Thursday, January 31, 2008

~baby update~

Since I was so pissed off yesterday (and still am actually) I neglected to update you on my OB visit....

Still no real sign that we are getting any closer to the end of my 'fatness'...

I am scheduled to be induced next Friday, February 8th if nothing happens before then.

I refuse to wait an entire extra week and I think 3 extra days is fair...so we'll see what happens.

The receptionist told me that once she gets people scheduled for an induction, they go into labor...that hasn't happened yet, but if it happens before the 8th, I will be happy about it.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

~sometimes life just really sucks~

I know this should be one of the happiest times of my life.

But it's not.

I know I probably shouldn't post that here.

But I figure most of you know I'm not the happiest or most positive person in the world (nor do I even come close).

My life has gotten ridiculously complicated in the past year, not just due to being PG. Many other reasons...

At times I just get really frustrated w/the complicated 'stuff' and huge feelings of regret overcome me. One of those times is NOW. This is not the life I have been working so hard to create for myself over all these years.

It also makes me feel better to post my 'bitchfest' here.

I also have a private Typepad account where I post more detailed rants (to help me maintain some level of sanity).

I'm stuck in one of my "wish I had/hadn't made that decision(s)" modes right now.

Life just really sucks sometimes...and one of those times for me is NOW.

~wednesday~

Dear OB:

When I see you today at 9am, please tell me that I am dialated and will likely go into labor this weekend. The 'beach ball' look doesn't do anything for me. Oh yeah...and I'm more and more swollen everyday which means I have more and more numbness in my right hand/arm...that's REALLY getting old.

Thank you-
Krystyn

p.s. lie to me if you have to...I need my sanity
*******************************************************
Yeah....so that's what I'm hoping happens today...

I also have my breastfeeding class tonight at 6:30pm. I was supossed to go back in December, but when I got the new job and had to go to OH, I had to postpone. Ha....and I thought I was worried I might not make it to the class being only 6 days from my due date.

I guess it's my own fault that Ethan is not here yet...I was 10 days late arriving and we can blame O a little too, I think he was 5 days late making his entrance to this world.

Thankfully, the doc will only let me go as late as the 12th, but I'm going to request being induced on the 8th if I go that long.

Monday, January 28, 2008

~a few questions~

Swiped this from Chele...and since I have nothing else to blog about today...this is perfect!

1. If your doctor told you TODAY that you were pregnant, what would you say?
I would say "No shit Sherlock!!" -it's rather obvious that I'm pregnant right now, so she certainly wouldn't be telling me anything I didn't already know. :-)

2. When was the last time you flew in a plane?
In December on a business trip to Cleveland, OH.

3. What did the last text message you sent say?
"The blog not lining up exactly. Not sure why. Feeling uncomfortable & not sleeping well. Ready 2b done" - sent to Mary in response to her inquiry on whether my due date changed and how I am feeling.

4. What features do you find most attractive in the opposite sex? Eyes.

5. What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the near future?
To return to my pre-pregnancy weight & shape and run a 5k this year.

6. Shoe size? 7.5 or 8 depending on the shoe

7. Been to Mexico?
Heck yeah...I lived there for a year even! Love it! Can't wait to go back.

8. When is the last time you had a massage?
About 4 wks ago

9. What was the last TV show you watched?
News this morning.

10. What are your plans for the weekend?
Heck, it's only Monday...hard to say but I sure hope it involves losing about 15-20 lbs via giving childbirth.

11. If your significant other asked you to marry them TODAY what would you say?
I'd say...um I'm already married to you stupid! LOL!!

12. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
2 beach towels (in the event water breaks @ work) and a sweatshirt (I don't go anywhere without it).

13. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Working...blech!

14. If you could marry any celebrity today who would it be?
I really like Simon Cowell...I like the facial expressions he makes when listening to the ridiculous people trying out for AI, I love how he rips on them, he's absolutely adorable, I love how he looks in a plain 'ol white t-shirt and I recently told O that if he knocked on the door, that I would up and leave w/him. LOL!! Oh yeah...and I generally prefer older men anyway, so Simon is right up my alley as far as age goes.

15. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Ick..no. No desire to go either.

