Jeepers!

So I went to Santa Monica today to a preliminary interview at the Art Institute for an Admissions Recruiter position. I got there with plenty of time to spare. The session went fairly well. There was a whopping turnout of 4. Tough questions were asked:

1. Why do you think you would be a good candidate for this job?

2. Will the hours be a problem?

3. What do you think one of your professional strengths is?

And, give an example of how has helped you in the past.

4. What would you say is a weakness?

Blech.

I'll find out next week if I make it to the next round. I feel like I'm trying out for American Idol. My direct competition is Chentelle, Angel (who had to call her mother to ask who she should list as references), and Bernadette (who disappeared for an INORDINATE amount of time stating a bathroom break. Our presenter actually had to go look for her. YIKES!). Based solely on these other 3 people- I'm going to be astounded if I don't make the next round.

It went downhill from Ai....

My first attempt to leave Ai is thwarted by the Receptionist's failure to put enough validation stickers on my parking ticket- who knew validating could be so exacting. So back I go and the receptionist is really put out. As if I had lollygagged and therefore the validation wasn't enough. It wasn't enough by an hour so I think it might have been her math. But I'm no mathematician. So she finally adds about 565 more stickers and I can leave.

Originally, I was supposed to meet Shannon for the SoCalOrange (Syracuse) Alumni event this evening at the LA Farmers Market (which isn't really a Farmers Market but more an outdoor mall). She cancelled this AM. Since I was up there anyway for the Art Institute I figured I'd still go and check it out. Hey, I'm geeky. I like the rah-rah alumni stuff.

So I go.

Now it's starting to "rain". ("It NEVER rains in LA." Lies. All lies.) Which is laughable because it's like misting. New Yorkers wouldn't even get out umbrellas. Yet this is a meteorological crisis.

The SU event is at Marmalade Cafe which is a royal pain to find within the "Farmers Market not The Grove" complex. Mostly because the parking lot is divided up into a million little gated parking areas.

LA, please explain to me WHY if you have an inferior public transit system people must Pay to Park everywhere? Everywhere VALIDATES your parking ticket anyway so WHAT IS THE POINT???? Just to make people crazy? Just to add 565 steps to the process of going ANYWHERE. (And what is with VALET? You can practically valet at McDonald's. Not that anyone goes to McDonald's they all go to In-n-Out.)

So anyway, I finally FIND Marmalade Cafe. As soon as I walk in the Hostess pegs me for an SU Alum (Maybe it was the orange glasses?) and starts showing me to a table. I'm like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. How many people are here for this?" And shes like, "Well, we set up a table for 10 but everyone isn't here yet." Thanks, but no thanks. I'm not THAT rah-rah. So I bail. After she validates my parking.

Upon leaving the cafe I realize that while I walked completely around the perimeter of the complex (in the "rain") to get to there- there is actually a nifty little path and I'm only about 100 yards from my car. Super.

I decide to pop into Sur la Tabla- because who can resist a kitchen store???? And momentarily get sidetracked by some cupcake papers and cookie cutters. Regaining my focus (and because they seriously need to reorganize and restock their Cookie Cutter Carousel) I'm ready to head "home". Umbrella: check. iPhone: check. Car keys: ?, CAR KEYS:???. F! Back to Marmalade. No car keys. WHAT IS WITH THIS DAY!?!?!?!

I go back to the car, and there they are: dangling from the ignition. Locked in the car. Frick. (Or should I say, Fruit!)

I had a feeling this would be the case. I mean, it was only a matter of time before it happened. But of course it happened today. In the rain. When I was nicely dressed. Wearing my new Cole Haan HEELS. Now, I admit it could have been worse: I could have a nice car. Or a car with a real roof and doors. Or no knowledge of where the spare key is. (Making this far worse.) BUT none of those are the case.

I have a Jeep. A soft top Jeep. So I unzipped the rear "window", climbed onto the Cargo Carrier (Yes, it's still attached ratchet straps and all.) which I fell through due to the nice new Cole Haan heels, over the backseat, unlock the door and back myself out again. Only SLIGHTLY embarrassing....

...I kept practicing what I would tell the Police Officer or the Mall Cop. At least I knew I could prove it was my own car.

Seriously, WHO ELSE DO THESE THINGS HAPPEN TO????

Good Boy, Scout

Sounds like, "Good, boy scout". Out of context it's a little, Hello Mrs. Robinson . I realized this standing outside the other day enthusiastically praising Scout for doing his business where he should. If you didn't know I was talking to a cute little dog....

Whoops.

I LIVE in California

209 steps from the sand. (Not 565!)

