I have had endless disapointment in trying to secure myself a job here in the Illawarra. I have even approached stores out of the area at around 45 minutes away with no luck. I have not tried every single store int he area, but I have tried every avenue where I am experienced in & yet had no luck.
The worst part of this journey has been the fact that only 1 store, in the whole 7 months of looking for work had even bothered to get back to me & tell me that they had passed my Resume on to HR for future reference. I even registered online with Select Education…. & heard nothing back! This is appalling!!!!
The emotional strain job hunting has on a person is already at high levels. The feeling of disapointment is never ending & the negativity that surrounds it all over several months of unsuccessful searching has put me in a place I never wanted to be.
However things have now changed for the best. My SIL Duff works at a Bunnings store in Sydney & travels back & forth every single day, taking her roughly 1.5 hrs in a one way trip. There happened to be a position become available for her to work 9-5 weekdays which is one of the best situations you can get in Retail! Also a position became available for the same hours & days in the Cafe in the same store. So I applied. I had 2 days notice of the position, then attended the Group Screening they offer. Followed by a 2 on 1 Interview. This happened all last Wednesday. Yesterday I got the phone call to say I was successful for the job & I start Induction training this weekend. Then start in the store next week. I will be doing 2 days of Stock Take which I did a few months ago with them.Then into my position in the Cafe.
I find it amazing that I have managed to get myself a job where I am not 100% familiar with the role, nor is it nearby to home. But at the moment I am fairly desperate. So am pleased to just get the work. The bad part is that I will be spending a good chunk (roughly about a third) of my wages on fuel! Paying half the cost of fuel will be better than the full amount, however it’ll still hurt the pocket. So i’ll be working about a day & a half just so I can travel to work. BLEH!
So now I’m back in the workforce. I will be earning my own money. We will be able to plan things on weekends again as a family. Oh how sweet it is!
Popularity: 10% [?]
Great News!!!! East Lynne Store has made it into the Top Ten for their Pies & this week the judges make their decision.
My friend Michelle told me earlier in the week that the final Top Ten will be telecast on tv Live. I was unsure what show it would be broadcast on, so I went hunting.
I have retrieved this info from the Terms & Conditions page: “The National prize will be judged by the panel on
Therefore I believe that the judging may take place on Channel 7’s The Morning Show, as this is shown live from Martin Place, also home of Mel & Kochie’s Sunrise.
I will be watching & hoping that East Lynne Store finish strong!
Thank you to anyone who did vote for my best friend Michelle & her partner Colin. It has been hard work for them to keep up such a good name & reputation, but one i’m sure they are extremely proud of. I know I am 
Added: 7th Sept, 2008.
Well a place from Victoria who has been open a mere 18 months won the competition. Congrats goes to Wickedly Delicious Patisserie. Monbulk. VIC! Job well done. Good competition against them and runners up were:
Elaines Gourmet Pies. Fyshwick. ACT
Sugar & Spice Patisserie. Joondalup. WA
Bremen Patisserie. Umina Beach. NSW
Beefys. Palmview. QLD
East Lynne Store. East Lynne. NSW
Ettalong Beachside Pie Shop. Ettalong Beach. NSW
Pie In The Sky. Olinda. VIC
Whiteys Pies On Sale. Orange. NSW
Tolga Bakery. Tolga. QLD.
Good try again this year Michelle & Colin. My vote will always go to you both. Love you & Miss you xxxx
Popularity: 17% [?]
THE mother of a five-month-old baby was followed and questioned by police and security guards after she used a parents’ room at Westfield Marion to express breast milk, earlier this month.
Sharleen Salmon, who works at Marion, said she felt harassed and was embarrassed after a woman and a female cleaner at the shopping centre complained to police and centre security about her using the room during her half-hour lunch break.
The young mum, who has recently returned to work in the hair and beauty industry, to support her family, said “I was in a private area (in the parents room) behind the curtain and this cleaner just walked in on me and watched what I was doing.
“She told me the parents room was for parents and breastfeeding only - and that I wasn’t allowed to eat lunch in there.’’
Ms Salmon said she was using a standard breast pump to express milk to feed her baby daughter Justice, who was being cared for by her father.
She said the cleaner made her feel as though “I wasn’t allowed to be in there. I was doing something very personal and for her to stand there and watch me was embarrassing.’’
Ms Salmon, who expresses milk once a day, said she was followed back to work by a security guard and a police officer, who said a formal complaint had been made to centre management.
This is absolutely pathetic! What on earth is this damn world coming too??!!
I found this story at http://guardian-messenger.whereilive.com.au after reading a post in the BubHub forums I frequent.
It made me feel angry about the treatment of this young mother & makes me wonder what kind of treatment I may receive in the future if placed in this situation.
Breastfeeding is vital to sustaining life to an infant whether it’s thru immediate contact feeding or expressing milk for later use. There is so much negativity existing already about public feeding, however when a mother cannot even express in a private area without being harrassed, then socety has gone way too far out of line.
The Security and especially the Cleaner should have approached the woman with respect & credibility. I believe that Ms. Salmon has every ground to make an uproar against Westfield Marion in South Australia & the Cleaner involved. This woman should be removed from her position as she had no right in speaking to Ms. Salmon in the manner she did. Who did she think she was???? Sounds like shoot now ask questions later syndrome.
SHAME ON YOU WESTFIELD MARION!
Popularity: 17% [?]
The Poll has been closed due to two reasons:
1) I will be away for a few days hospital stay next week & due to time constraints cannot close the poll later than today.
