How to solicit money

No, I have not gotten fed up with the looking for work thing and started "begging." What I have been doing is noticing the increasing amount of kids soliciting for money. Here's what happened today while at my parents house.

Doorbell rings.

Me: Should I get it? I don't see a car or a UPS truck outside (damn, no presents for me!). Hmm. I'll go look out the window.

I walk to the door and raise the blinds on the window.

Kid: Are you the lady of the house?

Me: Yes.

Kid: Hi, I live in (ed. note: name of neighborhood omitted to protect the innocent, but it's one filled with ginormous houses). I play for the county soccer team and we won (ed. note: something, I think a tournament?) and now we get to go to England to play soccer and we need to raise money to go since some of the teammates (ed. note: presumably not this kid since he lives in the aforementioned ginormous house neighborhood) can't afford to go and blah blah blah (ed. note: really, he didn't stop talking for like 15 whole minutes). Have you ever been to England?

Me: No.

Kid: Would you like to go? I need a dance partner. (ed. note: Did he just hit on me? Why is he dancing in England? I thought he was a soccer player.)

Me: I'm sorry, I don't have any cash.

Kid: That's OK, you can write a check.

Me: I'm just over here doing laundry. I'm sorry.

Kid: Oh, college kid? You look young.

Me: No, unemployed kid. And I don't have any money to give you since I'm unemployed. But good luck!

Kid: Ok (ed. note: he looked sad). Thanks anyway.

Me: Bye.

Blinds shut and scene.

First of all, if you're going to have kids compete in something and there is a possibility that if the kids are really good they'll get to go somewhere to show off their skills then maybe someone should think ahead and have like a "just in case we do really well and get to go somewhere and show off our skills fund." When these parents signed their kids up to play in this county soccer team or whatever they had to know that if the kids did well they'd go to England. I totally get some people are really good at soccer and that maybe their parents don't have money to send them to England (you don't have to be rich to be a good soccer player) but there should be some sort of preparation for this. Like maybe the team needs a sponsor (a really rich one) that can afford to give "scholarships" to the kids that can't afford to go. It's like the other day on the news I saw this story about how the South Cobb High School Marching Band got invited to play at Obama's inauguration in January. How cool, I thought, for these kids to get to go to DC and witness a presidential inauguration (I've never been to one) and get to show off their talent too! Then the news told me that they had to raise like $50,000 in order to go. Oh, and not only that, but they had to raise the money by Friday. Yikes. Now, if I had won the lottery the other night like I was supposed to (I forgot to buy a ticket) then I would've given the marching band the $50k they needed to go. But I didn't. My point is that if you, President-Elect Obama, are going to invite these hard working kids to come play some jams for you, can't you foot the bill for them to come? You invited them. I saw the other day that you didn't spend millions of dollars that you raised on your campaign. You can totally peel off a few thousand for this band of high school kids, that you invited, to come to your party. I mean if you were going to book AC/DC for your daughter's Super Sweet 16 you would have to pay them. It's sort of like the same thing. And I'm sure that the South Cobb High School Marching Band is way cheaper than AC/DC (but probably not as cannon-y).

So, here's what I suggest since more than likely no one person will ever foot the bill for the soccer team to go to England or the Marching Band to go to Washington. If you're going to have the kids solicit (which I think is a good idea because I'm way more likely to give to a kid who can't miss out on this opportunity of a lifetime that she/he earned) make them look like they need my money. Don't put them in raggedy clothes and dirty up their faces. Make them look like soccer players (or Marching Band members), and most importantly look legit. The kid I talked to today should've been in his soccer uniform with some sort of documentation (or at least a letter written by the coach explaining their hard work, and how this would be the trip of a lifetime and would teach them life lessons, like how to dance without a partner) and something official looking in his hands so that if I did give him cash or a check he could give me a receipt or something in writing saying that I did in fact donate to his cause (then I could show it off to everyone and tell them about how I'm such a wonderful, giving person). But instead, this kid was in a yellow t-shirt with "Spelling B Champion" written on it, but the words were misspelled so it looked like this "Speling Bee Chamion" or something, a pair of jeans and sneakers. The ironic t-shirt did make me feel a little sad for him (ahhh, poor kid, no fashion sense) but not sad enough to give him soccer team trip to England money (more like here's my Nordstrom credit card, get in the car, we're fixing you).

