GUESS WHO'S PLAYING HOOKEY TOMORROW?!

So earlier tonight I made up my mind that I was going to take off tomorrow. I've been fighting with this idea ever since the midweek of last week, but I talked myself out of it because there is so much that needs to be done and I need every cent I can earn. However, there comes a time when even the all too important dollar has to play second fiddle to mental well being. It's not like I'm going crazy or anything, is just that I need a break from the office, the everyday routine, the airport in general. I just need a day to regroup and to re-set my mind. This weekend I planned to help clean and to send my cover letter and resumes to two positions I printed out on Friday night, but I was a big ole lazy ball of...laziness. I had such an easier time cleaning when I was unemployed. Now, I honestly have no desire to do any cleaning of any kind. I plan on doing some things tomorrow like cleaning the bathroom and doing some stuff in my room, but other than that...every man for his or herself.

The job is actually getting better and I have more responsiblities now so the day tends to go by quicker. But I still don't have proper ID, which means I still need an escort everywhere I go. Including to the loo. I'm in that office from 8:30 in the morning to 5:00 pm. Which means that's 8 and half hours with absolutely no sunlight and very little interaction with others. Needless to say, it gets to me every now and again. I feel like that place is so confining. No one has said anything about whether or not I will become a permanent worker. I think if I knew where I stood on this job, I might be able to mind the confinement a little better. But it's no fun when you still have to worry if you are going to have a job in weeks or months to come.

As I said, I feel bad about taking the day off tomorrow because in a couple of weeks from now, on my thirtieth birthday (shivers) I will take off to celebrate this day. (Still don't know how yet, but that's another post!) So that will be two days in one month. But I know for sure, as much as I am dreading this day, I don't want to be stuck in that office watching the clock. I would like to be having a laugh, some fun, and a few drinks!

Almost a month working at the airport! WOW!!!

Tomorrow will mark the one month anniversary of working in the airport. I can't believe it. I swore that I would be there for only a week. Remember? But here it is, almost a month later. Thank goodness for it. I'm still not 100% in love with being there, but I am 100% in love with getting paid every week and being able to do some things that I wasn't able to do last year around this time. I've been able to give my mom $100 every week and buy groceries too. That diminshes the desire to eat out. I spent a little more than I would've liked too this past week on groceries but, most of my bills (car insurance, Dell Preferred Account, NetFlix) are up to date.

I went to the doctor and found out that I lost 10 lbs. Not as much as I would've liked to have lost, but at least it's a start. A very small smart. Well whatever. At least I'm not 10 lbs. heavier. I really need to start taking those before and after pictures. I need to do some much. After I get home from work, I really have no desire to do anything else but sit on my arse. I'm a bit hesitant about joining the gym being that I won't be able to go until the weekend. Spending $100 for six months when I only get there twice a week really doesn't make much sense. I walk a lot still and I eat fruit and drink water. I've gotten slack on eating veggies and portion controls, but I 'm going to try and motivate myself back to where I was a couple of months ago. Still no French Fries, ice cream, chocolate, or hamburgers. I usually have a meatball and mozzarella Lean Pocket for lunch, but that's as far as I go for beef. Anyone who knows me know that aside from music, hamburgers and french fries are my f#*&%king weakness!!! Always has been and probably always will be, but thank goodness, I haven't had a taste for them lately.

Over the weekend, I saw on the Bloomberg channel that both eBay and Google are cutting jobs like no one's business. WTF!!! This makes me wonder if I am destined to reside in the glamorous world of HR for the rest of my life. Either there or in the underappreciated and overwhelming world of education. I don't think I mind teaching as much, but I did not get an advanced degree to work in either field. I realize that in all areas of life, you definitely have to crawl before you can walk, but you guys have no idea how frustrating this all is. Knowing that 30 is around the corner, damn there staring me in the face, and I have very little funds to show for it, scares the shite out of me and angers me. I really want my independence and to know what it's like to stand on my own two feet, but right now, I know it's not feasible. And yes folks, that's why I'm angry. I blame myself for not being frivolous enough with money in the past. I would probably be in a completely different situation if I would've disciplined myself to save better. Maybe I wouldn't have a house, but I would probably have my own apartment and have some independence where I can entertain (especially men!), decorate, and occupy my own space with worrying about things a 30 year old woman should not be concerned about. I dunno. There is indeed a pro and con to everything. And like I said, this is my life right now and I have to make the best of it until I can do better. I just hope I will be able to do better soon.

