Career dreaming...

So at work, every Friday we send out reports to our clients to let them know how their accounts are performing. I had been having a bad afternoon, because I apparently put the wrong telephone number in an ad for one of my new clients (oops). I'm usually very careful about that, but I'm human and sometimes dyslexic. ;) They ended up spending $26 on that ad, and made a big deal out of it. Anyway, so I have like 7 accounts, and I only actually enjoy working on three of them. Of those three, I had sent a report out, and he responded 20 minutes later with this:


April - Your reports are giving me confidence that I have never had at {my company's name}, and for the first time (no offense intended), I feel as though my money is, without question, being spent wisely. Your clear explanations and insight, as well as the points you bring up and the ideas you have, make me feel as though my account is being paid attention to like never before. Thanks for that. I now look forward to the stats and the reports, and am even more inspired to work at my end to create more compelling site design and content in an effort to continue to turn more clicks into conversions.


As much as I dislike my job/the company I work for, this made up for my bad day (though I do kind of have to take his compliments with a grain of salt, as he's apparently high all the time--he sells herbs and such). I logged the e-mail into our CRM program, and everybody seems to be making a big deal out of it. The company gave me two $5 gift cards to HEB (local grocery store). Not much, but it's a nice gesture. My team lead's boss also sent me a "thank you" e-mail. My team lead, however, doesn't seem to be altogether happy aboutit. (This used to be his account.) He keeps making remarks that sound nice on the surface, but have a jealous undertone. Oh well. He's a big baby.

So, Cory (distant cousin or something) and I finally got in touch. I think we're going out to lunch on Wednesday. Hopefully we can hang out some... I need to find some more friends.

Speaking of friends, I hung out with a girl from work named Meghan on Friday night. She's pretty awesome. We're SO much alike, it's weird. We have the exact same thoughts about our team lead--like the fact that he's a drama queen and thinks every little thing that goes wrong = end of the world. We crack each other up during work... makes it a little more bearable to go in every morning. Anyway, we went to a bar called Sherlocks and hung out with two of her friends. One is her roommate/ex-boyfriend (weird, but not awkward between them). We were talking earlier about job dissatisfaction and what we really want to do with our lives. I would actually absolutely love to own a tack shop. I've been thinking about getting a part-time job at a tack shop, but... I dunno. There really aren't that many shops around here that I can find. I've done a pretty extensive search online, and I can't find much, but I'm sure they're out there. It's probably every horse person's dream to own a tack shop, so I probably just need to look harder. Maybe I could open a dressage-specific tack shop... </dream>

Hill repeats!

I was reading the local news website, and they were saying we've set a record this year for the most consecutive days of 100+ degree weather. (So, I would be dealing with either record-setting temps here in Austin or record-setting wind up in Omaha.) With that being said...

Thursday, I did the hill ride with Michael--there's a weekly hill ride on Thursdays as well as the flatter/faster ride on Tuesdays. I'm really out of shape. :( I got completely dropped on the first hill, and never did catch up. It was pretty discouraging, actually. I know I'm not going to be as fast as everybody else, but that doesn't stop me from wanting it! I haven't done these hills in months. We also did Bluegrass, which isn't the hardest hill in Austin, but it's the hardest hill on the ride. I hadn't done Bluegrass since my first visit to Austin in December. I think it was a lot harder this time around. Michael went ahead of me, as he knows I'm likely to snap at him if he rides behind me or tries to stick with me (sorry Mikey :) ). But one of the other guys insisted he stay behind me, even though I was going 3.4 MPH. I didn't want to say anything, though--I'm pretty sure he was just being nice. He finally went ahead about 3/4 of the way up. I wasn't sure I was going to make it, but I was also sure there was no way in hell I was going to stop and walk up. I did make it (of course), and drank half a water bottle. I had worn my heart rate monitor, and looked down when I was at the top--it read 191, and I was resting. I'm wondering what it was during the actual climb. I'm guessing 192-193... I think 191 is already pretty close to my max. I think I can set it to where it'll read your maximum heart rate during an exercise, but haven't figured that out yet. Michael and I cut the ride a little short since he'd left his commuter bag in a friend's car and didn't want to keep him waiting.

