Okay, maybe I won't write everyday but rather, every other day!
I defied my boss's expectations. He gave me an assignment on Tuesday that he wanted me to finish by Friday morning (i.e. today). I finished them YESTERDAY. Then last night, he gave me another assignment: seven 300 word articles to write by noon today. Thankfully, they were about books (topics like hardback vs. paperback, etc). I wrote three of them last night, and woke up early and wrote four and was finished BEFORE noon. So folks, I wrote approximately 2100 words in less than 24 hours. What was this about me being slow?
What's my secret, you ask? Money is a great motivator. My income basically depends on how many articles I write. The more I write, the more money I make.
Stephan just got rejected by one employer. It's kind of a bummer because we had been really hoping for this one. He interviewed with them today, and found out that it wasn't quite what we were led to believe. Plus, they didn't have any part-time openings, only full-time. You know what else is annoying? When we got married, he was the one with a job and I was the one looking. And then for a short time, we were both unemployed. Now, I'm employed and he's not. Can we have it so we're both employed and that number in our checking account keeps going up rather than slowly going down? I'd also love it if we were making enough to put into savings. The thought of having a savings account sends thrills through my loins and sinews. Give me a break, my dad used to be an accountant.
I also don't like the pressure of being the breadwinner. In fact, I hate it. I also think my husband needs to get out of the house more....
Hmm, maybe I should be more cheerful.
I just baked cookies...past nine o'clock at night. I couldn't help myself.
Stephan made dinner.
I forgot to mention earlier that we've been married for nine months.
And uh....I don't know what else to say.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Another top ten
Silly me, I didn't do one last night. Oh well.
(1) One of our cucumber seeds is starting to bloom at last. The lettuce is progressing. And Arthur and Joey (tomato plants) are doing well. There's nothing like seeing green amongst the brown dirt. Try it sometime.
(2) My boss hasn't been too happy with how "slow" I write. I usually can only write three articles (with 300-350 words each) a day, but he wants a lot more than that. He's keeping me, don't worry. I freaked out about his criticism about my speed, and asked Stephan for a blessing. Basically in the blessing, I was counseled to continue on the path I'm on, and I'll be given the strength to accomplish my tasks. Let's just say that I have been given the strength. My boss gave me an assignment of seven articles to finish by Friday. I have finished six. I wrote two of them last night and four of them today. He'll get the surprise of his life tomorrow (hopefully).
(3) With my increased job responsibilities, Stephan has been helping me around the house even more. He's a sweetie.
(4) Our anniversary trip is planned...three months in advance. We're going to spend a couple of days in Cedar City for the Utah Shakespearean Festival. We'll be seeing "Pride and Prejudice" (I know, it's not a Shakespeare play, but it is playing at the Shakespearean festival) and "Much Ado About Nothing." I'm excited. The trip will actually be cheaper than our honeymoon, and yet, nicer.
(5) I've become interested in vegetarian cooking. No, I am not going vegetarian. I'm just interested in cooking meat-free meals every so often, especially with the warm season upon us. I'm also interested in finding ways to eat more fruits and veggies. I've gotten a little better, but I can improve. I checked out a cookbook called "The Occasional Vegetarian" from the library.
(6) My father-in-law has stopped radiation treatment. He got a really bad feeling about it and he had spiritual confirmation that it was okay to cease radiation treatment.
(7) I've been losing my keys a lot recently. I keep forgetting to put them back in my purse. Silly me.
(8) Even though I spent a good portion of the day writing articles, I somehow managed to find the energy to scrub the toilet and bathtub, reorganize the bathroom sink/counter, do laundry, and sweep the kitchen floor.
(9) Did you know there's such a thing as outdoor carpeting? I found out when I was doing research for my articles on outdoor flooring.
(10) I want to bake something sweet...again. Maybe I've been eating too many unsaturated fats and my body needs that balance of saturated fats...yeah, that's it!
(1) One of our cucumber seeds is starting to bloom at last. The lettuce is progressing. And Arthur and Joey (tomato plants) are doing well. There's nothing like seeing green amongst the brown dirt. Try it sometime.
(2) My boss hasn't been too happy with how "slow" I write. I usually can only write three articles (with 300-350 words each) a day, but he wants a lot more than that. He's keeping me, don't worry. I freaked out about his criticism about my speed, and asked Stephan for a blessing. Basically in the blessing, I was counseled to continue on the path I'm on, and I'll be given the strength to accomplish my tasks. Let's just say that I have been given the strength. My boss gave me an assignment of seven articles to finish by Friday. I have finished six. I wrote two of them last night and four of them today. He'll get the surprise of his life tomorrow (hopefully).
