Forget Politics - Help your neighbors

I like to think this is Sandy

We lucked out in this part of CT. While Sandy raged all around us, those of us who live in the central part of the state made it through relatively unscathed. Our family lost power for less than a minute and we sustained no damage.

The same can't be said of those in coastal CT, NY and NJ where the storm surge caused devastation. And now, we're looking at a Nor'easter heading in our direction this week.

We are a community. Whether a town, a city, a neighborhood, a country... or a planet. We are all linked together by our humanity.

Here are just a few ways to help via the Red Cross:

Donate to the Red Cross online,  HERE

Donate $10 via text - it couldn't be easier. Just text REDCROSS to 90999 and the $10 donation will be added to your next phone bill.

Donate by phone:

Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)

1-800-257-7575 (Español)

If you can't give money or items, go to your local Red Cross location and inquire about giving blood. That doesn't cost you a thing.

Here's a site  for residents of Rockaway, Breezy Point and Broad Channel to get information and assistance. If you live nearby and have power, go HERE and see what you can do to help.


Show your humanity - find a way to help.


 With the elections coming up, I for one am tired of all of the negative political posturing. We're up to our asses in Radio, TV and print ads, lawn signs, mailings and phone calls, rhetoric, lies and Bullshit. So I propose that we all take a day off from politics.

Tomorrow, for just one day, let's forget politics and focus on our fellow citizens.

Do something. Do one something to help another person.

Mitt and Barak can take care of themselves for one day.

Frankenstorm is coming!

Trick or Treat!!

Last year, Halloween came and went while those of us who live in New England were without power for a week under two feet of snow.

This year, we put up our spooky decorations early only to hear that now, Hurricane Sandy is heading our way... for Halloween.

Crap.

So, as we're all taking down anything that can fly away, the Bear put on his costume.  I thought this was a wildly optimistic move on his part until I saw this:

 Smart Ass Bear

Now I see that this is an editorial statement.

Take that, Sandy. 

No Power Exchange here - it's all about HER

Every time I get a little full of myself and forget who holds the power,  Mother Nature reminds me she calls the shots around here.

I love hydrangeas so a few years ago, I planted a couple at the front corners of my house. Each year they get more lush and full, and I see a few more blooms. This year, they were looking great - one flowered towards the end of the summer and the other was not far behind. I was thrilled.

And then I made the mistake of bragging that my hydrangeas looked better than the neighbor's.

RIP Hydrangea

That night we had an early frost.

And yet... that Pink Columbine that magically appeared in my garden this summer is freakishly healthy.

Look at me I'm GREEN!!!

It's like she's rubbing my nose in it.

Dear Stop & Shop...

I think we should see other people. 

I tried to be sympathetic because I was sure you were just going through a midlife crisis. I was patient while you underwent a complete makeover with new colors, shorter aisles and flashy displays.  

I understand - it’s not easy getting older. We all get to that point where it feels like life is passing us by.  

So I was willing to go along with the sexy new look if it made you feel better about yourself. Then came the gradual withdrawal. At first it was a couple of self-checkout lines. Then SCAN-IT popped up at every entrance.  

 

“Do it your damn self.”

 

But now it’s just getting downright weird. This week when I was shopping, I found this sad little display in the middle of the Pet Food aisle.  

Is this some secret grocery code?

That’s right – canned pumpkin.  

I could not make this up

I figure either Dementia has set in… or you’re fucking with me.  

Either way, this relationship is over. I’m tired of being taken for granted. You don’t seem to care whether I’m around or not.

 

I need to move on and find someone who values me.

 

Oh, who am I kidding? You're close and convenient and we have a history.

 

God help me - I just can't quit you!

 

Stevie Wonder needs backup

I think the birds are having parties in my garden at night.

 I gave them birdhouses and nest-building-yarn and I've been careful not to use toxic chemicals around the yard. The only thing I asked was that they stay out of the vegetable garden. As a gentle reminder, I hired Stevie Wonder as a bouncer.

Stevie Wonder on the job

Now I'm thinking Stevie may need some backup.

Lately, I've noticed suspicious litter all around the outside edge of the garden.  I don't actually see the birds do it, but the evidence is there every morning - bird droppings all around the outside of the fence.

So far they haven't been eating the vegetables (although Sparky thinks they snatched his blueberries despite the wickedly brilliant bird cage he built) but they're getting closer.

