I'm Moving...

Well the blog is moving...where? I think I'm going to move it over to WordPress.. Why? Because Blogger isn't as cool as WordPress. Granted you can easily change the template through CSS but the templates I've found aren't that great and they act funny once you upload them. I'll be making the move sometime this week, if not tonight. I doubt anyone cares because no one is really reading this...another reason why I'm heading over to WordPress. I've got another blog that's not PF related and it's been up I think shorter than this blog and I've gotten way more hits to that one. I think because of their Blog and Tag Surfers, where you can easily see other blogs that are writing about the same things you are.

I've kind of kicked this idea around for a while, cause I didn't want to leave this blog, because my adsense and other non-salary things are connected to it. But I'll just have to go in and change those things out. If I can't succesfully move the archives over, then I'll just leave this blog up and start from here over there.

Until then...

National Body Challenge 2008: The End

I realized this morning that I never did a follow up post to the National Body Challenge, which ended last weekend. And the total amount lost: 14 lbs. Which almost spreads out to about 2lbs a week over the 8 week challenge. Which is the accepted amount for healthy weight loss. I would have to say that the challenge was a success. Although I can't help but wonder if it really was the challenge, in an early post I listed my top ten learn things, but most of them can be found in any diet that promotes a healthy change. The challenge had it pros for instance, I set my own pace, there was no over head number of pounds to be reached at the end of the challenge. It was really up to me to create and stick to a diet and exercise plan, the site, TV, and emails had a lot of good tips to help that along the way. However it also had some cons, even though you could sign on the site and join discussions in the forum...it was still a bit like you were doing it alone. It was up to you to find a buddy to do with you and create that sense of community. That's one thing I have to say about weight watchers and curves...they create a sense of community. You are in a building with like minded women who all want to lose weight for different reasons and you all take comfort in that. If you are a newbie at the diet thing it could be very overwhelming, at some points I felt like the challenge was aimed at seasoned pros. And although the initial cost was free, which meant it was totally budget friendly a lot of the following details were not. Since we don't have cable I had to rely a lot of the emails and the site to gleam information. Which wasn't easy mainly cause the site had a lot of downtime and issues, which was odd since it was a Discover channel child site. Like I said I had to create my own diet and exercise plan, granted it came with a 8 week membership to a Bally Fitness, the nearest one to me is three cities away and more than 2.5 hours, I'm sorry but I want to lose weight but not that much. So I had to use my local gym and come up with something. That also went for the diet, a lot of those recipes were just not kicking it so my creativity hat came on.

So was it really the challenge? Well yes and no...the challenge gave me a reason to do the things I did...but it was really my own doing the create the change. So yay for me! Will I stay with it? I'm not sure, anything is possible. I would like to keep up the momentum but not being in my own place makes it hard to change my diet when everyone around you isn't.

Job Search: The Third Interview

Well the interview went like an interview. I didn't get a good feeling nor a bad feeling from it so I can't even start to say if I have a chance. I should know either way within a week to ten days. It took about 30 minutes, and that was because I had to do a mock memo. The position has changed a bit, but it's still something I want to go after. Instead of being in the IT department I would work part of my time in the outreach community center and the other part I would be a floater between branches. It's still part time but I get benefits because it's an upgrade in titles.

Speaking of benefits, here's theirs: I would get Vacation and Sick leave (48 hours/year), holiday pay if the holiday falls on a day I'm scheduled to work. Retirement plan, I would make a 6% pre-tax contribution, and they make a contribution also (it doesn't say how much though). Health Insurance through Blue Care HMO, with a premium of $136.09 biweekly. Also a deferred compensation program that allows employees to supplement retirement income by deferring a portion of current salary before it's taxed. They have other benefits too that aren't explained in the brochure, saving bonds, direct deposit, a credit union, employee assistance program, pre-tax health insurance premiums, internal promotion policy.

All in all I'm slightly disappointed because it's not the position I originally wanted but it's still a good deal.

Job Related News: And yet another interview!

This time I'm really excited about this interview. Why? Because it's something I would want to do. It's a position in the IT department of our main library. I would have a supervisor but it would be minimal surpevision. I really want it but if I didn't get it I would be happy to know that I at least got an interview for it. It's tomorrow so keep me in your prayers!

March 2008 Goals

Here's my March Goals:

1. Look for more places to apply: I'm kind of iffy about this one, I'm starting to get bummed out, there really aren't any jobs available here in the south. And the option of picking up and leaving isn't an option. But I'll keep at it, again one job a week, until something comes along.

2. Gain full time employment: Same as last month, I would like to have full time employment by April 1st. *sigh*

3. Step up the posting: I've got some post that I've been thinking of doing for the longest, now I just need to get on that. Last month I challenged myself on my other two blogs to post at least two times a week, and I surpassed that goal, so this month it's this blogs turn. Two posts a week.

4. Post at least another two articles to Helium: I would like to turn some of the post from here into articles and post one from their title selections. Maybe I can figure out a way to knock out two stones in one with this one.

5. Open a high interest savings account with the possibility of a checking account.: Right now I have a toss up between ING Direct Orange Savings/Electric Orange Checking and HSBC Direct Online Savings/Online Payment Account. I would keep my brick and mortar checking account and maybe set up a savings account.

6. Increase my overall net worth by 1250%: I know that might seem a lot but really its not, considering I have about $4 in my account now, that's only an increase to $50 to be in my account at the end of the month.

Goals February Review

Here's how I did on my February Goals:

1. Look for more places to apply: Met and Passed. I applied to 10 more places with in the last month.

2. Gain full time employment: I got an part time job, but have yet to gain full time employment.

3. Find more ways to bring in non-salary income: Counting the Part Time job towards this goal as well. I've tried to doing surveys, and have found one thing out I'm not a survey type of person. Through CashCrate.com I've only qualified for 1 and earned a total of .80 (wow!) and it was irritating, it was a movie survey and basically it was trying to get me to see this one movie, it was very bias to that one movie. I still need to go through Linkworth's and start implementing that, so I'm going to say this is 70% done.

4. Post more articles on Helium: 100% I posted a total of two articles this month.

Am I the Only One Who Thinks Some THings Happen for a Reason?

I know I'm not, but I can't help to think sometimes I am. This morning I talked about the lows and highs I went through these past couple of days. I'm sure you might recall me posting about how I turned down the Edward Jones job. Well after I did I sort of regretted it, but I didn't pay it no mind. Because I often regret choices I make. I'm use to it right about now. Well this one wouldn't go away and something about just kept nagging me. Well this morning when I went to check my many emails, I found a email from Edward Jones asking me to reconsider the possibility, adn you know what I am?

I'm not positive on what I'll do but I'm going to take a closer look at it this time around for sure.