16. What is the best ice cream flavor?
Mint Chocolate Chip or Black Cherry Vanilla

17. What is the last sporting event you watched?
I watched some of the PGA yesterday but only as I was channel surfing.

18. Ever go camping?
Yep, when I was a Girl Scout...hated it.

19. Last phone call?
O called me on my way home from work tonight.

20. Are you allergic to anything? Codeine.

21. What is one thing you have learned about life recently?
That it rarely turns out as we plan and sometimes it just plain sucks.

22. What do you do at work?
Read resumes, talk to managers, schedule interviews, make job offers.

23. What is your mom's name? Pat

24. Ever cried for no reason?
I think not...I usually have a reason if I get to that point.

25. Can you do the Crank Dat dance?
No...I don't dance, period!

26. What is your favorite color to wear?
Right now, black, but generally I like blue, orange, green, pink.

27. What is the longest plane ride you have ever been on?
That would be from Atlanta to Amsterdam, on the way to Italy.

28. What is the longest road trip you have ever taken? From Michigan to Dallas, TX.

29. What are your turn-offs? People who are condescending.

30. What was your last alcoholic beverage?
Heck..can't remember that -it's been QUITE a while.

31. What are you craving right now? a goodnights sleep.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

~bad choice~

Just finished watching the movie "Knocked Up"...that really wasn't such a bright idea at 39 wks pregnant.

Friday, January 25, 2008

~catching up~

~Not much to report over here...still in a holding pattern.

~I really, really, really want to be done being PG but @ the same time I want to finish out this month @ work...we'll see what happens. Next doc appt: Wed, Jan 30th @ 9am.

~O went out of town for work Wed-Fri so mom and I had a slumber party - yay!

~I found 2 jobs @ the university that interest me...I know I wasn't going to apply or pursue anything, but since their hiring process is uber-slow...I went ahead and submitted my resume.

~No weekend plans besides laying around the house and probably some scrapbooking. Still need to finish Operation 4 for Paper Adventure 2008.

~My neighbors across the street are way too noisy...college kids...ugh! (yes, that makes me feel old)

~I have almost all my tax forms for 2007 and I calculated all the mileage from pet-sitting jobs in 2007...that'll be a nice chunk of change I can write off. Yay!

~See, I told you there's not much going on here...off to bed...goodnight.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

~pregnancy 101~

~Consider this your free pregnancy education...sure you can read http://www.babycenter.com/ or http://www.ivillage.com/ but I haven't found this on either site...

~My right hand (the one I use to do just about everything) has been periodically numb and tingally (sp?) since Thursday. Apparently, as your body swells, it is fairly common that pregnant women have symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome....that's what my doctor is telling me anyway.

~It's not painful, but it's certainly uncomfortable...it wakes me up in the middle of the night...so add that to another obstacle to sleeping in the last few weeks.

~And people wonder why I don't want to do this again. Ha!

Monday, January 21, 2008

~no holiday here~

Government holidays make me wish I was a teacher!

I think I was the only one that had to work today...get this...our 'sister company', located exactly across the street had today off...we had to work...talk about things not making sense. Oh well!

I'm not really complaining..just sayin'! I needed to work anyway being a measly 'contract' employee and all.

The gal that will fill in while I'm on maternity leave will start tomorrow working 1/2 days for 2 wks. I really like her -she's very cool, lots of recruiting experience and has THE personality to do the job...chasing after hiring managers and all. I know she'll do wonderful. I just kind of wish I'd get more time to work with her - she seems like a lot of fun.

Had a doc appt today (again) - this weekly thing is the pits...no signs of anything progressing.

I'm hoping nothing happens this month. I really want to finish the month out...work-wise...it'll help for saving up while I'm off 4-6 wks afterwards.

It's was super, duper, unbelievably, awfully, bone-chilling, don't-want-to-go-outside cold today. That's cold!!! Ick!!

Took the resume off the internet.

Nothin' else much to report.

Friday, January 18, 2008

~and it just gets better~

The other day when UT called me for an interview, I forgot to ask when they want to have the position filled....I normally don't ask this but with my current big-belly situation, I am asking up front because honestly, I don't want to waste my time & gasoline if I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting the job since I cannot be available for employment until around March 3, 2008.

Today I decided to send an email to the lady who called me to inquire specifically on this matter.

I wrote:

We spoke a couple days ago to schedule an interview for the Administrative Coordinator I position for External Scholarships. I had meant to ask you what the target date is to have the position filled and my reason for asking is because I would likely not be available for employment until approximately March 3, 2008. I am due to have my first baby on or around February 5, 2008 and while my prior employment contract ended at such an inopportune time, I still have a need to be employed up to my due date and plan to take a shortened Maternity Leave.

