Christmas has come and gone. Charles and I were able to travel to Atlanta the week before Christmas to see both our families. That was a lot of fun.
We were able to eat at lots of restaurants that we missed, go shopping at Atlantic station and Lenox mall, go see some movies, play many rounds of Scrabble and Yatzee, and generally enjoy the company of both of our families. Melinda held her big Christmas party this year, and got to see lots of Charles's family. Also, my grandma was visiting so we got to spend some time with her.
Also while in Atlanta we were able to adopt a kitten, which was surprisingly easy. So, we brought her the plane home with us-- she travelled just fine, and is now quickly adjusting to life with us in our little apartment. Charles and I are James Bond fans and named the cat after the evil overlord who had white fluffy cat. So now we have a white kitty named #1.
Charles and I had a quite Christmas together. We opened the presents we had gotten each other and spent the whole day playing Monopoly and Mario Party 8. Charles was a little bummed he got lots of clothes for Christmas and not many fun toys, so we got him a Play Station 3. The graphics are amazingly beautiful. I can't wait to get some high def movies to play on it, that should look pretty cool too.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Christmas is Coming!
I'm pretty excited this year for the holidays. I think Charles is too. It's cute, he can't wait for Christmas, so he's already made me open one of my presents. He got me a little building kit that we can both play with, it's fun.
We did a 'secret santa' gift exchange at work. There was a $20 minimum so that no one would get shortchanged with a cheep gift. So we were going to exchange presents at the party on Saturday, but we didn't want anyone at the party feel left out in case someone got there late his their gift, so the plan was to bring all the gifts to work the Friday before, and we would all open them at the party. Of course that didn't work. Michelle and I opened the branch on Friday and were the only ones there, and we got each other for secret santa, so of course we went ahead and opened our gifts. Then everyone else did throughout the day. Oh well.
I was hoping to be able to show off video from our drive here when visiting family next week, but alas, it was not meant to be. I had tried to import the video files from our new camcorder onto my iBook, and that proved quite the task. The camera uses USB but macs prefer firewire, and turns out our camcorder is the ONLY model without firewire. SO I order some software that's suppose to work with our camcorder and that ends up being a total bust. And then when I am able to get the camera and my computer to communicate, the camcorder uses some weird file type which takes forever to convert. And they take up loads of space. I have no free space on my hard disk now. There's always something *sigh*.
We both can't wait for next week. Flying out to the ATL on SUNDAY!
We did a 'secret santa' gift exchange at work. There was a $20 minimum so that no one would get shortchanged with a cheep gift. So we were going to exchange presents at the party on Saturday, but we didn't want anyone at the party feel left out in case someone got there late his their gift, so the plan was to bring all the gifts to work the Friday before, and we would all open them at the party. Of course that didn't work. Michelle and I opened the branch on Friday and were the only ones there, and we got each other for secret santa, so of course we went ahead and opened our gifts. Then everyone else did throughout the day. Oh well.
I was hoping to be able to show off video from our drive here when visiting family next week, but alas, it was not meant to be. I had tried to import the video files from our new camcorder onto my iBook, and that proved quite the task. The camera uses USB but macs prefer firewire, and turns out our camcorder is the ONLY model without firewire. SO I order some software that's suppose to work with our camcorder and that ends up being a total bust. And then when I am able to get the camera and my computer to communicate, the camcorder uses some weird file type which takes forever to convert. And they take up loads of space. I have no free space on my hard disk now. There's always something *sigh*.
We both can't wait for next week. Flying out to the ATL on SUNDAY!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Trimming the Tree
So, the Santa Barbara branch decorated to the nines for the Holiday season, so we decided to take decoration to a new level at our branch. We all stayed late after work last Thursday for a tree trimming 'party'. We put ribbons and garlands everywhere and lights all over the 'mortgage center' (a sign which looks like a little house). And the tree-- we have the most pathetic artificial tree which is well over 10 years old and literally falling apart. Someone had already started stringing lights on the tree and soon after quit, and our manager, James had gone to the store to pick up more lights and other trimmings. So I undecorated the tree and resolved to put the lights on the tree the right way. Mom and Dad know how I put lights on a tree-- stringing lights around every individual branch. So, 9 strings of lights and a few hours later I had successfully stung 1050 lights on the tree. Needless to say, the tree gets the most compliments from customers.That tree is so beautiful! Just look at all those lights! James was delighted and called his buddies at the other branch and told them we had over a thousand lights on our tree (they only had 300, ha!).
The bank has been incredibly busy heading into the holiday season. No one gets a day off this week. On Saturday we had every teller line open and there was still an incredibly long line. On Monday, even the assistant manager will be manning the teller lines. I'm not looking forward to it. I'll need lots of coffee.
Charles and I have decorated our little place for the holidays. Well-- I decorated. He graciously cleaned up after me. We got a pre-lit tree (so I only went through the lighting ordeal once) and have a substantial number of decorations on it. And I have my little Christmas village and kissing snowmen gracing the table. Of course, we are especially looking forward to going to Atlanta the week before Christmas to see everyone. It will be an exciting trip!
The bank has been incredibly busy heading into the holiday season. No one gets a day off this week. On Saturday we had every teller line open and there was still an incredibly long line. On Monday, even the assistant manager will be manning the teller lines. I'm not looking forward to it. I'll need lots of coffee.
Charles and I have decorated our little place for the holidays. Well-- I decorated. He graciously cleaned up after me. We got a pre-lit tree (so I only went through the lighting ordeal once) and have a substantial number of decorations on it. And I have my little Christmas village and kissing snowmen gracing the table. Of course, we are especially looking forward to going to Atlanta the week before Christmas to see everyone. It will be an exciting trip!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The Joy of HD
For veterans' day, Charles's classes were canceled and I had the day off, so we were able to spend the day window shopping in Ventura. We stopped by Best Buy to check out their flat panel TV's and fell in love with with a 42 inch high definition TV. So we decided to get it.
We knew the TV itself would fit in our car, but we didn't know that the box the TV came in would be so much bigger then the TV. So the TV box would not fit in the car. The guy loading the TV didn't seem to be in a spacial-puzzle solving mood, so we brought the TV back into the store to use their delivery.
So apparently, we needed to return the TV first, but it would take a few days before that would be credited back to our bank account, so we'd have a hold on a large lump of money in our account. So, the sales clerk came up with the idea of returning the TV for a store gift card, which could then be used to purchase a new TV to be delivered. So we do that, while being reassured that it will deliver in a few days and should only be an extra $25. The good news is that they do delivery all the way to were we live in Goleta, but the delivery that far away wouldn't be until 10 days later. Oh, and it would cost $150 since it's such a far trek. I said no way. I want my TV now!
So, we unreturned the TV, and said just hold it for about 20 minutes. We went over to Walmart and bought some bungee cords, then we went back to Best Buy and grabbed our TV. We wedged the box into the trunk as far as it would go, then secured the trunk down with the bungee cords. The TV made it home just fine.
Setting up high-definition cable was a completely different story. We stopped by our cable store, said "Hey, we got a new TV!" and the sales rep gave us a new cable box to handle high def and told up that the upgrade in service is free. Very cool.
The discovery channel has a really cool high-def version, and all of the network channels are broadcast in high-def. Not to mention the model we bought is smart enough to nicely zoom and stretch anything else to fill the screen. I'm happy.
Oh did I mention, we all got a bonus at the bank since we passed our audit. Woohoo!
We knew the TV itself would fit in our car, but we didn't know that the box the TV came in would be so much bigger then the TV. So the TV box would not fit in the car. The guy loading the TV didn't seem to be in a spacial-puzzle solving mood, so we brought the TV back into the store to use their delivery.
So apparently, we needed to return the TV first, but it would take a few days before that would be credited back to our bank account, so we'd have a hold on a large lump of money in our account. So, the sales clerk came up with the idea of returning the TV for a store gift card, which could then be used to purchase a new TV to be delivered. So we do that, while being reassured that it will deliver in a few days and should only be an extra $25. The good news is that they do delivery all the way to were we live in Goleta, but the delivery that far away wouldn't be until 10 days later. Oh, and it would cost $150 since it's such a far trek. I said no way. I want my TV now!
So, we unreturned the TV, and said just hold it for about 20 minutes. We went over to Walmart and bought some bungee cords, then we went back to Best Buy and grabbed our TV. We wedged the box into the trunk as far as it would go, then secured the trunk down with the bungee cords. The TV made it home just fine.
Setting up high-definition cable was a completely different story. We stopped by our cable store, said "Hey, we got a new TV!" and the sales rep gave us a new cable box to handle high def and told up that the upgrade in service is free. Very cool.
The discovery channel has a really cool high-def version, and all of the network channels are broadcast in high-def. Not to mention the model we bought is smart enough to nicely zoom and stretch anything else to fill the screen. I'm happy.
Oh did I mention, we all got a bonus at the bank since we passed our audit. Woohoo!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Flushed Away
I've been spending a lot of time working-- but still have found time to collect together my application for UCSB next year. I'm really looking forward to possibly going back to school. I miss everything about it-- especially the mental challenge, the community, and the schedule.
The schedule especially since we needed someone at home when the plumber came. We've had trouble with the toilet, so I shot an email to our land lord making the situation sound as serious as possible sewage is seeping out of the toilet and soaking into the walls, and the place smells... I think I made it sound bad enough because she immediately called up the plumber and we scheduled him to come by first thing the next morning.
Of course once he comes everything seems to be working perfectly. Apparently these apartment have very narrow sewage pipes, making clogs possible anywhere along the pipe, not just at the toilet. So, whenever we flush, the pressure build up is so great that sewage will burst through otherwise sealed joints.
So, what I read from this whole experience was, this will happen again, and all you can do is wait for the clog to pass. Oh, and move into student housing the first chance you get. I miss dorms. How awful is that?
Charles has been busy with midterms. Lots of tests, but I'm sure he's ace-ing them all. He's doing really well. I'm proud.
I've gotten access to more systems at the bank. Now I can look up all kinds of info on customers. It's cool. I like having a little more responsibility, and the ability to help out customers a little more.
