Yesterday I had to take some stuff I sold on eBay to the Post Office. It was ready to go, I just needed to pay for the postage and get them out of my hands. I was excited because we have a Post Office right next door to our apartment complex. I got my 4 small packages (which were light, but awkward to carry) and walked over... only to find a line to the door. I decided to wait because it was already almost 4pm and I needed to get them out to their new owners.
People, the Post Office is going out of business for a reason! It's not because people aren't shipping things, because there was a line out the door when I got there, and out past the door when I left an hour later. That's right, an HOUR later! Let me preface this by saying that on Sunday I went out with Nic and some of our friends on their boat for a few hours. I am still in excruciating pain from my sunburn I got that day. I didn't want to put on clothes, let alone stand in line at the Post Office for an hour of my life. Especially in the pain I was in (and am still in).
There were only two people working the counters and one of them was doing a Passport application for almost 30 minutes. Then the other lady got a customer with a box of stuff to send. They knew each other and she took her time getting his gazillion packages shipped for him while they chit-chatted. Then when the guy that was doing the Passport got done, he helped a few people before going on a break! Who takes a break when there is a line out the door at 4:30pm? Someone finally comes to relieve him and then when the other guy gets back from break, the relief guy disappears with a customer at his counter. She waited for almost 10 minutes before jumping over the Mr. Break Guy to finish her transaction. Then another guy gets up with a huge box of stuff he's sending! I'm sitting there very slowly getting to the front of the line and thinking that this has to be some sort of joke. I'm waiting for the camera to be pointed out to me and them to tell me that I'm on some sort of practical joke show. Nope.
So the guy who is two people in front of me finally gets to go up and he's trying to get his family's Passports done. The Postman tells him that they stop doing Passports at 3pm. They have let this man wait in line for over an hour to tell him he needs to leave and come back later. Of course, the man speaks no English and so his son is translating for him. I'm just floored by the whole situation. I finally get up for my turn and the lady that's been walking around with her clipboard not doing anything except yelling for pickups, no money involved, tells me "You're just now getting up here?" What? I couldn't believe it. I felt like telling her if she would get on a counter so she can involve money, the line might move a little faster. I finally got out of there a few minutes till 5pm and passed the poor suckers lined out the door for their non-customer service.
And the best part is that my 4 small packages about the size of a shoe box cost me $29.80 to send! I felt so ripped off.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Not Much Going On
I haven't Blogged in a while, but not too much has been going on here. I am still looking for a job and doing temp work while I look. I've had a few day-long assignments and it's been pretty fun. I still have a lot of time off and have been reading and keeping the apartment clean while Nic's at work during the day.
Nic still likes his job. We are still hoping that they are able to hire him permanently soon. I am really starting to like it here and finally feeling comfortable and settled. I would hate to start all over with job searches and moving and all that stressful stuff. I guess a lot of it will depend on the economy and if they have enough work to justify paying him. We'll see what happens.
Houston is nice. We like the area we're in and we've found a few good hang out spots. I am officially addicted to a sushi restaurant about a mile from our apartment. It is really good and very inexpensive! We've been going there on Wednesday nights. It may become our permanent date night/ place.
Willie is doing good and seems to be adjusting. I don't know how much he likes me being home for days at a time and then all of a sudden being gone all day out of the blue. It seems confusing for him. Other than that, he has made a few dog friends in the complex. He played with a couple last night and enjoyed himself. They told us that there is a dog park close to us that is supposed to be pretty nice. We'll have to check that out. It's just not much fun to sit outside in this heat and humidity.
That's about all I have to report. I've started working out during my spare time, so that's good. Maybe I can finally lose this 10-15 pounds of extra weight. That would be really nice!
Here are a few pics of the apartment (these are from a few weeks ago. Since then we have gotten a couch and love seat in the living room)...