I have had a few interviews over the past couple months and I have both shared & withheld this information prior to the interview, but ultimately both scenarios have worked against me.

At this point, it is my preference to share my situation and timing constraints ahead of time so as to not waste anyones time going through the interview process if my availability will be a hinderance to securing the position.

I am extremely interested in becoming part of the University of Tennessee team and hope that I can still be fairly considered for the position.

Her reply:

Thank you for your honesty. We do hope to fill the position within the next 2 to 3 weeks and in fact just as soon as possible. Although a March 3 start date would not be impossible for us it does, to be quite truthful, put you at a disadvantage in the interview process. Given that we have a very strong pool of candidates and given that we would like to have someone in the job two weeks after we complete the interviewing next week, it may well be best if we don't do the interview. Again, I thank you for your honesty.

At this point it's almost comic relief for me...I am officially giving up the job search until Ethan busts his way into this world...there is NO point in me going thru all this BS and getting pissed off over and over again...it's getting old and I'm quite sick and tired of it.

While I will not pursue any sort of legal action, mainly for my own sanity and financial reasons, I am quite curious...I DO wish however, that I had a really good friend who was an employment attorney because to me, this sure walks a FINE line when it comes to discrimination. For example, if I weren't PG and I interviewed for the position and was given a job offer and then tell UT that I have a signed contract w/my current company which requires me to give 4 wks notice (as opposed to the normal 2 wks), what would they do??? They would have already extended the offer!!! The only reason that this method doesn't work for me is because PHYSICALLY it's quite clear that I'm about to squeeze out a little human creature at any point in time. Food for thought!

On the bright side, I can sleep in longer on Thursday, save some gasoline and won't miss any work hours. There...that's my positive thought for the day!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

~peer pressure~

OK -first Dawn played, then Nichole, then Chele...and so I had to play along.

How old are you? ugh...don't remind me please!!! 36
Where do you live? in the very UNexciting TN
Last time you listened to Billy Idol? Actually just heard him on the 80s station 2 days ago

How do you like your taters? Baked or Fried
Ever beaten someone up? Um...yes (bad temper I used to have)
Ever gotten beaten up? Nope
Do you consider yourself to be hot? Certainly not right now...and honestly, never really have.

Any tattoos? Yep, just 1 though.
Piercings? Just my ears...not brave enough for anything else. Hey Nichole...I had a keloid too but it was from a deep cut that should have had stitches.
Kids? 1 in the oven, as they say.

How about grandparents? Any of those? I wish...I would do anything for one more day with my maternal grandparents.
Do you shave your legs? Yes, but certainly not as frequently as I once did...not very easy to do right now.

Employed or bum? Employed but on the verge of being a bum.
Ever killed someone? nope...but I've wanted to...sorta.
Ever wear stone wash jeans? Probably, but I really cannot recall for sure.
Worst pain you ever felt? I'm probably going to experience it within the next 25 days...I'll get back with ya' on this one.

What did you last eat? chicken, rice & salad.
Cats and dogs... pets or food? Gasp!! Definitely companions!!
What about fish? Only tuna in the can please.

What about rabbits? They are cute...I wouldn't eat them though.
Use the word "jabroni" in a sentence. Huh?
Use one word to sum yourself up in a nutshell: uncomfortable
Idea you had on a date that you thought was fun but they were bored? Too long ago to remember.
Ever make a complete fool out of yourself? I'm sure I have...just cannot recall a specific scenario.

Ever think that "they" are out to get you? No, no paranoid symptoms here, but I do occasionally feel the world is working against me.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

~inconsiderate~

Dear stupid local radio station -

Thank you for calling me a WHOLE 15 minutes before my scheduled interview to CANCEL. That was very thoughtful of you because I was already in the 'effin parking lot after racing out of work after an unusually busy day where I could have worked late and made more money instead of coming to meet with you.

Don't bother calling to reschedule either. You can take your stupid promotions job and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.

I have a more promising interview @ the university next week anyway that will (1) pay more and (2) provide kick-a$$ benefits...of course, if they don't discriminate against me like everyone else has lately. Heck...that's probably why YOU canceled my interview anyway.