The schedule especially since we needed someone at home when the plumber came. We've had trouble with the toilet, so I shot an email to our land lord making the situation sound as serious as possible sewage is seeping out of the toilet and soaking into the walls, and the place smells... I think I made it sound bad enough because she immediately called up the plumber and we scheduled him to come by first thing the next morning.
Of course once he comes everything seems to be working perfectly. Apparently these apartment have very narrow sewage pipes, making clogs possible anywhere along the pipe, not just at the toilet. So, whenever we flush, the pressure build up is so great that sewage will burst through otherwise sealed joints.
So, what I read from this whole experience was, this will happen again, and all you can do is wait for the clog to pass. Oh, and move into student housing the first chance you get. I miss dorms. How awful is that?
Charles has been busy with midterms. Lots of tests, but I'm sure he's ace-ing them all. He's doing really well. I'm proud.
I've gotten access to more systems at the bank. Now I can look up all kinds of info on customers. It's cool. I like having a little more responsibility, and the ability to help out customers a little more.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Halloween
Well, we all survived Halloween. The festivities, although well attended, were fairly tame since there was such a presence of the local police. Everyone at the bank wore costumes for Halloween. We had a costume contest and let the customers vote on their favorite costume. And we had a raffle for the customers including gift certificates to Subway, Panda Express, and other restaurants and even a month of gym membership. I ended up putting a lot of work in my costume, so I hoped to win the contest. All the tellers reminded each customer to vote and enter the raffle, so by the end of the day our little box was stuffed with votes. I was kind of shocked how many people voted. Of course, it was the end of the month, so lots of people came in to cash their paychecks and get certified checks for rent.
Justin, the assistant manager held a Halloween barbecue at his place on Halloween, so Charles and I went to that. It was fun-- lots of good food. And they announced the winner for the costume contest-- I won! I mentioned that I made the shirt and vest for my costume and that I don't have a sewing machine so I had to do all the sewing by hand. So, my coworkers were talking about pulling together to get me a sewing machine and commission me to make costumes for them next year. I think their just jealous I won, but it's a nice thought. I might yet get myself a nice one.
So I won 'reward points' for winning the contest. I can use them to buy things on a certain website. I'm not sure yet what I'll get. Something cool.
Charles has been busy with school. Grading midterms and working on homework have been keeping him busy. But he did finally get paid. So, hopefully I'll be with him doing the school thing next year. We'll see how everything goes.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Illness
Working with so much money, I've learned to despise the paper form of currency. Money is dirty, fragile, easy to loose, and it can spread all sorts of ills (I've been informed that if one handles cocaine, then money, the next people who touch the money may fail a drug test!). One of my coworkers said that the tellers and the first to get all of the sicknesses going around. So naturally something has been going around and the tellers are dropping like flies. The branch has been very un-busy this week-- perhaps to do with the new onslaught of fires are the loads of ash in the air, and possible also because some head cold is going around. I always subconsciously tied sickness to icky, cold weather, however the weather has remained stubbornly beautiful (although now it gets fairly cold at night).
The ash-- how quickly I forgot how awful it is. Since we leave our windows open, our floor quickly turned colors. Charles took it upon himself to clean the floor, and after mopping if three times gave up. So when everyone started sneezing, I figured it had something to do with the ash. But when the sneezing didn't stop and only got worse, I had to succumb to defeat and focus on getting better.
Which means that I missed Halloween weekend (woohoo!). My coworkers warned me about it-- police come in from surrounding counties and the State troupers are called in for crowd control. Over 30,000 come to Isla Vista (IV) to party on Halloween (which is a week long celebration here). Parking becomes a nightmare, and the only way to get a spot is to just not leave. The frat next door was selling parking spots for the evening for $60 a piece. The rodes are closed and the only ones allowed into IV are those whose license states an address in IV. So Charles and I stayed in and tried to sleep through the noise of yelling and parties and loud music. It is strongly my opinion that Halloween is a holiday for children and watching scary movies while handing out candy-- not the drunken spectacle it has become here.
So I will celebrate Halloween in my own way-- were having a costume contest at work and I plan on winning dressed as a pirate. Hopefully I'll be well by Wednesday.
The ash-- how quickly I forgot how awful it is. Since we leave our windows open, our floor quickly turned colors. Charles took it upon himself to clean the floor, and after mopping if three times gave up. So when everyone started sneezing, I figured it had something to do with the ash. But when the sneezing didn't stop and only got worse, I had to succumb to defeat and focus on getting better.
Which means that I missed Halloween weekend (woohoo!). My coworkers warned me about it-- police come in from surrounding counties and the State troupers are called in for crowd control. Over 30,000 come to Isla Vista (IV) to party on Halloween (which is a week long celebration here). Parking becomes a nightmare, and the only way to get a spot is to just not leave. The frat next door was selling parking spots for the evening for $60 a piece. The rodes are closed and the only ones allowed into IV are those whose license states an address in IV. So Charles and I stayed in and tried to sleep through the noise of yelling and parties and loud music. It is strongly my opinion that Halloween is a holiday for children and watching scary movies while handing out candy-- not the drunken spectacle it has become here.
So I will celebrate Halloween in my own way-- were having a costume contest at work and I plan on winning dressed as a pirate. Hopefully I'll be well by Wednesday.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
I'm Going Back!
As rewarding as giving angry customers their own money may be, I have decided that I will go back to school next year. Forget finances, in the end we all have to do what makes us happy. Going with Charles to a few of his classes reminded me how much I miss school, and that my dream job as a college instructor requires at least a masters. So, no more wasting time-- I want to get back in the swing of things before I start forgetting what I've already leaned. So Charles talked with the Graduate adviser and explained our unique situation, and it sounds like they'll make special consideration for me, even though they might not be able to fund me. So I'm going to talk with her today and then start getting together my application. I never thought I'd be so excited about going back-- but this is what I really want to do.
So, back at the branch-- Alan, our merchant teller is on vacation this week, so they have chosen me as his temporary replacement. It's about time I've received some recognition-- however being merchant is very different. Businesses send one of their lackeys to the bank with way too much money which I end up having to organize and count. And being organized myself is was quite a challenge keeping my money neat-- let alone fit is all in the drawer. Then they all wanted to make change. I'd like twenty five dollars in pennies. You wouldn't believe how heavy coins can get! So throughout the day I was frequenting the vault with my little rolling cart (even the guys can't carry that amount of change) and loading up. See, if I get 500 in quarters, 500 in dimes, 200 in nickels, and 50 in pennies, that might make me to lunch! By the end of the day, counting out all of my money was quite a chore-- it took me an hour to get it right-- it was a little over $100,000 in my possession. I could take this and buy a house! Well, maybe not in California, but at least a nice car... Of course I'm sure bank robbery doesn't look nice on one's resume. So I stuffed as much money as I could in a little bag and sent it away-- only to start again the next day.
So, back at the branch-- Alan, our merchant teller is on vacation this week, so they have chosen me as his temporary replacement. It's about time I've received some recognition-- however being merchant is very different. Businesses send one of their lackeys to the bank with way too much money which I end up having to organize and count. And being organized myself is was quite a challenge keeping my money neat-- let alone fit is all in the drawer. Then they all wanted to make change. I'd like twenty five dollars in pennies. You wouldn't believe how heavy coins can get! So throughout the day I was frequenting the vault with my little rolling cart (even the guys can't carry that amount of change) and loading up. See, if I get 500 in quarters, 500 in dimes, 200 in nickels, and 50 in pennies, that might make me to lunch! By the end of the day, counting out all of my money was quite a chore-- it took me an hour to get it right-- it was a little over $100,000 in my possession. I could take this and buy a house! Well, maybe not in California, but at least a nice car... Of course I'm sure bank robbery doesn't look nice on one's resume. So I stuffed as much money as I could in a little bag and sent it away-- only to start again the next day.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
This Monday is Columbus day, which in short means that I get the day off. One of my customers was impressed a young person would know what year Colombus sailed to the Amercias, and gave me a Wall Street Journal so everyone would see that I was smart. I still work every other day of the week-- but I also get paid for Monday, and since I'll go over the 40 hour mark I'll get overtime. Since school has started-- we've been a little short staffed, meaning I get more hours.
Christine, the teller supervisor, has transfered to another branch. And our assistant manager has been on vacation. That means of our four usual supervisors, only two were working. So for the week we've been understaffed, and James, the manager, swamped with work. Plus, the regional manager came for multiple visits since our customer satisfaction scores are down to ream us out. Oh, and since all the students are back, we've been crazy busy. Also, this week was spirit week. The regional manager was very disappointed to see that a few employes didn't wear red on Tuesday, so we were instructed that we absolutely had to wear Hawaiian casual on Friday by pain of death. Everyone received several memos about it, and every employee was called and reminded to wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans. And James brought in back up leis to complete everyones look.
The whole Hawaiian thing confused the customers. They thought we were getting a jump start on Halloween-- we also brought out the good candy. I got many compliments on my 'costume'. At least Holly-- the regional manager-- was happy that we were 'spirited' and all dressed up. Although I'm sure the confusion with the costumers won't help our customer satisfaction scores. We were just glad we got to wear jeans and sneakers.
So after that long week I'm glad to get a long weekend. I might crash some of Charles classes on Monday, or go shopping.
Christine, the teller supervisor, has transfered to another branch. And our assistant manager has been on vacation. That means of our four usual supervisors, only two were working. So for the week we've been understaffed, and James, the manager, swamped with work. Plus, the regional manager came for multiple visits since our customer satisfaction scores are down to ream us out. Oh, and since all the students are back, we've been crazy busy. Also, this week was spirit week. The regional manager was very disappointed to see that a few employes didn't wear red on Tuesday, so we were instructed that we absolutely had to wear Hawaiian casual on Friday by pain of death. Everyone received several memos about it, and every employee was called and reminded to wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans. And James brought in back up leis to complete everyones look.
