Today I burned the fuck out of my right arm sitting on the patio at Solea with @klreynol drinking margaritas. Wanted to get that out of the way.
Hey everybody! And by everybody I mean everybody because it seems the amount of people reading these dandy-doodle blogs has jumped very quickly, to which I say "thank you" for whoever shared my last blog. Unless no one did, in which case... okay. In all seriousness though, thank you; my blog views that have been tracked in May alone are more than April, March and February combined. I'll try to make these a little more entertaining, but with this guy ::points at self:: you never know.
It occurred to me this evening that as of late, I have been posting somewhat cryptic status updates on Facebook in regards to the future of my career with Express. Obviously I am leaving the company, but the how and why are a mystery to most of you. The reason behind that is because me being me, I wanted to compose a blog entry about where I will be going. And of course, being my Golden year, this was indeed one of my 26 Golden Things. It was the first item added to my list at the beginning of the year, and the least likely to actually occur. But it has (or will, June 4th,) and I couldn't be more excited to move it up 17 spots on said list. Let's get on with the deets.
#9 - Opening a Door; land a new job.
Obviously this topic will be two separate blogs (maybe not obviously,) but the other will be written/posted June 2nd and that will have to do entirely with Express and what it has done to me. Done for me. Done... with me, perhaps? You get the picture. So this will deal entirely with the new company I will call a home and the direction my life is about to swing in. Needless to say, I will focus on the the new company in this post and less on the "why" I am doing it. Here we go.
Towards the end of March, Mrs. S (she's been referred to before (I know these names can be way too vague)) contacted me and said that Pottery Barn in the Fox River Mall was interested in talking with me about possibly interviewing for a position with them as an assistant manager. After debating it VERY briefly, I told her I was not interested. After all, reviews were coming up at Express and I was feeling pretty good about myself. Remind me to touch back on that in the next blog.
Ahem.
So we flash forward to the beginning of May, when I had forgotten about Pottery Barn (heretofore referred to simply as "The Barn") and the escape it could provide. I get a phone call on my cell phone from a stranger number, so naturally I don't answer it and let it go to voice mail. Yes, I'm one of those people. I listened to the message right away and it was from a woman named Courtney who was/is the store manager at The Barn. She had gotten my name AND phone number from my former landlord in Wrightstown, Brenda. Brenda recommended me for the position and said a few other nice things, and Courtney just wanted to sit down and talk to see if I was interested. By that point in time, I was.
Of course when the time came the following week to actually sit down and interview, I was fairly collected. The last time I had interviewed for a job was years ago when I left Express briefly for a failed stint as the assistant manager at Aldo in the Fox River Mall ::shudders:: That interview had been a nightmare because I had NO idea what I was doing, how I would possibly succeed at faking my answers (playing off "stock room manager" as something akin to a "sales floor manager" is pointless, FYI.) Come to think of it I also interviewed for assistant manager at Lovesac when it was opening in Appleton, but we all know what happened to that place.
It closed... if we don't all know. Don't wanna assume anything.
So anyway I was fairly collected when I strolled into The Barn that Wednesday and met with Courtney and the district manager Suzanne. I think a large part of my cool demeanor was simply due to the fact that I held a tenured position with Express, was not currently at risk of losing said job, and the position was salary based so there was no pressure riding on me fucking something up.
That, and the fact that I Knew. My. Shit.
We sat in some chairs in the mall corridor and the questions started flying, and each one that was lobbed to me was subsequently knocked back over the net. That isn't to say the questions were easy, because they weren't, but Express is notorious for setting a very high bar when it comes to training its managers and I had been through all of the training. Each and every time it had come around (they like to throw a lot of curve balls at Express to keep growing the talent in the team. After 8 years... I have lots of talent.) I was charming during the interview, I smiled a lot and showed off my dimples. About mid-way through was when I realized that this was a job I was actually going to want. I have a problem with approaching things that could be SLIGHTLY out of my reach, and when I decide I really want them I become paranoid.
Even though the interview went very well, I indeed left it feeling paranoid. What if I wasn't good enough? What if my answers weren't spot on the way they should have been? What if my bright blue eyes and flashing smile DIDN'T work the way they were supposed to!? Jumping forward a week through some phone interviews, a surprise visit to my store, and wonderful references from the people I had carefully listed on my application, I received a phone call from Courtney asking if we could meet for coffee. (You'd get bored with the details we jet-railed over, trust me.)
