Llamatorium

Still nothing, kids. No word at all either way. Yes, I'm still waiting, but looking into other opportunities.

The wedding in Philadelphia was fantastic. We really had an amazing time with wonderful people. It was a great get-away for us.

I have a job interview on Monday here in Boston. I cant survive on making half my pay at this current job, which I've never liked anyway. I'm hoping to get it for a fresh perspective. I'd still take the job in Milwaukee, but I cannot stay where I am currently.

The weather is getting warmer and that is nice. Dave and I are going to go up to Newburyport on Sunday to spend the day outside by the sea.

Thats it for now.. we're just bumbling along until we know where we're going.

Well so far, the job here in Boston is moving ahead quickly. I have a 3rd interview tomorrow morning. They seem pretty impressed with me. They have also been really honest. This is going to be a high stress, crucial deadline kind of job.. no messing around. I think I can handle it though. I definately look forward to a salary and weekends and holidays off.

We still want to move to Milwaukee. We want to buy a house and start a family, I even still hope to hear from the job I want there.. but we have to move ahead somehow. We still want to start the family process whether we're here or in Milwaukee, so we're making a plan for that too if we have to be here in Boston.

I'll let you know soon about what happened with the job.

I have been getting alot of blog spam. So every month I will now be closing the comment forums in my posts. I went back and closed them all so the spam would stop and I hope that works. Comments will be open for current entries only.

Had a third interview yesterday about the job here in Boston. I know they want to move rather quickly so I expect I'll hear something next week. Left a message today at the Milwaukee company so who knows, maybe I'll hear from them too.. but they do not have such a good track record of letting me know.

Went to the eye doctor and got a new years supply of lenses. Went to the girly doctor and had a full check up. All is good there too. We even started talking about future pregnancy and stuff. All stuff to think about for the next year.

Cross your fingers for me about the new job possibility. I really need it.

On this night, when the first legal gay marriages are taking place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I feel compelled to say something.

It's about time

I know so many amazing same-sex couples that are completely committed to each other. They are human, and as humans, they desire the same things as any other humans. Committed love, a family, a home, career and the freedom to have those things. Same-sex couples, same-sex families raising children, should be allowed as humans to have the same familial rights as hetero couples and families. Why in this day and age do people want to put discrimination on our law books? There is a seperation of church and state for good reason. If your church/religious thought does not condone same-sex marriage and families, that is your right.. but dont force your beliefs on this matter on me. How dare these prejudicial groups try to block the rights of humans to commit their relationships on a legal level. Surely a same-sex couple who has been committed to each other for 40 years and raise children together should have the same marriage rights as someone like Britney Spears who marries as a joke for less than 48 hours? How dare you say that Brit's marriage is more right than the two most amazing women I know joining together in a legal marriage full of love and commitment.

I am happy that the supreme court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made this landmark decision. It is a step toward the basic human rights that we ALL deserve and arent receiving. I applaud the couples who took a stand and forced this decision, it was long overdue. I dont care what your religious affiliation or belief system is.. this has nothing to do with that. This has to do with humans and their right to be recognized as legally married.

Keep your religion out of my private life and the lives of so many who deserve more than they receive. These are people, wonderful people with loving hearts and intelligent minds and children and family and friends who love them. They arent deviants who are going to cause the world to spin into chaos by marrying.. they are humans like you and me. We all have different beliefs and I dont agree with yours.

It pains me so much to see the statements made by those who oppose Gay Marriage.. it is ignorant and closed minded and hateful. Whats worse, is that alot of this opposition comes from our own politicians. Hateful bigoted politicians? Thats what runs this country? I wont even get into the statements made by our horrible president who has slammed this country into a world of shame and joblessness. I am ashamed to be an American under his "leadership". The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has done everything possible to stop tonights legal marriages from happening.. including digging up and old law from 1913 that states that marriages can only be carried out if they are legal back in their own state, effectively preventing out of state couples from being able to wed. Shame on you Governor Romney.. shame on your ignorance and hate which does not belong in our law books or in our homes. I refuse to teach my children hatred of others because of differences and am ashamed that this is what our politicians want to preach.

Open your heart. Open your minds. Do not teach your children hatred and prejudice. Recognize that no matter the color of someones skin or their sexual preference, we are all humans and deserve basic human rights. We deserve the legal rights to protect our families and partners. Keep your law books off our bodies and out of our bedrooms.

I will wholeheartedly stand with pride at the marriages of my gay brothers, sisters, friends and loved ones. I only wish others could share this joy with us.

I just got a one line blow off letter from the job in Milwaukee today, almost 2 months later.

Thank you for interviewing with xxxxxx. We are unable to utilize your skills.

I got on an airplane twice for them. One of those times was completely last minute when they said "could you be here tomorrow" I said yes and dropped everything and spent money I didnt have.

So unfair. I would have been great at that job. I could have done great things there.

I had a ten year run doing fantastic things. I am known in some circles as a very talented and innovative marketing professional. People recruited me to work for them and I never had to look for work before. What the hell happened to my career?

... and now a rant about housing.

Dave and I want to buy a house. We have a decent combined income and would be great home owners. The problem? Housing prices in the Boston metro area, hell in the entire state of Massachusetts, are absolutely INSANE.
For example... in browsing the housing in the area, skipping over the areas that are just too dangerous to live in, I come up with this:

3 bedroom, 1 bath, Single Family Property, Area: West Roxbury, Approximately 0.09 acre(s), Year built: 1920, Detached home, Basement, Fireplace, Dining room $369,900

Now.. I'm really not being too picky here. This is not even a pretty house. Just a decent neighborhood and at least 3 bedrooms. Three Hundred and friggin sixty nine thousand dollars. NOW .. there is always the condo option.. but wait! Condos are running around the same price. For the same $369k ... I could own my very own apartment with no yard and no parking PLUS I'd still have to live by someone else's (condo association) rules! What a deal!

OK .. well .. Dave and I can continue renting for a while, right? Well not if we want to have a child. Why? Massachusetts Lead Laws. All pre 1978 housing (which is 95% of the housing market available for rent) has lead paint unless it is made compliant by de-leading. The majority of rental housing in the Boston area is NOT de-leaded. There is some low income, housing subsidy program housing that is, but that isnt where we want to live. It is illegal under the fair housing act to discriminate against families with children in a rental situation. It is also the landlords responsibility to de-lead if a pregnant woman or a child under six resides in the unit (at the cost of about $30k and a three month time span). As a result, landlords find other reasons to deny tenancy.. "I dont allow cats". "Sorry, we received an application just before yours that we accepted". "We've decided not to rent the unit afterall". The units that are already deleaded, and there are some nice ones, are expensive. Landlords jack up the price for a de-leaded unit because they know that they can get it from, at the very least, students (fellows and residents) with their families here for 1-2 years at a time. Our sister-in-law's sister has a nice house about an hour away that they may want to rent, we'd love to live there.. but we cant afford the $2000/month rental price. We cant even rent from people we know. We pay $1400/month now.. which is more than plenty of mortgages out there... and expensive.

What about Milwaukee? Well, we'd love to move there and buy a house!! We cant find jobs.. why? Because we dont live there. Over and over we see "local candidates only" I've flown to Milwaukee 5 times for interviews and I just cant afford it anymore. I'm not even getting responses anymore from my resume.

Arent you thinking of Providence, RI and commuting? Yes.. but we're still talking about $250k AND we'd both have to commute to Boston. We're still thinking about that and we're not even sure we can even qualify for a mortgage or have a down payment for something that high.

We want to have a family and we're being prevented from doing so because of housing.