Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The one where I became a Research Specialist

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Today was my first day of training at my new job and if you read the title, I finally figured out my new job title! I am a "Research Specialist"! I was nervous about the job, and still am a little bit, but my trainers both clearly loved their job so it put me at ease. The core of my job will be approaching people and asking them if they want to take a quick survey about something they had experienced in the parks. Sometimes it's about something specific. Sometimes it's about their trip in general. I was worried, thinking it'd be hard to get people to do the survey, but according to my trainers, a lot of people like giving their opinion on Disney World!  So that was helpful. My main other concern was the fact that my job requires me to stand outside all day. And, well, I won't know how that one works out until I get a really hot day and see if I can handle it. Most importantly, it just felt SO good to be working! Not only is it a distraction from stressing over things (my car, my eye, my overall lack of funds, ya know) but it's just fun to be back at Disney! 


Since my job is technically only part-time,  I will only FOR SURE be working Thursday, Friday and Saturday in my Research Specialist role. I can then pick up hours in the same role or at my old job at the Emporium to get full time hours. I'm also looking at getting a second, non-Disney job to work around this one. We'll see! I'm not going to worry about that too much until I get into the swing of this job. 


I also found out that my "home park" (the main park I'll be working at) is the Magic Kingdom!! I'm so very excited about this because I have experience with MK and will be sharing a break room with my friends at Main Street West! =) 


My new "costume" is considerably more normal than the high-waist skirt, poofy-shoulder shirt and tie combo I wore at the emporium. Now I get to wear some very fashion-forward khaki shorts with PLEATS that are soooooo incredibly awesome looking that it's a wonder women all over the world aren't requesting to buy them. The khaki pant option is even better, what with their tapered ankle and all, but sadly I think I'm gonna forgo that option and play the "I'm from Minnesota and I can handle the coldest weather Florida has, while in shorts!" card all year round! As far as my shirt goes, it's just a white button down! And I get to wear tennis shoes! Woooo! Anyways, my costume ages me about 30 years (hello mom pants!) so I imagine I'll remain single for a long long time, or at the very least, I imagine I'll randomly get desires to own a mini-van or tell a kid to use their "inside voice". ;)


All joking aside, things are going pretty well! I'm loving rooming with Michelle again. I'm not going to want to move out, it's so much fun living with her. But I have to move out soon-ish, so eventually I'll be getting new roommates and a new apartment! 


My eye is getting better. It's not red or painful at all but my vision is STILL blurry. Hopefully it gets better soon. The doc said 2 weeks, it hasn't even been 1, I'm just impatient when it comes to my eye sight. Can you blame me? I happen to like seeing. 


Now I just need to get in the habit of going to bed at normal hours and I'll be all set! With that said, I'm gonna attempt to fall asleep NOW! Night all! 

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The one where I moved...again...

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Greetings from Orlando! Some of you may be confused, thinking such thoughts as "I thought she was in Nashville..." if you're in that boat, I'd suggest you read my last post =)

Last Wednesday, I packed up my belongings and headed south. I was already scared about making the drive alone, but the night before I left, my vision was really blurry. I didn't think much of it and hoped it'd be better by morning. It wasn't. If anything, it was worse. Not wanting any excuse to stop me from going, I figured if I could see the lines on the road and the cars in front of me, I'd be fine. Halfway to my stopping point for the night, I stopped because my eye was burning and tearing up like I was bawling my eyes out. I tried to put some drops in it and that just made it worse. I stopped at my friend Charlie's place south of Atlanta. We had a fun time, played some Beatles Rock Band which was WAY fun, and got to catch up. It was hard though, to really enjoy the time with an eye that hurt so bad. Knowing I couldn't drive another 7 hours when I didn't even like opening my eyes, I went to the eye doctor.

