FB Music Survey Swap-bot

I am addicted to Facebook almost as much as Swap-bot and if you are familiar with that site you know that a few of those "Notes" have been going around like wildfire and I thought it would be cool to bring them over to Swap-bot and make it a swap.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SWAP:

1. Put your iPod or other music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the NEXT button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Send the list via e-mail to your partners. (a link to your blog is fine as well)

Here is mine:

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY? Heaven Beside You - Alice In Chains

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Possum Kingdom - The Toadies

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? La La - Ashlee Simpson

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? Circle of Friends - Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Shell Shock - New Order

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Shut Up And Kiss Me - Mary Chapin-Carpenter

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN? Man In The Box - Alice In Chains

WHAT IS 2+2? Ready To Run - Dixie Chicks

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Mystify - INXS

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Baby Blue - Emiliana Torrini

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? All Summer Long - Kid Rock

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Fuck I Was - Jenny Owens Young

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Love Stinks - J. Geils Band

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Cobrastyle - Robyn

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Ready To Uff - Uffie

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? When I Grow Up - Garbage

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?Lucky Number Nine - The Moldy Peaches

HOW WILL YOU DIE? Paint It Black - U2 (Rolling Stones cover)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET? I'll Be Your Everything - Tommy Page

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH? I Am I Said - Neil Diamond

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY? Din Din Wo - Habib Koite

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED? Deadbeat Club - B-52's

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? Hit That - The Offspring

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? LA Woman - The Doors

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? Beat The Time - Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? Testify - Rage Against The Machine

How will we live now?

So, I think I have been taking this not working thing pretty good until the other day. I thought that I would call and see when my severance pay would start and when it would run out so I could plan how I would pay the bills and when I should apply for Unemployment.

I was not pleased with the answers I got on Tuesday. I called the 1-888 # and I was informed (from someone not living in this country) that my paperwork had not been received and then to make matters worse, they told me that I sent it to the wrong place.

So, now I have no idea where my paperwork is or when my severance will start and not only does this mean I will have $0 to pay my rent & bills, but it means that I will not be able to apply and draw on unemployment any time soon either.

If I do apply for UE benefits, it would probably affect how many weeks I can draw. Or it would stop when the severance finally kicks in. This would not be a problem if there were jobs here in Michigan that I was qualified for or any that could sustain the frugal lives we are already forced to live. The few places I have applied to are only looking for part time staff and at minimum wage to boot. That would pay for the gas to get there and not even pay the cable bill. (and no, I cannot cut out the cable. It is in my rental agreement to keep the cable on and the equipment in good working order)

The thing that upsets me the most about this is the fact that I called the "People Coach" at the store I was employed at and she assured me that I was sending it to the right place. The papers themselves said to send it in the provided prepaid envelope. There was no Prepaid envelope.

So, now my livelihood is depending on the workers at the Support Office I sent my stuff to, the postal service to deliver them to me in one piece and then when I finally get my papers back, I have to count on the people at the correct location to process them in a timely manner.

In the time being, the joke I made in a previous post about donating plasma may become reality in the days to come. I have done some checking online about the subject and from what I read, once you are in their system, it usually takes no more than 2 hours and you get paid right there.

I will have to check out our local branch to see if this is the case, but a phone call can't hurt. It's not too far away so a drive there would be OK too.

You know, I just thought of the funniest thing...they say you "donate" plasma yet they pay you for it. Is that funny or what?

If you have any ideas on ways to make some money, let me know. I am all ears. I can't imagine not having any money to even buy groceries.

Until next time....

25 Random Things About Me E-mail swap

1) I miss my Mom terribly. It's been a long, long time that she's been gone.

2) I am an only child.

3) I wish my best friend reads this and calls me ;) I miss her and I'm sorry for not being there for her.

4) I have known & been friends with my husband for 16 years, been "with him" for 12 of
those years and this July we will celebrate 10 years of marriage.

5) I have recently become unemployed. Job elimination they told me. Whatever.

6) I am a mommy to 4 fur-babies, all dogs. They are Dixie, Hunter, Scout and Shelby.
They are my sunshine.

7) I love to read. Mostly mystery/thriller type, sometimes a romance if the mood warrants it.

8) I hate to admit it but I am a winter couch potato and in my house, TV viewing is
a winter activity. I love CSI, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, Criminal Minds,
Medium, Cold Case, Hell's Kitchen, American Idol, House and Survivor top the list.

9) When I was young I wanted to be an Architect, then when I was older it was an Accountant.

10) Call me crazy but I can't live without jersey sheets. I have tried the high thread
count sheets and nothing compares to that soft & cuddly material that reminds
you of that favorite T-shirt you've had for 15 years.

