It has been several weeks since my last update. Numerous events in my life have taken precedence over updating my blog.
Since February I have been actively seeking employment other than where I currently work. For many reasons, none of which are that I don’t like my current job. I love working where I do, the variety and the responsibilities that I have – however, I have been looking out of necessity. I had two recent interviews, both with the same company, both feeling as if I did very, very well. Alas, neither job was meant to be. In the process I searched for apartments, went on tours, and began planning my eventual move. In short, all excitement, plans, and hopes were quickly squashed as I found out that the job was suddenly “put on hold”.
Yet, there was another job that was still in the running and it was in the same general area. The appeal of relocation was that I’d be very close to where by boyfriend lives and that I’d be in an area where I didn’t have to drive half an hour to the nearest Taco Bell or Barnes and Noble. I just got notification today that of the questions I answered online for the position, I scored a 93.21 and to be in the top 10-20 applicants the cut-off score was a 94.91; 1.7 points away from seriously being considered for the position. There exploded my last hope for a job offer by the end of the month. It is back to employment searching and applying for me. Some times it doesn’t feel worth it – I feel like despite the effort the future I want will never come.
My parents just placed an offer on a house this month, and between the loan requiring a maintenance agreement on the private driveway and none of the five or more houses wishing to sign an agreement that “yes, as residence on this drive we will work together to keep the road maintained” and other set backs, the process has been very stressful. First it was the offer, counter offer, etc. Then it was discussing with the landlord when the closing date and move-out would be. Why does all of this effect me? Quite plainly; because I live in my parents’ basement. With economic times the way they are, a recent college grad finds it hard if not practically impossible to land on their feet and walk level right after graduation. Luckily there was a basement. The closing keeps getting pushed back, a new driveway must be put in, and with working and job-hunting I still have to find the time to pack my things. I still haven’t finished though we should be moving in this weekend.
This will not be my last move this year. I found out from my parents that they think it is best for everyone if I move out of the house. A twenty-four year old, I suppose, is too old to live at home despite functioning as a live-in baby sitter, junior high tutor, and product packaging designer for the family while there. Once again I am on the hunt for a place to live. The problem this time? The move is not associated with an increase of pay with a new job. I have no idea in this galaxy how I will be able to afford anything but an efficiency apartment on my current compensation. College loans and car insurance alone take half of my monthly paycheck. I could possibly find a better job in my area, but as it is a rural community of scarce if any businesses, moving up in the working world is limited. Plus, this gets me no closer to my goal of living in the same city as my boyfriend.
It is frustrating – the job hunts, the interviews, the apartment hunting, the packing, the moving, the inevitable kick-out from my parents’ house, the stress of loans and finding insurance. Life has literally sucked every ounce of creativity from me and I can’t find the inspiration or want to write even the smallest poem. Life has beaten me down, for now, and I find it hard to be as jovial as I was a month ago.
On a brighter note, I was able to finally meet my boyfriend’s family this month. Several weekends I have spent at their house, playing games with the brothers, watching movies and T.V on DVD, and just hanging out with my boyfriend in his own territory. Those weekends are the highlights of my week. Two of those weekends came after successful, or at least what I thought was successful, interviews in the area and I was able to check out the area both as driver and passenger. The area is indeed great, and his family is wonderful as well.
Though, spending those weekends elsewhere also limited my packing time. Thus the reason why I am still in the process of packing for the move that will start in a little over 24 hours. After work, I am so tired that packing goes very slowly. Throw in time to relax, eat, and go to bed and I’m working under a tight shift. But as the Great Kristina that I am, I will get things done. I always do. Not that I enjoy it.
Making Scents shopping/online store has been put on hold for now as well. I briefly tested the shopping cart and found a very simple error on my part. I had the page sending https:// twice to the browser causing a very odd URL that could not function for the check-out process. I fixed it quickly and set all current items to the store as sold out as my mother will be hard pressed to send out orders if they happen during the move process. I will, tonight, place the link to the online store on the main page so that the webcrawlers become aware and that visitors that stumble to our main page will find another link to follow. Once the moving settles down, I will finish the online store (which should only take a day or two of editing) and begin with the actually site design. The website will then be officially finished. I can then begin work on my site design which might lead to creativity and a push for chapters of my books or new poetry. I can only hope that the inspiration returns again.
That is the update. Until next time…
Kristina
