Resume

I have decided it is time to update my resume to include my current temporary employment assignment. I believe this is a good start in preparing me for my upcoming job search. That said, I am considering a total revamp – maybe altering the style of my resume from chronological to functional. Or perhaps I may even change my resume to reflect a combination of chronological and functional resume features.

I understand that the purpose of a resume is to get my foot in the door and schedule an interview. So how do I make that happen?

Are there any readers out there that work in Human Resources? Does anyone have any suggestions for me? What can I do with my resume in order to stand out from the rest of the crowd?

Squeak & Rock

Just in case you are wondering, our new kids are settling into Holly Hollow (our apartment, named after my mom) quite well.

The best news is that Squeak, the cat, no longer has a cat box inside! Weeks ago Mike put the cat box out on the patio and Squeak has been using it out there. Hee hee…silly cat. The goal is to eliminate it completely when the kitty litter runs out.

Squeak has also developed quite a meow – even though we were told he had no meow and that was why he was named Squeak. Following that theory, his name should be MEOW.

He also has shown his affinity toward my veggie seedlings that I have started and am growing in our office. One day I noticed little cat paw prints in the soil – arghhh! Now we keep the office door closed when we’re not home so that the seedlings don’t become deadlings. And they’ll be transplanted outside shortly so this issue will resolve itself.


Squeak does have his own SmartyKat Sweet Greens, but he's not interested!

Squeak likes attention and from time to time he uses his arms to reach out and touch us. He especially likes to do this when we are trying to see something on the TV and he blocks our view. But he is also a very cuddly, loveable cat with a good disposition and no bad habits. Good kitty cat!

Rock, the dog, is a sneaker. He is so stealth in the way he tip-toes around us and we don’t even realize he’s there. He can go from the living room, pass me in the hallway and wind up in the bedroom and I seriously did not even see or feel him go by! It’s almost spooky.

And Rock loves to eat! It’s almost like he is always starving. The vet said his weight is good (he’s 64 pounds) and he has a solid middle so he’s not starving by any means…I just think he enjoys a good meal. We got him some doggie treats and Mike uses them when he’s teaching Rock commands.

Rock goes with us in the truck everywhere we go. Sometimes we put him in the truck’s canopy, but most of the time he’s right there with us in the extended cab. So far, so good.

One thing Rock needs to improve on is occasional barking. Ugh. There are now six dogs in our fourplex and sometimes they all get going. But he also barks when someone knocks on the door or rings the doorbell and I like that. I like it that he is protecting our home.

Rock also covets attention and he cuddles up with his paw stretched out on us or with his chin lying on our leg or arm. He has a very sweet temperament, however, STRANGERS BEWARE! He already has bonded strongly with Mike and I think he would protect either of us if necessary.


Rock loves Papa Mike!

So there you have it. Our diggity dog and our kitty cat came out of a bad situation and they’re doing great! Plus, they LOVE each other. I have never seen two different species so comfortable with each other.

Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway

Wednesday evening Mike and I attended a Kenmore Heritage Society event. The event was called “Take a Ride on the Interurban” and it was most enjoyable.

Part of the enjoyment was attributable to the fact that my friends Cheryl and Kevin (sister and brother) were the guest speakers!

You see, they wrote a book titled, Images of Rail: Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway, and it was published last May. The book is an historical tale about the construction, use, and eventual closing of the short-lived interurban electric railway system that operated in the first decade of the 1900s in the Seattle-Everett area. It is chock-full of vintage photographs of the electric trolleys with stories about not only the interurban railway, but also about the area itself.

Both Cheryl and Kevin are members of the Alderwood Manor Heritage Association and they have done extensive research of the locale. Plus, they grew up in the area and live nearby to this day. (You may remember them from my recent post about the Alderwood Heritage pancake breakfast.) Their research included numerous interviews with people that had knowledge about the railway and they gathered and digitized a multitude of era photographs.

The most famous trolley car is Interurban Trolley Car 55. The Alderwood Heritage web site states: Interurban Trolley Car 55 is one of six Interurban rail cars that provided commuter service from Alderwood Manor to Seattle and Everett from 1910 to 1939…After the demise of the Interurban in 1939, Car 55 was retired, serving as a restaurant diner for several years, and later as a ticket office for the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad. The refurbished trolley now enjoys its respite at the Association’s Heritage Park in Lynnwood (what used to be called Alderwood Manor).

