Dead End(s)

Officially heard from all 3 of employers with whom I had leads. All dead ends. Guess I just don't make the cut. The funds are drying up quicker than I could have ever imaged. I was turned down for unemployment, which of course only makes things worse.
It's not the end of the world. But soon it will be the end of our bank account.
That's all for tonight.

Working? What's that?

EEK! This whole "not working" stuff is more stressful than actually working! As some of you may know, I was lucky enough to find a job within a month or so of being here. The job consisted of employment training and placing for individuals with special needs. Talk about a fantastic fit! Since I would be visiting various job sites throughout my work day I was in need of a vehicle to travel throughout the greater Portland area. And since Eric and I had been using simpler modes of transportation (our legs, bikes, zip cars, and public transit), this meant we had to purchase a vehicle. 

Really quickly...Have you ever used zip cars? The whole concept is so innovative to me. You can do all your reserving online or through the phone. You select a type of vehicle you need (hatchback, van, sports car, BMW, hybrid, etc.) You then search for the vehicle near your area and reserve it in half hour increments. Once reserved, you walk or bike to where the vehicle is parked (usually within a few blocks) and use what looks like a credit card key fab to enter the vehicle. There is a gas card in the car, so gas is free. You just have to make sure to never leave the car with less than 1/4 tank. (Which isn't hard for me, because that was always dad's rule growing up) :) Zip car saved us when we first moved out here. We rented vans to go craigslist and store shopping for multiple new items for our home (like dressers and a couch). It proved to be very convenient since we of course don't know anyone in town that would let us borrow a truck. 

But I digress. Where was I? Oh!- So I had a job (YAY!) that needed a car. So Eric and I went out and did the annoying used car search thing. After MUCH searching and turning down dealers trying to sell us cars we weren't even remotely interested in, we ended up with a fantastic find! We got an '07 Subaru Forester with a hatchback, moon roof, 6 disc changer, and heated seats. We were so pumped about our new purchase because now we were able to really get out there and explore! So I started work the next day and worked for a whole 2 days more. (Yes, you read that right. I said TWO days). Then I got the call. The company received word from the state that an amendment regarding funding was to be implemented in December, thus causing the company to go out of business. It didn't make sense for them to train me and keep me on, only to let me go in December- so they let me go. What does this mean for me??? Well, I now have this awesome car payment, and this awesome car insurance bill each month...but no job or funding to pay for it! Bleh! 

But, we've been managing and budgeting like there's no tomorrow. Eric's really been a great sport about it, and I appreciate that so much. But let me tell you- being in a new city without spending money is like trying to stop going downhill with roller blades on. It's possible, but not very probable! 

This has been going on for a few months though, and we've gotten used to the routine. We spend a lot of time at the gym (where we found a great deal!), and a lot of time cooking dinners together at home. And no, I'm not getting ANY skinnier, in case you were wondering. It's quite frustrating actually. I'm eating right, exercising, sleeping enough, but now change in my body. (But that's a whole different conversation). Oh, I almost forgot. I spend the MOST time searching and applying for jobs. And in case you were wondering...I don't hear back from most of them. :( It's almost as if they don't know how amazing I am ; ) haha. 

But this week a bit of light was shed on the situation. I was offered a substitute teacher assistant job as the Washington School for the Blind, which is about 20 minutes from here, just over the bridge in Vancouver, WA. Since it's a sub job, the hours aren't guaranteed and there are no health benefits offered, but hey- at least it's something! And the HR rep let me know that as soon as my transfer of teaching license goes through I can also sub for teachers as well. So I guess it's a start and a foot in the door. I also landed a phone interview for a full time marketing job. That will take place this Friday. It's a bit of a stretch and they're considering a ton of applicants, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high. Feel free to send me good vibes :)

Cape lookout

THIS is why I moved to Portland!!!! Well, it's ONE of the reasons :)  This weekend Eric is back in Detroit so I decided to keep myself nice and busy so as not to dwell too much on how much I miss my friends and family. Although I still miss everyone and wish I could be there to squeeze and smooch my Godson and celebrate my Nanny's birthday, I did a pretty good job of distracting myself. 

Cape Lookout Trail

Pat and I set out on for a hike on Friday morning. We drove to the Oregon coast in under 2 hours and were lucky enough to have an incredibly gorgeous day! The sun was shining and it was so warm I didn't need a coat. I still can't believe December is being so nice to us. We accomplished about 8 miles of hiking throughout the day, and yes- my legs are feelin it a bit today :) We did roughly 5 miles out to the lookout and back, and then another 3 or so down to the ocean. 

Cape lookout point

If I close my eyes I can still picture the beauty and hear the loud crashing ocean waves. I was in awe of it all...the giant trees, singing birds, gorgeous drop offs, porkupine crossing our path, and over a hundred sea lions swimming in the waters below.  There is something so incredibly peaceful about nature. It calms me and brings a joy to my heart that I can't seem to find anywhere else. It's the type of thing I sometimes forget or let go of until I experience 
                                                                         it again.

After the hike we headed to the Tillamook cheese factory with Jess and Curtis (Pat's good friends whom we met up with on the trails). There we got to see where the cheese was made, but more importantly, we got to eat LOTS of free cheese! Pat and I headed back to Portland and chowed down on some delicious nachos and burritos for dinner. Yum. After dropping him off I finished my night off with a hot silky bath, jammin tunes, candles, and a good book. Talk about a spectacular day! 

You can check out more photos here or on facebook.