Last Day

I'm sitting at my desk at Tweedee Productions this afternoon for the last time. It's weird. It's oddly quiet. One co-worker is out of the office at a meeting and then will be working from home. Another co-worker just left for the day (but not before giving me a good-bye hug). One of my bosses is taking her mom to an appointment, but she'll probably be back around 4. And my other two bosses are working at their desks. There's no music playing. The phone isn't ringing. The only noise is the sound of typing and the air conditioning when it kicks on from time to time. Like I said, it's oddly quiet.

I spent the morning doing my usual cleaning at the church. And tonight I will wait tables at Mariner's Inn. But the afternoon - the filling of my work sandwich - is at Tweedee. My last day at Tweedee. It still seems surreal to me. But I'm sure I'll adjust.

I'm still looking for work. I haven't gotten a single interview for a teaching job. I haven't heard from NCME about the position I applied for last week. I am being patient. Or rather, I'm trying to be patient. I keep reminding myself of Matthew 6:25-31. "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them." I am doing my best to trust God. I often find myself praying, "Lead me. Guide me." For now, it's enough.

On another topic altogether, for the past several months, I've been working on redesigning the website for our church. Today, it went live! If you've never seen the old site, you won't appreciate the improvement. If you have, enjoy the new design!

Possiblity

About a month ago, a guy I work with at Mariner's Inn told me that a job would be coming available where he works (National Center for Media Engagement), and he thought I'd be a good candidate for it. I told him to let me know when the job was posted. Two days later, I found out that I'd be losing my job at Tweedee at the end of June. I sent him a text message to let him know and to remind him to keep me posted about the possible job.

The following week, I saw the opening for Engagement Manager on their website. I downloaded the full job description, and I immediately felt overwhelmed by the application process. I would have to submit a 2-page narrative, my resume, writing samples, and complete their application plus a couple other forms. It was going to be a bear to apply. But my friend told me he thought I'd be a great candidate, and he agreed to give me some advice.

Long story short: I mailed my application yesterday, and they should have it today! My friend gave me some advice about my narrative and resume last week, but when I asked for a final review this week, he told me he couldn't offer me any more assistance. Because he is on the hiring committee! I feel that my chances at getting this job are pretty good, but I have no idea what the other candidates will have to offer. Now I'm in wait-and-see mode. Please pray that I at least get an interview. I will keep you posted as things progress.

Ellis

A few weeks ago, a friend of ours asked if we'd be interested in going to a concert in town at the High Noon Saloon. She described Ellis, the singer/songwriter, as pretty folksy and one of her favorites. I asked if she could loan us some of Ellis's music, but that we'd probably go. When I finally got to listen to some of her music, I immediately thought, "This is my kind of music." It's exactly the kind of songwriting that has made me love David Wilcox, Paul Simon, Peter Mayer, and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

So, we went to the show, and it was great! She played for about an hour and a half, by herself, talking and telling stories. If you haven't heard of Ellis, check her out. You can start by watching this video:

Ellis at Sisters Folk Festival 09 from michael kevin daly on Vimeo.

Good news and four jobs

Well, the good news is that my father-in-law's metastatic kidney cancer is responding well to treatment. After 8 weeks of drug therapy, all the tumors in his lungs have shrunk about 30-40%. In 8 weeks!! Can you believe it?!? God is GOOD!

I, on the other hand, struggle to remain positive about job prospects as the date of my last day at Tweedee approaches. I have added a 4th job to my arsenal: server at The Grumpy Troll. I'm only working 1-2 shifts/week right now, but I'm hoping that I can add at least one more there and one more at Mariner's Inn after I'm done at Tweedee. People have been assuring me that I'll qualify for unemployment benefits, but I don't think those benefits will cover our expenses, and I know they'll be adjusted based on my part-time job earnings. I'm going to try to figure that out before the end of June, but if my initial calculations are correct, I'll have to continue to work 3 part-time jobs until I can find one full-time job that pays me enough to have only it. And then? Well, then we'll celebrate! After we get our finances back in order, of course.

You've been eliminated!