The presentation was very interesting and several people in the audience had questions for Cheryl and Kevin about different types of rail. It really got us thinking about how Seattle, and the surrounding communities, developed and the role that rail played in that development.

Before leaving we were able to purchase a book and even get it signed by the authors! Thank you, Cheryl and Kevin – great job – I can’t wait to curl up with your book.

Trouble in Temp Town

Here I am – almost five months into my eight-month temporary assignment at a large, humble company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. This is the longest temp job I’ve ever had and I’m getting antsy.

I'd like to have a permanent position and all the perks that go along with it. I’d like to be able to go to company and department meetings. I’d like to be able to participate in contests and other events. I’d like to know that I really am part of a team. I’d like to think that there is a future for me there.

Conversely, I like working and getting a paycheck. I like the challenge of trying to figure stuff out (i.e. "Where is that darn women's bathroom? I know I saw it around here somewhere...") without all of the usual training that permanent employees receive. I like showing up everyday and surprising people that are accustomed to having temp employees “call in sick” when they don’t feel like going to work. I like to do a good job with most things I tackle.

And I’d love to share detailed stories of my temping, but I don’t because I’m never sure who is reading this blog. However, yesterday I came across a blog, Laura’s NYC Tales, written by someone named Laura. The blog is divided into six sections and one of them is titled, Temping Escapades. I read the six Temping Escapades stories (on my lunch break, of course) and laughed and laughed and laughed. I wish I’d kept a notebook about all of my crazy temp assignments so that I could write a book!

And thank you Laura (whoever you are) for writing your stories. Following is a sample that lifted my spirits. Read it! Laugh about it! Think about me!

The Glorious Start of it All

As a temp en route to a new assignment, I never know what kind of environment I'm going to be working in or exactly what the work will be. Counselors at placement agencies have a job order that serves as a basic guideline, but you can't go by that alone. Landing a good temp job is really all in the luck of the draw.

I was booked for a job working in the administrative offices of a hospital. After meeting my supervisor, he led me down a long hallway to a remote area at the very end. I was shown into a tiny, windowless room containing two back-to-back workstations facing opposite walls. One of the workstations was vacant; in the other was this extremely sad-looking woman typing away at her computer. Beside her was a stack of papers that teetered to the sky.

The supervisor mumbled a few words to the woman and then left. You're not going to leave me here, are you? I guess you are....

The woman sat me down at the vacant computer and began to explain what she did all day -- and now what I would be doing all day: entering information from the endless stack of invoices into the hospital's database system. I tried to digest her instructions, but I found the entire situation so dismal and depressing that my mind wandered to all these thoughts other than the task on hand. This woman seems so nice. Is this really her life, sitting here in this isolated room, entering numbers day after day while life outside passes her by? Does she have a boyfriend? Is she happy?... How does she do this job? I can't do it... I just can't....

I started to get overcome with emotion. Try as I might I couldn't hold back my tears, and started sobbing minutes after she left me to my work. Feeling sorry about my distress, she came over and put her hand gently on my back. In a soft, reassuring voice she said, "It's okay. I know it seems hard at first, but you'll get it. At first I didn't understand, but then I learned how to do it." I nodded in agreement, trying to make it seem like her pep talk was helping. But the truth was I couldn't have cared less about the data entry process.

When my crying spell ceased I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face and took many deep breaths. When I saw my reflection in the mirror, I thought to myself that I looked like hell. (Mr. DeMille, I am not ready for my close-up.) I came back red-faced, but firm in my decision that I had to, and was going to get out of this place.

I found my supervisor and told him I was sorry, but I was the wrong person for the job. He didn't know why it upset me so, but thankfully I was allowed to leave without an interrogation. My agency? Well, they weren't thrilled, but they didn't fire me.

After my disastrous reaction to this job, I realized something I never knew about myself: I possessed an almost psychotic aversion to data entry. It's completely soulless to me, and it affects my sense of self-worth -- or lack of it -- on a deep, almost primal level. When I do data entry I can't help but think, Is entering numbers into a spreadsheet all I'm capable of in life? No, I know I can do more. Much more.

I made sure to double check that subsequent temp jobs would not be data entry. But like I said, with temping you never know for sure what the job is going to be until you show up and sit down at your desk. And thus, if you plan on trying your luck at the "Temp Job Table" it would behoove you to blow on those dice with all your might before rolling them.

