It's Been A While...

So sorry it's been a while since my last blog. No, David hasn't miraculously found another job and I quit blogging. I wish, but we have been in and out of town and I have been under the weather.

We went camping in very hot weather, to compensate for Yellowstone. I can't complain. We had a shaded site next to a creek where the kids went tubing for HOURS. The couple we went with had some kids their age and we had a blast, a few laughs and did I mention it was hot.

Today is a good day. David is off to two networking adventures and has updated his resume. He will go to Georgia Tech Alumni Services tomorrow and apply through them. That would be an awesome job at Tech.

We found out yesterday that we are going to have a baby girl. My daughter is so excited and my son would prefer a kitten. He's a comic. It is good to know what we are having. It gives us something to look forward to and we can pick names!

The weeks that have past have been up and down. I don't think anyone is ever cured of depression, whether chemical or not. I have had really awesome days and then turned around and had some bad days where I seem like I can't stop tearing. One thing that remains, I am blessed and I know that in my core. So take that! :-P

I hope you are having a blessed day. TTYL.

Net Working

I woke up earlier than I would like today. I went to the OB for my glucose test. It was three hours of waiting and four different blood withdrawals...and more sudoku. Hopefully I will know if insulin shots are in my future or not soon.

On to "Net Working". (I spelled it that way on purpose!) So how does one work a net? I went shrimping one time and it is indeed a skill. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Is your net in good condition? For our intent, our net is a resume. Are there any holes? Will it attract the right audience for its purpose.
2. Are you casting it in the right waters? Make sure the water is not too deep or unrealistic. If you are a elementary school teacher, you may not want to send it to the local university. But you may send it to public or private elementary school.
   
3. Are your expectations realistic? If you are going to your first fishing experience, you may want to allow yourself a time of observation. Watch people's body language, their styles and most importantly, look for businesses that offer jobs in which you qualify or compliment your skills.
4. Are you using the right tools for clean up? Once you got a mess of fish or "leads", how are you gonna clean them? Okay, clean them, really - you probably won't get a job if you take me literally. BUT...if you consider follow-up as clean-up you can enjoy the catch. It is good NOT to be over eager, even if you are. Send a note within 7 to 10 business days, reminding them of your job skills and how you could benefit them. Then a quick phone call a few days later making sure they did receive the card. Thank them for your time and put them in rotation for future follow up. Email is impersonal and easily deleted, so unless they request it, I would not use email as a primary source of contact.
5. Are you hanging with the fishermen after the party? There are groups everywhere for people meeting together who are looking for jobs just like you. Connect with them!!! First of all it, gets you out of the house and gives your wife a break. Secondly, it offers you an opportunity to be encouraged or to encourage others.

I am not a qualified "Net Worker", but these are ideas I thought would work or at least give you food for thought.

TTYL!

Rain, Rain...Go AWAY!

I have not been swimming in several days, almost a week. I have not felt like getting out until the afternoon. Well, in Georgia, summer afternoons mean summer thunderstorms. I am not complaining too much, we are mostly out of the drought. My cantaloupe and tomatoes are growing and the flowers are flourishing. But it's hot and I want to go relax in the sun and cool water.

David is progressing as he rallies up all the ammunition he needs to get on the official road to interviews. A wise friend and former boss who has been laid-off a few times herself warned David that it is wise to wait a few weeks to get yourself mentally ready for interviews. The first few weeks of being laid-off is about coping with the shock and rejection, filing for unemployment, etc.

I think that is wise for wives (or opposite spouse laid-off) to remember. We do not have all the emotions of parting from habits, colleagues and structure that our spouse may be drudging through. Some families may be desperate for that income, living pay stub to pay stub, however, if there is a bit of room for cushion, this advice may be beneficial in the long run.

Choosing wisely and efficiently may help find the job security your family needs. David has been organizing his job priorities into a circular graph (like a target) with the center being the primary skill set, the next circular being secondary and so forth. He is also purchasing business cards for networking purposes. His cards are designed with a short critical point resume on the back and contact and picture on the front. Last he is tying all the loose ends he may need to from his old job, like 401k rollover, dealing with transferring medical insurance to Cobra, etc.

I share this info, because, it is something I never would have considered. He is continuing his role as a great provider for our family in these small details. Encourage your spouse in this, men are created to be providers and can easily feel inadequacy under these circumstances. I am so proud of David.

On a personal note, the kids conned me into taking them skating since the pool is closed due to the weather. I got to complete about 10 sudoku puzzles while watching them go round and round in circles. Wednesday night is $1 night. I have found all kinds of budget entertainment ideas in my area that can help lay-off ladies' pockets stay fuller and kids stay happier.

Thank you God for the rain, even when I am a pain.