Take a long walk off a short pier-

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

day 1: project humidifier

~the congestion is bad, really bad, like I'm already getting very little sleep due to general body discomfort bad, throw in not being able to breathe and well, not much sleep at all. (which results in a very cranky me-more than usual)

~doc said to use Saline Spray and a humidifer.

~we bought the humidifier last night and there was slight improvement throughout the night

~we'll try it again tonight...here's hoping that consistency yields a positive change (and less boogers)

:-)

~how bizarre~

~My mom bought a used Pack & Play off Craigslist yesterday to have at her house.

~The lady selling it is named 'Kristin'

~The lady has a son.

~His name is Ethan Alexander.

~How freaky is that?!?!?!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

~weekend activity~

~First of all, I'm really not ready to go back to work yet, but I guess I don't have much choice.

~I got quite a bit accomplished this weekend, so that feels good.

~I had a few exchanges to make @ BabiesRUs and was able to get the swing and only had to pitch in a few dollars, so that was nice. I put it together last night as well. I also picked up the baskets (at AC Moore) & liners and set them up on the changing table, so we are basically ready to go. I didn't get around to packing my suitcase though. I also cannot seem to decide on what outfits to take to the hospital for Ethan. I'm supossed to take one for pictures and another for going home. I don't plan to buy a 'special' going home outfit though, so it'll just be one of the sleepers that we already have in the closet - I just need to decide.

~My mom came over today and we hung up the last of the decor for Ethan's room and then proceeded to my 'office' and hung up a bunch of pictures that I had stashed in my closet. It definitely gives the room more personality and I love it!!

~I also got quite a bit done on my Hawaii mini-album that I've been working on. You can see it in my Flickr account (link down below on the right).

~I'm loving the Paper Adventure 2008 challenge and cannot wait 'til Tuesday every week now!!! Elise is great...check out her projects..so cool!!

~I decorated another mini-album I had sitting around w/pics of O for him to send to his daughter in AZ. It's turning out pretty good and since I had no plans for it, it's perfect to send out to her. I guess that makes 3 scrapbooking projects currently in progress.

~We received pretty much a solid confirmation that O's mom will be coming out in March for hopefully 3-4 wks to take care of Ethan. I'll have to go back to work after 4 wks so it'll be nice to have her here to take care of him instead of having to put him in daycare so young. I'm still having heartache over that. Did I mention all the awesome homecooking we'll be treated too as well? YUM!! I think O is more excited about the food....especially since I don't really cook.

~I have an OB appt tomorrow morning. I'm on 'weekly' appts now which sucks since I'm not working @ home. I'm going to see if my appt next week can be Wed or later so it turns out to be more like 10 days...that'll cut back on appts and (unpaid) time away from work. Since I've had no problems, I don't see why that would be a problem.

~Lastly, I have an interview on Wednesday afternoon...we'll see how this one goes. It's with one of the local radio stations and they need a promotions person. I learned of the opening through my hairdresser. I told them my situation up front and the gal said she still wants to talk to me...hopefully it's not just a 'cover-up'.

Friday, January 11, 2008

~TGIF~

~I'm so so so glad it's Friday. I'm definitely ready for a break from my unbelievably mundane job.

~Yesterday's dr. appt went fine. Yay!

~I'm still quite congested...did you know it's a lovely 'side-effect' of being PG? I'll take it over morning sickness, but I'm about ready to be done w/it....it's been about 4-5 months now.

~I'm moving slow this morning...usually get to work @ 7:30am but I think it'll be more like 8am today. Oh well!

~Nothing but errands on the to-do list this weekend...oh and I plan to pack my suitcase for the hospital, well as much as I can anyway.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

~ick~

Well the congestion that I've had for the past, oh 4-5 months now seems like it wants to develop into a cold...woke up w/a sore throat this morning, felt crummy yesterday, my eyes burn in the morning and I sneeze quite a bit. I sure hope I don't get really sick...I just can't see myself doing the 'hee-hee-hee-whooooo' breathing in labor with a cold...not fun!!

~I'm off to a doctor appt this morning...not the OB...but it is related to being PG...it's semi-graphic and gross (in my opinion....and I'm a wimp), so I will spare you the details.

~From that appt, I head over to the hospital to do the pre-registration paperwork...I sure wish I knew that it could only be done between 9am-2pm back when I worked from home - or the week I was 'technically' unemployed...I would have gone then!! Argh!!

