Ugh I don't know what to do, things don't look good for this Day Care Center job. My first day was today, I was given shifts for this week, 3:30 to 6:30pm, what's with the 3hr shifts? Anyway I told the manager of the place, look I don't have a car this place isn't on a bus route and I have to work around my husband's work schedule. Is there anyway I can have like 3 8hr days, she kept dodging the question and never gave me a real answer. She said we'd talk about it tomorrow on my other shift, and then she left. One of the other girls that work there said that the manager was always like that, and she'd never give you a real answer.

Okay so while I was there I got to know the other girls a little, and they started telling me, that I wouldn't get full time hours and that the manager hadn't employed anyone full time for over a year. The job was advertised as full time. Okay so one of the other girls had said that she was leaving because they wouldn't give her full time hours or longer hours as she lives all the way out in town, and couldn't afford to travel with the gas prices the way they are.

During the time I was there I got to play with most of the kids, it was fun I really enjoyed being around children again. 5:30pm came and I was told I could go as there were only a handful of kids left. Depending on how many Children are in the Class gets to determine my hours and such. Okay this sucks I've only been here 2hrs and I'm being sent home.

So now I have a decision to make whether to stick it out in this place, or go for the housekeeping job. The housekeeping job guarantees 30hrs a week, and I'll have a steady schedule from 9am till about 2 or 3pm. The housekeeping job isn't what I really want to do, I'd probably enjoy the day care job. But then the day care job comes with all the complicated scheduling, and trying to even get there. I'm also looking at the money, both jobs are minimum wage, but I'd get more hours = more money at the housekeeping job.

On another note I have 2 Interviews on Friday, one for a Receptionist position and one for the Hallmark store. So even if I quit the day care job and go for the housekeeping one, I might not be able to go to those interviews. Unless I say I can't start till Saturday.

Ugh I don't know what to do, any advice?

Just when I thought I had hit rock bottom, something happens to shoot me back on top of the world again. I was offered 2 jobs today, one was at the Day's Inn as a House Keeper, and the other was a Toddler Teacher for a day care center. Wanna know which one I'm taking..... I accepted the Toddler Teacher position. I'm very happy, I get to work with kids, something that I've been wanting to do for a while. This job is part time, but I also have my job at Bath & Body Works too.

I just hope this job is long term, and I don't lose it because of transportation. The Day Care is in the Middle of no where, with no bus route. Clayton or his uncle will have to give me rides. I have been thinking of learning to Drive but so many of the schools are really expensive, which we really can't afford right now.

I'm so glad that something good came out of all my perseverance.

If you could travel back in time what would you change? Would you change a little thing, or would you change a big thing that could shape the rest of your future. I've just been thinking on what things I would change, and those changes could have shaped a better future for Clayton and I.

Today my vacuum cleaner broke, evidently it was my fault but lets not get into that. Pondering on what to do, I looked over our bank statements to see if we had any cash to buy a new one. Low and behold no money, Clayton says 'Don't worry hun it's pay day tomorrow' and I say hun 'That money is already gone on bills' then hubby gets all down that there's no money, and starts putting himself down in the process. His Real Estate business hasn't taken off like we hoped, we are paying $100 a month on the business fees, and nothing is coming back from it. He thinks he's a bad husband, and I think I'm a bad wife so I guess we're even there.

No hope on the job front for ether one of us, half the people I applied too never even called me back for an interview. I guess you really have to have a Graduate Degree to get anywhere in this world. I keep going back to that I told you so from MIL "If you waited 3yrs to be together Clayton would have a good degree and you would have been stable."

Many people have said to me that the first years of Marriage are always the hardest and it's the money you'll fight over. I wonder if this happens with Couples who have great jobs, and money isn't a problem for them.

Or am I being to melodramatic cause in all reality you can't take your money with you when you die.

Blogger has been acting up the last few days, I haven't been able to post. Our weekend away was great, it was so nice to get away and relax and not worry about Jobs and such. We left Friday morning to catch the 12:30pm Ferry, I got a little sea sick again, feeling dizzy. I don't know how I can be sea sick though, back in August 2001 when Clayton and I first met, we went on a dinner cruise and I was fine then. Strange that I'd get sick now, Clayton did say that the waters are the roughest around the area.

We got to the B&B at around 2pm, and Olaf the guy who runs the place took us round all 4 Caboose's I was amazed to see how they were all laid out. Clayton want's to go back to the Cowboy Themed one, we'll have to save up a little. Anyway we were in the 'Orient Express' Caboose. See pics below..


Clayton showing off the Caboose we were in.  


Whirl Pool Tub.  


All aboard!!  

In the morning we had breakfast in the Dining Car "The Silver Eagle", below is the picture inside the car, as well as our Breakfast Menu.


Inside The Breakfast Dining Car. 


Our Breakfast Menu 

We then headed back to the Ferry town to head home, but it turned out there was a Parade and Carnival on so we decided to stay for the Parade. We both had fun watching the Parade, all the floats were amazing. Below are a few shots of the Parade.


Fairy Tale Land 


Bagpipes 

The lame job continues, I have a grand total of 2hrs this week. My quest for a better job is still on going. Had a phone call this morning from a cleaning company I had applied for, I told her my experience, when I was back in the UK I used to clean a doctors surgery. She replies 'I'm sorry you don't have enough experience' hello how hard is it to clean, would you like to visit my place to see a perfectionist's home.

On Friday Clayton and I went to the British shop to meet the Welsh Women's Group. It was nice to catch up with everyone. For Lunch I had Traditional Toad In The Hole For desert I had Bread & Butter Pudding I haven't had that since Primary School, that brought back some memories. I also went home with a few British Goodies, these are the pics of the day.


British Shop 


Me outside the British shop.  

