Hold on to your hats everyone!  Tiffany has a positive post for once!!  Miraculous I know   I had family and friends give me a lecture of sorts about quitting my job.  I know it was dumb.  Afterall, it was my only income.  But it most certainly paid off.  Yesterday without a job I was able to continue my jobsearch and within 20 minutes of applying for a job that I didn’t quite qualify for, the HR lady contacted me and said they had two other positions that she thought I would be perfect for.  So today I went and interviewed for both positions (at an aerospace company less than 3 miles from my house) and the second interview just flowed and I walked away with that feeling of, “wow, I think this is the job I need right now.”  I really follow my gut on job interviews and so far it’s never let me down.  I’ve known when a job will suck and when I’ll do well.  So I’m really happy.  Salary and other details will follow by the end of the week and I imagine I’ll be working by Monday. Yay!!!!!  Too bad I’m moving to the hotel on Friday because that means a longer commute.  I guess I’ll just have to move back closer to my brother’s house once I leave the hotel.  I’m still totally broke, but if this company is as good as it seems, I’ll be happy working there and that’s what matters the most, right?  Gosh, guess I really had better start packing my stuff since I’m moving in a day.  Eeeeek!  I’m such a procrastinator  ;-P

Well…..I quit my job.  Let’s see, that’s the 3rd job I’ve gone through in the nearly 4 months I’ve been here in Seattle.  Shame on me.  I just can’t stand a job where I have nothing to do all day (and they locked us out of the internet so that couldn’t even save me from boredom) and they were just sooooo completely unorganized.  I lasted 4 days…….that’s 1 longer than the last job.  Ha ha ha!!!  Ok, I shouldn’t be so flippant about it.  I mean, I truly am broke at this point, and I’m old enough that I should be on a steady career path by now.  I just hate selling myself short when I know I’m put in a job where I’m not challenging myself at all, and some of the people I work with can barely work a computer.

So I quit yesterday and since I’m still living with my brother that means I have to put on the act that I’m still going to work. Shhh!  Don’t spill the beans on that one.  That’s especially for you Schris if you happen to be reading this today.  I’m hoping you’ll respect my privacy since this is kind of my private thoughts (that anyone can read ha ha ha!).  So I’m up at 5 in the morning, get dressed and then go to the boyfriend’s house for most of the day while he’s at work.  Yes, the boyfriend.  I’m still with him for some unknown reason.  Maybe because I’m pathetic and don’t want to have to answer the dreaded, “so are you dating anyone?” question everytime I see family.  It always seems ok for the guys in the family to be single, but as a girl slowly getting older, I’m starting to feel the secret thoughts of “geez, she should be in a relationship and having kids soon”.  Thank God nobody actually says it.  My mom is the only one I never feel that pressure from.  Well Mom and my stepmom too.  They always say something like, “Just because your brother and your friends are settling down and having families, doesn’t mean that’s what you’re supposed to do right now.  You’ve always followed your own path, and there are no rules that say you have to be married at 21 and other nonsense like that.  This is the 21st Century and you have a great head on your shoulders.  Your life will fall into place exactly the way it’s supposed to.”

Geez, just writing that stuff out makes me realized I’m blessed with a great family.  And the great thing is, my mom doesn’t just say this because I’m her daughter.  I’ve heard her say it to my cousin and other people like her brother’s and sisters.  If only she’d follow her own advice once in awhile.

So anyway, back to what I was originally getting at (I tend to digress when I write )  I quit my job but by yesterday afternoon I had two new job prospects.  One interview tomorrow for a job nearly identical to what I was doing back in Colorado, but it’s only part time for now unless they really like me and decide to make it full time.  The other one is right next to Boeing and is a job that is full-time with full benefits and great pay.  I’m really proud of myself that I can leave a job and have people “knocking on the door” the same day.

