There have been many days I have thought to discontinue this blog. To be honest, I just never feel like writing. I also don't feel like I necessarily have enough to say about the theme of the blog, which is learning new things because of a major life shift. However, I am going to try to continue because I still think the writing practice will be good for me, and who knows ... maybe I'll come up with something profound to say.
I've been in Charlotte about six weeks, and so far I have had only two interviews, both of which I am still waiting to hear back on. Fingers crossed. This is the first time in about seven years that I have had to actually go out and look for a job the traditional way, so I am figuring some things out as I go.
Number one is although moving is overwhelming, try to start applying for jobs right away. I got a jump on applying, and because of that, I had an interview scheduled for two days after we arrived. That led to a part-time retail job. Yes, I know it isn't the final solution, but it does a number of things for me. To start, any interview is practice for the next one, and that is useful. I obviously can't live on a minimum-wage part-time job, but some money is better than no money. In addition, I have read in a number of places that the longer someone is out of work, the harder it is for him/her to find a job because potential employers wonder why the person can't find a job. At least I can say I am working, so I don't have a big gap in employment.
Probably the most important thing the part-time job does for me is give me some purpose and an opportunity to get out of the house and interact with other people. Being unemployed isn't easy for a variety of reasons, one of which is having far too much time on your hands to sit around the house and dwell on the fact that you need a job, and if you don't find one, your financial situation will only continue to become more dire. Having part-time work helps alleviate that situation at least a little.
Number two is the resume/cover letter issue. Much ado is made over cover letters. Everyone says if you don't have a good one, you can forget about anyone looking at your resume. Well, that is mostly true, but there is more to it than that. I read that you should revise your resume to accurately reflect the skills needed for a particular job, just as experts suggest you tailor your cover letters. I can now tell you from experience that this is true. I applied for a job that listed a requirement of knowing how to process payroll. I know how to do this, but it wasn't a major responsibility of mine, so it isn't on my resume. I did, however, state in my cover letter that I had experience in that area. Unfortunately, whomever was reviewing resumes didn't read my cover letter, and I got an email saying, more or less, "Sorry--we need someone with payroll experience." If I had edited my resume to reflect this skill, I might have gotten an interview.
Number three deals with automated calls. I got one from Home Depot while riding in the car, and I figured I could go ahead and take it. Bad call. When I had to answer the question about whether or not I would provide excellent customer service, I went to press "1" to answer "yes," right when we hit a bump, causing me to press "2" for "no." Really? Who would even answer no? Regardless, that disconnected the call, and I couldn't get in the system with my confirmation number any longer. If you get an automated call, make sure you can actually take it. If not, you are given the option to try again at another time.
Number four is about the interviews. I went to interview with a temporary agency, so I wasn't interviewing for a particular job. Still, I realized the importance of wording your answers the correct way. When I was asked about what I didn't like about my last job, I stated there wasn't enough structure. This led the interviewer to bring up how this can result in having to do others' work. That is not where I was going with that idea (although it was definitely true), so then I had to kind of back peddle. I guess it would have been better to stay the expectations weren't clear. Furthermore, I went to an interview for an admin job with a school system, and one of the questions they asked was how I would encourage people to work collaboratively. I had a good answer, but I didn't give it at the interview. I definitely think you need to go out and search for common interview questions and practice answering them, but this experience taught me you won't be prepared for everything, so take a few moments to compose your thoughts before answering. I think in my case I tried to rush too much, and that is why I didn't answer the question the way I could have.
So, the job search continues. I have learned a few things I think will help me along the way. That being said, when I interviewed with the school system, they were running behind with the interviews, so I had the opportunity to chat with several other candidates. If there was a common theme among us all, it was it's tough out there!
Monday, October 13, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
The Job Quest
Now that we are just T-7 days away from leaving, I have started applying for some jobs. I didn't want to start too early because I knew I wouldn't be available for interviews, but I am working on a couple of things now.
To start, jobs at schools or government entities generally have a closing date for applications, so if I have seen something with a closing date near the time we are set to arrive in Charlotte, I have applied for the job. I figure the time frame for interviews and hiring will be such that I will be up there by the time I might get a call. In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that there has only been one job like this so far.