Have you been driving and seen the kids in the middle of the road asking for money? Or been at the mall when two kids approach you and ask for money? I have. And all these kids have is a clipboard with a place for you to write your name and the amount of money you are donating. I'm never, ever going to give to a person when approached like this. If you're trying to raise funds for whatever it is you are trying to raise funds for, dress like you actually participate in that activity and do not come up to me out of nowhere or approach me in parking lots. If it's for basketball, wear your uniform. If it's for school, wear your school t-shirt. That way you look more legit. And don't come up to me out of nowhere and start spitting out your spiel. I feel like you're about to mug me or you're distracting me so I don't notice that your friend is pick-pocketing me. Seriously. And, have a parent or adult with you. When I see two pre-teen boys in jeans and t-shirts walk up to me and ask me for money so their baseball team can get new gloves I don't believe them. I think wow, what a great scam, why didn't I think of that when I was their age. I'd be rich! I'm not going to give you money like that and I doubt anyone else will either.

So, dress up, look the part, look official. The more pathetic you are the more likely I am to give you some money. Homeless people look homeless when they ask for money and some of them make quite a lot being panhandlers. Would you give $1 to a homeless man if he was wearing an Armani suit? Me either.

Yea!

So yea for me because I feel really good about the interview I had this afternoon.  It was a phone interview and I would've felt much better about a face to face (how do I know the interviewer was listening to me and not watching some viral video?).  But I feel REALLY good about how it went.  I think I used all the right words, mentioned all the right companies/sponsors, and really did an excellent job promoting myself and convincing the interviewer that I am the person for the position.  I was told that a second round of face to face (yea!) interviews would be taking place next week so I'm hoping that in the next few days I'll get a call asking me to come in for a second interview.  That would be awesome.  I'm so happy!  Now I'm off to watch Oprah, she's reuniting the Mary Tyler Moore show cast.  Enjoy the Pug puppy pic.  I don't know who the dog is, but he's really cute.

Today will be a good day

It's a beautiful Monday.  The sun is shining, it's nice and chilly as it should be in December and I have a job interview!  Not just a job interview but a job interview for the job I really, really want.  It's a phone interview, and that worries me a little bit.  For some reason I much prefer to meet someone face to face, especially if I'm trying to convince them to give me a job.  I know if I was in person with the interviewer I would ace the interview.  But over the phone, I'll have to try that much harder.  It's going to be difficult without being able to make eye contact and read the interviewer's facial expressions so I can determine the best way for me to react.  But I feel confident that I am the person for this job and I'll just do whatever I have to do to convince the interviewer.  The reason it's over the phone?  The hiring manager is based in the Charlotte, NC office.  The job I want is based in Atlanta.  So it would just be silly for me to drive to Charlotte to interview for a job that will be here.  I'm hoping I can nail the interview with this person in Charlotte and then get called in to the Atlanta office (where I know some people) for a follow up interview.  And then come back in to fill out my new hire paperwork.  So, wish me luck.  I'm about to go get the job I want.  I really, really, really want.  I'll blog later about how it went.  Stand by.

I'm Making Good on a Promise

It's a good thing I find myself so amusing, because otherwise I wouldn't have gone back through some of my old postings and I would've totally forgotten that I promised to post our pictures from Halloween.  I'm just a month late so back off!

So in the above picture you will see me, a baseball player, in the middle is Jamie, and to the right is our friend Randy.  Jamie was the best Ugly Betty you have ever seen (save for the real Ugly Betty).  You'll notice his wig, his authentic Mexican pancho, his purse, the glasses, the perky plaid golf hat, and the big "B" necklace around his neck (that you can't really see because of his hair).  Jamie was also wearing an old (ugly), long hippy skirt of mine, pink argyle socks (also mine) and his Nike's that are blue and orange.

Well, I had two other pics I wanted to post, a solo one of me and a solo one of Jamie but they are in someone else's online photo gallery and I can't figure out how to capture the pics.  Oh well.  But with this, I make good on my promise and that's all that matters.  I am a woman of my word.

Call me Missy Duke

Just them good ole' boys, never meaning no harm...