11) I LOVE the website Swap-bot.com and I can't stop swapping!

12) I like to pen pal and send and receive postcards from all over the world.

13) My motto is "Never pay full price for anything, PERIOD!

14) To go with #13, I clip coupons and I save the receipts that show my total savings of 50% or
more. I once made a $200 grocery bill drop down to $39, but that was a very rare instance in
which I had a coupon for everything I purchased and I took advantage of some "free" offers.
I was so proud of myself that day :)

15) I wish I could be more spontaneous.

16) I like to travel and visit historical landmarks. I wish that were my job but that damn Samantha Brown
chick already does that for the Travel Channel. Why can't I have "Great Weekends" and a "Passport
to Europe" where someone else pays for the drinks with the little umbrellas, the flight, the booze,
the activities, did I say the alcohol? LOL

17) ClubPogo.com is a fun way to pass the time. Need an invite? Let me know.

18) I wish I would win the Mega Millions so I could start my own rescue for dogs, cats and other
small animals.

19) I like to take random pictures.

20) I do not own a cell phone anymore.

21) I love to wear jeans and a hoodie in the winter time.

22) I don't really like makeup but I love to have my nails done. Go figure...

23) I quit smoking 4 years ago (March 19)

24) Since doing # 23, I like chewing gum and my favorite brand is Dentyne Ice Peppermint.

25) My favorite movie is Sleepless In Seattle.


If you have Facebook, and would like another friend, please add me.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=536689971&ref=profile

Have you heard of MyPoints?

MyPoints is a reward program similar to earning airline miles or cash-back on a credit card.

Once you become a member, you can earn reward Points for shopping at hundreds of brand-name merchant sites, responding to email offers, taking surveys, and playing online games. Then you can redeem Points for gift cards and certificates from the same wide range of stores, restaurants, airlines and hotels.

I have been with MyPoints for 3 years and I have earned over 21,000 points which has earned me three(3) $50 gift cards! All I did was read the e-mails, participate in the surveys they sent me via e-mail and occasionally I used thier site to do a little Christmas shopping. I have purchased magazines, books, shoes and clothes through the merchants that have teamed up with MyPoints.

I would be happy to send you a referral to join so you can get started earning FREE gift cards!
Either leave a comment with your first and last name and the e-mail address you would like to use and you can get started right away! If you want to, you can also send me the information directly. My e-mail address is
jenann82000@yahoo.com

Thanks for reading.

Have a good night!

20 Questions E-mail Swap via Swap-bot

1. Who are you?Jen aka Jenann82 on Swap-bot
   
2. Who are your heroes? My Dad
   
3. Where do you live? My Husband Jeff and my 4 doggy fur-babies-Dixie,Hunter,Scout and Shelby
   
4. Who do you live with? Saginaw, MI USA
   
5. Where would you like to live if you could live anywhere? Someplace warm, maybe Hawaii
   
6. Who would you take with you to an abandoned island? my husband and dogs, they are my life
   
7. What would you bring to eat? bread, bologna, mustard, peanut butter and jelly, mac n cheese, cool ranch Doritos, Reese's peanut butter cups and plain glazed donuts iced tea would be great too!
   
8. What book, movie, cd would you bring to the island? book: War and Peace, maybe then I would have time to read it...movie: Sleepless in Seattle...CD:Enchanted by Stevie Nicks
   
9. Would you want to be rescued? eventually I would like to be rescued but i could be stranded for a few weeks, it would feel like a vacation
   
10. If you had a million dollars what would you do with it all? I would buy a house in a safer neighborhood for my family, buy 2 cars that run and have no issues, pay off all my debt, send my niece and nephews to college, donate some to St. Jude's and a few local charities(women's shelter and soup kitchen) and of course take a cruise but then if there is any left, I would save it...you never know what will happen in the future.
    
11. Who do you love the most? my husband Jeff
    
12. What makes you mad? rude people and people on Swap-bot who rate unfairly
    
13. Big Mac or Whopper? Whopper w/cheese
    
14. Team Aniston or Team Angelina? Team Angelina
    
15. Why does the caged bird sing? to be heard
    
16. Do you think men are from Mars? yes that is the only thing to explain them
    
17. What kind of car would you be? Dodge Charger, always on the go
    
18. Where is Santa Claus at in the 'off season'? on a beach in Maui
    
19. When will world peace be achieved? when there are no people left on the Earth to cause any trouble
    
20. Do you watch Brett Michael's Rock of Love reality TV show? no I do not watch it but i have heard of it. waste of tv time

So, it hasn't even been a full week yet but...

I am already bored. I need a job!!!

Those of you who really know me, you know that I have not been without work...EVER! I have worked since I was 15 years old so this is already really rough for me. I can't imagine going another week let alone a few months without a job. UGH!!!!

