Second shift...what fun...

Believe me, I'm not really complaining. It's just taking a bit of adjustment time to get used to the schedule. And once I'm done with training, my schedule will change again.
So...I've been in training at work for two days. Monday was just orientation stuff, getting our badge pictures taken, a short tour, meeting the people in the class and basic company policy stuff. Last night we started getting into the real learning, like how to clock in on the computer, and customer service quality. If we keep going at this pace, the two weeks in class and one week of transition work should be plenty to get us up to speed. There's a lot to learn, and most of it seems to be which computer program to use for which need.
It's still hard to stay awake and alert through the whole shift, and by second break at 10 p.m., a lot of us are yawning. Too bad the coffee vending machine is a piece of crap. Several people have already gotten out the thermoses to bring their own coffee! I'm thinking that chocolate covered espresso beans are going to be a good thing to find, when I have some money. They're still better for me than soda or 'energy drinks'.
Anyway, it's sounding like this is going to be a good place to work. There's opportunity for overtime, promotions and advancement, unlike other places I've worked at. The company is big enough to have some decent benefits, and I hope this works out till I can get my other dreams off the ground.

It's official...I have work again.

I start Monday evening, working at an incoming call center. There's 3 weeks of paid training and then I get a regular schedule. For now, it's 2nd shift for the classes, and after that, who knows? Pay's decent enough, and I still have time to get a part-time job on top of it. I am still looking for other income sources, of course.
At least things are looking up a bit now. Hopefully, I'll be able to not only catch up but have enough to save up for "con season"!
I am very relieved.

Quick update

Still no work. Still putting in applications and resumes, two or three a day minimum. Getting very discouraged and worried. The month is half over, and I've got bugger all to show for it, it seems.
On the plus side, today is Rugby Day at Two Fools Tavern, so that'll be fun to hang out at. I get to go out with some friends tonight, too.
Last night was filking night, at another friend's house. We sat around and talked, sang and had fun. Not a bad way to spend an evening. Didn't make it to the pub afterwards, though, I was too tired.
I'm wondering if I still have some low-level bug floating around in my system. I'm not sick enough to feel sick, but my temperature's up by a degree or so and I'm feeling cold and lethargic lately. It's more annoying than anything else. I've got too much to do to be dealing with this on top of it all!
Guess I'd better get started....

Makin' some bread, man....

Today's been a busy day and a laid-back one at the same time.
Started off by running over to the post office to send off a car payment from my last paycheck. Then I went over and donated plasma for some money. Hey, it's an income of sorts, even if it's not much. They had the movie "Saving Silverman" playing, and it's a really dumb flick that had us all laughing. After that, I swung by the grocery to get some shortening. Got margarine instead, as it's way cheaper and made of the same stuff. Why margarine/shortening? I'm making bread!
I guess the bread bug bit me yesterday when I was applying for a job at a local bakery. We've got the ASFS meeting tonight, so I'm taking homemade rolls, herb butter and honey butter. Yum! The rolls are in the oven right now, and already smelling wonderful.
Got a new CD today that I'd ordered a while back. The East Village Opera Company. Same idea as Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but with vocals, doing opera arias and overtures. It was a most excellent rocking CD, and I could still sing along with the arias I remember from college. "Nessun Dorma" is an all-time favorite of mine.
Tomorrow afternoon, I'm getting my tarot/astrology reading, and then Sunday evening, I'm doing a reading for a friend. Should be an interesting weekend!

Job hunting again...

Y'know, I'm getting a bit tired of this.
I'm out of work again. Back to more job applications, and trying to figure out what to do.
I've got leads, and places to look. I'm trying to stay motivated. Hardest part is that right now I have no phone. Kinda hard to get callbacks without one. At least I can still get email. I should hopefully be able to get the phone/net/cable back this week out of my last paycheck and money made from donating plasma.
A friend of mine has gifted me with an indepth tarot/astrology/counseling session to help me find some direction. She said it helped her immensely when she was in similar straits. I'm thinking it's just what I may need to figure out what the heck I should be doing. What I've been doing isn't working for me anymore, and I need some help from outside my own head.
Wish me luck.