So I got my rental car today.  Unfortunately it sounds a lot cooler than it is.  I got me a Dodge Charger.  But not the cool Dodge Charger that the Dukes of Hazzard drove.  The new Dodge Charger that doesn't look anything like the old school Charger.  I don't like it.  It's hard for me, all of five feet tall, to drive.  I took the long way home from the rental place today to get used to driving it.  I was driving on roads I know, roads I've driven on a million times before but in the Charger everything felt weird and I felt like one of those annoying "Sunday Drivers" from out of town.  I can't wait to drive it to my job interview tomorrow.  Oh, the job interview, it's like 30 minutes away from the city, it's going to be fun highway driving and then even more fun finding this place off the highway.  But I'll be fine.  I'll leave with plenty of time to get there and I'll stay in the right lane the whole way so as not to piss off the normal people driving their normal cars.  I miss my Jeep.  I don't know when I'll get my Jeep back.  I should get a time estimate today.  Hopefully it will be a week or less.  

So I got a gig on Friday!  Yea!  I'll be working merch at some show at The Loft.  That means I'll be at the band's merch table so if you're at the show and you decide you want to buy a CD or a t-shirt I'm the one that will handle it for you.  Most bands bring their own merch people (like the drummer's little brother or the bass players buddy) but whoever the band is on Friday doesn't have their own merch person (or maybe they do but they'll be sick come Friday).  Whatever.  It's something to do, it's extra money and it'll be fun to be back in a music room.  Plus the people that run The Loft are buddies of mine so it'll be nice to see them.  I don't plan on doing merch or any other sort of work like that for the long term, and normally (like if I still had a job) I would've said no thank you, but this, for some reason at this point in my life seems like it could be a neat opportunity.  If nothing else, it's a change of scenery and I'll get to do something out of my norm.  Which I've been dying for.  Plus the $50 I'll get for basically 4.5 hours of easy work won't hurt.

The picture today is me as my new persona, Missy Duke.  Instead of the short shorts I wear leggings and Uggs.  Normally I would use my Photoshop skills to put my head on Daisy Duke's body or impose myself into a picture of the General Lee but since I don't have/can't afford Photoshop, this is what you get.

Anyway, I'm off to jump into my fancy Charger Duke style, through the window.  Yee haw!

P.S. it's election day (run off election day) so make sure you VOTE!  Everyone looks hot in their "I'm a Georgia Voter" sticker.

Day Who Cares

Sorry I haven't blogged.  I either haven't felt like it, couldn't get online, or forgot.  All of those are the real reasons.

I hope your Thanksgiving was good.  Mine was.  We went to Nashville to stay with my uncle.  It was fun.  The most amazing part about it?  My 87 year old grandpa is really good at tennis and golf on the Wii.  Yep.  Like probably couldn't beat a 12 year old who has been playing Wii for years, but he totally kicked my ass.  Wii is totally fun.  In about eight years when they cost like $70 (the original ones, not the souped up versions that will be out then) I'll get one.

My cousin taught me how to get on the web on my BlackBerry (it's harder than it looks, for me) and I was trying to blog from the Thanksgiving table but it was going so slow I didn't have the patients for it.  Before he taught me that I was trying to figure it out on my own so I could blog from the waiting area at Fidelity (the bank) because I wanted to talk about how amazingly comfy their chairs are and what people would think if they read a headline in the paper that said "Bank Robbed... Nothing Taken But Waiting Area Chairs."  Of course I would have them re-upholstered because bank waiting area-chic is not my style, but man were they comfy.

The job hunt continues.  I'm sending out resumes, applying for jobs, sending emails, and making phone calls.  I found my dream job of sorts.  It's not my dream job, but it's at my dream company.  I would take a job shoveling poo (not that this company does that) just to get in the door.  Fortunately for me I know three people work there so I'm harassing them.  Not to the point of them beating me up but enough so that they'll help me in a timely manner.  If I got that, it would be a dream come true and it would put this whole getting laid off thing into perspective.

Oh, so now, not only am I job-less, but I'm also car-less.  Yep.  Stranded at home.  Luckily I have no where to go...  I got rear ended on Saturday night.  I am totally, 100% fine, but my car was not so lucky.  I *THINK* mechanically it's OK, but the body is not.  It needs major reconstructive surgery (like butt lift, tummy tuck, breast augmentation, the whole nine).  I'm waiting to hear back from my insurance company about how I can go about getting my rental car.  Not that I have anywhere to go, but it's nice to have options.  The accident was totally not my fault so I'm not going to have to come out of pocket for anything, but it still sucks.  I'm inconvenienced and my car will never be the same (in my mind).  It will always be damaged goods.  But I'll love it just the same.

I don't feel like taking a picture today.  It's freezing in my apartment (and outside because Jamie just called and said it was snowing at his school) and I'm not dressed appropriately to be photographed (read = embarrassing).  So here's a picture of me and Jamie when we went to Capers Island (see this post).