Hi Everyone!
I'm super tired so I'll wait until the weekend to tell you about my new job. So far everyone's been nice and I'm enjoying it.
Finished my finals for school so next week will be my first counselling course - Biblical Foundations of Counselling.
Have a great day!
Karen
PS - no cavities at the dentist!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
A new suit
Hi Everyone!
Wow, I've never spent that much on clothes in one day. I knew I had to do it so I set up a limit and headed downtown. I was going to go to Banana Republic because although they're expensive, I figured a few quality pieces would be worth it. On my way there, I stopped at Cleo.
I've never shopped there but there was a bunch of suits that caught my eye. As I looked around, I discovered almost half of the store was Petite! I grabbed a suit and some shirts to try on. I explained to the salesperson my situation and she was amazing. She had me try on another suit (which I ended up buying), got me in the right sizing (I was choosing too large), and found me all sorts of options of tops to wear under it. Altogether, I was in there for about an hour. I ended up with: navy on navy striped blazer with matching pants and skirt, white collared shirt, red knit tanktop I can wear as a camisole, navy top (with cap-like sleeves so even though it's a tanktop, all of the shoulder is covered) with blue and white flowers on it, and a great red top with 3/4 length sleeves and outlined circles of white and navy on it and is crossed at the front but looks amazing (which I would never have picked out but it turned out to be my favourite). I came in under budget so I looked for shoes.
I didn't really have any great shoes to wear with navy for winter. Actually, my tan shoes are scuffed and I think my dark brown shoes would look odd with the navy. I stopped at Aldo but didn't find anything. Nine West was a couple stores down so I decided to stop in, even though I couldn't afford it. I really love mid-season sales! I got a great pair of heels (1 1/2" high) that are medium brown. The colour varies throughout them but they look great and they still kept me under budget.
With my savings, I spent the last of my money on a cd. It was Pussycat Dolls - fluffy fun for studying or cleaning to.
With my new purchases, I have enough clothes for next week (and there's no hemming involved). This way, I can get a feel about how formal the dress code is. I'm not sure if sweater vests over collared shirts are suitable but I hope so - don't have any yet but I like how it looks and it would mean I could wear my other dresspants. Next paycheck, I will go back to Cleo for a brown suit. I think altogether I'll need the brown suit, three more tops, black pants and a red or burgundy skirt to be completely set. I have a black mandarin collar jacket so I'll need to bring it when I get my pants (and maybe a skirt). Once spring comes along, maybe a lighter gray suit would be nice.
Question: When wearing a blazer, does the collar of the shirt go over the lapel or is it tucked under?
Overall, I feel really comfortable in the clothes I bought and I feel ready for my new job on Monday.
Have a busy weekend. I got a dentist appointment tomorrow (they had a cancellation and mananged to fit me in). I also have to make a couple dozen muffins for coffee hour at church and finish up my final papers for school. I want to have them done by Sunday so I'll really need to focus (and drink a lot of coffee!). I need to hand them in by Tuesday night as on Wednesday is the Townships Project dinner. The apartment is really messy and it's all my fault. Lisa hasn't been there for a few days and I've been so tired that I've let it get bad. That's my task for tonight.
Have a great day!
Wow, I've never spent that much on clothes in one day. I knew I had to do it so I set up a limit and headed downtown. I was going to go to Banana Republic because although they're expensive, I figured a few quality pieces would be worth it. On my way there, I stopped at Cleo.
I've never shopped there but there was a bunch of suits that caught my eye. As I looked around, I discovered almost half of the store was Petite! I grabbed a suit and some shirts to try on. I explained to the salesperson my situation and she was amazing. She had me try on another suit (which I ended up buying), got me in the right sizing (I was choosing too large), and found me all sorts of options of tops to wear under it. Altogether, I was in there for about an hour. I ended up with: navy on navy striped blazer with matching pants and skirt, white collared shirt, red knit tanktop I can wear as a camisole, navy top (with cap-like sleeves so even though it's a tanktop, all of the shoulder is covered) with blue and white flowers on it, and a great red top with 3/4 length sleeves and outlined circles of white and navy on it and is crossed at the front but looks amazing (which I would never have picked out but it turned out to be my favourite). I came in under budget so I looked for shoes.