It's Clayton's 24th Birthday on Wednesday, I've surprised him with a night away at the Train Caboose B&B. Some of his family members chipped in too, so that's good. So we'll be leaving on Friday and coming back late Saturday Afternoon.

In Loving Memory, please pay your respects click on the Memorial Graphic...

Ugh yesterday wasn't really good, I was meant to start work at 9 and finish at 12noon. The Mall doesn't open until 10am so I assumed I would be putting out stock for the first hour or something. Clayton worked 9-5 yesterday so he dropped me off and then he went to work. Turned out there was no one in the store, I went round the back of the store and rang the bell, I also called the store no one was there. So I waited till about 9:45 when my boss turns up and says, "Are you working today?" and I said yes 9-12 and then she goes "Oh no that's tonight" Apparently there was an F next to my hours which means 'Floor Time' when they change the whole store around. I was a bit peed off to say the least as she never told me or the new girls what the O/C and F meant. She wanted me to come back at 9pm, I had really no choice as those were my only 3hrs of the week, which I can't afford to turn down.

So I waited in the mall for half the day as I had no ride to get back home, and the Bus doesn't come up till later in the day. Clayton's uncle ended up picking me up, which was nice of him, I told him the whole story and he was also annoyed with them too.

Anyway's 9pm came and I was at the mall as it was closing, there were about 15 girls there in the store ready to change the floor sets. We were getting rid of all the Mother's day stuff and changing over for summer, they ordered pizza for us and it was fun for the first hour and then it got bloody hard work. Time rolled by and next thing I knew it was 12:45am I'm sorry but I'm outta there, Clayton was working early this morning and wasn't really fair on him. So I left around 1am, everyone was still there when I left, I have no idea when they all packed up.

And that was my day yesterday, I'm still looking for another job. Maybe I'll get more luck with another job soon, I really haven't had much luck with US companies.

My new job is going well, I'm a bit disappointed with the hours, this week I have 3hrs what's up with that? That's not enough money to buy a Happy Meal by the time the taxes are taken out. Well I have 9hrs total but the other 6hrs are on call shifts, which means you call the store an hour before you start your shift to see if your working. Today was an on call shift, and they didn't need me in, I work tomorrow 9-12 then I don't work till Saturday and that's an on call shift also.

Ugh time to find another part time job, I was reading an article in the British Expat paper the other day. The article was about Expats trying to find jobs in the USA, many Expats have problems trying to find jobs in the USA. You have to have a real good degree and good experience. I had a phone call the other day from a company that I applied to, for a Receptionist position, they said they will not be hiring me as my accent was too strong, what's up with that??? I said that was no reason to not hire me, and they said that people wouldn't understand me over the phone and such. I decided I really didn't want to work for a company that would discriminate you over your accent.

Well I've been the US for a year now, today is my one year Anniversary of emigrating. I have to say it's been a tough year for me & for Clayton. It's not easy leaving your family and your friends, to be with the one you love but I don't regret emigrating at all. What I have here is something I really treasure, and I'm thankful for that. 2 months Friday will be our 1 year Anniversary of being married. I can't believe we've been married nearly a year already, time has gone by so quick.

I've dealt with a lot of cultural differences since leaving the UK. I've written my cultural differences and experiences in my Expat Life section of my site. I've been feeling really homesick lately, missing my family a lot, I miss getting together with my sisters and stuff. Hopefully we'll be able to go back this Christmas and see everyone.

My new job is going pretty well, I learned how to do the cash register the other day. Not that hard really seeming I've used them before although the money is a little different now. I know it's stupid but, I still get brain farts occasionally and can't remember the value of some US coins, and I still sometimes say pounds instead of dollars. Which doesn't help when I'm cashiering.

I'm thinking of redecorating my Living room area, I want to paint the bottom half of the wall like I've done with the other rooms. And then add a boarder in the middle, it's going to be a little hard to coordinate the painting as all the walls in the Kitchen and the living room, are all in one. I'd have to create like a cut off point, so I don't know if that'll look right. Hmm I'll have to do some more thinking.

Had my first day at Bath & Body Work's yesterday, everything went really well. All the girls were lovely, we watched cheesy training videos for the whole 3hrs, but that's what happens on the first day of every job anyways. Towards the end we were all given loads of free samples to try, which was really cool.

Juls you wanted to know about the Staff Discount, well I tell you BBW is great to their employee's, the first 2wks your there you get a 40% discount, after that it comes down to 30% plus you get a 20% discount in their other chain stores like Victoria Secret and The White Barn Candle Co. There's more, now that I work in the Mall I also get a Mall discount, in a wide range of stores, the discount can be anywhere between 10-30%. I have a shift today 5-8, all my shifts are around 3-4hrs long which isn't too bad at all.

Yesterday Clayton and I did an open house for a 3 bed 2 bath, I made Chocolate chip cookies. We sat there for 3hrs and no one showed, toward the end a couple did stop by, don't think they were really interested though. They did enjoy my cookies, so that's something.


Home made chocolate chip cookies.

While I was there I started to get way to attached to the house, I really like the place. I started to think of ways we could afford the place, but there's just no way. I have fallen in love with the master bathroom, it has a huge round Garden tub. The place is just really perfect for us, Clayton even agreed if we had the money we would have gone for it. Now I can't get the place out of my head, I was even starting to picture where our funiture would go, how pathetic is that!!

I'm sure you've all felt like that at one point wanting something for you and your loved one, knowing you can't afford it, but still thinking of ways you just might be able too.

I mean don't get me wrong I love my Cottage, it's really cute. But it's just the thought of us owning our first home together and thinking of the future. Ah well I better snap out of it, and get back to reality, I know when it's the right time we'll find a great place for our future.