Finally, an update

Not sure if anyone pays attention to this blog any more or not, but I figured I'd update it, just in case. Let's see, where to begin. Well, two blog posts back, I talked about being happy. I am happy now, but things certainly have changed since that posting.

The girl I was very fond of is really no longer a part of my life. We were just at different places in our lives, so it didn't work out. There is a new lady in my life, however. I decided to give eHarmony a shot after the last relationship ended, and I'm really glad I did. I met one woman, and that didn't feel like a good fit. I then went out with another lady, and we hit it off instantly. We've been out several times and we talk daily. I really feel at ease when I'm with her and I feel like she is feeling the same way. Hopefully things will continue to progress in that area.

Work is going well. I'm getting more and more responsiblities and I feel like I'm an important part of the team now. I also got a new office chair this week, so who can complain about that?

I went to Ohio for a visit the first week of April. It was nice to spend time with my dad, brother and a lot of extended family. It was also good to visit my mom's gravesite a couple of times. I'm still amazed at how beautiful the headstone turned out. It is perfect for her.

Finally, I'm about to move into my own apartment. I've been staying with my friends since I came back to Texas last May and it was time to move on. I'm moving to Euless the first week of May. It is a great one bedroom apartment, with an attached garage! I've finished getting furniture, washer/dryer, cable/internet and electricity, so now all I have to do is wait. I'm so excited - I really love it.

So, that's it for me right now. Everything is going in the right direction.

I got a job!

The wait is over. I finally got a job. I think I'm starting on the 26th of Sept. I've been going through the process with this company for almost a month, so I'm glad it finally panned out! I'll be the public relations/marketing specialist for a small workforce management systems company. I'll be writing, editing, designing, tradeshowing, etc. Just what I wanted to do! I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it. That's all for now!

- C

Sorry for the lack of updates

I haven't been doing a good job of keeping up with this blog, but there really hasn't been that much to report. I'm still in Texas job hunting. I had an interview two Fridays ago and I found out last Wednesday that I did not get the position. I was still happy to have received a call and an interview though. Even unsuccessful interviews produce opportunities. I have a phone interview scheduled tomorrow morning and I have another in-person interview scheduled with another company on Friday. I'm hoping something comes out of at least one of them!

Beyond that, I've just been loving being back in Texas. Seeing friends, just hanging out. I missed this place!

Hopefully I'll have some good news to report here soon and my next post won't take so long to appear.

- C

Update

Hello all. Just a quick update (see - I'm trying to do better - it hasn't been three months between updates this time).

Mom starts chemo on Tuesday. She was supposed to start last Monday, but ended up getting a sinus infection the week before, so she wasn't able to do chemo while on antibiotics. The plan at the moment is four treatments, then evaluate for the next steps. Hopefully something minimally invasive.

My grandma isn't doing so hot. She's been in the hospital since Wednesday. Her magnesium and potassium levels are very low and she was very fatigued. The oncolgist says it is from her chemo which she is temporarily off of because of this stuff. This is the second or third time she's been in the hospital since my last update.

My aunt is having surgery on Tuesday for divreticulitis, which is a colon inflamation disorder. They will be removing a portion of her colon, so it is a pretty major surgery. I'm planning on going to the hospital to stay while it is taking place, since my mom will not be able to, due to the chemo treatment that day.

Still job hunting. I've sent out several resumes lately, but no bites. I believe the competition is super furious right now. I've been doing a bit of merchandising and other independent contractor work for the past month or so, trying to make a little money, so at least it is something to do.

The only other thing of note is that I've recently purchased a domain name and I'm working on a website. Pretty much just something for fun. Once I get it going, I'll be sure to post a link so you can all come visit!

That's all for now. See you peeps later!

- C

An update aka I suck at blogging

Good afternoon good readers, if there are any of you left. Firstly, I am here to admit that I am a terrible blogger, especially during warmer months. Secondly, I do have some updates.

My mom is still doing well after her stroke and series of seizures. She has seen the neurologist twice since late-February when all of that happened. They said she is doing great, and actually cleared her to drive again (initially we were told at least a year for that). She went to see her oncologist last week and they indicated that her latest blood work showed that the cancer marker has begun rising again, so she is beginning chemo again in two weeks. She'll do that for about two months and then there is a possibility that they will implant radioactive seeds into the cancerous area to try to eradicate it. All of that sounds much better than another major surgery. She seems to be doing fine with this news. That may be because she is leaving tomorrow for a resort in the Dominican Republic for five days with my dad. Party at my place - who hoo!!