So, other than watching a lot of movies (thank God for Netflix!) and doing all the odds and ends of laundry I can find, cleaning the little things that drive me crazy (the junk drawer, reorganizing the pantry closet and refolding the towels)...I am bored out of my mind!!!!!!

I had the brilliant idea to get started on the "Spring Cleaning" and Jeff has agreed to help with some of it (he hates to wash walls...so do I but I won't tell him that) but he thinks I need to have some fun time before I get to overhauling the house.

I guess I could do that but as I was signing into my Club Pogo account, I started to analyze my game playing habits (you don't play as often if you have a job) and I started to wonder if I would miss it or could I save us some money by only playing the games that are FREE. That is something I will have to look into further. It would be horrible to cancel the account and sit here bored to tears worse than what I am now.

I have had a lot of thoughts like that. You know the ones where it comes to you all at once and they seem like great ideas at the time and when you have a chance to sit down and actually "think" about them, they weren't that good to begin with. After I first lost my job I was convinced that the cable and internet had to go, we didn't need the Netflix account, the club Pogo would be let go, I would shop only at Sav-a-lot and we can go and donate plasma a few times a week.

Well...I have come to my senses on all of that...

Until next time...

Cheers. =)

Today is President's Day

So that means No Mail today =(

But that is OK.

Tomorrow is another day and
there are some swaps I am expecting.

So we ended up at.....

Denny's.

Of all places to eat...someplace we would pick on any average day and we ended up there. Too funny!

We drove to BR and everything there was full so we went to Saginaw and everything was packed there as well so we were on our way back to the expressway and as we approached the restaurant, at the same time we both said "How about here?"

The wait was not long at all and of course...we both got breakfast...I had Moons Over My Hammy(which I typically LOVE but this time it didn't look like the picture...ugh, but it tasted OK) and Jeff ordered the Grand Slam. Normally he would have ordered 2 of them but since funds will be tight soon, he opted for one.

All in all, it was a good night. It got us out of the house and we could forget about the dogs, housework and the fact that we are so broke and the chance of it only getting worse.

At least we have each other. Don't need anything else.

Hugs...

Happy Valentine's Day to eveyone!

Jeff and I are going to go out to eat.
We don't know where but with the way the
last week has been we figure we may as well
go out and enjoy ourselves because we may
not get another chance to splurge for awhile.

You know...

It sure is funny how the world works. I just did a swap on Swap-bot where I had to show where I worked and I was worried about posting pictures on here and was going to delete them but now they will stay.

Wednesday I went to work, punched in and completed a few tasks on the RMU, then I went to the office to get some paperwork and was stopped by the BOSS and he asked me to follow him. He then led me to the personnel office. Upon entering, he asked me to sit down and you know that when they do that, it can't be good.

And, yup...you guessed it. My job, along with two others, was eliminated. Can you believe that? What a load of crap. Great customer service skills, knowledge of almost every area in the store, hard work and loyalty and this is the thanks I get. And then he says that he really enjoyed working with me. What a joke! And he said he would like to hire me back...part time of course...well, I have one thing to say to that...NEVER!

They did offer us 8 weeks of severance pay. They could have made that easier by just having it set up already but NO...we have to sign and initial a few papers and send them in our self. What garbage. I guess if they would have made it easy for us, we would have wanted to know what the catch was....WHATEVER.

So, I think I took it very well, we knew it would happen eventually (maybe we didn't think it would get us yet) but when you know that there are people there who just don't work or do a good job...well it frankly pisses me off that they let people go that work their butts off! It's their loss and I am honestly glad it happened now instead of later.

Next week will the the start of

A New Beginning =)

A New Beginning

Today is the last day of my old life.

After almost 9 years of hard work and dedicated service, today I was informed that due to a low sales volume, my position had been eliminated. I was one of 3 people to be involuntarily terminated today.

Instead of being upset...I think I am...well...happy to be FREE. The only thing I can think of right now is that the possibilities are endless and........................... .................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................
Tomorrow will be A New Beginning.

This Is Where I Work Swap-bot

Greetings to all my Swap-bot partners and anyone else who may view this entry.
The purpose of this post is to show you "This is Where I Work"

I work in the retail field and I am the Unit & Pricing Lead. Fancy name for a person who does a bit of everything around there. My basic job function is to physically check daily inventory discrepancies that the computer says we have, make sure that all merchandise is scanning at the checkout registers properly and to ensure the ticketing and signing in the entire store is accurate so the customers know what the price is before they get to the checkout.