Moving day is still set for Friday afternoon and Saturday.  My brother’s gonna be sweet enough to help me.  Staying at a hotel for a month…..I really think this might be interesting.  I’ve been soaking up as much Auntie time with baby Dylan as I can.  It’s amazing how he changes everyday.  I guess I had better packing what little stuff I have.  It’s time for a new adventure!  New job. New “home”.  New start!  We’ll see where this new journey takes me =)

Geez, it sure is hard to keep up with a blog when you’re at work all day and then you come home and feel guilty using your brother’s dial-up because he’s secretly been cursing you to get out of the house for weeks now.  Good news for him.  I’m moving into my extended stay hotel suite on Friday.  It won’t be the most comfortable place to live, but at least I can give my family a little space to raise baby Dylan on their own.  I still get him on the weekends though .  And the hotel has cheap wireless internet, but my wonderful luck made it so that my powercord to my laptop is somewhere in the depths of my storage trailer and the battery died in 2000 or 2001.  Who knows if it’ll even turn on anymore.  It’s been on it’s deathbed for quite sometime.  I won’t be able to survive without the internet.  Especially when it comes to finding a better job.  So………..does anyone wanna help me get a new computer?  Ha ha ha!!!  Kidding.  I’ll get one when I can afford one, but by the looks of things, that’s litterally years down the road.

Yeah, I got hired as an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist and was promoted to the Regional Lead of Northern California with one other guy.  The thing they didn’t bother to tell us was that the jobs would never become permanent.  Well that’s lovely.  I desperately need health insurance so I’ve got to find something else.  At least I was blessed with a Mom who helps me as much as she possibly can.  I know I’ll find something else, but I want to hang onto this job (for as long as I can stand it) because I at least need the teensy bit of money I get from it.

For anyone who’s wondering; Dylan is doing excellent!  He’s practically eating non-stop today.  Must be a growth spurt.  He’s awake and alert a lot more than before and I am feeling like a natural with the whole Auntie thing.  I used to be terrified that I’d break him, but now i’m totally comfortable handling him.  I picked out several pictures I wanted, but Scott hasn’t emailed them to me yet.  If he’d ever get around to that, I’ll be posting them on my site.  I’ll be sad to leave him this week, but I know that I’ll be seeing him at least every week or so.

As far as the rest of my life, men suck.  My boyfriend has completely ignored me since my birthday last week (and yes even ON that day when I was with him).  Guess he’s doing that whole a–hole thing that guys do so you’ll dump them first.  Fine by me.  He was never my type anyway.  Just have to go get my stuff out of his apartment and then it’s on to the next chapter life has for me.   Hopefully I can find something to be happy about for a change.  That’s all I’ve ever really wanted.  Love and personal happiness

So anyway, this week’s been an odd one.  I knew that once the baby was here, I was gonna have to move out of my brother’s house.  Feb. 1 to be exact.  Well, I still can’t afford to be on my own so once again I have to rely on my mom for help.  Kind of pathetic seeing as I’m 25 tomorrow.  I’m well into my adult years and yet I still can’t manage to stay standing on my own two feet very long.  It’s not that I’m irresponsible or anything.  Quite the opposite actually.  It’s just that once I hit a few bumps in the road, I can’t seem to get myself back on track.

So how is Mom helping me out this time?  Well paying for 3 out of 4 weeks in an extended stay hotel suite.  After that, if I still haven’t saved up enough to be on my own yet, then she’ll park their RV up here and let me live with her as long as I need to.  She wants to do that anyway because she wants to be near her new grandbaby.  It’s secretly my hope that she’ll be away from her husband for that time and realize she’s better off without his fat ass.  She’s always wanted to move back closer to her brothers and sisters anyway.

I’ve been so tempted to just move back to Colorado.  It’s because I started talking to my ex again and we thought we should give it another try.  I would’ve had to deal with having my family’s disapproval.  In fact Scott and Lisa said that if I did go back to him they (and “other people”) would tell my mom why I left him in the first place.  That’s the last thing I need her to know.  I’ve done a good job of sheltering her from that, and I want it to stay that way.  It’s just frustrating when things aren’t working out with Chris like I had hoped and dating around isn’t my thing.  25 tomorrow and still single with no change on the horizon.  I’m tired of people telling me that I’m still young and being single isn’t something I need to worry about.  Everyone who says that has someone!!!  I know that I could choose to be happy regardless, but it’s easier said than done.