The whole Hawaiian thing confused the customers. They thought we were getting a jump start on Halloween-- we also brought out the good candy. I got many compliments on my 'costume'. At least Holly-- the regional manager-- was happy that we were 'spirited' and all dressed up. Although I'm sure the confusion with the costumers won't help our customer satisfaction scores. We were just glad we got to wear jeans and sneakers.
So after that long week I'm glad to get a long weekend. I might crash some of Charles classes on Monday, or go shopping.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
No Pets
Since we're allowed wear costumes to work for Halloween, I've gotten an early start creating my costume. I've decided to dress up as a pirate, so we drove quite a ways to a fabric store and I bought a pattern and fabric and thread and things. So, I've assembled the pieces of the outfit-- it's looking pretty good. I'm pleased with my handiwork. I had to hand sew it all, and it went surprisingly fast. Next I'm gonna get some rocking pirate accessories-- maybe some big earrings and a bold necklace. Maybe a big hat with a feather in it.
Even though out lease doesn't explicitly allow pets, Charles and I wanted to look into adopting a cat. So we spent the weekend looking at different pet stores and reading up about the local humane society. At no place can you simply pick up a kitten. All of them have an application 'process'. They want to contact your landlord, inspect your house and see it's cat safe, contact your employer to make sure you make enough money. Oh, but if you work full time, that's bad because you don't have the time for a pet. Plus the application was several pages, and they would reject you for any or no reason.
Honestly, I think inspecting your home is a little over the top. Charles reminded me, hey, we're in California, they care about the animals here more then the people. I can see that. Like, if we showed signs of wanting to de-claw our potential pet-- our application would be declined. In the end we said forget it. If there's a box of free kittens outside, then we might grab one, but other then that, no pets for now.
Even though out lease doesn't explicitly allow pets, Charles and I wanted to look into adopting a cat. So we spent the weekend looking at different pet stores and reading up about the local humane society. At no place can you simply pick up a kitten. All of them have an application 'process'. They want to contact your landlord, inspect your house and see it's cat safe, contact your employer to make sure you make enough money. Oh, but if you work full time, that's bad because you don't have the time for a pet. Plus the application was several pages, and they would reject you for any or no reason.
Honestly, I think inspecting your home is a little over the top. Charles reminded me, hey, we're in California, they care about the animals here more then the people. I can see that. Like, if we showed signs of wanting to de-claw our potential pet-- our application would be declined. In the end we said forget it. If there's a box of free kittens outside, then we might grab one, but other then that, no pets for now.
Friday, September 21, 2007
A Rainy Day for Santa Barbara
It was cloudy yesterday, and then today the impossible happened-- it rained. After a summer with barely a cloud in the sky, we've finally come to the rainy season where-- you guessed it-- it actually rains. Normally, I would call this season fall, but since the trees aren't changing color, I guess this doesn't qualify. So throughout the rest of "winter" it will be a whole 10 degrees cooler and we'll get the occasional rainfall, which is more like a lazy mist intersperced with a light sprinkle.
Every day each teller is assigned a station at the bank and checks out the keys for that station. I've been using the same station all this week, and on Wednesday, as I was reaching for my keys to open the bottom drawer of my station I realized that they had fallen to the floor, leaving half of my key stuck in the top drawer. I'm not even sure how the key split in half, and then after pocking the lock with a screwdriver, the other half only got wedged deeper in the lock. Just, our assistant manager broke out the tool kit and spent the better part ofthe next our taking apart the lock trying to get the key back out, and then puzzling over how to put the whole mess back together. Thankfully we had a spare key for my station. So today we had the locksmith come in and tinker with it more so that the station is now fully functional.
Charles and I will be able to visit everone in Georgia this December. I'm very much looking foward to it. I can't wait to see everyone. I haven't seen my parents since packed all our stuff in the budget truck. It seems like ages ago. I'm especially looking foward to seeing my brother, Aaron, who I haven't seen since even longer then that. I look foward to telling everyone everthing that's going oon in my life, and hearing all of their stories as well.
Every day each teller is assigned a station at the bank and checks out the keys for that station. I've been using the same station all this week, and on Wednesday, as I was reaching for my keys to open the bottom drawer of my station I realized that they had fallen to the floor, leaving half of my key stuck in the top drawer. I'm not even sure how the key split in half, and then after pocking the lock with a screwdriver, the other half only got wedged deeper in the lock. Just, our assistant manager broke out the tool kit and spent the better part ofthe next our taking apart the lock trying to get the key back out, and then puzzling over how to put the whole mess back together. Thankfully we had a spare key for my station. So today we had the locksmith come in and tinker with it more so that the station is now fully functional.
Charles and I will be able to visit everone in Georgia this December. I'm very much looking foward to it. I can't wait to see everyone. I haven't seen my parents since packed all our stuff in the budget truck. It seems like ages ago. I'm especially looking foward to seeing my brother, Aaron, who I haven't seen since even longer then that. I look foward to telling everyone everthing that's going oon in my life, and hearing all of their stories as well.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Back to School
Charles has finally gone back to school. He has a week of orientations and pre-qualifying exams and such. He's been taking special note of what is required for the masters program if I would like to start that some time. I think it would be a nice change of pace from my current occupation. I do like my job, but I still strongly believe now that banking is not my area for advancement. I guess that means being an actuary is out too. Although-- our friend Chandler is seriously looking into that career. I think he would do well at it. As for me-- I'm going to steer clear of corporate America. Although that decision may be highly influenced by the TV show 'The Office'. I highly recommend everyone watch that show. It's amusing.
We've had the Auditors come to the bank for two visits. They were two very intimidating individuals. They counted all the money in the bank, quizzed several employees on proper banking procedure, and scrutinized our work. Overall not so fun. But they did leave before the end of the day and missed the chaos of closing with too few tellers, and half of us not able to balance our cash drawer. But on the bright side-- I do get overtime.
We've had the Auditors come to the bank for two visits. They were two very intimidating individuals. They counted all the money in the bank, quizzed several employees on proper banking procedure, and scrutinized our work. Overall not so fun. But they did leave before the end of the day and missed the chaos of closing with too few tellers, and half of us not able to balance our cash drawer. But on the bright side-- I do get overtime.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Car Trouble
I've never had car problems before, and I attribute that mostly to the fact that I've never owned a car before. On Sunday our car had a little trouble getting started. We asked our new neighbors for a jump-- who seemed to only care that their new apartment didn't come with a microwave and that the kitchen was dirty. But they did offer their AAA services to tow the car. No thanks. I like to take pride in that I can handle a little car trouble without pulling out the heavy ammo. I like to think that in a pinch I could change my own tire. I've seen my brother do... when he was in boy scouts...
We tried cranking the car once more, and it got started-- so our first stop was to pick op jumper cables-- just to be on the safe side.
Then Monday morning the car would no longer start. All our neighbors were gone-- leaving no car for a jump, plus I didn't really want to get stranded at the bank. So I grabbed trusty old bicycle and headed out to work.
Biking wasn't so bad. Except for the extra long time it took. And I fell over. Now I have battle wounds.
So I bummed a ride home, and one to work the next morning-- and asked for a jump. Charles get the car to the mechanic to get it fixed. They said it was a bum battery. So-- our brand new battery was to blame. We replaced it with a better newer battery, and got the oil changed while we were at it. So now the car works. It's hard enough sharing the one car-- I can't imagine trying to make do without one at all.
Throughout all of this-- Charles got to take a tour of campus, meet some of the math faculty, and get keys to his office space. He starts qualifying exams and teaching training on Monday. So he came home with lots of study materials on hand. It's good to be getting back into the swing of things. His schooling was the whole reason we moved all the way out here, and I'm glad it's coming to fruition.
We tried cranking the car once more, and it got started-- so our first stop was to pick op jumper cables-- just to be on the safe side.
Then Monday morning the car would no longer start. All our neighbors were gone-- leaving no car for a jump, plus I didn't really want to get stranded at the bank. So I grabbed trusty old bicycle and headed out to work.
Biking wasn't so bad. Except for the extra long time it took. And I fell over. Now I have battle wounds.
So I bummed a ride home, and one to work the next morning-- and asked for a jump. Charles get the car to the mechanic to get it fixed. They said it was a bum battery. So-- our brand new battery was to blame. We replaced it with a better newer battery, and got the oil changed while we were at it. So now the car works. It's hard enough sharing the one car-- I can't imagine trying to make do without one at all.
Throughout all of this-- Charles got to take a tour of campus, meet some of the math faculty, and get keys to his office space. He starts qualifying exams and teaching training on Monday. So he came home with lots of study materials on hand. It's good to be getting back into the swing of things. His schooling was the whole reason we moved all the way out here, and I'm glad it's coming to fruition.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Labor Day Heat
I believe a good Labor Day weekend was had by all-- I especially enjoyed getting a day off of work to go out shopping, one of the perks of working at the bank.
We spent a lot of Saturday enjoying video games, then by Sunday decided we need a little outside air. So we went to a few of the local bike shops and picked out new shiny bikes. Selecting one was harder then I thought it would be. Apparently bikes are manufactured for those of 'normal' height, and I being short had little variety to choose from. Hmmm, children's bike, or easter colors? By the second shop, we were able to both pick out bikes that we liked. And in the end-- biking happened to be one of those childhood experiences that Charles was lacking, and he had a little trouble picking it up. We soon quit all efforts of outdoor activity since it was so hot outside, and instead went to a movie.
Monday was even hotter. I didn't know it got that hot here. I think the natives are surprised as well. We drove most of the way to LA to see a very promising shopping center with all kinds of cool stores in it. On the drive there I was certain something was wrong with the AC-- at full blast it had trouble keeping up. And the sunshine was unrelenting. When we finally parked the car and got out we suddenly realized that the fault was not in our AC. The heat was so intense, just opening the car door sapped away all of my energy, and it was all I could do to walk the 50 feet from the car to the safety of indoors.
I figured that my poor reaction to the heat was due to me acclimating to Santa Barbara weather-- but I went ahead and checked the weather channel to see how hot it really was. The area in which mall we spent the day at had gotten up to 108 degrees that day, and at 6:00 it was still at 103!
