Alright, I'm getting desperate. O lost his job in July - 6 months ago. We moved to FL in August. In the past 5 months, I've had a 3-week temp assignment. And nothing else. No interviews, nothing. O has had not even a bite, either. We need a new plan. I want to move back to NY. O would rather end up in the DC area. The Boston area is also a consideration. These are the areas we're now concentrating on, all but completely abandoning the FL idea entirely because it is just not panning out.

What I am asking of my readers is this: boost our signal, please. If you know anyone in NY (specifically upstate, ideally Albany or Ithaca areas) or the DC/MD/VA areas who might be in the market for an part-time office assistant/writer/editor (any or all of the above, and full-time will be considered, for the right position) and/or a jack-of-all-trades IT guy who specializes in web design, social media marketing, and UNIX administration... send them our way, please.

Feel free to repost this, ideally with a link back to this post, or copy it into an e-mail to send out to everyone you know, or whatever you need to do to get the word out.

A couple of you have already responded to similar request I put out via e-mail, and I thank you wholeheartedly for your help. But the further we can spread the word, the more likely it is that the message will reach the right ears and eyes.

Thanks!

"I know that 2009 was pretty horrid for a lot of people. One way we might make 2010 a bit better is to spread some love around. So if you care to reply to this post I will give you a response of something I like about you.

If you like participating in these sorts of things and want to repost this in your LJ that'd be fun, too."

(stolen from nounsandverbs)

2009 brought a lot of change - some good, some way less than good.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Went through most of the process of buying a house, moved out of NYS, visited Florida, drove down the East coast, got a paid writing gig.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I made any. Generally speaking, I'd rather just work on continually setting goals for myself, rather than making yearly resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My oldest friend had a little girl in late-August.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
We had to put my eldest cat to sleep after he went feral and attacked Oliver.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada, just once, back in January

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
a job

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 8th - it was when kolys lost his job

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
not (completely) falling apart when our lives got turned upside down

9. What was your biggest failure?
the times when I've lost my temper or said things that were unkind

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
nothing major

11. What were the best things you bought?
nothing is immediately springing to mind

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband, for being so supportive and loving, and for being such a wonderful daddy.
All of my friends and family who supported us when times got difficult, and those who helped us to move all our stuff into storage before we moved out of state.
My in-laws, for allowing us to use their vacation home until we can get on our feet.
The friends and family who helped us during the home-buying process.
My son, for being the smart and amazing little guy he is!

13. Whose behavior appalled you?
Xerox - for allowing their bureaucracy to totally contradict itself and defy logic

14. Where did most of your money go?
rent

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
buying our first home

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
I can't honestly think of one.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Hmm... some of each.
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same, I think. Maybe a little thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? poorer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Spent time with my family and friends in NY.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
focusing on the negative

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With my boys, in our PJs, watching Christmas specials on TV and relaxing around the house with yummy snacks and each other's company.

21. Why is there no Question 21?
I don't know; I didn't write the questions.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
I fell in love with places, and remained in love with people.

23. How many one-night stands?
0

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Veronica Mars

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I'm still very bitter with Xerox, but I think I'm starting to let it go.

26. What was the best book you read?
The Night Listener by Armistead Maupin, though I'm also really enjoying the one I just started today: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hmm - I don't know as though I made any musical discoveries this year! I surprised myself recently by enjoying Taylor Swift's single and there have been other things I've liked... but nothing stands out, which is really weird!

28. What did you want and get?
a gorgeous new camera for my birthday, a healthy and mostly-happy family, a visit from my mom, a new spiritual-home, someplace to stay when O lost his job

29. What did you want and not get?
a job (well, several jobs, really), a house, a new (to us) car

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I don't see many films, honestly, but Up was especially good

31. What did you do on your birthday?
My husband took me out to dinner at a restaurant on the beach, which our son spent the evening with a babysitter

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Employment

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Mostly - comfortable and casual. I was a SAHM most of the year, and often didn't leave my house other than for walks with the Bug.

34. What kept you sane?
My boys, writing.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Edward Cullen from the books - I don't find Robert Patinson all that attractive, but the character ... Mmmm. :) Also, I kinda had a crush on Jason Dohring.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
It's a tie between health care reform and gay marriage rights

37. Who did you miss?
In the last part of the year, almost everyone.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I don't think I would claim ONE person as the best, but I've met some great folks down here - all from my church.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
You just never know.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
If you find somebody to love in this world
You better hang on tooth and nail
The wolf is always at the door
In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute
Things can get a little strange

Our little boy is quite a talker. I've mentioned before that he knows the names of a bunch of different dinosaurs, all his numbers and letters (and he's starting to get them in order now, too - especially if we sign them for him), and lots of shapes and colors. He amazes me.