Saturday, we hit the hills again... along with Bluegrass. Michael said something about "Bluegrass repeats" and I kinda rolled my eyes at him, thinking there was no way I was going to do repeats on that hill. The only hill I actually sort of like doing repeats on is the one by his house that I would ride over to when I was staying with him. So, he rode over to my apartment and we set out to do a hill ride. There's one hill that always kicks my ass, and makes me hate the world as I'm going up. It curves over, which is a pain in the ass, and I slow down so much that it forces me to get out of the saddle at the top, which I wouldn't mind, but my legs are already burning by that point, and getting out of the saddle because I have to just plain sucks. Plus, the cars were everywhere! I'd done this hill a few times, and I've never seen that much traffic. It was car after car after car coming up and down the hill. I hate traffic when I'm climbing hills, because not only do I have to concentrate on just keeping my legs moving, but I also have to worry about irate drivers getting too close (doesn't really happen very often, but it's always in the back of my mind). So we got that over with, and continued on, getting to Bluegrass relatively soon after.

There's a slight incline just getting to Bluegrass, so by the time you're at the street, you've already been climbing a bit. There is a bike lane, but parts of it are really rough, making it harder to climb, so it's best to just stay in the car lane. Thankfully, there isn't much traffic at all on Bluegrass, so it isn't a big concern. Michael went ahead of me again, and was coming back down to do a repeat as I was reaching the top, huffing and puffing for all I was worth. My throat was on fire from breathing so hard. I waited for him, drinking water, and contemplated going back down to do a repeat, just to say that I did it/could do it. I was still kind of dizzy, though, as usual after a hard effort, so I waited. I almost turned my bike around, and I saw Michael cresting the hill. We spoke for a bit, and I decided I wanted to try again. So we rode back down to the start of Bluegrass, and Michael started saying that technically the climbing starts a little further down, but I cut him off before he could finish that thought. ;)

We began climbing, and just as Michael said, the second time up was actually easier than the first. I haven't researched this or anything, but I think the reason for that is, once your heartrate gets up to a certain point, you have to work just a little bit harder to reach that point again. I have no idea, though. That's not to say it was easy going up... just slightly easier.

We finished the ride, going the short way again, as my climbing legs are still new. ;)

And now I wait...

I got a call from the recruiter saying he didn't have good news or bad news, but he did have news and to call him. Uh, ok. He sent me an e-mail that said they're basically going to hold off for now on hiring, for two reasons. #1, they're heading into the busy season and want to wait to hire me so they can train me properly. #2, they're interviewing two other candidates and they want to wait for those to be finished (uh, thanks for making me feel like sloppy seconds or something). My recruiter said he's fairly confident they'll hire me. I just hate waiting around.

My team lead sent me an IM today... here's the convo:

{team lead}:
question that I need an honest answer about
are you still looking to leave soon?

April:
it's up in the air... probably not... {boss's name} made me feel a lot better about everything

{team lead}:
kewl
that was gay
cool

April :
why?

{team lead}:
just need to know in assigning task for the team

April:
k

{team lead}:
we may be changing some things around slightly next week and I need to know who has more "longer term" goals

What a moron. I can't believe he really felt that he could ask for an honest answer after he was the one who likely put my job on the line after I had already given him an honest answer. So screw him. Yes, I'm still leaving, and no, I sure as hell won't tell him that. I learned my lesson already.

Jaiden scared the HELL out of me last night. He must have heard something outside, and went to investigate by looking out the front window. This was like 2:00 in the morning, and I was sound asleep. I woke up to hear him barking his idiot head off, and he scared the crap out of me. He has a certain kind of bark when someone he doesn't recognize comes into "his home"--it's more like howling, actually. And he was doing that last night. I seriously thought someone was in the apartment--he was going crazy. So I got up and saw him looking out the window... who knows what he saw. I didn't look. I know the front window is fascinating and all, but geez. Let me sleep, dammit.