My grandmother is currently receiving chemo for her pancreatic cancer, but her oncologist has warned how deadly the disease is and that this is basically just a treatment to see if she can maintain her current health, not a cure of any kind. She has her good and bad days, but seems to be handling things okay.

As far as I go, I am still job hunting. I rarely find any jobs to apply for, but I keep searching. I know sometime soon, something will work out for me. On a happy note, however, I have lost about 42 pounds since the last week of February, so I'm feeling better physically than I have in many years. I've still got a lot of work to do on the weight loss, but I'm pretty proud of what I've accomplished so far.

End of the Year Update

Hello all. I hope this update finds you all doing well and finished with your Christmas shopping so you have some time to enjoy the season!

Sorry for the lack of updates - I know it seems like I start each of my blog postings with that apology. Hopefully I'll do better updating throughout 2009.

My mom is still going through her chemo treatments. We're hoping that she'll be done with those before too long. I'll update again once we know more.

My job search is not going too well. It is not a great time to be job hunting when the world economy is in the toilet. I'm trying to keep my chin up however. Hopefully the first of the year will bring more opportunities.

I wish you all the very best holiday season and a most prosperous new year. Hope to hear from you all soon!

- C

Quick Update

Just a quick update on things. Mom went to see her oncologist and the tumor in her liver didn't shrink any with the first three chemo treatments. She's going to go through three more and then they will look at things again to see what's going on. She's still looking at a surgery in the not-to-distant future, but the timing on that will be determined after the chemo cycle.

On the job front, it was a case of so close, yet so far away. I ended up going in for my second interview for the PR writer position I spoke of in my last blog post. The hiring manager was very candid with me and said that she had received a resume just a day earlier from a lady with 10-years writing experience, with 6 of those years being in software. She said that I was her choice at the moment, but she still had to interview this woman. Well, long story short, the woman got the job because of the experience factor. So, the hunt continues.

That's it for now.

- C

Update

Hello all. Just a quick update. Mom is hanging in there. She's finishing up her third of four chemo treatments. After the last one, she'll have to schedule the surgery to remove part of her liver. She's not looking forward to it, but she's a trooper.

As far as the job hunt goes, I interviewed with a publicly-traded software company last week for its open PR Writer position. I felt like the interview went well and I got a call today to schedule a follow-up interview next Wednesday, so that seems like a good sign. I'll keep you all posted!

- C

Life update

Greetings blog readers! Just a quick update, since it has been so long. I'm still on the job hunt - sent out several more resumes just this week.

More importantly, things are not going great with my mother's health. She found out about a month ago that her cancer has returned. She starts chemotherapy again this coming Monday, so we're hoping she gets through that without too many problems. After two months of those treatments, they are planning to do another surgery to remove the cancerous part of the liver. We're hoping that this will take care of the cancer and she can go back to living her life.

That's about it from here, sorry for the lack of updates!

- C

So, here it is ...

Some of you already know this, but I ended up leaving my position as director of communications a couple of weeks ago. I am once again on the job hunt.

After about three months at the organization, I came to the conclusion that the message and goals of the group did not fit with my beliefs and I could not in good faith continue to be the mouthpiece for something I was against.

I have a couple of irons in the fire regarding work already. I just wanted everyone to know what was going on with me. Thanks, as always, for your continued support.

- Cory

The new job

Well, I thought it was about time for me to do a post on my new job. I've been there about a month now and things are going great. I actually feel like I'm doing what I went to school for now. My official title is director of communications. I have my own office, a laptop, cell phone, corporate card, etc. I have an assistant director, an intern and I'm hiring a second intern.

As far as what I do, it is somewhat of a small organization (22 people I think) and you end up wearing many hats, but my main duties are all relevant to public relations and communications, which is awesome. I write a lot, which is a big change from the previous job. We have two monthly newsletters, a small weekly e-newsletter and about eight quarterly specialized e-newsletters that we produce. I've been working on a powerpoint presentation I'm doing for our board meeting in a couple of weeks. I've fielded several media calls and have been working with several outdoor writers associations in relation to their annual conferences.

There is going to be significant travel involved in the position, and I'm very happy about that. I figure I'm single and don't have any kids, so what better time than now to see the country. So far I'm scheduled to visit Tennessee twice, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pennsylvania this spring and summer. In fact, I go to Nashville for our board meeting a week from Tuesday. I then fly back on Wednesday afternoon and turn around and drive 2 1/2 hours to northern Ohio on Thursday for a four-day convention up there.

It is so nice to feel like part of the world again. I really enjoy the people I work with so far and I think I found a really good place to work - finally!! Thanks to all of you for your continued well-wishes as I went through the trials of trying to find a position.

