October's Surprises!

I'm sorry to have left you all in suspense since my last post! I ended up going on the 2nd interview for the "dream job." I redeemed myself the second time around. I felt good about the interview and the feedback I received afterwards. I got a follow up e-mail requesting references so I thought for sure I had it in the bag! I was even slightly stressed just imagining how I would break the news to my boss. It felt like it was a sure thing & I never feel that confident after interviews! I was patiently awaiting the job offer. A few days passed, then a week, then a week and a half...Finally I got an e-mail saying she went with the other candidate but how great I am and that she wishes she could hire us both, blah blah blah. I have to admit I'm still really bummed about it. REALLY BUMMED!

Other then that waste of time...Life is good. Stephen had his surgery & it went well. I'm so happy & relieved!...We also got a new kitty! Can you believe it? I wasn't sure I wanted another cat or would be able to love another cat after Sammy. I will always love my Sammy & there will never be another cat like her. This little kitty is special in her own way. She is all Puuurrrsonality! LOL! She is a Tonk, so she is affectionate & smart. She demands attention! She's slightly different coloring then Sammy was as a kitten & she has this unusually fine hair that is slightly long & she puffs up into a ball when she's excited. I am so in love with her & we just met! LOL! I found a Tonk breeder in Georgia after striking out with a bunch of local breeders. They said they would have a Tonkinese Natural Mink available for adoption a few days after I e-mailed them! What perfect timing! She arrived at LAX on Friday. Stephen & I went to pick her up & we were met with a BIG surprise! There were TWO tonks in the carrier! I don't know exactly how it happened but the other kitten was supposed to go to Houston, TX. It was a big ordeal because we couldn't reach the breeder & we had no idea what to do with the little stowaway. We brought them both home & enjoyed 4 fun days with two kittens running around the house. I fell in love with both kitties & I was hoping the Houston family would change their mind about him & I could keep them both. No such luck! I had to send "The Little One" to Houston. I cried! I talked with his new owner & she is going to keep in touch. I hope she does. He's my kitties brother & I felt so bad for separating them. The Houston couple named him Fievel after Fievel Goes West. Very fitting! LOL! After throwing a few names around I decided on calling my kitty Lily (Tiger Lily)...Some other BIG news is that we'll be getting a Doxie puppy On Oct. 20th...That way these two can grow up together. My two little brownies. It's going to be an adventure...

Updates: Other then that I've been annoyingly busy at work. I have a ton of fun swaps this month & I'm trying to post photos of them regularly on Flickr. Halloween is in the air! I have my decorations up...too much fun! I love Halloween!!! oh, & if you don't already know....I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE AGAIN!!! Exciting!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC X 2!!!

OK, I think that's most of the updates.

Time has come today!

Note: Whole Foods Butternut Squash Enchiladas = Not good AT ALL!

I got "gypped" by 3 swappers! What is up with that!? I am working on a self portrait for a current swap. I already received a cool self portrait from the UK, which I'll post on MyFlickr later today. I better get a move on! Luckily my portrait doesn't have far to travel - just a few miles away. I opened an etsy account and I'm going to try & actually make some money from my creations. Another goal is to add some stuff to my collection of large shadowboxes & paintings so I can have a show. I'm so inspired by all the artist's I've met via Swap-bot & MySpace. Hopefully I'm inspired enough to finally do something with my passion! I had so much time off while I was job hunting & I wasn't productive at all! I'm so disappointed in myself! I was really depressed and uninspired. I rarely worked on my art or got off my ass and went to the gym. Now that I'm inspired again I am lacking the time & energy. I'm trying to figure out a schedule that includes work, the gym, time for art, my loved ones & my house. I want to make all of those things a priority. Is that possible? Advice needed! I hate doing a million things at once, dodging traffic & running around like a crazy woman. I like peace. I'm hoping this little upcoming vacation brings me a little of that before it's back to the rat race again. I can't wait!

junk as far as the eye can see

Today felt like the endless day. Stephen woke me up this morning because Gregifer invited us to tag along with them at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet. I resisted at first only because I had been then once before and it was a miserable experience. I remember it being hotter then hell & full of cholos. It was exactly as I remembered. Today was the hottest winter day I can ever remember and the swap meet was ghetto in all it's glory. Veteranos in wheelchairs, teen moms, crowds and the sweltering heat. I did manage to find a cute butterfly for the garden - full of lead paint but it's very pretty nonetheless. I was hoping that I could find some craft supplies in all the bins of junk but no luck. There was so much to see - aisles and aisles of stuff, Mexican music blasting and the glorious smell of fried tortillas - my senses were on overload. You can find a little mix of everything there. Tupac blankets, granny panties, knock off purses, Mexican candy, birds, tools, samurai swords, used baby furniture, coffins and you can even get a massage! After buying some useless items and feeling tired and dehydrated we made our way back to car. We did some more shopping on the way home - Greg & Jenn bought some furniture for their new pad and we stopped for a much needed Starbucks. My new fave drink is Passion Tea Lemonade - two pumps melon , one pump raspberry - Refreshing - you must try! We came back to our neck of the woods, did a little relaxing and then went out for pizza. I messed up on the "non-diet" a little but I'll be back on tomorrow - I want to lose 5 more before the BIG 3-0!!!. I just finished organizing the craft room and now I'm about to study for a test I'm taking on Tuesday for a job I really want. Phew - what a day! I hate Sundays - even worse now that I'm not working. It's the realization that another week is coming and I still don't have anything lined up - plus another endless week of job hunting is ahead. It's really draining...but I'm going to go into this week with a good attitude and maybe I can make something happen.

Sux in the City

I've been running around like a crazy woman all morning! Out of desperation I decided to interview with a temporary agency in downtown L.A. I left extra early but it took me about 2 hours to get there. Mainly because of the horrible directions and the one way streets. The numbers on the building were hard to read so I kept having to circle around over & over! I was told to park in a lot called Joe's Garage...well I came to find out that there are numerous Joe's Garage parking lots all over the city! There was construction, crazy people and about a zillion cars honking their horns. I felt like I was in NYC! I've been to downtown many times but things must have changed since then. I don't remember the hustle and bustle. Today was an adventure to say the least! Culture shock BIG TIME...and I thought I was so worldly! ha ha! The interview was on the 26th floor of an office building with an amazing view of the city. I tested horribly...I'm retarded when it comes to timed computer tests. Timed test make me so nervous! Anyway, my resume and interview overshadowed the mediocre test scores. Now I just sit back and wait for them to find me something. I applied to 8 places yesterday and I'm hopeful I get at least one interview. I had applied to this great community arts organization awhile back even though I knew I was under qualified for the position. To my surprise the hiring manager liked my resume and e-mailed me yesterday to let me know that a position opened up that I may be interested in. I immediately applied and I'm waiting on pins and needles for a call from her. I also saw an ad online that my old boss had posted for a position at her new organization. I e-mailed her to ask more about the position and inquire about applying and she never wrote back. I'm kind of annoyed because she never wrote the recommendation she promised either. It kind of sucks because I stuck up for her after she was let go. Infact, her being fired is part of the reason I left! Oh well.

An update on the Caroline's turning the BIG 3-0 saga...My family wants to throw me a party! I'm a little excited...just a little. It's tentatively set for the Saturday following my birthday at a tapas bar in Pasadena. I think I can invite 30 people give or take. Icing on the cake would be to get the #1 present on my wish list - that would be the BEST birthday ever...but you know how my luck is. It stinks!