$80.... Made The Easy Way!!!

So, today I received the $80 I made from my two day jury duty stint. I didn't expect to get the check so quickly, but there it was...waiting for me on our living room table. I'm very happy to see it, even though it's going into a million different directions...and not one of those directions is in my wallet. At first, I said I was going to give $40 to my mother and I was going to deposit $20 into my checking account and the other $20 into my savings. Now I'm thinking about giving mom $20, putting $20 in my savings, and then sending the remaining $20 to my aunt and grandma living in SC. They both are on a fixed income and struggling to pay there bills. $40 is hardly a ton of money, but maybe this will help some. Then I was thinking of sending $40 to my other grandma and grandpa in Fla. they definitely need the money. I really need to be saving this money, but when I've fallen on hard times, I always had family members to bail me out so I would really like to be there for them more. Tomorrow is pay day. I'm happy, but I already know what has to be done with it, so no need to get too excited. Damn, Thank God for a job, but it's too much when you work but have no money in the end. I guess that's the story of the American people these days. That's actually the story all over the world. It seem as if we ALL are suffering. Except for the billionaires. Warren Buffett has knocked Bill Gates out of the 'richest person in the world' list this year. The youngest person to make the list was the 23 year old creator of 'Face Book'. Lucky bastards!!! These guys great-great-great-great-great grandchildren will be set for life, long after these tow are among the living, and yet most of the working class people in the world can't even afford medicine they have to take so that they can LIVE! WTF? Something is absolutely wrong with this picture.

Over the weekend, I watched Michael Moore's acclaimed documentary 'Sicko'. That was especially eye opening. So eye opening until I'm seriously thinking of moving to either the UK or France. Before I went to France a few years ago, I visited my doctor and had a full check up. My logic was, 'what if I was to get sick over there. I'll be in trouble. I better check myself out here in the US because only heaven knows what can happen to me over there'. HA!!! That was a fucking joke. It turns out I would've faired better if I did get ill over there. That's a damn shame. This movie has also reminded me that I need to stop putting off filling out and returning my health insurance renewal. That is way too serious to play with. I just need to find some pay stubs so that I can make copies of them and send them along with the renewal application. After I finish this entry, I will look for them. If I can't find them, I may make a copy of the W2 form the promotion company I worked with last year and send it. I think I did that last year, but I actually would prefer to send the stubs. This health insurance has been a God send, so I certainly don't want to lose that. I can't afford to. Literally!!!

I know I haven't been discussing the weight loss too much. I've been... pretty good with the exercise. I've been walking almost everywhere. Although I've been eating a little more than I was a few weeks ago before I started working, it hasn't really been the wrong things, so that's good. No fast food, cakes, cookies, or french fries. I did drink some beer this weekend, but not three or four cans like I use to. I still take my lunch everyday so I haven't been spending excessive money on food. I did buy two dollars worth of granola bars yesterday from the corner store. But other than that, I've been taking entrees by Weight Watchers and fruit I cut up at home. Tommorrow, I plan to take a tuna sandwhich, cucumbers with a teaspoon of Thousand Island dressing, a green apple sprinkled with cinnamon, and a granola bar. For my beverages, I still drink the water from the cooler at the job. I found out today that I won't be able to bring a can of microwaveable soup. I will probably have to empty the soup into a tuppeware container, but then I run the risk of a messy spill in my bag. Oh well, I guess tuna and frozen entrees are the way to go for me.

