Time is a Precious Gem

Wow, I can't believe that it's been 7 months since I last blogged!  Wow!  Guess I've been a little busy!  Well, anyway, I got the urge tonight! That sounds like a confession!  "Forgive me Father for I have sinned, it's been 7 months since I last blogged!"  lol!


For a months now I have been obsessed with the Facebook garage sale sites.  I was really in to it and it occupied many hours of my precious time!  I did sell a crap load of stuff though!  I finally got over it!  Yeah!  I was on like 20 sites, no joke, and now I cut down to 8.  Three of them are my own sites, and I guess I can't abandon them.  I would like to, but really don't know how!  When I tried to "leave" one group, it said that anyone could be an administrator if I left!  Oh, nice!  I just sold something last week though.  It just took hours and hours to take photos, download them, and put descriptions and prices on them! No thank you!


My daughter is graduating next month!  I am in total denial still!  My husband and mom have been working on organizing things.  Thank God for them and their skills!  I just hope everything will fall together for her party in less than a month now!  I have been doing invitations though and am ordering the cake.  I'm good for somethings!  Oh, and I scanned a thousand photos!


Track has been keeping us busy.  Both kids are in it.  They are both long distant runners, and my son does the long jump.  We have track meets twice a week, and we have been freezing our butts off!  i am posting a couple of photos, one of Elle and one of Dalton.

Elle also had you senior prom this month.  She looked beautiful!  

I can't believe how time has flown, and it makes me realize how precious our time is and how we should use it wisely!  Our son is a freshman, and in 3 more years he will be gone too!  It is mind boggling to also realize how old I am!  I will be 44 in July!  Wow!


I keep hoping to hit the lotto so we could make our lives a little easier.  It would be nice to get a chance to slow down and actually start enjoying some family time!  I am working full-time as a sales rep for an advertising publication and part-time at a grocery store in customer service.  My husband, Jeff, works as a truck driver for a bread company and does refereeing on the side.


My son is also on a traveling basketball team.  My husband drove him to Kansas this weekend six hours one way for a tournament.  Thank God we only have one more tournament out of state.  I may have to drive him to Minneapolis in June.  I hate driving, let alone driving on my own in a city I don't know!  Dalton and I got lost in Iowa City!  omg!

Well, I guess you can see why I have had no time to blog!  I used to blog when I had insomnia.  Now I take sleeping pills and sleep like a baby!  


Well, I just wanted to get something out to let you all know that I'm still alive!  So sorry to those of you who read my blog!  I will try to keep up at least one a week, or once a month!  lol  Remember to take time to smell the roses because one day they will be gone!  Time is precious, so  make time for your families!  I need to make time to exercise too!  

I Am An Advertising Sales Woman, I Really Am

"WHEN DREAMS COME TRUE"

The last two weeks have really gone well for me at my advertising sales job.  I was very shocked at the total dollar amount I sold and at the total of my paycheck today!  I wish I did that well every pay period!  I am learning who to go after and how to get them.  I believe in the next two weeks I will have another full page or half page ad sold!

It makes me nervous when things are going so well!  In the last month or two I have gotten a new vehicle, gotten a really fun, new, full-time job, been able to quit two part-time jobs, feel pretty thin for once, and gotten a new haircut that I am loving!  No, my life isn't perfect, but it's getting pretty damn close!  A lot closer than it used to be!  When we can get caught up on all of our bills and have money left over to do something fun once in a while, that will be closer!  Please don't pinch me cuz I might wake up!

If You Can't Say Anything Nice, Don't Say Anything at All

People have been getting on my nerves on Facebook lately.  Some people say exactly what they think with no regard to how it may come off to the other person.  I was told the picture of my new haircut looked really bad.  Then asked if I don't like having my picture taken, then why do I keep taking picture of myself and posting them.  Well, I do have to have a profile pic!  Duh people!  Then I have people who correct my grammar and spelling!  That really irritates me so much!  I guess they don't realize that they make me feel like shit by doing this.  And finally, I had people asking me why I wasn't at church!  I am not a regular church goer at all, so I don't understand why they missed me so much today at church!  I went on my FB and deleted all the comments that irritated me.  Maybe these people will get the picture! 

 I don't need lectured on attending church!  It is my choice to go or not to go.  I am not a person who believes in institutional religion.  I believe that if you are a believer in God, it doesn't matter if you go to a church or not.  I wasn't baptized until I was 22 because my mother "forgot "!  I do enjoy certain aspects of church like communion.  I have yet to find a pastor that I feel is inspirational regarding God.  I think I need to go to one of those very commercialized churches in a huge auditorium with lots of people saying "Amen" and "hallelujah"!  There is a church like that in Jefferson that I really want to go to!  There is also a couple of churches in Carroll that we haven't checked out yet that I'd like to.

Anyway,  my message is think before you post a comment.  Think how it is going to make the other person feel.  Don't be a bitch if the bottom line!