Eddie Vedder Ukulele Tour

Eddie Vedder, frontman for Seattle band, Pearl Jam, goes on a one-month tour in June, ending with two shows in Seattle’s intimate and acoustically excellent 2,500 seat Benaroya Hall.

And guess who’s going?

I AM!!!

My cousin, Mary, who saw Pearl Jam with us in Vancouver, Washington in August 2009, managed to get tickets via the Pearl Jam Ten Fan Club and she’s taking me!!

WHOO-HOO – I can’t wait for July 15th!

Mike the Diplomat

He’s good. He had the big chat with the neighbor’s sister.

The cord has been severed and yesterday she took Bella to work with her and last night told Mike that there were no problems with doing that.

Further conversation between the neighbor’s sister and Mike found that in the past she had never really dropped off Bella to stay with her brother, Rock and Squeak. She clarified that she had done that on occasion, but not every day. So why did she tell Mike “untruths” in the first place?

Who knows. She may have just been so upset about her brother’s suicide that she was reaching out to Mike. The two of them would sit out on the patio and smoke cigarettes together. And a couple of times they had tea together when she came to pick up Bella in the afternoon. They enjoyed each other’s company and Bella was able to hang out with his friends, Rock and Squeak.

Maybe she’ll stop by to see Mike now and then. Maybe she won’t. Maybe they’ll share cigarettes and tea again. Maybe they won’t.

I am so happy about how Mike handled the entire situation. Don’t forget that he has that darn arachnoid cyst growing on his brain and that it affects his decision making process. He listened to his heart and did the right thing – even when he cut the cord.

The memorial for her brother is this weekend and we’re planning to attend. I think it will bring some closure to the recent events and allow us to move forward without guilt. Hallelujah.

The Lhasa Apso Isn’t So Bella After All

If you know me, you know I like dogs, cats, birds, fish, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, goats, COWS (I like them a lot!), horses and most people (well...a lot of people). What I don’t like is this little rat-style icky dog that barks, digs, scratches and nips!

I tried. I really tried. And even though I only spend about an hour each morning with this mutt, it is an hour I could do without and I wouldn’t miss her at all. Besides I have my own doggy and kitty to spend time with! (And they are a very good doggy and kitty.)

I’d cut the cord today. I’d just tell the neighbor’s sister that dog-sitting her pooch everyday while she’s at work Monday-Friday is not working out and that she needs to find another sitter.

Mike is not as direct as me. So he’ll probably let this situation bleed out through Friday. I guess I can make it another three mornings with the little rat-style icky dog that barks, digs, scratches and nips and then THAT’S IT!

Pozole in Ballard

Years ago I went through an American Sign Language Interpreter Training program at Seattle Central Community College. And over the years I have remained in touch with two people (Jackie and Mick) that went through the program with me and yesterday we all got together for comida at Jackie's and husband, Kurt’s, home.


The pretty table just waiting for us…


Mick, who spends a lot of time at his second home in Zihuatanejo.

Jackie and Kurt treated us to homemade pazole. Pazole is a traditional Mexican stew full of things like corn or maize, pork or chicken, chili peppers and all kinds of seasonings. We had a traditional cabbage, radish and lime garnish – well traditional to Mick anyway!


Here's Mike, Mick, Kurt and the back of Jackie's head - all ready to dive into the hearty meal with a mixed bean and avocado salad and fresh tortillas to boot. Of course, a couple of shots of tequila and a Mexican beer rounded out the meal.


Ahhh, but coffee and dessert were the finishing touches…Jackie made a most delicious tres leches cake that was the perfect ending to our fiesta.

Thank you, Jackie and Kurt – it was great! And it was also great to see Mick…next time Kenmore!

p.s. It was our first time to leave Rock and Squeak alone at home while we were gone. And guess what? No problems - they did just fine!

Pleased to Meet You, Won’t You Guess My Name?

We’ve been snapping and snapping, taking pictures of these three little bundles of energy, but we’re having a hard time getting them to stand still! Nevertheless, we have come up with a few cute pics.

Ladies and gentlemen – we’d like to introduce you to Rock, Squeak and their “cousin” Bella (yep, she turned out to be a female Lhasa Apso).


Here’s our diggity-dog, Rock…“Let's go outside and play!"


“Ahhh…it’s so nice and warm in front of the fireplace. Can you turn the stereo up a bit?”