By this point I was a little annoyed because the process had been longer than I anticipated and fairly arduous. I felt for the position of assistant manager, it was a lot of hoops to jump through. I met with Courtney at Starbucks and sat down at a table she occupied... with a folder in front of her. Good sign. We chit chatted for a few minutes before Courtney said these fantastic words to me:
"So I'm very excited to meet with you today."
"Oh are you?" I replied with a deep smile and probably a blush.
"Mmmhmm, you probably know why."
"Well I try not to assume," I chuckled.
"I'd like to offer you the position of associate retail manager with us." (PS, that's assistant manager to you, the general public.)
So I squealed (no I didn't) and danced (no I didn't) and then covered my face and laughed (yes I did.) It was one of those moments in life where you realize what you've been toiling at, working at, and beating your brains out over has finally culminated in a single moment of chance. Chance that I had an amazing Best in Mrs. S with the highest connections of anyone I know. Chance that my failed relationship with the dreaded-ex had inadvertently introduced me to a landlord who would go on to talk me up as a great worker and then drop my phone number to her boss. Chance that a job in the field I had always been interested in (interior design) would essentially fall into my lap and that I would be capable of tackling it with ease.
I accepted the position with The Barn (re: Pottery Barn,) without even thinking. It was a no-brainer. Back in Appleton and away from that shit-hole Green Bay (no offense if you live there, natch)? A substantial pay increase to a level of income that would grant me the ability to move out on my own without a problem? More paid time off and a competitive discount? I'd be stupid not to! The reason it had taken so long is because they were looking at me to eventually become the general manager (the store manager, hey-o!)
I had been in contact with Matt (my boss at Express and long-time friend,) so he was aware of the situation the entire time. The last thing I wanted was to catch him off guard with a surprise "I QUIT!" He was great with the news, as were the rest of the people that it filtered toward. Was I sad to tell them all I'd be leaving June 1st? Of course. I never WANTED to leave Express, but to stay would be to remain locked in place and not moving forward. And this year was and still is all about moving my life forward.
So there you have it, #9 on my list of 26 Golden Things; opening a door. I'm nervous to start a new job, meet a new team, and accept the responsibilities that come with it all. Having been at Express for so long, most of that becomes second nature, so taking on a new challenge is incredibly daunting. However, having been there and done that and shoveled a fair amount of shit in the process, I am ready to dive in to something new and fresh.
Look forward to a lot of happiness from me, your favorite self-proclaimed author. Goodnight kiddos.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
escaping my head
Hi.
I know lately I've been writing this to let everyone in on the wonderful things that I have been forcing through my life this year, but right now I am writing simply to write. To sit back, extended my fingers, and stretch my mind. How many of you know how to do that? Stretch your mind? It's not really a learned skill, but it is indeed a skill. I guess it comes from not having a filter and hey, as most of you know, my mouth certainly lacks a filter times. Most times, actually.
Earlier today it started to finally hit me what has happened this year. It's been a lot in a surprisingly short amount of time. I've chronicled it all through the blogs, but still... it's a surreal experience. Buying a new car, finishing my third book, getting over an ex, giving out my number, finding a new job, leaving an old one, etc. etc. Some of those have yet to be explained and believe me they will, but this blog isn't about them. It's about getting out of my head.
Someone asked me the other day how I was handling all of it. It's a big step to buy a new car... it's an even bigger step to quit the job you've had for several years to head off to a new company. To some people, that's a lot. To other people, that's too much. I, being a champion for change, haven't thought too much about it. But today I started realizing that (officially) I have crossed off 11 items from my list of 26 Golden Things. 11 big changes in five months from totally new experiences, and that's... something. That's almost daunting.
Daunting for the sole reason that I have 14 things to go.
I'm not psyching myself out by any means because these are things I have wanted for a long time, but it does scare me in a particular way. Why did it take me this long to get the ball rolling? I've been upset for a long time with my job; I was upset with Bethel the Jeep for even longer. I never acted on either of them. I labeled 2012 as a special year, sure, but why does that grant me licence to change all of these things? Things that happen to me or that I myself cause?
I found this quote/image a while ago and I saved it. Sometimes I simply like the way these things sound at the time and when I come back to them a couple weeks or months later to re-read them, I discover they have taken on a new meaning.
I think the reason things are happening and changing for me is because I finally told my mind to just shut the fuck up.
Shut. Up.
Wounds happen every day in our lives; physically and emotionally, they are constant. Sometimes those wounds build up, add up, and eventually take hold. What I love about that quote is that it is such a simple and true one; deep down you know what you need to do to get better. On January 1st, 2012, when I made a prophecy for my golden year, I didn't realize what I was really doing.