(3) With my increased job responsibilities, Stephan has been helping me around the house even more. He's a sweetie.
(4) Our anniversary trip is planned...three months in advance. We're going to spend a couple of days in Cedar City for the Utah Shakespearean Festival. We'll be seeing "Pride and Prejudice" (I know, it's not a Shakespeare play, but it is playing at the Shakespearean festival) and "Much Ado About Nothing." I'm excited. The trip will actually be cheaper than our honeymoon, and yet, nicer.
(5) I've become interested in vegetarian cooking. No, I am not going vegetarian. I'm just interested in cooking meat-free meals every so often, especially with the warm season upon us. I'm also interested in finding ways to eat more fruits and veggies. I've gotten a little better, but I can improve. I checked out a cookbook called "The Occasional Vegetarian" from the library.
(6) My father-in-law has stopped radiation treatment. He got a really bad feeling about it and he had spiritual confirmation that it was okay to cease radiation treatment.
(7) I've been losing my keys a lot recently. I keep forgetting to put them back in my purse. Silly me.
(8) Even though I spent a good portion of the day writing articles, I somehow managed to find the energy to scrub the toilet and bathtub, reorganize the bathroom sink/counter, do laundry, and sweep the kitchen floor.
(9) Did you know there's such a thing as outdoor carpeting? I found out when I was doing research for my articles on outdoor flooring.
(10) I want to bake something sweet...again. Maybe I've been eating too many unsaturated fats and my body needs that balance of saturated fats...yeah, that's it!
Monday, May 17, 2010
My Daily Ten
I decided to copy Sister Boyce's "daily ten" that she likes to do on her blog. Perhaps it will get me to writing more often.
(1) I have a new writing gig. I found a listing for a content writer on craigslist and decided to contact the guy. He thinks my writing is pretty good and he was pleased that my rates are reasonable. He has had six writers (one after another) in the past, and they were all flakes. I promised him that I am not a flake. So far, he seems happy with my work. He's also LDS and refuses to do marketing for any "adult" companies. Whew!!!!
(2) Our lettuce is growing! I was out moving our tomato pots into the brightest part of the sun when I took a look at our planter and saw little green leaves poking out of the soil. I was so excited that I went back into the apartment and got Stephan to have him see! Maybe I didn't inherit my mother's black thumb after all.
(3) My father-in-law has started radiation treatment. More on that another time.
(4) Stephan is planning our anniversary trip. We heard on the radio that "Pride and Prejudice" is going to be performed at the Utah Shakespeare Festival this summer, and the wheels in Stephan's head started turning. I didn't even hint at it, honest! Nothing is set in stone quite yet, but we've got time. Our anniversary isn't until August.
(5) Both of my flats died, so Stephan offered to take me shoe shopping on Saturday. Yes folks, I have a husband who offers to take me shoe shopping. I didn't get any flats, but I got two new pairs of sandals (black and brown) for the summer. They're pretty much the most comfortable shoes ever, but they'd better last me a long time because I paid a little more than I would have liked.
(6) Why is it so hard to find size 7 shoes? Seriously, I had to look high and low for shoes in my size! So annoying.
(7) I think I'm addicted to baking desserts. Especially cookies. This can't be good, but oh, it tastes so good. What can I say? Most of the women in my family are excellent bakers.
(8) After writing articles for a good portion of the day on my computer, I don't like the computer much anymore. This helps me get back into my other hobbies, like reading and crocheting.
(9) Did you know I live really close to a Catholic church? Yes, there are Catholic churches in Utah. Yesterday, Stephan and I were taking a walk, and there was a huge party going on at that Catholic church. Those Catholics sure know how to party.
(10) War stories make for good starters to Sunday School lessons. We had a substitute in Gospel Doctrine yesterday, who is a Vietnam veteran, started the lesson with a personal account from his days in Vietnam. It was powerful.
The end.
(1) I have a new writing gig. I found a listing for a content writer on craigslist and decided to contact the guy. He thinks my writing is pretty good and he was pleased that my rates are reasonable. He has had six writers (one after another) in the past, and they were all flakes. I promised him that I am not a flake. So far, he seems happy with my work. He's also LDS and refuses to do marketing for any "adult" companies. Whew!!!!