2) Only TWO Entrecarders bothered to leave a comment & vote. In the whole month. Sad.
Therefore I have awarded both members the 150 credits each & they are both welcome to a free advert of their Entrecard Widgets on my site.
Thank you & congratulations to you both, Sue & Lightening :o)
For anyone interested, here are the results:
I like to bowl but don’t do it very often. = 5
I used to bowl but for reasons, I don’t anymore. = 2
Everything! I have my own gear. It is my chosen sport for life. = 1
I have picked up a ball once or twice. = 0
Other answer… = 0
What is Tenpin Bowling? = 0
Popularity: 30% [?]
Today I ventured back in to my previous employment by request from the store owner. I spent 4 hours getting to know new stock, catching up with old friends & offering advice to parents-to-be & those doing it all over again. It was nice to be back in family territory & there was never a feeling of regret. I have in my short day been offerred without my asking to come back & work 5-6 days a week. However I have agreed to at least 3-4 during the sale & then a few days afterwards until our emminent move to Wollongong. The store owner is a very appreciative & respectful man & I have never worked for anyone so “Gentlemanly” in my life. I feel honoured to be asked to return to the store & when told I had been missed & that he wished I had never left, some feelings of guilt crept in. However I know the decision I made earlier in the year was for good purpose, regardless wether we moved or not.
In saying this, I am however still anxiously awaiting the day we apply for our Home Loan & make the move to our own new house. *Nudge Nudge*
I have failed to mention that I have recently posted my Letter of Resignation to the Child Care Centre I was working at through 2007. Thanks to the employers, I feel let down, used, abused & disregarded for many reasons. Credit must go to all the girls I worked with throughout the year & the wonderful friendships I have made from it. I hope to continue seeing these girls on a regular basis & will keep contact with each of them. I shall treasure our friendships forever.
Popularity: 27% [?]
Not that many people load my site these days, possibly due to my ignorance to sustaining interesting & current Blogs. However we have got a few changes coming to the site, a nice change for the New Year.
And with that, I must wish everybody a successful New Year hoping it is an eventful one for us all!
Over the coming few weeks I will try to keep the site updated on a more regular basis with what’s been going on for the past several months since I last left a Blog. A lot has certainly happened & hopefully a lot more to follow. For those of you who read my boi’s site on a regular occurance will already know how busy we have been over the Festive Season. Keep watching for more news to come.
Popularity: 25% [?]
OH MY! Time has definitely flown! It’s the end of March already & I am yet to leave a blog since Christmas!
This obviously reflects how busy I have been during the first quarter of this year.
As of this weekend, we are celebrating 2 Birthdays in the socko family. Big Bro Maddoggie who’s B’day was today & his daughter L who shall be 8 on April Fools Day. Happy Birthday to you! We enjoyed a nice Roast Lamb & veggies for dinner followed by a scrumptious Orange & Poppyseed cake from the Cheesecake Shop.
I have started a new job back on 5th February, at a Childcare centre near Mascot. It is a Fulltime position & I am back working with 0-2 yr olds in the Nursery. I was there merely half a day & had realized what I’d been missing all this time since leaving Childcare. It is of course extremely tiring & busy work however it is very self satisfying. I have settled in well over the past 2 months & have already made bonds with the children in my care. We have had a social night out already to celebrate passing the in centre Accreditation process & the girls I work with are all great.
I do miss My Baby Warehouse very much & wish I could spare half of myself to be there as well. Of course the pay was MUCH better in retail working casual, however I have benefits from working for a council run centre & do enjoy my RDO’s, M/Tea & Lunch breaks, Holidays & Sick days paid when due.
We are about to make some changes to the site & I do hope when complete it will have a fresh new look. BTW, my eBay listings will be added as an RSS feed shortly. Stay tuned!
Popularity: 23% [?]
It is that time of the year again & for us things have been quite busy. Work has been constant & I have settled into my job without any hassles.
As of writing this blog there is a mere 14 sleeps till Santa arrives! I have been extra good this year I promise!
My family from the coast are coming up to join us for Christmas Day, my brother & 2 nieces who live nearby shall be here & SK’s mum, Nanna T will be enjoying her first Sydney Christmas. As it is a time of togetherness, we will definitely have that covered in a major way.
Next year however will see the addition of SK’s sister Duff to our Christmas table as during the New Year she will be making the move to the East with us from over West.
As this is the Season to give, let’s all give a few moments on the Big Day to think of those less fortunate than us & wish them also peace & happiness for 2007.
Remember to love those around you as these are our greatest treasures in life.
Merry Christmas to you & yours!
Popularity: 15% [?]
SK’s sister is arriving in under 8 hours from now & we are all getting excited to see each other again!
We have lots planned for during her 3 week stay.
Starting Thursday we are heading to Bathurst for the Super Cheap Auto 1000 http://www.supercheapauto1000.com.au at Mount Panorama. The annual camping trip this year is for the full 4 days. We have taken time off work to allow this. I am looking forward to the road trip with us 3 “kids” getting away for a bit of bonding over a wonderfully Holden long weekend!
We shall be returning Monday & back to work as of Tuesday.
The following Monday we are again heading out on a road trip this time with SK & Duff’s mum on board. Port Macquarie is our destination for a relaxing week away together. None of us have been there before so it is going to be wonderful.
It’s going to be a great few weeks ahead for us as a family & as always we will love being in each others company & sharing lots of good times creating future memories.
Popularity: 9% [?]