If you've ever watched an episode of The Biggest Loser or The Amazing Race or Survivor or American Idol, you've probably heard people talk about being eliminated. How badly they want to avoid being eliminated. How they will react if they are eliminated. It all builds the drama. And as viewers, we talk about who we want to be eliminated, knowing that the drama has already happened (except for Idol) and that the participants know who won.

Well, I've never been on a reality show, but I now know what it's like to be eliminated. Last week, 2 of my 3 bosses at Tweedee Productions sat me down and informed me that my position will be eliminated effective July 1. They gave me 6 weeks' notice. That allows me a lot of time to try to find a different job. But I've been looking for work since they cut my hours in half in November. And I am still looking. I've been focusing on teaching jobs, and I remain hopeful that something will come along for me before school resumes in the fall. In the meantime, I also look for non-teaching jobs. To be honest, there aren't many jobs out there right now, though the economists say things are improving. We'll see.

Jobs

This week, I've been struggling with motivation: to exercise and to go to my cleaning job, mostly, but also to mow the lawn and to vacuum the house. I don't know if it's the weather, or if it's the fact that I work 3 part-time jobs for an average of 50 hours/week except for last week and this week when I worked 60 hours/week. I don't mean to complain. I am truly thankful to have each job, since it allows for bills to be paid. I am just getting tired of working from 7am-9:30pm at least once a week. And last week, I worked 7am-10:30pm on Monday, 8am-9pm on Tuesday, and 7am-9pm on Wednesday. That's 40 hours in 3 days. Yuck!

I have applied for and received my Wisconsin teaching license, and I've been applying for teaching jobs when I come across them. But the school year doesn't start until August, so I still have to make it through the summer. And there's no guarantee that I'll be hired as a teacher somewhere. It has been 9 years since I've been a classroom teacher, and in case you haven't noticed, the economy still sucks. There are a lot of people looking for jobs, including teachers. That said, if you have any connections in any school districts, I'd appreciate any advocating on my behalf.

On the upside, I'm spending this Saturday volunteering at Habitat for Humanity with my parents. Hooray!! And without requesting the night off, I'm not waitressing afterward. Even bigger hooray!!

Lake Monona 20K

Well, this past Saturday, I completed the Lake Monona 20K! It's a 12.4 mile run around Lake Monona here in Madison. It's really a very scenic route. It follows the bike route, so if you want to bike what I ran, you can! Just follow the spray painted markers on the pavement that say LMR.

A friend of mine and I had been training together, and we agreed to run together. The first half of the run was good - the wind was at our backs, and we were inspired by all the other runners. We were on pace for an 11-minute mile, which is significantly faster than we'd done any of our long runs (which were consistently 11.5 minute miles). And then we got around the northern side of the lake. The wind was now in our faces. My knees started aching. My upper thighs started chafing. My running buddy got her second wind. I slowed us down. But I didn't alter our run-walk pattern of run 2 minutes-walk 1 minute. Toward the end, I was reminding myself that I only needed to run for 2 minutes. No problem! I can totally run for 2 minutes. And I was singing "Just keep swimming" (from Finding Nemo) in my head, substituting the word running for swimming. I crossed the finished line, with tears in my eyes, 2 hours and 20 minutes after I started.

I'm really proud of myself to undertaking this run. I've never run that far, and it took a lot of training to get my body and my mind ready. Another friend of mine has asked if I might be interested in doing the Madison Mini, which is a half marathon (13.1 miles), in August. I'm considering it. . .

Genetics

Several years ago, one of my dad's brothers told us that he had a genetic marker that increased the likelihood that he'd develop colon cancer (which he already had) as well as several other cancers. His doctor suggested that his siblings get tested for this genetic marker, and if any of them had it, that their kids also be tested. Since my dad had already had colon cancer three times, it was assumed that he had the genetic marker, and my siblings and I had to decide whether or not to get tested.

There are two thoughts on genetic testing. One side believes that knowledge is power and by knowing, you can take steps to prevent illness or catch it early. The other side believes ignorance is bliss and by not knowing, you can enjoy life and let whatever is going to happen, happen. (The two sides are much more complicated than this, of course, but this is the easy simplification.)

