*****Skip the dissertation if you’re only interested in looking at dessert photos, LOL*****
Like I touched on towards the end of my post a week ago, the only professions with the biggest demand in this god-awful recession are in the medical field, especially if you’re a Registered Nurse. Other than that, may the force be with you. San Diego got to be too expensive for me working a seasonable part-time job, not to mention the few hundreds of people vying for the slim-pickings of jobs (recruiters and employers told me this firsthand). Drive through Downtown, and if you’re remotely paying attention, you can’t miss the “available office space” signs in every block. The dreadful sign of the times. I know over a handful of people who were laid-off from their cushy jobs and with the way the economy is lookin’, they are hard-pressed to find a quick and comparable replacement. I had been denied unemployment three times since 2006, and it was a no-brainer I had to live where the cost of living was nowhere close to San Diego’s. Ultimately, I did what I had to do: I threw most of my belongings in a storage unit, and hoped for the best.
When I moved to Memphis, I hit the ground running applying for employment. I followed up, and schmoozed with recruiters for weeks. I kept getting the standard run-around, though it wasn’t their fault. Lots of companies are simply not hiring AND trimming the hours of their employees right now. No one had to tell me I had to get creative, so after figuring out their email scheme, I emailed CEOs and Presidents directly. Doing that barely moved the meter. My next scheme was emailing the hiring department managers. Why not go straight to the source, right? I wish I could say it made a world of difference.
The fanta-bulous news is I’ve been employed for a li’l over three weeks now. I totally chalk it up to being “at the right place, at the right time”. I was at wit’s end (I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me. I would be at the end of my rope after doing everything I could possibly think of, then something wonderful happens &/or someone totally comes through for me). Y’know, I’d hate to think of the alternative if I hadn’t landed this job. I’m always reluctant to mention religion or spirituality in my posts, but I know I am extremely blessed. Take, for example, this whole cRaZy business of moving all by my lonesome 7 states over to Memphis. My first blessing was finding a great roommate sight unseen through Craigslist. My gut instinct told me after the first conversation a mere 5 days before I flew out to that he wasn’t some nut case. Most of the roommate ads I replied to didn’t respond back to me–completely understandable, considering my first sentence was “Hi, I’m currently living in San Diego and looking to move to Memphis…”, LOL. The second blessing (of course it took 44 days!) was finding a job I actually look forward to going to every morning (the hot showers seems to do the trick of waking me up after stumbling to the bathroom at 5:30 am). It’s part-time (30 hours a week–and most importantly, not temporary or seasonal–trust me, I know I have it gooood considering the dire economy; and there’s been repeated talks of giving me more hours if I get cross-trained….ohh yeahh). Forty-four days of looking for work was positively nerve-wracking. Anyone’s who’s been unemployed knows searching for a J-O-B takes real effort, dedication, and an optimistic attitude. By the time you finish reading job boards, firing off your resume to a gazillion people, and doing follow-ups, a full day has passed. Rinse, repeat the very next day. And oh yeah, while I’m at it, lemme state the obvious: Craigslist job ads have gotten to be a joke.
Okay, I’ll start wrapping this up, otherwise I’ll lay it on thick about the economy…this is a food blog, for crying out loud! I’m supposed to be sharing my celebratory dessert for six weeks of finger- ….and toe-crossing (& eye-crossing if you count how much time I spent online reading and emailing) before subsequently hittin’ my goal of being gainfully employed, then exhaling almost 3 weeks later. I was in training the first 3 days. After that, I worked on a project while waiting for full computer access, which I eventually got around day 13 (before that, got bits and pieces here and there…which meant I did exactly that until then). At last armed with all the programs under my belt, I relied heavily on my notes for a solid week. Four days ago, I just knew I’d finally get around to *celebrating* this weekend.
*****Dissertation ends here, LOL*****
If I were in San Diego right now, you’d find me at Extraordinary Desserts near Balboa Park thanking my lucky stars while indulging in every morsel of this whatchamacallit.
Triple Chocolate Mousse Torte, mmmmm
“Layers of dark chocolate cake are married with white, milk, and dark chocolate mousses, carmelized hazelnuts, and a splash of Frangelico.”
C’mon, lean closer to see all the chocoooolate
Is your mouth watering yet?
To view photo in Flickr, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/yummies4tummies/3605596896
This torte has “c-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e” written all over it
Lordy, now I really wish I was in San Diego
P.S. Once I get a wee bit more settled, I’ll resume having giveaways. 🙂
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