In case you haven't heard...

After two phone interviews, three "targeted selection" interviews, and a "technical" interview over the past 6 months, I officially received a job offer from Caterpillar, Inc. today as an Environmental, Health & Safety Associate. That in itself is cause for celebration. It is a position in which I believe I will be challenged and allowed to be creative and innovative. And for the first time in my professional life, there are opportunities for growth and a ladder that is vertical instead of horizontal.
and as far as I know, the job has nothing to do with poop, something which I've become ALL too familiar with in the past three jobs (and a grad school career)!
When I think back over the past year, so much has happened. So much good. And just as many financial burdens, stresses, and "how am I ever going to be able to pay this" 's. I know that so many of you have prayed that not only CAT would offer me this position, but that it would be financially freeing. From what a former Bradley classmate who is also working in the same division told me, I expected a 50-60% raise, which had me very excited. I could start chipping away at my accumulated debt and breath easier when the CILCO bill came.

So when I opened the job offer this afternoon, I nearly fell off my chair.

The salary I am starting at is a 125% raise from my current pay at the health department.
I had to read it five times to make sure it was right.
Then I called Gina, who suggested I read it once more-just to make sure.

I know money isn't all that matters. It is an evil thing when people make it their god. But it just such a wonderful feeling of a burden lifted. That the pile of bills on the office desk won't be the loudest thing I hear when I go to bed at night.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, thoughts, crossed fingers, words of wisdom and support (and loans). I love you all so much! I am so excited to see where this next chapter in life leads. I am so thankful that you are all a part of it.

It's Official!

what did you think i meant?

Cougar Quiz

Let's see how much you know about the coolest cat ever birthed.
1) Which is not one of Cougar's favorite foods?
a. String Cheese
b. French Bread
c. Green Olives
d. Cheetos
2) What is Cougar's middle name?
a. Frank
b. Bear
c. Jones
d. Ringo
3) In what year did Cougar adopt me?
a. 2002
b. 2003
c. 2004
d. 2005
4) In what famous 80's movie did Cougar's double star?
5) Cougar hates:
a. Shadows
b. Cats
c. Dogs
d. Children
6) At one evening meal, Chris Evans fed Cougar an entire:
a. Chocolate Bunny
b. Chicken Breast
c. Can of Baked Beans
d. Donkey
7. How many distinct dialects does Cougar communicate in?
a. 4
b. 6
c. 12
d. I don't know, as I am not fluent in Catenese.

Good things.

The interview only took 20 minutes! I met with the environmental manager to go over what the job entails and what experience I have. At the end he said I possess all the qualifications they are looking for and I'd make a great candidate. So, I'd say it went "well" to "extremely well." He said he'd call my potential supervisor and let her know of his thoughts.
Now I just have to wait to her from her!
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
j

(Not) back in the saddle.

I visited the chiropractor this evening for the back problem. I had never been to a chiro before, so they put me through the whole 9 yards with the measurements and the x-rays and such. The x-rays revealed two swollen discs with a compressed one between them. Also, the channels in the spine that the nerves run through (which are supposed to be round) are all shaped like kidney beans and have even started branching away from the spine. He said this was due to a prior injury and that the problem has existed for quite some time. hmm...
Sooo...for now, no lifting or bending. More ice. Another adjustment on friday. It actually hurts worse now than before I went in, but hopefully that's just due to the strong massage at the end.

In other, better news, I have another interview at CAT tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 in East Peoria!! Hopefully this will be the last one before they make a decision. Please pray that it goes well and I have all the qualifications required for the position!

And finally, thank you sooooo much to my dear sweet Nurse Gina who has taken such wonderful care of me through all of this nonsense! I honestly don't know what I'd do without her (probably go to work without socks on and my shoes untied-hard to reach when you can't bend!).

DL

Somehow I managed to injure myself while dead lifting on Friday. I wasn't trying an extreme amount of weight or anything, but on my last set something went terribly wrong. As soon as I put the weights down, I had shooting pain in my lower back, just below my weight belt. Thus ended my workout.

I went to work and my boss sent me home (thanks). I spent the next 10 hours icing it, which was recommended by a chiropractic friend. It's now Sunday morning and my condition is about the same. I can walk (carefully), but I feel decrepit. If it's not any better by Wednesday, I think I'll go to a doctor. Until then I'll just hobble and complain.

Happy Father's Day to all you procreators!

waiting...

My lovely and wonderful parents came down on Wednesday eve' and picked up my dead car on a trailer. They also left me a spare car that was out at the shop where my dad works. So, thankfully I have had a mode of transport. The old car is getting a new engine.

Still awaiting news from CAT. I was told I may be having an additional interview with a facility manager to go over the technical aspects of the job. My potential supervisor also said she has to talk with some people to address CAT's need right now. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, although I don't know why they'd be interviewing people if they didn't have a job for them. So that's where I'm at. Hopefully I'll find out more this week. On eggshells until then.

in the meantime, life is good.

Nothing is sound.

Well folks, this is to be yet another blog in the long line of blogs involving my once beloved (now despised) Grand Am.
I've fought this thing since I got it back in '04. First it was small things like fuel injectors, fuel filters, then the usual things that wear out and need to be replaced as soon as you get it paid off-tires, brakes, headlights, etc.
But yesterday, as I was driving to Joe's apartment, it began ticking. Not "ticking" as in an adorable cuckoo clock on grandmother's wall. An ominous, metallic ticking reverberating from under the hood. It was soon joined by a louder tapping, both in rapid succession. When we got it back to Joe's, he took a listen under the hood. Rod knock.
not good.
The prospects for longevity of the engine were bleak, but it should've held up for at least awhile.
Then today on the way home from work, the little 4-cylinder transformed into a machine gun mimic. People on the sidewalk were diving for cover and drivers in adjacent vehicles sped up to avoid becoming a victim if the thing blew up. and you think i'm kidding. I'm 98.543% sure I now have a spun rod. I made it home (doing 25mph) and the piece of....pleasantry...is parked in the driveway.

not sure what I'm going to do now.

sure would be nice to hear back from Caterpillar in my hour of greatest financial dire straits...