I decided to have the test done. I have the genetic marker that significantly increases my risk for colon cancer. So, I've been getting an annual colonoscopy since I was 31. Not exactly my favorite annual event, but I'd rather do that than develop late stage colon cancer, when it is often too late to treat successfully. This genetic marker also increases my risk for developing some other cancers, including ovarian, uterine, endometrial, and stomach. Again, knowing these risks allows me to be proactive with screening.

What do you think about genetic testing? Is it a good idea? Would you want to know if you're predisposed to developing a disease?

He's no April Fool!

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!

Today my big brother celebrates his 40th birthday. If you know him, send him birthday wishes if you haven't already.

Good riddance, March 2010!

March has felt like a very long month. The entire month has been part of Lent, and we've gotten all sorts of unexpected bad news (is bad news ever expected?). I can hardly wait for April. . .

Grandma Carlson

Last Thursday, March 11, would've been my Grandma Carlson's 97th birthday. That doesn't seem right, but I've double-checked my math, and it is, in fact, correct. It also doesn't seem possible that it's been over 5 years since she died. She had a massive stroke in the early morning hours of my 30th birthday, and she died 6 days later, surrounded by her husband and children. I was really missing her last week. I've made "cook 'n' serve" chocolate pudding a couple times over the past month. I reminds me of Grandma's chocolate cream pies. Yum! When I lived in Colorado, I'd often stop for an overnight with Grandma and Grandpa when I'd drive back to Wisconsin. More often than not, Grandma would have made one of her chocolate cream pies for my visit, knowing how much I liked them. That always made me feel so loved!

I had a job interview last week. It was for a half-time office assistant job in Fitchburg. I think it went well, at least from my end. They said they'll be making a decision sometime this week, so I won't have to wait too long to find out if I got it. If so, I'll be quitting the cleaning job (yippee!!) and possibly adjusting my schedule at Tweedee. I'll still have to wait tables a few nights a week, but it's a step in the right direction.

I heard back from the Department of Public Instruction about my application for Wisconsin teaching licensure. I need to take 6 credits (probably just 2 classes) of continuing education coursework in order to get my license, unless I have a job offer from a school district. If I get a job offer, they will grant me a one-year license, during which time I'll need to earn those 6 continuing education credits. I need to call them to find out what sort of classes I should take. Perhaps I could get one of those classes taken care of this summer.

Oh! And I ran the Shamrock Shuffle 5K yesterday. My time was 31:23, which I was happy with, for the most part. The route is fairly hilly, so I shouldn't be too disappointed, but I always want to finish in under 30 minutes. Maybe next year.

March forth!

When I was a kid, every year on March 4th, my mom would remind me that it's the only day of the year that's also a command, and she would send me out the door to march forth. I look forward to it every year! It seems like I should spend March 4th working toward social justice. And I've missed my chance this year. But perhaps, starting next year, I will make March 4th a personal volunteerism day.

I finally got all of my teaching license application components completed and mailed. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website, it will take 12-16 weeks for my application to be processed. And that doesn't guarantee that I'll be approved for a license. *sigh* At least I'll know before the last minute job postings come along.

My training for the Lake Monona 20K continues to go fairly well, although I've been having a hard time fitting the weekday workouts into my schedule. Luckily, the training program I am following only requires 2 weekday runs, and I've made sure I fit them in. But I've been a bit lax about the cross-training workouts. I'd really like to find a good at-home strength training workout to do on those cross-training days. This Saturday, I'll be running 9.5 miles with a friend of mine. We did 7.5 a couple weeks ago, and it went really well, so I think 9.5 will be just fine, too. And it's supposed to be relatively warm and sunny on Saturday morning, which always makes running more enjoyable.

Fast, Pray, Give

For Lent, I was considering giving up sweets and alcohol, until a friend of mine on Facebook posted a link to this great Lent calendar. Each day, there is a quote and then suggestions for the day's fast, prayer, and gift. For example, yesterday the quote was: “Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless.” — Charles M. Crowe And then the suggestions:

Fast from scheduling anything after work today.