The next thing we know, they'll be smoking and drinking and making s'mores in our firepit.

Punks.

So I think we need to get some additional security.

Back off, you feathered freaks!

Oh yeah.

There she is...

Linda Hamilton

Injected, rubbed and restrained... and spent.

The slut.

There is a body in my trunk...

Well, I drive a Jeep Cherokee so I don't actually have a trunk. But there is a space behind the back seat - and there is currently a body in it.

A dead body.

Dead, dismembered and drained.

Her feet are in a separate bag...

I didn't know her before her untimely demise, but I suspect she is a Hamilton.

 Note the strong family resemblance

Sparky and his BFF (My Sister-Wife, Geno) used to roast pigs in a huge oil drum in Geno's backyard.   Everyone else loved to watch the pig spin while drinking copious amounts of beer and tequila but since I don't drink all that much, the sight of a corpse rotisserie-ing all day in a rusty oil drum was less than appetizing.

Then, I discovered La Caja China!

I saw Roberto kick Bobby Flay's butt in a Pork Shoulder Throwdown and I was sold. I had found THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT for my husband.  (We've been married 27 years - I ran out of great gift ideas around 15 years ago, so this was a true Christmas miracle.)

I knew it was a hit when Sparky assembled the box in the middle of my living room on Christmas Eve. Since then, there's been no stopping him. Several times a year, Sparky whips out his Caja China and cooks up a pig.

It's a big production, mind you. He restrains the pig spread-eagled on a rack, injects the pig with secret juice, then he rubs the pig all over with coarse salt and spices...

'Scuse me... had a little "50 Shades of Pork" moment there...'

Anyhow, a friend of Son O'Mine is having a party tomorrow and he asked Sparky to roast a pig. So,  at this very moment, he's out there restraining and injecting and rubbbbbbing...

I'm going to watch.

Hey, I'm old... I take my thrills wherever I can.

Bear Nekkid Bird Sanctuary

SF Homes in Wooded Setting

When I was a new bride, I was a collector. For some reason, I felt compelled to accumulate groups of things - handcrafted things like birdhouses and hand-thrown pottery. Pretty things but not particularly useful and a pain in the ass to keep free of dust. Luckily, I have the attention span of gnat so these collections never grew to the hundreds or thousands, just enough (I thought) to make a statement.

Until recently, the birdhouses were displayed above my kitchen cabinets. Since Sparky retired, we've been doing a lot of work on the house and the yard and I've been in this "Re-use, Recycle or Dump" mode. In my zeal to de-clutter the house as we renovate,  some items have migrated outdoors.

The shade gardens in front of the house needed... something.

As you know, we New Englanders love us some yard ornaments. Yes indeedy, we do.

So rather than go the way of flamingos and Mary-on-the-halfshell, I decided to relocate the birdhouses outdoors.  We mounted the houses on some beautiful old weathered fence posts and I have to admit, I'm pretty pleased with the way they turned out.

Bird Condos -  Great Amenities, Low HOA Fees

Now, I didn't actually expect birds to use these since they're placed so close to the house.  My thought was that they would be purely decorative. The birds, however, had other ideas. Someone is currently renovating this Bait Shack directly in front of my Living Room window.

Cozy Single Family - Under Renovation

I came home one day last week and found a Chickadee about to enter the birdhouse with a bright blue string clutched in her beak.  Since I love to decorate, I decided to help her with the reno project. I pulled out my knitting bag and tied scraps of bright purple and blue yarn to various trees in the yard.

Apparently, Mistress Mother Nature is pleased because the next day, I was gifted with this:

Another single perfect bloom

Although, someone else is NOT so happy because I found the corpse of a baby bird on the top rail of my garden fence.  I felt like the guy in The Godfather who found the horse's head in his bed. I suspect it's the Subterranean Pythons...

This is war.

Independence Day

Decked out for July 4th

Today is the 4th of July and Americans all over the world are celebrating their independence. Here in the Greene household, we celebrate a little more this year.

As some of you may know, in addition to coaching Football, for the past 20 years Sparky also worked full time as a Correction Officer in a maximum security prison. As of July first, he is officially RETIRED.

