Well, I heard some news...

but it wasn't good. I did not get the job at the Akron hospital. Totally bummed about it, but I understand their reasons.

Now - I am praying really hard that the other hospital works out. The more I learn about them, the more I like about them. The job comes with a lot of baggage, but it presents a HUGE opportunity to show what I am truly capable of... I had the surgeon-in-chief from my previous employer send a recommendation note to the CMO there. He bcc'd me on it, and it brought me to tears. I love physicians. They are such amazing people. The ones that I interviewed last week were wonderful too, so I sincerely hope an offer comes through after the holidays. I know the interview committee cannot all get together until after the holidays, so we'll see.

I know this is all happening for a reason and that He has a plan for me. I'm just praying things work out soon.

This will probably be my last post until after Christmas, so to anyone reading this... Merry Christmas!!! Hugs to you and your family!!

The Waiting Game

I am stuck in this waiting mode. Waiting to hear from both hospitals about their decisions, waiting for Christmas to come, waiting for everything to feel normal and good again.... Just waiting.

The interviews went well last week. I got a much better idea of what the job would entail and the people were great. From what I gathered from the HR woman, this job is also between myself and one other candidate.

Oh, please, God, just let me end up where I am supposed to be soon.

The lessons I have learned through this entire experience are immeasurable. I am so... I don't know. Just smarter, I guess. I have learned so many difficult things, and I am certain that this will all end up exactly the way it was meant to be... I just hate waiting for it to happen!!

aaahhh.

Losing Steam

Today I will do my 13th interview in 3 weeks. (That includes the 4 phone interviews I've done.) I am losing steam and getting burnt out. I really just want something to work out already.

I am still praying for the dream hospital job that I interviewed for last week. That's the ideal.

Yesterday was the first of a two-part second round of interviews at the other hospital. It was much better than the first interview there, and I now know much more about the position.

I don't know. I'm just exhausted by it all and stressed out beyond imagination. After today, I am done interviewing until the 30th - unless I get more calls... aaahhh.

Job front aside, the girls are great. We did the whole Santa visit thing last night. Emma HATED it. From the second she saw him and knew we were getting in the line, she was mad. Maddy was very excited to talk to him and tell him what she wanted. The problem was the mall had a high school band playing Christmas music beside Santa, and she was nervous so she talked real quiet and Santa couldn't hear her. I had to repeat everything she said! Poor thing. Santa felt bad too. He was a great Santa. Very endearing.

That's about it today. 4:00 today. Let the question firing begin!

Another Update

So, I found out that my dream job is being decided between myself and one other person. PLEASE pray that I beat out my competition and land this job!! I just feel it in my bones that it's the right one!!

On a different note, I have a second round of interviews at another hospital next week - the one that I thought was a little strange the first time. Maybe I'll feel differently after I meet with some more people?

The phone interview this morning was a bust, but it may be a good opportunity for a friend... so thinking good thoughts for her.

And, thinking good thoughts for my little brother. He's interviewing today for a job that would be a step up for him.

Jobs Update

Thanks to everyone for your good thoughts and prayers. Things seem to be going pretty well. I had my second round of intervews at a great hospital yesterday, and things went well. I interviewed with four people, which was incredibly exhausting, but it was all good. I love the hospital and the people, and I think I would be a great fit for the position. The salary is right and it would be a good growth opportunity for me. I am the first and only one they interviewed, so I have to wait for them to go through the HR process. I met with someone from HR at the end of the day yesterday, and she was really up front. They are going to interview a few other candidates, but I am at the top of pack :) I would LOVE to hear something before the holidays, but I'm not pressing my luck. I know they want to move pretty quickly, as the staff is small and down a few people right now... so continue to pray that things work out the way He has intended for me.

I've had a few other interviews and have some more coming up. I'm extremely grateful that things keep moving/flowing, because the day that they don't is when I will really probably lose it completely!

On another front, I am having some health issues. Gall bladder problems. I ended up at the doctor on Monday after a very bad attack over the weekend. I always knew I'd end up having issues related to my non-veggie/fruit diet, but this episode was the most painful yet. Now, I am on "the purple pill" - Nexium for the next six weeks. I can't eat any red meat for the next five days so that I can do this disgusting stupid stool test. I can't have any caffeine or alcohol until they figure out what is wrong with me. I have to have an ultrasound and blood work done in January. Ugh. Mess. And, of course, this could all just be stress-related. Whatever.