Had a good ride today...

Went for a ride after my presentation (more on that in a bit). I rode from my apartment to the start of the ride, about two miles away, and went for about 18 miles or so. In total, I think I probably ended up with 22-24 miles. It was a really good ride, but windy as usual on the way back. At one point, we were heading out going about 17.5 and I felt absolutely no wind--it was totally still. So I knew I was in for it on the way back. I think my average speed into the wind must have been around 13--going out with was probably 25-28. ;) My back is freaking killing me though. I think it was from all the riding/walking that we did on Saturday. It started in my lower back, and after tonight, it's now moved into my middle back as well. I feel like I've been walking around like I've got something stuck up my butt, haha.

I've gotten used to the loud air conditioner, and actually find it kind of comforting in a weird way when it turns on. Eh, I don't know. I'm just weird.

So I finally figured out what the glass rattling thing was coming from in the kitchen. It was a couple of dishes I had sitting on top of each other on the fridge. Whew... no mice. :) I had my first experience with apartment maintenance. My dishwasher dispenser door thing won't shut, so the dishwasher is pretty much useless. So I called maintenance yesterday, didn't hear from them, get home today to find a note from maintenance. #1 I had no idea they were coming (I would assume they would call first, but I don't know what's standard), #2 they had the wrong name, and #3 they had the wrong phone number. Even though I left both in my message. Sigh.

So I'm taking this as my sign that I'm officially an Austinite... I was reading the dressage forum that I frequent, and came upon a thread where they were talking about places to live, etc. They had been talking about Salt Lake City, and someone else said, "UT is beautiful!!" I automatically assumed she was talking about University of Texas even though it was pretty obvious she was talking about Utah. Silly me.

So, onto the presentation. The presentation itself wasn't bad, but I was supposed to make it 30 minutes, and it ended up being 15 minutes. The thing is, the recruiter said they'll cut you off if you go too long, and that's why the last guy didn't get the job. UGH, I spent 4-5 hours preparing for this thing, and felt like it was a total shot in the dark, but still felt confident going in. When I realized how short it was going to be, there wasn't really anything I could do--I'm not much of a babbler. So I don't have my hopes up. I'll be happy if I get the job, but I'm thinking it's a long shot. Oh well--if I don't get it, that just means there's something better waiting for me. :) However, that's the last time I spend that much time for interviews. All in all, I think I wasted 8-10 hours of my time. Yick!

Last chance to impress!

So I have like 502 mosquito bites. Actually, it's probably closer to 12. I'm itching like crazy. We didn't go to Barton Springs because there was a pretty long line when we got there. We went to his parents' house instead, and I spent all of 5 minutes in the pool. His parents bought us food again, and I feel guilty--that isn't why we went over there! It was fun, as usual, and I actually kept the drinking to a minimum. ;) Michael's family is big on wine, and once I start drinking wine, I can't stop (I mean, come on... you can't let the wine get warm!).

I'm stressing out about my interview tomorrow. It's the third/final step in the interview process, and I have to give a 30-minute Power Point presentation. I'm trying not to get too worked up about it and finding it really hard. It's a big raise, though, and worth it (if I actually get the job)... so I'm trying to keep that in mind. I had to ask to leave an hour early tomorrow, and instead of telling the truth like I did last time, I just lied and said I was going on a bike ride, lol. My coworker and I were venting... each of us had a meeting with our team lead long ago, and he wanted both of us to be upfront and honest with him. I had told him right then and there that I was keeping my options open, and when I told him I had an interview, he threw a hissy fit. What the hell? The guy is a total drama queen. We both regret telling him anything. Oh well--live and learn. I don't regret taking this job. But I still really dislike the company.

At least tomorrow after the presentation, I'll get to unwind and go on a bike ride! (Hopefully.)

I still have to take pics of the apartment...

