Gas and food prices

I wonder how many people are suffering from what I call the perfect storm after the 2009 recession. So many people have had their retirement wiped out, lost their job, and now struggling with the recovery prices? I'm lucky in a way, My husband landed a decent job 3 years ago. Two of our three children moved out (yes we charged them room and board and yes they were still expensive). Our third child moves out in a few days. We can barely live on what hubby brings home. Gas and food prices are incurred by all. There is no deep discount for the wealthy. I never see any statistics on this scenario. I just see job offers that require the use of your own insured, well kept car to deliver stuff for $10 an hour. When they say we're gaining ground getting out of the recession I have to laugh. We aren't by much. I hope you are doing better than this.

weight loss

One of my biggest goals over the last two years has been weight loss. It took 2 years to loose 120 lbs. I have about 30 left to go. My biggest challenge has been maintaining perseverance. I know it took a long time to pack on and that it would take a long time to make it go away. I've always known a weight loss program would never keep me involved for that long. This being the fourth time I've done this my program is what it's always been; eat right/exercise, in that order.

Marketing consultant in Minneapolis

I can't believe how fast people latched on to my idea. In my quest to find little part time jobs as a semiretired person I found out what the economic climate of the nation is and how badly companies on both seaboards need to know someone in the mid west who knows the mid west culture. As I worked for one company on the east coast and another on the west who thought they knew our culture they began to latch on to me for my "expertise". We do not have the culture they thought we did! They thought we had all kinds of small businesses run by families, therefore open to new ideas and supportive of new business moving in near them. Most of those closed down do to the recession. What is left is corporate run chains who think in only dog eat dog terms. They hire employees who get a very small piece of the pie in their paycheck. They will never see any actual income simply because the boys at the top get it.
Now that we're recovering from the recession ever so slowly these companies have lost touch with what the climate is. It's changed. I'm proving that to them. So now I'm a resource, not an employee. Weird.

The new climate of job interviews

I decided I needed to fill some time up with something productive. By productive I mean anything that shows me something new to do, of use to me personally in the future or even make a few bucks. Why would a little part time, sporadic job need to know my driver’s license number? Why do they need to know about a speeding ticket I got 10 years ago? Not that I did but. It’s an opinion poll taking job. Why do they need to know about that felony I got back in the dark ages? Not that I did, but. And why do they do a credit check? Why do they need to know my license plate number? I have no idea.

The same thing happened when I applied for a virtual assistant position. I am on my own computer, in my own house, using my own cable access to the internet! I do not know why. I am not a corporation with a panel of attorneys dictating how the company should act legally. I’m sure there is some law suit somewhere that was won because some important document wasn’t attained.

Today the application process includes enough documents an entire tree is used. There are disclosures, release of information documents, clarifications, explanations,  company descriptions, right to privacy notices, acknowledgement of receiving right to privacy statements, who can who liable and who can’t.  Soon be prepared to bring with you both of your grandmother’s maiden names, your grandfather’s first names, your library card, your grocery list, your priest’s name,  your gym membership card and anything else of new found importance.