The Kohl's Group Interview: Slice of Life

Even though I have a pretty promising second job lined up, I didn't want to flake on my Kohl's interview tonight. So I went to the Hilton Garden Inn fully expecting a group interview, and that's exactly what I got. They have 1200 interviews to conduct and hundreds of people to hire by next week, so there's no time to waste. 

We all filled out packets of paperwork before being herded in groups of 10 to a stripped-down hotel suite (no bed, extra chairs), where we all answered the same generic three questions in front of everyone else.

Pride, swallowed. 

The people in my group came from all backgrounds including a first time job hunter, a city employee, two failing small business owners, a very young woman who just had twins, a landscaper, an older woman tired of her current retail job, and two young women who had recently left jobs caring for the elderly. 

They all had one thing in common - they wanted a job. Any job. Any hours, any pay. Their desperation was palpable and I wished they'd read up on interviewing tips before they got there. It's okay to have a preferred department - it shows passion about some aspect of retail, at least. It's much less appealing to an employer to say "I'll do whatever."

They're going to extend job offers by phone and rejections by snail mail. Will I make the cut? (And will I want the job?) 

You Know You're on the Right Path, When...

The universe keeps telling you so.

I had my first second-job interview yesterday and it sounds awesome. I'd be going door-to-door on my own schedule to solicit donations for a highly popular art program that provides classes and art supplies to local kids and paints murals around town. They've even offered to pay me a little extra to help manage their social media presence. So, I can work as many or as few hours as I'd like, and Jayda can even come with me. I can't think of anything that could be a more perfect fit right now. (After political canvassing, this will be a cinch!)

Last night I went on a nice date with a great guy who I'm pretty sure doesn't know that I want to adopt. (The new Meridian Flatbread is really nice, btw.) I found myself wondering what he'd think about it, if he'd even care this early on, if the relationship might go anywhere...

Then this morning I learned that a good friend has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's only a couple years older than I am and shared the advice, "...seize the moment, seize your life… enjoy the beauty and waste little time on the negative around us." Ha. How silly of me to worry about what some guy might think about what I want to do. Life is too short to keep waiting!

Easy, So Far

Hard to believe in this economy, but I already have three interviews scheduled for possible part-time work. Each one is related to jobs I’ve held in the past – retail, door-to-door canvassing and real estate marketing. I’m hoping to find something fun, flexible and low-stress.

Also, my lady doc was able to do everything needed for my pre-adoption physical yesterday during a routine appointment, so I’ve gotten most of that out of the way. Adoptive parents have to have everything checked, from eyesight to liver function and even an HIV test.

They also require 10 hours of education (with special classes if you’re going to adopt outside your race), but I’ll get into that more in another post. It sure would be nice if we had these sorts of requirements for everyone who had children!

Thinking About a Second Gig

This weekend as Andrea and I waited to get on the river at Barber Park, she blurted out, “A baby! What are you going to do with a baby? You’re always so busy!”

True, but that’s because I keep myself busy. I can carve out time when I need to, and in an effort to save even more money I’ve started looking into possible second jobs. I have an interview with the new Kohl’s store next week and applied for a few other part-time opportunities as well. Kohl’s might not want someone who only wants to work a short shift or two per week (and I hear the pay is really low) but it’s worth looking into. I can only hit up my friends for donations so many times. :)

That said, a local wine shop has agreed to host a private wine tasting in September, so those who want to attend can make a donation and sample some great wines (and cheese and chocolate.) Stay tuned for details!

"This is the MEGA yard sale?"

For yesterday's yard sale I made signs saying "MEGA YARD SALE" and placed them between State St. and my parents' house. They generated lots of drive-by traffic (a.k.a. people who had no idea why I was having the yard sale). One guy who showed up after 1 pm was a bit disappointed because all the good stuff was gone. "This is the MEGA yard sale?" he asked skeptically.

It was hard work but my family kept me company in the sweltering heat, and I now have 1/3 of my home study fee covered. :)

Funniest shoppers of the day: Three older guys who bought a tape measure and pickle-flavored lip gloss.

Natalya spent a good part of the morning trying to fit into 2t clothes donated by some good friends.

Working, Playing

The last two weekends were exactly what I needed. First I spent 4 days in St. Louis for work (check out the view from my hotel room!) and last weekend, my friend Tristan from the Obama campaign stopped in Boise for a few days on his way from D.C. to law school in California. Both weekends gave me much-needed mental breaks from all the adoption planning I’ve been doing.

By Monday it was back to work. I’ve spent my evenings cleaning and organizing in preparation for the yard sale and the upcoming home study. (Despite its name, the home study is more about me and my past than the state of my home, so there won’t be any “white glove” checks for dust. Still, it’s nice to get things in order well ahead of time.) I even refinished a cheap pair of real wood nightstands I found on Craigslist, allowing me to remove some clutter-attracting furniture from my bedroom. (See before and after pics.)

I expect to receive my home study paperwork packet any day, then the challenge will be to get lots done before the end of August – background check, physical, etc. I’ll have to renew my home study every year until I adopt, and it’ll be cheaper to do that once per year instead of updating the physical one month, background check another, etc.

Oh, and the yard sale is off to a great start – I sold an extremely heavy microwave last night that I didn’t want to haul to my parents’ house this weekend.

I haven’t made a final decision regarding agency vs. agency vs. private attorney, but I can start the home study without knowing for sure which path I’ll take.

Cool Site: Yard Sale Search

I found a yard sale website that will give me a free listing upgrade by sharing my link here. Find garage sales
in Boise, ID.

I started posting on Craigslist as well, and people have already started emailing me about all the great stuff for sale.