So we've been keeping the windows open as much as possible, despite the threat of little buggies entering the house. We have a resident skunk near the apartment-- it's an adorable small fluffy creature-- but every once in a while something spooks it and then the air outside stinks. But the smell would never compare to how hot this place gets when all closed up-- so we were forced to just bear it.
But in all I had a good Labor Day. I had plenty of time to read and decided to pick up "Pride and Prejudice" and read that. Charles and I played DDR, our dancing video game until we wore ourselves out, and he made Gumbo, which was delicious. No complaints here.
We spent a lot of Saturday enjoying video games, then by Sunday decided we need a little outside air. So we went to a few of the local bike shops and picked out new shiny bikes. Selecting one was harder then I thought it would be. Apparently bikes are manufactured for those of 'normal' height, and I being short had little variety to choose from. Hmmm, children's bike, or easter colors? By the second shop, we were able to both pick out bikes that we liked. And in the end-- biking happened to be one of those childhood experiences that Charles was lacking, and he had a little trouble picking it up. We soon quit all efforts of outdoor activity since it was so hot outside, and instead went to a movie.
Monday was even hotter. I didn't know it got that hot here. I think the natives are surprised as well. We drove most of the way to LA to see a very promising shopping center with all kinds of cool stores in it. On the drive there I was certain something was wrong with the AC-- at full blast it had trouble keeping up. And the sunshine was unrelenting. When we finally parked the car and got out we suddenly realized that the fault was not in our AC. The heat was so intense, just opening the car door sapped away all of my energy, and it was all I could do to walk the 50 feet from the car to the safety of indoors.
I figured that my poor reaction to the heat was due to me acclimating to Santa Barbara weather-- but I went ahead and checked the weather channel to see how hot it really was. The area in which mall we spent the day at had gotten up to 108 degrees that day, and at 6:00 it was still at 103!
So we've been keeping the windows open as much as possible, despite the threat of little buggies entering the house. We have a resident skunk near the apartment-- it's an adorable small fluffy creature-- but every once in a while something spooks it and then the air outside stinks. But the smell would never compare to how hot this place gets when all closed up-- so we were forced to just bear it.
But in all I had a good Labor Day. I had plenty of time to read and decided to pick up "Pride and Prejudice" and read that. Charles and I played DDR, our dancing video game until we wore ourselves out, and he made Gumbo, which was delicious. No complaints here.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
A Hairy Situation
Not much has been going on here in SoCal. It never rains-- yet last night there was thunder and lightning over the ocean, which in turn caused much noise from around here in college town. But still no rain. I'm trying to figure out how plants even survive.
The bank has been pretty busy lately. Work goes by pretty fast when there is a steady stream of customers, but the onslaught of long lines makes my job endlessly tedious, and the customers can get pretty irritated by the time they even get to the front of the line. And then they stare down the one older gentlemen who counts his selection of coins three times in front of me before finally deciding that he will deposit the whole $2.50 in his account.
Charles is doing well. His last hair cut was, well, before the wedding, so he decided it was high time to get it cut. He also decided to trust me with this task. So we went to the beauty store and bought a fancy pair of clippers (they will be paid four after... 4 haircuts!) and then took them home to tempt fate. Needless to say, we got hair everywhere-- which is surprisingly easy to clean up since it came off in big clumps. So now Charles is sporting a much shorter 'do and I'm fairly proud of my handy work.
I bought DDR (Dance Dance Revolution-- a video game) a few weeks ago. We got the last dance pad they had at the store, and it's a pretty sturdy one. It's got a thick foam core which can handle both of us jumping up and down on it for hours on end. I'm hoping that playing lots of the dancing game will be enough exercise-- I've been fairly sedentary lately. Although, I do have to stand all day while working, but it's not much like a work out.
I got the LG chocolate phone for my birthday and have had endless fun with it. I bought a 2GB memory card for it so that I can store and play all my music on my phone. And I hacked it so that I could upload any ring tone and wallpaper that I want. So my phone will be the only one with a Techno ring tone with a kitten on the screen.
And tonight I'm going bowling with a bunch of my coworkers. We're playing with/against the Santa Barbara branch (I work at the Goleta branch-- much closer to home). I look forward to introducing Charles to everyone.
The bank has been pretty busy lately. Work goes by pretty fast when there is a steady stream of customers, but the onslaught of long lines makes my job endlessly tedious, and the customers can get pretty irritated by the time they even get to the front of the line. And then they stare down the one older gentlemen who counts his selection of coins three times in front of me before finally deciding that he will deposit the whole $2.50 in his account.
Charles is doing well. His last hair cut was, well, before the wedding, so he decided it was high time to get it cut. He also decided to trust me with this task. So we went to the beauty store and bought a fancy pair of clippers (they will be paid four after... 4 haircuts!) and then took them home to tempt fate. Needless to say, we got hair everywhere-- which is surprisingly easy to clean up since it came off in big clumps. So now Charles is sporting a much shorter 'do and I'm fairly proud of my handy work.
I bought DDR (Dance Dance Revolution-- a video game) a few weeks ago. We got the last dance pad they had at the store, and it's a pretty sturdy one. It's got a thick foam core which can handle both of us jumping up and down on it for hours on end. I'm hoping that playing lots of the dancing game will be enough exercise-- I've been fairly sedentary lately. Although, I do have to stand all day while working, but it's not much like a work out.
I got the LG chocolate phone for my birthday and have had endless fun with it. I bought a 2GB memory card for it so that I can store and play all my music on my phone. And I hacked it so that I could upload any ring tone and wallpaper that I want. So my phone will be the only one with a Techno ring tone with a kitten on the screen.
And tonight I'm going bowling with a bunch of my coworkers. We're playing with/against the Santa Barbara branch (I work at the Goleta branch-- much closer to home). I look forward to introducing Charles to everyone.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
A Firey Tale
On the fourth of July, a forest fire started Northeast of Santa Barbara. And it's been burning ever since. This is the dry season, but I hadn't quite connected no rain with the potential of never ending fire. Over 100,000 acres of forest have been burned down. You can read more about the fire here. And on any day when the wind blows in the right direction, it wend loads of smoke and ash over the mountains, causing the sky to turn a yellowish gray and white ash to fall from the sky very much like snow. So on some mornings I go out to get the car and it's covered in a white dusting of ash. And it isn't believed that the fire will be out until September. They're actually burning more forest to prevent the original fire from moving beyond those areas. Talk about fighting fire with fire.
Charles and I went to our first party in California. We didn't stay very long since we (meaning me) only knew one other person there-- but I think it's good that we're making efforts to be social. One of my coworkers was hosting the party and she invited us all to come. I'm always flattered to be included.
Work is going well. I've gotten the hang of just about everything. I like pretty much everyone I'm working with. And now we have a full staff-- meaning I won't be working very many Saturdays. Although I'm enjoying work for now, I've decided that I really want to go back to school. I really don't think I'm a good match with the business realm and would be much better suited with academia. My dream job would be and instructor at a college, so I'm going to see if I can make that possible, hopefully sooner rather then later.
Charles and I went to our first party in California. We didn't stay very long since we (meaning me) only knew one other person there-- but I think it's good that we're making efforts to be social. One of my coworkers was hosting the party and she invited us all to come. I'm always flattered to be included.
Work is going well. I've gotten the hang of just about everything. I like pretty much everyone I'm working with. And now we have a full staff-- meaning I won't be working very many Saturdays. Although I'm enjoying work for now, I've decided that I really want to go back to school. I really don't think I'm a good match with the business realm and would be much better suited with academia. My dream job would be and instructor at a college, so I'm going to see if I can make that possible, hopefully sooner rather then later.
Monday, August 13, 2007
It's My Brithday!
I had a good brithday weekend-- partly becasue I had Saturday off. We were able to go shopping downtown and watched a few DVDs and play video games all day long. A pretty good birthday if you ask me. And-- I got a call from my brother, Aaron. He's back in Seattle after a very long tour on their sub. So we got to catch up.
I got cards from my parents and Charles parents and my grandmother :-) so I feel that my birthday's been totally celebrated. Charles gave me a stuffed Polar Bear and cooked Chicken Parmasian. It was really good and easier to make then we thought. So, hats off to the chef.
I got cards from my parents and Charles parents and my grandmother :-) so I feel that my birthday's been totally celebrated. Charles gave me a stuffed Polar Bear and cooked Chicken Parmasian. It was really good and easier to make then we thought. So, hats off to the chef.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Frames are Not Cheap
As I am writing this I am munching on the guacamole that we made for dinner. I'm amazed at how easy it is to make-- mash some avocados with a little oil and lime, add whatever else you like, and presto! delicious dip. I suggest everyone try and make it. It helps that avocados are grown in mass here-- and happen to be delicious.
On Saturday we had a staff meeting at the bank. It was pretty much a 2 hour reminder that we should be selling more credit cards (probably because that's how we make lots of money) and then we read nine million papers that rated our performance. I'm doing OK so far.
This past week was Fiesta, which my coworkers had made out to sound like a big drinking fest. I had to work all week, so I missed all the festivities. We did go downtown on Sunday-- the last day of the fest-- but all that was going on was the closing ceremony which was a tickets required black tie event. In all we missed it. Next year I'll be sure to take time off for it.
I desperately want a new phone and cell service for my birthday, so Charles took me to the verizon store today since it's my day off. Before we got there he got a call from his dad, Don't tell Beth, but were planning on getting her a cell phone for her birthday. Well since we were already on the way to get one, there was no real surprise. He's planning on transferring me one of the existing phones from his business then he has an extra one. But first he need to switch it to a California area code, and only then can we get a phone for me and some how have it set up on his account. In all-- we couldn't do it today. Hopefully I'll get a phone by my birthday.
Our next stop was an art store that does custom framing. We had Charles 2 diplomas and my one, and wanted to get all three of them framed. We picked out some blue and gold matting and a classic wood frame and the nice glare free glass that lets maximum light through. All in all and awesome package. So how much will that cost us? $450. For one of them.
