Man UP already!!  What a wuss!!

Like many other bloggers, I’m posting about the Boston Marathon bombings that happened on Monday.  Unlike many bloggers, I don’t blame God for what happened– He gave us freewill and someone used that freewill to hurt others.  What makes me angry is that whoever did this action, is TOO CHICKEN to admit and take the punishment for it.  Either you’re (wo)man enough to do the action and take the credit, or you’re a coward– oh, wait: to do something like this is cowardly in and of itself so I guess that pretty much covers it, eh?

I don’t know anyone (other than a distant cousin by marriage) that lives in Boston and I’ve driven around it a couple of times to and from Maine but still, it is angering to know that someone takes an iconic event like the Marathon and does something that will scar it– no, it will NOT stop the event itself– for the future.

Originally, the Marathon was run on Patriot’s Day as a dual celebration for the city of Boston.  Now, annually, the entire nation will join in that TRIPLE celebration with them– again, as with 9/11, we will NOT forget.

Whew!  It just doesn’t seem like I’m getting caught up!  I look for a job at night because I can’t seem to find the time during the day and, that works out for people who post jobs later in the day anyway.  (That is more common than someone posting a new job opening at 10am– common knowledge apparently.)

Yesterday, I had a meeting with my minister to move my membership from my old church to my new church.  Then I had an appointment for a massage– I have a pinched nerve in my neck that is subsiding with the massage and with stretches so that helps.

In the morning, I did computer work for embroidery designs and in the afternoon, I finished that up before going downstairs to finish up the top of a table runner that I’m making to sell at the craft sale on the 27th.  Truth be told, I have a LOT of things I need to work on between now and the 27th and, it seems, very little time to work on them!  The fabric from the interior designer was received yesterday but I won’t start on that until Monday so that I can get clear of some of the things that are on my “To Do” list.

Like, moving my fall clothes out and my spring clothes into my closet.  Doing the laundry so that I can put away ALL of my winter clothes.  Changing the sheets on the bed from flannel to cotton.  Cleaning up the stack of quilts under the quilt table so that I can get to the quilt table.  You get the idea . . .

I’d best get to it!

Having risen prior to O Dark Thirty on Saturday to get to the craft/yard sale, I spent an hour unsuccessfully trying to set up the canopy by myself.  The promised “muscle” had never set up a canopy before either and, they were busy helping the yard sale people.  Now, the yard sale was for my church and that was the focus of the day so I don’t have a problem with that.  However, had I known that no one would be able to help me, I would’ve asked Brian to come with me to set up the canopy.  Then he could’ve gone home and one of us could’ve been warm.

As it was, I was set up with my quilts laying hap-hazardly out on a long conference table, scarves and tea towels on two similarly arranged tables.  Not sufficient, needless to say.

I made some good contacts though and found out about a craft fair that will be happening in a couple of weeks.  I may work that one, depending on what needs to be done to get it set up before then.

Sunday was church and then out to lunch with friends.  When I got home, Brian was cleaning and rearranging the living room so I got busy on the library/quilting room.  Brian finished the living room at about 5:45 and, for some reason, knocked off for the rest of the day!  Hmm, lazy!!

. . . down (I think that’s the word) lately.  I’ve been looking for a job for nearly five months.  I’ve had nibbles and I’ve had a few more nibbles but, unlike fishing, I don’t seem to land anything.

I’m not asking for the moon.  I’d be willing to not telecommute but I don’t want a heinous drive in the morning (i.e., anywhere in DC and Virginia, or the 270 corridor to Gaithersburg).  That leaves a lot of area that I could be working in but I can’t find anything.

It doesn’t help that the term “Contracts Manager” now includes people who work for health insurance companies and negotiate payments to providers.  ARGH!!!  (Without talking with my husband) I’ve mentally thought/agreed to taking a pay cut to get a job.

So that’s two things I’ve given up: Telecommuting and Money.

