Summer sandals

I just spent $72 on 3 pairs of sandals. $72!! What the hell is wrong with me? On a positive note, I ordered Reef's, which I've been told are close to the best kind you can buy. These things better be the most comfortable pair of sandals I've ever worn, otherwise I'll be pissed. Especially since I just bought 2 pair of cheapie sandals from Old Navy for $5 total.

I'm too smart to be a bleacher bunny

But they are interested in me possibly writing for the paper. That would be awesome. Waiting to hear back from the editors...


Hi Amber,
Sorry for not getting in touch sooner; I was trying to get in touch with our editor, Brad, to talk to him about you. Based on the letter you initially sent me and what I learned about you last Weds, I think that the best fit for you with The Heckler is not with the Bleacher Bunnies, but rather, as a writer. You definitely understand the game of baseball and the Cubs at a level higher than what most of our Bleacher Bunnies do (admittedly, myself included). It seems you have a dry sense of humor that I think will lend itself well to writing for the paper. Plus, the fact that you are a fan of other Chicago sports could prove to be very helpful too. That being said, I have forwarded your letter/photos to Brad and George (our 2 main editors and founders of The Heckler). You can expect to hear from either of them soon to talk about the possibility of writing for The Heckler. I really hope it works out!

Heckler Update

So I arrived at the Starbucks a little earlier than planned, grabbed a mocha and a seat, uncomfortably looking around to see if someone looked like they might be named "Laura." It was surprisingly determined early on that for some absurd reason I was feeling a bit nervous. I was only able to determine this based on the fact that my stomach wasn't taking too kindly to my mocha, and that never happens (then again, it could have just been a crappy mocha, who knows).

Eventually I spot someone sitting at a table with 2 other girls, and a Heckler paper sitting out. This had to be them. I walk over, introduce myself, and upon handshake, Laura proclaims, "You're Amber! Before we get started, I just wanted to ask you something. Have you ever considered submitting articles to the paper? (I hadn't really) You're email you sent over for this was hysterical, I even showed my coworkers that were in the office. Let me give you the contact information for our editor, as well as the generic submissions email" Score.

So then the meeting began... yadda yadda yadda... basically the job isnt as crappy as I was expecting. When reading the ad, I assumed we'd have to go to all the boxes and refill them with new papers. Who knew The Heckler had a distribution department who does this? Basically, for 2 hours before the game, you hand out papers to people heading into the game. Sounds easy enough (& certainly worth the $15/hour they pay us on the spot).

The topic of "uniform" came up. Laura explained that last year's uniform consisted of some sort of Heckler top, be it a t-shirt, tank top, etc; along with a blue mini-skirt & knee high socks. Yes, you heard me correctly... a MINI skirt AND knee high socks. No thank you. She then went on to explain that the uniform would be changing this year to something simpler & more personal choice-y (same top, denim of your choice on the bottom). Perfect. I like denim.

And finally we get to the part where she informs us that the promotions team has a name. Now, it's a group of 8-12 girls, so the immediate thought that came to my head was "The Hecklerettes" - Kinda lame, but it works. I wish that were the name, but no, the name of the group - The Bleacher Bunnies. Yes. Bleacher Bunnies. I do not like the bleachers, nor being referred to as a bunny. If hired, I will ask to wear a bunny costume, solely so I can wear bunny ears and a fuzzy tail.

I find out this weekend if they want me. (Hello, who wouldnt?)

Side note: please feel free to give me suggestions of topics I could start writing about to submit to the paper, as ultimately, that's what I want out of this relationship. That, and the bunny ears.

The plot thickens...

Now, I realize this would just be a part time gig, and wouldnt allow for me to quit at FCUsa, but it'd certainly be interesting to get some sort of job at the Heckler... hopefully it wouldnt just be somthing lame like passing out papers...

Email response from my application:

Hello!

Thanks for your interest in this opportunity! My name is Laura Lentino and I
am the Promotions Manager of The Heckler, a satirical sports newspaper (feel
free to check us out online: www.theheckler.com). I have reviewed the info
you sent me and am interested in meeting with you. I will be conducting 2
informal informational sessions/mini-interviews this week. The first will be
tomorrow (Wednesday, 3/22) at 7:00pm and the other will be on Thursday, 3/23
at 7:30pm. Please let me know which date works better for you and I will e-
mail you the meeting place. Thanks again!

