December 22, 2011

This week has been uneventful.  I was invited to come into Independent Health to take a computer skills test.  It was just a test to see if I can Navagate the website and take a data entry call center test.  Its not your general data entry test.  There was a guy in the background telling me who the person was, then type it in the field, address, city, zip, phone # and email address.  I did ok.  I got a 78% on it.  Not easy to listen then type.  The next day they invited me to an interview with the HR recruiter (the one from the typing test) and 2 supervisors (from claims and customer service).  The types of questions were asked, were pretty hard.  It wasn't your general type questions they ask in an interview.  It was situational interview questions.  They were aiming the questions toward customer service/call center. Yes, I do have customer service experience but not call center type.  I found myself not knowing how to answer many of those types of questions.  I reverted back to my job as an administrative assistant, which wasn't the way they should be answered.  Although the HR recruiter was nice, the other two - they seemed aloof toward me.  The claims supervisor seemed pretty nice and very professional around me but the customer service supervisor seemed quite disappointed and unimpressed.  The customer service supervisor had a very weak handshake and the HR recruiter grabbed my hand so hard that I though she broke my fingers.  In the end, the HR recruiter said that "I wasn't a good fit for customer service at this time but she would keep my resume on file then try and find something that might be a better fit - whether its claims or document processing".  I didn't let it show that I was dissappointed and kept a smile on my face  and left the building.  Oh well...that was actually my 1st interview in a very long while.  There aren't too many people who get a job with their 1st interview.  I just took it as a practice run.  I will keep plugging away at it.  Something is bound to come up.  I put an application in for a patient service rep at Lifetime Health (a clinic) yesterday so hopefully they will call me or I will call them on monday.  We shall see.  Tomorrow (friday) is job club for a few hours and then the career counselor who runs it is giving us an xmas party with pizza and wings. 
My car is running perfect now.  It is an excellent running car - feels like its at 30,000 miles instead of 73,000. Its drives very tight now, instead of lose because of bad shocks/struts.  Its very important to have a car that is running good while I am unemployed.  I also think its not a good idea to let things go on cars because down the road - the problem will get bigger and bigger, more expensive as well.  Many years ago, my 1st new car (88 Hyundai excel) had major break problems.  I let it go for so long and all of the sudden, I lost my breaks and it broke through the rotors and when you pressed the break I had none.  I coasted all the way home without breaks.  It cost me a pretty penny when I took it (towed it) to the garage.  The final straw with the car was the engine - it almost seized on me.  If you ever hear a "tick, tick, tick" in front of your car - your done for.  Thats what happened to me.  I got it to the dealer but thank god it was still under waranty (100,000 miles) but by then I already traded it in for a 1991 model.  That car was worse than a lemon.  I went through so much with that car - muffler, tailpipe, exhaust, breaks (all by 70,000 miles).  that car did last me 5 years but I had probably 1 car payment to go and I totaled it.  That was it with the Hyundai's.  I know...they make them much better but I will not be buying another one ever again.  After 2 cars not making it to 100,000 miles (or 80,000 miles) thats the last straw.  I feel sad that Saturn is no longer.  The guy at the garage who did my shocks and struts told me if I had something wrong with it - I would have to have parts ordered and wait for them to come in (thats because they don't make saturns anymore).  Its been a good car.  Im gonna try and run it to the ground.  So far its been pretty nice to NOT have a car payment for a change.  I really don't need it right now.
Xmas - It will be at my godmothers house in Lackawanna (my previous area where I use to live).  I'll come back here to Cheektowaga overnight and go to my parents in Angola for xmas.  I didn't buy too much but I did get my father and my brother home depot giftcards worth $40.00 a piece.  I figured they deserved it for helping me with the tires (dad) and the plane ticket to Denver in June (my brother).  They had done a lot for me so I feel as though I need to spend alittle extra for them.  I know I shouldn't have gone that much but whats done is done.  Its a small gift for their thanks. Mom, I got her some bath and body works and some gloria vanderbuilt perfume (her favorite).  My sister and Brother in law - they didn't want anything because they knew I was unemployed.  I'll do better next year....It should be a lean xmas this year because mom is only working once a week at the law firm she works at as a legal assistant.  So the extra $ is not there for everyone.  Thats ok, xmas is about being with the family and having a nice time together.  I really didn't ask for much this year anyways.  All I want for 2012 is a great job, good benefits and a healthier year.
Anyways, I need to get off. its 9pm and I have to get up early tomorrow to take my gay friend Paul to the bus station in the city and I will get to my job club.  It will be a long day. 
Oh...I've been doing good with the exercising.  I still do 1 1/2 minutes running and 1 1/2 minutes walking for 15 minutes on the treadmill. Then I do a few of the exercises Mike gave me (Yes Dusty, he is very cute and very young but he is hetrosexual...sorry).  Then go on the eliptical for 20 minutes.  I go back tomorrow (friday afternoon around 3:30).  Just gotta keep up the workouts.  Trying to get some upper body work too, which I don't do enough of.  Hopefully it will pay off with my running in the springtime.   Next week I need to repeat the same days (mon/wed/fri) because sunday is xmas so no working out then. 
XXOO