It didn't feel like I was kicking off something so much larger than me. It didn't feel like I was getting ready to embark on a journey that would end up making me a bigger personality and a better person that I had been before. At the time it felt like a grand ambition, one of many that I had had before that would fade away in the dust. I've sometimes had problems with the follow through on my little personal missions. And that's the great thing about writing these blogs, these little love letters from me to the ether... the more you guys read them, the more it drives me forward.
Some people look at blog writing as a way to bitch and moan to the world, and they're right. But it is also a pretty effective tool at keeping yourself honest. For me personally, it keeps me honest. I won't say I am going to do something in here unless I really mean to do it, because otherwise I am embarrassing myself by not living up to it.
I suppose as of now I have three blogs to write about new items for the list of 26 things. If I can get two more things accomplished by the end of the month, I will be half way to my final goal.
I don't think that will happen, as May is kind of a bland month, but the summer will bring big opportunities and so will the new job I will be embarking on in just a couple weeks. The only reason I wanted to write tonight was because after a failed attempt at sleep, I needed to vent my thoughts. Otherwise they go round and round and I get annoyed. And then the cat bites my knee through the bedsheets (no shit, she did it last night) and then I scream like a bitch and throw her off.
Rambling. Okay, that's all I've got. My hair look awful right now. Goodnight gang.
PS, on a side note... feel free to share my blog with people. With anyone, I don't care. I'd love to have an audience that continues to grow. Unless you think these are shit, and that's fine. But then I would also wonder why you are still reading...
Maybe you're waiting for something...
like...
THIS!
Hahahaha, check out the fucking gap in my teeth. Braces twice, ya'll! Goodnight for reals (c:
I know lately I've been writing this to let everyone in on the wonderful things that I have been forcing through my life this year, but right now I am writing simply to write. To sit back, extended my fingers, and stretch my mind. How many of you know how to do that? Stretch your mind? It's not really a learned skill, but it is indeed a skill. I guess it comes from not having a filter and hey, as most of you know, my mouth certainly lacks a filter times. Most times, actually.
Earlier today it started to finally hit me what has happened this year. It's been a lot in a surprisingly short amount of time. I've chronicled it all through the blogs, but still... it's a surreal experience. Buying a new car, finishing my third book, getting over an ex, giving out my number, finding a new job, leaving an old one, etc. etc. Some of those have yet to be explained and believe me they will, but this blog isn't about them. It's about getting out of my head.
Someone asked me the other day how I was handling all of it. It's a big step to buy a new car... it's an even bigger step to quit the job you've had for several years to head off to a new company. To some people, that's a lot. To other people, that's too much. I, being a champion for change, haven't thought too much about it. But today I started realizing that (officially) I have crossed off 11 items from my list of 26 Golden Things. 11 big changes in five months from totally new experiences, and that's... something. That's almost daunting.
Daunting for the sole reason that I have 14 things to go.
I'm not psyching myself out by any means because these are things I have wanted for a long time, but it does scare me in a particular way. Why did it take me this long to get the ball rolling? I've been upset for a long time with my job; I was upset with Bethel the Jeep for even longer. I never acted on either of them. I labeled 2012 as a special year, sure, but why does that grant me licence to change all of these things? Things that happen to me or that I myself cause?
I found this quote/image a while ago and I saved it. Sometimes I simply like the way these things sound at the time and when I come back to them a couple weeks or months later to re-read them, I discover they have taken on a new meaning.
I think the reason things are happening and changing for me is because I finally told my mind to just shut the fuck up.
Shut. Up.
Wounds happen every day in our lives; physically and emotionally, they are constant. Sometimes those wounds build up, add up, and eventually take hold. What I love about that quote is that it is such a simple and true one; deep down you know what you need to do to get better. On January 1st, 2012, when I made a prophecy for my golden year, I didn't realize what I was really doing.
It didn't feel like I was kicking off something so much larger than me. It didn't feel like I was getting ready to embark on a journey that would end up making me a bigger personality and a better person that I had been before. At the time it felt like a grand ambition, one of many that I had had before that would fade away in the dust. I've sometimes had problems with the follow through on my little personal missions. And that's the great thing about writing these blogs, these little love letters from me to the ether... the more you guys read them, the more it drives me forward.
Some people look at blog writing as a way to bitch and moan to the world, and they're right. But it is also a pretty effective tool at keeping yourself honest. For me personally, it keeps me honest. I won't say I am going to do something in here unless I really mean to do it, because otherwise I am embarrassing myself by not living up to it.
