Dillard's Deal

I have been looking for a winter dress coat for a year or so. I've always run into two problems.

1. They are quite expensive and hard to find on clearance.
2. Even the expensive ones are rarely wool, which is what I wanted.

Recently Dillard's had one of their "extra 40% of clearance" sales. Lo and behold, winter coats were included. Usually, that is the one exception. They actually had one in my size, and it was 80% merino wool.

The clincher? It was $39.69 after the 40% off, and it was originally priced at $189.

Of course, I scooped it right up and brought it home. Here's what I'll be styling next winter.

Your Work Matters

The sermon at church this weekend was on work. The speaker pointed out that what we do on our jobs has an impact on the lives of others. This was illustrated to me at my job this week.

Last Thursday a new customer came into our office. He had recently moved from out of state and was wanting to update his resume as part of his job search. In talking with him I found out he was a welder. This is an occupation in high demand in our area, so much so that we pay for people to become welders. I assured him there were lots of openings locally, and I gave him the contact information for a company that I know is often looking for welders. I also said that if he needed tools to start his job that our agency could help buy them.

The customer came into the office yesterday with good news. He has a job at the company I recommended with a nice hourly wage, and he's supposed to start tomorrow! He came back in today, and we did the paperwork to apply for funding for his tools. Our agency will be purchasing all the tools he needs, to the tune of around $600. There is no charge to him, and the tools are his to keep.

This is the first time at this job that I have directly helped someone get a job. It is a great feeling. I know the gentleman would have gotten a job on his own, but it was nice to help him get one so quickly and assist him with getting all the equipment he needed. Our jobs do indeed impact the lives of others. Whether that impact is positive or negative is up to us.

I Know Now What I Don't Want

Robin Wright said this after her divorce from Sean Penn. I've always liked this quote because I think it is important to know both what you do want and what does not work for you. Taken together they can help you make the best decisions. Here are some examples of things I don't want.

 

1. I don't want to work with the general public in my next job.

2. I don't want to treat people in a way I wouldn't want to be treated.

3. I don't want to have to work until I'm 80.

4. I don't want the important people in my life to ever doubt that I love them.

5. "I don't want to date anyone with less "stuff" than me"- former coworker. By this she meant someone with his own car, job, place to live, etc., not materialistic "stuff". She later violated her own rule and it set her back years financially. I've adopted this rule for myself.

6. I don't want to look back on my life and say "I wish I'd...".

7. I don't want to spend my time or money on things that aren't fulfilling.

 

Being honest with yourself about what you don't want is something we need to all do. 

Sometimes it's just that simple

The cigarette lighter in my Tracker has never worked since I've owned it. My brother looked at it some time ago and said it was too difficult to replace, so he'd wire a new one in for me sometime. Sunday he was looking at it again after he'd fixed my broken door handle. This time he took the additional step of removing the radio in addition to the trim, ashtray, and climate control panel. This greatly expanded his view of the cigarette lighter setup. He then said "Tell me it's not that easy." The lighter was unplugged. Sure enough, he connected the power back to it, and it worked. No idea why it was ever unplugged, but yep, it was that simple. 

Maybe it's a sign

The admin person at our main office has been out sick since sometime in January. She returned last week. I was visiting that office for a meeting on Friday, and I stopped by her desk to tell her how glad I was that she was back. She told me "I thought you quit. I thought someone had told me you got a better job. I must have dreamed it. Have you gotten any good job offers lately?'. I just sort of laughed. I hope it's a sign and that what she had was a vision about the very near future.

 

An unexpected gift

After reading my post on people different from me at work, you probably get that this job doesn't always fill me with hope about humanity. Last week I had an experience that reminded me all is not lost. I had previously worked with a wonderful customer. She did everything I asked, and in short order she landed a great job. Of course, the key to her success is that she did it.  I really just signed her up for classes. She has been so appreciative and said how helpful I've been. Naturally, this made me feel good. Well, it got even better. On Thursday the receptionist told me someone was there to see me. It turns about it was the customer's husband and son. They brought me a gift set from Bath & Bodyworks she bought me as a thank you gift! I was floored. This was unexpected and something I've never experienced. It was a very good day at work that day.

 

People different from us- part 2

@ my job

 

Oh my, where to start. I think my friend said it best. When he found out I'd be taking this job, he told his wife "This will be an eye opening experience for her." He was not wrong.

 

I work for the state agency that handles unemployment. Though that's not my specific function, I interact a lot with these customers. I have to remind myself that the customers we see are not a representative sample of unemployment recipients. Most people do all their claim filling online, and we never see or hear from them. Here are things I have observed based on the customers we do see.

 

1. Low education level

I have never met so many people who don't have a high school diploma or GED. Everyone I personally know has at least this education. I had no idea there was such a large population without this.

 

2. No driver's license

Who are all these people who don't have a driver's license? I've never seen this many state issued ID cards in my life. Everyone I know who is 16 or over has a driver's license. I just don't get it.

 

3. Lack of computer savvy

 

I realize that computer skills are something I take for granted. I assume most people can read a screen, follow the directions, and complete their task. I would be wrong. Our computer resources are completely self service. We are not allowed to do them for you. My coworker was recently telling someone to left click something. The customer picked up the mouse and pointed it at the screen. If you or someone you know needs to increase your computer skills, there are many options available. Many libraries have free classes, and there are websites you can use at no charge. This has made me very determined to keep my technology skills updated as time goes by.

 

4. PJ pants in public

 

This item is in honor of my former coworker. She detests PJ pants in public. I totally get it. Unfortunately, I see this so often, it's hardly noteworthy. If you are coming to our offices for services, I want to see you make some effort. We are a business, not your house. Have some pride in your appearance and put on your grown up clothes.

 

5. Smoking

 

No one in my family/social circle smokes. I am amazed at how of our customers do. The smell is sometimes so strong I can't be anywhere in the immediate area of the person.

 

This has indeed been a very enlightening job for me. It has made me clearly see that there are many people who are very different from me.

 

 

People different from us- part 1

Though "opposites attract" is an oft quoted phrase, it has been my observation that our circle of friends tends to look very much like us in terms of education, lifestyle, etc. That can lead us to think that the rest of the world is more like us than it actually is. It can be especially jarring when we encounter people whose lives are very different from ours.

Example #1- views on marriage

My neighbor told me Thursday that his fiancee's visa just got approved, and she'll be arriving in the U.S. on 3/11. The story behind this continues to blow my mind. He met a woman online who lives in the Philippines. He went to see her there for about a week late last year. And yes, they are getting married. According to the terms of her visa I believe they have 90 days to do so from the time she arrives here. As he told me "I'm getting older (he's about 10 years older than I am), I have some health problems (true), and I want someone to take care of  me". In return, the financee (she's much younger than he is) and her son get come live in the U.S. Wow. Just wow.

Yes, I know that throughout history marriage has often served as a business arrangement rather than a romantic match. I just can't fathom the risks they are both taking. She could rack up untold amounts of debt for which he'd be responsible or abandon him once she gets her green card. He could be an ax murder for all she knows. I know the fact that I am a young, healthy middle-class American definitely colors my view of this situation. Watching this experience unfold has definitely made me realize that my vision of marriage is not one that everyone shares.