<p>sabaray, I’m sorry to hear about your S’s set-back. I hope he gets back on an even keel soon. </p>
<p>Moda, I had to laugh at your email comment. I am addicted to my email, even doing work from some of most remote parts of the trail in Yellowstone this past week. I think our kids check their email at least once a day. I have to give high marks to our cell provider’s coverage.</p>
<p>S2 got tangled in a rope swing over the week-end. As he let go, his leg got tangled in the rope, sending him upside down and swinging toward the cliff. He went headfirst into the water so did not hit the rocks, which was very lucky. He sent pictures of deep rope burns and swelling on his leg and says he thought at first that his leg was broken. I’m glad his neck wasn’t broken.</p>
<p>We had a few dangerous encounters on the trail this past week and S1 went scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef which carries some risk as well, so I’m glad everybody is back home safe and sound.</p>
<p>analyst Oh my gosh wild adventures. I am glad your son was ok!
I am lucky to have good friends, I am an introvert but my friends are all varied and good people. I have had so much support, from friends /work. (which suprised me as I am the old person there and not part of the young cliques.) and my cyber friends. I sure did imagine myself on the bus for sure!!! I did enjoy reading about everyones adventures and their kids although sorry for the issues, it was great to see all persevere, fall down, dust off, and get back on their feet.</p>
<p>Analyst, sounds like a great trip and am glad your sons are both relatively unscathed after all their adventures. </p>
<p>Busy day here. Job interview this morning which I realized about five minutes in I was very overqualified for and was not something I was going to seriously consider. I was sitting there wondering if there was a way for job seekers to just announce, “thanks for your time but I know already I’m not interested”. I know that would be very poor form, but I was thinking the interviewers have the ability to cut things short–how does one do that as the job applicant? </p>
<p>Picked up son, we hit the jackpot with a fantastic advisor at the CC. He liked her and is now enrolled for 14 credits, 5 of which are remedial math (his very sore spot). He was in good spirits and has a good schedule, happily. </p>
<p>Drove down to see D (1 hour) and take some items we had left behind in the frenzy of Saturday. She picked up some additional work shifts, which is good. I think she’s bored. Their apartment looks very sparse. Had we not sacrified our couch they’d have nothing to sit on.</p>
<p>O, Moda - We just gave panini maker to Goodwill. Once DH installed new stovetop and oven, we gave away all the little appliances. George Foreman grill is still safe and sound, though.</p>
<p>S and I are having a slow week at home without DH. S is working 40 hours in his new job and DH is canoeing with S’s former youth group in Arkansas. Yes, sorta strange. DH put all his empty-nest energy into helping the youth group. They really needed an experienced treker for this trip. Dozen kids (16-17 yrs old) and 4 adults.</p>
<p>Sigh. They are no where near recent flooding.</p>
<p>I forgot about the panini maker! I have a Cuisinart “Griddler” that I absolutely love. Moda, you will be glad you have it. Don’t listen to eggmom! :)</p>
<p>sabaray, that’s great about the advisor. What a difference a good advisor can mean in helping to inspire/support/ground our students! A weak advisor, on the other hand, can be such a lost opportunity.</p>
<p>In spite of the hair-raising escapades, I’m a little jealous of all the cool stuff that Analyst’s sons are doing, but also hope S2’s leg heals quickly.</p>
<p>sabaray, I haven’t interviewed for a job since the 80’s (maybe early 90’s but I don’t think so), so my advice comes from being the interviewer (and a bad one at that). But, could you say, “Now that I understand more about the job, I wonder if we should discuss whether this position is a good fit for me and if I’m a good fit for the position?” Alternatively, you might talk about the fact that you are looking for a job that draws on XXX or allows you to do YYY and the position in question doesn’t seem to do so. You could inquire as to whether it might be possible to reorient the position to match your skills/interests. However, I’d only do that after they are convinced that you are the answer to their prayers.</p>
<p>Toured Kansas State today…really liked it. I don’t know what that says about us, because we were “supposed to” like KU better. Then a 4+ hour drive to Oklahoma. I’ve truly never driven so many miles at a time.</p>
<p>Good advice, shawbridge! I think more and more of what I’m encountering is employers seeking to get a lot for very little. It was an interesting interview. At times I felt like saying, did you even look at my resume? Or is this just a cattle call of everyone who sent you one? </p>
<p>Anyway. Missypie, hope your marathon continues to go well. And eggmom, I’m sure you’re an excellent cook!</p>
<p>Sabaray - Do you have any other interviews set up?
Missypie - Keep on trucking!
