it feels small, has traffic that practically rivals that of Chicago anyway (and public transit isn't much of an option), lacks the cultural attractions that Chicago does, and OH YEAH, the job scene here leaves something to be desired.

Austin is always on the lists of "Best Places to Live", etc. And Texas has not been as hard hit by this recession as many other states have. And Austin is even supposedly a place with great job growth. Well, not in my business. Blah. I feel like I'd be so much better off in Dallas or Houston.

I feel like there are so many people here in meetings and events who have worked with their respective organizations for an eternity, and they are just not used to new blood. Chicago has people coming and going all the time, so it's easy to jump right in and not be so new after a while. I just don't think that's the case here, and since I wasn't involved in the industry when I lived here before, I feel screwed sometimes. Sure, people are plenty nice and all that. That's not an issue. It's just rough.

Anyway, tomorrow starts a new work week and who knows what the next few days will hold. Hopefully progress/good news on the job front. I'm ready for it.

This is not how I pictured it.

Today is Scott's birthday. Even though we both don't care a lot about birthdays, I wanted to do something nice for him. So I am making dinner tonight. Wow-that's 4 nights this week.

Anyway, I had to get up early today and dress nice for job club. So, I put on a dress and I decided to keep it on because how often does this man get to see his wife showered, with makeup and hair done and decent clothing to boot.

I ran out to Target a bit ago to get a couple of forgotten things I needed for dinner. Got poured on on my way out. Hope that's a front coming through instead of just crappy weather.

Anyway, came home, made ganache for cracked cheesecake, put King Ranch Chicken in the oven. Am working on cleaning up. Sweating like a whore in church.

Why did I think I should cook in a dress?

And no, I am not wearing pearls. I actually took off my necklace, as it's a 7-strand acrylic monstrosity and it would just make me sweat more.

Hope the cheesecake is good...it's not nearly as pretty as the pumpkin one I made for our anniversary but that's basically covered in ganache, so I doubt it matters.

He should be home any sec...I don't hear the doggies crying yet...