Ouch
I wasn't planing on dropping 14 hundred on frames. We tooled with a few of the options-- double matting instead of triple, simple glass instead of 'museum' quality, an inexpensive frame. No matter how many changes we made, it didn't go much less then $400 apiece, so we left saying we'd think about it. Honestly, I was thinking that is wouldn't look so bad if we just stapled them on the wall. They are nice paper-- they wouldn't look so bad on there own.
So we went to Michael's in hopes of getting a better deal there. After doing some more option manipulations, we were able to settle on the triple matting we wanted and a classic dark wood frame with non-glare glass for a much more reasonable price-- and 50% discount, I think the sales associate sympathized with the whole poor college student situation we're in. So in 2 weeks we'll have gorgeously framed proof that we did indeed graduate college. Times 3.
On Saturday we had a staff meeting at the bank. It was pretty much a 2 hour reminder that we should be selling more credit cards (probably because that's how we make lots of money) and then we read nine million papers that rated our performance. I'm doing OK so far.
This past week was Fiesta, which my coworkers had made out to sound like a big drinking fest. I had to work all week, so I missed all the festivities. We did go downtown on Sunday-- the last day of the fest-- but all that was going on was the closing ceremony which was a tickets required black tie event. In all we missed it. Next year I'll be sure to take time off for it.
I desperately want a new phone and cell service for my birthday, so Charles took me to the verizon store today since it's my day off. Before we got there he got a call from his dad, Don't tell Beth, but were planning on getting her a cell phone for her birthday. Well since we were already on the way to get one, there was no real surprise. He's planning on transferring me one of the existing phones from his business then he has an extra one. But first he need to switch it to a California area code, and only then can we get a phone for me and some how have it set up on his account. In all-- we couldn't do it today. Hopefully I'll get a phone by my birthday.
Our next stop was an art store that does custom framing. We had Charles 2 diplomas and my one, and wanted to get all three of them framed. We picked out some blue and gold matting and a classic wood frame and the nice glare free glass that lets maximum light through. All in all and awesome package. So how much will that cost us? $450. For one of them.
Ouch
I wasn't planing on dropping 14 hundred on frames. We tooled with a few of the options-- double matting instead of triple, simple glass instead of 'museum' quality, an inexpensive frame. No matter how many changes we made, it didn't go much less then $400 apiece, so we left saying we'd think about it. Honestly, I was thinking that is wouldn't look so bad if we just stapled them on the wall. They are nice paper-- they wouldn't look so bad on there own.
So we went to Michael's in hopes of getting a better deal there. After doing some more option manipulations, we were able to settle on the triple matting we wanted and a classic dark wood frame with non-glare glass for a much more reasonable price-- and 50% discount, I think the sales associate sympathized with the whole poor college student situation we're in. So in 2 weeks we'll have gorgeously framed proof that we did indeed graduate college. Times 3.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
I Don't Like Angry People
I had a very angry foreign customer this morning. The type who is so angry he throws stuff at his teller. Alright, he only threw papers, but still.
For those too lazy to order new checks, for each transaction they need to make, they just waltz into the bank and have us make a cashiers check for them. I can understand ordering a few-- we got one for our safety deposit for the apartment. However, there are the customers who are so reluctant to use their own checks, they come into the bank for every check they need to right. Their monthly rent, the gas bill, the money they owed their brother for fixing the deck... everything.
So, a family walks in (man, wife, their daughter) and asks for a cashiers check for August rent. Their apartment company has some funny impossible to spell name and I mixed up and 'A' or an 'E' when I printed it out. So, the guy is very unhappy and has me print another, and apparently there is an 'S' wrong somewhere on that one. So, he yells and insults me and throws his papers at me and continues yelling for a while. Since I kinda like my job, I kept composure-- asked if he'd prefer another teller complete the transaction or if he could stop yelling and let me print out another one.
My supervisor appears next to me.
The security guard from the branch materializes beside the irate customer.
Needless to say his wife is absolutely mortified.
So, I quickly print off a third check, and my supervisor signs it and sends him out before he has a chance to read it. We put a note on his account profile Is rude and aggressive towards associates -- very satisfying teller pay back. And I get props for keeping my cool.
The first week in August is 'fiesta'. Our neighbors gave us a brochure with a few details and stressed the importance of staying uptown-- much more 'classy' there. My coworkers have gone on and on about how late the bars are open and how awesome the parties are. I don't know what quite to expect. I was hoping on cashing in on the parade and ethnic food aspect of the whole festivities. We'll see what unveils.
For those too lazy to order new checks, for each transaction they need to make, they just waltz into the bank and have us make a cashiers check for them. I can understand ordering a few-- we got one for our safety deposit for the apartment. However, there are the customers who are so reluctant to use their own checks, they come into the bank for every check they need to right. Their monthly rent, the gas bill, the money they owed their brother for fixing the deck... everything.
So, a family walks in (man, wife, their daughter) and asks for a cashiers check for August rent. Their apartment company has some funny impossible to spell name and I mixed up and 'A' or an 'E' when I printed it out. So, the guy is very unhappy and has me print another, and apparently there is an 'S' wrong somewhere on that one. So, he yells and insults me and throws his papers at me and continues yelling for a while. Since I kinda like my job, I kept composure-- asked if he'd prefer another teller complete the transaction or if he could stop yelling and let me print out another one.
My supervisor appears next to me.
The security guard from the branch materializes beside the irate customer.
Needless to say his wife is absolutely mortified.
So, I quickly print off a third check, and my supervisor signs it and sends him out before he has a chance to read it. We put a note on his account profile Is rude and aggressive towards associates -- very satisfying teller pay back. And I get props for keeping my cool.
The first week in August is 'fiesta'. Our neighbors gave us a brochure with a few details and stressed the importance of staying uptown-- much more 'classy' there. My coworkers have gone on and on about how late the bars are open and how awesome the parties are. I don't know what quite to expect. I was hoping on cashing in on the parade and ethnic food aspect of the whole festivities. We'll see what unveils.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Suprise Visit from the Regional Manager
I arrived at the bank this morning and saw one of my coworkers wearing pantie hose! I knew something must be awry. Sure enough when my Supervisor checked me in this morning he informed me that the boss's boss was at the branch today; we were going to open many more accounts today and we were going to be perfectly polished and professional. I myself wore a nice sweater for the occasion-- forgetting that our normal 'arctic freeze' air conditioning is currently broken.
So our manager James was on his best behavior which rubbed off on the tellers. I got to meat the regional manager briefly. By the end of the day before I left James told me that she had pointed me out above all the tellers because I smiled at every customer and had the Bank of America Spirit. It's good to have been noticed by the branch manager this early on in the game :-) So, in the end my manager is happy with me.
Charles has started receiving lots of mail from UCSB. It's nice to be reminded finally why were all the way over here in California. He's been pouring over the course listings and the TA training schedule. He plans on taking as many qualifying exams before courses start-- I'm so proud of him.
In the mean time, he likes to make sure that he's done something around the apartment before I've come home from work. Did you vacuum the carpet? Where'd the dirty dishes go? Not to mention he makes me lunch and dinner everyday. And coffee in the morning. :-D I'm really digging this whole newly wed thing.
I'll have to make sure and make it up to him some how-- maybe packing his lunches once classes start.
So our manager James was on his best behavior which rubbed off on the tellers. I got to meat the regional manager briefly. By the end of the day before I left James told me that she had pointed me out above all the tellers because I smiled at every customer and had the Bank of America Spirit. It's good to have been noticed by the branch manager this early on in the game :-) So, in the end my manager is happy with me.
Charles has started receiving lots of mail from UCSB. It's nice to be reminded finally why were all the way over here in California. He's been pouring over the course listings and the TA training schedule. He plans on taking as many qualifying exams before courses start-- I'm so proud of him.
In the mean time, he likes to make sure that he's done something around the apartment before I've come home from work. Did you vacuum the carpet? Where'd the dirty dishes go? Not to mention he makes me lunch and dinner everyday. And coffee in the morning. :-D I'm really digging this whole newly wed thing.
I'll have to make sure and make it up to him some how-- maybe packing his lunches once classes start.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Ins and Outs of Santa Barbara
I went to the bookstore last Friday night at 11:30-- even thought I had to work early on Saturday, just so that I could get my hands on the LAST HARRY POTTER BOOK. We bought 2 copies so that Charles and I wouldn't have to share, although Charles finished reading it much faster. I alas, have work, so I am almost finished but not quite.
I do enjoy my new job as a teller. As I get better and more efficient I seem to get less angry customers. But there's always a few. I've had a lot of trouble with the California drivers licenses. Apparently the DMV thought it would be cool to encode the license number and expiration date on a magnetic stripe on the back of the card so that you can swipe them just like a debit card. Of course anyone over 20 thinks that by swiping their license I know everything about them and am trying to steal their identity. People get surprisingly angry when asked to swipe their license, and I had one customer ask for my manager and then proceed to yell at him for 15 minutes because I asked him to swipe his license. Needless to say, I given up on the whole swiping thing. If someone comes in without a skateboard in hand-- they'll want me to look at their license the old fashion way.
Most of the people in California have lived here their whole lives and have no idea what even the rest of their country is like. All of my coworkers ask me all the time, "So what's it like in the ATL?" They have a hard time believing that Spanish isn't a prominent language there, that there are indeed lots of black people, and that the weather could actually get hotter then 78 degrees. Here, 75 degrees is considered 'hot'. I love it!
There is a horrible real estate bubble here. Lots of people move here, but there is not room to build more homes, so an equal number of people are moving out. There are basically 2 demographics here-- college students who cram into condos and apartments which they can barely afford, and then wealthy people who can afford to drop $8 million on a home. Because of this, there's a desperate need for jobs at the entry level. There just aren't enough college students to fill them all. At the bank, 2 girls were hired to the teller position a couple weeks before me, then a week after I got there a fourth person was hired. And after all that, there's still a sign on our door declaring that the bank is still hiring for this location. It's crazy.