Part-time jobs have been the other part of my focus. Some income is always better than no income, so I would like to find a job of some sort as soon as possible. The more money we have coming in, the less we will have to dip into our savings. This is another time when I have been grateful for technology because I have been able to apply for all these jobs on the computer. On a somewhat related note, aside from allowing you to upload a resume and cover letter, Barnes and Noble also has an option to link your Linkedin profile! Of course, I did that step in an effort to show that yeah, I am all on top of the latest technology. I'll continue to apply for part-time jobs when I get up to Charlotte because with the holidays just around the corner, there should be lots of places hiring extra help.
Another position I applied for was as an online writing tutor. I am probably most qualified for that out of all the jobs I applied for, and working from home would have advantages like saving on time and gas. I like interacting with people, though, and that is something I wouldn't have working online.
There is one aspect of job hunting that makes me yearn for the old days, and that is the cover letter. I remember when writing a letter that basically said, "Here is my resume for your review" was sufficient. Well, those days are long gone. Now it's all about getting someone's attention and selling yourself in the first few lines. It's about tailoring every cover letter to specifically address the needed qualifications advertised in the job posting.
I believe I have good writing skills, but I find writing a cover letter to be incredibly challenging. I'm not sure exactly why that is. Maybe it is because I have never thought of myself as a salesperson. Maybe it is because I feel like I have to be too creative to put the right spin on what I'm saying. Or maybe it is because I just over-think the whole damn thing! It also doesn't help that when researching information on how to write a cover letter (and format a resume for that matter), there are so many differing opinions. Who do you believe? Who knows ... you just have to go with what makes sense to you, I guess. Regardless, writing a cover letter is a very important part of the employment process now, so I must learn to do it and do it well. I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities ahead, so by the time I'm gainfully employed, I may an expert on the subject.
Since we are moving in the coming week, I am confident that I won't write another post until after we are settled in. Until next time ...
To start, jobs at schools or government entities generally have a closing date for applications, so if I have seen something with a closing date near the time we are set to arrive in Charlotte, I have applied for the job. I figure the time frame for interviews and hiring will be such that I will be up there by the time I might get a call. In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that there has only been one job like this so far.
Part-time jobs have been the other part of my focus. Some income is always better than no income, so I would like to find a job of some sort as soon as possible. The more money we have coming in, the less we will have to dip into our savings. This is another time when I have been grateful for technology because I have been able to apply for all these jobs on the computer. On a somewhat related note, aside from allowing you to upload a resume and cover letter, Barnes and Noble also has an option to link your Linkedin profile! Of course, I did that step in an effort to show that yeah, I am all on top of the latest technology. I'll continue to apply for part-time jobs when I get up to Charlotte because with the holidays just around the corner, there should be lots of places hiring extra help.
Another position I applied for was as an online writing tutor. I am probably most qualified for that out of all the jobs I applied for, and working from home would have advantages like saving on time and gas. I like interacting with people, though, and that is something I wouldn't have working online.
There is one aspect of job hunting that makes me yearn for the old days, and that is the cover letter. I remember when writing a letter that basically said, "Here is my resume for your review" was sufficient. Well, those days are long gone. Now it's all about getting someone's attention and selling yourself in the first few lines. It's about tailoring every cover letter to specifically address the needed qualifications advertised in the job posting.
I believe I have good writing skills, but I find writing a cover letter to be incredibly challenging. I'm not sure exactly why that is. Maybe it is because I have never thought of myself as a salesperson. Maybe it is because I feel like I have to be too creative to put the right spin on what I'm saying. Or maybe it is because I just over-think the whole damn thing! It also doesn't help that when researching information on how to write a cover letter (and format a resume for that matter), there are so many differing opinions. Who do you believe? Who knows ... you just have to go with what makes sense to you, I guess. Regardless, writing a cover letter is a very important part of the employment process now, so I must learn to do it and do it well. I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities ahead, so by the time I'm gainfully employed, I may an expert on the subject.
Since we are moving in the coming week, I am confident that I won't write another post until after we are settled in. Until next time ...
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Modern Technology, I Heart You!!!
"Back in the day," communication that wasn't face-to-face had to be done by either snail mail or phone. The internet, however, has changed that in such a profound way. Today, we can accomplish so much online, and I, for one, am darn happy about it. It makes so much of the moving process easier.
Moving means having to let people know where you've gone, and in the past, that could have meant investing a lot of time in contacting the post office, magazine publishers, and a host of other people and places. Now, though, you can change your address online. It's fast, easy, and efficient.