Pray: Waste some time with God today. (Preferably not during work hours, i.e. don’t get fired!)

Give yourself a break today.

Some days, the Give portion suggests putting some money into a Fast-Pray-Give bowl, and at the end of Lent, you donate the money to a charity. On Sunday, the suggestion was to fast from lunch, pray for those in poverty, and give the money saved from fasting from lunch.

I like this calendar a lot because it has something new everyday, and they say to follow it, but if you don't stick with it on a particular day, just get back on track the next day. It provides a nice focus for me, rather than the general "I'm giving up sweets" which gets somewhat easy after a few days. If you're still thinking about your Lenten discipline and struggling to find a good way to be introspective, I would highly recommend checking out this calendar and following it with me!

Happy Valentime's!

Last year, just before Valentine's Day, Einar and I watched an old 30 Rock episode which featured a character that kept saying, "Happy Valentime's!" thoughout the episode. It was hilarious! So now, we wish each other a happy Valentime's instead of happy Valentine's.

I had to wait tables all weekend, and even though I'd rather not have to spend my weekend nights working, it's actually kind of fun to waitress on Valentine's day. You get mostly couples who are in a good mood, ready for a nice night out. And because it's a special occasion for them, they are usually quite generous with their tips, which is nice when you've given up your night to be at work.

Speaking of tips, I've noticed a difference in tipping amounts over the past year. It used to be that I'd average 18% tips on a typical night, which I was quite happy with. I'd get some people that would tip exactly 15%, the magic don't-tip-less-than-this percentage. But I'd get quite a few customers that would tip 20% or more. In the past year, those groups have flip-flopped. Now, I get quite a few diners that tip exactly (and I mean exactly) 15% and only a few that tip 20% or more. I'm sure it has to do with the economy. Business at the restaurant where I work is definitely down, despite what the owner tells you - not only in volume, but in what people are ordering. It's been kind of interesting to watch.

I'm hoping the economy, especially the job market, turns around soon. From what I keep reading, it has already starting to improve, but then, why is unemployment predicted to stay above 10% for 2010 and still be above 9% in 2011?

Jogging through Snow

I got up this morning to go on my usual Wednesday morning 30-minute run, knowing that it was going to be cold and snowy. And I was right. It seemed like most of the people had cleared their sidewalks last night but hadn't gone out again yet this morning. The snow had stopped falling, but the wind had kicked up overnight, leaving the unshoveled sidewalks with about 6 inches of snow. Bella and I did pretty well, but I kept thinking, "This must be what it's like to run on a sandy beach." Too bad I wasn't someplace warm, sunny, and ocean-side! Someplace like San Diego. Or Hawaii. I only made it 2.6 miles in 30 minutes, which is about 0.4 miles less than I do in half an hour. Oh, well. I still thought that was pretty good, considering the condition of the sidewalks. When I was almost home, a guy ran past Bella and me. He was running in the street. That's probably what I should've done, but I was running on some busy roads. Safety first!

This jog was part of my training for the Lake Monona 20K. My training is going really well so far. My only complaint is that my schedule is so tight with work that it's hard to stay motivated to get up before 6 on during the week. I keep telling myself skipping a training session is not an option. So far, that's working. I really need to get a new pair of running shoes - I'm going to have to start saving so I can get a new pair well in advance of the run. Does anyone know if the Shoe Box has good deals on running shoes? I don't need anything too fancy - I just want the best price possible. And I'm partial to New Balance and Mazuno.

Forgotten Suitcase

Last Thursday, I rushed home from work so Einar and I could make the drive to the U.P. to visit my sister and her family. We had decided to make pb&j sandwiches to take with us for supper to eliminate a stop. I got home, finished putting a few things into the suitcase and went to the kitchen to make our sandwiches. Einar added a couple last minute things to the suitcase and then came and talked with me while I finished up the sammies. And we hit the road.