Crap, I wasn’t intending to turn this into a “poor Tiffany” post.  Hmmm……how to end on a happier note? Uhh….it’s snowing again.  Crazy Seattle weather.  I thought I left the yucky driving behind when I left Colorado.  At least it’s purdy =)

Well this week sure has been a hectic one. Not that I’ve done a whole lot, but with baby Dylan here, there’ve been two sets of grandparents there for the whole week and a few visitors coming and going. Dylan has pretty much slept through it all so he doesn’t mind, but I’ve been a bit frazzled with sooo many people around. That baby has so much love around him. And he thanks us all by pooping every half hour. Thank goodness I haven’t had to change a diaper yet. Scott’s been referring to some of them as “blow outs” and when I went downstairs this morning they were discussing the look and smell of his BMs. That was my signal to leave. Ha ha ha!!! I decided to run away to my bf Chris’s place for today and give myself some breathing room. Sorry, I still don’t have any pictures to post of Dylan. We’ve all taken some awesome ones and sent them to family, but nobody emailed me any (probably because they figure I get to see him everyday so I don’t need them). I WILL get some. I’m determined. He’s too cute not to show off

I still haven’t started my job at Cingular. I went in on Wednesday to start training and we were sent home after an hour because none of our drug test results had come in yet and we weren’t able to do a single thing until they got them. Who knows when it’ll be. Stupid lab takes forever. And I almost got a job with that lab company.

Well Chris is bitching for me to get off the computer so I guess I’ll have to finish my post later. Men *sigh*

I got the official ok to go ahead and start my new job tomorrow.  Funny thing is, I’m not actuallly getting hired on for the job I applied for.  It’s a higher level job and although it’s temporary, it has a much higher chance of being permanent while the other one didn’t.  I asked my recruiter if there were other people being considered for the position and she told me that there was no one else, and the hiring manager had asked specifically for me.  Well don’t I feel all special   Bummer, I have to work at the corporate office which is twice the commute and my hours start at 7.  I don’t get up until noon or later!!  This should be interesting.  They never really said what I would be doing in this position so I can only hope it’s not gonna run me over like a steam roller.  I’m just a fresh little worker bee and not sure I’m ready to take the plunge into the true corporate world.  But I will feel special because I’ll have to wear one of those ID badges and swipe it to get into the buildings and elevators.  I’m such a dork, but I’ve always wanted to do that

Baby Dylan came home today.  He’s sleeping soundly, but I guess they all had a rough night with him at the hospital where he was beyond fussy.  Have I mentioned he’s ADORABLE????  My birthday is in little more than a week and I have a feeling everyone’s gonna forget.  Not that I mind all that much.  I never do much special on that day anyway.  All that happens this time is my car insurance goes down and I’ll be able to rent a car.  Yee haw.

Is it bad to be jealous of a baby and my brother’s “perfect” family?  I’ve always been the screwed up kid between the two of us.  I wanted to have the most respectful and loving husband.  I wanted the beautiful house in the beautiful neighborhood.  And I wanted the baby.  I’ve come to terms with the fact that that kind of fairytale life just won’t for me.  I guess I’ll just live vicariously through everyone else.  Enjoy their happinesses and life journeys.  And don’t get me wrong, I am beyond happy for them!  They are and will always be my family and I want them to have every happy moment possible.  I  only wish I could get a small taste of that myself for once.

Oh yeah……I’ll be sure to keep giving updates on my adorable, little nephew. We have some pictures, but we haven’t put them on the computer or hosting site yet. He was just born yesterday so I can’t be like, “oh yeah he’s cute, and by the way I’d like to take a whole lot of pictures of him and his mommy, daddy, and hopefully me. I tell ya what though…..holding that baby boy and know i’m living with them for a few more weeks and then get to see him on weekends and stuff makes me feel pretty cool. I’ve always lived really far away from home and now I get to see him as much as I want. I have a feeling Scott and Lisa are going get me to change most of his diapers. I guess that’s what I get for being the younger sibling.

It’s official! I’m an aunt! I went to visit my baby nephew tonight in the hospital for a bit and was freaked a bit to hold him but when my brother put him in my arms I nearly melted into a puddle on the floor. Those who know me, no I’m not really a “show your happy and loving emotions” kind of person, but I couldn’t keep saying how adorable he was. His name is Dylan Thomas and absolutely the most precious thing I’ve ever seen. I’m not just being biased either.