A lot is said of those who fight in foreign wars for the freedoms we enjoy, and yet, rarely does anyone acknowledge the selfless service of those who protect us here at home. We're all aware of the soldiers who race to battle with guns and grenades but what of those men and women who walk each day unarmed among society's most violent criminals with nothing more than a small body alarm to protect them.

These are the people who form a line of defense between us and those who would hurt or kill us for no reason other than we have something they want.

And yet, there are some who resent the "20 years and out" policy. They feel that these state employees somehow get a "free ride" on the taxpayer's dime.

Make no mistake about it, Correction Officers EARN that retirement.

20 years of working a rotating schedule - 5 days on, 3 days off.

Overtime is not an hour here and there - it's a full 8 hour shift on top of your normal shift. That's 16 hours straight - sometimes voluntary but it can be (and often is) "ordered" when necessary.

20 years of working every holiday. No holidays, no snow days because they are  "essential personnel."

20 years of going to work every day in a freshly pressed uniform only to have inmates hurl all manner of bodily secretions at you - this is just one form of assault - many are HIV+

20 years of daily verbal abuse - being called every racist, ethnic or sexual slur imagineable - you cannot respond in kind - that would be unprofessional.

20 years of being locked behind bars with the most dangerous humans on the planet - and knowing that to them, you are nothing more than a target. (Sparky was well respected in the prison and yet he was assaulted twice.)

Correction work takes its toll on those who work there and the families who love them. It changes people. It's not easy to maintain your basic faith in humanity when you spend 8-16 hours a day bearing witness to the horrors that humans are capable of inflicting on themselves and one another. It's easy to become jaded and cynical, and it's not easy to turn that off when you get home.

Sparky's 20 years are done. Ever since he made the decision to go, I've noticed a change in his demeanor. Each day his smile comes more readily and he laughs more easily.

Today we celebrate Sparky's Independence Day.
　

Bear Nekkid Bird Rescuer



 Funny thing about being unemployed, you lose track of days. I remember to water and weed and fertilize, but ask me what day of the week it is or even what month, and the brain freezes. So imagine my surprise when I realized that this post was only ONE month ago!

My garden has grown a bit ;-)

photo taken today, 06/23

I know I said no chatchkes, and there are no flamingos.... but I read that birds like blueberries so to discourage them, we built a nifty cage. I found this old owl way in the back of the yard from the garden we had 20 years ago.  His eyes are gone, he had wasps living up his kazoo and his head was covered in bird poop - it was like the other birds were mocking him.  I HAD to save him. So we cleaned him up, gave him a Raid colonoscopy and brought him out of retirement. He may be old, but he gets the job done.  I call him Stevie Wonder. 


Whoooooooooooo Goes There?

And then, I found a bird at Home Depot. I left him there the first time I saw him but he was with a bunch of others so I figured someone else would adopt him. A week later, we went back and he was still there... alone with two broken birds. I took it as a sign. Now he hovers over the herb pot, up to his ass in Sweet Basil. I call him Marty Feldman.


Fly this way...


On the Subterranean Python front, Sparky found the best trap ever invented! This thing is fucking brilliant! It's not actually a trap, it's more like a guillotine for underground pests.

Our Weapon of Choice

It whacks them, but you don't have to dispose of the bodies - they're already buried. This is serial killer criminal genius. If they ever make these things people size, we're all screwed.



Mother Nature is pleased...

I garden the same way I do most things - impulsively. I stroll through Home Depot garden department and when something pretty catches my eye, I'll buy it and then wander around the yard until I find a spot for it. Then I pray that it lives. Most plants here have a 50-50 chance of survival. There was one pretty japanese maple that I planted and moved about 7 times until it finally died a piteous death.

And Mother Nature usually punished me for my cavalier approach to her babies.

But this year, I've taken a different approach. I've been actually reading those little tags that come in the pots, researching online about the proper care and handling of the flora and fauna I purchase and it's paid off. Who knew?

The vegetable garden is flourishing - we have tomatos and peppers and the very beginnings of beans and squash blossoms. The shade garden is coming along and the lavender plants smell heavenly.

Apparently, I have been a very good girl. The blooms have all disappeared from Her pink columbine plants. But today when I was on my way to the gym, I saw this:

Only one, but perfect!

