Why Having a Job Is Like A Marriage

Think about it, we all go through a ritual before we reach that final goal.

Be it, the coveted position in our career path, or the love of our life who we will marry. There is a courtship period when it comes to marriage. Same applies when you’re applying for a job. Well, there’s the interview process we go through in obtaining employment with our target company.

Ok, you ask, what is the difference here? If you were to ask me, I’d say not a whole lot of difference. If you are seeking a mate, the love of your life, you will go through a courtship process, be it long or short. On the first date, you’ll probably wear your best clothes, brush your hair, brush your teeth, and simply be your best.

Seriously, how well do you think the first impression will be if you show up for the first meeting wearing stained or torn blue jeans, have broccoli between your teeth, maybe you haven’t brushed your hair, there’s cream on your face, or you smelled as though you haven’t showered in days. How well is that working for you? Oh, get rid of that “Black Book”, your date really isn’t interested in “who’s, who” in the Black Book.

In a job interview, you’re going to wear your “Sunday best”. Your clothes will be clean, there’s no rips, no stains, and your knickers (guys or gals) are not showing. Ladies, you aren’t showing cleavage, ok? Those tattoos and body piercings won’t be showing. You’ll be groomed to the hilt, hair looks great, fresh breath, and those “all good feelings because I’m going to WOW them”.

Ok, we’ve gotten past the looks department, wow, all 30 seconds to size each other up. It’s working, let’s go forward.

Now comes the hard part, what do we talk about? I don’t care if it’s dating, courtship, or the interview, we’ll be asked to talk about ourselves. Yep, it’s the sales pitch – what makes me stand out from all the others?

If it’s the first date, you’re not going to bad mouth the “ex”. What’s the difference in the interview? None! You don’t want to bad mouth your former employers. Sure, there’s break-ups in personal relationships and there’s break-ups in business relationships. Either personal or business, keep it light, keep it simple, and keep it positive, especially for first time meetings!

Those questions: Are they honest, do they have a good work ethic, can I depend on them, are they loyal? See some similar questions here, one you may ask your date, the other you may ask your prospective employee/employer?

Time marches on. Is there a chemistry between us? Ok, whether several dates have transpired, or the job interviews have been completed. Now what?

For me, it’s the (head, heart, and gut) check. No question is stupid. If it feels right, the timing is right, and it’s for all the right reasons, give it a green light! If it’s a dating relationship, move it forward. If it’s a job prospect or business prospect move forward. I’ll throw caution to the wind, and it’s this: too much analysis will result in paralysis!

Ok, the wedding has taken place, or you’ve accepted the position, now what? Take it a day at a time. Have goals, have fun, be flexible, and be adaptable. There will be good times and bad times, no matter what! Change is inevitable, embrace it. Nothing is set in stone.

Ouch, this isn’t working out, it’s not what I thought it would be like. What did I get myself into?

Yep, change can happen or maybe things didn’t work up to our expectations, now what? Sometimes we can work things out, sometimes we need some help (additional education, training, marital counseling, etc.), and last but not least, we part ways. Either way, we all learn from it, we grow from it, and we move on.

Having a job is like a marriage indeed, Both take work!

My Fascination with the Moon

I’ve always had a fascination with the moon. Don’t ask me why I’m fascinated by it, because honestly, I don’t know why. Probably it’s the closest planet that I can see. I’m fascinated with our own planet, but I haven’t seen the whole earth as I’ve not been lucky enough to have flown over the earth courtesy of NASA.

It really doesn’t matter what the shape of the moon is, be it a First Quarter, Third Quarter, Full Moon, or New Moon. The size, the shape, or the color, it all intrigues me.

All I know is I can count on the time between two full moons is around 29.53 days.

Quarter moon. It makes me think “who stole my cheese”?

A quarter moon will occur when I see the Moon half illuminated by the Sun, and half enshrouded in darkness.

When I see a half moon, it seems as though the moon is hiding from the clouds. Really Mr. Moon, what are you hiding from me tonight?

Yes, we do share our moon with the other planets, Venus for one.

Sharing the moon with Venus.

On the night that the full moon makes its grand appearance, I always envision wolves howling at the moon, ok, maybe Werewolves or Wolfman, himself.

Better yet, what about the man in the moon?

I can almost say “the man in the moon”. How about fishing by the moon light?

The full moon is mysterious to me, at times it seems as though it is a big ball of swiss cheese in the sky. I’m always curious as to what color the full moon may be each month, just like the seasons, the color of the moon seems to change too.

Just like the seasons, the full moon takes on many colors.

For the month of December, the moon is called “Full Cold Moon” in the Old Farmer’s Almanac. This is the month when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark. This full Moon is also called the Long Nights Moon by some Native American tribes. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.