Bleargh.

I hate getting sick. Especially when it makes me miss work, and leaves me feeling like I've been beaten with a blunt object. Hopefully it was just a 24-hour bug, but I think it worked overtime, because it started Tuesday evening and I'm still not back up to par. I did manage to eat tonight, which is a good sign. I'll spare you the rest of the details, unless you happen to read my LJ, and even it's not too graphic.
The weather is cold again, and I think the front thermostat is acting up because it was only 55 in the frontroom this morning! I checked tonight, and tried resetting it again. If it doesn't straighten out, I'll have to call the landlord. Phooey.
Both my phones are out, apparently, and it'll be at least next week till I can get comcast paid. Rent's due this week, and missing a day of work last week due to weather didn't help at all. I'll make it, but it'll be tight, and another no-frills week for me. As long as I can stay healthy, I'm fine.
I have my little party coming up on Saturday, and it looks like most of the people I invited will be able to make it. It'll be nice to have people over, and I'm looking forward to it.
My pot of tea is finished, so time to leave the cafe and head home to bed.

Time for another update

Let's see. Work, commute, tired, broke. Yeah, that's about par for the course. ;-)
I'm looking for better work, and have found some good positions to apply for. So far, I've got apps in with the City for library paraprofessional jobs and emergency communications jobs, I just emailed a letter and resume in for an entry level editor trainee job at a publishing company, and I'm filling out apps for the local co-op store and a couple of other part time supplemental jobs.
Money's still extremely tight, so no cellphone, and now no cable/net. Cable phone is still on, but if I can't get it paid up by the 8th, I'll lose it, too. I should be able to pay that by then, but it means I have to go out for wi-fi for a while again.
I have gotten back into donating plasma for cash, and that's gonna help some. If I can donate on Friday and Sunday, then I can get $65 a week between the two days. Not bad. I'm also looking at setting out my shingle as a Tarot reader. I'm hoping to arrange a place other than my apartment to read at, though, so that might take a bit of work. I can get advertising fairly cheap or free, and there are bulletin boards to post flyers on. I just want to be classy and professional, y'know?
I'm working on getting another vehicle, since I don't know if I'll be able to keep my truck. The payments are a real stress right now. A good friend of mine has offered me a great deal on a '73 Mustang that she can't drive anymore due to the bucket seats hurting her injured hip. She and her dad were working on restoring it, and have parts cars for it, too! It's gonna be a neat project, and a sweet ride when I get her going again. The car has been parked for a couple of years, but is in good shape otherwise. Heh, might have to go cruise Central Ave. sometime this summer, if I get her looking pretty! Then again, it's a Mustang, with a 351 Cleveland and a CarterAFB 4-barrel carburetor. It ain't about pretty...this horse will run! Makes the idea of a day trip to the mountain home very appealing, even if I know she's gonna eat gas like nobody's business. (*sigh* My inner geek is also a big ol' gearhead...)
Yesterday was a bit odd. I tried to make it to work, and had to turn back around after about 25 miles. The highway was sheer ice, with no visibility from the freezing fog, and they closed the road!! So I called in from the gas station, turned around and came back home. Weather here is fine, but up there it was hellish. Go figure. You know the roads are bad when *I* give up and go home. I'm no wimp when I drive, but this was more than I cared to risk. There had been half a dozen rollovers reported when I stopped, and they were before the big hill south of Santa Fe that is so dangerous. By the time I got turned back around, in ten minutes, there had been three more! Insane.
That's how I ended up tinkering around with the Mustang some more, and spending way too long at the plasma place. I did get treated to dinner last night, which was fun, and the few of us who'd gone out went back to one house and watched 'The Musketeer' together. Good movie, awesome Wire Fu fighting! Fast and loose with the story in a way, but a fun movie to watch.
Today, I'm at Satellite Coffee for the wi-fi, and I'll probably hit the library later. Of course, I have to go to the grocery store for some gooshyfood for the cats, too, or they might not let me back into the house!
The sun is shining, it's 45 degrees (above zero, thank you!) and all in all, it looks like a pretty good day. I'm gonna make it a good day!