(2) Our lettuce is growing! I was out moving our tomato pots into the brightest part of the sun when I took a look at our planter and saw little green leaves poking out of the soil. I was so excited that I went back into the apartment and got Stephan to have him see! Maybe I didn't inherit my mother's black thumb after all.
(3) My father-in-law has started radiation treatment. More on that another time.
(4) Stephan is planning our anniversary trip. We heard on the radio that "Pride and Prejudice" is going to be performed at the Utah Shakespeare Festival this summer, and the wheels in Stephan's head started turning. I didn't even hint at it, honest! Nothing is set in stone quite yet, but we've got time. Our anniversary isn't until August.
(5) Both of my flats died, so Stephan offered to take me shoe shopping on Saturday. Yes folks, I have a husband who offers to take me shoe shopping. I didn't get any flats, but I got two new pairs of sandals (black and brown) for the summer. They're pretty much the most comfortable shoes ever, but they'd better last me a long time because I paid a little more than I would have liked.
(6) Why is it so hard to find size 7 shoes? Seriously, I had to look high and low for shoes in my size! So annoying.
(7) I think I'm addicted to baking desserts. Especially cookies. This can't be good, but oh, it tastes so good. What can I say? Most of the women in my family are excellent bakers.
(8) After writing articles for a good portion of the day on my computer, I don't like the computer much anymore. This helps me get back into my other hobbies, like reading and crocheting.
(9) Did you know I live really close to a Catholic church? Yes, there are Catholic churches in Utah. Yesterday, Stephan and I were taking a walk, and there was a huge party going on at that Catholic church. Those Catholics sure know how to party.
(10) War stories make for good starters to Sunday School lessons. We had a substitute in Gospel Doctrine yesterday, who is a Vietnam veteran, started the lesson with a personal account from his days in Vietnam. It was powerful.
The end.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Funny story
I got paid.
So, my former boss e-mailed me on Saturday, asking for my phone number. I was a bit baffled, so I replied by telling him that I don't give my phone number out without a good reason. He responded to that by telling me that he wanted to pay me and that he could explain everything. I gave him my number, and he called me right away.
Basically, what happened was that he embarked on a completely different business venture and turned over the business I was a part of over to his roommate. Well, this roommate didn't do anything with it. That's pretty much what happened. So, Stephan and I went over to his place where I got paid for not only the work I did, but also the suffering I experienced. Not only that, he gave me some business advice--essentially he's mentoring me as I embark on a career of sorts in internet marketing and SEO, and how I can get content writing jobs in that field. Who would have thought I would get into marketing?
That's my story. I'm glad it has had a happy ending. Ooh, alliteration :)
Stephan is still looking, but we're very hopeful.
I should post recipes. Especially my mint chocolate chip cookie one. Yum yum!
We have planted a garden. A potted garden, that is. We wouldn't dare plant anything in the wretched soil we have around here. We got a couple of tomato plants and planted seeds for cucumbers and lettuce. A salad garden! Ha ha! The tomato plants have names: Arthur and Joey. It was Stephan's ideas. I'll post pictures eventually.
In other news, we're getting a niece or nephew in November! Stephan's sister is expecting her third child. Another baby for me to play with :)
That's all for now.
So, my former boss e-mailed me on Saturday, asking for my phone number. I was a bit baffled, so I replied by telling him that I don't give my phone number out without a good reason. He responded to that by telling me that he wanted to pay me and that he could explain everything. I gave him my number, and he called me right away.
Basically, what happened was that he embarked on a completely different business venture and turned over the business I was a part of over to his roommate. Well, this roommate didn't do anything with it. That's pretty much what happened. So, Stephan and I went over to his place where I got paid for not only the work I did, but also the suffering I experienced. Not only that, he gave me some business advice--essentially he's mentoring me as I embark on a career of sorts in internet marketing and SEO, and how I can get content writing jobs in that field. Who would have thought I would get into marketing?
That's my story. I'm glad it has had a happy ending. Ooh, alliteration :)
Stephan is still looking, but we're very hopeful.
I should post recipes. Especially my mint chocolate chip cookie one. Yum yum!
We have planted a garden. A potted garden, that is. We wouldn't dare plant anything in the wretched soil we have around here. We got a couple of tomato plants and planted seeds for cucumbers and lettuce. A salad garden! Ha ha! The tomato plants have names: Arthur and Joey. It was Stephan's ideas. I'll post pictures eventually.
