I have a couple potential job leads lined up...finally some things that are looking promising.
OK, the truth is that I was offered a job with a super high-end residential firm yesterday. While I am grateful and glad to have FINALLY received a job offer, I am sort of not excited because, #1: It's residential and #2: I also have an interview at a decent commercial firm tomorrow!! (Right after I meet with the residential one to review their offer)
I was working in commercial before and I'm pretty darn sure that's what I want to stick with. If there was no hope of getting into commercial at all in this economy I would do residential, but I don't see it being the type of design I ultimately want to do. However, I do realize all experience can be good experience and in this economy, a job in any sort of design firm is hard to come by. So in that respect, I am grateful. But, you must understand what the interview was like with this residential firm. Lets just say they pretty much bragged about themselves the whole time and bitched about their current and past employees! They didn't ask too much about me which was weird. This was the kind of interview that in a normal economy, in non-desperate mode, I would totally run screaming from. These are the kind of people I really do not want to work for. Even though the firm designs 10 million dollar homes with maids quarters and gyms and theaters in them, for some reason that is revolting to me and I would much rather design a simple office space! Call me crazy I guess.
So, I have this interview tomorrow with a commercial firm. Even though the people who recommended me for this job said it is probably not the end-all-be-all firm for me, I would much rather work at any commercial firm than a residential one. So the hope is that I will do well in the commercial interview and get offered that one as well. (Here's hoping, right?!) If it doesn't work out, then yes, I will probably end up slapping a smile on my face and working for the "lovely" people that interviewed me at the residential firm. Goodie.
So, looks like the end of my unemployment time is drawing near either way....cross my fingers... hope it works out for the best....
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sushi and Surgery
So I figured I should do a quick post since I haven't posted in a while. I seem to be drawing a blank on things to write about. Plus I feel like no one is probably reading anyway, so maybe its just a "digital journal" for me. ha-ha. ;-)
We had a good and busy past week and weekend. I had lots of tutoring/working at Harrington, an IIDA meeting, and I also went to the annual IIDA Leaders Breakfast on Wednesday morning at the Drake Hotel.
The Leaders Breakfast is IIDA's biggest event of the year. I was invited by Harrington to sit at their table since I am on the alumni board. It was really cool and I'm glad I was able to attend...the table costs a lot so I wouldn't be able to attend unless it was with a company or I was invited by someone else. Anyway, each year they honor someone in the interior design community with an award and they also have an interesting speaker. This year they honored Chris Kennedy who is the President of MMPI (Merchandise Mart Properties) which owns the huge Merchandise Mart near downtown Chicago. Yes, he's a Kennedy. "The Mart" as we call it in here in Chicago is a designers main resource for all things interior design and then some. Its a HUGE building filled with showrooms and offices, most are "to the trade only" and not open to the public. So...back to the breakfast, the speaker was a woman named Alison Levine who was a part of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition...among other things! She was very inspirational and a great speaker. Don't worry though, I am going to get into mountain climbing anytime soon... Her presentation was very translatable to every part of life and was especially good for the very "damaged" Chicago design industry to hear. Maybe it gave us the little pick-me-up we all needed! Hopefully! The Drake hotel is also very cool. It's right on Michigan Ave, near the curve in Lakeshore Drive. The ballroom we were in had a pretty view of the orange and yellow leaves just outside the window.
The Leaders Breakfast is IIDA's biggest event of the year. I was invited by Harrington to sit at their table since I am on the alumni board. It was really cool and I'm glad I was able to attend...the table costs a lot so I wouldn't be able to attend unless it was with a company or I was invited by someone else. Anyway, each year they honor someone in the interior design community with an award and they also have an interesting speaker. This year they honored Chris Kennedy who is the President of MMPI (Merchandise Mart Properties) which owns the huge Merchandise Mart near downtown Chicago. Yes, he's a Kennedy. "The Mart" as we call it in here in Chicago is a designers main resource for all things interior design and then some. Its a HUGE building filled with showrooms and offices, most are "to the trade only" and not open to the public. So...back to the breakfast, the speaker was a woman named Alison Levine who was a part of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition...among other things! She was very inspirational and a great speaker. Don't worry though, I am going to get into mountain climbing anytime soon... Her presentation was very translatable to every part of life and was especially good for the very "damaged" Chicago design industry to hear. Maybe it gave us the little pick-me-up we all needed! Hopefully! The Drake hotel is also very cool. It's right on Michigan Ave, near the curve in Lakeshore Drive. The ballroom we were in had a pretty view of the orange and yellow leaves just outside the window.