~I figure I'll get to work around 11am or so....hopefully that will prevent extreme boredom from setting in...we'll see. I only have 1 candidate coming for an interview today and then a meeting w/a manager to discuss the candidates he wants to extend offers to...yep - so that's about 90 minutes of work really. Crap! What am I gonna do for the rest of the day?

~yeah....it's raining like crazy here this morning - there are few things I despise more than having to go out in the rain.

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

~i'm flabbergasted~

~So while I was ridiculously bored @ work today, I decided to peruse cnn.com and other newsworthy sites...it was not a good idea, because all it did was make me feel sad and disappointed in mankind.

~Why did that creepy guy in GA feel the need to kill AND be-head the girl out for a hike with her dog on New Year's Day? I just don't get it. It's likely he's killed others too...

~There is a 20 yr old pregnant Marine missing...she was scheduled to testify on something she witnessed...now she is nowhere to be found....why?

~Then there's the 'father' (in quotes because he doesn't deserve the title) who THREW his kids off an 80 ft bridge to their death.

Sometimes this world just sickens me...I think I'll go curl up on the couch with Milo & Hula now.

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

~permanent state of frustration, I think~

~I am doomed to be forever frustrated....

~I rec'd a call from the Short-Term Disability folks today...apparently since my doctor did not indicate any 'restrictions' or 'limitations' to me working @ SBUX, they are saying that my disability cannot begin 'til Jan 23rd. Well, you KNOW THAT DIDN'T MAKE ME HAPPY.


~I tried calling the SBUX benefits line but they are gone for the day so I'll have to follow up w/them tomorrow. If it doesn't affect my health benefits at all, then I really don't care, but if they say I'd have to go back to SBUX sooner than 3/24, then I will likely call the doctor and ask her to re-submit the form with my complaint of achey and swollen feet and legs. (not to mention the obvious state of discomfort being on my feet for countless hours and carrying around an extra 45 lbs)


~SBUX sucks when it comes to the maternity leave policy...2 wks prior to the due date is just absolutely ridiculous. Did I mention how LITTLE space there is behind the counters? I know everyone has been inside a SBUX, they are not as big as Walmart!! Hello!?!?


~Proceeding on to the current work situation -and the 'skeletons in the closet' that continue to come out there...let me just begin by saying I have never worked somewhere with crazy processes on recruiting.


~Before I came on board, the recruiting for this location was handled by some folks in VA. There are currently 4 candidates already identified and awaiting offers. They have been waiting for their offer since prior to the holidays. Just so you know - the longest part in the recruiting process is finding the RIGHT candidate...once that is done, the offer should be promptly extended so as to avoid losing the candidate...apparently these folks don't realize that and continue to drag their feet in getting offers out. Odd!


~I don't understand all the rush-rush in getting me hired when ultimately I will not be closing any requisitions anytime soon based on their ridiculous time-line.

~I have also repeatedly asked for a listing of salary ranges for the open positions - it's pretty much an essential tool when it comes to recruiting. If a candidate is looking for a salary of 90k and the job pays 50k, there is no sense in me wasting my time with them, or their time interviewing etc. For whatever bizarre reason, the 'powers-that-be' do not want to share this info with me or the other gal in my location - we are both frustrated by this. It makes NO sense.

~One of my hiring mgrs has interviewed 9 candidates over the past 4 days. On Thursday we will sit down to determine who he wants to extend offers to...I bet it takes more than 2 wks for the offers to go out...it's out of my control and SOOOOO frustrating. No sense of accomplishment or closure for me in this job.

~Anyway - that's it in a (large) nutshell...so you can see why I'm fairly disenchanted with the job.

Monday, January 07, 2008

~twitter.com~

Since I'm 'incomunicado' during the day because I no longer work from home...I have been playing around with Twitter.

I just set up the 'badge' on the right side of my blog and can post updates from my cell phone...I can also receive other folks' updates on my phone...so when I'm unbelievably bored @ work at least I can let you know...unfortunately I cannot read any blogs from work or post on my own....Blogger is blocked!!

Go and sign up on Twitter...it's pretty fun.

~monday, already?~

~Ugh! I hate mondays...even more since I don't work at home anymore.

~I already wake up not wanting to go to work everyday.

~There are all kinds of 'skeletons in the closet' with this job...all coming out now.

~I don't have the energy nor the desire to deal with them.

~I don't ever want to hear a stay-at-home-mom complain again.