I do enjoy my new job as a teller. As I get better and more efficient I seem to get less angry customers. But there's always a few. I've had a lot of trouble with the California drivers licenses. Apparently the DMV thought it would be cool to encode the license number and expiration date on a magnetic stripe on the back of the card so that you can swipe them just like a debit card. Of course anyone over 20 thinks that by swiping their license I know everything about them and am trying to steal their identity. People get surprisingly angry when asked to swipe their license, and I had one customer ask for my manager and then proceed to yell at him for 15 minutes because I asked him to swipe his license. Needless to say, I given up on the whole swiping thing. If someone comes in without a skateboard in hand-- they'll want me to look at their license the old fashion way.
Most of the people in California have lived here their whole lives and have no idea what even the rest of their country is like. All of my coworkers ask me all the time, "So what's it like in the ATL?" They have a hard time believing that Spanish isn't a prominent language there, that there are indeed lots of black people, and that the weather could actually get hotter then 78 degrees. Here, 75 degrees is considered 'hot'. I love it!
There is a horrible real estate bubble here. Lots of people move here, but there is not room to build more homes, so an equal number of people are moving out. There are basically 2 demographics here-- college students who cram into condos and apartments which they can barely afford, and then wealthy people who can afford to drop $8 million on a home. Because of this, there's a desperate need for jobs at the entry level. There just aren't enough college students to fill them all. At the bank, 2 girls were hired to the teller position a couple weeks before me, then a week after I got there a fourth person was hired. And after all that, there's still a sign on our door declaring that the bank is still hiring for this location. It's crazy.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Let's go to Hollywood!
One of the beautiful things about living in Santa Barbara is that LA is a short 2 hour drive away (when there is no trafic whatsoever-- usually takes twice the time, but that's not the point). So if one wanted to, say, see the new Harry Potter movie in Hollywood, it's no real big.
OK, maybe it is big. Really big. IMAX screen as big as a football field big. And when it comes to movies, big = super cool.
So, on Thursday Charles and I drove over to Universal City in Hollywood to watch Order of the Pheonix at the 3D IMAX theatre. Once we got there, we saw security people terring down the red carpet for another movie's premier. There were flashy lights and fun stores and LOADS of people. We went to a cute little toy store and I got myself a Harry Potter lunch box. Oh yeah, I'm cool.
We met Charles family, then went into the theater. Got our 3D glasses, then bought all the movie snacks we could afford. I must say the movie was amazing. I think they picked out the best elements to emphasize for the movie-- and left the fluff out. So one can condence 1000+ pages into a meer 2 hours. The whole scene when all the students go to the ministry of magic to find Harry's orb thing to the end of the battle there was in 3D. VERY cool. I enjoyed it. There was lot of cheering. Every time Dumbledore appeared in the movie a bunch of people cheered :-) But, I have to admit, the 3rd movie is still my favorite.
Work is going well. I'm mostly done with training and will start working with customers soon. That will sure beat hiding in the back room doing training on the computer. I like all my coworkers. They're all pretty cool and nice.
Oh, and I got my first paycheck. That makes everything worth it!
OK, maybe it is big. Really big. IMAX screen as big as a football field big. And when it comes to movies, big = super cool.
So, on Thursday Charles and I drove over to Universal City in Hollywood to watch Order of the Pheonix at the 3D IMAX theatre. Once we got there, we saw security people terring down the red carpet for another movie's premier. There were flashy lights and fun stores and LOADS of people. We went to a cute little toy store and I got myself a Harry Potter lunch box. Oh yeah, I'm cool.
We met Charles family, then went into the theater. Got our 3D glasses, then bought all the movie snacks we could afford. I must say the movie was amazing. I think they picked out the best elements to emphasize for the movie-- and left the fluff out. So one can condence 1000+ pages into a meer 2 hours. The whole scene when all the students go to the ministry of magic to find Harry's orb thing to the end of the battle there was in 3D. VERY cool. I enjoyed it. There was lot of cheering. Every time Dumbledore appeared in the movie a bunch of people cheered :-) But, I have to admit, the 3rd movie is still my favorite.
Work is going well. I'm mostly done with training and will start working with customers soon. That will sure beat hiding in the back room doing training on the computer. I like all my coworkers. They're all pretty cool and nice.
Oh, and I got my first paycheck. That makes everything worth it!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Starting work, Castle
I finally started work on Monday. I was very excited to finally start training. So of course the online-training tool wouldn't let me log in. So I spent all morning watching training videos. I think all aspiring actors should look into doing a few training videos. Apparently no actual acting ability is required. I watched several scenes in which a 'robber' with a ski mask walked into the bank and robbed the 'teller' who was about as terified as a person can be while completely focused on reading the teleprompter. Much fun. Since I still couldn't log onto the computer that afternoon, I obsered one of the tellers-- called 'shadowing'. Of course the bankwas so busy all the tellers were working at near light speed, meaning I didn't catch onto much that first day. But I did make a point to introduce myself to all the other tellers. Sounds like I'll being working with a group of some pretty nice people. At the end of the day i asked nicely for Teusday off-- explained that the inlaws are in town and all. Since there was a chance I may not be able to log in the next day, my manager felt that another day of shadowing may not help much at this point, so I'll return on Wednesday.
Today, we all went to the Herst Castle. That was pretty cool. It wasn't nearly as impressive as Biltmore-- not as big or grand. But he did have an excellent collection of artwork and antique/historic pieces. And he had eery ammenity for guests to his estate, including a heated indoor pool. I informed Charles that I want a castle and he should totally start working on that. :-)
Today, we all went to the Herst Castle. That was pretty cool. It wasn't nearly as impressive as Biltmore-- not as big or grand. But he did have an excellent collection of artwork and antique/historic pieces. And he had eery ammenity for guests to his estate, including a heated indoor pool. I informed Charles that I want a castle and he should totally start working on that. :-)
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Our First Guests
Well, the in-laws made it here safe and sound. Charles little sister, McKenna insisted that she did not want to fly back. If she started driving now... she might be able to get back home when her parents arrive by plane a week later. She didn't like that idea. My best friend Beth flies a lot and admits that she doesn't like it. I imagine being over 21 helps though...
We were able to spend yesterday evening with Charles's family, and I imagine most of today. They'll be here until Thursday (then some time in LA!) but I might be working most of the week.
We were browsing around down town Santa Barbara, and Charles and I had a particular costume jewelry store in mind that we wanted to show the girls. Needless to say they loved it. When you walk in the store, it's so big you can see the back! So, an hour later, I'm pretty sure we saw EVERYTHING in the store. I was impressed by McKenna's restraint-- she only HAD to have one bracelet.
We had forewarned them about the weather. It was and will be for the whole week amazing. A perfect 72 during the day, and then a refreshing 62 at night. Beets the heat wave back in Georgia.
We were able to spend yesterday evening with Charles's family, and I imagine most of today. They'll be here until Thursday (then some time in LA!) but I might be working most of the week.
We were browsing around down town Santa Barbara, and Charles and I had a particular costume jewelry store in mind that we wanted to show the girls. Needless to say they loved it. When you walk in the store, it's so big you can see the back! So, an hour later, I'm pretty sure we saw EVERYTHING in the store. I was impressed by McKenna's restraint-- she only HAD to have one bracelet.
We had forewarned them about the weather. It was and will be for the whole week amazing. A perfect 72 during the day, and then a refreshing 62 at night. Beets the heat wave back in Georgia.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Curtain Catastrophy
So, my time has been consumed with playing World of Warcraft-- an online role playing game. It's pretty fun. I have a character who can run around and whack enemies with her sword, cast spells, and summon some big blue blob that can whack enemies for her. I bought my character all the essentials, including a pet cat. Hey, if I can't have a pet in real life, at least I can have one in a silly little game.
I start working on Monday. I feel a little bad for idling around for so long-- but in my defense, it was their application process that took so long. So, soon I will have joined the working world.
Charles family is visiting come tomorrow. Charles is excited to show off his new culinary skills, so he's planning on cooking a big dinner for everyone. And now we have a table and almost enough chairs for everyone! So, he should be able to pull this off. We'll see how it goes.
In preparation for their visit, I had wanted to make curtains for all the windows. Charles insisted that we should wait a while before getting a sewing machine-- seeing that they can run on the expensive side. So we went to bed bath and beyond to buy curtains. Our first problem of course was my inability to measure the windows properly. I was shocked to see how much a rectangle of fabric with a hem on the bottom costs. It's outrageous. And then you need at least 2 panels for any window. And don't forget the valence and the sash and the draperies and... and...
So after dropping a lot more money at bed and beyond then any sewing machine would cost we came home with and arsenal of kitchen doodads and curtain stuff. I did't get a big enough rod for the living room window (note: return curtain rod) so instead I installed the one over the kitchen. Securing the curtain rod was a pain-- apparently our walls are concrete-like rock instead of sheet rock. After much toiling, I got the rod supports on the wall, only to find that the curtain rod does not fasten securely to the wall. It stays there, but comes off is a fury each time I try to put curtain up there. Plus the curtain are way too long (I can understand floor length, but these were ridiculous). I could always hem them... I'll I'd need in a sewing machine. (note: return curtains) So in the end purchased curtains have turned out to be a big ugly pain. I'm going to return them all and get the sewing machine I really wanted. Then I can make curtains that fit.
I start working on Monday. I feel a little bad for idling around for so long-- but in my defense, it was their application process that took so long. So, soon I will have joined the working world.
Charles family is visiting come tomorrow. Charles is excited to show off his new culinary skills, so he's planning on cooking a big dinner for everyone. And now we have a table and almost enough chairs for everyone! So, he should be able to pull this off. We'll see how it goes.
In preparation for their visit, I had wanted to make curtains for all the windows. Charles insisted that we should wait a while before getting a sewing machine-- seeing that they can run on the expensive side. So we went to bed bath and beyond to buy curtains. Our first problem of course was my inability to measure the windows properly. I was shocked to see how much a rectangle of fabric with a hem on the bottom costs. It's outrageous. And then you need at least 2 panels for any window. And don't forget the valence and the sash and the draperies and... and...