I'm still battling the subterranean pythons though. Someone told me they don't like garlic so each morning I wander around the yard with a bucket of garlic powder and toss some down each hole. I'm not sure if it works - they don't return to that hole, but they do dig new ones, each progressively larger. I think the little fuckers are using heavy machinery to dig now. Sparky says it's time to get a trap but I'm considering calling in some back up of my own:

Combat Gnomes

Besides, they'll come in handy in the Zombie Apocalypse.

Dragons, Gargoyles and Pink Flamingos...

Le Garden - en mulch

We seem to be slipping into a gardening frenzy here. The garden is all neatly fenced, raised beds full of tomatoes, peppers, squash and beans - red mulch on the outside, brown mulch on the insides. Blueberries are in pots on a bed of red mulch under a cage to keep the birds away.



Blooooooooberries!

Today, Sparky and I went mulch shopping and stopped in a garden shop full of concrete figurines. We "oohed" and "ahhhed" over the dogs, angels, lions and birds, dragons and gargoyles, the gazing balls and even some lawn jockeys (who knew they still sold those?) ... but then, we stopped ourselves.

Thank Goodness.

Here in New England, the addiction to lawn ornaments is an epidemic. It's a slippery slope from one cute concrete gnome to Mary-On-The-Halfshell and Pink Flamingos.

 Our house is surrounded by solar lights and (are you sensing a theme here? ) red mulch.  I'm thinking we can skip the chatchkes for now.

Although, there's room in the back yard for a Koi pond...

Save yourselves...

In my service to Mistress Mother Nature I spend time daily weeding, watering, fertilizing and otherwise caring for and worshiping her beauty. So far, I haven't killed anything although the blue columbine I planted is still flowerless while HER pink columbines are setting records for blooms.  Go figure.

New Pinkness

Each year I plant boatloads of impatiens. They may be my favorite annual because they come in virtually every color, they grow in shade, they tell you immediately when they need water (they wilt visibly - sometimes I swear I can hear them gasping) and if you fertilize the hell out of them, they will quickly fill whatever space you put them in, completely eliminating the need to do much weeding.

Yesterday, at the back of a bed of impatiens I discovered this:

Oh. Em. Gee.

I showed it to Sparky but he dismissed it. "It's just a hole. Relax."

Relax? How can I relax? I watch NatGeo TV!

Now it all makes sense. The bunny that lived in our yard disappeared. And the squirrel population is dwindling rapidly. The signs are obvious.

There are Subterranean Pythons in Connecticut. 

God help us all.

50 Shades of Pink

Blooming, Blooming, Blooming!

Ever since that last post about Her, this concrete-busting columbine plant has been in perpetual bloom.  Feeling lucky, I bought and planted a blue columbine nearby. Within a day, every friggin' flower fell off the plant.

Blue Columbloomless

To make Her point, this is what sprouted up about 7 inches from the blue plant ...

Ta dah!

Just in case the message was unclear... Mistress Mother Nature (I once again surrender to Her Supreme Awesomeness) prefers the columbines in this garden pink.

Now if only she could do something about the Bear's wardrobe...

These people need professional help...

Bride Bear? Mom Bear? Barbie Bear?

So, yesterday I came home and almost took out the dogwood tree in the front yard. As I turned into the driveway, I saw the Bear... in all his glory... in Drag.

That's right, they made him a dress out of what looks like muslin - with a headpiece/veil to match. 

Oh. Em. Fucking. Gee.

It's not easy to see, but he's holding flowers. I had to hide behind Son O'Mine's car to snap the pic since the neighbors were out in the yard and don't take kindly to me strolling across their driveway for a photo op.

I'm weirded out by people who dress up their LIVE pets but damn, this takes it to a whole nother level.

The sad thing is... it's not even a pretty dress. They could've at least gone with something in a floral.

*Sigh...*

Since we're dancing on the gender fence here, I can't wait to see what they have in mind for Memorial Day. I'm picturing a platinum blonde wig, stars and stripes miniskirt and white patent leather boots.

And flaming batons...

50 Shades of Green

Some people picture Mother Nature as a benevolent, loving Earth-mother hippie chick. Not me, I see her more like this:

Yes, Mistress

She is a harsh Mistress. We live on her planet. Our purpose here is to serve Nature.  

Some people have this misguided idea that they can control Nature. Take for example, my neighbor - the Ninja Gardener.   She spends enormous amounts of time and energy mowing and planting and weeding and watering and weed-whacking and fertilizing… and yet, her lawn still looks like a brown and yellow patchwork quilt.