~The weekend went by toooo fast...even though I didn't do much.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

~why me?~

~Today I had a 12pm hair appointment (highlights, cut & some waxing) ...I figured I better get in there now before it's too late and I have NO time to myself...I promptly arrived at 12pm where my wonderful hairdresser - (and I really do love her - she's awesome) is finishing up one lady and when I proceed to her station she tells me she has another haircut to finish up before me. *sigh* I sit back down.

~Fast forward 1 HOUR LATER - it's finally my turn!!!

~I have never had to wait that long for her and I'm not a very patient person. I forgot to take my book too, which really put me on edge. I read 3 magazines while waiting.

~The most frustrating part is I was rushing thru Kohl's prior to the appointment to ensure that I make it on time to my hair appointment...heck I could have shopped 'til I dropped had I known she was running sooooooo late.

~Honestly, I was pretty annoyed...it is Saturday and I don't want to spend my day off sitting in a salon any longer than I need to.

~I walked out at 3:20pm...3 hours, 20 minutes after arriving. *big fat huge sigh*

~You would think my day got better...but nope...the long awaited changing table miraculously arrived last night so O went to pick it up this morning.

~I believe that the folks who manufactured the parts were either (1) blindfolded, (2) high on something wonderful or (3) just plain stupid because we had a gazillion problems putting it together. Oddly enough, we had NO problems assembling the crib (which is bigger & has more parts).

~O had to cut & chisel corners of some of the pieces so they would fit in place...it was strange and I was right there, so I know that he wasn't just being "Tim the Toolman" (you know, from Home Improvement)...this piece of furniture was a disaster.

~2 hrs later - it is assembled and Hula and Milo are testing out the weight capacity - see, cats are good for somethings!!! :-)

~After all that fun, we made a badly needed, yet uneventful (thank goodness) grocery trip to Walmart and now the day is basically over.

~I feel kind of like I got ripped off on my Saturday - I really didn't do anything enjoyable...I hope tomorrow is a better day.

~On the agenda for tomorrow so far is (1) a trip to Babies R Us to get the changing table pad & pad cover (2) hopefully a trip to Best Buy to replace the TV I took back to Target last week and (3) I guess only have 2 things to do tomorrow.

It may not be *that* exciting of a day either I guess...gosh, my life is boring. :-) I know I complained about being single and alone, but I had a whole lot more fun when I was single and not-pregnant.

*disclaimer*-this post has been written (typed, actually) by a hormonal and severely sleep deprived, 8 month pregnant female...she cannot be held accountable for all the whining, bitching & moaning.

Friday, January 04, 2008

~being pregnant~

~I went to the doctor today.

~I now have weekly appts - which stinks since I don't work from home anymore.

~Their earliest appt is 9am - which also stinks because then I don't get to work 'til 10am when I would usually start at 7:30am.

~I was tested for Group B Strep today...standard test..but ick.

~I've had really bad stomach pain for 2 days now - feels like I have knives coming out of my abdomen.

~Initially the doc thought I meant contraction-like pain, but no such luck...my cervix is CLOSED so Ethan's not coming too soon.

~All of a sudden just walking hurts, sleeping hardly happens and rolling over is the most excruciating pain EVER!!

~What really stinks is I feel exhausted but laying down isn't very comfortable...now I know why people have told me they sleep in recliners @ the end of pregnancy.

~letter to the interview beyotch~

I decided to write a 'thank you' (cough-cough) note to the lady I had the phone interview with yesterday...it may not change things or get me a face to face interview, but it made me a feel just a little bit better.

Here's what I wrote:

Beyotch-

It was nice to speak with you briefly yesterday however I must say that I am quite disappointed that I am not being given a chance for a face-to-face interview because I am pregnant and won't be available for work until early-March. It certainly borders on discrimination. I realize the staffing goal is to have the position filled by mid-February, but I have also worked in recruiting long enough to know that those goals are often not met and what is most important is finding the right candidate for the position.

In my opinion, if you believed that I was a good candidate for the position, then the correct thing to do would have been to inform the hiring manager of my situation and let him/her make the decision to consider me (or not) after I have interviewed with them. At this point, they are not even given the chance to meet me or determine whether I would be a fit for the position.

In the grand scheme of things, the difference in my availability and when they would like the position filled is only two weeks.