Out of all the frozen low calorie meals on the market, I prefer Lean Cuisine. Healthy Choice is okay (although it does come with a delicious fruit and granola dessert...hmmm) and Weight Watchers Smart Ones are mediocre at best. But Lean Cuisine...they are tops!!! Their food tastes very fresh, and they have some wonderful varieties. I'm a pasta fanatic so needless to say, I'm thrilled that most of LC pasta dishes are made with whole wheat pasta. They are one of the few frozen entree manufacturers that have incorporated whole wheat pasta into the menu. Kudos, LC. Keep up the good work. Hopefully, they will be on sale this week at PathMark. For the past two weeks, WW Smart Ones have been on sale and that's why Mom and me decided to give them a try. But her and I are both lovers of LC. I took her WW SO dish of wild rice and peppersteak today for lucnh because I was afraid the airport security was going to take my soup. So she took the microwaveable can of NE Clam Chowder soup and I took the entree. I was impressed...the meal was not bad at all, but come Friday, I will certainly check the online circular for PM to see if my beloved LC will be on sale. That will indeed make NuwaveSista a happy girl!!!! Well, that and some more money so I can feel our freezer up with them! :-)

Two More Days to Pay Day!

So according to my supervisor last Friday while she was signing of my timesheet, I am required to take a 30 minute lunch break everyday. No one told me that I had to do this. Being that one of the most imperative facets of my everyday tasks is to answer the phone, last week I would just have lunch at my desk and answer the phone in between taking bites from my tuna fish sandwhich on whole wheat. But this week, I must take those thirty minute breaks and everyone else will cover the phones for me. I don't mind taking the breaks, but I hate that the communication in this place is so poor. And then the head honcho from the temp agency that assigned me to this job called me to tell me that I should've remembered what I read in the guidelines when I first went to the agency. I interviewed with this agency back in September of 2007. I got my first assignment in January. It's highly impossible that I was going to remember what was written in that huge Bible I had to sign last year. Anyhoo, hopefully I will get what I calcualted it to be. And during my lunch break today, I figured out what I may be getting next week with thirty minutes deducted from each day. Still not too bad, but I have no idea what it will look after taxes. This paycheck, I still plan to give my mother $100, I want to put $100 in my savings account. I need a new pair of boots because both of my everyday pairs have had it, so that's another fee and then there are a few other small bills that need to be paid.

I found out for one of the ladies at he job that the other temp that was there before me was late all of the time. She had two jobs, so I'm sure the burden was a bit much for it. I can't judge because I would love to have two jobs. Just having this job alone is enough right now, but eventually, I will definitely have to get a second gig. But as always, I first need to secure a full time good paying position and then I can worry about making more money.

1 Week Down- ? More to Go!

Well, my first week at the new temp position is now over, thank goodness. I made a lot of mistakes, but overall, my supervisors have been very impressed with the work I did. I especially enjoyed booking the interviews. It makes me feel like I have some power, even though I'm in the same boat as the people who are applying for jobs with this company. So, according to my supervisor, I will continue working there next week. I don't know if I will complete the week, but hopefully I will. I learned that I am required by the company to take a 30 minute lunch breaks. All this week, I've been having lunch at my desk so that I could answer the phones. this company is very strict about phone answering, due to the fact that it's a human resource office. But no one told me that I had to take a 30 minute unpaid lunch break. I have no problems with that, but one of the problems I do have with this company is the lack of communication. Everything has been a trial and error situation since the beginning. There was no formal training, directions are sometimes unclear, and communication at times is quite poor. But, the last few days at the office have been quite busy, so the time has been flying by rapidly.