I suppose as of now I have three blogs to write about new items for the list of 26 things. If I can get two more things accomplished by the end of the month, I will be half way to my final goal.
I don't think that will happen, as May is kind of a bland month, but the summer will bring big opportunities and so will the new job I will be embarking on in just a couple weeks. The only reason I wanted to write tonight was because after a failed attempt at sleep, I needed to vent my thoughts. Otherwise they go round and round and I get annoyed. And then the cat bites my knee through the bedsheets (no shit, she did it last night) and then I scream like a bitch and throw her off.
Rambling. Okay, that's all I've got. My hair look awful right now. Goodnight gang.
PS, on a side note... feel free to share my blog with people. With anyone, I don't care. I'd love to have an audience that continues to grow. Unless you think these are shit, and that's fine. But then I would also wonder why you are still reading...
Maybe you're waiting for something...
like...
THIS!
Hahahaha, check out the fucking gap in my teeth. Braces twice, ya'll! Goodnight for reals (c:
Monday, May 14, 2012
a new partner
One month. One whole month! Since I wrote a blog, that is. As I wrote that, I realized I actually posted one April 21st, but since I don't delete the stream of thoughts pouring out of my noggin I'll let you all see how big of a retard I really am. Anywho. So one month ago I got rid of Bethel (refer to that blog... two blogs ago) and couldn't of course NOT have a car to replace her. After all, how would I get around? That was the whole issue with her reliability (re: lack of) so I needed to choose well. And choose well I did. I'll let Matthew Broderick explain quickly before I dive in to this short(er(ish)) blog.
So there you have it, the all new 2012 Honda Cr-V. And, would ya look at that, a new addition to my list of 26 Golden Things. But that title won't come until the end, and don't you dare fucking look ahead.
The commercial aired during the Super Bowl this year and caught my attention, mostly because of him representing himself as Ferris Bueller. I remember going to see James Bond: Casino Royal in 2006 with @MarkStyleMe and our friend Dustin for guys night, and before the movie started the pre-show had a commercial for the (back then) all new 2007 Cr-V. The slogan came from having Cr-V transform into Crave. Back then I thought "that's a pretty cool car," and the commercial stuck with me because everytime I saw one, I thought of it. Oh hey, wait... I found the commercial. I'LL POST IT!
Okay, I'll start taking this seriously now. I had only ever test-driven cars, not SUV's. I figured I drove the Jeep and had a good time, but I wanted something that was fuel efficient and sporty. That was always kind of the search criteria. I won't bore you with the years that passed between then and now, as you already know they were uneventful with Bethel. Then came April 2012 and the hunt was on again.
I actually only test drove a couple cars. The Kia Forte (boo,) the Kia Sportage (meh,) and the Honda Cr-V (ding-a-ling!) I drove the lower end model of the Cr-V, the LX, and fell in love with it. I was going to wait a bit before jumping in and buying but that didn't last long. I test drove them all on a Friday and was driving one home eight days later the following Saturday (@klreynol came with on purchase day.) The guy at the dealership in Appleton was nice but vague, and didn't really walk us through anything. @MarkStyleMe and I had a good time lying to the folks we drove around with that day, portraying him as a different person each time. It's just what we do. With Kia he was a substitute math teacher in North Carolina, and with Honda his name was... Steve? I can't remember, but the dealership guy didn't drive around with us so that personality never got a chance to shine like it did with Jody at Kia.
I started e-mailing the area Honda dealerships that week, pitting them against each other in a showdown to the DEATH! Not really, but I did send annoying e-mails trying to haggle the price down on the EX (mid-line model,) because it had a bunch of features the LX was lacking. Namely the sunroof. I mean, hello!? If I'm buying a brand new car I want to at least enjoy it for the 10+ years I'm probably going to be driving it into the ground! Eventually I ended up with Bergstrom in Oshkosh and a really great guy named Matt (heyo!) who was fantastic to work with. I went down for a test drive of the model I'd be buying, fell head over heels in love with it, and let him do the rest. It was only after I left that first day that I realized the divine nature of why I was seemingly drawn to this car. Let me explain something.
You all know I am cataloging a list of 26 new things to do this year; I squeal about it plenty. The funny thing about the 2012 Cr-V? Seeing as this is a leap year, Honda made a wonderful little tie-in called the Leap-List. And wouldn't you know it, the entire purpose of the Cr-V is to start living your life in a way you hadn't before, by experiencing things you never have before. And there is something wonderfully serendipitous about that. (You can check it out for yourself here: http://automobiles.honda.com/leap-list/dashboard/) I had already made the move to buy the car, so it wasn't like this made me leap (no pun intended) into it because I already had. But I did think it was funny that I should be drawn to a vehicle during my year of changes, only to find it represents that in and of itself without my influence. What are the odds?
