Why Parents Take A Lot of Pictures of Their Children

In the cookbook that Tony and I did for Christmas, 2004, my life lesson on page 37 says, "Parents take lot of pictures of their children so in a very small way, they never really leave home."

North Carolina is getting to be more like home!

Excuse the remotes being in the picture, I still haven't mastered content yet!

Homing up the House

Tony and I spent some time in the yard today putting up our wind chimes and my yard decorations.  It's starting to actually look like we live here.

While Tony was hanging one of the wind chimes, a tiny, little lizard came out of the sabel palm by our back patio.   I named him Larry--our first pet!

See how our backyard is shaping up!   Here's Larry sticking his head out from the palm tree, listening to the wind chimes.

This is our "grow old" rock talking about retiring

This is the tree in the back with another wind chime

Weather Out My Window

This is not bragging, this is disbelief....62 degrees on January 25th?  It was warm enough yesterday for Tony and I to get in some cornhole and I'm thinking I will let him beat me again today. 

I am feeling very positive today.  I'm going to the networking event tomorrow and JP Morgan Chase is in the process of scheduling me for an interview for an Operations Management position in South Carolina.  Today, I applied for a Call Center Manager's position, also in South Carolina, so I may have two candles in the wind very shortly. 

I miss Jenna, Jon and the kids.  Jon has taken care of a few things for us at the "old" house (still on the market, please bury stuff upside down in your backyard) and we really appreciate him doing that.  We missed Ellie walking but are enjoying the videos that Jenna has posted. 

Tony took my car in for a check up this morning so I've been in the house by myself.  It's odd to walk around and try to get to know a new house.  But, I am enjoying it.  I'm working in the office today and it's starting to look like a real office.  I've only unpacked 8 or 10 boxes so far, I don't know how Tony unpacked the whole house. 

I've heard from several people from New York Life.  I made so many good friends there, in Cleveland and in New York.  Tony and I will be going to Cleveland in April to get our taxes done and I'm hoping to drop in and see everyone there...not to mention hanging out with the grand-babies!!

Evening Out

Last night,  Tony and I went to a wine tasting at Charlie Macgrooder's with a bunch of people from Compass Pointe.  It was a lot of fun and we had some great food.   

We are meeting some very interesting people here.  Last night, we sat with a lady who used to live in the Washington, DC area.  She has travelled extensively, crewed on sailboats and is starting a job search--she's 71.  She doesn't need the money, she's just bored. 

Naturally, there was a lot of discussion about children and grandchildren.   I think I managed to convince everyone that Tony and I had the prettiest grandchildren!!

 Today I am going on that sales interview and after that we are going to play some corn hole.  The weather is beautiful.   I'm going to try to convince Tony to ride his bike.  I got him a bike for Christmas that he picked out yesterday.   It's black and orange...I couldn't talk him into a Spiderman helmet.  Look out streets of Compass Pointe, Tony will be speeding by any day now.

A Candle in the Wind

Whenever I am job searching, I look at every possible job lead as a candle in the wind.  Sometimes that candle lights your way to a new position and sometimes it gets snuffed out and you have to light another one. 

I lit a candle today totally by accident.  Tony gave me the classified section of the local Wilmington paper on Sunday and I was trying to contact them.  I couldn't find an address or phone number or even a generic email address so I looked them up in the Wilmington yellow pages.  I didn't find them, but I did find a paper called the Greater Wilmington Business Journal.  I looked this paper up online and decided to contact the classified advertising manager.  When I was at the Plain Dealer I ran the classified advertising section. 

I fully expected to get her voicemail, but she actually answered the phone.   After I babbled for awhile, I found out that she is originally from Parma and lived for awhile in Middleburg Heights.  Small world. 

She was very nice and asked me to send her my resume, which I did...and then she said she'd like to get together for coffee in a few weeks.  She also encouraged me to attend a networking event that her paper is sponsoring, so I am scheduled for that later this week. 

I lit a candle today.  It may get blown out, or it may light my way. 

Time will tell.

It's A Wonderful Day in Our Neighborhood

I've been in Wilmington for four whole days now.  I've spent alot of time unpacking and organizing and while I have made progress, I still see boxes everywhere. 

Today Tony and I went walking.  I met Stu and Jan from Brooklyn, NY.  He owned a restaurant for 30 years and she is a Registered Nurse.  Very nice people with two very nice dogs--a white, fuzzy mutt and a red, Ridgeback.  Both dogs loved me....and made me sneeze!    I'm slowly meeting more and more people and fitting into the neighborhood.   On Saturday we're going to dinner with Jim and Rhonda Chinney from Parma and then on Monday, there is a wine tasting at McGruders.  Looks like Leland has a very active night life!!

There's a lot of building going on in the Community.  The house next door is progressing very quickly.  Tony and I walked through it again after the builders left.  I find the whole process amazing.   First the foundation and the next thing you know....walls and a roof. 

I wish my job search was progressing as fast.   True, I've only been here for 4 days, but I feel the panic of unemployment setting in.   Not working is not an option and as each day passes by I worry just a bit more.  

I have an interview on Tuesday, but it's not a job I truly want.  I need practice interviewing and it's always good to meet new business people. 

The weather is wonderful.  It was 60 today and will get warmer next week.  The weather people down here say that winter is just about over.  I hope so!

This is the Zeno house being built next door.  The angle of the picture makes it look like they are very close to our property, but they really aren't.  I really took this picture because it's nice to see my car in the driveway.  It's kind of another way of saying I am home.

Job Search

Well, it's good to know that employers are looking at my resume.  I got a call today from someone who saw my resume online and set up an informational interview for me next Tuesday.  

The caller said that she would send an email with all of the pertinent information--where to go, what time, etc.  And she did....the interview was in Middleburg Hts., Ohio!!  My resume has been out there since before I worked for New York Life and they just now found it.  Swell. 

Needless to say, I sent a note back declining the interview.  The company was Bankers Life Insurance and they are in North Carolina too.  Who knows; maybe they have something in Wilmington!!

Welcome Home

Well, a whole day in Wilmington....68 degree weather and a wonderful day.  Here's what greeted me when we got in last night.   A sign and a mint on my pillow!   I think Tony missed me....I know I missed him.....

The End or The Beginning?

Wow,  life went fast these last three weeks. I quit my job, had a great party, did one last sister lunch, took my sister to see Jenna, Jon and the kids, packed, visited Jon, Jenna and the kids before we left saw Rose and Joe,  went to see Donna, Bob, Chris and Shannon and did a 10 hour roadtrip with Tony.

 But now I am home with Tony.  At last.  This is the beginning of the next chapter of our lives and I can't wait for it to begin.

Check out the highlights of our last few days in Cleveland!