I worked 44 hrs this week with $11 per hour, so I calculated my first week of pay to be over $480, before taxes. Not bad. If I'm lucky to get through another full week, I may not make the same amount of money because now I have to deduct 30 minutes from each day and may not work over time. but knowing that another paycheck is on the way is a great thing. Not to mention, I expect to receive $80 for the two days I served jury duty last month. Yay! How sweet it is to know that there is other funds on the way, even if it's not that much. At least it's something. Half of that money is going to my mom, and the other is going into my saving account. I spent $100 of the $200 mom gave me from her tax. I still can't believe that it's gone. Here is a rundown of the expenses:

1. $20 Drain Opener for the kitchen sink (our house is very old and has shotty plumbing problems)

2. $5.00 for eyebrow trimming

3. $20 for cold medicine (Dayquil tablets, TheraFlu cough syrup, cough drops, orange juice,and 12 pack of soap...all from Target).

4. $30 for a personal item

I still need to buy a prepaid phone card for my cell phone for $25 and I need to put some clothes in the cleaners.

When I receive the first check next week, I'd like to pay $100 on the Dell Preferred Account bill. Mom gets $100. $100 for me to maybe purchase a new pair of boots, and the other goes in to the savings. I sooo need a part time job. Well first actually I need a full time job that I don't have to worry if whether or not I'll have it for the rest ot the week. That's a priority.

I didn't expect to be so busy this Saturday, therefore I didn't apply to two jobs I really am interested in. One of them is for a music licensing position. I did a brief internship with a music licensing company last fall, but it certainly doesn't make up for the 3 years of experience this position is requesting. I'm going to apply anyway and see what happens. The second job is for a teacher. I've been fighting the idea of becoming a teacher ever since I graduated from college. I actually applied to the NYC Teachers Fellowship when I first graduated from college, but I didn't get accepted. I was kind of happy that I was not chosen, but I'm sure my life would be a lot different now if I was a teacher now. I think I will try again. This is not the position of a lifetime for me, but it's worth trying something new. Especially if it provides stability, flexibility, and lots and lots of vacations! :)

I got a lot of exercise today, walking practically everywhere, so I think I'm going to call it a night, and get in my bed to watch Hil and Obama in Ohio.

Another day without spending money!

Woo-hoo! Three days gone and two more left of this week. I don't know if I will get called back to work this assignment next week. I hope I do, just for the fact that I'll be making money, but my concern is just being able to close out the rest of this week. At least I will get a full paycheck, if all goes well.

During my down time on the job today (which was quite sporadic-I was pretty busy and it made the day go by faster), I read an article about making the best of a job situation that you're not happy with. It made me think about this position. It's amazing how you can take little things for granted. I never would've thought I would be at a job that I have to be escorted to the bathroom and can't leave the building until my shift is over. So I am in that office for eight hours, with no windows and restricted online usage! I realize, like that article said, the best thing you can do in situations like these is just try to learn something. I do believe every experience we have helps to prepare us for future endeavors. Believing that and knowing that I'm making money are my driving forces these days. Sometimes I feel at my wit's end, but I've come too far now to lose my mind completely.

The good thing is, as I mentioned during the last post, with this job I don't have to spend any money that I don't have. I've been taking my sustinance everyday for the last three days. Oatmeal for breakfast, Tuna on wheat and a granola bar for a snack. There is a water cooler in the office so I don't have to worry about not having a beverage. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to drink more water, but since I can't use the rest room at my own free will, it's best if I limit the intake. I was thinking that maybe I need to start eating my heavier lunch during mid day so I can burn it off by the time I get home. Problem is, because that office is so quiet and stuffy, I'm afraid that a big meal will put me to sleep. I feel bad that I'm consuming so much bread, but this is what have right now. I may, however, shop for soup during the weekend, that is if I'm still assigned to there next week. I love New England Clam Chowder and that would be a nice filling light lunch...that is, if I can get it through security. I may need to just invest in those small microwaveable bowls from Campbells or Progresso. I would also like to get some more fresh fruit. On my first day, that's what I had for lunch. I bought it in my mom's purple Curves canister and the security at the airport surprisingly didn't give ma hard time about it. Today, however, they took my hand sanitizer, which sucks because there is no sink to wash my hands in the office. Oh well, let me stop complaining. A job tha's semi-confining is better than having no job and no money at all. I'm also proud of myself that I had a pack of Entenmann's assorted donuts that my supervisor brought in staring me in the face for two days and I did not give in to temptation. Somebody give this girl a round of applause!