This past Holiday season I was also in charge of the Lay-A-Way Dept. In case some of you don't know what that is...Lay-A-Way is a place in the store where merchandise is rang up, a deposit of money is placed and then the items are stored while you make scheduled payments for a certain amount of time. After the term of the LAW is up (or sooner) and if the payments are made as scheduled then the merchandise can be picked up taken home with you.

I also help out with every department in the store. That can be anything from answering customer questions, finding the item customers are looking for and everything in between. I have over 15 years in the retail business and have been cross trained in every dept. with the exception of the stockroom/receiving area.

This almost sounds like a mini resume. LOL

So, onto the pictures.

These are the front of the building. One in the early AM and the other at around 7 PM


This is my station in our store office. As you can see, I have a lot of filing to do. They don't allow for any personalization anymore either. You can still see the stickies from where I had pictures of family on the wall.



These are other work stations the the office and the next one is the door to the office. This is the greeting card section.


These are of the Lay-A-Way Department.


This is a picture of the Customer Service desk just before the store opened for the day.






The last 3 are of the Pantry/Grocery Dept. and the Toy Dept. That's where I was working when I took my pictures. Being in retail my weekly hours vary from morning to afternoon to night shifts. The store does not open until 8 AM everyday but I could be scheduled to work anywhere from 4 AM until 9:30 PM (but not that long in the same day LOL) and the past few weeks I have work early morning shifts to get caught up after the holidays. That is also why you don't see any customers or other associates. The last few weeks there has been only 1 other person there that early with me besides a Store Manager to open the place up for us.

So, I hope you like my pictures. Please don't forget to rate.

Take care & Happy Swapping!

Peek from my Window Swap-bot

So, for this swap we are to show a peek from our window(s). Since I live in Michigan, it has been really cold here and of course...snowy. These pictures were taken over the course of the swap (Jan. 20- Feb. 5) so the snowfall varies greatly.

The house I live in was my Grandparents. It was built in 1953-54 and was one of the first houses in the subdivision. My husband and I moved in about a year after my Grandmother passed away. The house has a crazy shape. It's ranch style and it is just as long as it is wide. Does that make sense? Anyway, that's why we have such a small backyard.

This is a picture of my house and of course, I went outside to take the picture.


My house is on the main road of the subdivision that I live in and I am close to the intersection with the only traffic light.


Our backyard is not very big.


The following pictures are of side views from various windows in the house. As you can tell, the houses are close together. The first two pictures are of the same neighboring house from two different rooms of my house.
The picture after that is of the neighbors driveway with my car in it. My husband was shoveling our driveway at the time. You can see in that picture the neighbor across the street shoveling as well. The last picture is of the side view of the other neighbors house. It's crazy how close the houses are.









I hope you enjoyed a Peek from my Window. Please don't forget to rate.
Happy Swapping!

100 Baby Names - Swap-bot

100 Baby Names
By Jenann82 via Swap-bot

Abigail Rose
Alanna Dayle
Aleah Nicole
Alexandra Rae
Alyssa Kay
Amanda Grace
Anessa Belle
Annika Jolie
Ashley Anne
Autumn Paige
Blossom Dawn
Destiny Renee
Echo Anne
Elyssa Marie
Emily Elaine
Emma Elizabeth
Harlow Irene
Harmony Louise
Honor Marie
Heather Leigh
Jenelle Belle
Jenette Marie
Jenilee Sadie
Jenisa Katherine
Jennine Irene
Jerica Joann
Joelle Sara
Jolene Beth
Jordanna Alexis
Jorja Ann
Kadence Lorette
Kaylee Anne
Lyric Noelle
Meadow Breeze
Miranda Lynne
Regina Dove
Rhianna June
Rylee April
Savanna Jorja
Serenah Joy
Shayna July
Shauna Dayle
Stephanie Rae
Summer Raine
Tabitha Renee
Veronica Mae
Willow Krista
Wren Ronica
Wynter Snow
Zoëy Michelle
Avery Alfred
Bourne Free
Carson Ethan
Carter Allan
Cash David
Chase Anthony
Colby Jacob
Coleman Richard
Colton Lee
Darby John
Dawson Marc
Dustin James
Dylan Michael
Dyson Dale
Evan William
Gideon Michael
Heath Garrett
Jason Earl
Jeffrey James
Jeremiah Richard
Jericho Allan
Jethro Daniel
Jett Samuel
Jonah George
Jonas Robert
Julian Lee
Justin Michael
Kane Abel
Kevin James
Leland Duane
Levi Blues
Logan Alexander
Lucas Paul
Maxwell John
Nathan William
Oakes Matthew
Owen James
Parker Steven
Paxton Louis
Reed Tyler
Reese David
Ryan Thomas
Samuel Edward
Spencer Bradley
Sterling Silver
Stone Wahl
Wyatt Zachary
Zane David
Zebediah Hunter
Zeke Scout