Other “suburbians” pay exorbitant prices for lawn services in their quest for perfect green-ness.  A huge truck comes to your home weekly and full grown lawn gnomes spill out and spray a chemical soup on your grass and then disappear. They leave behind tiny white flags and a lawn that looks like Astroturf.  

Not me. I have accepted Mother Nature’s dominance over me. I embrace the dandelions and in return, she scatters my yard with violets and 4 leaf clovers, and later in the summer – wild strawberries.

It took me a while to get it. When we first bought this house, I planted a columbine in the front yard, but it didn’t take. I planted another one in that same perfect, shady spot the next year, but it died within a month. I tried a third year, same result. (OK, so I’m persistent) Then, I gave up. And that same spring … a beautiful pink columbine sprouted through the concrete between the stones on my front walk. I’ve tried to dig it up, but it persistently comes back every year, bigger and more vigorous than the year before.

She wants it HERE

I take this as a direct message from Mother Nature. “Surrender, Fool – Resistance is futile.”

Last year, I didn’t do any yard work. Didn’t clean out the flowerbeds, didn’t weed… and the Dogwood tree in the front yard didn’t blossom.  This year, I’ve been diligently caring for the yard… and look.

My Dogwood Tree :)

But now I’ve got to cover my petunias.

There are little white flags on the lawn across the street.

The Weatherman is predicting frost tonight.

Some folks never learn.

Resumes, Cover Letters and References - Oh My!

Well-rounded executive with superior people skills

If you haven’t been in the job market in a while, you’re in for a rude awakening. Everything has changed. And I mean EVERYTHING. 

First you need to update the resume. What type of resume do you want? Oh yes, there are types now. Do you need a chronological resume or a functional resume? Can’t decide? Well then there’s the hybrid resume.  

Once you complete your resume you need to have an online presence. This is the digital age, remember? The days of mailing out your resume with cover letters are gone. If you’re not internet savvy – get savvy. Fast.  

LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed.com… those are just a few of the places where you need to create a profile and post your resume. And each has its own quirks. Some only accept a text version of your resume - some change the formatting when you upload. Be prepared – this can take a while. 

And you’ll need to read up on the current lingo – Google will become your best friend and translator. Here are a few tidbits I found in job postings: 

·       Value added support (as opposed to useless support?)

·       Bias for Action (is inactivity an option?)

·       Appreciation of importance of a patient-centered mission (Really?)

·       Bachelor’s Degree “perferred” (not a fan of Spell-check?)

·       Comfort in a fast-moving environment with frequent changes in scope or direction of projects (Translation: Applicant must have ADHD)

And the Insurance companies will stalk you. Apparently, they are desperate for sales people because until you ask them at least three times not to contact you they will send daily emails and call weekly. When I informed the man on the phone that I am really not interested in a Sales position, he said “We don’t do sales. We identify a need and we fill it.” 

All righty… 

And jobs have new spiffy titles now. I read a posting for a Distribution Generalist for a Publishing company – sounded interesting until I read the job requirements and realized the position is actually a newspaper delivery person.  

Ok… 

That Manager position at Mr Happy's Café looked appealing. They were looking for an energetic, well rounded, organized person with People skills. But it doesn't pay that well... and there's something just wrong about a place that describes itself as "Your Daddy's Stripbar." 

I think I may have found my dream job though. This is even better than that Walmart Greeter.  I want to drive the train at the Mall.

All Aboard!!! I'd call it the Bear Express

Check out these wheels!

I could cruise slowly like a shark around the mall... sneak up behind some doofus on his cell phone and... 

DING!DING!DING!  

I'd ring that big bell just to see him jump. Oh man, what fun. Whole lotta play value here.  

Well a girl can dream…

For those of you who are still searching for a job, here are a few tips: 

• Be sure your email address is professional looking – “HotsieTotsie at Hotmail” may send the wrong message to a potential employer (Unless he’s Mr. Happy).
• Adjust your privacy settings on Facebook. Those drunken half-naked pictures from your BFF’s bachelorette party won’t get you the job (Unless it’s at Mr. Happy’s Café). If you want to see what your online rep is, just Google yourself. You’d be surprised what comes up.
• Keep track of all your logins and passwords. Not only do all of the job search sites have secure logins, but many companies use a digital application service that requires you to create a profile just to apply.
• Be sure to have everything ready before you start the application process (resume, cover letter, references, etc). Take your time – but not too much time. Applying for jobs online sounds like it should be fast. Yeah, not so much. Some applications are 12-15 pages long and if you take too long, it times out. Everything lost, start over. (Scroll to the bottom of the application page – make use of the “save and complete later” button if you need to stop for any reason)
• Don’t get discouraged if you get no reply. Most employers utilize a software program that scans resumes for key words – if yours doesn’t hit those keys, the resume drops into a black cyber hole (formerly known as the circular file). Count yourself lucky if you get auto replies.

