Les Miserable and More Miserable

We will start with more miserable to get it out of the way. I did not get any of the jobs for which I have interviewed. ASU and ADP both went with internal candidates. I did sign up with a career development firm to help me refine my resume and improve my job search techniques that Apollo pays for as part of my separation. I had the orientation meeting yesterday and they are reviewing my resume now. I guess I will get reintroduced with the job boards I have ignored for the past week or two.

Ignoring the clever title for today's post, I am not really miserable about it. First, if I were in a company that decided to hire internally instead of from outside, I would be glad. So, I do not blame ADP. Second, it certainly means (to me, at least) that God has a better job for me and I need to keep trusting Him for guidance. Third, I need to stay focused on God's Will for my life and not my personal desires. Jesus' words from Luke 22 came to me this morning as I prayed, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done."

Yes, we did see Les Miserable, the movie. Regardless of what a college roommate thinks, it is a great musical and they transformed it into a great movie. In fact, MBH (my better half) thinks we should see it again, after I have a job, of course. Some of the singing was OK (such as Russell Crowe) and some was really good (such as the actor playing Marius). I have read that the director made everyone sing their songs live as he filmed. No lip synching. And I just saw a commentary by the director about the scene when Jean Valjean decides to become a different person. They chose to have him pace inside the church as he sang, moving toward the altar when he sang about God and away as he sang about the wretchedness of man. Pretty cool, huh?

Let's lift our spirits with a little music. Here a couple of Straight No Chaser videos. One where they sing TV theme songs and another where they sing movie songs. Before we leave videos, do you ever check out the yahoo.com stories? Did you see this one about artists who make realistic drawings?

Let's end with another page from the Ouray photo book from October. This is a new place we found this year involving a small hike down the side of a mountain. It is a suspension bridge built by a mining company for moving slurry downhill from the mine.

I will keep you up to date as my job search continues. In case we don't visit again this year, Happy New Year to all.

Merry Christmas Eve

I want to wish friends and family a Merry Christmas (and a Happy New Year, although I may post again before then). I am posting today because I am sure I will take the day off tomorrow (see below for the detailed itinerary). Even though I don't have a job yet, I have more blessings than I deserve. I hope each of you counts your blessings during the season, too.

Here is this year's Christmas card. It does include a photo of the GRANDS, but not the KIDS. Hey, it's our card and we can include whomever we choose. Their photo was taken a couple of week's ago and ours was mid-October just south of Ouray, CO.

I mentioned it above, but no, I have not heard from ADP or ASU yet. So, keep those prayers going for the right job.

We have a Christmas Eve service at 2:30pm today, and a dinner reservation for Landmark Restaurant at 5pm. We went Christmas light looking on Saturday night. Tomorrow is the annual brunch at JV+KLIK's place, then dinner at the folks'.

What plans or traditions will you honor during the holidays? And LWW, what new ones will you start in NZ?

GCv$vP

You know what? Today's title would probably make a good password. You are probably thinking, "Yes, but how would I remember that?" It came from a story I saw on the news this morning. They were talking about $1B in gift cards that go unused each year. They also said that 85% of people in US will get at least one gift card this year.  So, which would you rather have? A gift card or cash or an actual present. Yes, the title means Gift Card vs ca$h vs Present. The problem with cash, at least for me, is that I may end up spending it as part of a bill or a trip to the store. Of course, getting a present could mean you get one that you don't really like or need. Then again, it means they thought just about you and chose something they felt you would like. However, I recently found some gift cards from last Christmas. I'm a mess, huh? Which do you prefer?

I found some links in YouTube yesterday that are either really cool or really funny. Let's start with one that made MBH and me laugh a lot, but TD (the daughter) wasn't as enamored with. It involves songs from Eminem, Outkast, and others whose names she told me but I cannot remember right now. Stay with it through the end and you will see they are available for weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc. Here is the video.

And here is some nice music. It is the cellist from ThePianoGuys playing The Cello Song (for 8 cellos).

Finally, a one-woman Disney Musical.