I still have A LOT to do for the holidays. I need to finish making my Christmas cards and send those out. Finish shopping. Start wrapping. Baking. AAAAHHHH! It's so hard to get into the holiday spirit with all this job stress weighing on my shoulders. I really just want a new job for Christmas. It would be such a gift to me and to everyone around me who has to deal with my neurotic reactions to all of this!!!

Christmas

Got this from Julie
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. Gift bags for really odd-shaped things.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial... we had a real tree one year and the watering caused a big mess on our carpet and red "stain" from the tree stand. Never again. Pine scented candles do the trick.

3. When do you put up the tree(S)? Usually Thanksgiving weekend, but it went up a little early this year at the demand of my bossy daughter

4. When do you take the tree down? Early January

5. Do you like eggnog? blech

6. Favorite gift received as a child? "Joe Cook" my hobby horse. I bounced on that thing until I fell asleep.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My mother-in-law.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Maddy & Emma.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes – Right now, Maddy has all of the "people" sleeping in the manger until Christmas :)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? These hideous beads/necklace thing from the dollar store - my Grandma (God Rest Her Soul) was the worst shopper.

12. Favorite Christmas Movies? Right now I am a little sick of them all because we are watching them constantly - Frosty, Rudolph, The Grinch, Charlie Brown. That's what we watch. every. single. night.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday - it's always the start of the madness

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Sometimes we'll recycle gift cards, just because we would've bought them anyhow for people and we get TONS of them from Jerry's students.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? All the yummy desserts, and especially all the cookies I make every year.

16. Lights on the tree? I prefer clear lights.

17. Favorite Christmas song? All songs on The Osmond Christmas Album (I have the CD version) because it is what we listened to every year when I was kid while we put up the Christmas tree

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Make many stops in Northeast Ohio

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes. This is Maddy's fascination. She has learned them all this year and we go over and over them every. single. night.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Haha! On my special "Disney" tree, there is a Winnie the Pooh tree topper. On the other "fancy" tree there is a crystal star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We'll open gifts with my family on Christmas Eve, but Santa presents are for Christmas morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? There's never anywhere to park at the stores.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My Disney ornament collection. My grandma collected ornaments for me for years through this "ornament a month club." And there are amazing. I am really enjoying passing the tradition on to my girls when we put up the tree - we take each one out of its special box and talk about which movie they are from. I let Maddy hang up all the special ornaments this year, and I left them on the tree just how she arranged them. She did a pretty good job!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Whatever I decide to make on Christmas Eve each year. I do a full-course meal from scratch for my family, and it is probably the most rewarding experience of my Christmas for me. To have my whole family around my table actually eating GOOD food that I made!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new job.

Wish me Luck!

I'm a few minutes away from heading out to my first of two BIG interviews this week!! Both are jobs back in health care that I would LOVE to have... aaahhh.... I'm nervous, but I've got my "serious" interview suit on and I'm havin' a good hair day, so I should kick butt! :)

I'll keep you posted.

Internal Angst

I had an incredibly busy week! Wow...

Last Monday, my SIL delivered my handsome new nephew - Julian Robert. He's just precious and a perfectly adorable little boy.

Tuesday Maddy & I went to see the baby and then got our hair cut.

Last week I also had a few more job opportunities pop up, which has led to more scheduled interviews! Woo-hoo! That makes me happy. But, at the same time, this job stuff, as I've said before, is just killing me. I hate the "unknown" and the inability to have anything planned out in my head. It's keeping me up at night.

On Wednesday last week I brought Maddy to work with me. She thought that was pretty cool. She hung out in my office, writing on my marker board and playing with magnets. She drew me some pictures and hung them on the wall. Then, we went down to the cafeteria and had lunch. It was a sweet few hours here before we headed back home.

Thanksgiving was nice. Spent the early afternoon with my family at my grandma's house and then went to Jerry's mom's for the evening. Lots of yummy treats!

Friday was spent as it should be - shopping! Waiting in line for over an hour at Toys R Us. The girls are almost completely done, but I think I bought gifts for like 2 other people on the list!

The rest of the weekend was pretty low-key. It was nice to spend some time at home just hanging out with the girls. They were a little stir crazy by yesterday afternoon though so we took a little trip to my grandma's house for a nice visit and some comfort food :)

Back to work now. Ugh. Bored out of my mind. Just counting the hours until my day is over. I should get some phone calls tomorrow, and then I have an interview on Wednesday afternoon.

I just continually pray that I end up where I am meant to end up... soon! The stress is physically starting to get to me - headaches, nausea, insomnia, depression, just overall edginess. I don't want to spend Christmas feeling this way!

I also have got to get on the ball with Jerry's birthday party! So much to do!!!!