Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the thirteenth day of the month is "Failure."
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Just, as a note, having "Complaint" followed by "Failure" on our list of themes means I'm spending a lot of energy here looking for negatives this time of the month. I need to start stockpiling my complaints throughout the month, but my daily blogging on a theme chops are not in the shape they once were.
There's a very shady hotel in our neighborhood. I know that the people staying there are just down on their luck and the management does what it can to keep the place up, but most of the windows have cardboard in them, dog waste is rarely cleaned up, and there are always broken glass bottles somewhere. As you can imagine, Hannah LOVES this place (the smells! the dogs! the possible death by meth lab explosion!). And on one side of the building, there's this house-shaped brick display and since the first week we've had Hannah, I've tried to get her to pose in front of it and look at the camera because I think it would be adorable and charming. But Hannah just can't be bothered because she's always distracted by whatever is on the ground. Photo fail.
The real failure right now is that right before Thanksgiving, I had a bunch of interviews and it's been radio silence since. I've followed up with email queries to no avail. As the end of the year approaches, there are fewer and fewer job openings, so I'm basically at a standstill in the job search. Some days I don't even apply to anything. I have decided to not worry about it for right now, though, and just enjoy this time off during the holiday season and start more earnestly applying at the start of the year.
But, seriously. How cute is Hannah not making eye contact with me?!
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To see what Bestest Friend has to say about failure, go see her at Too Legit to Quit.
That's a great photo! You failed to fail.
ReplyDeleteJobs. Frick 'em.
I have approximately three dozen photos of Hannah not looking at me in this same place in every season and time of day. Someday I will get her to look at the camera and it will be a real coup for me!
DeleteYes, i like that photo! It's spontaneous and candid. I'm glad you're not stressing about the job search- something will come up, and for now it's nice to have a break and enjoy some time off at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteHa! If only it were spontaneous. I'd spent a couple minutes setting her up and we must have been there for another couple of minutes with me desperately trying to get her to look at me. Oh, well. We can't always get what we want from creatures with their own stubborn streaks.
DeleteShe is so carefully and purposefully NOT looking at you!
ReplyDeleteI know the job thing is hard, but December just slows things down so much in hiring. Hang in there.
Yes, I am telling myself that things will turn around in January. In the meantime, I'm trying to be chill. That's not easy for someone as tightly wound as I normally am, but I'm doing my best.
DeleteHannah - as always - is the cutest!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you've been hitting dead ends with the job options. I'm sure it's very frustrating. I'm glad you're trying to lean into the Christmas season, though, and realize that it's okay to take a break from the hunt. I can't promise the "perfect" job will present itself in January, but I'm 100% hoping that is the case and do think that the new year will bring new opportunities for you that excite you and allow you to shine. You clearly have SO much to offer and your future employer will be so fortunate to have you join the team. <3
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I know it will all work out eventually and I just am trying to stay cheerful about my time off while I wait.
DeleteSorry about the job situation. It's so hard to just wait it out. I hope for lots of luck on that front in the New Year, and that you can enjoy the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely enjoy the holidays! Nothing can spoil that.
DeleteI have about eleventy-billion pictures of my dog not looking at the camera. Sigh. What kind of job are you looking for? I probably can't help, I live far away, but you never know. I can keep my ears open.
ReplyDeleteMost of my camera is the dog and the cat avoiding eye contact with me. They know I should be doing something better with my time!
DeleteOooh! That photo is really cute (although the place itself sounds... concerning). And yes, I love your plan to take a breather and regroup in the new year. I feel like most people are slowing down, lots of vacations are happening -- not a great time for the job hunt. And I know it must be so disspiriting, to keep applying and to not have found something yet. But you WILL find a good fit, I know it. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteThat hotel is a bit concerning. Everyone I've ever talked to who is there is very kind and polite and I hate to get too snotty about it, but it's definitely not our town's finest location.
DeleteSome of my colleagues call time off with no jobs "fun-employment", which I think is a nice gentle way to frame it. But really, applying for jobs is it's own full time job, requiring so much focus and mental toughness, so taking a break now and then is completely warranted.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Hannah is thinking, "Nope. Not gonna look." My kids do that sometimes when I try to get their picture. One in particular will literally turn his back on me.
Oh, the idea of you just having photos of one kid's back is hilarious. I have one nephew who hates having pictures taken and in 90% of posed photos, he has tear streaks because he's just finished crying over it. I don't make him pose anymore - I just try to get him in candids!
DeleteYou persevered. Good pose.
ReplyDeleteWell, she's still not looking at me, so it's not that great, but I think it's sort of funny, so I went with it.
DeleteI think you got a pretty good photo, considering all the distraction :)
ReplyDeleteI am keeping my fingers crossed for your job search. I can only imagine how stressful that must be.
She's such a pretty dog that all her photos look nice, even when she's trying to figure out what she wants to smell next.
DeleteI think it's a great capture of her; I know you want perfection, but that rarely happens when you're in front of a meth hotel.
ReplyDeleteKIDDING!
Sending you all the good vibes that the job search comes to a delightful end at the start of 2023.
I could not love Hannah more. She gives life to the expression "hangdog". :)
ReplyDelete