You may remember that I was (not so) secretly hoping to get a job offer on my birthday. I did not, but it is not a lost cause. They have two more people they want me to interview today at 4:30pm. The recruiter assures me this really are the final interviews. So, by tomorrow, I should be able to decide about follow-up on the other possibilities, too.

MBH is home today with a stomach virus or something. I am staying in the front of the house and she is in bed. It is apparently going around at school. Get well soon, dear.

OK, we will end with another page from the photo book. We'll visit more tomorrow.

Missed Me, Now You've Got to Kiss Me

OK, I am not sure I want all of you to kiss me. The title is actually a reference to the fact that I did not post yesterday. I got busy helping Dad some with the shower rebuild, and then I had that ADP interview in the afternoon. And I was finishing a photo book from the Fall trip. I'm back today, though.

Here is a screen shot of page 3 in the book.

So, how did the interview go yesterday? I am not sure. I did not come away with the same feeling of camaraderie of the previous calls, but I felt I did have good answers for all of her questions. There were a couple of times when I had to ask her to clarify what she was looking for. You know what? It is all in God's hands, so I will wait until I hear back from them. She said she would talk to the hiring manager about her interviews with all the finalists.

Just in case, though, I am waiting at least one more day before I follow up with ASU, and before I apply for that position at Apollo. I really feel that the ADP is the right choice.

I am just not very strong in Facebook usage. MBH (My Better Half) told me that a number of people wished me a happy birthday there, but I searched around and could not find them. I did see Preacher Bro's birthday greeting in my blog, though, so thanks for that. I think we are planning to go to a local BBQ spot tonight for dinner (an extravagance while I am job searching) because my meal is free on my b-day. And we will be hitting our brunch spot on Saturday because my meal is free. Then, maybe a movie? And that night, we will be having dinner with JV+KLIK.

Did you check out that Pentatonix video I mentioned on Monday? Well, if you like N'Sync music, listen to the PTX medley here. Even if you don't listen until the 35 second mark and tell me what you think of that effect they do. Really cool. They will be here in February. I found out on their official website.

OK, I need to do a final check on my photo book so I can place the order. Thanks for prayers and b-day wishes. Have a great day.

Singing, Stems, and Searching

Let's talk about music first.

Did any of you watch The Sing-Off during the last 2-3 years. Last year's winner, Pentatonix, released a video of Carol of the Bells. Check it out. I think KDW has a copy of the EP. I may have to get a copy.

Here is a video of the East Valley Chorale concert last week when we sang Angels Are Making Their Rounds. I think it is my favorite of this year's Christmas music. Check out Dad up top. Hey, did he hire his own videographer?

By the way, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day is also a favorite, but it is not new to the group as we sang it last year. Here is Casting Crowns' version.

Before we leave East Valley Chorale on YouTube, here is one more, filmed last night at our final concert of the year.

The crew is due back from The Dis sometime today. I heard it rained a bit, but they still got to ride everything. It seems Cars Land is a hit. Maybe by the time I see it, the "new" will have worn off and I can more easily ride everything.

Do you want to see a photo today? Well I want to show you one. Here is a photo of tall aspen that have already lost the lower leaves, framing a stand of evergreens. Architect's wife should enjoy that you can really focus on the "stems."

Today is a follow-up day in the job search. I will reach out to ASU and see where they are in the process, officially apply for the Apollo Group job, and do some knowledge study before tomorrow's final ADP interview. As I mentioned last week though, ADP is my leading candidate since it is a management-level job. Did I tell y'all that I am apparently the leading choice out of 44 applicants? However, nothing is for sure until I accept an offer, so I will continue with the other efforts I just told you about.

Dad will be over later to do some work on the shower. I will help where he needs. I also hope to finish the Ouray photo book today, so I gots to go. As John Wayne said in The Cowboys (they won yesterday, by the way, and did the Cards), "Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go. We're burning daylight."

The End of a Crazy Week

I have just finished my final interview of the week. Two of them were with ADP, once with the VP who would be my boss and once with two guys who would be my peers. It certainly sounds like an exciting but challenging position. We would each have 10-12 people working for us who each handle 12-15 implementation accounts. Whew.