Apparently, I have a very serious eye infection that's been brewing for a month or so, somehow caused by my contacts. The doctor put some numbing drops in my eyes that at least made the pain go away but said there is scarring on my cornea causing the blurriness. The blurry vision is supposed to go away in about 2 weeks. The drops I have are already making my eye look a lot better (no redness and no pain) but the scarring will be the last thing to heal apparently. The doctor was very nice and very patient and answered all my questions, so for that I am grateful. And if I'm going to need any medical attention at all, without health insurance right now, I guess the least expensive medical attention is probably eye care so let's hope that this is my only health problem until my health insurance at my NEW JOB kicks in!!

Speaking of which, I officially have a job now!! It is not my 1st, 2nd or even 3rd choice in jobs at Disney World but that's okay, I'm just happy to be employed again and the people I interviewed with and have talked to since seem so nice, I'm excited to meet them! I forget my official title, something including the words Marketing and Research (like I said, kinda sorta related to my major), but basically my job is to survey guests at Disney about the various topics Disney would like guest feedback on, like their feelings on a certain attraction, restaurant, store etc. It is technically only part-time but I will be working full-time hours between my new job and picking up shifts at the emporium (the store I worked at previously at the Magic Kingdom). I also have the option of looking for a job outside of Disney and only working the Marketing Research job 3 days of the week, so we'll see what happens!

My friend Michelle, who I lived with the first half of my College Program, is letting me stay a her place until I figure out my living situation. Hopefully I'll find some roommates to live with in the near future, but for now it's fun living with her and it's great to know I have some time to figure it all out.

My car is once again in the shop, not surprising with my luck lately, but I'm hoping it's less serious this time. Right after I left the doctor's office where I was told I have a serious eye problem, I was in at a stop light and my car just TURNED OFF. I resisted the urge to panic and tried restarting it, it restarted just fine. Perhaps against my better judgement, I decided to just press my luck and wait to get it checked out in Orlando (if I made it there!!) because at this point, neither the car nor its operator were functioning properly. Scared it was a battery issue, I turned EVERYTHING off in the car. No A/C, no lights, no RADIO. Needless to say I was just a ball of nerves barreling down the freeway hoping to make it to Orlando safely, which I did, praise the Lord! I took my car to get looked at and apparently there is a "Massive Oil Leak". I asked the woman if said leak could cause a car to just turn off and she said yes, so hopefully that's the ONLY problem.

My first night in Orlando, I went out to Ohana's at the Polynesian to celebrate my friend Sheena's birthday. We (and by we I mostly mean my friends since I'm partially blind) saw the fireworks at Magic Kingdom from our table at the restaurant so that was pretty sweet! They even play the fireworks music in the restaurant, so that was fun!

Other than that, I've just been focused on getting settled and running errands so I'm ready to start work on Tuesday! It's been a whirlwind of ups and downs lately, and I'm hoping soon it will all start to be a little more routine with a lot less eye/car problems (or any other problems for that matter). I have two more days of seeing friends and getting stuff done then it's time to get to work, and after being unemployed for two months, I couldn't be more excited!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The One about my change of heart

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This is going to be a quick one that may or may not lack the wit/charm I like to think my other posts have =) After a little over a month in Nashville with no promising jobs on the horizon, my finances and confidence in my abilities have been at an all time low. Nashville wasn't all I hoped it would be and I was lacking the iron-will necessary to persevere in a bad economy- not to mention the fact that I was trying to break into an industry where who you know is everything. On top of that, my recent trip to Disney World reminded me of how much I love it there. When I came back from Disney World in May  I was depressed for about 2 weeks and tried to convince myself that it wasn't as great as I thought and to just move on. But after going back in September, and feeling happy again like I hadn't felt in months, I felt like Disney was where I was supposed to be- where I would be happy. I tried fighting it and continued to search for jobs in Nashville but nothing was working. Most of the jobs I applied for didn't even have the courtesy to send me a rejection email. I understand that getting a job in 1 month isn't always easy, but I was faced with the reality that if I didn't take a job to just get by (like retail or something), I would continue to to be unemployed for a long time. I didn't want to take just any job in Nashville...I couldn't....not while feeling like I wanted to be at Disney anyways.