I didn't really have any great shoes to wear with navy for winter. Actually, my tan shoes are scuffed and I think my dark brown shoes would look odd with the navy. I stopped at Aldo but didn't find anything. Nine West was a couple stores down so I decided to stop in, even though I couldn't afford it. I really love mid-season sales! I got a great pair of heels (1 1/2" high) that are medium brown. The colour varies throughout them but they look great and they still kept me under budget.
With my savings, I spent the last of my money on a cd. It was Pussycat Dolls - fluffy fun for studying or cleaning to.
With my new purchases, I have enough clothes for next week (and there's no hemming involved). This way, I can get a feel about how formal the dress code is. I'm not sure if sweater vests over collared shirts are suitable but I hope so - don't have any yet but I like how it looks and it would mean I could wear my other dresspants. Next paycheck, I will go back to Cleo for a brown suit. I think altogether I'll need the brown suit, three more tops, black pants and a red or burgundy skirt to be completely set. I have a black mandarin collar jacket so I'll need to bring it when I get my pants (and maybe a skirt). Once spring comes along, maybe a lighter gray suit would be nice.
Question: When wearing a blazer, does the collar of the shirt go over the lapel or is it tucked under?
Overall, I feel really comfortable in the clothes I bought and I feel ready for my new job on Monday.
Have a busy weekend. I got a dentist appointment tomorrow (they had a cancellation and mananged to fit me in). I also have to make a couple dozen muffins for coffee hour at church and finish up my final papers for school. I want to have them done by Sunday so I'll really need to focus (and drink a lot of coffee!). I need to hand them in by Tuesday night as on Wednesday is the Townships Project dinner. The apartment is really messy and it's all my fault. Lisa hasn't been there for a few days and I've been so tired that I've let it get bad. That's my task for tonight.
Have a great day!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
I got a job!!!!
Hi Everyone!
Just got a call from my consultant (shortly after 9) and I got a maternity leave until June at an oil company downtown! Good pay, hours and location. I'm so happy!!!
Anyways, it starts on Monday so I'll be shopping tonight for a couple suits. It's professional business dress.
Have a super, lovely, wonderful day!
Just got a call from my consultant (shortly after 9) and I got a maternity leave until June at an oil company downtown! Good pay, hours and location. I'm so happy!!!
Anyways, it starts on Monday so I'll be shopping tonight for a couple suits. It's professional business dress.
Have a super, lovely, wonderful day!
Chicken Joke
An advertising agent for KFC had an audience with the pope. While there, he said "I'll give you one million dollars if you change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken.'"
The pope refused.
A week later, the agent returned for another audience. "I'll give you ten million dollars if you change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken.'"
The pope refused.
A week later, the agent returned again. "I'll give you twenty million dollars if you change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken.'"
The pope said that he'd think about it.
At the next budget meeting with his advisors, the pope announced, "The good new is we now have twenty million dollars. The bad new is we lost the Wonder Bread account."
The pope refused.
A week later, the agent returned for another audience. "I'll give you ten million dollars if you change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken.'"
The pope refused.
A week later, the agent returned again. "I'll give you twenty million dollars if you change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken.'"
The pope said that he'd think about it.
At the next budget meeting with his advisors, the pope announced, "The good new is we now have twenty million dollars. The bad new is we lost the Wonder Bread account."
A Great Afternoon
Hi Everyone!
Yesterday was really great. At lunchtime I went downtown to one of the temp agency's open house. They said on their website that it was a time to drop off your resume and get an interview.
I went in, dropped off my resume and had an initial assessment. Basically, they wanted to know what type of work I was looking for, my availablity, location of work & wage expectations. From the reaction I got, apparently I'm someone they're looking for. They then asked if I could stay for some assessments.
I was tested for grammar, typing, reading comprehension and math. I was worried because I didn't get even close to answering all the questions before the time was up. I ended up doing quite well.
I was then tested for Word, Excel & Access. I was a bit worried about Excel & Access because although I brushed up on them over a year ago when I did my IC3 Certification, I haven't used them since. I figured I was entry level for them and entry to intermediate for Word.
I was wrong! I tested intermediate to advanced on all three!
