Top Secret Plans!

I'm working on plans for next weekend.
Wish I could share with y'all but one of my followers is Taylor.
Probably won't be as amazing as her current weekend in Vegas.... and definitely less celebrity/star-ish.
But I'm hoping to make it great anyway!
6 Sleeps to go!!!!!!!!!


Pic from here

Desk Dilemna

So the countdown is on until my new place.
And I need a new desk.
So here is the dilemna.

I have this desk chair already to go with it.

I sort of had my heart set on the Parsons Desk in White from West Elm.

Then I started my comparison shopping to see if there was something comparible.
And here is what I found.
The Malm Dressing Table from Ikea.

So here we go with some comparisons.

Price:  
Parson's Desk $405.67 
Ikea Malm Dressing Table $145.77

Dimensions:
Parson's Desk 48"W x 24"D x 30" H
Ikea Malm Table 47 1/4" W x 16 1/8" D x 30 3/4" H

Looks difference:
Parson's Desk: 4 legs and smooth surface and deeper, 2 drawers, white lacquer finish, "engineered wood" whatever that means 
Ikea Malm Dressing Table: 2 legs (sort of solid sides) and not as deep, 1 drawer, glass top, less nice finish, particleboard

I have not seen either of these in person yet so I'm not sure if you would notice greatly the difference between these two pieces.
Part of me wants to get away from the Ikea pieces as they do not seem to last as long be as well made etc.
Does anyone have one of these or know someone who has?
Long term quality wise would there be a huge difference?
The main consideration calling me is the price because then I have an extra $259.90 to buy other apartment things.

What do you think???

Crossroads...not just a Britney Spears movie title...

I'm having a bit of a freak out...panic attack...reached crossroads in my life
and it's kind of like "now what????".
Before I was waiting to see if I passed my tests and now I did.
I can work in my career in Canada.

Now I'm stuck.
Well I guess I mean that in two senses of the word "stuck".
I'm "stuck" here in Canada (insert sad face) almost feels like a jail sentance (okay I know I'm being a TAD melodramatic).
I'm "stuck" in the sense like my feet are glued to the ground and I can't quite seem to make that next step...ie. look for jobs that I would actually consider.

You would think I would have spent these last weeks revamping my CV/resume and being ready to go out the gate and I just didn't.
I guess my main problem is how to gloss over the fact that I haven't worked since May 2010 in my field.
Ummm I'm guessing most employers will not be super impressed by me cutting short a contract in Asia to follow my fiance/pseudo-husband back to this hemisphere of the world.
I never anticipated it would be THIS long before I would be able to work again.
I was already licensed in the USA so we thought it would only take a few weeks but with the immigration issues it ended up being much longer and well now of course it has turned out like this.

I'm humiliated and embarrased.
Also cut to the fact that I don't have a letter of recommendation from my last two employers.
I did ask and they said they would do one but I guess I didn't pester enough to actually get them.

So I just feel stuck.
Then add to the mix that I'm just NOT excited to work here and that is sucking big time.
So then I start to look internationally...which will lead to all kind of death threats from the family and friends (I'm kidding...sort of).

So what do I do???
I feel like I'm standing at a fork in the road
and have absolutely no idea which direction to step in.
Well there is one road I want but it is not available to me.

I guess the first step is to organize my "bags" (resume/CV).
Grab a map and try to decipher what the available "roads" (places) for me are.
Just try to travel a road...and see how quickly a roadblock pops up.
Because YES I am anticipating some roadblocks.

If there were directions signs I feel like they would read like this...not entirely encouraging.

pics from here, here,

Just another manic Monday...

So how is your Monday going?
Mine?  Well it is snowing...and I'm really tempted to include a "when someone mentions Florida to me so it feels like salt in a wound" counter on my blog.

Today various comments include...
"Wow we should all move to Florida this weather is crazy"
"Is this the weather you missed about Canada?"
"Wow it has been 6 months of miserable weather here when I was in Florida it was so nice and warm"
"I can't wait to go to Florida next week because this weather is awful"
"I'm having a really hard time picking between these two homes in Florida...take a look tell me what you think"
These are from five different people...all before noon...seriously.

And I just plaster a fake smile on my face and nod in agreement all the while feeling like I've swallowed a spoonful of vinegar.
Clearly I'm not going to get a lot of "work" done today...

Seriously...could these people please fall in love with a state besides Florida?
This weather just makes me so freaking miserable.
I don't know what to do except look at international opportunities (besides the USA because that is proving to be impossible for me).

Here's what is available on my brief look this morning.

Dededo, Guam

~ looks interesting...tropical...it is a US territory not sure how that would work for visa's etc...hmmm major US military base...better NOT go there...Spencer turned out way more HurtLocker/StopLoss than DearJohn if you catch my drift (total movie references)...maybe I should stay away from military men.

Quito, Ecuador

~ hmmm doesn't seem quite the place to go for me.  I need more metropolitan...why did I leave Singapore again?

Rzeszow, Poland

~ hmmm I think it snows there too...and wait are they seriously offering that little money??? I make more at my piddly little reception job...good luck dude.

Trujillo, Peru

~ THAT could be cool and I always wanted to explore South America.  I know Taylor loved when she went there for a vacation...well I think it was Peru...better ask.

Madrid, Spain

~ hmmm I loved Barcelona last summer.  That could be a cool opportunity...explore Europe...hmmm going to star that one.

Singapore

...wait...this is my old employer...looking for someone...weird...probably burned that bridge though...darn Spencer...I'm missing Singapore more than ever now :(

Just for pure torture basis...how many postings for Florida...8 darn it...I would be a perfect fit for any of those ohhhh and 16 in Cali!!!! Oh my gosh talk about a dream life!  Sigh...I wish I had these options.

How can I try this?...I could try for the lottery for greencard...and maybe with enough positive thinking I will get chosen :)  I could try and find an employer that would want to hire me guaranteed 6 months in advance (not likely).  I need to figure something out.

I think people will freak out if I leave again or as my friends like to say "run away again".  So maybe I should just disappear (totally kidding...well not totally kidding exactly).  If I was the type ready to settle down etc.  then I "get" staying in Canada but as I glance outside at the snow coming down I think...this can't be "it".  So today's efficient work day has me at this "count"  ...
job postings examined outside of Canada 30...Job postings examined in Canada 0.

I wish I won the lottery so that I could return to school (and obviously I would return to school in a Southern State)...I've already looked into it but I wouldn't qualify for student loans except if my parents co-signed and let's just say they won't (for the second time).  Or had the 100K to invest in a business (which basically also gets you a visa in the US).  Ultimately I would like to teach (in a graduate school of my profession) but I'm not sure how the schools feel about hiring a foreign teacher (too much of a pain in the butt versus non-foreign is my guess).  Sigh...it feels like the odds are against me.  I know EXACTLY what I want but I feel like there are too many barriers.  I think I will have to write a post about exactly what I want like my girl Taylor who did that and not that far down the road can now check off her complete list (yea!)...maybe that is what I need to do...

Planners and Planning

So I need to get rid of my old planner.
It has a countdown to "the big day" that no longer exists.
Well it will no longer exist when I cancel everything.
THAT is going to be painful.
So in the meantime I need a new planner because I can't possibly white out all those countdown days.
So a new planner is needed.

I LOVE this one.

 

It is so cute and perfect and pink!  But by the time and buy and ship it it will be $50+ and my new budget savy self tells me to not buy it.  Put the $50 towards Paris maybe ;)  Because I could get a planner at Staples with no cost to me if I use my work account.  And likely there will be one I will like...but why oh why do I find nicer things.  I guess it is okay to "settle" when it comes to planners though.