Job Update

The second week I was at my new office in Carroll I sold a full page ad! I sent emails out regarding our agriculture special section, and someone replied by phone and told me they wanted to do a half page because they were having a grand opening. Well, this half page turned into a full page. I was thrilled! Not only did I get a full page ad, I gained a new client who hadn't advertised with us in quite a while. I also got a poster sponsor who never advertised with us ever before, which is a major company. This was a really good week for sales for me! I'm hoping my paycheck reflects that this week!

I quit one of my part-time jobs on Thursday. I'm not longer an employee of GNC (General Nutrition Center). I feel relieved! I don't know how I did it working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. I did it for a month though! I was getting major burn out! I actually asked my boss at GNC if I could just be on call. That way I could still be an employee, but not work very much. My boss left me a message on my cellphone and said that there was no one on call. Previously he told me that there was a guy who was going to be on call, and now all of the sudden there wasn't anyone on call. He sure changed the story fast. Then on the voice mail he told me that I could put in my two week notice and I could give him two or three weeks! Nobody gives a three-week notice, unless it is required. Well, I had to work on Thursday night and I really didn't feel well all day, I was very achy all over. I texted my boss there and told him I was sick and asked if he could find someone to cover me. He just simply replied "ok". This was very strange. On Thursday to Friday I take my Hy-Vee schedule to GNC so that he can schedule me for the next week. I never took my schedule in. I thought he would call me freaking out. He never called. I guess he really didn't need me, huh? I was only working like 6 hours a week making minimum wage. I was just holding on for the employee 30% discount. I'm very glad I'm out of there.

New Job Update

Well today marks week # 4 of my new full-time job.  I started off working for the Smart Shopper in Denison, Iowa.  This is an advertising newspaper and I sell ads. The first week I sold 2 ads, which is great because my mentor told me that she didn't sell any the first week.  I've sold some ads every week.  Not a lot, may one or two.  The third day I was there my boss was fired.  That was interesting!  But,  it was a good thing for all.  Last week we moved to a new office.  Every day we would go out to eat for lunch.  It's been really fun.

This week I went to work on Monday in Dension.  I was talking to the telemarketer over there, and we decided we should switch positions.  Well, then my supervisor told me that I could just move to the Carroll office to be the telemarketer.  This worked because then I didn't have a half an hour drive.  Today I started in the new office.  I sold two ads today - one via phone and one via email. 

My new office is in an old hotel that was called The Villa.  It was remodeled into an office.  My office is only second floor.  It is very quiet there, but I did get a lot accomplished.  No interruptions!  I think I'm gonna like it, and hopefully I will sell some ads and make some major dough!

Oh, by the way...I get to write!  Yea!

Finally

For the past two years all I've been praying and wishing for was a full-time job. Well tomorrow I start one. I am very anxious. Worried that I won't be good at it or it just won't work out. I have protected myself if that happens by keeping 2 of my part-time jobs. But, of course, I am not wishing for that to be the case. I interviewed for a part-time freelance writing position, and what I ended up with is a full-time advertising sales position. How could I turn down a chance at a full-time job? The only bad thing is that I have to drive half an hour each way. So, the money better be worth the drive!

I've been in retail sales for years and customer service for a few. I know how to handle people. I can read what people are thinking pretty well. I feel like I wanted this so much and now it's here and I'm not ready! Well, ready or not, here goes nothing! Tomorrow I am job shadowing someone. I just hope they are ok to work with. I get along with everyone, but some people drive anyone bonkers!

I will keep you posted on how it all goes!

Following My Dreams

I was reading an advertiser the other day when something caught my eye. It was an ad for a freelance writer. I've only wanted to write for practically my whole life. It's what I went to college for. So I emailed the guy and attached my resume and coverletter. Then he emails back that he was unable to pull up my attachments. So now, sometime in the very near future, I need to mail or fax them.

I would really love writing again! I loved every writing class I took in high school and college, and I entered every essay contest there was. I won one in junior high. It was about Iowa. I was co-editor of my high school newspaper for 2 years and I wrote for my college newspaper also. My first job in Denver was at a corporate travel agency where I composed their monthly newsletter. I also worked for the Denver Business Journal, a big business newspaper. The only thing I got to write there was for the in-house newspaper.

I've about 3 teachers who have influenced my writing. The first one was Mrs. West in junior high. She was also our supervisor for the newspaper. In college I had my journalism professor, Prof. Ellis, and a writing professor, Andrea Frantz. Prof. Franz was awesome! She taught us to write from the heart. I think I frightened her once with how honest I was! I wrote a very personal paper and she ended up counseling on it. I loved her! I wanted to be her! I could see myself teaching writing in junior high or high school.

Well, we shall see if I get this position, and I will keep you all posted! I would be writing for the Denison, Iowa newspaper. I would love to see my name in a byline again! :)