One of the interviews was ASU where I would be a Sr. Project Manager working 3-5 projects at a time. I also mentioned to them that I would be interested in being part of the client training team for the new time tracking system. Lowest pay, but lowest stress (I think).

And the other was my lunch meeting yesterday about going back to my previous employer as a Sr. Project Manager. I am not sure how I feel about that yet, but I suspect it would be the highest paying of the three.

The interviews, though, are not the biggest part of the story. The stupid dog got me up at 2am to go out. Once I got back to bed, I tossed and turned until 4:30am. Since I was awake anyway, I decided to think about what I want for my next few years and pray about what God wants for me. Throughout this two-plus hours, I just kept praying that I want His will and not my own, and praying that I would know His answer. It is not (only) about money. It is about enjoying the work, enjoying coworkers, enjoying my time off. Once I felt like I was hearing His voice, I knew that I want to move back into a management position at some point, so if any of these do not offer that growth opportunity within a couple of years, I will most likely pass on it.

Last night, I played some more with photos, but have not yet achieved my inspiration goal. You can see at the link the look I was seeking, but I used this shot and didn't get there. I will look for another starting point.

It is the weekend of the annual Disneyland Birthday trip for Kendall and myself. Unfortunately, I am not going. The cost is just too steep when I don't have a job. I'll have to live it along with all of you when LMW shares her photos in Facebook. I'll let you know when it happens. It looks like rain over the weekend, so maybe that will keep down the crowds for them.

OK, let's get our weekend on. See you next week.

Wait, I just got a call from ADP. The recruiter said I must have done something right because I am on to the final interview this coming Tuesday. Whoo hoo.

OK, now it is really the end.

Another Day of Potential

That sounds really upbeat, doesn't it? However, it is true. Even if the jobs for which I am interviewing fall through, having these opportunities has helped me feel better about my own skills and the current job market so that I know I will get a job soon.

What was going on when we last talked? I had been on a phone interview with the VP for whom I would work at ADP and I thought it went well. It seems it did, since I have the next interview tomorrow with two of my peers. It is for an Implementation Manager position. I would be in charge of implementing their Time and Attendance tool for all of the Western US with a staff of 20. It would be a new experience for me, since all of my IT career has been company-internal and not working directly with external clients.

I also told you that I had an interview with ASU on Wednesday. It went very well and they expect to make a decision on it by next week. I would be a Sr. Project Manager in a new team, but no one would report to me.

And today, I meet with my old company for a Sr. Manager position. I would have 4-5 Project Managers reporting to me.

So, I guess I need to decide what I want to do for the next few years. Do I want to be an individual contributor or a manager? Do I want high-stress, high-opportunity, higher-pay or lower-stress, nights-and-weekends-off, lower-pay? I truthfully do not know yet. I will keep praying about it and building some type of evaluation matrix (that sounded a bit nerdish, huh?).

One way I can tell I am more relaxed about my job search this time is I played with a photo yesterday based on a Pinterest inspiration photo. As I was telling Dad, it seems that, when I am looking for a job, I somehow feel guilty doing things not related to the job search. Anyway, here is the inspiration from art.com.

And here is my version using my own photo.

OK, I need to grab some breakfast and get my day started. I did a little Bible study in the John Piper book we are learning in Sunday School. I have linked to it in previous posts. Today's Demand from Jesus is Believe in Me from John 12 and John 14.

Oh, tomorrow's phone interview is at 8:30am, so don't look for an update before that. I'll let you know how it went.

Like I Said Yesterday...Usually

Today is an example of a time when I did not update my blog first thing in the morning. I was nervous about the phone interview with ADP, so I hit the gym and then went straight to prep for the call. So, I was just now thinking about some of the sites I check frequently and wondered what I had written in today's blog. Oh yeah, I forgot to do that.

Since we are late, I can go ahead and tell you that I think the phone interview went well (like I said, I think). He said that he will talk to the HR recruiter and probably have two of his managers talk to me next (with whom I would be working). So, I hope he also felt comfortable after our talk.

