Car-ma

Yes, I am still here. Just has been a busy couple of weeks between visiting inlaws in Syracuse NY, job hunting and the regular running around doing what I do.

Today a few good things happened and one bad thing happened which thank goodness I was there, didn't have a bad ending.

First things first, I got a call back on a job for a company I am very excited about. I don't want to put my hopes too high and don't even know if it will be a good fit after my interview on Monday (I am a combination of nervous and excited all at once). Of course the job description is one of those wanting "the sun, the moon and the stars" which is so typical in the web/internet industry (I am a web designer by trade).

Secondly, I got a "go ahead" by a web client to start a nice-sized project which would make for a nice amount chunk $ we (myself, my partner and our business account) could use. Yeah!

Thirdly, I found out all the people I asked to write a letter of recommendation (I believe I asked 5 or 6) did write one for me for the above-mentioned job which is what I think helped get my foot in the door since I was recently told that my resume hasn't be doing me justice by an experienced job-seeker.

Those letters almost brought tears to my eyes, by the way and will go in my "feel good" file. Reading them reminding me of all my strengths and accomplishments which time begins to discount when the mind starts demanding, "Well, what have you done for me lately!"

Fourthly, this week many members of my weight loss groups (I lead 11 a week currently) expressed their appreciation of me which felt good to hear. Funny how absence makes the heart grow fonder. If I do make that career move to focus totally on my career (and hence make more $)

I will miss those folks. Hopefully I can keep one or two meetings a week. But let's not put the cart before the horse. Whatever job I take has got to be a good fit. Between my freelancing and leading meetings, at least I am not coming from a place of total desperation that I feel I must totally sacrifice my freedom to take something mediocre.

See, I am a pretty spiritual person. Not religion-wise, but just in general believing what comes around, goes around. Hard work pays off and so does performing good works. And I have been working hard and paying my dues.

But sometimes no good deed goes unpunished. Here is the the bad part of my day. I went out to run a couple marketing/bank errands. Friday afternoon is the worst time to do these things because that is when every construction person is in line at the bank to cash his check. Note to self, wait until Monday morning.

Anyway, as I was coming out of Walmart with a few sundry items I noticed a Golden Retriever in a car with a slightly cracked window. Ok, just a reminder it is over 100 degrees here in Vegas and probably much hotter in a stuffy car. Dogs can't sweat to cool themselves and this dog's coat was pretty thick. So I am caught between a rock and a hard place.

What to do? I wait and I watch, hoping above hope the owner returns really soon. No one comes. So I get out and hover near the car. The dog is barking and ignoring me. Meantime a lady from another car gives me some water which I try to feed the dog through the window to no avail. The dog is too busy barking in the diretion of the store, clearly agitated.

So then the dog lays down and I make a controversial move: I open the door. It was unlocked. A nearby gentleman warned me I could get arrested for doing that even if I am saving a dog and he suggested I call for help. I called 311 which forwarded me to animal control which rang and rang and rang and hung up. Great! Now I didn't want to be responsible for this dog dying while I was standing right there. So I called 911 next and told them what was happening and the operator told me she would have someone from animal control call me back. I wait and three minutes later a family approaches the car while animal control is ringing for me. Timing is everything, right? I thanked the caller (who told me I could have just left a message which would be nice if I actually got through) and confronted the owner (a family actually).

They brushed me off saying it was "only 5 minutes." Well hey, heat kills in five minutes in this town and a cracked window doesn't stop that from happening. They didn't seem to care. The attitude of these people seems to be very typical in these parts which surprises me. But Vegas abounds with stupid people. This town just attracts them. Transients and stupid, ignorant people. Sorry for the rant, but it's the truth. And I am actually being nice right now.

So no good deed goes unpunished. But perhaps it will pay off in another way. Honestly I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing I just left that dog without at least trying.