Kitchen
Dining Room
Bathroom
Hall from Bedroom to Bathroom
Dog on the bed
Washer and Dryer
Willie looking out the living room window at our view (We're on the 4th floor so we can see a lot of stuff)
Computer Nook
Our view from the porch (We are across the street from the Reliant complex and a bunch of businesses, including a Taco Cabana that I can smell from the porch)
Nic still likes his job. We are still hoping that they are able to hire him permanently soon. I am really starting to like it here and finally feeling comfortable and settled. I would hate to start all over with job searches and moving and all that stressful stuff. I guess a lot of it will depend on the economy and if they have enough work to justify paying him. We'll see what happens.
Houston is nice. We like the area we're in and we've found a few good hang out spots. I am officially addicted to a sushi restaurant about a mile from our apartment. It is really good and very inexpensive! We've been going there on Wednesday nights. It may become our permanent date night/ place.
Willie is doing good and seems to be adjusting. I don't know how much he likes me being home for days at a time and then all of a sudden being gone all day out of the blue. It seems confusing for him. Other than that, he has made a few dog friends in the complex. He played with a couple last night and enjoyed himself. They told us that there is a dog park close to us that is supposed to be pretty nice. We'll have to check that out. It's just not much fun to sit outside in this heat and humidity.
That's about all I have to report. I've started working out during my spare time, so that's good. Maybe I can finally lose this 10-15 pounds of extra weight. That would be really nice!
Here are a few pics of the apartment (these are from a few weeks ago. Since then we have gotten a couch and love seat in the living room)...
Kitchen
Dining Room
Bathroom
Hall from Bedroom to Bathroom
Dog on the bed
Washer and Dryer
Willie looking out the living room window at our view (We're on the 4th floor so we can see a lot of stuff)
Computer Nook
Our view from the porch (We are across the street from the Reliant complex and a bunch of businesses, including a Taco Cabana that I can smell from the porch)
Friday, May 15, 2009
Hanging In the New Pad... Thinking
I'm sitting and listening to the dishwasher running in my new apartment and thinking what a great sound it is. I love to have these conveniences. I feel so blessed to not only have a dishwasher (and washing machine, etc.), but to have running water and a place to buy soap and other necessities to use these appliances.
I've been trying to be more conscious of all the little things I have that I take for granted. I've got working arms and legs, some brains in my noggin, and people around who love and care for me. I have a dog that adores me (whether it's because I feed him or he really loves me, who cares the reason). I have a husband with a job in a bad economy and I've had a few temp assignments to keep a little extra income coming in. I have lights when I flip a switch and the ability to connect with all my family and friends all over the world by picking up a small cell phone or connecting to the web. And, and, and!
I feel truly blessed and favored, and have been trying to make a strong effort to be a good person so I can always feel that I deserve the gifts I have in my life. It's not always easy to have a good attitude and be kind to everyone you meet, but I think that when someone has another human be kind to them (deserving or not), they might try to be kind to someone else (and, and, and). At least that's what I hope for.
I've been trying to be more conscious of all the little things I have that I take for granted. I've got working arms and legs, some brains in my noggin, and people around who love and care for me. I have a dog that adores me (whether it's because I feed him or he really loves me, who cares the reason). I have a husband with a job in a bad economy and I've had a few temp assignments to keep a little extra income coming in. I have lights when I flip a switch and the ability to connect with all my family and friends all over the world by picking up a small cell phone or connecting to the web. And, and, and!
I feel truly blessed and favored, and have been trying to make a strong effort to be a good person so I can always feel that I deserve the gifts I have in my life. It's not always easy to have a good attitude and be kind to everyone you meet, but I think that when someone has another human be kind to them (deserving or not), they might try to be kind to someone else (and, and, and). At least that's what I hope for.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Another Quick Update
It's been another long stint since I have been able to write my blog. So much has happened in the past few weeks, but I'll give the condensed version of events.
We are officially Houstonians! Everything has been moved into our new apartment. The move was very smooth (especially since we didn't have very much stuff to move). We got everything from San Antonio to Houston in Karl's truck and our friend's small trailer. Nic was smart enough to borrow Karl's wagon, so we wheeled the stuff in quickly and easily. Luckily no one complained about the noise the squeeky wheels made going up and down the halls.