Work so far

So far, so good on the job front. I've been really busy already in my two days there. I can tell this is going to be a pretty hectic job, but I'm enjoying it so far. I'm going to a four-day conference in northern Ohio in the middle of April and I'll likely be going to North Dakota for a couple of days for a conference in late July. So far I really like the people. Everybody seems to work hard, but they still manage to laugh and have fun. This job is a lot less structured than my previous job, so it is a bit of an adjustment. I'm going to have to be spot on in my time management and multi-tasking. I managed to move some stuff around in my office and make it more "mine" today, so that's kind of nice. Just wanted to update everybody on the progress so far.

The rollercoaster continues - I've accepted a job offer!

I accepted a job offer this morning and start my new position on Tuesday. I'm the new Director of Communications for a non-profit that protects the rights of outdoorsmen.. This job is infinitely better than the one that didn't work out a few weeks ago.

I just wanted to let everybody know and thank you all for your support and well wishes during this trying job hunt. I guess things do work out for a reason.

Life is a rollercoaster

Well, I wrote the blog last night saying I was going to accept a job offer this morning. I called and spoke to the owner and told her I was going to accept when she started with "I don't want to sound like I'm reneging, but" and I figured out immediately that I wasn't going to be working there. She said that she'd been thinking more about it and she didn't feel like she was able to offer the type of position or pay that I would need and she thought I'd be bored with the job because I'm overqualified. So, basically, she snatched the job out from under me. She did say that a couple of her clients are looking for people right now and she was going to pass my resume on to them because they would be able to offer a higher level job with higher pay. I sure hope having her pass it on works out because I really need a stinkin' job!!! I must say I'm kind of in shock right now - I've never just had the rug pulled out from under me like that before.

I'm accepting a job offer

Just to let everyone know, I went to a job interview for an account coordinator position with a small travel public relations firm in the north part of Columbus on Monday. I interviewed on Monday, was given a writing/editing assessment on Tuesday, turned it on Thursday morning and was offered the position on Thursday evening. I'll be calling back to accept the position later this morning, so I will soon be in the world of the employed again.

This is a very small PR firm. There is the owner, me and an intern. That's it. I'll be doing press release writing, editing, event planning, database upkeep and other things. I'm looking forward to the experience for sure. This firm specializes in travel/tourism clients, so that should be pretty interesting.

Well, I really just wanted to let everyone know that I've finally found a job. Hope you all are doing well!

- C

Hello!

It has been well over a month since I posted last and for that I apologize! Blogging just hasn't been on my radar much for some reason. I have done some interesting things since Oct. 17 - the last time I posted.

There was Thanksgiving for one. That's always fun. It was nice to spend the day with my extended family and to see the Cowboys beat up on those Jets from New York.

Another fun thing for me was a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico. About a year after I left my old job, the company decided to merge the editorial operations into three operations bureaus. One of those bureaus is in Albuquerque. I have several friends in management at that office and they asked if I'd like to come help them out for a couple of weeks during their busy period.

Seeing how I still am unemployed, it sounded like a really nice deal - two weeks in sunny New Mexico, visiting with friends and getting a paycheck, at least for a couple of weeks.

So, I agreed, hopped on a plane to Dallas and from Dallas another plane to Albuquerque. My first night I had a nice dinner with a bunch of the folks I used to work with. It was nice getting to see friends that I hadn't seen in a while.

I did get to stay at the Marriott for 13 nights, which was cool. My rental car was a nice gray Ford Mustang, which was also cool. Meals were on the company, so the steak dinner was a player a couple of nights. There was a casino about two miles from the hotel and I went there a couple of times and left about $100 for them to remember me by.

As far as the work goes, I did work two 40 hour weeks and it was nice feeling like part of something again. I enjoyed working with my former co-workers and enjoyed getting to work with and getting to know all of the people there that I didn't already know. They seem to have a really good team in place.

I guess that's about it for now. I am planning to do more blogging for the rest of the year - let's call it an Old Years Resolution!

Finally - an update!

Hello my loyal readers. Please accept my apologies for the lack of communication. Just haven't felt much like writing anything lately I guess. Still no job, so nothing to write about there.

Mom's doing okay. She's got one more chemotherapy treatment left and then they will do some scans to see what remains of the tumor on her liver. Depending on the size (they're expecting it to be very, very small since the last scan showed it was shrinking) they have a couple of options for the next step.