One Of Those Days

Today is one of those days where you want to bite something real hard. I had a mildly frustrating experience that was probably accentuated due to my pregnancy. I can't go into detail, but argh, I got miffed today.

I still feel like hormones are holding me hostage and wanting my brain for ransom. I feel like I can accomplish one task - sleep. Maybe my body is telling me something.

David is gone, the kids are gone and I am going crazy by myself. I am not in my happy place.

I plan on going to karaoke JUST to get out of the house and have a since of purpose. If I stay home, my family will not like me very much.

Anyway, today has been boring and I have watched more reality TV shows than I knew existed.

Onward & Upward

Low Energy & High Hormones

I got up early to shew my son off to VBS and take my daughter to tutoring. Once I returned, I was in crash mode. I think I may be getting gestational diabetes again. I remember this low energy level when I was pregnant with Skylar. Anyway, I took the test last week at the OB, so I should know soon. I ended up taking a long nap and did not feel any better. I actually felt worse.

Another side affect, which I can only attribute to hormones, I have been weepy all day. I have felt like a leaky faucet and a surge of hormones held me up. Poor David, as if he doesn't have anything else better to do, he had to hold me. (Writing that makes me want to laugh.) I even called him on his cell from the bedroom to the family room to come in and help me cope with my sobbing. It was probably more humbling for him than I would imagine. But he did it and it made me feel better.

Lucky for my whole family, I had a Board Meeting for Theatre On Main to attend. It was a breath of fresh air. I needed to get out and dive into something else to take my mind off my own issues. I firmly agree that if you are laid-off you should try to stay or get involved in one Non-Profit activity. It offers networking opportunity and a distraction from the every day.

Please pray I have no more "power" surges - or hormone issues. I desire to be at my best to encourage David. Today was not one of those days; high hormones make me high maintenance.

Sunday - That's My Fun Day

Today is my birthday.

My family got up and went to church. It was very enjoyable. The message was on the "Spirit of Fear".

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of Power, and of Love and a Sound Mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

It was very timely. I grew up with that verse embroidered on my parent's wall. It is significant, because I believe most people live in fear of something. My husband has been lead to believe through the years that we should be in control of our income, job and financial management. This is not untrue. We are the only ones who have vested interest in ourselves to maintain financial security. However, we should not live in fear, where its stability controls us and we are powerless to it. We should live in hope. We should be encouraged that FEAR in its essence is not of God and therefore not His will for our lives. He has given us a Sound Mind, Love for life and Power to overcome the things that present the manifestation of FEAR in our life.

I think David and I were encouraged by the message. It was a reminder that God did not lay David off. God cares for his heart's desires and wants to fulfill our family's needs. Thanks Tony and Julie for praying with us too. It helps so much.

That being said, today is my fun day. After church we went to lunch with the Scott's and had a great time of conversation about silly things and what we had learned that day. The kids had fun too. It was a great afternoon.

Later on, I went to Theatre On Main and helped with the Box Office a bit and saw Oliver! Rob did a great job directing. I was very pleased.

Then I went out to The Place for karaoke, laughs and sweet tea. Danielle and I are so bad together. We had so much fun. It was a slow night, so I think I got in about 4 or 5 songs. Danielle had a guy sing Chris Isaak's Wicked Games for my birthday. LOVED IT!!! - that's all I'm saying.

David was at his parent's home getting camping supplies, so he missed out on karaoke tonight. :-( I missed him. But he had fun and brought me back some blueberry crisp.

So today was fun. I can't believe how relaxed and enjoyable the day was for me. All I can say is, life after lay-offs is not hopeless. FEAR is an embodiment of the unknown, not to be taken lightly, for sure. But FEAR is not ours, FEAR is removing God's will from our lives. I am replacing FEAR with hope and joy.

I plan on being a model of this to my husband as he walks through the next few weeks doing what he needs to do to get a job. It will be an honor to serve him in this capacity.

Saturday - A Few of My Favorite Things

Today has been long but good.

I woke up late (yippie) and goofed off for a short while.

David went suit shopping with his mom, he got a pretty nice tailored Brooks Brothers suit. Nicknamed - the Interview Suit. Not a cheap date I must say, but he said it looks good and fits well. I am glad for him. It will give him a great professional presence and as Clinton Kelly (What Not To Wear) says -

"Well tailored clothes can give you confidence."

I told him I would cut the grass for him, so he wouldn't have to rush back home to do it. I got the front yard halfway done, ran out of gas. As I was cooling off, my parents called to see if they could pop in. Yes, I needed an excuse not to continue. They stayed an hour and I got more gas and finished the front. It was hot and I am pregnant, so I didn't finish the back. Oh, I also managed to get some dishes washed.

I took Skylar to the pool to recoop. It worked.