While I'm all for the adventure of discovering a new place, there are some definite advantages to learning about the place to which you're moving before you get there. I already know where our closest grocery store, Target, Walmart, and Walgreen's are. I also know where the closest hiking trail is for those times I need a nature break stat. On the last night of class this term, my students gave me a $50 gift card for Barnes and Noble. I know where I can go spend it, and even better, the store has a book club. The information about when the club meets and what they are reading for the next couple of months is on the B&N website, so I can show up prepared to not only join the club, but also discuss the month's book. Not only do I know where these places are, I also know how far they are from our house and what routes I can take to get there. I don't have to look up places in the telephone book, and then call for directions (which I'd have to write down), or try to find my route on a paper map. Technology has put everything at my fingertips.
Let's not forget that moving also means setting up utilities. Since we are moving to a new city and from an apartment to a house, there are a number of entities I need to contact. No problem. Gas, water and garbage pick up, electricity, and cable an internet accounts are all set up, and I only had to make one phone call to accomplish that.
I've done plenty of online research about Charlotte in advance of our move, and during my web surfing, I encountered a website called Charlotte on the Cheap (www.charlotteonthecheap.com). I had already researched free activities around town in anticipation of having to live more frugally than normal for a while, but this website has that and more. The site is tabbed by categories, some of which are food and drink and attractions and museums. This categorization allows you to focus on what, in particular, you are looking for. There is also a tab titled shopping, and under that category you can find local thrift shops and consignment stores, and ... wait for it ... a list (with map) of garage sales taking place during the coming weekend! There are a number of things Mr. Weezy and I will need to purchase when we get to Charlotte, like a washer/dryer and lawnmower, simply because we are moving from an apartment into a house. We are also going to have to purchase a dining table. My elderly mother would never be able to make it up on one of our pub height stools; besides, the pub table we have only accommodates two people. Thanks to Charlotte on the Cheap, I am confident we will be able to find these things at a reasonable price.
So, is it any wonder I heart modern technology? Although some may think finding out about a place ahead of time detracts from the adventure of moving, I respectfully disagree. Learning all Charlotte has to offer is increasing my anticipation while at the same time lessening my anxiety.
Moving means having to let people know where you've gone, and in the past, that could have meant investing a lot of time in contacting the post office, magazine publishers, and a host of other people and places. Now, though, you can change your address online. It's fast, easy, and efficient.
While I'm all for the adventure of discovering a new place, there are some definite advantages to learning about the place to which you're moving before you get there. I already know where our closest grocery store, Target, Walmart, and Walgreen's are. I also know where the closest hiking trail is for those times I need a nature break stat. On the last night of class this term, my students gave me a $50 gift card for Barnes and Noble. I know where I can go spend it, and even better, the store has a book club. The information about when the club meets and what they are reading for the next couple of months is on the B&N website, so I can show up prepared to not only join the club, but also discuss the month's book. Not only do I know where these places are, I also know how far they are from our house and what routes I can take to get there. I don't have to look up places in the telephone book, and then call for directions (which I'd have to write down), or try to find my route on a paper map. Technology has put everything at my fingertips.
Let's not forget that moving also means setting up utilities. Since we are moving to a new city and from an apartment to a house, there are a number of entities I need to contact. No problem. Gas, water and garbage pick up, electricity, and cable an internet accounts are all set up, and I only had to make one phone call to accomplish that.
I've done plenty of online research about Charlotte in advance of our move, and during my web surfing, I encountered a website called Charlotte on the Cheap (www.charlotteonthecheap.com). I had already researched free activities around town in anticipation of having to live more frugally than normal for a while, but this website has that and more. The site is tabbed by categories, some of which are food and drink and attractions and museums. This categorization allows you to focus on what, in particular, you are looking for. There is also a tab titled shopping, and under that category you can find local thrift shops and consignment stores, and ... wait for it ... a list (with map) of garage sales taking place during the coming weekend! There are a number of things Mr. Weezy and I will need to purchase when we get to Charlotte, like a washer/dryer and lawnmower, simply because we are moving from an apartment into a house. We are also going to have to purchase a dining table. My elderly mother would never be able to make it up on one of our pub height stools; besides, the pub table we have only accommodates two people. Thanks to Charlotte on the Cheap, I am confident we will be able to find these things at a reasonable price.
So, is it any wonder I heart modern technology? Although some may think finding out about a place ahead of time detracts from the adventure of moving, I respectfully disagree. Learning all Charlotte has to offer is increasing my anticipation while at the same time lessening my anxiety.