“I’m a happy dog!”


Here’s our kitty-cat, Squeak. They told us he was named Squeak because he didn’t have a meow. But he does! I’ll have to record that. And see that light-colored patch on his side? Apparently he had a tangle with a pit bull years ago.


“I’ve never been outside, but that sun looks so inviting…” They told us Squeak would bolt if he ever went outside. He went out with Rock on his 3rd day here. And he has been out every day since. (Yes, we have nametags on both of them with our phone number.)


And here is that straight-standing stick of a tail Squeak sports.


“Arf, arf, meow, meow – we’re hungry!” Dinnertime!

While we are smitten with these two new adopted critters and they are very loving and well-behaved, I cannot say the same for the sister’s Lhasa Apso (see previous 3 posts) that Mike has been doggie-sitting this week. It’s something about a small, fluffy dog…that’s just not my idea of a dog. I like a big, strong, playful dog – like Sitka and Rock!


Here’s that little Bella now…ewwwwwww…


And here are the three amigos. Hehehe…notice who’s outside?

Changes in the 'Hood, Part III

Yep, I clearly remember Mike last week telling me over the phone, “Our world is about to get rocked...” But Mike’s a joker - I never know when he is kidding with me. But this time was different and so the story continues. Read all the way to the end...

When I came home from work on Tuesday, Rock had officially moved into our home and was now our new diggity-dog. He is a mixed-breed dog, but looks like he’s mainly Australian shepherd. He has one of those little bobbed tails, small & floppy ears and a solid body. He is a chocolate color with a small white chest patch. His temperament is excellent, even in this sad time. Those first few days he’d sit on our patio and gaze east to the building he used to live in. I imagine he’s wondering where his “real dad” went and why he is over at the neighbors’ place.

The fact that a suicide was committed in our neighborhood has really opened up some dialog with Mike, our friends and some blog readers. I don’t know how people get to that point. Quality of life? Tired of hanging on? Nothing to look forward to? Broke and desperate? Mental health issues? Sick and tired of being sick and tired? A visit to Señor Zapata’s blog last week found the same topic and many reader comments.

So Wednesday morning I got up and said, “Good morning, Rock!” He was such a good doggie his first night with us. And then I went to work. That afternoon, as I was leaving work to head home, I called Mike. He told me that our neighbor’s sister had been back to see Mike and she had another request. Mike tried to tell me we’d discuss it when I got home, but he hinted around in a way that I had to keep asking him questions.

And then I finally got it out of him. The sister has a little doggie, a Lhasa Apso. This little doggie and Rock have been hanging out together for seven years. You see, the sister dropped her doggie off at her brother’s every morning on her way to work. That way, the two doggies could play together while she was at work. So what was her request???

She wants Mike to take care of her Lhasa Apso Monday-Friday, just like her brother had been doing. When I got this information out of Mike, I could tell he could have gone either way. But the more he talked about it and described how the two doggies loved each other, the more I could hear in his voice that he wanted to tell the sister he’d do it. So he did and beginning today Mike will have two doggies to watch. Maybe a doggie day care business is in Mike’s future...

And, believe it or not, there is one more element to this story. Once Mike got over telling me about the Lhasa Apso, he told me about the cat.

In addition to Rock, and unbeknownst to us, our neighbor also had a cat. His sister explained to Mike that the cat was still in the neighbor’s apartment, but that he needed a home. She went on to tell Mike how the two doggies and the cat were all pals and that they loved each other very much and that the three of them have been hanging out for seven years together and she would hate to break them apart.

I was still on a phone call with Mike when he began to tell me about the cat. And I knew he was giving it all he could to convince me that the cat needed to stay with the two doggies…I finally said, “OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Tell the sister we’ll take the cat already!!”

So when I came home from work on Thursday the cat (named Squeak cause he doesn’t have a meow) had officially moved into our home and was now our new kitty-cat. He’s a big boy with orange and white stripes and a very long, straight tail. He walks around with his tail standing straight up and then tumbles down onto the carpet for a few rolls. Mike said he hid under the bed most of Thursday, but by evening he was cruising around.

So that’s the end of the story about the Changes in the 'Hood. Well, the “adoption” part anyway. I’m sure there will be many opportunities to write about our three new four-footed friends. Plus, I haven’t even met the Lhasa Apso yet or know his name!

Now where is my camera?...