Austin Crits

So yesterday I went to the laundromat, and wasted probably an hour and a half there and $2. Our apartment complex has a "Clothing Care Center" (what the hell does that mean?), and it was listed as not having a laundry facility, so I automatically assumed "Clothing Care Center" meant "we don't have laundry facilities, so we're going to make this up and make it sound extra great." I was walking Jaiden this morning, trying to find my mailbox--yes, I've been here a week and still hadn't figured out where to get my mail. So I see this clothing care center next to the mailboxes, check it out, and yup--I see a washer/dryer. SWEET! After going to the laundromat, I wanted a washer/dryer, like, now. I hated the place. So now I don't have to waste money going to the laundromat and I can use my washer/dryer closet for storage, lol.

Michael and I went to see the pros racing last night. It was pretty awesome. It was a crit (criterium) race, so basically, the riders just looped around a 1km course several times for about an hour. The streets that the race is on are closed off to traffic. We stood on an inside corner where the cyclists were coming around, and I got right up as close as I could--probably 2-3 feet away from the cyclists as they were coming around the corner doing maybe 30MPH. That was really cool. There were a TON of people watching, too. There wasn't a single empty spot all along the entire course. The ride down was nice and hot. It got a little nerve-racking for me once we got into the downtown streets. The good thing about Austin, though, is that people are pretty much used to having bikes on the streets, and there was enough traffic (and traffic lights) that Michael and I were able to keep up with the cars for the most part and not slow anybody down.

It was also my first night ride! I had to get a new light because my old one wouldn't fit on my neato ergonomic handlebars. The light didn't do much for helping me see, though, and with my vision--and the fact that it was dark out--there were a few times I got a little freaked out because I couldn't see what was in front of me. The whole ride back, I was pretty much flying by the seat of my pants because I couldn't see an object in the road until I was right on top of it. It was fun, though, and it was a really nice night to ride. I felt like I did really well, but for some reason I was totally 100% exhausted, like I had ridden 50 miles instead of 26, or whatever it ended up being. My damn computer stopped working again... I hate that thing. It's never worked the way I want it to, and it's hard to adjust it. Every time I need to make a change to it, I have to reset it, which puts the odometer right back to zero. Annoying.

So, today Michael and I are going to Barton Springs. I have a feeling it'll be too cold for my taste and we'll just end up coming back to my place and swimming in the pool here. ;)

Jobs yech

So Friday night I decided it would be an excellent idea to post a blog after drinking. Here's me high on wine (wow):

Oy, so what's gone on this week... I'm typing on Michael's new computer, and I've had a bit of wine, so I'm having a HELL OF A TIME typing right now. I can be drunker than crap and still be able to type like there's no tomorrow on my own computer. I had my interview yesterday and it went very well. My "boss" (laugh)/"team lead" wanted me to call in afterwards and let him know if I would be able to come in. Eh. Seriously, I don't even know right now what to write in response to that kind of request. WHAT?!? I didn't call. And I don't feel bad.

Anyway, the interview went well and they want to proceed with the 3rd part of the interview. Which is fine, BUT JESUS JUST GIMME A JOB. Do ya like me or no? If not, then decline. I'm really not liking this long process, but at the same time I like that they're being so picky. Erm, I'm a girl so I'm allowed to have my discretions. Or something.

I was supposed to meet with my boss's boss this morning, but that never happened. SURPRISE. I guess he read my survey and realized I'm not very happy, lol. I finally realized this morning that my unhappiness stems almost 100% from the way my team lead manages his team. Oh Crappa, I wonder how my friend's interview went this afternoon... lemme text her real quick. Shat, I think I left my phone in the car. Oh well. I just watched V for Vendetta and have this insatiable urge to think in a British accent.

ANYWAY. Tomorrow, Michael and I are planning on riding downtown to watch the pros race in a bike race. I'm actually really looking forward to it, but Michael must realize that my bike light was rather cheap and not exactly worth risking my life over, so he'll have to make sure I'm always behind him. Er, wait, I guess I'll just have to suck it up and yell if I can't keep up. But dammit all I hate doing that. And then Sunday we're going to Barton Springs, this pool thingy that's stuck at 65 degrees. Which would be nice and warm in the winter but ass cold in the summer. Oh joy.