This evening we went to see David's guitar teacher, Casper McCloud, in concert with his band at Dayspring Church. It was an intimate setting and very relaxing. His uplifting lyrics and acoustic sound was exactly what I needed.

Afterwards, we breezed on by karaoke and got two songs in. Yippie. (Thanks Dave.) My sweet friend, Jamie, gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers from her garden for my birthday. It was so thoughtful and made my heart smile. And I got to sing Love Shack with Danielle and David. That is our "have fun and enjoy it" song. Made my day!

It was a long day, we got home a few minutes ago, but it was enjoyable. The little things can add up to a whole bunch of nice. These are a few of my favorite things.

Friday - It Comes In Waves

A former co-worker and friend, Larry replied to David's email about having a bad day. It was David's turn. Larry says it comes in waves.

David was very productive yesterday, organizing his schedule and game plan. Today, I left him laying in bed. It was two o'clock.

Good news, he is at the gym now. I hope it is a stress reliever for him. He suffers from depression and social anxiety. This being said, he has grown so much in the last few years. I am guessing that God thinks he is ready for a real challenge...I hope He is right.

This brings me to my favorite verses in the Bible - James, beginning of chapter 1.

"My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials and temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Let patience have its perfect work in you, knowing you may be perfect, lacking nothing. If any of you lack something, let him ask of God, who gives to all freely and without reproach."

The challenge will be discovering who has grown-up the most and who can handle it best. My vote is for David. The Lord gives and He takes away, blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Thursday - Count Your Blessings

We are blessed.

We are receiving emails from friends everyday. They are sending prayers, well wishes and LEADS!!!

Our family is offering blessings too, not to go into detail, but we are one "blessed" laid-off family.

I have to say all this, because today was my day for a melt down. Over maternity clothes for crying out loud...oh, did I mention...I am four months pregnant. I needed some pants. I went to consignment stores and thrift stores. No luck, I guess I'm not the only one pregnant these days. Anyway, so I decided to go to the Mall, to the only place I knew that sold maternity clothes...Motherhood. I went there for my last two kids and knew they had good quality and reasonable prices.

Anyway, on the way, I called David and he said the words I dread, "We don't have any money!" I lost it. After a few moments he confessed he thought I was going to buy like $300 dollars worth of clothes. I was thinking $50ish. He conceded. I now have one pant and one pair of shorts - thanks David.

I went home and slept for several hours. The Mall killed me, reminded me of happier occasions.

Needless to say, despite all the drama of the day, WE ARE BLESSED!

Wednesday - Sad decision!

We were looking forward to the vacation of the year - a family roadtrip with the finale of the Grand Teton's and Yellowstone. We were to meet up with David's family and spend isolated time together. My brother-in-law and I were preparing for childcare and s'mores over open fire. All of us treating our kids to the camping experience.

Well, we decided to cancel the trip for OUR family. Hoping the others have a great time. You can't miss three weeks trying to have fun, knowing, feeling the nag in the back of your head...I could be interviewing, I could be saving this money, I could be starting a job today...etc.

The kids cried and cried, so did we on the inside. But pride goes before the fall and we don't want to fall anytime soon.

We will try to compensate in some small way over the summer - going to the pool, going to the lake, camping with friends locally.

All is well in love and lay-offs.

Tuesday - Get the Ball Rolling.

As I sat on the couch, staring at the fireplace, my husband laid beside me slightly drooling with eyes open. Bless his heart.

He was procrastinating. Today we agreed he would go to the Unemployment Office and file. Our good friends, Dave & Danielle took us out to dinner Monday night and shared their past lay off experiences. This was encouraging and hopeful. They suggested we file as soon as possible because it can take up to three weeks to receive anything.

It will actually take four weeks, the office was full the entire time. As David ate his packed lunch, he began the "thrilling" adventure of unemployment. I wasn't there, but I texted him often. I wanted to hold him. My heart hurt so badly...he isn't perfect, but he is precious.

Mission Accomplished - I am so proud of him for taking possibly one of the hardest steps in this whole process so soon.

Monday - In the beginning...there was a lay-off!

David got a call from his boss to be on a Team wide meeting. He got on the call, his boss, nor his team was on the meeting. They started taking roll, he knew.

I was sitting across from the table, working myself, when I heard the words. "Unfortunately, all of you on this call are affected by our economic downsizing."

Just like that...his Nortel Career was over. His boss never said thank you for your work, he never even said good-bye. The cowardly & self-seeking leadership of Nortel is it's weakness...not the 75,000 employees who have been laid off in the last 8 years.

He was given two hours to gather all his info and prepare to move on. We were slightly expecting it at some point, but I believe no one ever really thinks it will be their turn.

David is a wonderful, hardworking man and I hate watching him suffer, especially in silence.