Maybe I’m just bracing myself for the inevitable pretty white jacket and rubber room.

When I was 3 or 4, or something along those lines, I wanted to be a doctor.

Me: Mommy, I want to be a doctor when I grow up because I want to help people.

Mom: Maybe you could be a nurse. Nurses help people.

Me: I don’t want to be a nurse. I want to be a doctor.

It became more specific when my dad said I was going to give him a heart attack one day because I liked to hide then jump out and scare him when he came home from work. But…

________________________________

…as we all know, I did not become a doctor.

Fear is a destructive emotion. It keeps you from going after the things you most want. It can be irrational and illogical. It can be used against you by those who think they are trying to save you from yourself.

Over-thinking is just another way for fear to creep in.

Another way to distract.

It keeps you from doing.

It just keeps you.

Keep It Simple (Stupid)

• Get rid of unnecessary stuff [99% is unnecessary stuff, btw]
• Don’t buy more unnecessary stuff
• Get out of debt [student loans, ugh!]
• Get small-ish travel trailer and live the vagabond life [once kids are done with school, that is]

The funny thing about growing older is you realize you always knew who you were,
you just didn’t accept it.

The white picket fence was never my dream; that belonged to someone else. Same with the big house, the possessions, the fancy degree, and the corner office with a view.  Traveling, that was my dream. Kids, simplicity, and laughter. Cause I’m a big geek like that.

Life: It is about the gift not the package it comes in.  ~Dennis P. Costea, Jr.

Planning For My Midlife Crisis is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

After more than 2 years of searching, applying, and waiting I was offered a job. I started the very next day. I’m excited and nervous, but know I can handle whatever comes my way.

I will still be around posing reviews and giveaways as well as my thoughts on life, what’s going on with me, and anything else that may come to pass. I have no intention of giving up on this little thing we call blogging, not today at least.

Life Everchanging… Back to Ye Olde Grindstone is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

I was smart before, now I just have the paper to prove it.

Wordless Wednesday ~ All This And She's Smart Too! is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

Let’s start with yesterday in the shower. Now, get your mind out of the gutter. Sigh. I woke up at 10 am and thought, ‘Wonderful!’ Then I remembered I had some Walgreens RR [register rewards] expiring. Then I thought, maybe they expired later in the week. By this point I was already in the shower and the RR’s were in the Jeep. I push them out of my mind since they will have to wait.

So, there I am in the shower and I start thinking these great conversations for my story, you know, my NaNoWriMo story? And I’m like ‘STOP!’ Yeah, really, I did that ~ out loud even! Sheesh! Man, that’s a lot of exclamation points right there let me tell you. Anyway, I stop and go back to washing my hair ~ it takes forever to wash my hair, seriously.

Here I am washing, washing, washing and the thoughts start again. CRAP! My voice recorder is also in the Jeep. Not that it’s waterproof, but that is beside the point. Yeah, want to know what I do next? Well, you have to buy the book. Okay, I don’t have a book. And I will never have a book if I don’t stop having my great thoughts while in the shower where I CANNOT WRITE THEM DOWN.

I start singing

In the shower! Like that is not a cliche. It gets better. I start singing, “stop this, stop thinking right now, you cannot write here, lalala lalalalalala”. Now, put that to the tune of Hava Nagila and you have me in the shower! For those of you who do not know this lovely Hebrew folk song here is an awesome version of it thanks to judaza75:

And if that were not enough

The shower talking escalated to me [out loud] saying over and over again, ‘you will not think, you will not think’. You get the picture. It was a shame really. I was having some really great thoughts, too. At least I think I was. Since I could not remember much of anything AFTER the shower. I have thoughts while driving down the road, but I have started using my voice recorder for those. YAY!

After the shower [and getting dressed] I check the RR’s and they were expiring. Now I debate the cost of driving an hour to use them up versus letting them expire. I almost had myself convinced to just ‘screw it’ and let them expire when I remembered two of them were $7 each. I re-checked and I had $19. I could not in good conscience let them expire, so I dragged myself out of the house.

I bought 3- 9 roll packs of toilet paper [we were out and Dwayne really didn't like my substituting napkins], 1- 8 roll pack of paper towels, and 2- 64 oz bottle of Ocean Spray cranberry juice. There was a $1 off Walgreens coupon for the Ocean Spray, but it beeped and the cashier couldn’t figure it out and there were two very nice people behind me with only a few items each. I told her to let it go and it cost me a little over $3 instead of the $1 and change I expected to pay, but still not bad. I purposely did not roll any of the RR’s. The good news ~ Walgreens is coming to town! I may even apply for a job there.