In the morning, I will try to remember to update the blog, but I have another midday interview. This one is a face-to-face interview at ASU, so I need to be even more prepared since I cannot look back over my notes during it like I could on the phone. This one is as a project manager, so it will probably be at a lower salary than my last position. The good thing, though, is access to additional education, so that makes it worthwhile to investigate.

And I have another midday interview on Thursday at my old company, but since I know the interviewer (a former peer) and the environment, I am a little less anxious. I should be able to blog that morning.

Are all of your Christmas decorations up? We did our inside decorations, but I have not yet hung the outside lights. If I don't get to it by Friday, I may just skip them for this year. Here is a closeup of JV+KLIK's tree. including the Disney ornaments. It is a study in reds and whites and very pretty.

And here is the sweets spread she put up for Kenz's birthday. I am sure glad GDad fixed their oven.

OK, I know you are in the midst of your day, so I will stop now. Check back (sometime) tomorrow to find out what's on tap (or what already happened if I run late again).

I Write This Before My Day Begins...Usually

In my post-workaday life, I usually drop MBH (my better half) off at work (because I need the car) and hit the gym. Once I get home, I break my evening fast (get it, breakfast? break fast?) and then sit down at the computer. I glance through email, then focus on writing this blog. So, oftentimes, I give you the previous day's updates before I know what today holds.

So, today, I will give ADP a call so we can set up a phone interview for a job here. Whoo hoo, right? Kind of like ASU did last week when they said they would get back to me this week, but called back 45 min later, these guys did a similar thing. A friend connected me to the opening and I talked to the hiring manager (not an official interview. She was just helping me understand the position). Anyway, about an hour later, HR called back and said they felt I was not the best candidate because I had way too much experience for this job and, sure enough, they pay was around 1/2 of what I made at Apollo. They said I would be a better fit to be the manager of that group and they would forward my resume and cover letter to the hiring VP up in NJ. So, I need to call this morning and set up a time to talk during the week. And my onsite interview at ASU is Wed. And a friend at Apollo called and said a manager position is open that he thinks I could handle. As I told family, I am praying for God's guidance in this search, and praise Him that these people are contacting me.

I have not yet started this week's demands (#4,5,6) in What Jesus Demands From the World, but we had a good lesson yesterday on #1,2,3. The author is definitely Calvanistic in his beliefs, but it does make for interesting discussion. If you want to see what I am talking about, there is a link on last Friday's post.

How 'bout them Cardinals yesterday, huh? Luckily, we helped GDad and GMom hang their Christmas decorations, so did not watch the first half. Then, the Chorale had a concert last night, so we did not watch the second half. I think that was God protecting our sensitive nature. Don't know what I am talking about? Check out the story on Yahoo Sports. On second thought, maybe you'd better not.

More importantly, though, today is Kendall's fifth birthday. Congratulations. Kenzie! We love you dearly. We went to her party on Saturday, and here she is blowing our the candles on her cupcake. No, I don't remember which flavor this is. Like her shirt showing she is 5? No, you will not see me wearing one of these on my birthday.

Luckily, though, GDad fixed their oven, so Lyndsay could once again do her baking magic. Check this spread.

At the gym, I was listening to Christmas in December, but the local TV channels were on the TV screens. One of them said MN was clobbered by a snowstorm. When is the last time you heard "clobbered," much less saw it on screen?

OK, once again, you have been more than patient with my ramblings. I am now ready to start my day, so I will put on a load of laundry and hit the shower. I'll let you know when the ADP phone interview is scheduled and if the Apollo face-to-face will happen.

I Usually Choose the Post Title Before I Know What I Will Write

So, I currently have three things that I know I will tell you. Let's get started.

How do you decide what Bible verses to study each morning? Are you reading through the Bible, so you have certain verses or chapters? Do you have a weekly study group that requires you to be prepared for that week's discussions (like we do with our study of What Jesus Demands From the World)? If not, you might subscribe to the Berean's daily email. Today's scripture talks about us not repaying evil for evil, but to bless them. You can see it here or sign up here. My challenge on that is more how I think of them than how I physically react. It is easier to kind of curse them than bless them.