Friday, August 15, 2014
A Sad Reminder of Why I Am Making a Big Change
When I started this blog, I wrote about what led me to decide to quit my two jobs and move out of state. One of my motivations was the terminal illness and subsequent death of a co-worker. It was a reminder of that ol' cliche, "Life is short." It's a cliche for a reason: it's true. And since we don't know how short our lives will be, we had better learn to live in the moment and enjoy the people and things that are important to us.
Although I didn't need a reminder of the brevity of life, I got one this week. A former co-worker of mine has been battling cancer for 3-4 years now. If I remember correctly, she originally found a lump in her neck that turned out to be a tumor. She's had two surgeries along with chemo and radiation treatments over the last couple of years, but now her cancer is back in a devastating way. It has spread into the base of her skull and her brain, among other places.
The way she has handled her illness thus far--with grace and an incredibly positive attitude--has been truly inspirational. So has the way she has continued to live her life. She has kept her life as normal as possible within the confines of her disease, and she has endeavored to invest her time well. She has continued to work, and outside of work she has spent time with the people who are important in her life: her friends; her wonderful husband to whom she has been married over 20 years; her kids; and the joy of her life, her five grandchildren.
Now that her cancer is back, she is going on disability and is scheduled to have an 18-hour surgery the first week of September, followed by chemo and radiation. I wish her well and send positive thoughts out into the universe for her every day. Regardless of what happens, though, she will know that she lived and enjoyed her life, and that is what we all should strive to know when our time is up.
Although I didn't need a reminder of the brevity of life, I got one this week. A former co-worker of mine has been battling cancer for 3-4 years now. If I remember correctly, she originally found a lump in her neck that turned out to be a tumor. She's had two surgeries along with chemo and radiation treatments over the last couple of years, but now her cancer is back in a devastating way. It has spread into the base of her skull and her brain, among other places.
The way she has handled her illness thus far--with grace and an incredibly positive attitude--has been truly inspirational. So has the way she has continued to live her life. She has kept her life as normal as possible within the confines of her disease, and she has endeavored to invest her time well. She has continued to work, and outside of work she has spent time with the people who are important in her life: her friends; her wonderful husband to whom she has been married over 20 years; her kids; and the joy of her life, her five grandchildren.
Now that her cancer is back, she is going on disability and is scheduled to have an 18-hour surgery the first week of September, followed by chemo and radiation. I wish her well and send positive thoughts out into the universe for her every day. Regardless of what happens, though, she will know that she lived and enjoyed her life, and that is what we all should strive to know when our time is up.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Get Thee to a Realtor
In one of my previous posts, I discussed how I was going about finding a house to rent. I had set up searches on Zillow, and my intention was to call the various property management companies that oversaw the houses I wanted to look at to set up appointments to see the homes. When I shared this information with the woman from the temporary agency whom we brought in to take my place at my day job, she suggested I call a realtor. This is what she had done when she moved back to So Flo. The realtor got all the information about the type of property she was looking for, and he sent her the MLS listings that matched her criteria. From there, he set up the appointments for showings. Well, let me tell you--that was the best damn advice I've had in a long time.
A friend of mine from school and I reconnected on Facebook in the not-too-distant past. My friend relocated to Charlotte several years ago, and I noticed he often shared posts from a realtor in that area. I assumed the realtor was whom helped him find his house, so I sent my friend a message. He confirmed my assumption and said his realtor had been very helpful. I, in turn, called the realtor to see if he handled rentals. While he normally deals in sales, he said he would be happy to help out. And boy, did he ever help!
He began by setting up a couple of searches on the MLS listings for me, so I could see what was available. A couple of days before I was to go to Charlotte, I emailed him the list of properties we were interested in. He set up all the appointments for the Saturday I would be in town.
I did as much research as I could on the properties before hand, maybe even too much research. I had so much paperwork with me, I could barely keep track of it all! Perhaps because I made my list right before the first of the month, houses kept getting rented out from under me. By the time we left my hotel Saturday morning, my list of 10 possible houses was down to six! Out of the six, I felt five were real possibilities. One was just a little too rough looking. It's funny because as Mr. Weezy and I looked through the MLS listings, we would come up with names for houses based on something we identified with the house. For instance, the house that didn't pass muster we called the "dog" house because in two pictures on the MLS listing, we could see a dog outside looking into the sliding glass doors. The chewed up blinds in the house were evidence that the dog had, in fact, been living there ...