Speaking of jobs…

I received an email from Monster jobs this morning. Kemp Group is looking to fill a bunch of accounting positions. Well, I could use a job, since savings is dwindling. I thought I would send my updated resume [which includes no dates beyond the past 10 years] and a new and improved, specially written for them cover letter. Yes, I did it. Not as poignant as the one I posted here, but not your typical cover letter either.

Dear Hiring Manager:

Monster Jobs alerted me to the opportunities you have available and I feel I meet the qualifications for a Staff Accountant position. I have over 15 years experience in bookkeeping and accounting and will complete my Bachelors in Accounting in January 2010.

I am looking for a position that will offer more than just a job, and something I can be proud of at the end of the day. I have been out of work for a year now yet that does not mean I am desperate. Life is too short to be unhappy and far too much of life is spent in the workplace. I am a hard and dedicated worker and I expect the same of any organization with which I work.

If you are interested in getting know me better, then I look forward to meeting with you to discuss how I will be an asset to your company. I appreciate your taking the time out of your busy day to give my application due consideration.

Sincerely,

Anne Bender

I will let you know if I get a call. Not that I’m holding my breath or anything.

**UPDATE**

No, no phone call or email, but I had Dwayne [DH] read the letter. He said ‘out of your busy day’ sounds sarcastic. Well, that was truly not my intent. I sincerely meant to acknowledge the busy nature of one’s working environment. I will omit that for future cover letters.

Will the real Anne please stand up is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

Isn't this the cutest? - courtesy of smurph2010

My one year anniversary will be upon me in just a few short weeks. I will never forget the day. It was dreary and cold. I started the morning by going to cast my vote for our new President. The kids were all snug in bed as school was closed for the day. Around here they use many of the schools for elections. No cake and ice cream. No presents. No cause for celebration, really. This will be the one year anniversary of me getting canned, getting the axe, told my services are no longer needed or welcome, told I am persona non grata. Yes, I was {pause for dramatic effect} fired. It happens.

One Year Later {Almost}

I still have no job. Well, one always has a job so that is a bit of an unfair statement [or would inaccurate be more to the point?]. I have no paying job. I write several blogs, this being my more comfortable home on the vast world wide web. I am a few short classes away from completing my bachelor’s degree [in a field I have no interest]. I have more food and supplies in my house than one year ago and many were free or nearly free. I am one year older. I have a daughter in college. My mom is battling ovarian cancer [so far she is winning]. We have chickens [and fresh eggs]. Life is good, considering it could be so much worse.

I look at the classifieds and find them wanting

They want you to have a bachelor’s degree and 5+ years experience and the a last name that begins with Q, but not followed by U. Okay, I made up the last name part, but it really is not all that far-fetched. Everyone wants something specific and since they cannot legally write most of this in an advertisement for employment, they ask you to send your resume and a cover letter and your salary requirements or your salary history or both!

Wait a minute. Hold the phone. Stop the presses! That is quite personal thank-you-very-much. I do not even know you and you want to know how much previous employers think I was worth? Why? What does it matter if one employer felt I was worth X amount plus benefits? Really, I want to know. This is just another way of discriminating. Sure, you call it weeding out; we all know what it really is. My salary history is of no consequence to you. You ever hear of the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’? Well, don’t judge me by my salary history.

Previous Applicants Need Not Apply

What if my information has changed? What if I applied ten years ago, does that count? What if I cannot remember if I applied in the past and reapply, does this really tick you off? Honestly, will you even remember me?

I don’t like writing cover letters. They make little sense to me. You have my resume and now I am supposed to write you a short note explaining to you why I am the best candidate for the job without using the word ‘I’ or regurgitating my resume and by focusing on you and your organization which you may or may not have listed in the employment advertisement. Wait, what if this is a blind ad that does not want me to reapply and I do reapply and they recognize me, will I be blacklisted? Goodness! This is too much like work and I am not paid enough anything for this!

Me and Sarah Palin {I think I vomited a little just now}

Never thought I would compare myself to Sarah Palin. Oh, don’t go all ‘she’s great and misunderstood’ on me. I am a registered Republican and I do not like her. There, get over it. Where was I before I was so rudely interrupted? Oh yeah, today I am going to be a maverick! Yesiree-bob, I am going to break all the rules and live life on the edge ~>baby. Check out this cover letter. Talk about not beating around the bush [no pun intended - Palin, Bush, get it?].

