Diary of a Book Loving Busy Mom

June 15, 2012

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I am leaving behind the job I’ve had for the past five years and stepping into the unknown. I’m scared out of my mind. The job market is horrible.

What if I can’t find anything?

The hubby has been harping on me for months to find a less time-consuming job. I figured with us leaving on vacation at the end of the month, now is the best time to make a break. My job had always hampered my ability to seriously pursue alternatives. But, it’s comfortable. I know my job left and right, backwards and forwards. Now, I’ll be starting all over again in the most competitive job market since I was legally old enough to work.

I’m reading résumé books. I need to stand out. I’ve had a few interviews in the past couple of months, but nothing that’s turned into an offer. When I used to sift through résumés to hire for an open position in my office, you could always tells when it was someone older looking for a job. The old format of the résumé that was cutting edge decades ago was never updated. I don’t want that to be me. And yet, I feel like that is me. I’m over 40 and have been self-employed for the past eight years. Who the heck is going to hire me?

Hubby says not to worry about it. I underestimate my abilities. Maybe he’s right, but still, I don’t know how to search for a job in this market where college graduates struggle to find employment.

I want to go back to the 80s, where jobs were plentiful, and if you didn’t like what you were doing you applied at five new places and ended up with three job offers.

Sigh! Time to crack another book on finding a job in this new market. 

Diary of a Book Loving Busy Mom - Free E-Book Addict

Friday, February 24, 2012 

Help! I’m a free e-Book addict. I can’t control myself. Each day I scan websites filled with listings of free e-Books and postings on Facebook, hoping to find something to add to my collection of over 200 free titles. I have my favorite genres (mystery, historical fiction, true crime, biography) but it doesn’t matter what genre it is—if the book blurb sounds good, I download it. I enter giveaways on other blogs for free e-books too. I would have to do nothing but read for the next year in order to catch up, but I can’t stop. 

My family is getting concerned. I tell them I am working when I’m hiding in my office late at night, but they must suspect something. Who works that many hours without getting paid? I hope they don’t try to schedule an intervention. I don’t know what I would do without my daily fix.

Diary of a Book Loving Busy Mom: The Field Trip

Monday, May 21, 2012

I can’t believe it! I should be on a bus right now, going on a field trip with the Lil Princess. Instead, karma has caught up with me.

When I offered to give that writing workshop at school, I had no idea her teacher would ask me to go on the field trip. I didn’t really want to go, but I knew the Lil Princess would enjoy having me with her. Don't good moms love field trips? Hmm, what's wrong with me?

The fact is: I like it when the kids are at school and the hubby is at work. Yes, I’m working too—cleaning, cooking, promoting books, blogging—but it’s so peaceful with just me and the four furry beasties. I cherish this time before homework, fighting, and running kids back and forth to events erupt around here. From 3 PM to 9 PM is a blur every weekday. Pretty much, I’ve dreaded going on this field trip since I said yes. Does that make me a horrible mother? Maybe.

Well, this morning I woke up with a nasty stomach virus. I had to call the school and tell them I couldn’t go—unless a bathroom was within 3 feet of everywhere we went. It wasn’t a fun day. Yes, it was nice to sit in bed and rest for a while, but other than that, I felt awful I broke my plans with the Lil Princess.

See what happens when I say yes when I should have said no.