My realtor and I finished up our tour mid-afternoon, and I immediately began calling people to find out how I could apply for the rentals. I had a ton more paperwork with me that had all kinds of banking and pay information, and I also had it all saved electronically on a flash drive, so I could get the application process going. Here is how the process went:
My #1 home choice, which I had been absolutely salivating over since I saw the pictures of it, was the first place I called. The note under pets on the listing sheet said conditional. When I called the realtor and told him we had two small dogs and a cat, he told me they wouldn't take cats. Well, dumbass, why didn't you put that in your listing? It would have saved my realtor and me time and a wasted trip to see the house, and it would have saved you the time you just spent talking to me.
On to my #2 choice: Also a pets conditional house, I called the realtor to see if our pets would be accepted. She didn't answer, so I left her a voice mail. She did return my call, but she said she had to find out from the owner whether or not we could have our pets. My realtor followed up with her via email on Monday, but she said she was still waiting to hear back. Long story short, I didn't find out about the pets until Tuesday. By then, I had already applied for three other properties. I applied for this one too at that point, but it was too late in a sense, and I really ended up wasting $75.00.
I got a hold of the realtor for my #3 choice right away, and she told me the pets were no problem because the owner was only opposed to big dogs, so I applied for that house. There was no application fee unless my application was accepted, so I figured I had nothing to lose. My realtor followed up with the home's realtor on Monday. She said she was reviewing the applications, but there might be a problem because the owner didn't want so many pets in the house. Really? That's not what you told me. I emailed her to let her know we had been approved for and accepted another property. She didn't even have the common courtesy to acknowledge my email. So much for professionalism.
My numbers 4 and 5 choices were a toss up. Although about equal in square footage, the way one was laid out, it seemed much smaller. It, however, was in a nicer area. That was a pets conditional house, whereas the other was pet friendly. I called the contact person for the "little" house on Saturday. I got her voice mail, so I left her a message saying I needed to know if our pets would be accepted. Sunday, I realized that there was a listing agent who was different from the contact person. I called her Sunday and ran into the same voice mail scenario. The listing agent called me Monday and emailed me an application. Again, there was no application fee, so I went ahead and submitted the application. I got a call from the contact person, who was going to be the new listing agent, Wednesday, but we had accepted a house already.
In the midst of all of this is the other choice 4/5 house. I sent in an application on Monday morning. Tuesday morning, the agent called for one more document, which he said if I could get him, we should be good to go. I emailed it right away, and within an hour, I had an email saying we had been approved. We did need to put the security deposit down to hold the house. Well, with the way things were going, I wasn't going to take a chance waiting on the other houses, only to find out we didn't get approved. We accepted the house and put the deposit down. The whole process took less than 48 hours.
Note to realtors/property managers: Get your shit together because efficiency gets homes rented! The house we accepted was tied for last place on our list, but the ease of the rental process is what got us to rent it. The efficient way in which the realty company handled the process also gives me confidence that renting from them will be a good experience.
Note to potential renters: Get yourself a real estate agent. They have the most current information about what is on the market, and they can streamline your search. They can set up an agenda for showings that makes the best use of your time, and they also have expertise regarding different areas, a definite benefit to you.
Now that we have a house, I will begin the process of setting up utilities, etc., etc. This post is certainly long enough, so I'll save the next steps for the next post.
A friend of mine from school and I reconnected on Facebook in the not-too-distant past. My friend relocated to Charlotte several years ago, and I noticed he often shared posts from a realtor in that area. I assumed the realtor was whom helped him find his house, so I sent my friend a message. He confirmed my assumption and said his realtor had been very helpful. I, in turn, called the realtor to see if he handled rentals. While he normally deals in sales, he said he would be happy to help out. And boy, did he ever help!
He began by setting up a couple of searches on the MLS listings for me, so I could see what was available. A couple of days before I was to go to Charlotte, I emailed him the list of properties we were interested in. He set up all the appointments for the Saturday I would be in town.
I did as much research as I could on the properties before hand, maybe even too much research. I had so much paperwork with me, I could barely keep track of it all! Perhaps because I made my list right before the first of the month, houses kept getting rented out from under me. By the time we left my hotel Saturday morning, my list of 10 possible houses was down to six! Out of the six, I felt five were real possibilities. One was just a little too rough looking. It's funny because as Mr. Weezy and I looked through the MLS listings, we would come up with names for houses based on something we identified with the house. For instance, the house that didn't pass muster we called the "dog" house because in two pictures on the MLS listing, we could see a dog outside looking into the sliding glass doors. The chewed up blinds in the house were evidence that the dog had, in fact, been living there ...