But sometimes, he just cracks me up, and I wanted to share some of his funny or unique phrases and pronunciations.


* "Sorry, Liam foot!" when he stubs his toe on something, or just "Sorry, Liam!" when he in some other way bumps himself on something.

* "2,4,5 - Ready or Not - SURPRISE!" (sometimes it also includes "Habby Dirthday!")

* His frequent lunch-on-the-go of cheese, pickles, and olives has become known as "oh my," because of a silly joke I made one day recently when he was having it.

* "Hung'y Herbivores!" (his favorite song from Dinosaur Train) ... which now comes complete with little munching sounds when he plays with his new dino playset

* "beach booms" (aka waves in the ocean)

* "bibbit bibbit" (frog noise)

* "G'een agglepas, gyue agglepas." (green pacifier, blue pacifer)

* "Mommy/Daddy/Grandma/ball/other toy or object, c'mere!" (funniest when it's said to an animal or inanimate object)

* "gyeb" = bread

* "yum"/"yee-um" = Liam


I think I'm going to start posting these periodically and make a collection of them, as there are so many things we just don't want to forget!

My friends in Western MA are trying to rehome two female ferrets. More information here, if you're interested.

I'm not sure the "one year in Florida" plan is actually going to come to fruition. We've both changed our focus a little since coming back from NY and me starting this temp. job and such. It started with a resume-request from one of O's friends, for a position in Palo Alto, CA. This is the same company he was considering during the summer, but we ruled it out because of location. Now, however, we're starting to wonder if we need to change location because let's face it - things have not been all that promising for us here in Florida. We'd both been hoping this possible position was in the company's DC-area office, but it turned out to also be in CA.

However, the company does have a similar (though not identical) position in their DC office. This realization got some wheels turning for both of us, and we're both feeling like maybe that area is the way to go. If anywhere is going to have a decent job market at all, it's going to be that area first. And we have friends there. And the seasons, while much milder than NY, still change there. And it's closer to NY. And there are long-term opportunities there in fields we both desperately want to get into.

And it's not on the west coast, which is looking to be our other major option. If we have to do that, we will. But neither of us want to, particularly. (The thought of it still makes me want to cry; I'm just afraid of closing any doors right now.)


I am posting this as a desperate plea for prayers/positive thoughts/etc. Please keep us in your thoughts in the coming weeks as we try to put this new plan in motion. Please pray that this works out for us in the way we are hoping. I am praying as hard as I can, myself.

I left the keys in the ignition last night, and not fully turned off. The car won't start this morning. Waiting for Geico's roadside assistance folks to come help. Great impression to make during my first week of work, no?

*sigh*

Does anyone have a good remedy for antibiotic-induced diarrhea in a toddler? Filling him up with yogurt a couple times a day for the probiotics is not doing the trick. Not even close, in fact.

Right now I'm sitting in a kind-of-scary-but-will-suffice-for-one-night hotel room near Rochester, while L and O are out walking off some of L's excess energy before bedtime routine begins. The visit has been a whirlwind of family and friends, and I have loved every second of it. We fly back tomorrow afternoon, and we're planning to spend the morning at the museum before we head to the airport.

We spent the first part of the visit in Ithaca (after driving down from Rochester the morning after we flew in). Wednesday was spent with my mom, Thursday with Gramma, Sissy & Ken (and mom), and then Friday morning we went to Museum of the Earth so Liam could look at and play with the dinosaurs there. After some computer repair work, we drove back to Rochester, where I met up with a couple of RWCC friends and O put L to bed at our friends' house, where we were staying for the weekend. Yesterday was spent in Victor with my Bethy & her family, and then John & his new girlfriend, and her newborn baby. Then today we spent a little more time with the Houstons (with whom we were staying), and L got to play with Claire all morning and part of the afternoon. A quick stop at our storage unit, another one at Wegmans, and that brings us to now.

This has been so wonderful, and (so far at least) not as bittersweet as I had been expecting. I may feel differently when we get to the airport tomorrow and/or when we get back to FL, but even if I do, it was worth it. I needed this taste of autumn, this time with my loved ones, and this break from the day-to-day routine. Yes, it was expensive, at a time when we need to be frugal... but it's only going to get more expensive from here. This was the last week we could do it without being in the holiday season, and after mid-December, we'd have been paying for 3 tickets instead of 2.

