So I passed all of my morning photo shoots. I will find out tomorrow how I did on the afternoon ones. Not everyone passed the morning. I'd say about half of us. Tomorrow is round 2.
My back hurts. Bad. Tomorrow's gonna be tough. This gear is heavy and it has to be ON you or in your grasp at all times.
On a positive note - I'm being paid, I'm eating well, I haven't cooked, cleaned, or done laundry in 4 days, and I have a big comfy bed all to myself :)

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I am so completely exhausted. And we haven't even gotten to hell day. That would be tomorrow. So much to remember. And so much I can't talk about.
I must sleep.

Today was long. This job isn't gonna be as easy as I thought. It's also going to be alot more structured.
We have to pass 6 photo shoots over the course of the week to keep our job. The shoots have to pass their quality control department. He said no one has ever been through here and not failed at least one of the shoots.
The highlight of my day was riding the Google bikes around the parking lot. :)
Oh, and I got a Google car too.(for 3 of us to share) But we have to stay within 10 miles of our hotel. After we got out at 6 we headed straight for In-N-Out burgers. It was good, but certainly didn't live up to all the hype.
Oh, another highlight at one of the lunch cafeterias was this thing called Liquid universe or something. It was google Earth on steroids. It was a semicircle of flat screens so you're 'in' the program and you can fly anywhere you want with this little joystick. Then you can get down to street level or whatever and it's like you're there. VERY cool. I wanted one. But after about 5 minutes in it I started getting nauseous. As did the others.
I have to go study and write a sales pitch now. Goodnight.

Met some more new Google photogs on the shuttle from San Francisco to Mountain View. Then met some more from Austin in the lobby. We went to lunch and explored downtown Mtn View. Scoped out some future dinner locations. Then I went to the pool pictured below, but it was COLD. So went in the hot tub instead. Now I'm bored and waiting to meet up for dinner :) There is really nothing to do in this little town. I need a car..

Pilot did some zigzags and crazy turns so both sides of the plane could see Yellowstone

I just left Salt Lake City, Utah. Well I guess by the time you read this I'll be in San Francisco. I'm so tired. I'm not real perky after 4-5 hours sleep. The mountains here are really brown. For one of the first times ever, I didn't want to come on this trip. I am sad about leaving my family. I belong there. And I am beyond grateful that I have finally remembered this truth.

Worked at the travel agency today. Got my own email. Shileen@3Dcruiseandtravel.com , so call me or email me with all your travel needs! Please!!! :)

I got the job! After a 22 minute phone interview with a guy from Google last night, the agency called this morning and said Google would like to officially offer you the job!! Now the more in depth  background checks start and then I'm supposed to get my travel itinerary today or tomorrow.
Finally I can rest. For 4 days anyway.. :)

Today was pretty uneventful. I started job number 2 at the travel agency. I have a huge learning curve to get through there, but it's going to be fun.
I filled out a ton of paperwork for the Google job that I still don't have. They are now doing a DMV report, extensive background check, job history check, drug screen, lie detector test, ok I'm kidding about that one, but you'd think I was joining the CIA or something! And I still don't even know if I have it! They will get results and my full work up then do a phone interview this week if they still want me after finding all of my felony convictions (again, kidding).
Then, if I get the green light on Thursday 'ish', supposedly I am then booked on a flight out of here on Sunday for training that begins on Monday in Cali.
So now we wait. And pray that there isn't another Shileen Karnes out there getting into all sorts of trouble with the law. As opposed to my kinda trouble ;)
On a completely different topic, I have taken up cooking. I used to do it occasionally, but it was mainly Josh or take out. But for some reason I finally have taken an interest in it, and I'm having fun! I've actually been using my crock pot alot on busy days, and we haven't eaten out in over a week! This is huge for me. I've never been very Betty Crockerish. But my family and friends seem to really be enjoying my creations :)
If I start dressing bad or you see me buy a doily, somebody please just shoot me.

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Tomorrow is a big day. A beginning of another era. I'm going to work in the morning at the travel agency. We're doing a trial run this week as she is trying to decide whether to hire me or a good friend of hers who desperately wants the job. I'm kind of glad I'm not making any commitments with them before I find out more about the Google job this week.
I must say, I'm concerned about how everything's going to get done around here with me working. I'm going to have to get better at time management. Quickly.

It's all gonna be ok. I know it will.

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So I kind of think I got a job today. I'm not 100% certain, but I think I work for Google now. It is a 4-6 month contract job. If I accept the assignment at the meeting on Monday, then from what I understand I will be shipped to California promptly for training. I'm kind of fuzzy on the details, as you can see. But so is my recruiter. I'll know more Monday, but so far I'm pretty excited.

This week has been a bit strange. One of those weeks where you feel you're in an alternate universe.
Jordan has been driving everywhere... school,church, store, where ever we go pretty much. She has come soo far. She should have her license next month, right before her 17th birthday. That will be a big help, but also entirely frightening.
So yesterday I had a horrible time at the post office. I was mailing 300 and something calendars for Rene, (because these were the address rejects from the 2500 plus ones the printer shipped for us)..  anyway 300 calendars is alot. Heavy. Very Heavy. It was VERY hot also. I was in business attire after returning from a job interview and I was trying to load these 3 HEAVY boxes onto my little dolly. I could barely lift them. After a sweat filled 10 minutes, I loaded them, only to find the dolly wouldn't move. Too much weight. So one by one I carried them into the post office. Nearly killed myself. Finally on my last trip a man follows me and offers to help. I was grateful. At this point I'm sweating so bad, I had to take off my dress jacket, and was just wearing a little cami. I didn't care. Then I get up to the counter, and guess what? No auto meter. So I have to stamp every one by hand and not just one stamp, but 5!!! "You've got to be kidding?" was my reply. "Nope." was his.  A fellow customer was standing near me shaking his head. He smiled and said I wish I could help you stamp them, I really do, but I have to go. After considering the fact that it took 2 hours to affix the address labels to these things, and realizing it would take 4-5 to do the stamps, I decided to take them back home. So I flirted my way into him carrying them all out for me. He was a sweet man.(the customer, not the postal worker) When I got them BACK into the house,  I paid Hannah to do the stamping for me. :) I hate the post office. I hope they do go out of business (and the government doesn't bail them out.)

Tomorrow could be eventful on the job hunt. Waiting to hear back on 2 jobs, and one more VERY interesting possibility came about late this afternoon. I will divulge more tomorrow after I know more. :)
Oh who cares, I'll tell you, it's GOOGLE!!!! Don't know alot yet, just a message from a recruiter, but by the time I got the message a minute later, she was gone for the day.
Anticipating a good day. Believing God has my path laid out for me.

 

The calendar is finally out. Pretty cool. (For those that are new, I took all these pics.)
It's going to every general aviation airport in the United States.

'..I'm never gonna dance again, these guilty feet have got no rhythm .."

So after Sundays long, rambling post, I got to thinking, how hard hearted I've become. I really am a hurt, bitter, angry, disillusioned lady. When I went downtown for that outreach Saturday, I am ashamed to admit this, but my heart felt nothing. It didn't break for these people the way it should have. The way it did in Africa. Before.  Have I really lost it? That passion for humanity, loving those who need help? The possibility scares me. Later that day however, we passed a lady in a truck and she was covered in tattoos, had a butch haircut, and was smoking a cigarette. Josh commented on her appearance and I took a look and said that I thought it was just her defense mechanism. She had developed this hard exterior to protect herself. She is probably so severely hurt, that this is her only way to protect herself. And that deep deep deep deep down, she is a princess wanting to be rescued and proven wrong. I actually got a lump in my throat. Go figure.



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