The drive was going along just fine - clear roads and an awake driver and passenger. After being on the road for 5 (of the 5 and 1/2) hours, Einar said that we didn't have the suitcase. I thought he was joking. No joke!!

I had assumed he had taken the suitcase out to the car and so hadn't asked about it. He had put his stuff in the suitcase and then left it, figuring I wasn't done yet.

Anyway, we ended up going to ShopKo to buy some underwear, socks, and toothbrushes, and Goodwill for a couple shirts. Kind of an adventure. And by Friday morning, it was even funny!

We managed to have a great weekend, even without all of stuff. We got to watch our nephew play basketball Friday night. That was fun, even though they ended up losing. My sister went for a 6.5 mile run with me on Saturday morning, and then we got to see all the amazing snow sculptures that were part of the Michigan Tech Winter Carnival. It's incredible what they are able to do with snow!

$40 per ticket?!?!

$40. That was the price for a ticket to the Isthmus's first Beer and Cheese Fest this past weekend. That amount, even when we were both fully employed, is out of our budget. But we went! That's the beauty of volunteering. We volunteered for a 2-hour shift and in return, we got free entry. The nice thing, too, was that our shift was vendor check-in, which had to take place before the Fest (obviously). We "worked" from 10-noon, and the Fest started at 1.

They had about 23 beer makers and about the same number of cheese makers. They had the vendors set up alternating beer and cheese, too, so you could sample some beer and some cheese without having to go too far. For their first fest, I thought everything was really well done!

The best part of the day, though, was the 45-minute session we attended about Beer and Chocolate Pairing. I'm sure some of you are disgusted by that prospect, but I'm telling you, it was great!! Gail Ambrosius (from Gail Ambrosius Chocolates) and Aran (from Furthermore Brewery) discussed the pairings, leading us through what to notice with the flavors and why they chose to pair what they did. In my mind, there are few things better than beer or chocolate, so what's better than enjoying them together?

Nothing has changed on the job front. Einar has taken his bartending certification class, and he's just waiting for the city to process his license. That will allow him to be more available for shifts at The Malt House, since he will be able to be the only bartender on duty. Unfortunately, as I've seen over the past several months, there are not a lot of jobs being posted. We both continue to look for options. I've decided to get my WI teaching license. I'm still not sure I'm ready to give up on video, but at least I'll have my license if I decide I want to move in that direction.

If you're looking for a good video to see, I'd highly recommend Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's a sweet little movie. And we watched Roxanne the other night for the first time in a long time, and that's well worth a re-viewing. Steve Martin is fantastic!

Job Loss

On Friday, Einar sent me a text message telling me that he had been laid off. We're extremely grateful that I have (seemingly) stable employment at my 3 jobs, but I am still trying to come to terms with how this is going to impact our finances. I continue to look for a full-time job, but there aren't many openings. And I haven't heard anything from any of the places I've applied, except for the one offer that I declined.

Three people on three consecutive days last week asked me if I've considered returning to teaching. Perhaps God is nudging me? I do not have my Wisconsin license, and I haven't yet looked into what would be necessary to obtain it. There is some appeal to being back in a classroom, but I know Madison is an extremely tough district to get into because of an overabundance of licenses teachers. I might look into it, though. I've got to think about it a bit more before I make a decision.

It's Restaurant Week in Madison, which means I'm working a bit more than usual. Hopefully the restaurant will be busy, and I'll make a lot of money!! I hope people are generous.

UPDATE! (Inspiration)

I was cleaning at the church this morning, and I saw the youth director. She asked if I'd heard yet how much money the middle school bake sale made. I told her I hadn't heard but was anxiously awaiting an email with the total. She told me: $1,150!! Can you believe it?! A spur-of-the-moment bake sale, suggested by a sixth grader, raised $1,150 to be donated to an organization directly involved in Haiti. Again, I say, AMAZING!

Inspiration!

Last Friday, after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, I received an email from one of the middle school students at church. It was sent to all the middle school students and parents, and in it, she proposed having a bake sale on Sunday morning and donating all the money to Haiti Partners MCC, a non-profit organization started in our church. Within a few hours of her email request, I had 10 emails from parents and students expressing their willingness to help and commending the girl for her idea and initiative. This girl is in 6th grade, and according to her mom, she really wanted to DO something to help.