So I drove her off the lot with a great deal, a great interest rate, and a great experience. Her color was Urban Titanium, her guts were black, and then it struck me: this gal doesn't have a name! I was searching my large cranium for a few days before I took the plunge, tossing around names to see which rolled off my tongue better. I figured Bethel was a great car for a long time, so I might as well stick with the B's. The rest is history. Or will be, as it were.
# 8 - A New Partner; ladies and germs, meet Bernice.
Good night readers; see ya on the road!
So there you have it, the all new 2012 Honda Cr-V. And, would ya look at that, a new addition to my list of 26 Golden Things. But that title won't come until the end, and don't you dare fucking look ahead.
The commercial aired during the Super Bowl this year and caught my attention, mostly because of him representing himself as Ferris Bueller. I remember going to see James Bond: Casino Royal in 2006 with @MarkStyleMe and our friend Dustin for guys night, and before the movie started the pre-show had a commercial for the (back then) all new 2007 Cr-V. The slogan came from having Cr-V transform into Crave. Back then I thought "that's a pretty cool car," and the commercial stuck with me because everytime I saw one, I thought of it. Oh hey, wait... I found the commercial. I'LL POST IT!
Okay, I'll start taking this seriously now. I had only ever test-driven cars, not SUV's. I figured I drove the Jeep and had a good time, but I wanted something that was fuel efficient and sporty. That was always kind of the search criteria. I won't bore you with the years that passed between then and now, as you already know they were uneventful with Bethel. Then came April 2012 and the hunt was on again.
I actually only test drove a couple cars. The Kia Forte (boo,) the Kia Sportage (meh,) and the Honda Cr-V (ding-a-ling!) I drove the lower end model of the Cr-V, the LX, and fell in love with it. I was going to wait a bit before jumping in and buying but that didn't last long. I test drove them all on a Friday and was driving one home eight days later the following Saturday (@klreynol came with on purchase day.) The guy at the dealership in Appleton was nice but vague, and didn't really walk us through anything. @MarkStyleMe and I had a good time lying to the folks we drove around with that day, portraying him as a different person each time. It's just what we do. With Kia he was a substitute math teacher in North Carolina, and with Honda his name was... Steve? I can't remember, but the dealership guy didn't drive around with us so that personality never got a chance to shine like it did with Jody at Kia.
I started e-mailing the area Honda dealerships that week, pitting them against each other in a showdown to the DEATH! Not really, but I did send annoying e-mails trying to haggle the price down on the EX (mid-line model,) because it had a bunch of features the LX was lacking. Namely the sunroof. I mean, hello!? If I'm buying a brand new car I want to at least enjoy it for the 10+ years I'm probably going to be driving it into the ground! Eventually I ended up with Bergstrom in Oshkosh and a really great guy named Matt (heyo!) who was fantastic to work with. I went down for a test drive of the model I'd be buying, fell head over heels in love with it, and let him do the rest. It was only after I left that first day that I realized the divine nature of why I was seemingly drawn to this car. Let me explain something.
You all know I am cataloging a list of 26 new things to do this year; I squeal about it plenty. The funny thing about the 2012 Cr-V? Seeing as this is a leap year, Honda made a wonderful little tie-in called the Leap-List. And wouldn't you know it, the entire purpose of the Cr-V is to start living your life in a way you hadn't before, by experiencing things you never have before. And there is something wonderfully serendipitous about that. (You can check it out for yourself here: http://automobiles.honda.com/leap-list/dashboard/) I had already made the move to buy the car, so it wasn't like this made me leap (no pun intended) into it because I already had. But I did think it was funny that I should be drawn to a vehicle during my year of changes, only to find it represents that in and of itself without my influence. What are the odds?
So I drove her off the lot with a great deal, a great interest rate, and a great experience. Her color was Urban Titanium, her guts were black, and then it struck me: this gal doesn't have a name! I was searching my large cranium for a few days before I took the plunge, tossing around names to see which rolled off my tongue better. I figured Bethel was a great car for a long time, so I might as well stick with the B's. The rest is history. Or will be, as it were.
# 8 - A New Partner; ladies and germs, meet Bernice.
Good night readers; see ya on the road!
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