I want one!!! I kept saying that all night. Too bad the boyfriend, fiance, husband, and steady income has to come first. *Sigh* You know, if this were several decades ago, I’d be considered a lonely old spinster at my age. That’s a happy thought. Yeah, yeah, I’m throwing myself a mini-pity party. I’m allowed right?

Since the Dylan came so early I’m gonna have to try and move out of my brother’s sooner. It was supposed to be February 1, but now I have only a week or two so that these 3 can get their family all settled in and comfortable. I know they’ll be great parents. My brother is the most supportive husband I’ve ever met. I truly hope I can meet someone like that………and hopefully I’m not 82 by then.

I went to take my drug test for my new job today and I already know I don’t do anything so I should be starting work this week sometime. It’ll be a nice change, unless the job blows. I’m gonna work my booty off so they’ll want to hire me permanently after my temp position is up. My only concern is working at 7 am. I usually go to bed at 2 or 3 and then dont wake up ’til around noon. That’ll be an interesting schedule to jump into.

Ok this is my third attempt at starting a blog and I swear it’s gonna stay this time. Well, as long as my life is eventful enough to talk about (which isn’t often the case). I’d have a million things to talk about if I didn’t condense it down to just the last couple of days. I moved to WA from CO back in October in order to be close to my family (this is the state where most of them live), and because I found out my brother (whom I’m very close with) and his wife were going to have a baby. This was my only chance for being an Auntie and I wanted this little kid to know who I was. Some of my younger cousins don’t even know me because I’ve always been in CO. It’s kind of sad.

Anyway, I’ve been living with my brother and his wife for these few months to have time to find a job and get on my feet. Well, like my crappy life always turns out, nothing was going right for me here. I was “forced” to quit one job and lasted 3 days at another job because it sucked so badly. My relationship was going absolutely nowhere and I was quickly approaching age 25. I know, I know, that’s young to most people, but it feels old. Especially because I’m not married with kids like 75% of my friends from high school and college. It just seemed like WA was definitely not working out for me. It was 3 weeks ago that I realized I had to be out of my brother’s house by the beginning of February and had no money, no job, and no place to go. I made the decision to head back to CO since I was at least comfortable there. I’m not religious, but I am spiritual and have always believed that there are signs in life that lead you in the right direction. I wasn’t finding any anywhere. I felt lower than low.

Then, two nights ago, I couldn’t keep it bottled up anymore and sat down with my brother and his wife and told them I was packing up and leaving for CO ASAP. I knew I wanted to be close to family and near the baby, but I felt like I was trying to swim upstream here. Somehow, after talking and talking and a handful of Kleenex for myself, they convinced me to stay. I had truly thought they didn’t want me around anymore, especially Lisa (my brother Scott’s wife). I guess I was wrong. So I decided to stay, sever all ties with my abusive ex back in CO and focus on being happy here. It was exactly the next day that I got an offer for a job interview and then a few days later I passed that interview with flying colors (at least that’s how I walked out of it feeling). The next day (last Thursday) I was offered the job.

To put the cherry on top of all that, my brother jumped into my bed last night to tell me Lisa’s water had broken and they were going to the hospital. The baby was coming!!! I went to visit this afternoon and the labor was going great. Finally, I felt the need to come home and tidy up a bit because the baby wasn’t due for another 3 weeks so the house wasn’t spotless for visitors (at least in Lisa’s eyes……..it’s funny when she’s anal about little things like that)

And one more thing……just while I was in the middle of writing this post my dad called to say the baby was here! A healthy baby boy with a full head of dark hair. They aren’t telling anyone his name until everyone sees him, but I guess I have to wait until tomorrow to find out. That drives me crazy because I’ve been asking nearly everyday what his name is and they’re excellent secret keepers I’m sad I didn’t stay later this evening, but I’ll definitely be there tomorrow. I’M AN AUNTIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ll be sure to come home and tell everyone what he looks like. Well, it’s back to cleaning……….