So on a whim while job hunting, I looked at jobs available at Disney World. I applied for a few I really wanted and a few I thought I could handle. It's not official, but I did end up getting offered a job at Disney World! My first job with no set end-date and is kinda sorta related to my major. (I'll tell you abut the job more later because I am technically not supposed to know I got it yet and I'm probably breaking all sorts of Disney rules by telling you I got a job, and you know me, I play be the rules =)

Basically, it's been 3 weeks of anguish....wondering and debating if Nashville or Orlando was where I was should be (Minnesota wasn't really an option to me since I am anti-winter). I am in no way giving up my dreams of working in the music industry. I will still be looking at opportunities in Orlando and also opportunities to combine my love for music and my love for Disney into one - perhaps by helping plan some Disney Special events that they bring in big artists for...who knows!

If I've learned anything it's that I can't predict or even plan my own future. God is 100% in control and I just have to follow the path He lights for me. I prayed over and over again not to be offered this Disney job if it was going to be something I didn't like or couldn't handle and got offered it anyways, so I like to think it means I CAN handle it and I will like it (but being a optimist tried and true, I always make the best of what I've got and I know I'll make it work, even if it's not my dream job).

I'm so glad I came to Nashville, I feel like I can continue on my journey and have no regrets. I got to know my friends Jon and Shanelle a lot better, and for that I am grateful. Tami, Shanelle's mom and the woman I lived with, made living here enjoyable/ really hard to say goodbye to...she also happened to turn me into a person who likes cats (in addition to dogs) and I will miss Jon, Shanelle, Tami and the 3 cats quite a bit.Who knows, maybe I'll end up back here one day when the timing/economy is better and people are actually hiring, but for now I'm off to start a career with Disney!

So now you know! It's been hard keeping everything to myself but I had to until I figured it out for myself because my mind was changing every day. But I am feeling good about the choice and I leave for Orlando tomorrow!!! I am very scared to drive the 12 hour trip by myself in a car that broke down not too long ago, so please say a prayer for safe travels okay!? I'd really appreciate that. I'm driving 6 hours tomorrow and 6 hours on Thursday so feel free to call me and keep me company while I'm on the road! Anyways, I gotta get to bed. Have to get up early to finish packing.

PS I had a fortune cookie the other day that said "You will be surrounded by friends in your time of need" and it couldn't be more true. Through everything, car troubles, computer troubles, bank troubles, job troubles, at the end of the day I still always feel very rich and happy due to the great people in my life.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The one where I'm annoyingly vague and have no real news

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Recently I celebrated my one-month anniversary of moving to Nashville! Can you believe it? I can't. I see you all got my memo about not sending cards or gifts lol so thanks for following my wishes ;)  A month has flown by thus proving that time doesn't just fly when you're having fun... it also flies when you watch too much TV and rarely leave the house, ha. The job search here hasn't been all that I had hoped for. I get that we're in a recession so maybe I had my hopes too high but I also didn't want to go around making the recession an excuse for me not to try. I will tell you this though...today I had a job interview and I think it went pretty well! I will know by the end of the week if I got it or not so.... I'm going to make you all wait to find out what the job was for/where it is located, sound fair? =)

Now onto the REAL news....

Today I woke up to find that keys 7, 8 and 9 on my phone hardly light up, which is so incredibly random and really bears no effect on anything at all other than the fact that my phone is not going to be as helpful when I use it as a flashlight. I may, also, not be able to call you in the event that all of the following things occur simultaneously:
1.) It's night time
2.) Your number isn't programmed into my phone already or I have to scroll to your name in my phone book with a PQRSTUVWXYZ (the letters on the respectively dim keys)
and
3.) I have gloves on making it difficult if not impossible to differentiate the keys from one another

All of this can be fixed however by calling me if you want to talk to me since the "Answer" key works great and I am free AAAAALLLLLL THE TIIIIMMMMEEE! If I don't answer, it's more than likely because my phone was on silent because it was beeping so much I had to make it stop (Twitter is to blame so feel free to send more real texts), or because I'm watching a really good episode of Golden Girls (and am too lazy to press pause since everything I watch these days is TIVOd.)

