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Archive for January, 2014

Resume Question

January 24th, 2014 at 01:49 am

So ... I think I may have found a job for next school year in NE (at least one that I can apply for!) It is for a technology instructor K-8 at a Catholic school. My principal has already told me she'd write me a rec letter, as well as a couple other teachers.

I've written my cover letter, and updated my resume. My mom thinks my cover letter is fantastic, but that she questions my resume some.

My previous resume I used the summary of skills type format - mainly to lessen the impact of a very short lived job and the ensuing job gap. Now that that is well over ten years ago and I can leave it out, I decided to go with a chronological format. This of course means that there is the time between being laid off from my oil and gas job and starting my tutoring. During this time I worked at a fitness center for minimum wage - it was basically a stopgap job. I was there for a total of around 15 months (including time I was there on a very part-time basis before being laid off from my 40hr/wk job). It's a total of about 8 months between being laid off and starting the tutoring.

My mom thinks I should leave the job at the gym off my resume even though it gives me a gap of 8 months.
I think the reason she says this is because of the job being a minimum wage job and not a professional job. My thinking though is that I don't want such a huge gap, plus even if the job was a min wage non-professional job, it shows that I'm willing to do what it takes to bring in income.

Oh, also, I'm planning on buying paper tomorrow to print my resume on. Is it still good form to print it on special paper??

I'd like to hear what you all think. Would you leave it as is (include the gym job), or would you not include the gym job and maybe go back to a skills summary format? Something else?

Bit of a Pickle ... 9 Years Blogaversary!

January 22nd, 2014 at 12:43 am

So ... back in April or so I signed up to part of a certain unnamed company where you use a scanner to send info about stuff you buy. In June I found out that I'd been approved, and was sent a scanner - a few days before I left to go to CA. I never opened the box - once I got back from CA, I left to NE a few days later. During this time I got a couple emails asking me when I was going to do my first scan, and if I had any problems. I replied letting them know that I was away from home and wouldn't be back til early August.

When I did finally get home I was thrown into getting ready for the school year and forgot about the scanner. Then my mom came for a few days and helped me clean out my back bedroom. School started and I was really busy with all that.

Towards the beginning of October I got a notice that I had been deactivated in the program since I hadn't done any scans. They asked me to send it back.

I looked for the box with the scanner, and couldn't find it. So I called them and let them know that I'd gotten their message and was in the process of trying to figure out what had happened with the scanner.

I got a couple letters telling me if I didn't return it within ten days legal action would happen. Of course, I got those letters every time *after* the ten day period due to my not checking my mail that often or being gone for one reason or another.

I started getting phone calls from a place that supposedly was a law firm that left me voicemails. All this time they kept referring to the 'value" of the scanner, but never said how much it was worth. I didn't respond to any of them because I still hadn't found the scanner - so what more could I say other than I'm looking for it?!

So over Christmas they sent me another letter (again with the ten day deadline - which expired on Dec 30 when I was in NE) which finally stated that the scanner was worth $200.

Like I said, I never actually opened the box, so I have no idea if the scanner could even possibly be worth that much. My guess is that when my mom was here helping me clean out and reorganize my back bedroom, that the box somehow got thrown out. I've searched pretty much everywhere it could possibly be in the ensuing months - nada.

Since I've gotten back I've gotten 3 - 5 calls a day Mon - Sat from two different numbers, an 800# and one from CA - no voicemails. I've not answered them (mostly because they have come when I've been at work so I don't answer my phone there.)

I'm willing to pay for the scanner (if they can prove how much it is really worth) but I don't know who to contact about it. A part of me also wonders what they really could *do* - all they have is my name, phone# and PO address. Also, I wonder what would happen if I pay the value they say the scanner is, and then when it turns up when I move .. would I be able to get my money back?

Ugh. I feel pretty stupid for getting myself into this whole thing. I wish I had never signed up for it in the first place.

Any ideas of what I should/could do?

(Like I said, I know I was pretty stupid for letting this go on so long like this, and for getting into it at all. So ... )

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Just realized that my blogaversary passed on the 19th! 9 years! Yikes!

This and That

January 12th, 2014 at 06:42 pm

The first week back was hard to get back into the swing of things, but somehow I managed to get through it. Smile

I did end up losing Round 2 of the diet*bet I'm participating in - a $40 loss! I'll get it for Round 3!! (need 5.2 lbs by Feb 5)
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After getting my final paycheck for 2013 I logged into Tax@ct and did my preliminary taxes. In 2013 I upped my allowances so I got more money in each paycheck. Before inputting info for American Ed credit and tax savers credit, that gave me a refund of $52. After inputting the info, it gave me a credit of about $400. The state info wasn't ready, so I don't know what that'll be like yet. Whatever money I get back from taxes will be going straight to the moving fund!

In doing my taxes I was glad to find out that I was correct in figuring out that I would not owe any capital gains on the stocks I sold earlier in 2013.

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I wrote to Bings customer service about my first reward email that I think I'd deleted (hadn't realized what it'd look like.) They resent me the info! So I had the $5 AGC from the first reward, and then 500 SBs from the second reward. That gave me enough SBs to redeem for a $15 AGC (with enough left over for my February 5 $5 AGC's.)

I also took a Pinecone survey yesterday, so that'll be another $3 soon.

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I've now added to my list of apps/websites that are paying me to exercise / eat right.