It's not the cutest on the exterior, but it's what's inside that counts right? LOL! It has aqua blue tiled counters in the kitchen- they had me at hello. (Click for pix.) I'm looking forward to cleaning it up and making it my own. My "budget" ranges from free to thrift store- so we'll see how that goes. Carolyn- Mrs. Dolinoy's neighbor across the cul-de-sac-has volunteered to help me. Oh, boy.....

So of course there's a whole dramatic story but I'll give the Cliff's Notes version. (I can tell a short story, I swear!) Dad & I found this apt the first Sat I was here. I put my application in and from there things moved at SoCal speed. This past Sat I got a call back that "Don" went with Applicant Number 1. Um, here's a question: WHY didn't you tell me about Applicant Number 1 when I submitted mine? Ugh. More than a little disappointed to be back to square one and beginning to get a little panicked I spent the remainder of the weekend looking for other Seal Beach rentals- with no real luck.

I was ready for a break and the company when Chris arrived. I put away the iPhone and didn't worry about not looking for an apt or a job. I just really enjoyed the day. And luckily we had good weather. ;-P After I dropped him off at LGB I got back to Dolinoys dug out my iPhone and had a million different messages. (I'm NEVER that popular!) One of which was "Don", the guy with the apt, apparently something didn't work out with Applicant Number 1 and if I was still interested I could have it. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How exciting right?

So yeah, I live in Southern California:

115 A 14th Street

Seal Beach 90740

And I hope you'll come and visit.

(Take "walk" down Main Street.)

So about this blog...

As I mention above, I wasn't going to blog. I don't really think I'm a "blogger". I shun Facebook. I like postcards and I'm sad that I have no idea what some of my friends' handwriting looks like! But here I am.

Some of you detail oriented people are gonna wonder "What is the meaning of "565" in the top left corner?" and "Does that microscopic text above the title say something?". Cheers to you! I am wondering the same thing. I'm using a template and there's no obvious way to change those that I can find. Since I don't write HTML I guess I'm stuck. Maybe we can start some rumors about what it stands for like, "k8's applied for 565 waitressing jobs since last Monday and hasn't gotten 1 phonecall back".

It's odd to be on this side of the 3-hour time difference. But the weather is nice. (See palm tree photo.) For all my mulling over of the iPhone and AT&T I once again failed to see the forest for the trees and can now either pay "$1million dollars" for a plan that is unlimited or I can call my friends on the East Coast between the hours of Midnight (EST) and 4AM (PST). Brilliant. Don't worry, 2 years will go by in a flash- Hey! maybe that's what the "565" stands for: "days left in k8's AT&T contract".

Well, I'm not finding a place to live or a job by writing this blog so I'm gonna go work on that. I miss you- well, I probably miss you but I can't be 100% sure who's actually reading this....

Gas cap update...

It's OK: I've gotten a new gas cap...

Many of you are curious about the gas cap(s). My response:

Ask Dad. He lost them both. And his "exclamation" upon discovering he lost the second one was "Oh! FFfffffruit!" He was so mad but then he said "fruit". I'm hysterical now typing this- I can't believe I forgot to share earlier. Fruit!

Of course there's a story...
I had some errands I was gonna run, including a trip to the auto parts store. Con (the neighbor across the cul-de-sac)was out with his Corvette so I asked him where to go. I Googled 'Jeep Wrangler Cigar Lighters' and it seems the ACC 19 slot should be the cigar lighter fuse. So off I went to the AutoZone. Fingers crossed.

I really didn’t like the girl at the AutoZone. As much as I say I’m thinking about becoming a mechanic and as lucrative as I think that could be for a chick I guess I feel that way as it relates to me specifically. I felt about AutoZone Girl the same way I feel about female sportscasters: it’s just a guys job.(I know I’m terrible! Probably sexist. And most of my female friends are cringing. Mr. B on the other hand is smiling broadly. Either way it’s my opinion.)

Anyway, I was able to get the gas cap- which I don’t like (Yes, men even gas caps are judged for their aesthetic.) but no fuses and no input regarding the fuses either. I stopped at a WalMart farther down the road for the fuses and they were sold out. High demand for small 20 amp yellow fuses out here. There was one multi-pack left and someone had helped themself to 2 of 8 assorted fuses. The friendly, not helpful, WalMart employee seemed confounded about what to do when I asked if there were any more in the Stock Room. In the end she gave me the one remaining 20 amp fuse and told me "Welcome to California".

I was waiting to get arrested for shoplifting on my way out of the store. Thankfully, I didn’t and the 20 amp fuse seems to have fixed the lighter issue. I guess we should have at least tried this in Knoxville, TN. Oh well, living and learning here...