In other news, we're getting a niece or nephew in November! Stephan's sister is expecting her third child. Another baby for me to play with :)
That's all for now.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
On the hunt again...
The job hunt, I mean.
I have officially quit my job. He has never paid me and has not responded to any of my messages, so I quit. By quit, I mean I have de-friended him and have blocked him from viewing my profile. I hope the fact I only worked for him for less than a month doesn't reflect badly on my resume, but I can always explain.
After Wednesday of this week, Stephan is also going on the job hunt! The Math Lab has had to do some budget cuts and the most hours he was going to get this summer was five and obviously that wasn't enough so he's not working there this summer. At the moment, he is planning on working there in the fall. The only thing that would keep him from going back is if he gets a job that pays better, but we're not betting on that possibility anymore.
At this point, we're probably going to have to take what we can get. And I may feel like I wasted four years of my life to get a degree only to get a job that even a high-school dropout is qualified for. Yes, I know, college wasn't a waste. But I would like to put the knowledge I gained to use, and not just to say, "You want fries with that?" Yeah, I hate that joke about liberal arts grads.
I know life could be a lot worse, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about this. In fact, I have given myself permission to be upset.
I have officially quit my job. He has never paid me and has not responded to any of my messages, so I quit. By quit, I mean I have de-friended him and have blocked him from viewing my profile. I hope the fact I only worked for him for less than a month doesn't reflect badly on my resume, but I can always explain.
After Wednesday of this week, Stephan is also going on the job hunt! The Math Lab has had to do some budget cuts and the most hours he was going to get this summer was five and obviously that wasn't enough so he's not working there this summer. At the moment, he is planning on working there in the fall. The only thing that would keep him from going back is if he gets a job that pays better, but we're not betting on that possibility anymore.
At this point, we're probably going to have to take what we can get. And I may feel like I wasted four years of my life to get a degree only to get a job that even a high-school dropout is qualified for. Yes, I know, college wasn't a waste. But I would like to put the knowledge I gained to use, and not just to say, "You want fries with that?" Yeah, I hate that joke about liberal arts grads.
I know life could be a lot worse, but that doesn't mean I'm happy about this. In fact, I have given myself permission to be upset.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Eight months? That long?
Last Thursday was our eight-month anniversary, but we spent it recharging the battery in Stephan's scooter and then making a trip to the grocery store for some basics we were running low on.
So, I guess you could say that we celebrated on Saturday by going to the temple and then eating at Yamato (best Japanese restaurant ever that is also inexpensive). Oh, and Stephan got his Pell Grant check in the mail right before we left for the temple. Yay!
Some of my married blogging friends (namely Rachel) like to put some random facts about themselves and their spouses around anniversary time. I think I shall do that now.
--When Stephan gets exhausted, he starts being very silly. When I get tired, I have no sense of humor whatsoever. This is one reason why serious discussions never happen close to bedtime.
--We both get comments on our "peculiar" manner of speaking. What's so peculiar about it?
--I love cherry pie, especially my mom's homemade cherry pie. Stephan doesn't like cherry pie...I will one day convert him. He doesn't like cherries--I don't like cherries by themselves, but in pie...heaven!!! Maybe he would like them in the form of a homemade pie...
--Stephan is the tallest in his family. I'm the shortest (not counting the niece and nephew here). And yet, 5'4" isn't particularly short, which should give you an idea of how tall the rest of them are.
--I have a hard time getting people to say my name the right way ("lah-ruh" rather than "loh-ruh"). Stephan's name gets misspelled a lot--it's said the same way as Steven, but it is spelled a unique way.
--We both love Japanese food. If he didn't like it, we wouldn't be married. True story. But he doesn't like sushi...that's okay, more for me ;)
So, I guess you could say that we celebrated on Saturday by going to the temple and then eating at Yamato (best Japanese restaurant ever that is also inexpensive). Oh, and Stephan got his Pell Grant check in the mail right before we left for the temple. Yay!
Some of my married blogging friends (namely Rachel) like to put some random facts about themselves and their spouses around anniversary time. I think I shall do that now.
--When Stephan gets exhausted, he starts being very silly. When I get tired, I have no sense of humor whatsoever. This is one reason why serious discussions never happen close to bedtime.
--We both get comments on our "peculiar" manner of speaking. What's so peculiar about it?
