My sister is thinking of opening an online shop, because she’s an excellent crafty sewer. She’s noticed that since the recession, people have been more likely to stay at home and cook, so she’s going to focus on oven mitts, aprons, potholders, hot pads, that sort of thing. I think it’s a great idea.
It got me thinking about other services that I’m more likely to see during these tough economic times – credit repair service, mortgage refinancing, coupon services, enhance your job skills classes, to name just a few. If there are any ways to help folks through these tough times, and help them work through them, all the better.
Ever have one of those weeks, when you’re starting to think you chose the wrong career path, and then you go to Subway for lunch? And you look at the napkin, and it says that you, too, could start a Subway franchise? And you think, hey, I could make sandwiches all day, that might be something to look into!
But then you realize that you have absolutely no restaurant experience, and you’d probably cut yourself slicing the bread, and you wouldn’t know how much sweet onion sauce to order. So you finish eating your sandwich, and wipe your face with your napkin, and head back to work.
Ever have one of those weeks? Yeah, me too.
Or, really, through the mail slot on our door. Because we don’t have a mailbox anymore. But that’s not the point.
It’s amazing to me how much mail we get. And how important most of it is. Some of it I can ignore, like the dozens of pizza coupons that seem to arrive each week (we’re trying to watch our diets). Some of it is important, like the insurance marketing materials that remind us to pay our premiums on time. But almost all of it requires some sort of immediate attention.
Which is why I’ll never understand when people tell me that they can go for weeks without checking or opening their mail – a woman I used to work with did this. It boggles my mind. Maybe it’s my curious nature, maybe it’s my anxiety, but the thought of having weeks’ or months’ worth of mail just sitting there, waiting to be opened, just blows my mind.
I’m helping a friend of mine search for a job. It’s tough, because the economy is so bad, and there has been a lot of news about a large company in town laying of around 1000 workers (I know!). I’ve been helping by looking at the major job search outlets, but I’ve only found jobs that he’s not qualified for, or doesn’t know anything about, like phosphacore
sales rep, high level IT guru, or anything in the medical field.
It’s rough out there, folks. It’s making me think that I should constantly be taking classes to bulk up my resume. Because even though I have a job right now, after hearing about those layoffs, you just don’t know what’s going to happen.
I had a weekend this weekend where I feel like I got a lot accomplished, but like I didn’t really get anywhere. I ended up doing a lot of chores that never seem to get “finished.” Like laundry. Or vacuuming. Sure, you get them done for the moment, but whammo – you have to do them again next week. Or sooner, if you’re having a particularly bad week.
It was a weekend where I felt like I was running on one of life’s ellipticals or treadmills – expending a lot of energy, but not really going anywhere.
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day, filled with all of the love and happiness you deserve.
OK, this is going to sound silly, but I know a lot of people who were born in November. I mean, a LOT of people. And it didn’t hit me until today, but I have to wonder – were they all Valentine’s babies? I mean, has there ever been a study to see if sales of prenatal vitamins increase in the weeks after Valentine’s day?
OK, I can’t believe I just went there with my “Happy Valentine’s” post. It must be all of the chocolate making me all sugar-crazy. Have a wonderful heart-filled day!
For the most part, I’m pretty good at small talk. For instance, I went to my jewelry class the other night, and managed to chat with the other ladies without putting my foot in my mouth. Well, for the most part. I mean, I know enough about small talk to know what subjects to avoid. I mean, while one might know the benefits of colon cleanse, it’s not necessarily a subject everyone wants to discuss over dinner. That sort of thing.
What I need to remember next time is that not everyone spends all of their spare time surfing the internet. So while I may know all about every detail the knitting interweb, other knitters may not care that much about online yarn shops. Just saying.
I’m very excited, because my jewelry class meets tonight! I’m hoping I find it OK – I know it’s at a local craft store, but I think they hold other classes on the premises. That would be just my luck, to show up for a jewelry making class, sit down and get ready for the lesson, only to have the instructor start talking about something completely different, like the benefits of finding a testosterone cream that works.
OK, so that’s a far-out example. But that would be just my luck, right?
When I have a few minutes at work, I sometimes kill time by looking at real estate listings. I usually start by looking at local listings on the Louisville MLS site, and checking out the available houses in my preferred neighborhoods. From there, I might look at houses in some dream locales, like vacation houses on the Atlantic coast, or what San Diego foreclosures are available.
Granted, we aren’t in any position to buy any real estate anywhere right now. But sometimes, it’s fun to dream and get ideas for the future.
The Super Bowl is this weekend, and everywhere you look, people are advertising Super Bowl specials. Or, if they don’t have the licensing rights, specials for the “Big Game.” I remember when I worked at a mall, I would see people buy huge TVs and with a special plasma mount, and then return them the day after the game.You just knew that they had watched the Super Bowl on those TVs over the weekend, and returned them bright and early on Monday.
People get crazy for their football, don’t they?