Now re: pantyhose. I think I have a new one for y’all. This past weekend I attended a wedding and as a result, had the opportunity to buy some pantyhose. Yes, count me among the old biddies of the world who like their legs covered when wearing a dress. Well, we got to the hotel with about 3 minutes to change. I pull the pantyhose out of the box and I notice that they don’t have toes! I mean they are open at the bottom of the foot! Was anyone else aware of this innovation? This way we can wear open-toed sandals, have our newly-pedicured toes peek through, yet get all the leg coverage we want! It’s a miracle!! There is a little circle of nylon that you slip around the big toe so the whole thing doesn’t go sliding up your leg. They have thought of everything!!
However, SPanx was in attendance in great numbers. I only know this A) from women (complete strangers) telling me and B) noticing spanx when women sat down at the service. Their dresses rode up their thighs and apparently spanx starts pretty low on the leg.</p>
Re: (A) That’s i little odd, no? I can’t imagine doing that. (B) That’s somewhat poor form, IMO. I’m one of those women who always check everything before walking out the door, including if I can sit OK in what I’m wearing. I’m always amazed (and not in a good way) by the number of women who show up in fancy dresses with various straps, etc. showing. </p>
<p>I did discover those “toeless” panyhose several years ago when I had a fancy affair to go to in the middle of the winter and just couldn’t go out in bare legs. H thought they were a little odd, but I thought they were great. Depending on the shoe style, though, the end of the panyhose/loop around the big toe would show.</p>
<p>Sabaray, sorry to hear about the bump on the road with son, but happy to hear about the good adviser. Re: interviews – I believe you nailed it; I think often the interviewer is not the one who READ the resume ;)</p>
<p>If I were in your shoes, I would look for a talented recruiter in your field and have them pre-vet qualification and fit. I don’t recall precisely what you’re looking for, but if its in any type of engineering, environmental health & safety or HR, med device/pharma or food industry, pm me and I can give you the name of one of my clients who’s firm specializes in national placements in those fields.(Then again, I may be getting dottery, but are you one of the ones with IT background? Sorry, my brain is not my friend ;)</p>
<p>Alternately, ask around at firms you admire and see what recruiters they use. Good luck with the search.</p>
<p>And Shawbridge, I know you never got around to adopting me per my request, but a belated Happy Father’s Day! You can drive me to the laurentians any time you like!</p>
<p>sabarary, I’m so glad to hear that the cc visit went well and your S is excited about attending this fall. </p>
<p>On the interview, they probably assumed that if somebody of your caliber was willing to take the position, then who are they to decide you are overqualified (Tufts syndrome for jobs). I would just sit through it, chat pleasantly, and then decline any second interview or offer if it comes your way. H is job hunting too. He got a call yesterday on a position he applied for two years ago that they decided not to fill because of the economy. They are ready to post it again now. At least he is in a position to do a preposting interview. In my experience, jobs are frequently all but filled prior to any posting, which is something done after the fact to meet HR legal requirements.</p>
<p>S2 says he is limping but he doesn’t think the rope cuts are getting infected. We drove through the Montana State University campus in Bozeman on Sunday because we had time. It was lovely, with some major new construction going on.</p>
<p>All very helpful suggestions. KM, I work in the legal field and will undoubtedly remain mired there for the foreseeable future. </p>
<p>What I encounter most frequently are smaller firms that want to meet with me and then “pick my brain” by giving me hypotheticals and then frantically jot down notes as I describe how I handle typical projects. The gentleman I met with yesterday wanted to talk about a product that generates documents using standard estate planning and contract clauses- did I think you needed legal experience to use a product like that? Hmmm, not really. Perhaps a trained monkey could handle it. I have seen it; I do not use it as the work I am proficient at is somewhat more sophisticated and would not adapt well to such a product. </p>
<p>shawbridge, I like that phrase. I’m adding it to my repertoire.</p>
<p>DTE - I’m in. Come to Maryland and pick me up! Um…should I bring my Tim McGraw on this trip? I don’t even know what Laurentians is. I just know it’s Shaw’s house.</p>
<p>Have I mentioned that it is WAY too hot to be doing college visits? Two hour walking tours in 98+ degree heat. Notwithstanding wanting to just lay down and die on the tour, Oklahoma State has a remarkably beautiful campus…who’d a thought, lovely Georgan buildings in Stilllwater Oklahoma. (I shouldn’t be surprised…major T. Boone PIckens money.) There was another girl from our town on the tour today. We didn’t know her because she goes to a private school, but it was funny because she was a clone of my D…Vera Bradley bag, ring from James Avery, Nike wind shorts…LOL.</p>