The day after we moved in, we bought our first mattress. We got a great deal at Mattress Firm. This is the first time we've had a bed that has not been slept in by someone else before us. We've always had hand-me-down mattresses. Plus, we were able to get it in the exact firmness we wanted. It's been so nice to have something comfortable to sleep on!
We still need quite a few things to make the house more cosy. The main thing is a couch. We are supposed to shop for one today, so hopefully we'll be able to move off the floor (or the camping chair we've stolen off our porch).
Nic is enjoying his job. This week is the start of his second week with them. He likes the people he's working with and the stuff he's going to be doing. They seem to like him as well. He hasn't had too much to do yet, so I think they'll like him even more after they see what a great employee they hired.
Willie is adjusting to apartment life pretty well. He and I are finally on a good walking schedule. We go out in the morning, around 5pm, and again before bed. He has met a few friends (and a few enemy dogs). He still has a problem with barking when he hears noises in the halls, but he's getting better about it.
I signed up with a temporary service and worked for a conference at the Reliant Arena (across the street from our apartment) last week. They haven't called me yet to work again, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will have some assignments soon. It would be really great if a temporary job could turn into something permanant. I'm still looking for something permanant through web searches, but so far, nothing has really looked promising. I'm just going to keep trying and hopefully I'll find something soon.
We just got our internet in the apartment yesterday, so I should be able to be more consistant with blogging. More to come...
We are officially Houstonians! Everything has been moved into our new apartment. The move was very smooth (especially since we didn't have very much stuff to move). We got everything from San Antonio to Houston in Karl's truck and our friend's small trailer. Nic was smart enough to borrow Karl's wagon, so we wheeled the stuff in quickly and easily. Luckily no one complained about the noise the squeeky wheels made going up and down the halls.
The day after we moved in, we bought our first mattress. We got a great deal at Mattress Firm. This is the first time we've had a bed that has not been slept in by someone else before us. We've always had hand-me-down mattresses. Plus, we were able to get it in the exact firmness we wanted. It's been so nice to have something comfortable to sleep on!
We still need quite a few things to make the house more cosy. The main thing is a couch. We are supposed to shop for one today, so hopefully we'll be able to move off the floor (or the camping chair we've stolen off our porch).
Nic is enjoying his job. This week is the start of his second week with them. He likes the people he's working with and the stuff he's going to be doing. They seem to like him as well. He hasn't had too much to do yet, so I think they'll like him even more after they see what a great employee they hired.
Willie is adjusting to apartment life pretty well. He and I are finally on a good walking schedule. We go out in the morning, around 5pm, and again before bed. He has met a few friends (and a few enemy dogs). He still has a problem with barking when he hears noises in the halls, but he's getting better about it.
I signed up with a temporary service and worked for a conference at the Reliant Arena (across the street from our apartment) last week. They haven't called me yet to work again, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will have some assignments soon. It would be really great if a temporary job could turn into something permanant. I'm still looking for something permanant through web searches, but so far, nothing has really looked promising. I'm just going to keep trying and hopefully I'll find something soon.
We just got our internet in the apartment yesterday, so I should be able to be more consistant with blogging. More to come...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Quick Update on Life
Things are really rocking and rolling here, so I haven't had time to write. I am finally taking a break from my frenzied packing, and decided I'd do a quick update (a very condensed version).
We found an apartment! Below is a link to the map of the apartment complex.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=8333%20braesmain%20houston%20tx%2077025&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl
We are so excited to have found such an awesome place. It is called Alexan Main Street and is sort of a mid-rise community with a parking garage and lots of amenities. We got an apartment on the 4th floor overlooking Reliant Stadium and all the cool things right by us (we're right across the street from a Super Target, next to a post office, near every restaurant imaginable, and near a supermarket). Check out the apartments by using this link... alexanmainstreet.com (*Caution: there is an intro that has music, so turn your speakers down if you're slacking off at work*). If you go to the floorplans and scroll down, ours is the Holcombe.
We are moving this Friday (aaawwww!!!), so life is really hectic right now. We have spent today and yesterday packing and finishing last-minute errands. So far today, I have gotten the dog groomed, had Karl's car detailed (since we've been using it so much while my car is being worked on) (which is what Nic and his kind friends have been doing all day today), washed clothes, and packed, packed, packed! I'm feeling really drained, but know it will be worth it in a few days.