I then went in for a formal interview. I think it went really well because of my consultant's reactions to my test results and my description of working at Weed Man. She is to call me either today or tomorrow with the possibility of starting Monday somewhere. Assignment lengths could be anywhere from a couple days to a long term contract. I'm o'kay with this. There's a chance I could get the office administrator job at the church starting in March but there's someone else also interested who has more experience. It will also get me a chance to experience corporate downtown Calgary.
They took all my tax form info and I was finally done after three hours. I read through their employee information pamphlet and from my reading, I can apply to several agencies and just notify each when an assignment comes up that I can't take.
I'm going to take it easy tonight and apply to a couple more agencies tomorrow. I'm also going to get an expandable file folder so I can keep everything organized.
Class went well although it ran a bit late so I'm super-tired today. Oh, by the way, I got summoned for jury selection in two weeks. I was so excited! From the panflet, I go down there on the Friday and they're see if I'm suitable for an upcoming trial. I've only ever saw this on television so I'm interested in seeing how it actually works in the Canadian justice system.
Have a great day!
Yesterday was really great. At lunchtime I went downtown to one of the temp agency's open house. They said on their website that it was a time to drop off your resume and get an interview.
I went in, dropped off my resume and had an initial assessment. Basically, they wanted to know what type of work I was looking for, my availablity, location of work & wage expectations. From the reaction I got, apparently I'm someone they're looking for. They then asked if I could stay for some assessments.
I was tested for grammar, typing, reading comprehension and math. I was worried because I didn't get even close to answering all the questions before the time was up. I ended up doing quite well.
I was then tested for Word, Excel & Access. I was a bit worried about Excel & Access because although I brushed up on them over a year ago when I did my IC3 Certification, I haven't used them since. I figured I was entry level for them and entry to intermediate for Word.
I was wrong! I tested intermediate to advanced on all three!
I then went in for a formal interview. I think it went really well because of my consultant's reactions to my test results and my description of working at Weed Man. She is to call me either today or tomorrow with the possibility of starting Monday somewhere. Assignment lengths could be anywhere from a couple days to a long term contract. I'm o'kay with this. There's a chance I could get the office administrator job at the church starting in March but there's someone else also interested who has more experience. It will also get me a chance to experience corporate downtown Calgary.
They took all my tax form info and I was finally done after three hours. I read through their employee information pamphlet and from my reading, I can apply to several agencies and just notify each when an assignment comes up that I can't take.
I'm going to take it easy tonight and apply to a couple more agencies tomorrow. I'm also going to get an expandable file folder so I can keep everything organized.
Class went well although it ran a bit late so I'm super-tired today. Oh, by the way, I got summoned for jury selection in two weeks. I was so excited! From the panflet, I go down there on the Friday and they're see if I'm suitable for an upcoming trial. I've only ever saw this on television so I'm interested in seeing how it actually works in the Canadian justice system.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
So much for keeping this up to date...
Hi Everyone!
I'm in my last week of work and I've dropped off a couple resumes around the neighbourhood and also applied to a couple at some placement agencies. I'm going to an open house tomorrow afternoon and I think I'll drop by a couple other places while I'm downtown. As much as I wasn't looking for an office job, the pay's much better. If I get something downtown, I woould't mind transit (or it's a 1 hr walk) - I just don't want to transfer buses or work more than 40/wk. I was told today that although I'm done this week, I'll still get paid for next week as a bonus. I was rather surprised (but very appreciative since I need the money). My replacement is working out well and there's not much for me to do this week.
Have a lot of homework to do tonight. Have started my final papers but I'll need to hold off until Thursday to get back to them. I should have one done Thursday night and I'll do the rest on the weekend. I have some ideas so it's just a matter of turning scribbles into a paper. I have three to do but they're six pages, double spaced, big font etc. As part of this course, I had to read books 2 & 4 from Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis). I knew a little about him but I had only read his Narnia series. I rather liked the book. It's based on a set of talks he gave on BBC during WW2. I found it easy to follow and quite interesting.
All the fish are still alive! I got a new filter for them and I think that's what's helping. The Sea Monkeys are visible and thriving.
It's a busy week for me. Last night was a Townships Meeting. Next Wednesday, we are inviting people over for a dinner to see if they'll help us plan the gala in May. Tonight is homework and baking. It's Chris' b-day tomorrow and he mentioned he likes lemon mereingue (and don't laugh at my spelling!) pie. I found a recipe that doesn't involve a box but my last experience with mereigue didn't work very well. At least my eggs are old this time... On Wednesday is job stuff and class. Thursday is choir and homework. Friday is homework. As well, each night will be job searching/applying.
