Yes and No!

Did I get a job? The answer is YES AND NO! I was offered the position, but haven't signed the dotted line. I was feeling confident and decided to go big and ask for more money. He seemed to think he could get me more, and has re-submitted paper work and I should find out on Wednesday if they are willing to up my offer! I would then start working on Friday or Monday! Yeah! If they don't up the offer - I will still take the position. The current offer is A LOT more money then I was making in MN! So, I guess you could say I GOT A JOB! FINALLY!

Slacking!!

Okay, so I may be slacking a bit on the blog update, but there are many reasons for it! First, nothing seems to be changing so much. Second, it was Christmas and kinda (well not really) busy!

Christmas for me sucked! (sorry Megan and Carley!) It was just really hard! Harder than I ever imagined being away from my family could be! Another LESSON Learned from my move and life: NEVER TAKE ANYONE OR ANYTHING FOR GRANTED - You never know what in life may happen and they won't/aren't or can't be there. I have always heard the saying, but only until now do I truely believe it!! I missed you all!!

The Sunday before Christmas, I was able to go to my first Seattle Seahawks game. It was outside and rainy. Needless to say, I had way to much fun! (from what I remember) - NOT FUNNY!! I ended up with the wig on and Santa holding me up! FUZZY!
The other picture is from our seats at the game! (wide open and way different then the dome!)









Other NEWS: I was begining to feel a little down. Being that it was Christmas, and I was away from everyone, I don't have a job, and am beginning to feel really bored sitting at home all day! I have been here over a month and thought I would have a little bit more direction in my life by now! I have shed a few tears! I have wondered when it is going to get better, and how I am going to survive! I am hoping that today all that changed! I am (for real, this time) going to meet with Countrywide Financial tomorrow to discuss my offer. It has taken so long, and then there were obstacles....do this, fill out that, meet with this person! BUT FINALLY, tomorrow I will find out if this is it or if I need to keep looking! (If I need to keep looking, my bags will be packed and I will be driving back to MN this weekend!) Just Kidding - I am not quite there yet, and feel that I need to give this some more time. The truth is... That when you feel you just can not go on any longer... You do!

I will try to update about the job either tomorrow or for sure sometime this weekend! Love and Miss Everyone!

Update!

Just a little update. Megan and Carley are in Tahoe for the weekend. I decided to make some Christmas cookies yesterday! Lets just say I am not MARTHA f'ing STEWART!!!! It started okay, until...

This picture is what my first two dozen batches turned out to be! Burnt!! So, both went into the garbage!

Next came the frosting!

When it tells you to use "powdered sugar, use it - DON'T USE FLOUR!!! OR THIS IS WHAT IT ENDS UP LOOKING LIKE!!! I am sure my mother is laughing her ass off right now!!! I figured it out! (after the bread dough started backing up into the mixer, that something just wasn't right!) See picture! Anyways, after many of hours, I ended up with a couple dozen Christmas cookies for Carley! Although, Don't they sell cookies at the grocery store for like $2.99/dozen!! I think next time I will choose that option!

Next, I have a few pics of some scenery of my new home.

People have been asking, "what is the weather? Is the grass green, etc?" This picture is of part of the back yard. The grass is still kinda green! The cloudy sky is typical and it has been raining here more days than not, but on and off. It hasn't really bothered me yet! The picture below is the view at night from the front porch. I know it is a very fuzzy picture, but use your imagination!!

Next - the job situation!! I am getting a little frustrated, but Megan keeps telling me, "Katie - It takes time!" I made it to the 3rd round of interviews with The Freeman Company, and they should be letting me know tomorrow! It is between me and one other candidate. Countrywide Financial - well let's just say that they having been dicking me around a bit! They originally were suppose to make an offer last Monday or Tuesday. Then the branch manager, whom I interviewed with, called me and told me that before making an offer, there was another process I needed to go through, and he would get back to me with the details. He didn't get back to me for 4 days. He apologized for the delay. I had to fill out some online paperwork and application on Friday and I hope to hear from them tomorrow as well. (although, I am sure they won't get back to me that quickly considering their record with last week!) I also have another interview lined up tomorrow with the Seattle Times. If these 3 jobs don't work out, I am starting to think of just getting a serving job part-time until I find a full-time day job. I am just getting a little bored and want to start working!!!

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If you would like to see a video of Mom, Dad, Sarah and I! Super FUNNY!

Life!

I have been interviewing like a mad women, and it feels great to actually be getting call backs!! There hasn't been a whole lot of time for me to sit back and feel sorry for myself and how "out of whack" my life is! (okay - so maybe a healthy balance of thinking about the past, how I got here and what comes next) I mean 3 months ago, I thought I was going to be married and living in Minnesota the rest of my life and look at me now!! Yesterday, I had a phone interview with what seems to be an amazing company called Freeman Company doing Admin work, but alot of potential to grow and into Marketing at that! Their motto, "Making the impossible - Possible!" They created a brand strategy campaign for Coors Brewing Company - using lights, audio visual, river rocks, running water, ect all to promote its brand! Could totally see me working for them!! I was hesitant to even go on my second interview of the day, considering the recruiter for Freeman really liked me and told me I would be receiving a call to meet in the branch for a face-to-face interview and felt I was a great candidate, but decided things could go wrong I better go to the other interview.