So, yesterday morning, before and during Sunday school, baked goods starting coming. I'm sure there were more than 10 families that brought something to sell. There was quiet an assortment - banana bread, cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants, brownies, cookies, peanut butter fudge, cupcakes, lemon bars, and even full loaves of bread that could be pre-ordered for pick-up on February 7. The kids took care of everything: signs, accepting payments, decorations, bagging up items, counting money. It was amazing!! I don't know how much they made, but I heard that before worship started (with about half the items sold), they had raised over $600. Amazing. Inspiring. And such a good experience for them, especially for the girl whose idea it was.

Training

I got out of sync with my 20K training this week. I'm scheduled to do my training runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, but I didn't go on Monday. But I went yesterday, and I'll go tomorrow. I still plan to do my "long" run (4 miles) on Saturday in order to get back on track, although I am considering switching my training run days to Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday for an easier-to-manage schedule. I guess I will just play it by ear at this point.

I had Bella with me again last night for my 30-minute run. She is a pretty good running partner, although she would prefer to go faster! Sometimes she will stop suddenly, and she only seems to do this when she is only a pace in front of me. It can make for a challenging experience. . . And since it was warm-ish yesterday, the sidewalks were a little more treacherous than they were last week when it was so cold. I headed out about 4:45, just when the sun was setting and the temperatures were dropping. All of the melting that happened during the day was beginning to refreeze, and I was having a hard time telling if the sidewalks were wet or icy. I'm hoping I don't run (pun intended) into the same problem when I go out at 6am.

One of the things I'm supposed to be doing during this training is getting used to a long run pace. I haven't been focused on this, but I know I should be. I believe an investment in a digital watch would help with this. I'll keep you posted.

There are a couple women from church who are considering doing the 20K, too. I think it'd be really fun for us to do this together! When the long runs get longer, it would be nice to have a couple running buddies. One of them has started training, but I don't think she has registered for the run yet; the other is seriously considering it. And if you are in the area on May 1, please plan to come cheer us on!

Happy New Year Wedding!!

Two friends of ours from Mount Horeb got married on New Year's Day. It was a nice wedding, and a great opportunity to reconnect with some former Grumpy Troll co-workers. One of them said she checks this blog every so often and has been disappointed that I haven't updated it in so long. So, in the spirit of a new year, I will resolve to keep this blog updated at least once a week.

I have also registered for the Lake Monona 20K (12.4 mile) run. That happens Saturday, May 1, so I have plenty of time to train!
I did my first training run last night - a relatively easy 30 minute jog. I took Bella with me, and I was a little worried about encountering unshoveled sidewalks in the dark with an exuberant dog. I think I jogged a little slower than I could have, but I managed to make it home without injury! I did fall once, though, when I had stopped to wait for a car before crossing the street and then took a step to get started. Fell right down. And Bella was looking at me like this was something I had planned. Kinda funny. I got back up, and we were on our way.

In case you haven't heard, in December, Einar and I bought a new-to-us car. We got a 2008 Civic Hybrid to replace my 1999 Saturn SL1. So far, it's been a good purchase! The rear driver side tire seems to be losing pressure, so I'm taking it to the dealer on Thursday to have them check it out. Thankfully, the sales guy (a friend of ours) had had to fill that same tire before we took delivery of the vehicle. I hope it's just a leaky stem or seal. I also had a minor incident with our neighbor's house one morning last week. I hit the passenger side mirror on his cable box, and a chunk of the mirror casing was broken off. When I took it to Zimbrick Honda to get an estimate on fixing (which means replacement in this case because it's remote controlled and has a reflector/blinker on it), I was told $305 for the part plus about $45 for labor!! Yikes. We've decided to hold off on that for the time being.

I continue to look for a full-time job. I was basically offered a position at Huntington Learning Center, but I turned it down because I couldn't deal with the schedule it required. I have applied at a couple other places, too, but so far, nothing has come of them.