Month: March 2024

Pet Wellness

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday! Today, I took my cats to the vet for annual shots. It’s important for them to stay healthy too right?

They’re getting rabies shots as well as the combination Vaccine FVRCP for feline distemper. What is feline distemper? Well, it’s very contagious and can be fatal so we don’t want it!

Symptoms of feline distemper can range from mild to severe and may include the following:

  • Lethargy.
  • Depression.
  • Vomiting.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Painful abdomen (when touched or may appear tense and distended without touching)
  • Dehydration.
  • Weight loss.
  • Rough or unkempt hair coat.

Want to know more about annual vaccines for cats? Check out these links:

The boys did really well – and on the way home, Gus got his first ever puppachino from Starbucks (and pretty much shut down the store with all the staff in the drive thru window looking at him!)

Getting busier.

I submitted 3 quality applications yesterday and networked around 2 applications from last week. It’s still slow going but I’m nothing if not persistent. I read that a job search is as much a numbers game as anything these days. So my goal is to source at least 1 good job lead each day and network on at least 1 job. Those numbers seem low? Well, I assure you it can take a full morning to read the job boards, find appropriate job listings for what you want, edit your resume for the role, write a cover letter and then submit the application. Some days it’s exhilarating – some days, not so much.

I’m not whining about it. Really. I did one of those silly quizzes at New Years that “revealed” your key words for 2024. Mine were Patience, Purpose and Trust. I’m using this as sort of a mantra. I’m working on finding a new purpose for my life but it takes patience and trust to know it’s all going to work out OK.

So I’m feeling better physically after the flu and getting back to my household to-do list too. I finished patching a spot in the wall that I may have cracked with over exuberant vacuuming yesterday so today, the painting is going to actually begin. Wish me luck!

Updates…

Once again, my computer is running updates. Wonder how long it will take today? At least I completed my certification for unemployment before I started them. I’m finally getting unemployment after nearly 2 months of trying to prove my identity to the State of Illinois.

Early in the Covid lockdown, I got a letter that I had applied for unemployment – needless to say, that was a fraudulent claim. I reported it and did all the paperwork saying it was fraud at the time. But that apparently didn’t matter. Now that I have an actual claim, I’ve had to jump through crazy hoops to prove I’m me. Back in January, when I was filing the claim, I couldn’t get into the online pages to put in my direct deposit information because of the identity issue. So I uploaded copies of my driver’s license, my Social Security card and a utility bill as they directed me. Then the “fun” started.

After a couple of weeks, I still hadn’t been cleared for direct deposit so as directed, I uploaded two more utility bills to prove my address. And then I was cleared for direct deposit. Except they didn’t approve me for payment.

So over the last couple of weeks, I have called multiple times, uploaded a copy of my passport and a third set of utility bills and filed an appeal to find out why my adjudicator denied my claim. And by the way, I never got any documentation from my adjudicator with a reason why my claim was being denied. Friday, I finally received a payment even though I still have nothing saying anything about the adjudication or my appeal – but it’s 1 week short of what it should be. UGH!!!!!!!!! So I guess the calls need to start again.

Here’s what I don’t understand – just how do people manage to get fraudulent payments?

Lots to do…

After my week of not doing much on the job search in the wake of the flu, I have tons to do this week. I cannot tell you how the job listings piled up in my in-box – and I really have to read them if I don’t want to miss a good lead right?

My outplacement coach sent me a new version of my resume. And so did the Ladders. Resume rules are SO confusing. My outplacement coach’s writers completely contradict the resume review at the Ladders. And I bet if I sent my resume to LinkedIn, they’d have even more contradictions. If someone tells you they have the definitive template for a resume, tell them you have a bridge for them to buy first. From what I can tell, the best thing you can do is pick a template, make sure you use keywords from the job description and hope for the best.

I also need to follow up on the HR screener interview I had last week. They told me I’d hear about next steps by the end of last week. And I’m getting crickets… I would really LOVE the role too…

I dreamed about my job at Walgreens again last night. So frustrating to dream about work and wake to not working! I think we can safely say, this is a down day in the old job search so pardon me while I go give it my best to turn it around!

Back to it!

I’m telling you – that flu knocked it OUT of me! The fever broke a week ago but I am still tired. However, I can’t stay down any longer. I’m back on the job boards and tinkering with my resume this morning. I can always take a nap this afternoon right?

Still waiting to hear next steps from my interview last week. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I hate to think I’m being ghosted! Especially when it’s a role that I feel was made for me. But hope is still alive….

I’m playing with ChatGPT on the job search now – I’m vaguely frightened by how good it is at suggesting edits to my resume and places to look for job listings. Have any of you used AI for your job search? Let me know in the comments!