Countrywide Financial, one of fortune's top 100!!! Loved many aspects of this position - working in an environment that is fast-paced, downtown Seattle, free parking, great benefits, working with 12 people (11 guys and a girl!!), all under the age of 35(which would just help me to meet people), and it gets better when he tells me the pay is in a range that if I get the top range I could be making almost double of what I made in Minnesota! It gets even better when he likes me and I have an offer coming in by Monday or Tuesday!! My responsibilites would be much more than an Admin, but I am ready for it!! I just can't believe that I could be working for one of the top 100 companies to work for AND I have other options. I am still going to go to the 2nd interview with Freeman. They called me back this morning and also I had another interview with the Seattle Times (which I heard is a great company to work for also) on Monday!

Last night was the second time we lost electricity at the house since I got here. Carley, Megan and I went out for dinner and than to a bar for a drink. When we got home there was still no electricity and no heat! Megan gave me a book called "how to be HAPPY, dammit"! I decided to open it as I sat on the couch via candle light. The first page talks about how you are born into this world an innocent, guilt-free, sugar-free, caffeine-free person, noble and pure and within 3 seconds "WHACK - you are spanked, really hard! This is unfair. You have done nothing wrong! Why all the pain?" 3 seconds and you have been taught a big life lesson - Lesson #1: Pain exists. Life can hurt. Like a lot. (even when you're good, you get whacked, without an apology, without explanation) It then proceeds into Lesson #2: That pain in Life Lesson #1 was for your benefit. (and blah, blah it keeps going into many life lessons - each page was like 4 words! very short) But this just really got me to thinking about life. Maybe me life was suppose to be this way! Without the hurt of this divorce, I wouldn't be in Seattle and I wouldn't have these amazing career opportunities and I would not have experienced a life in a different city - one that now I am so extremely greatful and excited for! Maybe, just maybe - everything does happen for a reason...

Lost and loving it!!

Well, I have been having a little bit of a hard time finding my way around Seattle. It seems that whenever I go anywhere, I end up lost!! Seattle is a little harder to get around than Albertville!! The first couple of times that I ending up lost, I found myself getting frustrated, annoyed and yelling "Where in the hell am I?" I hated it!

Today, my attitude changed! I woke up this morning to go to an interview at 9:30. I haven't quite figured out the bus system, so to make a long story short, I was dropped of at 9:20 and had 10 minutes to figure out which direction to go and to walk about 8-10 blocks. (maybe it was less) It just felt like forever, because this was my first real "Seattle Rain" experience. By the time I arrived at my interview, I was soaked! My pants were plastered to my skin, one side of my hair was wet, my hands were dripping with water from holding my black interview book and my coffee, ect. I felt pretty stupid for not having an UMBRELLA! (oh yeah - that would have been nice) Anyways, the interview went good and at least it was something to talk about! So as I was leaving, the lady who interviewed me said there was a Bartell's just a few blocks away where I could purchase an umbrella! So out I go, venturing to find me an umbrella. After 4 blocks this way and 4 blocks that way, I said screw it - I need to get on a bus. I will get an umbrella later!! I was now on a mission to find the famous Seattle Public Library!

The bus dropped me off at the front door and I walk into I have to say the craziest Library I have ever been in! 11 Floors and it is made of all glass! BEAUTIFUL!! People everywhere and Oh and I see coffee! I must have one of them because I am still soaked and cold! I go into the bathroom to poor my old "cold" coffee out and dump my new "hot" coffee in my mug. I see they have blow dryers for your hands! Yes - I can try and dry off my pants! I thought about taking them off, but decided I better not and just stood under them for about 5 minutes! I opened an account and ventured through 3 of the 11 floors and decided I needed to go home. But then I walked out and of course not through the same door that I had gone in. The wind has now picked up and my hood will no longer stay on. I still have my coffee mug and my books so now I just let my hood stay off, walking with my suit on and my high heals! "Where in the hell is the bus stop that has a number 3 on it???" I walk for blocks and blocks, trying to find the damn bus stop that has a number 3 on it! I start observing other people and this big city and begin to laugh!! Every person that I pass, I smile and chuckle because I am lost and I am wet and I begin to really like this big city! The people, the noise, the adventure, the rain, the buildings, the craziness - I love it! It is so different then anything I have experienced! I finally find a bus stop with number 3 on it and wait for it, in the rain. I get on the bus smiling and sit down. People are probably looking at me because I am about to burst out in laughter. What a day! And then we pull up to the library and about 20 feet further then from where I had taken a right - we stop for others to get on! I can't believe I have been walking around for 40 minutes in the rain and the bus stop was right there! The whole bus ride home, I sit there laughing to myself because I have just walked in the rain forever, smiling, my whole body is wet, my book is probably ruined not to mention my canvas coach purse! Sometimes in life it is just better to smile and laugh then to be upset! Get lost - and you will always find your way!!