Previous list:
GymPact (now just Pact) - pays you to workout, to log calories through My Fitness Pal, and to eat fruits/veggies

Achievemint.com - pays you for steps, RunKeeper activities, MFP food logging, monitoring your weight, etc.

Walgreen's Balance Rewards - Pays for fitbit steps, and monitoring weight

NEW

earndit.com - earn points for steps and turn into prizes and/or giftcards

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Some excitement with my car this week ...

I'd noticed the low tire pressure light on for a couple weeks (before vacation) but figured it was just from the cold weather. Thursday after school I noticed that my tire was completely flat. My purse was at home (.7/10 mile) so I drove home to get it. I'd helped NE change his tire this Christmas so thought I'd try my hand at it on mine ... couldn't get the spare tire out of the trunk. Decided that if my tire was ruined, it was already ruined, and if it wasn't, that a mile or so wasn't going to make that much of a difference.

At the mechanics he took my tire off and showed me the nail in my tire. He also emptied out several cups worth of black dust, and showed me the side of the tire. Yep. Ruined. So I tell him I'll go ahead and get a new tire. It's $88 -gulp. This mechanic doesn't take plastic ... all I had on me was $10. So I went across the street to the local mom and pop store and got $100.

When I went to pay, the lady at first was like -- "It's $88." I told her, yes, I gave you $100. Oh (she recounts it.) Then she gives me a $10 bill. I'm puzzled and tell her that I think my change is closer to $12 - she says the mechanic told her not to worry about change. Huh?! She then gives me $2 and apologizes saying she wasn't feeling very well. Um ... okay.

So the tire was supposed to be there on Friday. I left work as soon as the last bus was gone and got over there. Apparently the tire delivery guy was sick, so no tire. The mechanic had fixed my old tire so I could drive on it - but had also warned me that with it being so thin on one side that there was danger of a blowout. My tire should be here by Tuesday. So that made for a staying at home kind of weekend.

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I looked on Craigslist for a few hours yesterday at housing options in NE. I know it's WAY early but still it's good to have some ideas. I found a studio apartment (404sf)for $300/month that allows cats! I hope that option is still available in June. Smile

I also found this really cool option that is about 30 minutes from NEs place out in the country. It is a very rustic cabin - no running water, but has electricity - you have to park about 1500 feet away from the front door. It has a wood stove for backup heat. It's not really practical, but it sure was fun to think about. Smile

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I found out that my car loan isn't quite at the $1000 mark yet. After my December payment it was at a balance of ~$1300. So after the January payment it is now at a balance of ~$1000. That means that my last $300 payment will be in April instead of March. That's a bit frustrating, but at least it will still be paid off before I move.

Back Home

January 5th, 2014 at 12:41 am

I opened my front door about 2:15 a.m. - about two hours later than I'd thought I'd be getting home. My first flight was delayed 90+ minutes due to the lack of a full flight crew (one of the crew members was on a plane that was delayed in another city.) Thankfully my connecting flight was also delayed - and it actually waited for us! A small miracle considering it was the last flight out for the night (to ABQ at least.)

Overall, I had a very good trip. There was some family drama in CA due to my diabetic uncle who wasn't managing his blood sugars very well ... but the NE part of my trip was quite lovely. Smile I am really looking forward to when I can make NE my home state. Big Grin

I'd been thinking about trying to get to a gym while I was there, but ended up not bothering. I went to Walmart and Target and just walked around in there, and then did my pushup routine in NEs apartment. Somehow I managed to only gain .02lbs! I'd call that maintaining really. Smile My weigh in for my 6mo dietbet is tomorrow - I need 1.3 lbs loss to make it. Kind of doubt that'll happen, but miracles do happen. Smile

My aunt gave me a $200 check to help out with my traveling expenses. I thought that was really nice of her - she'd said that she wanted to help me out, and I thought maybe $100 at the most. So it was really unexpected (and appreciated.) I'll be putting that money into my travel/moving category.

I'm going to be heading out to do some grocery shopping in a few minutes. I'm totally out of cat food, plus some other things.

I opened a Barclay's Dream Account today. I moved $1k out of my EF Barclay's savings into it, and set up an auto transfer of $50 for 6 months. It won't be new money going into it, but that'll earn a little more than what it was earning.

One goal I have for the upcoming five months or so ... pack one box of items or purge one box worth of items per week (until I'm at the point where what's left I *have* to keep out.) That way I'm not panicking in May trying to get everything done.

I've decided to donate my elliptical to the school - I don't really use it, and there are staff members who DO use the equipment in the gym. So that'll save space on the moving truck. I'm also considering letting go of my stereo (never use) and my pantry cupboard (falling apart.) Possibly letting go of my computer desk/hutch as well (replace when I get to NE with something smaller.)

I desperately need to go through my clothing and reduce it by 50%. I have SO many clothes! I need to reduce my kitchen stuff too. It would be good if I could fit all my clothes into my 3 suitcases (with the exception of my big winter coat) and all my kitchen supplies/dishes into 6 medium boxes. My office/books stuff also could be greatly reduced. I'd like to be able to get all of that stuff into ten medium boxes or less.

I'd like to be able to use the smallest Uhaul truck with car towing capacity when I make my move. So the more I can reduce, the better! (I plan on finding the smallest, most inexpensive - yet relatively safe - place to rent that allows cats. No matter what kind of job I find.)