Friday Ramblings

Apparently it rained in my neighborhood last night while I slept. I suppose that the really good news is that I actually slept through it. I usually wake up when it starts, but perhaps it wasn't raining as hard here as it did in other parts of the metroplex. My rain gauge showed less than a quarter of an inch, so it must've mostly been farther south. As much as I love living in Texas, and have no desire to live anywhere else, I just absolutely HATE the unbearable heat we get most summers. Fortunately, the rain brought the temps down to less than a hundred degrees, at least for a few days. The kittens have decided that a couple of my potted plants are most excellent spots to play jungle kitty, and be able to pounce on whichever sibling happens by. I fear that I've lost part of what's in one, but at least it was something inexpensive and the rest of what is in there is pretty hardy, and should not be harmful to them as they chew on it.

This morning, when I happened upon yet another job search site, I was putting my resume into it, and I discovered a few things that may be part of the problem with this week's submissions and resulted in not getting any response from them. I feel pretty dumb about it, and I really have no excuse. I've now printed off both versions (Construction and non-construction) and proofed them again. I will probably take copies with me when I go see some friends tomorrow evening and have them proof as well, just in case my eyes missed something else. I am really hoping that this unemployment period will end soon. The first time I went through it, I was unemployed completely for about 6 months, then I was employed part-time for several months while I was caring for Mom during her final months. The second time I was unemployed, it lasted just over 3 months, so if the trend of shorter periods each time, something will turn up in the next couple of weeks.

I am still frustrated by the resume harvest-bots that keep sending me emails that say "we have reviewed your information posted on (choose a job board and insert here), and would like to invite you to interview for sales/marketing/start your own insurance agency". There is NOTHING in my resume or experience that would indicate that I am remotely interested in sales, marketing, or insurance. In fact, the resume that is searchable on EVERY SITE I'M ON specifically states that I am looking for an administrative position in the CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. I have a total of 7 former employers listed. The 3 that cover the past 9 years are all construction. 2 are staffing agencies that were varied ADMINISTRATIVE/SECRETARIAL assignments, and actually one of those provided my entry into the construction industry, one was a dairy transport company doing payroll & HR support, and the last one (17 years ago) was a customer service position. It frustrates me to no end that they obviously aren't READING anything other than my name and email address! I suppose that on some level they assume that everyone is desperate enough to be willing to take ANYTHING, but I'm not willing to take a job that 1. I believe is a scam (yeah, I think your "work from home for a few weeks until we open our office in your area to process payments" offer is a SCAM), 2. Involves selling insurance for a company that I have found, from personal experience, to be terrible to both their claimants AND their insured, 3. Is more than 30 miles from where I currently live, or 4. Makes impossible promises of income (today's SPAM filter netted "Earn $24,000 in 24 hours"). Also, if your email address is so generic, or for whatever other reason my (medium-setting) Yahoo account automatically filters you to SPAM, I'm going to try to research your company before I send you a damned thing, and if that research doesn't provide me with a valid website that includes a PHYSICAL ADDRESS AND non-toll-free phone number, SPAM is where it will remain.

And today's WTF? is the Lingerie Football League. Seriously, women in lingerie and football pads playing 7 on 7? I get the whole women can play full contact football. Hell, I used to get in trouble in PE because somehow, my touches or flag grabs in touch/flag football wound up including a tackle. I grew up with brothers. Football is, in my opinion a CONTACT sport. Touch and flag are not real football. But in their underwear and with the football pads on the outside? Really? I would think that the potential for injury by the pads from pinching or whatever might happen if your hand got caught in the wrong spot of a pad with nothing covering it would be pretty high. Oh, I'm sure that a great many men will enjoy seeing chicks run around the field scantily clad, but I just don't see it going over fabulously, at least in Texas. For one thing, it's played on Friday nights. In Texas, Friday night is HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL. It's a whole lifestyle, it seems, and not much goes on in these parts on Friday nights during the fall. I suppose we'll have to see what happens with it, but I don't expect much, and I certainly won't be spending any time or money on it.

Off to bed, the cats will be up early making demands, I'm sure!