Cinematic Adventure

My title is with apologies to Dane Cook - I think that's where I've heard it.

Catching some tv today, I saw the end of The Devil Wears Prada. I've never seen this movie and heard mixed reviews when it first came out. I've attempted a read of the book, but I never got around to it with work and all [imagine that? I've been employed since grad school]. In any event, I've decided that once I am officially unemployed [starting Friday at 5 pm... ack!] and once I finally shut off my cable that I will reward myself with watching movies through free or inexpensive means.

I've never been a big movie person - I get bored and listless during especially long movies, since I always have so much to do. But I want to see all these movies people quote from and reference. So I am planning my future cinematic adventures. I want them to be awe-inspiring and career- or work-related.

In no particular order:

- The Devil Wears Prada watched 6/27/09

- Rent

- Working Girl

- 9 to 5

- Confessions of a Shopaholic (okay, not a really serious movie, but I read the book and have a true neeeed to compare!)

- Reality Bites

- Big Lebowski

- Falling Down (If I'm in the mood for drama)

- Office Space (have seen - always a classic to remind me of what I'm not missing)

- His Girl Friday (have seen - even more classic than Office Space)

- Julie & Julia (Can not WAIT to see this! I hope it's as good as all the trailers purport)

Any other suggestions?

Someone's Out There!

Success came today in a strange way: I received a rejection letter in the mail. Yes, it was a success because I have generally not been hearing back from anyone I've submitted resumes and cover letters to in this particular sending season ("season" only because it is temporary in my eyes).

I've honestly been depressed about not hearing anything back save for a scant number of automatic responses and confirmations of emails/resumes sent. I've felt like a statistic.

This was a folded letter, addressed to me, signed with a real pen and mailed in a size 10 envelope. The last time I received one of those was early 2000s. The last mailed rejection notice I received was around 2005 and was a flimsy postcard. I felt so jaded. Like on those old movies and sitcoms in big cities where everyone reads your postcards before delivering them, I felt like "everyone in the building" knew that I had been rejected, even though we live in an anonymous world and only the postman knew if he cared enough to read.

This spurred me on to send out six resumes and cover letters that desperately needed to be sent. It's strange what revitalizes me. It's not so much the cause, but the fact that I feel like I have an ounce of new blood in me.

Any feedback is good feedback in my book.

Last Week

It's here: the last 40 hours of my (hopefully not) last job.

I feel paralyzed by all of the decisions left to be made. When to cut the cable and home phone? When to get a roommate? When to just take any ole hourly position to cover bills and rent?

I'm trying to take things day by day and realize that nothing has to happen all at once. Don't get me wrong: I would do all of these things tomorrow if I knew I would not have a job for the next year. The only thing is, I may find a job in the next week and then I'd have to put up with a roommate, a commitment to another job or a re-installation appointment with the cable company (I know, not the *worst* thing in the world!). I keep thinking about my ancestors and how they lived (and thrived!) through the Great Depression. I just have to have heart and strength like they did.

Wrapping up things at a job is just as depressing as my future prospects. I shouldn't care but I know that once I leave everything that goes (or went) haywire will be chalked up to my existence within the company. I've seen it happen before at this and other firms and it's truly a travesty. "Let's all talk about the person who left as though we never should have hired them!" Especially when it's the person who hired them talking. Some things will never change, though. And the competitive nature with which people seek out information on the employee who left and then trade it like some ancient spice in old Europe. As though it makes them more valuable to be speaking with or cyber-stalking this person through social networking sites. Airing their laundry for the office and speaking about what they would do in any certain situation. While at the same time, they were the badge of honor of still being with said company. As though their staying-on has anything to do with their intelligence, strategy or worth. Despicable, yes. Unavoidable, unfortunately yes. Should I even give this a second thought? NO!!

I need to forget about my current dilemma and hit the ground running. I need to keep driving myself toward future success. That's the only way I will make something for myself - of myself - is to focus on myself and just let everything else just fade away.

Back in the Saddle

So this past week or so I have re-dedicated myself to job searching. FUN, I know! It's become fun again mainly because there are jobs being posted that fit my criteria on all the major sites. This resurgence has invigorated me. I've redone my resumes, written cover letters during lunch and even put off doing my normal lazy activities (read: watch reality tv and eat) to take the opportunity to submit a resume or two.

It's always been that I procrastinate so much while applying to a job opening that it's sometimes gone right when I am ready to apply. I have to have the perfect opening statement to my cover letter. I have to look up and reconnect with references. I have to re-do my resume to make it perfect. All that is out the window now. Thanks to the boyfriend, I am [somewhat] relaxing my standards just to get my information in front of HR's eyes. Good is good enough. Done is good. However you want to put it, I am kicking my perfectionism to the curb. I guess we'll see how this goes.