So this weekend Joe had his second and final (hopefully forever) gum graft. He had the first one done about a month ago and the second one was this weekend. He has been a trooper about this, but I'm glad its done now. I am sure I would be milking it much more than he is! ha-ha. Luckily the doctor is really good and he hasn't had any problems and the pain is manageable. I got him a giant frosty from Wendy's and that always helps! ;-) Hopefully he will heal up as fast as the last one did!
So while Joe was at home watching the Nebraska game (which amazingly was on TV here in Chicago), I went out to a late lunch with my good friend Sarah for some delicious sushi in Lincoln Square. After several days of rain this week Saturday turned out to be a nice Fall day. We had some sun and it wasn't too chilly. The sushi was great and I think I found my new favorite beer... Kirin! Its a Japanese beer (obviously) and was really smooth and delicious! I always have fun with Sarah, we have a good time chatting and laughing about whatever. We strolled through Lincoln Square and did some browsing in the many shops up and down that part of Lincoln Ave. It was a fun day. 
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Goat Dog
I feel like crap today because I was up all night with my baby....I mean dog. Louie is the biggest handful of a dog that has ever lived, I swear. He's a lovable little guy, but some days (and nights) I curse the day we ever brought him home! Joe and I like to equate him to Marley from "Marley and Me", except in miniature form. Just like the book and movie, our "Marley" aka Louie, is the biggest pain in the butt sometimes, but we still love him to death.
Last night was one of those nights where I thought to myself, "WHY?!
You see, Louie likes to pretend he is a goat and eat blankets on our bed. Yes, he EATS them. Luckily we have an arsenal of 'dog' blankets that cover our comforter to protect it from doggie dirt. Last night I awoke to a lovely chewing and licking noise which usually alerts me that the "goat" is up and is eating away. Usually after he chews he starts gagging on the blanket that is half chewed and hanging in his throat. So last night I kept telling him "NO!" and I took the small blanket off of the bed that he was chewing. Then the licking started, I don't know if he had something caught in his throat or he was thirsty or what, but he just kept on licking everything. Licking and gagging and being annoying! I couldn't sleep because it was so loud and I was trying to get him to quit and he just wouldn't. Eventually I picked him up and put him down on the floor and told him to go get a drink of water....thinking maybe he was thirsty?? Once he was on the floor, probably a little confused, he decided to wander and pace around the apartment. I could hear his little nails tap, tap, tapping as he walked around wondering what he was supposed to do now. I eventually had to get up, get him to drink some water and then I put him back in bed.
To make a long story short he was gagging and licking all night until the morning. Joe was sound asleep and I was awake all night. What a crazy boy. He's our little goat.
Last night was one of those nights where I thought to myself, "WHY?!
You see, Louie likes to pretend he is a goat and eat blankets on our bed. Yes, he EATS them. Luckily we have an arsenal of 'dog' blankets that cover our comforter to protect it from doggie dirt. Last night I awoke to a lovely chewing and licking noise which usually alerts me that the "goat" is up and is eating away. Usually after he chews he starts gagging on the blanket that is half chewed and hanging in his throat. So last night I kept telling him "NO!" and I took the small blanket off of the bed that he was chewing. Then the licking started, I don't know if he had something caught in his throat or he was thirsty or what, but he just kept on licking everything. Licking and gagging and being annoying! I couldn't sleep because it was so loud and I was trying to get him to quit and he just wouldn't. Eventually I picked him up and put him down on the floor and told him to go get a drink of water....thinking maybe he was thirsty?? Once he was on the floor, probably a little confused, he decided to wander and pace around the apartment. I could hear his little nails tap, tap, tapping as he walked around wondering what he was supposed to do now. I eventually had to get up, get him to drink some water and then I put him back in bed.