I probably should have emphasized the discrimination piece more, but I figure at least by throwing the word in there, maybe that'll scare her...hee hee. I sent the message at 8:28am today and she never did respond. Ha! This morning I had decided that if she didn't respond, I would then proceed with filing an EEOC complaint. I was looking on-line for the form last night but could not find it, so I'll have to look again. I figure I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO LOSE at this point.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

~no light @ the end of the tunnel~

Well, so much for thinking 2008 was going to be a better year..sure it's early, but at only 3 days in, things have not started off well...

~I had a phone interview today. It was going really well and we were about to line up an in-person interview. I decided that I would share that I am PG because there's no hiding it @ this point and why waste my time/energy driving there if they aren't going to consider me in the end anyway. I told the gal I would be ready for work in early-March since I'm due Feb 5th. She then says that they are hoping to have the position filled by mid-February and basically says they won't be interviewing me since I'm not available 'til early-March.

~To me - this is STILL discrimination. I wasn't even given the chance to interview BECAUSE I'M PREGNANT. I could be their 'ideal' candidate for the position and maybe worth waiting an extra 2 weeks for, but we'll never know now. Also, having worked in recruiting for a million years now, I know that positions often don't get filled as quickly as companies want them to, so it's highly unlikely they'll have the job filled by mid-February. I did ask her to keep me in mind if that happens, but I'm still pissed off. I'm fighting off the urge to shoot off a nasty email to the lady.

~Now let's move onto the current job...I thought I had 7 hrs of OT on my last pay period, well, it turns out that I only had 1 hr of OT. Their timesheets are very unclear and confusing to fill out and it gave the impression that anything over 8 hrs/day was OT as opposed to anything over 40 hrs/week. So that 16 hr day when I flew home from OH and didn't get home 'til 11:30pm and had to be back at work at 8am the next day...yeah, none of that was compensated at a higher rate...hello folks, I'm not a salaried employee!! What really irks me is that when I interviewed for this position I was asked if I can work more than 8 hrs/day, to which I responded that I can.

~Yesterday a bunch of phone calls went around between the company and the agency that hired me to figure out whether OT is approved or not. My 1st paycheck was short because they paid me all the hours in straight time as opposed to OT. So, today I receive an email from the lady I report to and she says that she has the project budgeted for 40 hrs/wk and if the workload gets crazy and is going to require OT, to advise her ahead of time...in other words, no OT. That is fine too, BUT why did they bother asking me if I could work more than 8 hrs/day then? How freakin' ridiculous is that?

~This has been the most poorly communicated job opportunity EVER...(1) the fact that I'm being paid on a 1099 was not explained 'til after I accepted the offer AND ultimately it is more costly to me and now (2) I was given the impression that I would be able to work OT and now that's not the case. WTF?

~I'm so disenchanted with the whole thing at this point...and sure 'at least I have a job' but that's hardly consolation @ this point.

~So since it's quite likely that I'll not be granted an interview ANYWHERE until after Ethan is born, it's also quite likely that I'll either (1) be forced to return to SBUX to maintain health benefits (while O gets to stay home @ night to care for Ethan) OR (2) pay $250-300/month to get benefits elsewhere. Obviously neither scenario is all that wonderful.

~And as for O getting a 2nd job...we've discussed it and honestly it would be quite challenging as he often works late during the week in his current job as well as on Saturdays, so his availability wouldn't be too great for a 2nd job and pay-wise, he's better off sticking w/his day job and trying to get extra hours (OT).

~Sucks to be me...at least that's how I see it right now.

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

~stuff~

~I'm going to return a 19" LCD TV that I've had for almost 3 months now to Target...I have 10 more days to do so and I've decided that I no longer want to be frustrated with the crappy sound quality that comes from this TV. I even bought a new cable thinking maybe that was the problem...but it wasn't. I should have returned it long ago. For $300 it should work a lot better...don't you agree?

~I'm trying to win a Baby Bjorn on Ebay...I don't want to pay $120+ for a brand new one when I'll use it for only a few months (they only last 'til baby weigh 26 lbs).

~I've decided to take part in Project 365...I still haven't taken a picture for today...ugh.

~I'm not really ready to go back to work tomorrow...but I have to.

~My maternity leave from SB was approved -yay for that!!

~I received a phone interview request on 12/31 for a job that sounds rather interesting to me...it's in the medical field and it's NOT recruiting...I'm hoping that it turns out to be something good. And it's very CLOSE TO HOME. The phone interview will be on Thursday.