Let me humor the moon, there many expressions that have “moon” in them. “Once in a blue moon”, “Many moons ago”, “”Reach for the moon/stars”, “Over the moon”, “Moonshine” and of course “You’ve been mooned”.

Another thing, I might even learn the “moonwalk” like Michael Jackson – ok, I couldn’t help myself there!

I look forward to many more moons. They will always fascinate me!

The winter moon is like the still of the night.

WHAT??? Me taking on home improvement DIY? I’m not my Father!!

Master bath vanity (after)

Master bath vanity (before)

Lately I’ve taken on some home improvement jobs. One job was the texturing, priming, and painting the garage ceiling and walls. Another job included sanding, priming, and painting the master bath vanity cabinets. Last but not least, sealing the grout in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Ok, let me set the record straight, I did hire a drywall crew to texture the garage ceiling, there was NO way I would tackle that on my own! Nonetheless, these jobs took time and some real elbow grease on my part.

Toiling away on the cabinets, I felt as though Dad was side by side with me, rooting me on, keeping my spirits up, and giving me some guidance. I confess that the cabinets were one of the hardest DIY projects I’ve ever done.

Dad is in his mid-80, I’ve always been in awe of his home improvement projects that he’s taken on over the years. As a kid, I watched him convert a carport into a bedroom, build a below the ground bomb shelter, and converting a Jim Walter home shell, into a warm and comfortable home for he and Mom. Honestly, I don’t know where he learned all of this from, but I believe men his age were handier around the house, than men my age are today.

Myself? I would say that women my age are somewhat transitional. Girls were not allowed to take Shop or Auto Mechanics until I was a senior in high school, which was almost the mid 1970’s. One girl (Jackie Steele) took shop. I can’t say I was interested in Shop or Auto Mechanics, and I can guarantee that Mom would not have consented to me taking either course. In those days, there were certain roles for girls and certain roles for boys.

My sister and I were allowed to garden, wash the cars, paint, and other yard work. Yep, the easy and safe stuff, lest we get our hands dirty. Lovely, we were stuck doing the indoor chores (laundry, cooking, dishes, etc.) that never seem to end. Our brothers chores were relegated to the outdoors and taking out the trash. Talks about easy street, outdoor chores aren’t done every day! I mean that housework is never done, SERIOUSLY!

For my 8th grade Geography class, I was going to do a project on Africa, which required a circular board.. Dad put his power saw to work to cut the plywood into a circle. Dad’s power saws were loud and noisy. He’d always complain about my music being “noise”. Since when is Jimi Hendrix, Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly, and Santana, noise? Uh Dad, your saws are NOISE!
After Dad finished with the plywood, I outlined the country of Africa in black, and the inside of Africa, I used rice (of different colors).

I always felt that no matter what Dad tackled, he was able to do it and do it well. I don’t remember any of his DIY home improvement projects being in limbo or half-baked.

One of my first projects (under Dad’s supervision) was painting the walls of our bedroom. I believe all 4 of us kids had a hand in it, probably because we were cheap labor. My brother Bill had asked me for my paintbrush, so I handed him the brush (bristles first), thankfully, Bill had the wisdom to grab the handle part, and not the bristles. This was probably the beginning of my own DIY.

The first house hubby and I bought had popcorn ceilings and white walls. There was a yellow/brown border around the ceiling in the family room. Rick and I concluded that the previous homeowner waxed the paneling and the wax got on the ceiling edges. You want my honest opinion? I think someone peed upside down. I even told Rick that, I got that “look”. Rick used the wrong roller for the job. The original roller had too thick of nap. Oh yeah, watch Mr. Type B (cool dude) Personality turn into Type A, with a little bit of Painter’s Rage coming out. This is not a good thing.
Back to the store to get the right roller, oh and it was loads of fun to load up the car with 15 gallons of paint.

My first and second house in San Antonio, the first thing DIY for me was to paint the interior walls and trim. I’m not fond on white walls unless I have a lot of good art work or pictures to hang on the walls. I see white walls as being too sterile. The last house in San Antonio, I also painted the outside of the house. That’s a real chore, it is so much more work, scraping, sanding, and priming, before a single roller or brush stroke.

The house I’m currently in, I bought in 2000, from an elderly lady. It wasn’t maintained or updated very well, but I knew the “bones” of the house were good. I am the 4th owner of this house. It was built in 1982. The weekend I moved in, I already had plans in motion to paint the entire inside of the house; replace wall-to-wall bathroom carpet with tile; and replace the vinyl kitchen floor with tile. Oh, and eventually replace those foam backed drapes!

I was careful in paint selection, I learned a hard lesson about the quality of paint, and you get what you paid for. One of my houses in San Antonio, I thought I’d save some money and buy paint at Montgomery Wards. Monkey Wards? Yes, their paint is Monkey Wards, it’s like water! Want to see a grown woman cry? Watch me paint with Wards paint!