To make a long story short he was gagging and licking all night until the morning. Joe was sound asleep and I was awake all night. What a crazy boy. He's our little goat.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Laid Off but Keeping Busy
I don't have much to write about today. Of course once I start a blog I cant think of anything cool or interesting to write about!! Before I actually committed to this thing I had TONS of ideas! Arg...writers block I guess. ;-)
SO, I can write about some general stuff that I've been up to.... so here comes long boring stories....watch out people, I'm reeeally good at typing looong stories. ;-)
As many of you know I was laid off from my job back in February. I can't believe its been this long already...it really is too bad. I have gotten to the point where I am OK with it and I don't feel sorry for myself because it has become all to common around here. Unfortunately, people are STILL getting laid off in my industry. Anything related to building and construction and architecture is pretty much in the crapper right now.
The Chicago architecture and design industry is HUGE, there is a great network of professionals here and SO many people are out of work, its crazy. The architecture firm that I worked for is down to a pretty small group of people now. The interiors group that I was in within the firm is pretty much non-existent. Its crazy to have so many of my friends unemployed. People keep saying that this happens a lot in my industry and it always bounces back...but it sure it taking a while!! I guess its good that it happened early in my career because I will be "more prepared" when it happens again (right?!)... ha-ha....I don't know if one is ever prepared for getting laid off. Even though I knew it was coming eventually I was still shocked. I must say now that the experience I got there was good and I am glad I got the chance to work in a firm and get my foot in the door! Even though I wasn't the happiest there and it sort of was a blessing in disguise to be laid off, I sure wish I had another firm to go to! Too bad no one is hiring. :-(
All I have to say is thank god for unemployment and thank god that Joe still has a job that doesn't seem to be in jeopardy at this point! Whew! Not that things have been easy for us though...living on one income, especially here in a pretty expensive city, is not easy to say the least.
I have been able to earn some extra cash by doing private tutoring at my Alma-mater, Harrington College of Design. I pretty much started tutoring on the side soon after I graduated in 2007. I am hired privately by students to tutor them in Auto CAD, Photoshop, and other courses that they take for interior design degree. Its a good gig because it keeps my skills up to date and its pretty good money.
So, I was doing the tutoring privately, but recently I was hired on part-time at school as a Teaching Assistant in the classrooms and a tutor/learning assistant in the computer labs where students go to work on their projects. Luckily that is giving us some extra income for now that's a little more steady. Its pretty fun, the only thing is that I am gone for long hours on Wed and Thurs nights.... until like 10pm....darn those long night classes! Sure makes me miss regular work days! Poor Joe has to fend for himself with dinner those nights. You don't even want to know what he has called "dinner" for the past few weeks! Someday he will learn to cook something other than mac 'n' cheese! ha-ha.
Along with TA-ing and tutoring, I am also keeping busy serving as the board Secretary/Treasurer for my school's Alumni Association. Seems like I always have a meeting of some sort to attend. I go to the regular board meetings, plus two different committee meetings, PLUS the executive committee meetings since I am part of that as well. It keeps me very busy and the experience and contacts I get are great! Our board is really gearing back up again after some time of having no active alumni board. We are going to get some neat things done for the alumni and the school. Looking forward to what we have coming up.
Below is a link to the last newsletter that we created. Alumni newsletters are a semi-new thing for our school, so please ignore the awkward formatting, we have students working on it! ;-) It still looks pretty nice.
I wrote the article about Kickball and organized that event, it was fun! http://www.fathompbm.com/CEC/Harrington_College_of_Design/200908-HCD-Alumni-Newsletter.pdf
I also serve on the Membership Committee for the Chicago Chapter of IIDA (International Interior Design Association). Those meetings are only once a month, but with all of my other meetings, it sure seems like they are all the time! http://www.iida.org/
So needless to say, I am definitely keeping myself busy...more busy now than I was when I was first laid off which is good because at times I was getting stir-crazy just being home all the time! Luckily, during the summer I was able to get out and walk the dogs a lot and try to enjoy it. Now that Fall has arrived I am definitely going to be more of a homebody when I am not working at school or at meetings! Brrr!
So that's my life right now, or most of it anyway...more to come....
Time to relax now and watch the news, I had a long day of tutoring and meetings (shocker!).
Good night for now!
SO, I can write about some general stuff that I've been up to.... so here comes long boring stories....watch out people, I'm reeeally good at typing looong stories. ;-)
As many of you know I was laid off from my job back in February. I can't believe its been this long already...it really is too bad. I have gotten to the point where I am OK with it and I don't feel sorry for myself because it has become all to common around here. Unfortunately, people are STILL getting laid off in my industry. Anything related to building and construction and architecture is pretty much in the crapper right now.