Tomorrow I am going to try and finish up a few other errands and more packing. I am also going to have lunch with my good friend, so that is awesome.
I'd better get back to it. More will follow as soon as I have a chance to write (not sure when that will be).
We found an apartment! Below is a link to the map of the apartment complex.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=8333%20braesmain%20houston%20tx%2077025&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl
We are so excited to have found such an awesome place. It is called Alexan Main Street and is sort of a mid-rise community with a parking garage and lots of amenities. We got an apartment on the 4th floor overlooking Reliant Stadium and all the cool things right by us (we're right across the street from a Super Target, next to a post office, near every restaurant imaginable, and near a supermarket). Check out the apartments by using this link... alexanmainstreet.com (*Caution: there is an intro that has music, so turn your speakers down if you're slacking off at work*). If you go to the floorplans and scroll down, ours is the Holcombe.
We are moving this Friday (aaawwww!!!), so life is really hectic right now. We have spent today and yesterday packing and finishing last-minute errands. So far today, I have gotten the dog groomed, had Karl's car detailed (since we've been using it so much while my car is being worked on) (which is what Nic and his kind friends have been doing all day today), washed clothes, and packed, packed, packed! I'm feeling really drained, but know it will be worth it in a few days.
Tomorrow I am going to try and finish up a few other errands and more packing. I am also going to have lunch with my good friend, so that is awesome.
I'd better get back to it. More will follow as soon as I have a chance to write (not sure when that will be).
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Pearl Project Pictures
Jenny sent me some pictures of the actual finished Pearl sets. I just had to share them with everyone.
This is a picture of all the components that go into each set (earrings, necklace, mesh bag, and card).
This is a pic of just the earrings and necklace set (notice the Merlot pearl drop by the clasp).
Here is a picture of the complete set in the bag.
Here is a picture of a pile of completed sets. I think there were 50 or so in the container. That was a small fraction of the total 624 completed.
This is a picture of all the components that go into each set (earrings, necklace, mesh bag, and card).
This is a pic of just the earrings and necklace set (notice the Merlot pearl drop by the clasp).
Here is a picture of the complete set in the bag.
Here is a picture of a pile of completed sets. I think there were 50 or so in the container. That was a small fraction of the total 624 completed.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Pearls for a Purpose
Today is definitely a blog-worthy day! It was a day which included a special milestone that I was able to be a part of.
My neighbor, Jenny Barker (who we met up with for the Race for the Cure), somehow volunteered herself to spearhead a project to help the Dress for Success San Antonio (DFSSA) non-profit organization. According to the DFSSA Website:
Dress for Success San Antonio provides professional attire,workforce development and life skills training to more than 700 women annually so that low-income women residing in San Antonio and the surrounding area may establish a solid work history and permanently leave public assistance. With suits from Dress for Success San Antonio, women not only look their best, they feel their best and have the confidence to succeed.
To add to their confidence, Jenny's project, "Pearls for a Purpose," was started to make pearl necklace and earring sets for each of the DFSSA clients. Since Jenny knew I made jewelry, she asked me to help her with the project. Of course I was delighted to help. It worked out especially well since I had some free time while being out of work.
The project started in the first few days of February and I started helping out on February 15th. Today (only 2 months later) Jenny and I completed the last set, for a grand total of 624 necklace and earring sets for the clients. This was a big undertaking on Jenny's part. What an accomplishment to get them finished in such a short time span.
The wonderful thing was that once people heard about the project, they volunteered their services/ skills without a second thought. From assembling earring and necklace parts into kits, to making and using a pre-measured board to come up with exactly 92 pearls for each necklace, to stringing pearls onto wire, to finishing necklaces, people gave their time and energy to accomplish this project.
One of the groups of people to help with the project was a group of ladies that play Bunco together. Jenny substitutes for them occasionally. We got together at a Methodist Community Center in New Braunfels to work on the project. As you can see from the pictures, there was a large group of help (Jenny is the lady in all black with glasses). What a fun group of ladies!