So after dropping a lot more money at bed and beyond then any sewing machine would cost we came home with and arsenal of kitchen doodads and curtain stuff. I did't get a big enough rod for the living room window (note: return curtain rod) so instead I installed the one over the kitchen. Securing the curtain rod was a pain-- apparently our walls are concrete-like rock instead of sheet rock. After much toiling, I got the rod supports on the wall, only to find that the curtain rod does not fasten securely to the wall. It stays there, but comes off is a fury each time I try to put curtain up there. Plus the curtain are way too long (I can understand floor length, but these were ridiculous). I could always hem them... I'll I'd need in a sewing machine. (note: return curtains) So in the end purchased curtains have turned out to be a big ugly pain. I'm going to return them all and get the sewing machine I really wanted. Then I can make curtains that fit.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
And time goes on...
So, the sofa people got their stuff together-- so hopefully I'll have a couch by the time the in-laws visit.
Since we finally got some money, we went to Macy's and purchased the cookware from our wedding registry which no one got us. Don't get me wrong-- we got some cool gifts-- but we also got every inexpensive $5 item on that list as well.
Since we bought the big set (we're starting from nothing) they gave us a bunch of free stuff as well. So what started as one heavy box Charles could carry turned into a mountain of boxes that we probably should have enlisted some help bringing out to the car. I'm sure it's always a moral boost for the employees to see a young couple walk out with their mountain of purchases, only to deposit them in the car and walk right back in. Hey! I wanted to look at handbags.
So, now we have the tools necessary for frying an egg. We were able to go to the grocery store and stock up on produce. Our fridge looks like it belongs to a health nut-- hey, we're in California now!
Talking about health nut... The place we got lunch a few days ago actually printed all the nutrition information for the food we ordered on the receipt.
After sitting around for a week, I started wondering, didn't I get a job? Whatever happened to that? So I went to the bank and bugged the manager, and then the next day, suddenly all of my paperwork is through. After interviewing me to death, they still want me to come in and verify that I am who I say I am.
So, I'll start work on July 9th. Until then, more video games!
Since we finally got some money, we went to Macy's and purchased the cookware from our wedding registry which no one got us. Don't get me wrong-- we got some cool gifts-- but we also got every inexpensive $5 item on that list as well.
Since we bought the big set (we're starting from nothing) they gave us a bunch of free stuff as well. So what started as one heavy box Charles could carry turned into a mountain of boxes that we probably should have enlisted some help bringing out to the car. I'm sure it's always a moral boost for the employees to see a young couple walk out with their mountain of purchases, only to deposit them in the car and walk right back in. Hey! I wanted to look at handbags.
So, now we have the tools necessary for frying an egg. We were able to go to the grocery store and stock up on produce. Our fridge looks like it belongs to a health nut-- hey, we're in California now!
Talking about health nut... The place we got lunch a few days ago actually printed all the nutrition information for the food we ordered on the receipt.
After sitting around for a week, I started wondering, didn't I get a job? Whatever happened to that? So I went to the bank and bugged the manager, and then the next day, suddenly all of my paperwork is through. After interviewing me to death, they still want me to come in and verify that I am who I say I am.
So, I'll start work on July 9th. Until then, more video games!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Still Sitting on the Floor
Our sofa was scheduled to arrive on Saturday. I cashed in some of my stocks to afford it-- and the check was currently lost in the mail, so my parents graciously loaned us a little money so we could get our sofa.
I called the furniture store on Friday, made sure the sofa was paid for and confirmed that it would indeed arrive the next day. Cool. We wait Saturday morning, waiting for sofa, and I call the furniture store and ask when the sofa will arrive so we can be sure that we're home. Hmmm, you're sofa isn't on the truck to be delivered today. In fact, we have no idea where your sofa is. I talk to the manager and he tells me that he doesn't handle this kind of thing and I should talk to the sales rep who sold us the sofa, but she's out all weekend. Can he have her call me first thing on Monday?
I call the sales rep late on Monday since no one called me and she claims that she just sold the sofa, and it's her managers duty to line up the sofa delivery. I assured her that the manager had no idea where our sofa was. So, she wants to talk it over with her manager, and can they get back to me first thing Tuesday.
And it's Tuesday. Yet again I had to call the store later in the day. Since neither the sales rep nor the manager want to take the fall or even fix this, she said she'll talk to the general manager of the furniture chain, and she'll call back first thing tomorrow.
So, if we don't even know where the hell our sofa is tomorrow, Charles and I are going to the furniture store personally (and perhaps just steal the floor model).
I had withdrawn some money from my stocks to pay for said furniture. Of course my finance guy lives in Missouri and had troubles spelling our street address (not totally his fault-- our road name is Spanish, but he got the number wrong as well which I am a little mad about). So, the check he mailed to me got returned to him. After a few more phone calls he sent out another check this time to the correct address.
Charles and I play the waiting game for a few days, fervently checking the mail 4, 5 times a day. That's odd. We're not getting any mail at all... A quick stop (read two hours) at the post office, and we found that the carried had been holding our mail. So we came home with a wedding album, tons of insurance papers, bills, etc. And the next few days we get our debit cards (YES!) and then the check.
The second I have money in my hand I run to the bank to deposit it, and the teller informs me that since my account is 'new' (switched from Georgia to California) I can't touch my money for 2 weeks. just cause! hahaha. I went home and got Charles as backup and we went back for a quick stop (read two hours) at the bank and got the hold taken off of our money.
So now we have money and no sofa. I thought it was suppose to be the other way around...
I called the furniture store on Friday, made sure the sofa was paid for and confirmed that it would indeed arrive the next day. Cool. We wait Saturday morning, waiting for sofa, and I call the furniture store and ask when the sofa will arrive so we can be sure that we're home. Hmmm, you're sofa isn't on the truck to be delivered today. In fact, we have no idea where your sofa is. I talk to the manager and he tells me that he doesn't handle this kind of thing and I should talk to the sales rep who sold us the sofa, but she's out all weekend. Can he have her call me first thing on Monday?
I call the sales rep late on Monday since no one called me and she claims that she just sold the sofa, and it's her managers duty to line up the sofa delivery. I assured her that the manager had no idea where our sofa was. So, she wants to talk it over with her manager, and can they get back to me first thing Tuesday.
And it's Tuesday. Yet again I had to call the store later in the day. Since neither the sales rep nor the manager want to take the fall or even fix this, she said she'll talk to the general manager of the furniture chain, and she'll call back first thing tomorrow.
So, if we don't even know where the hell our sofa is tomorrow, Charles and I are going to the furniture store personally (and perhaps just steal the floor model).
I had withdrawn some money from my stocks to pay for said furniture. Of course my finance guy lives in Missouri and had troubles spelling our street address (not totally his fault-- our road name is Spanish, but he got the number wrong as well which I am a little mad about). So, the check he mailed to me got returned to him. After a few more phone calls he sent out another check this time to the correct address.
Charles and I play the waiting game for a few days, fervently checking the mail 4, 5 times a day. That's odd. We're not getting any mail at all... A quick stop (read two hours) at the post office, and we found that the carried had been holding our mail. So we came home with a wedding album, tons of insurance papers, bills, etc. And the next few days we get our debit cards (YES!) and then the check.
The second I have money in my hand I run to the bank to deposit it, and the teller informs me that since my account is 'new' (switched from Georgia to California) I can't touch my money for 2 weeks. just cause! hahaha. I went home and got Charles as backup and we went back for a quick stop (read two hours) at the bank and got the hold taken off of our money.
So now we have money and no sofa. I thought it was suppose to be the other way around...
Friday, June 22, 2007
The Beach
Well, we've lived here in Santa Barbara for almost a month, and today we finally did it. We went to the beach. It wasn't an intentional venture-- we were taking a walk around the block and turned onto a new road, and then BAM, ocean. Only about a half mile walk. Wow. Since we were just out walking we weren't prepared to play in the sun, but we did have sandals that promoted walking up to the surf. The water was COLD. Also, there was a lot of kelp. Enough that some of the college folk brave enough to go in the water were using large chunks of the stuff in some sort of kelp war. Don't you love college?
Since the spring semester has ended, most of the student have left leaving most of the apartments/frat houses empty. I would relish in the peace and quite-- but the management companies for all these buildings are using the summer as their opportunity to renovate (read construction). So there's lot of loud equipment and loud workers to make up for the noise deficit. The fraternity next door is getting a new roof. But the old roof needed to be ripped off first. I am confident that about 90% of the old roof ended up on top of our car. So Charles moved the car over 20 feet into the corner of the lot where it would be safe from construction cast off. Then the plumbers came to fix a problem in the apartments upstairs and promptly blocked us in, and took our assigned parking spot. So there are 3 cars in the lot-- ours being blocked in, one plumber blocking us in, and the other plumber in our spot. The rest of the lot is empty. Oh well. Since we couldn't go anywhere, we decided to take a walk, and then found the Pacific. Not a bad day at all. :-)
Since the spring semester has ended, most of the student have left leaving most of the apartments/frat houses empty. I would relish in the peace and quite-- but the management companies for all these buildings are using the summer as their opportunity to renovate (read construction). So there's lot of loud equipment and loud workers to make up for the noise deficit. The fraternity next door is getting a new roof. But the old roof needed to be ripped off first. I am confident that about 90% of the old roof ended up on top of our car. So Charles moved the car over 20 feet into the corner of the lot where it would be safe from construction cast off. Then the plumbers came to fix a problem in the apartments upstairs and promptly blocked us in, and took our assigned parking spot. So there are 3 cars in the lot-- ours being blocked in, one plumber blocking us in, and the other plumber in our spot. The rest of the lot is empty. Oh well. Since we couldn't go anywhere, we decided to take a walk, and then found the Pacific. Not a bad day at all. :-)
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Had an Interview
Well, I finally got some call backs after my job search. I had an interview today with Bank of America. I thought it went well. And then they called me back and said I got the job! Woohoo. Then, later that day they called again. I'm sorry, the salary I quoted you earlier today was incorrect. We want to give you MORE money. I win. I'm excited that I'll be making money, meeting new people, and finally have a regular schedule. Plus, the bank is super close to home. I could ride a bike to get to work.