The Chicago architecture and design industry is HUGE, there is a great network of professionals here and SO many people are out of work, its crazy. The architecture firm that I worked for is down to a pretty small group of people now. The interiors group that I was in within the firm is pretty much non-existent. Its crazy to have so many of my friends unemployed. People keep saying that this happens a lot in my industry and it always bounces back...but it sure it taking a while!! I guess its good that it happened early in my career because I will be "more prepared" when it happens again (right?!)... ha-ha....I don't know if one is ever prepared for getting laid off. Even though I knew it was coming eventually I was still shocked. I must say now that the experience I got there was good and I am glad I got the chance to work in a firm and get my foot in the door! Even though I wasn't the happiest there and it sort of was a blessing in disguise to be laid off, I sure wish I had another firm to go to! Too bad no one is hiring. :-(
All I have to say is thank god for unemployment and thank god that Joe still has a job that doesn't seem to be in jeopardy at this point! Whew! Not that things have been easy for us though...living on one income, especially here in a pretty expensive city, is not easy to say the least.
I have been able to earn some extra cash by doing private tutoring at my Alma-mater, Harrington College of Design. I pretty much started tutoring on the side soon after I graduated in 2007. I am hired privately by students to tutor them in Auto CAD, Photoshop, and other courses that they take for interior design degree. Its a good gig because it keeps my skills up to date and its pretty good money.
So, I was doing the tutoring privately, but recently I was hired on part-time at school as a Teaching Assistant in the classrooms and a tutor/learning assistant in the computer labs where students go to work on their projects. Luckily that is giving us some extra income for now that's a little more steady. Its pretty fun, the only thing is that I am gone for long hours on Wed and Thurs nights.... until like 10pm....darn those long night classes! Sure makes me miss regular work days! Poor Joe has to fend for himself with dinner those nights. You don't even want to know what he has called "dinner" for the past few weeks! Someday he will learn to cook something other than mac 'n' cheese! ha-ha.
Along with TA-ing and tutoring, I am also keeping busy serving as the board Secretary/Treasurer for my school's Alumni Association. Seems like I always have a meeting of some sort to attend. I go to the regular board meetings, plus two different committee meetings, PLUS the executive committee meetings since I am part of that as well. It keeps me very busy and the experience and contacts I get are great! Our board is really gearing back up again after some time of having no active alumni board. We are going to get some neat things done for the alumni and the school. Looking forward to what we have coming up.
Below is a link to the last newsletter that we created. Alumni newsletters are a semi-new thing for our school, so please ignore the awkward formatting, we have students working on it! ;-) It still looks pretty nice.
I wrote the article about Kickball and organized that event, it was fun! http://www.fathompbm.com/CEC/Harrington_College_of_Design/200908-HCD-Alumni-Newsletter.pdf
I also serve on the Membership Committee for the Chicago Chapter of IIDA (International Interior Design Association). Those meetings are only once a month, but with all of my other meetings, it sure seems like they are all the time! http://www.iida.org/
So needless to say, I am definitely keeping myself busy...more busy now than I was when I was first laid off which is good because at times I was getting stir-crazy just being home all the time! Luckily, during the summer I was able to get out and walk the dogs a lot and try to enjoy it. Now that Fall has arrived I am definitely going to be more of a homebody when I am not working at school or at meetings! Brrr!
So that's my life right now, or most of it anyway...more to come....
Time to relax now and watch the news, I had a long day of tutoring and meetings (shocker!).
Good night for now!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Number 1
So, after much contemplation and thought I've decided to start a new blog...(I think I've been writing them in my head for several months now and now I can finally put them down on "paper").
I had another blog going a while ago when we first moved to Chicago, but it quit working well and I sort of forgot about it. It has been like 3 years since I last "blogged" I think and a lot has happened in those 3 years!! So I took a look at the old one and decided I wanted a different format for my new blog. This style seems simple enough and easy... AND lots of my friends and family have these, so why not?!
I'm sure this blog will simply be a random posting of some of my thoughts (and hopes and dreams) and our adventures (the good, the bad, the ugly) here in Chicago.... probably not many people will read it (I hope)....I want to keep it to just family and good friends. So hopefully this will keep some people up to date, entertain others and maybe even bore some people to sleep....so here it goes...
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