Jenny was kind enough (she would say otherwise) to allow me the opportunity to be the quality control person on the project. I was the last person to look at the necklaces and earrings to make sure they were as good as they could be. This made me the bad guy at times because we wanted the DFSSA clients to get the best looking jewels. This meant I ocassionally had to reject people's hard work.
After I gave each piece my seal of approval, each set went into a sweet little mesh bag with a card in it. On the card (business card sized) was a little message from Dress for Success San Antonio on one side, and a picture of a pearl necklace with names of volunteers who worked on the project on the other side. Each necklace had a small merlot pearl drop hanging from the clasp to represent the symbol of the San Antonio chapter of Dress for Success.
It was such a blessing to be part of this project. I got to meet wonderful people along the way. I also got to spend some real quality time with Jenny. I would go over to Jenny's house (sometimes a few times a week) to help on some part of the process. It gave us a great opportunity to chat and really get to know one another. We definitely formed a strong friendship through our many hours working together. I am so glad we were able to work together to accomplish this task for such a worthy cause.
For more information on Dress for Success San Antonio, check out the following link...
http://www.dressforsuccess.org/affiliate.aspx?pageid=1&sisid=61
My neighbor, Jenny Barker (who we met up with for the Race for the Cure), somehow volunteered herself to spearhead a project to help the Dress for Success San Antonio (DFSSA) non-profit organization. According to the DFSSA Website:
Dress for Success San Antonio provides professional attire,workforce development and life skills training to more than 700 women annually so that low-income women residing in San Antonio and the surrounding area may establish a solid work history and permanently leave public assistance. With suits from Dress for Success San Antonio, women not only look their best, they feel their best and have the confidence to succeed.
To add to their confidence, Jenny's project, "Pearls for a Purpose," was started to make pearl necklace and earring sets for each of the DFSSA clients. Since Jenny knew I made jewelry, she asked me to help her with the project. Of course I was delighted to help. It worked out especially well since I had some free time while being out of work.
The project started in the first few days of February and I started helping out on February 15th. Today (only 2 months later) Jenny and I completed the last set, for a grand total of 624 necklace and earring sets for the clients. This was a big undertaking on Jenny's part. What an accomplishment to get them finished in such a short time span.
The wonderful thing was that once people heard about the project, they volunteered their services/ skills without a second thought. From assembling earring and necklace parts into kits, to making and using a pre-measured board to come up with exactly 92 pearls for each necklace, to stringing pearls onto wire, to finishing necklaces, people gave their time and energy to accomplish this project.
One of the groups of people to help with the project was a group of ladies that play Bunco together. Jenny substitutes for them occasionally. We got together at a Methodist Community Center in New Braunfels to work on the project. As you can see from the pictures, there was a large group of help (Jenny is the lady in all black with glasses). What a fun group of ladies!
Jenny was kind enough (she would say otherwise) to allow me the opportunity to be the quality control person on the project. I was the last person to look at the necklaces and earrings to make sure they were as good as they could be. This made me the bad guy at times because we wanted the DFSSA clients to get the best looking jewels. This meant I ocassionally had to reject people's hard work. After I gave each piece my seal of approval, each set went into a sweet little mesh bag with a card in it. On the card (business card sized) was a little message from Dress for Success San Antonio on one side, and a picture of a pearl necklace with names of volunteers who worked on the project on the other side. Each necklace had a small merlot pearl drop hanging from the clasp to represent the symbol of the San Antonio chapter of Dress for Success.
It was such a blessing to be part of this project. I got to meet wonderful people along the way. I also got to spend some real quality time with Jenny. I would go over to Jenny's house (sometimes a few times a week) to help on some part of the process. It gave us a great opportunity to chat and really get to know one another. We definitely formed a strong friendship through our many hours working together. I am so glad we were able to work together to accomplish this task for such a worthy cause.
For more information on Dress for Success San Antonio, check out the following link...
http://www.dressforsuccess.org/affiliate.aspx?pageid=1&sisid=61
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