Job update

Well, after weeks of applying for jobs all over the Portland Metro Area it has finally paid off... For Adam!!! He wanted to pick up a summer job to save up for a down payment on a house so he applied for general labor jobs and got picked up by a paving company. So that puts us at 2-0. However, I did get an e-mail back about a volunteer position I applied for a couple weeks ago. The agency is called Morrison Child and Family Services. They are letting me know this week about what is available. I applied to volunteer in either the office or as a youth mentor. At first I thought this was just a cruel joke in life that my husband could get two jobs and I get a volunteer spot. But I figure this may be the way to go because the agency focused on the social welfare of the family and if I make it into an MSW program I have great experience to build my education on. I could always hold out for a paid position as well.
Adam and I have been talking a lot about how having a degree doesn't necessarily guarantee a respected job. I'm disappointed because I got my Bachelors degree thinking that it was my ticket to any job out there. I thought employers would looking at my application or resume' and see "Bachelor of Arts Degree" and hire me right away. Apparently, this is not the case! Almost every job ad I have seen asks for at least three years of experience. I thought I was awesome with two years of experience. The conclusion of this conversation is that I have to lower my standards. My search is being reduced to Nanny jobs and other domestic type work. This is a blow to my ego. I thought, I'm a college graduate and I'm going to make some money and be able to enjoy life, go shopping more, and maybe even travel. Now I'm applying to minimum wage nanny jobs. Not to say that Nannying is a bad job or anything. I just thought I would wait a few years before having to be responsible for children!
On a more positive note, I have started a new hobby! I bought my first basil plant! Adam and I took a little trip to Fir Point Farms in Aurora, OR. It's about a 10 minute drive from our apartment. They have green houses with plants you can purchase, they bring in local produce, and have a farm with goats, chickens, and bunnies! There is also a hiking trail and a farm store where you can buy more local products like honey and preserves. I submitted an application there too. I bought a basil plant thinking the weather should stay warm enough to leave it on my patio. A day later the clouds and cold came back and I have to move it inside. It's still alive!! I'm thinking about the advice in the movie "28 Days" with Sandra Bullock. She goes to rehab and one of her peers asks the counselor when they can start having relationships after leaving rehab. The counselor advises they buy a plant and if they can keep the plant alive for a few months they should buy a pet and if they can keep the pet alive for a few months then they are ready for a relationship. At the end of the movie Sandra Bullock walks into a plant store and runs into the old friend from rehab and he is arguing with the store owner that they sold him a bad plant because it died. The friend also has a dog on a leash with him.