--I love cherry pie, especially my mom's homemade cherry pie. Stephan doesn't like cherry pie...I will one day convert him. He doesn't like cherries--I don't like cherries by themselves, but in pie...heaven!!! Maybe he would like them in the form of a homemade pie...
--Stephan is the tallest in his family. I'm the shortest (not counting the niece and nephew here). And yet, 5'4" isn't particularly short, which should give you an idea of how tall the rest of them are.
--I have a hard time getting people to say my name the right way ("lah-ruh" rather than "loh-ruh"). Stephan's name gets misspelled a lot--it's said the same way as Steven, but it is spelled a unique way.
--We both love Japanese food. If he didn't like it, we wouldn't be married. True story. But he doesn't like sushi...that's okay, more for me ;)
Friday, April 16, 2010
April 16
Let's see, what is there to tell?
My father-in-law had his surgery last week, and it went better than anyone was expecting. In fact, he went home the day after! He was originally supposed to be in the hospital for a few days. He has the "best reverse lateral mohawk" anyone has ever seen (his own words, not mine) and he has been wearing his "I'm not dead yet" t-shirt. He'll be having surgery on his liver on April 22, and we're hoping that will go well too.
Yesterday, Stephan left his keys in his scooter's ignition while he went to work, and the battery died. I had gone up to UVU with him yesterday just for a change of scenery, so we got stranded. My in-laws were kind and came to rescue us and take us to their house so we could charge the battery. They also fed us. After the battery was charged, they took us back to UVU to put the battery back in and get home.
I may need to look for a new job. I know, I just got it, but the guy hasn't been paying me and he promised that I would be paid every week. I've been sending him messages about it, but I feel like he's avoiding me, so I may have to cut my losses and look for something else. As it is, I'm not doing anymore work for him until he pays me. Fair enough? I'm working on other freelance projects at the moment that I *know* I'll be paid for soon. I'm also looking for other kinds of jobs; I'm not too picky at this point, but I don't want to do food service if I can absolutely help it. I don't think I want writing to be my only occupation at this point--I can only write so much in a day before my brain fries. I think it should be more of a side thing for me--make sense?
In other news, Stephan has a Pell Grant! It's a good one too. We just need to figure out how to go get it...ha ha. And we should get a very nice tax return in the next few months. I think Heavenly Father is looking out for us, and I am indeed grateful. Even though I am really hating all the uncertainty right now, I feel calm because I know that it's all going to work out somehow and we're going to be all right. I guess we just have to pass through these trials for whatever reason. We just have to have faith that God will guide us through these trials as long as we are faithful to Him. I know He will.
My father-in-law had his surgery last week, and it went better than anyone was expecting. In fact, he went home the day after! He was originally supposed to be in the hospital for a few days. He has the "best reverse lateral mohawk" anyone has ever seen (his own words, not mine) and he has been wearing his "I'm not dead yet" t-shirt. He'll be having surgery on his liver on April 22, and we're hoping that will go well too.
Yesterday, Stephan left his keys in his scooter's ignition while he went to work, and the battery died. I had gone up to UVU with him yesterday just for a change of scenery, so we got stranded. My in-laws were kind and came to rescue us and take us to their house so we could charge the battery. They also fed us. After the battery was charged, they took us back to UVU to put the battery back in and get home.
I may need to look for a new job. I know, I just got it, but the guy hasn't been paying me and he promised that I would be paid every week. I've been sending him messages about it, but I feel like he's avoiding me, so I may have to cut my losses and look for something else. As it is, I'm not doing anymore work for him until he pays me. Fair enough? I'm working on other freelance projects at the moment that I *know* I'll be paid for soon. I'm also looking for other kinds of jobs; I'm not too picky at this point, but I don't want to do food service if I can absolutely help it. I don't think I want writing to be my only occupation at this point--I can only write so much in a day before my brain fries. I think it should be more of a side thing for me--make sense?
In other news, Stephan has a Pell Grant! It's a good one too. We just need to figure out how to go get it...ha ha. And we should get a very nice tax return in the next few months. I think Heavenly Father is looking out for us, and I am indeed grateful. Even though I am really hating all the uncertainty right now, I feel calm because I know that it's all going to work out somehow and we're going to be all right. I guess we just have to pass through these trials for whatever reason. We just have to have faith that God will guide us through these trials as long as we are faithful to Him. I know He will.
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