I dig drag my old bike along with me to California, but I'm seriously considering buying a new one. I didn't have a bike lock to keep it safe-- bike theft is a real problem here-- so I just kind of left it outside. I figured it would be OK. Well, 2 weeks later it got stolen. Then a few days after that it magically return. So I'm guessing maybe it isn't worth to much. And the bike shop down the street has a really cute pink model...
I also schedule an interview with Starbucks, but seeing as they won't pay me as much as the bank, I may decline.
Other then that-- My stock guy called me up to say the money they sent me in the mail was returned. He had the address wrong. So now I guess I have to wait even longer to get furniture. And cookware. Charles is doing an excellent job cooking with the resources he has. We have beautiful flatware, plates, wineglasses, and one pot. Yep.
He cleans the dishes too. He's such a sweetie.
I dig drag my old bike along with me to California, but I'm seriously considering buying a new one. I didn't have a bike lock to keep it safe-- bike theft is a real problem here-- so I just kind of left it outside. I figured it would be OK. Well, 2 weeks later it got stolen. Then a few days after that it magically return. So I'm guessing maybe it isn't worth to much. And the bike shop down the street has a really cute pink model...
I also schedule an interview with Starbucks, but seeing as they won't pay me as much as the bank, I may decline.
Other then that-- My stock guy called me up to say the money they sent me in the mail was returned. He had the address wrong. So now I guess I have to wait even longer to get furniture. And cookware. Charles is doing an excellent job cooking with the resources he has. We have beautiful flatware, plates, wineglasses, and one pot. Yep.
He cleans the dishes too. He's such a sweetie.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Hot on the Job Trail
I'm applying for a teller position at Bank of America. But since they have been a little sluggish in corresponding with me, I've hit the retail stores, papering them with my resume.
Everyone seemed very interested in hiring me, but no one has actually called back. I applied at a luggage shop that had a help wanted sign displayed out front. I chatted with the older women working there while one of them fought with the printer trying to get me an application. They were trilled that I wasn't looking for seasonal work and promised that they'd totally call.
I also applied at Victoria's Secret. A store discount might make something there affordable. The manager said they were desperate for new employees, and could I start Monday? But first I had to complete a telephone survey and swear I didn't do drugs. of course, no one knew the extension # I needed for the phone survey, so I patiently waited while a few of them ran around the store. What was that number? What number did you get when you applied here? After 30 minutes and calling corporate headquarters, they figured it out. Then they asked if the wages I requested where negotiable. I'm not sure I want to work with that group of airheads for less then $10/hour. I still did the telephone survey, just to be safe.
I also applied to Starbucks, Forever 21, somewhere else-- I sure filled out a lot of applications.
And then after all of that I get a call from Bank of America asking to schedule an interview, cause they want me. Thank goodness.
Everyone seemed very interested in hiring me, but no one has actually called back. I applied at a luggage shop that had a help wanted sign displayed out front. I chatted with the older women working there while one of them fought with the printer trying to get me an application. They were trilled that I wasn't looking for seasonal work and promised that they'd totally call.
I also applied at Victoria's Secret. A store discount might make something there affordable. The manager said they were desperate for new employees, and could I start Monday? But first I had to complete a telephone survey and swear I didn't do drugs. of course, no one knew the extension # I needed for the phone survey, so I patiently waited while a few of them ran around the store. What was that number? What number did you get when you applied here? After 30 minutes and calling corporate headquarters, they figured it out. Then they asked if the wages I requested where negotiable. I'm not sure I want to work with that group of airheads for less then $10/hour. I still did the telephone survey, just to be safe.
I also applied to Starbucks, Forever 21, somewhere else-- I sure filled out a lot of applications.
And then after all of that I get a call from Bank of America asking to schedule an interview, cause they want me. Thank goodness.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Post makes me Postal
We bought a sofa. We still need to pay for said sofa. And ship said sofa. But I assure you it does exist and will one day materialize in all of its 'cactus' glory (that's a color) in our living room in 2 (ish) weeks.
Today we toiled with the Postal Service. Realizing that we'd have important things arrive in the mail, we went to the local post office and asked if we could have our mail put on vacation hold, so that our mail wouldn't arrive in our locked (we have no key) mailbox. We figured we could pick up the mail at the post office and avoid harassing our land lady about the mailbox key while she vacations for the majority of the month.
Our plan was flawless. We went to the post office this afternoon to pick up our first crop of mail (i.e. bills) and find that even though we filled out all the correct forms and turned them in, the vacation hold was never actually put on our box. But the postal worker assured us that if we caught our mail carrier, we could get our mail (for the day).
Discouraged, we decided to get into our mailbox no matter what it took. So I grabbed the hammer...
We went to the lock smith; made a copy of the car key (one is not enough). Asked if there was a way to open the mailbox without said hammer. For a hefty fee, we would come personally and open it. OR, we could wait for our mail carrier... and bust the lock out ourselves, bring it in, and he would replace it for $8.50.
Since it's already 4 pm, we feel a little defeated. We make plans to camp out next to the mail box all day tomorrow so that we can catch the carrier, get our mail, and bust out the lock. When we arrive back, just down the street is the mail carrier's truck, headed away. I jump out of the car and chase down the truck, flailing arms and all.
After catching up with the truck, our local mail carrier fixes the ails of the day. He comes back to the mailbox, and we get our mail, finally use the trusty hammer to remove the old lock, and say many thanks to the only helpful postal worker we've met thus far.
And of course, on our door is a note saying that we missed a package. But if we go back to yon friendly postal office!
So we go back to the post office...
And back to the locksmith...
We ran into the same guy working the counter at the post office that we had before.
Charles: We just had so much fun coming here the first time, we had to come again!
Me: Yeah! We'll be back here tomorrow!
In reality, hopefully we won't have to go back for a few days. Although we do need to remove the vacation hold.
Today we toiled with the Postal Service. Realizing that we'd have important things arrive in the mail, we went to the local post office and asked if we could have our mail put on vacation hold, so that our mail wouldn't arrive in our locked (we have no key) mailbox. We figured we could pick up the mail at the post office and avoid harassing our land lady about the mailbox key while she vacations for the majority of the month.
Our plan was flawless. We went to the post office this afternoon to pick up our first crop of mail (i.e. bills) and find that even though we filled out all the correct forms and turned them in, the vacation hold was never actually put on our box. But the postal worker assured us that if we caught our mail carrier, we could get our mail (for the day).
Discouraged, we decided to get into our mailbox no matter what it took. So I grabbed the hammer...
We went to the lock smith; made a copy of the car key (one is not enough). Asked if there was a way to open the mailbox without said hammer. For a hefty fee, we would come personally and open it. OR, we could wait for our mail carrier... and bust the lock out ourselves, bring it in, and he would replace it for $8.50.
Since it's already 4 pm, we feel a little defeated. We make plans to camp out next to the mail box all day tomorrow so that we can catch the carrier, get our mail, and bust out the lock. When we arrive back, just down the street is the mail carrier's truck, headed away. I jump out of the car and chase down the truck, flailing arms and all.
After catching up with the truck, our local mail carrier fixes the ails of the day. He comes back to the mailbox, and we get our mail, finally use the trusty hammer to remove the old lock, and say many thanks to the only helpful postal worker we've met thus far.
And of course, on our door is a note saying that we missed a package. But if we go back to yon friendly postal office!
So we go back to the post office...
And back to the locksmith...
We ran into the same guy working the counter at the post office that we had before.
Charles: We just had so much fun coming here the first time, we had to come again!
Me: Yeah! We'll be back here tomorrow!
In reality, hopefully we won't have to go back for a few days. Although we do need to remove the vacation hold.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Relocated to So Cal
It doesn't feel like I'm as far from Georgia as I am (although that 5 day drive made it feel real). Perhaps the constant phone calls with parents and friends, mostly parents, keep Charles and me feeling connected.
After finally setting up all of our utilities (I use to take hot showers for granted) I don't think I can afford myself. Thus I have started 'the job search' (which started with buying adorable interview clothes). I applied for a job at Bank of America. I figure banking has great opportunities for advancement, so it's OK if I start as a peon. I checked Yahoo- jobs (a horrible listing, don't use it) and found that Las Vegas is in need of teachers for their public school system. 3000 teachers. :-O No, I didn't add an extra zero. And there so desperate for teachers, their only requirement is that one is ABLE to get a teaching certificate, certificate not actually required. Nice. But I don't think I want to move to Vegas. I don't think I want to move ever again. I'm going to stay in our little appartment forever. I'm sure we could raise a family there. We could keep the first kid in the kitchen, the second in the closet...
My favorite thing about married life so far-- the company. I have the best companion by my side always. It's pretty cool. And he can't run away :-D If anything, having Charles is the best thing going on right now. That and the prospect of having cable.
mmm, TV.
After finally setting up all of our utilities (I use to take hot showers for granted) I don't think I can afford myself. Thus I have started 'the job search' (which started with buying adorable interview clothes). I applied for a job at Bank of America. I figure banking has great opportunities for advancement, so it's OK if I start as a peon. I checked Yahoo- jobs (a horrible listing, don't use it) and found that Las Vegas is in need of teachers for their public school system. 3000 teachers. :-O No, I didn't add an extra zero. And there so desperate for teachers, their only requirement is that one is ABLE to get a teaching certificate, certificate not actually required. Nice. But I don't think I want to move to Vegas. I don't think I want to move ever again. I'm going to stay in our little appartment forever. I'm sure we could raise a family there. We could keep the first kid in the kitchen, the second in the closet...
My favorite thing about married life so far-- the company. I have the best companion by my side always. It's pretty cool. And he can't run away :-D If anything, having Charles is the best thing going on right now. That and the prospect of having cable.
mmm, TV.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)