Not that I'm a Homer Simpson or anything, but I do love sweets. So I would've certainly ate it. But in reality, I'm just not interested in consuming food that is really bad for me. I would really like to ride this weight loss storm straight on through this time!

Full & Tired

Day two has come and gone for the new temp job. Things have gotten a little better. I still got there super early & I actually enjoy it. Even though I'm unable to go upstairs to the office, I still can sit comfortably and write or listen to music while I wait for an escort. And the airport is usually empty that early in the morning so that's good. Since I commute to the job via the bus, I like to give myself ample time to reach there due to traffic problems or whatever. The NYC transit always manages to leave something to be desired.

My supervisor is very understanding. Even when I make stupid, yet honest mistakes, she seems very forgiving. She's better at forgiving me than I am at forgiving me. I feel that someone with a Masters Degree should be a bit more detail-oriented, even though that was never one of strong suits. I tell you, I use to want a government job, but I don't think I can deal with the hassels and restrictions of it. Now, I do realize that I work in an airport, therefore security is important. But sometimes it feel so confining. I just have to keep telling myself that the money is all that matters right now. I've been so self conscious about my performance these past two days, until I asked the supervisor this afternoon if she has been satisfied with how I've been doing so far. She said she has, and that she realizes I'm still learning. I assured her that I was learning. In which I am. This job has opened my eyes about a lot of things. Being that I work in human resources now, it's a comfort to know there are people all over this huge city applying to jobs, looking for work. Being unemployed really makes you feel isolated and lonely. One thing I've learned while working here is that it doesn't pay (literally) to delay applying for a job that you are interested in because chances are, a whole sleu of people are doing the exact same thing and for the exact same job. I know that sounds like sheer common sense, and in reality it is, but many people procrastinate (myself especially) when it comes to applying for a job, thinking that if it was just posted, not that many people have seen it. THAT'S A LIE! Trust me: many other people have seen that ad or posting and may very well be way ahead of you. So many people of all ages have been calling the office all day wanting to apply for the same job, a Sales Associate position that they are hiring for. Some of the resumes are good, many of them are not. But none of them are accompanied by a cover letter . I found this to be interested being that most companies stress that no resume should be sent without one. I guess it depends on what you are applying. I will be sure to ask my supervisor tomorrow to see what her take on all of this is.

As for the weight loss plan, I had a packet of bananas and cream oatmeal for breakfast, a Tuna Fish sandwich on whole wheat for lunch and a granola bar for a snack (I bought all of these from home so no money was spent again today! Yay!). I'm full now because I just had dinner. My mom ordered chinese food. I ate some rice and lo mein, two double doses of carbs, but I did also have a little bit of veggies. And I skipped the soda and went for the water instead. So not to bad, but I still have a long way to go. My mother (God bless her soul), gave me $200 from her income tax refund I'm more than thankful, I just realize there's so much that needs to be done with it and I don't know where to start. I said I was going to hold off from making any purchases until I get my check next week. Hopefully I'll be able to finish the rest of this week at this assignment so I'll know that I'll have a full paycheck.

Here is a brief rundown on bills and other expenses I have at the moment:

1. Dell Preferred Account
2. Car insurance
3. Cable
4. New boots
5. Put coat in dry cleaners
6. Repair car tire and axel

I'm sure I'm missing something else, but I can't remember what it is at this moment. Of course there are other things I'd like to do:

1. Buy tickets to see The Cure and Tommy Petty and Heartbreakers (not together, of course) in concert this summer ($112 for both shows)
2. Get my XM radio turned back on in my car ($200)

but that's another sad and sordid story that I wish I could tell, but my eyes are slowly closing. Right now, I just develop a budget for myself, and once I do, I'll certainly post here.