The good news is that I am still making stuff for my website Marcia’s Makings and the quilting long arm is set up in the library (to enable it to be a 12′ table) so that I can quilt for others, rent out the long arm, or quilt for myself while feeling less claustrophobic.  I’ve had brochures made up and distributed to quilt shops in the area to “get my name out there”.

Tomorrow I’m working a craft/yard sale and hopefully, I’ll sell a bunch of stuff so I can take my hubby to dinner tomorrow night.  Hopefully . . .

It’s like this: I still don’t have anything exciting to report. I need to get a job and I can’t find one. I’ve had some good prospects that I’ve applied to but I haven’t heard anything from them.

I’m sewing in off time and preparing for a craft and yard sale next weekend at my church. I’m going to sell my “Makings”, I hope. I’ve also got some quilts to sell (and photograph) that I hope to get pictures of today or tomorrow. (If I do, I’ll post the pictures.)

Other than that . . . Sorry.

Walk a mile in my shoes, dude (and dudette)!

I really, really, REALLY hate the program that I use to write my Marcia’s Makings site. I don’t mind using it for this site (because it is, after all, a blog software) but it just doesn’t work for my business site. I can’t figure out how to get it set up the way that I want it set up and, of course, I can’t do any shopping cart stuff on it.

Yes, I know I’m married to a geek but he’s really busy making furniture for his office. So, I have to muddle through with half of a web site. ARGH!!!

It wouldn’t be so bad except that I’m going to a craft/yard sale next week and I’m going to have hand-outs there and it would be nice if the people so the site as it should be rather than as it is currently.

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

. . . I’m back to it today: Job Hunting started last night and will continue afoot, obviously.  The local market is tough because I don’t know how to negotiate within the FARs and DFARs of the government.  Then there’s the issue of people converting positions that they say are local to telecommute– having years of experience in negotiation and telecommuting doesn’t always play out the right way in the world of employment.

Thanks to Marissa Mayer, I’m having to convince people that my work ethic is equal to that of their parents because of years of dedication and knowing what and how to telecommute.  It doesn’t matter where you work (office or home), if you haven’t got a good work ethic, you don’t have a good work ethic– fortunately, I have a stellar work ethic but I have to convince people of that still.

The news out of California is great!  In case I haven’t mentioned it, Hollywood is not accurate when it comes to coma patients’ reintroduction into the conscious world.  My sister, Sue, and other coma patients, wake up confused and requiring a lot of therapies (physical, occupational, and speech) to relearn some things that their bodies forgot while they were in the coma.

Sue is doing great however and things are coming along.  We had set up a call for 5pm PDT but she called me at 4:45– I’d like to think early because she was as eager to talk with me as I was to talk with her!  It was soooo great to hear her voice!  She sounded tired but that makes sense after the kind of week she’s had– transitioning from hospital to rehab center and then tons of PT, OT and ST!  It was just so great to talk with her!  I missed her so much!!

Starting on Friday, I’ve been involved with my quilt guild’s (Southern Comforters) quilt show.  On Friday night, I helped check-in the registered quilts so that they were all organized and accounted for to be put into the show.  When that was finished, I helped pin on the description cards and then, I was just tired so I went home, unfortunately, before everything was set up.

Saturday morning, we took Lexi for her annual physical (which she passed with flying colors!) and then I showered and went back to the quilt show.  We didn’t have enough volunteers sign up to cover all of the stations so I said I’d go and they could put me where I was needed.  I had a lot of fun and was home by 4:30– again, tired but happy cuz it was a LOT of fun!

Sunday, after grocery shopping with Brian, I went back to the show and again, filled in where I was needed and eventually, served where I had signed up to work.  Again, lots of fun and lots of chattering and laughing along the way.  Brian came to the show and I introduced him to several of the women– of course, I missed a few but that was bound to happen.

I didn’t win any ribbons but I sure had a good time and again, got to know people more.  Its hard to know people in a 90 minute meeting twice a month so I’m glad I had the opportunity to do the volunteer work and chatter with people a bit.