Wow, I kind of went link crazy in that last paragraph, huh? I will try to do better this time. Remember that I told you I have a second interview with Arizona State next Wednesday? Since then, one friend sent me a contact that has a IT Project Manager position open. It is contract and only 18 months, but I think I will still apply. My friend said to use him as a reference. And another former coworker now at ADP just called yesterday afternoon and has an open position for an Implementation Specialist. They are willing to give me an informational interview to understand the job requirements and decide if I want to formally apply, so I will call them later this morning. As I told family, even if none of these pan out, I am feeling more positive about the future. And, of course, I know that God is in control of my life.

I just jumped over to my email and one of the Sr. Managers at Apollo just dropped me a note saying they have another Sr. Manager position open in his PMO and wondering if I wanted to apply. Hmm. The nice thing about that is I could reclaim my seniority and vacation accrual. The bad thing is they are still going to be tight in their budgets and I would now be one of the newest hired. Sounds like a little more prayer is required.

We are hitting Bass Pro Shop tonight with the GRANDS. This is another annual tradition where we check out their decorations, their activities and Santa himself. Then, JV+B+K are spending the night so their folks can get ready for K's birthday celebration tomorrow. I am thinking Mickey D's for brunch (and peppermint coffee) and playground tomorrow. How does that sound?

We recently got a couple of photos converted to canvas (thanks, Dad). We ere planning to hang them around a painting Mom did back in the mid-80s. However, the coloring and content did not work together. So now, these two don't really work by themselves. We are thinking of adding a triptych to round it out (a triptych, not a TripTik). Anyway, how does this arrangement look?

Dad has finished the demolition required to rebuild our shower in the master bathroom. He is now planning how to pour the 3" of mortar which will provide the base for the new vinyl pan. Maybe I'll catch a couple of shots of the current state of the shower stall before he gets started. Maybe not.

This ended up being a little long. Sorry. You may want to read it in a couple of stints. Then again, if you read this, you have already finished the post. Stand up and walk around if you lost feeling in your limbs.

Don't Let Your Eyes Get Bigger Than Your Stomach

Have you ever heard that phrase? Growing up, our Dad would always caution that before we would eat at a cafeteria on Sunday after church (probably other times, too, but that is what sticks in my mind). Of course, he was saying only choose the amount of food you will eat and don't get enough to be wasteful. In other words, don't get ahead of yourself.

I need to apply the same advice to myself in my job search. Why? Well, I had a phone screening interview with ASU yesterday. I thought it went well. At the end, the Associate VP told me they would finish phone interviews this week and begin face-to-face interviews net week or so, but it could be 2013 because a lot of team members take off for the holidays when the students leave. However, less than an hour later, they called back and asked it I could come in next Wednesday. So, they must have liked my answers. However, this doesn't imply anything yet. When I was an interviewer at Apollo, we usually only hired 1/3 of those that we brought in. However, it does make me feel better about myself and my future employability.

Today's thought-provoking idea from the Bible study in Sunday School:

As Jesus looks out over the religions of the world—including the Judaism of his day—he sees people who are laboring under heavy loads to earn the favor of whatever deity they believe in. He did not come to replace that God-appeasing load with another one. He came to carry that load and call us to himself for rest. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my

yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). Make no mistake, there is a yoke and a burden when we come to Jesus (there would be no demands if this were not true), but the yoke is easy, and the burden is light. But perhaps it’s not easy and light the way we think it is. Jesus also said, “The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life” (Matt. 7:14). The reason it is hard is not because Jesus is a hard taskmaster. It’s hard because the world is a hard place to enjoy Jesus above all.

Sis brought her photo book of a recent trip to Canada to our Survivor gathering last night. Wow, I really liked the format. She made it using Mixbook, so I will check that out before I finish my Fall Trip book. My only problem with it is I must upload the photos before creating a book and then upload new ones if I decide to add them. A plus, though, is it also offers stickers, dust covers, etc. My daughter-in-love uses Picaboo, but that site also requires me to upload the photos and it only just now started being available to Mac users. I am currently designing my book using iPhoto since it pulls immediately from iPhoto on my machine, but it is does not offer page customization. My last two books, though, were from Blurb, which lets me build the book on my machine and has total page customization capabilities.