My realtor and I finished up our tour mid-afternoon, and I immediately began calling people to find out how I could apply for the rentals. I had a ton more paperwork with me that had all kinds of banking and pay information, and I also had it all saved electronically on a flash drive, so I could get the application process going. Here is how the process went:
My #1 home choice, which I had been absolutely salivating over since I saw the pictures of it, was the first place I called. The note under pets on the listing sheet said conditional. When I called the realtor and told him we had two small dogs and a cat, he told me they wouldn't take cats. Well, dumbass, why didn't you put that in your listing? It would have saved my realtor and me time and a wasted trip to see the house, and it would have saved you the time you just spent talking to me.
On to my #2 choice: Also a pets conditional house, I called the realtor to see if our pets would be accepted. She didn't answer, so I left her a voice mail. She did return my call, but she said she had to find out from the owner whether or not we could have our pets. My realtor followed up with her via email on Monday, but she said she was still waiting to hear back. Long story short, I didn't find out about the pets until Tuesday. By then, I had already applied for three other properties. I applied for this one too at that point, but it was too late in a sense, and I really ended up wasting $75.00.
I got a hold of the realtor for my #3 choice right away, and she told me the pets were no problem because the owner was only opposed to big dogs, so I applied for that house. There was no application fee unless my application was accepted, so I figured I had nothing to lose. My realtor followed up with the home's realtor on Monday. She said she was reviewing the applications, but there might be a problem because the owner didn't want so many pets in the house. Really? That's not what you told me. I emailed her to let her know we had been approved for and accepted another property. She didn't even have the common courtesy to acknowledge my email. So much for professionalism.
My numbers 4 and 5 choices were a toss up. Although about equal in square footage, the way one was laid out, it seemed much smaller. It, however, was in a nicer area. That was a pets conditional house, whereas the other was pet friendly. I called the contact person for the "little" house on Saturday. I got her voice mail, so I left her a message saying I needed to know if our pets would be accepted. Sunday, I realized that there was a listing agent who was different from the contact person. I called her Sunday and ran into the same voice mail scenario. The listing agent called me Monday and emailed me an application. Again, there was no application fee, so I went ahead and submitted the application. I got a call from the contact person, who was going to be the new listing agent, Wednesday, but we had accepted a house already.
In the midst of all of this is the other choice 4/5 house. I sent in an application on Monday morning. Tuesday morning, the agent called for one more document, which he said if I could get him, we should be good to go. I emailed it right away, and within an hour, I had an email saying we had been approved. We did need to put the security deposit down to hold the house. Well, with the way things were going, I wasn't going to take a chance waiting on the other houses, only to find out we didn't get approved. We accepted the house and put the deposit down. The whole process took less than 48 hours.
Note to realtors/property managers: Get your shit together because efficiency gets homes rented! The house we accepted was tied for last place on our list, but the ease of the rental process is what got us to rent it. The efficient way in which the realty company handled the process also gives me confidence that renting from them will be a good experience.
Note to potential renters: Get yourself a real estate agent. They have the most current information about what is on the market, and they can streamline your search. They can set up an agenda for showings that makes the best use of your time, and they also have expertise regarding different areas, a definite benefit to you.
Now that we have a house, I will begin the process of setting up utilities, etc., etc. This post is certainly long enough, so I'll save the next steps for the next post.
Monday, July 21, 2014
What Do You Write When You Have Nothing to Say?
I started this blog when I did not only because I wanted to write about the entire process of moving and changing jobs, but because I thought doing some regular writing would be beneficial for me. My intention was to write a post every week and publish it on Sunday.
Things ticked along like that the first few weeks, but then for a variety of reasons, I found my posting times getting farther apart. And now, I'm kind of in a dead spot as far as this moving process goes. So, as the title of this posts asks, "What do you write when you have nothing to say?" Not much, it seems.
I am going to Charlotte in just under two weeks, so I continue to keep a list of possible rental homes on my Zillow account. There are a couple of things about Zillow that I find particularly irritating. These things are really the fault of realtors and property managers, not Zillow. If the things I want to know were included in the listing, it would make my life a lot easier by helping me narrow down possible rentals. I would think it would make the life of the property managers easier too because it might save them time from having to talk to me on the phone. I've concluded, though, that there may be a conspiracy afoot on Zillow. I believe that the property managers want to force you to call because they really want to rent something to you. What better way to make that initial contact than by forcing you to call them?