 Most of all… keep your chin up and know you’re not alone.

Bear hugs to ya…

Thank Goodness - pushing that toaster button is exhausting

Ok, so I'm in the grocery store the other day and I saw this:

Best thing since sliced bread...

Pre-made toast.

Really? Even I'm not THAT lazy. Really? Or are you too busy? Can't take 45 seconds out of your life to toast bread? Does it take too much effort to push that button?

Really??

Then I saw the brand name...

Bimbos have their own food group now

Ah OK. 'Nuff said.

It's only a matter of time till we see bottled boiling water...

I have a new obsession

National Geographic TV.

When I was working, I didn't really watch much TV. My viewing was limited to mostly Bravo TV Housewives (pick a city) and HBO Series (Deadwood, Rome, True Blood and Game of Thrones). Mostly because they reran them quickly so if I missed an episode, I could catch up without much effort. But I didn't watch much else. After a long day at work and hours of commuting, I was lucky if I could stay awake through dinner.

With more time on my hands now, I have discovered that my cable gives me about 500 gazillion channels. I have a veritable smorgasborg of entertainment at my fingertips.

Who knew?

So, I'm flipping through the channels and I happened upon NatGeoTV.

Oh. Em. Gee.

Check this out:

Rocket City Rednecks.
These are a group of friends in Huntsville, AL who actually are rocket scientists. On the weekends, they get together and "experiment." In the episodes I watched, they retrofitted an old RV for a simulated manned mission to Mars (complete with a distillation system to convert Pee to drinking water), they invented lightweight vehicle armor using beer cans and duct tape, and built a homemade Radio Telescope out of abandoned dish satellites and backyard junk.

It's like MacGuyver on steroids.

And those scary animal shows get my brain working overtime.

The Connecticut Python

Me: There's a python in our front yard.

Sparky: There are no pythons in Connecticut.

Me: Look in the front yard!

Sparky: That's a branch. You need to stop watching TV.

Me: They are invading the Everglades! Eating alligators and cars! It's only a matter of time before they reach New England.

Sparky: Pythons are tropical reptiles. It's too cold for them in New England.

Me: Global warming, baby. It's happening. We better be ready. Just sayin'.


Then there's The Dog Whisperer.

Love me some Cesar Milan. He now has a rehab for dogs with psychological issues. 'Nuff said.

Now there's a new show.

Doomsday Preppers.
Folks preparing for the end of the world. Only thing is, no two of them can agree on how that end will happen. Volcanoes, Tsunamis, Nuclear Bombs, Global Warming, Civil Unrest... the list goes on. Not only does the show highlight how these peeps are preparing for the end, but experts give their opinions on how effective their efforts will be if the end does come.

Now THAT is reality TV.

I'm watching... and I'm taking notes.

Once more into the abyss...

So you may have noticed that this blog was quiet for a while... because I was working. Yes, after several months, I found a new job. Well, I didn't find it, actually their recruiter found me.

Things were really looking up. I started on January 9th, and after a month I seemed to once again be hitting my stride. It took some adjusting... After a large corporate environment, this company was tiny - I was employee number 8.

But it was interesting and I was learning about a new industry and the people were nice... and it was good money.

I should've known.

A month in, the shit hit the fan.

The small software company I worked for suffered a catastrophic hardware failure. They were forced to spend buckets of cash to replace most of their networking hardware.

Two days later, they realized that the financial loss was greater than they had expected. And they had to make some difficult decisions.

One of those decisions was to lay off that brand new Project Manager they'd just hired...

That would be me.

So... it's back to unemployment and the never-ending search for a new job... cruising the online job sites, networking and shooting applications and resume`s into that huge black hole where no one really reads them.

 Linkedin and Monster and CareerBuilder, oh my...