They can either do surgery and remove that part of the liver or they can do a radio wave ablation, which basically means they put a needle through the skin, into the liver and they send high frequency radio waves into the tumor, essentially cooking whatever is left of it. The surgery would mean another week or so trip to the hospital and the normal possible complications with a surgery. With the ablation you generally don't even have to stay at the hospital overnight and it has a good success rate, so that's what we're hoping for and what the doctor is expecting to do at this point. So, that is basically all good news.

I am flying to Dallas on Wed., Sept. 5 for a few days of visiting for the wedding of one of my oldest, dearest friends. I'm excited about getting to be back in Big D for a little while. When I was growing up, my family would frequently vacation in Ohio so we could visit with our extended family. We lived in Dallas and everybody else lived in Ohio. Needless to say, our vacations were basically like being drawn and quartered. We had x number of family members trying to drag us in x number of directions. I've found that this is going to be how it is when I return to Dallas from now on. It is still two weeks until I come down there and I've already got a burgeoning schedule. It's all good though - I absolutely want to see as many old friends as possible. I miss everybody tremendously.

My brother is moving up here to Ohio in the middle of September. A few days after I return from Dallas, my mom and dad are flying down there to finish packing up his stuff and they are renting a u-haul to drive his belongings up here. I think it'll be good to have him here. I'm looking forward to having someone a little closer to my age around. My brother is five years younger than I am and we've never been especially close (not that we didn't like each other - just never had much in common), but in the past few years it seems that we have been getting closer and close, which is a good thing. He's also bringing his miniature pincher, Bowser, who is awesome, so I'm looking forward to that as well.

Well, that's really about all I've got at this point. Hopefully I'll do a better job at keeping everyone updated in the future. Thanks as always for reading. Hope this blog finds everyone doing well!

- C

Jobless once again

Well, today was the first day at the new job and it also ended up being the last day. I got there this morning and the director of operations spent about half an hour telling me how bad it is to work for the owner/boss (who would be my direct boss). She told me how he was gay (which really doesn't matter to me) and that he doesn't tell anybody because if his parents found out they would cut him off and he'd lose his business (so one slip up could have cost everyone their job anyway).

During lunch (they were all forced to have lunch with me because it was my first day) they were telling stories of strip clubs and tattoos and drinking binges and the like. I completely felt like I shouldn't be there.

So, in the afternoon, I wrote out a letter of resignation. I wasn't sure if I was going to turn it in or not, so I went to the post office to mail a package after work and then returned to the office and slipped the notice under the door. They never even got my social security number, direct deposit information, W4, etc., so I felt it best to just cut bait now and not waste any more of their or my time.

So, now it is back to the drawing board!

Jobless no more!

That's right. I am once again gainfully employed (I don't start until June 4, but hey, I got the job, so that is just semantics). Thanks to everyone for their support during the highs and lows of the job hunt.

I'm going to work for a place called BLF Management. They are an association management company (they do all of the membership, publications, conferences, day to day operations, etc. for various associations). I'll be serving as their Managing Editor. It is a small company, less than 10 employees, but they've been in business for a while and they are growing, so that's a good sign.

So, as far as the story of how I got this job, here goes. I saw an ad on monster.com last week. On Friday at about noon I decided to apply for it. By 2:30 they were calling my home and cell numbers and emailing me. I called them back and the lady said that the president of the company wanted to have me in for an interview. So, I said that sounded good and she said "How's tomorrow look for you?" I was kind of in shock. I never expected a Saturday interview, but hey, I wasn't busy, so I went ahead and did it. The interview went well and he asked me to think about the company and position and get back to him if I thought it was something I'd like to do. I emailed him on Sunday night that I was interested in the position. I received word from one of my references that they called her yesterday and then another said they called her today. I then got a call on my cell phone at about 1 p.m. (while I was outside building a wall - long story) and the director of operations asked that I give her a call back. I called back at about 3 p.m. and she offered me the job. I already knew about benefits, salary, etc., so I accepted it on the spot. Very quick - that's what I'm talking about!

So, as of June 4, I'm back in the workforce, paying my taxes to Uncle Sam.

Job stuff

I went to another job interview on Thursday (it was actually rescheduled from the week earlier because of bad weather). Again, I think this went pretty well, but the man doing the hiring didn't seem too interested in making a quick decision, so I could be waiting to hear on this one for quite a while. It is a smaller company - about 75 employees, but it sounds like it could really be about to take off and they've grown from 25 to 75 employees in the past two+ years. I also heard back from another very large company earlier this week and they asked me to send them some writing samples and salary requirements, so I'm hoping to hear back from them sometime as well. We shall see! That's all for now folks!