Last night I watch Dr. Who (I'm so happy it's back) and Little Mosque on the Prairie. I laughed within 30 seconds so I'd recommend it. It's a bit over the top but I could relate to a lot of the "small town" stuff. My tv watching is now changed to:
Monday: Dr. Who, Little Mosque on the Prairie
Tuesday: nothing
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: Grey's Anatomy
Friday: Royal Canadian Air Farce, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Rick Mercer Report,South Park
Saturday: nothing (except maybe a movie)
Sunday: 7th Heaven (and maybe a movie)
I try to watch The National at night to keep up to date on world new and CTV News at 6 so I know what's going on in Calgary. I'm going to work really hard not to keep the tv on when I'm doing other things (like homework and cooking). It's far to distracting! I find myself mindless staring at whatever crap is on rather than focusing on homework and chores. Back to grooving to the radio for me.
My New Year's resolution is doing well. I've decided to eat breakfast every morning. A healthy breakfast - not cookies (well, maybe oatmeal cookies). So far it seems to be either yougurt or oatmeal. I've decided to expand this health kick by ending my love of plastic cheese. I'm now using block cheese despite the pain of shredding it for omelets and wraps. I'm starting to not recognize my kitchen anymore - whole wheat pasta (but I still have my KD for comfort), 60% whole wheat bread (it keeps better), Caesar salad, real cheese, yougurt, eggs (for eating and not for baking - they're free-range) and only one bag of chips in the cupboard at any one time. To give you an idea, none of these foods would have been in my kitchen 2 years ago (or even last year for most of these things). It's hard to say how long this'll last but for the time being...
Anyways, it's warming up this week (-20 last week) and it's rather pleasant to be outside.
Lisa (roommate) has changed jobs and she seems much happier. She's training at a health food/supplement store. I think it's right up her alley as she eats organic/healthy food. The store's in the mall so it's handy and she saves on gas. She had a super-long commute at her old job.
Have a great day!
I'm in my last week of work and I've dropped off a couple resumes around the neighbourhood and also applied to a couple at some placement agencies. I'm going to an open house tomorrow afternoon and I think I'll drop by a couple other places while I'm downtown. As much as I wasn't looking for an office job, the pay's much better. If I get something downtown, I woould't mind transit (or it's a 1 hr walk) - I just don't want to transfer buses or work more than 40/wk. I was told today that although I'm done this week, I'll still get paid for next week as a bonus. I was rather surprised (but very appreciative since I need the money). My replacement is working out well and there's not much for me to do this week.
Have a lot of homework to do tonight. Have started my final papers but I'll need to hold off until Thursday to get back to them. I should have one done Thursday night and I'll do the rest on the weekend. I have some ideas so it's just a matter of turning scribbles into a paper. I have three to do but they're six pages, double spaced, big font etc. As part of this course, I had to read books 2 & 4 from Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis). I knew a little about him but I had only read his Narnia series. I rather liked the book. It's based on a set of talks he gave on BBC during WW2. I found it easy to follow and quite interesting.
All the fish are still alive! I got a new filter for them and I think that's what's helping. The Sea Monkeys are visible and thriving.
It's a busy week for me. Last night was a Townships Meeting. Next Wednesday, we are inviting people over for a dinner to see if they'll help us plan the gala in May. Tonight is homework and baking. It's Chris' b-day tomorrow and he mentioned he likes lemon mereingue (and don't laugh at my spelling!) pie. I found a recipe that doesn't involve a box but my last experience with mereigue didn't work very well. At least my eggs are old this time... On Wednesday is job stuff and class. Thursday is choir and homework. Friday is homework. As well, each night will be job searching/applying.
Last night I watch Dr. Who (I'm so happy it's back) and Little Mosque on the Prairie. I laughed within 30 seconds so I'd recommend it. It's a bit over the top but I could relate to a lot of the "small town" stuff. My tv watching is now changed to:
Monday: Dr. Who, Little Mosque on the Prairie
Tuesday: nothing
Wednesday: nothing
Thursday: Grey's Anatomy
Friday: Royal Canadian Air Farce, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Rick Mercer Report,South Park
Saturday: nothing (except maybe a movie)
Sunday: 7th Heaven (and maybe a movie)
I try to watch The National at night to keep up to date on world new and CTV News at 6 so I know what's going on in Calgary. I'm going to work really hard not to keep the tv on when I'm doing other things (like homework and cooking). It's far to distracting! I find myself mindless staring at whatever crap is on rather than focusing on homework and chores. Back to grooving to the radio for me.