In my oodles of spare time that I wish I filled making myself a better person, I have found that reading Craigslist personals, temporarily, makes me feel better lol. The personals are usually exactly who you want to stay away from while the "Missed Connections" listings can sometimes be heart warming. If you don't know what those are, it's where someone goes onto Craigslist and writes about someone they like or just met but have no way of getting a hold so they reach out via CL hoping they read it. Most are really boring, but some are so sweet and some are just hilarious. Today I came across this one, posted on Orlando's CL:


"To the Girl from the Northern Midwest"
I think you are from either Minnesota, or Wisconsin. Either place...
I'm infatuated with your accent,
i cant help but long for the sight of your rosy cheeks, pale colored skin, and general cheeriness, when you ask me for a pop. (whatever the hell that means)
I blush, and shy away like flower the skunk from bambi when we make eye contact. I have such a bad crush on you. I wish you would be as aggressive with flirting, as you are with that painfully midwestern work ethic. Maybe next time you pause for a break, we can make out in the broom closet.

Sincerely,
your secret admirer.


It's probably only funny to me since I'm a girl from Minnesota, but it's by far the most unique one I've ever seen. Anyways, I should probably attempt to get some sleep! If you read this whole thing, awesome! I'm hoping you don't hate me for filling your brain with such useless facts about my life. Feel free to return the "favor" by telling me any one of the following useless facts about yourself in which I cannot gaurantee I will consciously remember but will no doubt take up a cell in my brain for all of eternity:
1) What day your garbage gets picked up
2) The names of all your previous pets
3) What you did for your 4th grade science experiment
4) If you have "hitch hikers thumb" or not
5) Random facts of your own choosing are acceptable as long as they are posted in the comment section or texted to me directly. The more random, the better.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The one near the end of my solitary confinement

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Did you know it's cliche in the blog-o-sphere to apologize to your "readers" for not blogging in a while. Well it is, apparently. Luckily for me, I don't have "readers" I just have friends and family that read this so to them, I am sorry! In all honestly, the best way I can explain my absence is that there is a BIG change on the horizon for me that I don't feel comfortable telling everyone about until I can tell the people that need to know first. The change pretty much consumes my thoughts, leaving not much else to write about unfortunately. (It's nothing shocking or dramatic so forgive me if it sounds that way!)


Truth be told, I haven't been up to anything all that interesting anyways! Due to not working 99.9% of September and October (I did work 2 days at the emporium) I don't do much of anything because I have to save money! Oh sure there is stuff to do that doesn't cost money, but even gas costs money, so my activities have been limited and I feel oh so responsible about it!

It's really strange but I find myself watching a lot of sports lately! Today I even watched the Kansas City/Dallas game (I cheer for anyone to beat Tony Romo!) KC should have gone for the 2 point conversion if you ask me, you can't come from behind then expect to win in OT against Dallas, sorry, bad call!

I've always found baseball to be kind of boring (SO sorry Ali!) but lately I can't tear myself away from it. I'll start like "oh, I'll just have it on in the background" then before I know it I'm front and center on the couch and booing the umps/A-Rod like it's my job.

I can't decide whether the cats are keeping me sane or making me insane. If it weren't for them, I'd feel REALLY alone and probably convince myself someone was going to break into the house every night. On the other hand, when they bust down your door (no joke!) at 3am and hop on you while you're sleeping, you do think for a split second you are being attacked! It will be a mystery to me for the rest of my life how a 19 year old cat managed to open a closed door. 