In a couple of days, it will be back to the grind of sending out resumes, etc. Hopefully the cold (no fever or anything, just a cough and runny nose) L has picked up along the way will wait until after our travels to catch up with O & I. I'm sort of hoping that this will work like solving a puzzle or writing a difficult paper - that taking a break from the job-hunt, etc., will have been just what we needed in order to achieve the desired result.

Is anyone here any good at resume-writing/tweaking/etc., and willing to help me out with mine? I'm thinking it needs some extra pizazz in order to make it stand out. It definitely needs something, since I've been looking for 2 months and haven't even had a single interview.

I can't afford to pay much, if anything, but I could really use some help. (Feel free to send other folks my way, if you know someone.)

I adapted this recipe to suit my needs.

Applesauce, unsweetened, 1 cup
Granulated Sugar, 1 1/5 cup
Flour, all-purpose, 3 cup
Ginger, ground, .5 tsp
Cinnamon, ground, 3 tsp
Allspice, 1.5 tsp
Baking Soda, 2 tsp
Pumpkin, canned, without salt, 15 oz can
Egg, fresh, 2 large
1/2 c. egg-substitute
3/4 bag of white choc. chips
some (what we had left) dried cranberries

This makes 2 loaves. I mixed everything in one bowl, in the order stated above, stirring between items (and between each cup of flour). Since I only have one loaf pan, I'm baking one loaf at a time at 350 for 45 minutes to start out with, then will adjust as needed. (Will edit this post if the timing needs drastic adjustment). If you have two pans, you can bake for one hour at 350.

(direct x-post from the BearFamily blog)

A few weeks ago, we were at Walgreens to get our seasonal flu shots, and the other man who was waiting there with us struck up a conversation - mostly with L. It turns out, he's a local fire commissioner. He told us who in the district to contact about getting L a tour of the firehouse. We'd actually intended to do it for Fire Prevention Week (which I wouldn't even know about if it weren't for FireMom, so thanks for that!) last week, but we didn't make it there until today.

Liam had an absolute blast, though! We told him we were going to see fire trucks, so he was very excited. Though I don't think he quite believed us when we walked in:


Once he got inside, though, and got to sit in an actual truck, he was thrilled!


He wanted to push all the buttons:


And try on the gear (or at least, the driver's sunglasses):


He got a hat of his own:


And even pretended to take an emergency call!



What an exciting day for a newly-22-month-old!

(More pictures, plus these in larger size here.)


~ D ~

Today was pretty neutral. We didn't do much - some straightening, I went to the gym, O made chili. No particular high-points stand out to me. But neither do any particular low-points either, so I still call it a win.

You really can't go wrong with a day that is made up of library, gym, reading, mini-golf, and Panera. :)

I thought we were getting company this weekend - a distant relative of O's. Turns out, it's /next/ weekend. Annoyed as I was when I discovered the mistake, it's probably for the best. I'm feeling very mellow and keep-to-myself-y, so having someone I've never met in the house overnight wouldn't have been ideal.

Instead, I've gotten to spend the evening chilling out with either the computer or my book, and occasional cuddles from a Bug. Definitely better suited to my mood.

Been very active today. While O was getting ready for a meeting he had this morning (and after he left), I mopped the floors all the way through the house. I also cleaned the master bathroom, stripped the master bed and our bed and threw those sheets in the wash, and straightened (including the lanai). I also did my usual gym routine after O got home and L was napping, AND we all took a walk to/from the park before dinner.

L also gave me no struggle with naptime, which was a nice change.

And I'm now enjoying some relaxy-time, and about to put the computer aside to read more Eragon.

I spent some of my birthday money today. I bought myself 2 shirts and a skirt at Old Navy, all on clearance. And a bathrobe at Target, also on clearance. And 2 workout DVDs and a camera case, plus two CDs-worth of MP3s (the SK6ERS albums I didn't have yet) on Amazon.

Yay shopping that doesn't cost me any real money. :)

Direct x-post from our family blog.

OK, so we still have blistering hot temperatures (it's going to be in the 90s on my birthday - I can't say I've experienced that very many times!), and there are no changing leaves. But we were/are determined to have some real autumn experiences nonetheless. We bought canned pumpkin this week to make pumpkin bread, and today we went to the park's Pumpkin Patch event.

( Pictures/video originally posted on the Family Blog )

I got a birthday card from my mommy today, with a check enclosed. I haven't totally decided whether I want to just use it as guilt-free spending money, or if I want to save it towards an eventual dSLR camera purchase. I/we spent a small amount today on a $5 skirt for me, two pair of Bug-jammies, and dinner at Moe's. Mmm, Moe's.