My New Year's resolution is doing well. I've decided to eat breakfast every morning. A healthy breakfast - not cookies (well, maybe oatmeal cookies). So far it seems to be either yougurt or oatmeal. I've decided to expand this health kick by ending my love of plastic cheese. I'm now using block cheese despite the pain of shredding it for omelets and wraps. I'm starting to not recognize my kitchen anymore - whole wheat pasta (but I still have my KD for comfort), 60% whole wheat bread (it keeps better), Caesar salad, real cheese, yougurt, eggs (for eating and not for baking - they're free-range) and only one bag of chips in the cupboard at any one time. To give you an idea, none of these foods would have been in my kitchen 2 years ago (or even last year for most of these things). It's hard to say how long this'll last but for the time being...
Anyways, it's warming up this week (-20 last week) and it's rather pleasant to be outside.
Lisa (roommate) has changed jobs and she seems much happier. She's training at a health food/supplement store. I think it's right up her alley as she eats organic/healthy food. The store's in the mall so it's handy and she saves on gas. She had a super-long commute at her old job.
Have a great day!
Monday, January 08, 2007
I'm Back!
Hi Everyone!
I know it seems like I've dropped off the face of the earth but it's been a busy time for me. Had a lovely visit in Ontario but I'm glad to be back. Poor Mike! He had hairballs, lost weight, acted pathetically lonely...I feel loved.
Bought some new fish on the weekend. I should just never buy fish from Walmart. I've replaced them several times already. This time, I got fed up and bought 58 cent goldfish. I also got a new Beta and got a new little bowl for him. He's not named yet so I'm looking for suggestions...
I've been training my replacement. She looks promising. Phil is being flexible as to my end date. Right now it looks like January 19 but this can be changed. I'll be sending out resumes and filling out applications this and next week.
It'll be a busy week. Townships meeting tonight, church Christmas tree take down tomorrow, class on Wednesday, choir on Thursday.
A word of warning - grass and toilets don't mix. I was cleaning out Whiskers cage (she does her business on the bottom of her cage instead of in the wood shavings and I decided to dump everything in the toilet. I figured since everything was natural and biodegradable it wouldn't be a problem. $250 later, the problem has been fixed. Luckily I didn't need to replace the toilet, unlike a story I heard from the plumber who did that for a tenant that flushed 2 flower stems. PS - had amazingly fast service, less than 3/4 hour from when I phoned.
Anyways, now that I've got some stuff straightened up, I should be able to keep this blog up to date more frequently. I'll also include some photos.
I know it seems like I've dropped off the face of the earth but it's been a busy time for me. Had a lovely visit in Ontario but I'm glad to be back. Poor Mike! He had hairballs, lost weight, acted pathetically lonely...I feel loved.
Bought some new fish on the weekend. I should just never buy fish from Walmart. I've replaced them several times already. This time, I got fed up and bought 58 cent goldfish. I also got a new Beta and got a new little bowl for him. He's not named yet so I'm looking for suggestions...
I've been training my replacement. She looks promising. Phil is being flexible as to my end date. Right now it looks like January 19 but this can be changed. I'll be sending out resumes and filling out applications this and next week.
It'll be a busy week. Townships meeting tonight, church Christmas tree take down tomorrow, class on Wednesday, choir on Thursday.
A word of warning - grass and toilets don't mix. I was cleaning out Whiskers cage (she does her business on the bottom of her cage instead of in the wood shavings and I decided to dump everything in the toilet. I figured since everything was natural and biodegradable it wouldn't be a problem. $250 later, the problem has been fixed. Luckily I didn't need to replace the toilet, unlike a story I heard from the plumber who did that for a tenant that flushed 2 flower stems. PS - had amazingly fast service, less than 3/4 hour from when I phoned.
Anyways, now that I've got some stuff straightened up, I should be able to keep this blog up to date more frequently. I'll also include some photos.
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