Dear Possible Future Employer Person,

I found your advertisement for a job opening and may be interested in working for your organization. First, I would like to tell you a little about me. After spending the last 15 years of my life working in the bookkeeping/accounting profession, working towards my Associates then Bachelors in Accounting, and working in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors I have come to realize a few things. One, I do not enjoy accounting enough to voluntarily spend 8 or more hours a day performing accounting functions. Two, I would rather poke a sharp object in my eye many, many, many times before working in a not-for-profit setting again. And three, I need to feel there is a greater purpose than just earning money, for you and me.

Here is a quick view of some of my more endearing qualities:

• I value honesty and know how to be discrete.
• I speak my mind. I have been known to offend, sometimes on purpose, sometimes not.
• I truly believe all persons in an organization are equally important and treat them that way.
• I make mistakes. Yes, I know we are taught to put our best foot forward, but I am imperfect.
• I do not like to double and triple check my work; this does not mean I am sloppy in my performance.
• I rarely, if ever, take notes.
• I pay attention to my surroundings.

Next, I would like to know a little more about you. Do you say what you mean and mean what you say? Do you want people to think for themselves or do you want to do all of the thinking? Do you compliment as a means to disarm or are you genuine in your praise? Are you looking for a body to fill a position or a person to find a new career? Do you enjoy what you do or is it about the money? Oh, and do you offer a high deductible health care option and how long until I am eligible? Hey, a girl needs to know these things.

If you can honestly say you believe this will be a good match then let’s schedule an interview and see if this is the real thing or a looks-good-on-paper situation. Either way, I thank you for taking time out of your schedule today for me.

Sincerely,

Possibly Interested Applicant

Previous Applicants Need Not Apply is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

It just hits me sometimes.  No, I do not want to be a CPA, or even a general accountant, do accountant functions, work in the accounting field.  Well, maybe the field of accounting, but it has to be something I can feel good about.  No more just running numbers for employers who are only concerned about their bottom line.

I will complete my B.A. in Accounting in January and I am at a crossroads on what I am going to do.  Last year this time I was working 80+ hours a week, going to school full time, and somehow spending [albeit very little] time with my family.  DH hated it.  Given where I worked, the kids did not mind too much.  I was practically running things and I loved the connections I was making with staff and members.  I knew then I no longer wanted to just sit in an office crunching numbers.  I knew then that I could do something more, something more involved.  I never thought of myself as a people person, then all of a sudden I was.  And just as quickly, I was not.

Okay, so I do NOT miss the 80+ hour work weeks.  I love being home, spending time with my family, raising chickens, blogging.  But eventually I will need to start earning an actual paycheck again.  I miss saving money.  This brings me back to my first thought – I love math.  So, what can I do that is fulfilling, involves math, and will help me pay off my student loans.  Yep, this time next year I will have to start paying all of those lovely little loans back.  Must use degree.

Maybe I should do what my mom says.  Ask the right questions, sleep on it, and the answer will come.  Not sure if it will be a dream, an idea, or something I need to be on the lookout to happen.  If anyone has any ideas, I am taking suggestions.  =)

Image courtesy of My Story: The Road to Ithaca College

Pv = Fv/(1 + i)^n is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

I flipped through the jobs section of the Roanoke Times.  Okay, flipped is a bit strong for a six-page section which includes a full-page ad on the Roanoke Times jobs online job board, a half-page ad on the Roanoke Times jobs online job board, and a half-page ad on an upcoming career expo.  That would make it a four-page job section with not a whole lot of jobs.

What happened to the days when a person did not have to have 20 years experience and 3 Master’s degrees in order to find a decent job?

As I am looking at all the positions I do not qualify to apply I cannot help but wonder what happened to the days when a person could walk into an office, apply for a position, and the willingness and determination to succeed was enough to open a door.  Or was that just in the movies?  Nah.

Times have changed.  Gone are the days of giving someone a chance to show they are capable.  Today you have to have a degree, certificate, or qualifier of some kind.  Training.

Then there is the flip side.  How many are overqualified for a position they would actually like to hold?  I had one interviewer make a comment regarding my willingness to take a two-day a week position.  She thought it was nice to not have to work full time.  All I thought was it must be nice to have a job.  Perception.  Truth is I was [am] overqualified, but was looking at the silver lining:  I would have more time with my family, more time to write, more time for school, more time for whatever and still earn a little money.  That was a second interview and no courtesy rejection letter, phone call, or email was sent.

When I first moved to Virginia I had one interview where the girl commented on how I could do her job.  I agreed.  The rejection letter soon followed.  Funny thing, I did not want her job.  Maybe it is not that I am overqualified but that others feel threatened because they are underqualified in comparison.  Now, there is a thought!  Me?  I always thought it important to have someone who could do my job.  Why worry if you are performing appropriately.  A good employee looks out for the big picture, right?