Sincerely,

Laura :)

I am officially looking for a new job

I no longer wish to work at Telution/CSG Systems Inc, so I'm applying for this job. I'm fairly certain it's with The Heckler. I enjoy reading The Heckler, and I feel I would be an excellent candidate for the job (WTF is this my cover letter?). I included the photo montage below with my application. I made it in paint. It looks pretty professional.

Promotion position for Cubs enthusiasts only!

---

Satirical sports newspaper has several part-time, seasonal openings for fun and outgoing females to assist with promotion and distribution of the paper. Must be 21 or older. If you like baseball and/or satire and have an engaging personality please contact us with your name, phone number, e-mail address, resume/promotional experience and photo.

Happy 30th Birthday to Jen!

No updates, just a couple of pictures...






Paw Paw Posse in the house!

Blizzards, thunderstorms & rain

So I worked out last night for the 2nd day in a row. Its an oddly awesome feeling once you're done, but not so much during. At least not yet. I'll get there. I'll tell you one thing, it's a heck of a lot easier to work out while watching The Biggest Loser on NBC, so thankfully that was on during the majority of my workout.

I got home and ate the second half of my small oreo blizzard from DQ that I had leftover in the freezer. Completely negated my workout, but whatever, it was good.

It stormed a bit last night. It was overcast this morning when I left for work. But it was also quite warm outside, so I have no complaints.

I think I am going to Indy this weekend. After changing my mind at least 12 times about it. And after selling the 200 level tickets I had, for a loss. Doesnt matter though, I love hoops, I love downtown Indy, and I know I'll have fun. Now if I could just find a place to stay...

Working out is weird

Its been nearly a month since I last worked out (at least that's my assumption since I cant even remember when the last time was). While I only worked out for 50 minutes, I am already starting to feel the ramifications of such a vigorous workout. (This may also be due to the fact that I was too lazy to stretch afterwards).

Tonight is also the debut of Lorne Michael's new sitcomSon's & Daughters on ABC. It better not suck, I've been looking forward to it since the Superbowl commercials.

I stink. I need a shower.

I love March

March is easily the best month of the year. College basketball, St Patricks Day & my birthday. All of them involve a good amount of booze. Starting tonight, it's Dirty Red's birthday.

Thanks but no thanks

My rejection letter from Teach for America:

Thank you very much for your interest in Teach For America and for the time and effort you invested in applying to the 2006 corps. I am very sorry to inform you that, after careful consideration of your application, we did not select you to advance to the interview stage of our admissions process.

Your initiative in applying to Teach For America demonstrates your commitment to expanding opportunities for children and effecting social change. While we would like to offer all candidates a path to realizing these aims, we know that Teach For America is not a fit for everyone. Over time we have developed a set of selection criteria that helps us select those most likely to be successful in our particular program.

We know, however, that you have the potential to make a significant contribution to meeting our country's pressing social needs, and we encourage you to pursue other ways to make a difference. To assist you in your pursuit, we have posted on our website a list of recommended resources. If you also are interested in being contacted by other educational and service-oriented organizations that may wish to recruit Teach For America applicants for similar opportunities, you can complete a short form here. Although this e-mail may bring disappointment, I hope that your experience with Teach For America thus far has been positive. If you would like to share any anonymous feedback on our admissions process, we welcome your reflections and suggestions here. Lastly, I am sorry that we will not be able to provide individual feedback on admissions decisions, given that we do not have the resources to handle the volume of potential requests. We attempt to minimize the frustration we know this can cause by being upfront about this policy in our application.I wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
Monique Ayotte
Vice President, Admissions

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So 16 hours have passed since finding out and I've realized not being accepted certainly isnt the end of the world. Teach for America has approximately 17,000 applicants, and usually only accepts 2200 of them, so I can't say that I feel as horribly as I did when I first got the letter. I have other opportunities (other certification programs, school, etc) so I can guarantee myself that I will be doing something different come Fall. Thanks to those of you who helped along the way, especially to those who helped with the application process.