The first thing that bugs me is many listings have no other pictures except a shot of the house from the street out front. Really people? It's the 21st century for cryin' out loud!!! You can take pictures with your phone and even upload them from there. It isn't like this is an overwhelming task that is going to take up a huge chunk of your time. That being said, if you are going to take pictures, you should try to take some that are useful. When you take a picture of a darkened room with sunlight streaming in through one window, you need to try to make some adjustments for light. Otherwise, all I get is a picture of a darkened room with sunlight streaming in through a window. This doesn't help me get an idea of what the room actually looks like. And speaking of darkness, I'm sorry the weather wasn't great the day you took that outside shot, but that ominous-looking sky is not doing anything to enhance my opinion of the property. In fact, I'm kind of waiting for winged monkeys to appear. Go back and take a shot on a nice day. The sunny sky in that picture will make me and anyone else who sees it feel warm and happy, and we will want to rent that property!
The other thing that annoys me is the often complete lack of information about the listing. Can I bring my pets to live in the house? If not, I'll take that property right off my list and save us both some time. What kind of heating and cooling does the house have? If it doesn't have central A/C, I'm not livin' there. Are the appliances already there, or do we have to provide our own? Is there a washer/dryer or hook-ups for some? These are some non-negotiable items for me, so if you could provide that information up front, it would facilitate my decision of whether or not to call you to set up an appointment to see the property. Again, I might be able to save both of us some time, and in today's world, time is a hot commodity!
Well, I guess I've answered the question of what to write when you don't have anything to write about. You just complain about something! Ha!
Things ticked along like that the first few weeks, but then for a variety of reasons, I found my posting times getting farther apart. And now, I'm kind of in a dead spot as far as this moving process goes. So, as the title of this posts asks, "What do you write when you have nothing to say?" Not much, it seems.
I am going to Charlotte in just under two weeks, so I continue to keep a list of possible rental homes on my Zillow account. There are a couple of things about Zillow that I find particularly irritating. These things are really the fault of realtors and property managers, not Zillow. If the things I want to know were included in the listing, it would make my life a lot easier by helping me narrow down possible rentals. I would think it would make the life of the property managers easier too because it might save them time from having to talk to me on the phone. I've concluded, though, that there may be a conspiracy afoot on Zillow. I believe that the property managers want to force you to call because they really want to rent something to you. What better way to make that initial contact than by forcing you to call them?
The first thing that bugs me is many listings have no other pictures except a shot of the house from the street out front. Really people? It's the 21st century for cryin' out loud!!! You can take pictures with your phone and even upload them from there. It isn't like this is an overwhelming task that is going to take up a huge chunk of your time. That being said, if you are going to take pictures, you should try to take some that are useful. When you take a picture of a darkened room with sunlight streaming in through one window, you need to try to make some adjustments for light. Otherwise, all I get is a picture of a darkened room with sunlight streaming in through a window. This doesn't help me get an idea of what the room actually looks like. And speaking of darkness, I'm sorry the weather wasn't great the day you took that outside shot, but that ominous-looking sky is not doing anything to enhance my opinion of the property. In fact, I'm kind of waiting for winged monkeys to appear. Go back and take a shot on a nice day. The sunny sky in that picture will make me and anyone else who sees it feel warm and happy, and we will want to rent that property!
The other thing that annoys me is the often complete lack of information about the listing. Can I bring my pets to live in the house? If not, I'll take that property right off my list and save us both some time. What kind of heating and cooling does the house have? If it doesn't have central A/C, I'm not livin' there. Are the appliances already there, or do we have to provide our own? Is there a washer/dryer or hook-ups for some? These are some non-negotiable items for me, so if you could provide that information up front, it would facilitate my decision of whether or not to call you to set up an appointment to see the property. Again, I might be able to save both of us some time, and in today's world, time is a hot commodity!
Well, I guess I've answered the question of what to write when you don't have anything to write about. You just complain about something! Ha!
Sunday, June 29, 2014
A Big Game Changer
Well, Mr. Weezy and I continue to prepare for our move the most/best we can with nine weeks yet to go until we leave. I've been checking online for rental homes to get a sense of what is available and what the rental process might entail Mr. Weezy has been working on just how he is going to arrange our motorcycles in the moving truck. In the midst of our preparations, we received a phone call. From my mom. Oh, boy ... She has been living with my brother and sister-in-law in Durham, North Carolina for the last year. Because of her age and her health, we had to move Mom out of her house in Miami; she just wasn't able to live alone anymore. My brother and sister-in-law were in the best position to take care of her because they already had a house, and my brother had a pretty flexible work schedule. Without going into details of how that situation worked out, I will say that my brother is ready to hand off the Mom duties. So, Mom either moves into a nursing home or comes and lives with Mr. Weezy and me. A nursing home would not be a good financial decision (read $$$$), and despite her age, Mom is in decent physical and mental health, so there isn't any reason she needs to be in a nursing home at this point. That means she and her cat will move in with me, Mr. Weezy, and our two dogs. Like I said ... oh, boy.