Speaking of my sister, did I tell you about her new canvas photo diptych. The company sent her two copies of the same side at first. When she contacted them to get the other half, they sent her the other half, and another set of both side. So now, she has two full sets and one copy of one half. That should be enough, don't you think? Still, the company we used, Canvas4Life, seems really committed to customer service.

While we were in Flagstaff, we took a hike before NPX started. Here, you can see Bella telling me where we are on the hike.

And Kendall telling me that she has no idea where we are.

OK, I need to hit the shower and start some laundry before I have to go in to get me fingerprint card application redone. The state rejected the first version because my ridges were not distinct enough. Can you imagine? 

What Really Matters (And It's Probably Not a Job)

At the moment, all I can think about is preparing for a 1pm phone interview. I am reviewing ll my notes from my Certified Associate in Project Management training, and what items I placed on my resume so I can present myself as not only a viable candidate, but the obvious choice.

However, as often happens, maybe I am focusing on the wrong thing as I worry about my future. From our Bible Study of John Piper's book What Jesus Demands From the World: When a person is born anew and experiences repentance, his attitude about Jesus changes. Jesus himself becomes the central focus and supreme value of life. Before the new birth happens and repentance occurs, a hundred other things seem more important and more attractive: health, family, job, friends, sports, music, food, sex, hobbies, retirement. But when God gives the radical change of new birth and repentance, Jesus himself becomes our supreme treasure. So, before I get back into my interview prep, I am taking a few minutes for Bible study and prayer to know His will.

I know this is old news, but I had not seen it before. Bethlehemian Rhapsody

You remember that we had a Chorale concert Sunday night. On the drive, Dad told me a story about our niece, Audrey. She chose a book for my sister (her Grammy) to read that Dad thought was an odd choice. It was about the way our Founding Fathers set up legislature and laws, etc. It was quite a long book and she sat patiently throughout the entire reading. When it finished, she told Grammy, "I thought it was about pirates." Why did she think that? The drawing on the cover of the book showed a man in a tri-cornered hat.

Is your Christmas shopping all done? I think ours is, thanks to MBH (My Better Half). In that theme, here is Santa visiting the girls at the breakfast at NPX.

And here is a shot of the grounds at our hotel.

Well, I have about 3-1/2 hours to get ready, so I will leave you now. Oh, a friend at Apollo (actually, the guy that helped me get that job sent me info on another job possibility, so I will check on that after my interview. Remember, pray at 1pm.

NPX then PHX

Well, we spent Saturday night up in Flagstaff and took the GRANDS and family to the North Pole Experience (NPX) for the second year in a row. While it was the second time for the girls, it was Jack's first time at NPX, first time in Flagstaff, and first time to meet Santa. How did that go? I think he enjoyed it.

The girls had their time with Santa, too.

Actually, Santa let us all be in a group photo with him. Maybe I should have asked for a job, huh?

Lyndsay has a bunch of photos up on Facebook if you want to enjoy more of our fun visit.

Another part of NPX is a buffet dinner the night of the North Pole visit and a buffet breakfast with Santa the next morning. No, I did not worry about eating healthy at either meal.

What else is up? The East Valley Chorale performed our first of many Christmas concerts last night. We had 75 singers, a 3-piece woodwind band accompanying us, and 685 in the audience. Next Sunday night at the church where we practice will be with a full orchestra, as will the following Sunday at an RV park. Those are a lot of fun.

Today, I need to start brushing up on potential questions and answers for the interview on Wednesday. Yes, I do feel I know the answers, and can do the job, but if I refresh my mind on them, I can answer with no delay and better worded responses than off-the-cuff. K did most of the laundry yesterday, so I only need to do jeans (and maybe towels) today.

Thanks for being persistent in checking here for goings-on. I'll try to be more regular in sharing.