Aside from sports and playing with the cats, I'm learning how to play Donkey Kong on the Wii... I spent an entire afternoon making the COOLEST calendar ever complete with photos of people on their birthday dates...I talk to Emily Hendricks on the phone for like an hour a day which is fun and that's about it! If you think about it, between the sports and the Wii, my days are spent in ways very similar to that of a 14 year old boy stuck at home on summer break (minus the calendar making... I'm guessing).

More of an update will be coming soon-ish! I've very excited that Tami and Shanelle will be back on Wednesday- it's been too quiet without them! Now it's time for the Twins game, so I'm outta here like a Joe Mauer homerun baseball. =)

Monday, October 5, 2009

The one where I'm all alone

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First of all, can I just say that I can't believe it's October! Seriously! I've moved into a different month since my big move to Nashville and I have to say, that's pretty insane! My computer SEEMS to be working fine for now and I'm praying it stays that way. After 3 days of working on it myself, I finally went "Aha!" and posted my computer's symptoms on a Microsoft Message board for some amazingly nerdy guy to help me get to the root of the problem. Low and behold, I followed his instructions and my computer functions once again. It was something to do with having too many anti-virus software programs installed since APPARENTLY you're only supposed to have 1 or they mess each other up. I had 3. =) I guess there is such a thing as too much of a good thing! I think those mac commercials about PCs being so virus prone really got to my brain but jokes on them (haha not really) a virus wasn't the problem, virus software was! Oh my word PCs, you've outdone yourself this time. 

Anyhow, not a lot is new with me and nothing is new with me in the job search. I look and apply and they look and deny. ha. It's a pretty fun game...NOT! On top of that, Tami and Shanelle are out of the country until October 13th so that leaves me with Chase, Jasmine and Patch (Tami's 3 cats) to talk to...and TRUST me, I do talk to them! The cats keep me very entertained that's for sure. Chase is my buddy. He's not even a year old and is very playful. Patch is a staggering 19 years old! I look into his eyes and swear I see wisdom only a 19 year old cat could have (like where the best places to nap and eat are). He sleeps 90% of the day and is often the victim of Chase's attacks. It's playful to Chase but scary for Patch so I usually play referee and break it up. Jasmine can be described in one word: psychotic. She'll nuzzle you and make you think she wants to be pet but get within an inch of her and she'll hiss at you and try to bite you. Crazy crazy cat I tell you. Luckily she sleeps all the time and only attempts to bite me about 10 times a day. For the record, I'm still not a cat person but I've been alone in this house for 5 days (and counting) and the cats are probably the only thing keeping me from going certifiably insane. 


This weekend was a weekend that made me really wish I was back home in Minnesota. The twins played their last regular season game EVER in the metrodome, Hanson played at 1st Ave and it's my mom's Birthday on Tuesday. I hear it's getting cold there and actually wouldn't mind a nice cool day in jeans and a sweatshirt to go for a walk and see the fall colors! Alas, I cannot but I am excited for the fact that the Viking vs Packer game is on Monday Night Football so I can actually watch it (unlike the Twins game today that wasn't broadcast here)! Tomorrow I'm actually going to leave the house - yay! - to go to Jon and Shanelle's apartment to watch the big game. As long as Jon cheers for the Vikes, it'll be a fun time =) 


If this blog were a movie, these two weeks would have to be summarized by a movie montage.I imagine it'd look something like this... Allie playing with the cats. Allie sleeping. Allie attempting to start the lawn mower and failing. Allie watching TV. Allie staring at the ceiling after doing 10 sit ups. Allie looking for jobs. Allie laughing at her own jokes while sitting at her computer. 


I don't know about you guys but I'd pay 10 bucks to see that. Heck, I'd even spring for popcorn..if I had a coupon, cuz who am I kidding, I am unemployed.

Off to go watch an episode of Criminal Minds I dvr'd and hopefully not get nightmares!