Now I'll have two new tricks to learn that I hadn't anticipated. The first is living with my mother in a completely new context; that is, I'll be the caretaker now, not her. The second is getting our two dogs accustomed to (or maybe accepting of) living with a cat. Our female pretty much loves everyone and everything, so I'm not too worried about her. Our male, on the other hand, seems a little more aggressive. I get the impression when we are walking him and he sees a cat, he would try to kill it if we let him off the leash. I've already talked to our vet about the best way to introduce the animals and get them used to each other. I am going into this with the same attitude I have for the whole move: we are going to find a way to make it work. Hey--if this dog can learn new tricks, so can the other ones, right??!!
This new living arrangement completely changes the type of rental home I now need to find. To start, we need a 3/2 now, not a 2/1. Many of the 3/2's in our price range are newer homes that have two stories. That is OK except Mom obviously has to be on the first floor, which is usually where the master bedroom is. We have a king sized bed, so that means if we find a two-story house, we have to make sure one of the bedrooms on the second floor is big enough to accommodate our bed!
We have narrowed our home search to Charlotte/Concord/Kannapolis, North Carolina. In my searching around on the internet, I discovered what I believe to be an incredibly helpful website called Neighborhood Scout. I first found it when I was researching crime statistics for the cities where we are looking for houses. The site does way more than give crime stats, though. You can enter a property address, and under the "description" tab, find out all kinds of information about the neighborhood like home values, average rent, whether most properties are owner or renter occupied, vacancy rates, and the income classification of the area (average, below-average, etc). This information will be very useful in further narrowing our possible rental homes. I am going up to Charlotte the first weekend in August expressly for the purpose of seeing places we are considering, so giving more focus to our search means less time spent driving around to look at places.
I feel close enough to our leaving now that I am getting excited. Of course, that may be partly due to the fact that the heat and humidity here in South Florida are positively oppressive right now, and I know that as fall progresses in North Carolina, we can look forward to more comfortable temperatures, something we wouldn't be able to do here.
Now I'll have two new tricks to learn that I hadn't anticipated. The first is living with my mother in a completely new context; that is, I'll be the caretaker now, not her. The second is getting our two dogs accustomed to (or maybe accepting of) living with a cat. Our female pretty much loves everyone and everything, so I'm not too worried about her. Our male, on the other hand, seems a little more aggressive. I get the impression when we are walking him and he sees a cat, he would try to kill it if we let him off the leash. I've already talked to our vet about the best way to introduce the animals and get them used to each other. I am going into this with the same attitude I have for the whole move: we are going to find a way to make it work. Hey--if this dog can learn new tricks, so can the other ones, right??!!
This new living arrangement completely changes the type of rental home I now need to find. To start, we need a 3/2 now, not a 2/1. Many of the 3/2's in our price range are newer homes that have two stories. That is OK except Mom obviously has to be on the first floor, which is usually where the master bedroom is. We have a king sized bed, so that means if we find a two-story house, we have to make sure one of the bedrooms on the second floor is big enough to accommodate our bed!
We have narrowed our home search to Charlotte/Concord/Kannapolis, North Carolina. In my searching around on the internet, I discovered what I believe to be an incredibly helpful website called Neighborhood Scout. I first found it when I was researching crime statistics for the cities where we are looking for houses. The site does way more than give crime stats, though. You can enter a property address, and under the "description" tab, find out all kinds of information about the neighborhood like home values, average rent, whether most properties are owner or renter occupied, vacancy rates, and the income classification of the area (average, below-average, etc). This information will be very useful in further narrowing our possible rental homes. I am going up to Charlotte the first weekend in August expressly for the purpose of seeing places we are considering, so giving more focus to our search means less time spent driving around to look at places.
I feel close enough to our leaving now that I am getting excited. Of course, that may be partly due to the fact that the heat and humidity here in South Florida are positively oppressive right now, and I know that as fall progresses in North Carolina, we can look forward to more comfortable temperatures, something we wouldn't be able to do here.
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