Saturday, September 18, 2010

Situation Update

I have been really bad at posting lately, but perhaps this post will help everyone understand why.  Just over a month ago (August 14 to be precise), we had to be out of our apartment in Sandy because our lease was up and we weren't renewing.  Since we knew we were going to be moving anyway, Jason started looking for a new job out of state.  We were looking in both Arizona and California, but kept coming up empty handed.  So, we made arrangements to move back down to Provo since it would be closer to work for both of us.

Then, Jason had a phone interview with a company in California that seemed to go really well.  This was three days before our moving date.  Unfortunately, they wanted him to come in for an in person interview the following week, so we didn't find out anything in time to make a one-time move out of state.  But we didn't really want to move into the Provo apartment and start paying rent and have to deal with the hassle of getting out of a contract two weeks later if we didn't have to.  So we moved in with my parents (for what turned out to be 3 weeks).

That was one crazy weekend.  We moved Saturday, drove to California on Sunday, Jason did the job interview Monday morning and then we drove right back home.  The interview process was a lot more intense than we were originally thinking (like 5 hours long kind of intense) and we still didn't get any definitive information for the next week.  Finally, they offered the job, we accepted and began making plans to move to California over Labor Day weekend so that he could start the Tuesday after.

Since we were covering the moving costs all on our own, we decided to financially recover a bit and just move in with Jason's parents until we could find a place that would fit our own budget.  We moved in, put most of our stuff in storage, and started settling into our new life.  Jason started training and it seemed like he had really lucked out with the company.  It was still a hard transistion for him though, as anyone who has ever started a new job knows.  But he was making it work.

In the meantime I also interviewed for and started a new job as a part-time administrative assistant for a local preschool.  I started last week and only worked two days, but I think it should be really good experience for me.  Basically, it seemed like everything was falling nicely into place after months of uncertainty and a constant state of limbo.

I should have known better.  Wednesday afternoon I was ready and raring to go to Disneyland for an extended weekend with my cousins, aunt and uncle, and sister and brother-in-law.  Jason hadn't been able to get the time off from his new job, so he was planning on just dropping me off and then meeting up with us Friday night.  Since I worked on Wednesday, I had the car and had to go pick him up before we could head up north.

When I got to his work, he informed me that he had good news and bad news for me.  The good news was that he was going to Disneyland with me.  The bad news was that he has just been fired from his job.  Yup, the job that he'd only had for a week and a half.  The job that had had such a thorough screening process to avoid potential hiring mistakes.  The job that had seemed too good to be true actually turned out to be that way.  And they didn't even give us the courtesy of an explanation or solid reason.  Just "we don't like the way things are heading."  Uhm, don't you think they could have given a warning or a chance to improve?

So now we find ourselves back to square one.  Actually, we are even back to something before square one since when we were looking for jobs before, we already had a steady source of employment.  In the meantime I am grateful that we didn't sign a lease with an apartment.  Our expenses are fairly minimal, and if absolutely necessary, we can still move around once more.  One of these days we'll actually know where our lives are heading...

I promise, the next post will be more uplifting since it will be all about our trip to Disneyland! :)

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Book Review: Dewey


Title: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touchedthe World

Author: Vicki Myron

Length: 277 pages

Adjectives: Heart-Warming, Endearing, Emotional

Summary: On the coldest night of the year in early 1988, a ginger kitten was shoved into the after-hours book-return slot at the public library in Spencer, Iowa.  This is his story, told from the perspective of the library's director, Vicki Myron.  Myron tells of the impact the cat came to have on the library and its patrons, and on Myron herself.  Myron shares the story of how an orange fur ball became "Dewey Readmore Books," an irresistible library mascot capable of bringing international attention to a small midwestern town and melting the heart of even the most curmudgeonly visitor.  On top of cat anecdotes, Myron uses her relationship with Dewey to recount the economic and social history of Spencer as well as her own success story.

Dewey's story will melt your heart, tug at your hearts strings, and keep you coming back to the book for more.  For those with young kids, there is a picture book version of Dewey's story (see Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library).

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Hiking the "Y"

Last Friday, Jason  and I had the day off from work.  We had originally planned a weekend getaway to St. Goerge, but with moving, weather, and finances causing stress, we decided to postpone for a while.  So we spent the day packing boxes and tidying up the apartment.  Then, to reward ourselves for lots of hard work, we went for a hike.  Our destination was, once again, down in Utah Valley, specifically hiking the "Y."
Can you spot the Y?
The Y is made of concrete that is whitewashed regularly.  The block letter is 380 feet high and 180 feet wide, and is said to be the largest collegiate symbol in the United States.  From the trailhead, there are 11 turns for a round-trip distance of 2.4 miles.  Doesn't sound too bad, right?  At least it doesn't until you add in the 980 ft elevation game, blazing sunshine, and no shade.  Definitely a workout!
Looks easy, until you notice the changes in elevation

But we took our time, drank lots of water, enjoyed the scenery and each other's company.  Before we knew it, we'd made it up the mountainside.
Getting Close

What a Trooper!

We Made It!
From the Y, there is a great view of most of Utah Valley (including two temples), BYU Campus, and Utah Lake. 

What a View!

Glad those storm clouds kept their distance