The paint I selected was Pratt & Lambert, it was a pretty penny, but oh did it roll on smooth as silk. I was also careful to buy the best brushes and rollers for the job. It took a couple of weekends to do, but I got it done. To this day, it still looks great.

My fireplace is made of brick, my best guess of the original color is mustard with some black. I didn’t care for it and wanted to do something with it. What to do? Cripes, I don’t have a Warren Buffet or Bill Gates budget for granite or tile. I don’t want to paint it, I’ve seen some of those painted fireplaces that resemble something from a horror movie.
Lucky me! I came across a website for “Brick A New”, which entails a kit to faux paint your fireplace. That I did, and it looks great and total cost was under $100!

In 2004, I took out a small home improvement loan. I decided to replace my front entry door; a new deck and pergola in the backyard. Install a new A/C and furnace. Best of all, gut the guest bathroom down to the studs. Shopping for the materials was the most fun! All of that work, I decided to leave to the Pros to do.

Late in 2004, I replaced the landscaping in the front yard, which entailed stacked stone borders, plants, and 2 trees.

In 2009, it was time for a mini make-over of the kitchen. I had granite countertops with a tile backsplash installed. I had a blast picking out the tile, granite, and border. To top it off, I had a Painter apply limestone Venetian plaster to the walls.

This year, I decided that the cabinets in the master bath needed a make-over. I sanded the cabinet doors, drawers, and frames to the bare wood. I applied primer, and finished up with latex paint in espresso! The finishing touch would be hinges in satin nickel. The cabinet doors were the hardest! The door style is cathedral arch. What gave me the hardest time was the primer, I had to move fast. If I had painters do the work, it would cost $850! My total cost came out to $150! It was a hard project but I’d do it again!

Last but not least, the ceiling and walls in the garage needed new taping and bedding. I was not going to do that project, it’s best to leave it to the pros. After the dry wall folks were done, I primed, and painted the walls.

In each project I’ve done, I’ve learned so many things. Sure, I wish I had the knowledge and skill set that Dad has, but things were different for girl/boys and men/women. The really cool thing is going to Home Depot, and there are many other young women and women my age that are tackling home improvement projects.

No, I’m not Dad, but I do have fun with these projects! Maybe I have Mike Holmes (Holmes on Homes) to also thank for teaching me some of these things on HGTV/DIY when Dad isn’t around!

Innocence of Our Youth

Oh my god, what the hell is wrong with our world today? What has happened to the innocence of our youth? In light of today’s shooting in Connecticut, I can’t even begin to imagine or comprehend the horror that both parents and children are going through.

I haven’t read all of the details, and honestly, am not sure I want to. Maybe I still have the mindset of “Leave it to Beaver”, “Happy Days”, or “The Andy Show of Mayberry”. I don’t have kids, but I’m a firm believer that children should be able to have a happy, safe, and carefree childhood.

In today’s modern world, I’m not sure that applies anymore. We as humans are so plugged in, 24/7. Be it adults, teens, or children, we do not know the meaning of a whisper to our souls “shhh, be still”. If we aren’t plugged into our electronic gadgets, all we have to do is turn on the TV, and news is now 24/7. Most of the news is negative, hence, the news channel of CNN (Constantly Negative News).

I think I’m grateful I was a kid in the 1960’s. I remember the day when President Kennedy was shot. We were taken outside of our classrooms, led outside and watched the flag being lowered. When we were at Love Field in December 1963, waiting for our flight to New York City, I remember asking Dad, if I was going to be shot like President Kennedy. I was scared to be at the Dallas airport, the same city in which JFK was murdered. Lordy be, I was only 7 years old, and I couldn’t fully comprehend the death of our President. I also remember when we had to take “cover” under our desks, in case of a nuclear fall out.

Today, kids have to constantly look over their shoulders, not just to protect themselves from bully classmates, but to protect themselves from adults who should know better. Schools of today have metal detectors.

My elementary school, (Carmichael Elementary), our fear is if we misbehaved, our teachers would tell our parents. We had the fear of God in us, that if we got paddled at school, we’d be facing a Can of Whup Ass at home too. No questions asked.

I look at my 2nd grade photo and I am so grateful that as a child I didn’t have to worry about shootings at school, being kidnapped, or even having to walk through metal detectors. Ok, I did have to worry a bit about Granny Baker, a 4th grade Teacher who seemed to be constantly ruling over the tether balls. Granny Baker ruled with an iron fist and took no crap. Another thing with Granny Baker, I had to worry about the eyes in the back of her head.

Even at my age, it’s a scary world out there. I’m not talking about the Boogeyman under my bed, much less any dust bunnies. Our world today is wound up so tight. I think of the children at this school, well what about their kids? What will their world be like?

I can only hope that the innocence of our youth will not be wasted by the rat race, and our angry world. I look to the day when we have more laughter, peace, and hope, not only for our kids, but for ourselves!