Things are looking Up

1) My interviews (yes, plural!) went well this week. I feel relieved, and I'm confident that things will all work out somehow.

2) I'm excited to see finally this movie with husband this weekend:

Oh, and husband offered to make homemade sushi tomorrow. (Yes, please!)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Interview

I have an interview today for a job that sounds promising. (I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but it might be a little too late for that.) Although I normally feel reaallly nervous for interviews, I already feel a little at ease with the lady who will interview me. I figure a lady who signs her e-mails with a smiley can't be all bad!

Why video games can be hazardous to your health

Husband loves video games. I’m not a fan of them, but yesterday I decided it might be fun to play them together. He was thrilled, and he played the first round to show me how to play. Then it was my turn. I told him, “I’m ready!” He was sitting in front of me on the floor, and I leaned closer to him to grab the controller. The next thing I know was POW! Husband hadn’t realized I moved closer to him, and he extended his arm with the controller without looking. The controller smacked me right in the face! It actually hit my glasses (one of the few times I wasn’t wearing my contacts), and the sound was so loud that I thought for sure the lens was broken. (Thankfully, my glasses – and my face – were fine.) Husband rushed over to me, repeating “I’m so sorry!” and “Are you ok??” Tears instantly sprang to my eyes. Yet, I could already see the humor of the situation, so I stumbled out of the room, half-crying and half-laughing. Once we realized that I was fine (not even a bump or scratch!), Husband tried to convince me to try again, saying something about “getting back on the horse.” I politely declined. I think I had enough video game excitement for one day.

Mi Amiga

I was really sad when I found out that my Spanish friend will be leaving soon to move back to Spain. We decided to get together today for lunch at her house (heck, let’s just call it a fiesta). It was great to see her, and I was happy to bring a little laughter to her life, even if was at the expense of my clumsy Spanish. (Actually, she is super patient with me, and she didn’t laugh even once, even though I know she probably wanted to when I inadvertently called orange juice, “orange game.”) Like last time, we brought photos to show each other, and that helped the conversation. And through those pictures, we realized we have a lot in common. We think Disneyworld is better than Disneyland. We like sushi. We love the beach and we wish we lived closer to one. We have the same taste in clothes. And we love our families. Her little girls are adorable, too. I thought it was hilarious when one told me in Spanish with her little squeaky voice, “my mom gets mad when I throw water on the floor.” For the record, I don’t think my friend thinks it’s as hilarious because it seems to be a regular occurrence. Regardless, she does have a lovely family and I’m bummed that we won’t get to hang out much longer. (But maybe this is a good excuse to visit Spain someday??) In the meantime, after all the translating, I think my brain needs a siesta.

The Job Search

I’m doing another job search. My temporary job ended not too long ago. I’m still so glad I took it because I learned so much and met some wonderful people. And my boss offered me a position again next year. But, at this point, I’m unemployed. It may sounds strange, but I’m actually enjoying this time because I’ve been able to do some volunteer work and become involved in the local community. Thankfully, with Husband’s job, we're financially stable, which I realize is such a blessing. The only time I feel bad about it is during small talk at gatherings when people say, “So what do you do?” I still haven’t figured out a great answer, but I usually tell people simply that I’m looking for a job. The good news is that I’ve applied for a couple of opportunities in finance, and I should hear something within the next couple weeks. If that doesn’t work out, then I’ll try to teach (probably part-time) at a small private school in the area this fall. My friend worked there this past year, and she had great things to say about the teachers and students. Either way, I’m excited because I know that fairly soon I should have a good idea of what direction I’ll be going, in terms of jobs. And I just keep telling myself that I’m going to be an expert on resumes, interviews, and job searches by the time that Husband retires from the military…

Just add water (and a miracle)

Maybe because I’m overly optimistic. Maybe because I’ve conveniently forgetting my sorry gardening past. Maybe because the thought of having fresh, ripe tomatoes on my doorstep sounded too good to pass up. I bought a tomato plant today. It seems easy enough to take care of such a simple plant. But then again, my mom gave me a few of her “easy” plants and told me, “It’s impossible to kill them!” only to find them dead a few months later. [She didn’t believe me when I told her on the phone (“I’m sure they’re fine!”), but when she visited, she saw for herself (“Oh wow, you really did kill them!”)] On a positive note, I guess I’m proving that anything is possible! Regardless, I’m hoping that this time I find gardening success. If not for my sake (and the sake our salads that are just begging for fresh tomatoes), then for the sake of this little guy:

Never Say Never

I’ve come to believe that the words “I will never…” actually mean “one day I will, and I will grimace when I remember that I said I never would.” When my mom visited me a few weeks ago, I complained about some slight knee pain I was having. She recommended that I wear “Crocs” around the house because walking barefoot on our hard, tile floors probably wasn’t helping my knees. Then I told her, “Mom, I’ll never wear Crocs. They’re ugly.” Just then I think the gods of fate laughed to themselves. Because today I got a care package of “knee therapy” from my mom that included the cutest sandals. I fell in love with them before I could realize that…they’re Crocs! So, I’m officially breaking my no-Crocs policy. I like them too much to let them go, and they happen to be super comfy and supportive, which my knees appreciate.

And now I can’t help remembering a few other times I said “I’ll never…”

“I’ll never date a fighter pilot.” Result: Not only dated one, but married him.

“I’ll never train for a marathon.” Result: Trained for one last summer.

I want to thank my mom for proving – once again – that sometimes I don’t know what I’m missing out on.

At least this time when I’m eating my words, my feet and knees will be thanking me.