I am starting to believe I am overthinking this whole job thing.  Maybe my mom is right.  No.  Of course she is right.  She is always right.  Ask the right question and you will receive the answer you seek.  Put it to a higher power.  Maybe it will come to me in a dream.  Stay tuned…

Will Work, Seriously is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

At around 5 years old I wrote my first short story.  I still remember the story, but have long lost the actual book.  Yes, I folded pages in half and made it into a small book.  I am sure I remember it better than it was and it was an odd story for a 5 year old to write.  Some time in elementary school I attempted to write another story, but had so much trouble with the dialog that it did not get much further than a few pages of description.  I can write a mean descriptive work.  This has proved useful in my college studies.

After high school I attempted community college and a Journalism degree.  I did not last one semester.  It was not that I could not do the work; my heart just was not in it.  I decided to get a job, and then to get married and start a family (not necessarily in that order).  These things do happen.  I became a bank teller.  My first real job and the first time I got fired!  But, I loved the numbers.  I decided to study accounting; I have an A.S. in Accounting.  I have held several positions in accounting and bookkeeping, but accounting and bookkeeping is monotonous!  I like a little variety.  So, I paid attention to computers and could build my own if I so desired.  I have fixed several and even convinced my sister to try it.  In my last two positions I have held minor IT functions as well as my bookkeeping/accounting duties.  At least it was something different.

Now, as I approach the home stretch on my B.A. in Accounting I am again re-evaluating what I really want to do with my life.  I am a good bookkeeper.  I would be a good accountant.  But is that enough?  I know I do not have to be an accountant with this degree.  I could be a business manager, executive of some sort, anything, within reason, as far as business goes.  Again, business is so boring and monotonous.  There are people who are best suited and great at these tasks.  Me, not so much.  I am disorganized, mostly.  I daydream, constantly.  I think stories in my head as I am driving down the road and am at peace.  If I could get my thoughts to automatically transpose into written word I would have many stories, some good, some not so much.  Unfortunately, that is not an option and I tend to forget my thoughts by the time I have pen and paper (or laptop and keyboard).  My thoughts are lost to the deep recesses of my mind, rarely to resurface.

Maybe I will figure it out by the time I get that degree.  I hope.

When I Grow Up I Want to Be… is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

My former boss said he was going to pay me for my accrued time off (he did) and work up a severance package befitting my time with the organization (he did not).  I filed for unemployment and he completed the paperwork citing at-will and multiple material mistakes as the reason for termination.  Multiple material mistakes?  Seriously?  I am far from perfect, but if I was making so many mistakes how come I was never given a warning, verbal or otherwise?   My only real mistake(s) were trusting this person when told he wanted honesty.  And I will never learn.  If you tell me something I will take you at face value (within reason).  I tend to trust people.  This is not going to change and this will keep me from climbing the corporate ladder.  I am okay with that.  

I had my first hearing a few days before Christmas.  It did not go well.  I appealed.  And the first decision was reversed.  Of course my former employer has 30 days to appeal this decision.  To be fair, they never called in or participated in either hearing.  I do not think they will fight this.  My thought is they just wanted me to work for it.  I can wait.  It is only 30 days.  It has been 5 months so far and my family is well-fed thanks to all the great sites giving me the heads up to deals and freebies and all kinds of good things.  Even Ivy dog is not deprived these days.  In fact, she has more doggie snacks today than she did 5 months ago.  Coupons are WONDERFUL!  And now I have a little more time to find the position where I am the right “fit”.

Unemployment Redemption is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010

My eyes are crossed and my brain is turning to mush.  I have so much to do and people to thank and things to write, but I have spent the majority of today finishing up my homework and preparing for a test in auditing!  **sigh**  Not sure if I wrote about this here (I have a separate blog for my college life), but I am a full time online college student.  Right now I am glad I am no longer a full time employee anywhere as I need all the time I can get for all of my other activities: homework, family, coupons, fitness – I have neglected this, shh.  I have one more year until I get my B.A. in Accounting and am now in the homestretch with my very demanding upper level courses.  

Well, enough break for now.  Time to prep for my test and hopefully watch a movie with the family.  Wish me luck!

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UPDATE:  I guess it could have been so much worse, although it could have been so much better, too.  I missed 4 giving me an 80%.  This just means I have study more and try harder to bring my grade up through the rest of this course.

Auditing is HARD is a post from: AnneOnLife where life happens quite regularly. If you liked that, you'll love me on and .
© AnneOnLife 2008-2010