Archive for June, 2008
The Lord’s Hand In Everything
Well it looks as though as of yesterday my schedule has changed to something a bit more normal.
I gave my 2 weeks notice at the MTC, the hours were just killing me. I got up Friday morning, drove over to the MTC, and then sat at a desk for 15 minutes and wrote a goodbye note for everyone (including turning in my keys)…
When I returned back home I showered, dressed, then took a little nap until 8:40am when I then drove to my other job. I didn’t plan to stay because I wanted to pick up another letter of recommendation from my co worker. I’d given the one she gave me before to the company I interviewed with Thursday afternoon.
I left the interview, jumped in my car, and low and behold I noticed I had a voice mail. I called and check and it was the place I’d interviewed with on Thursday. I called them back, as requested, and they offered me the job! I quickly said yes and they asked when I could start. I told them I wanted to be kind and give them at least a 2 week notice, but possibly could start sooner. I was just heading into work so I’d sit down with my boss as soon as I could then get back to them.
I called my co-worker and told her about the job offer I was given thanks to her wonderful reference, I’m sure. I laughed that our boss was probably peterbed and wanted to chop off my head since I’d been gone for an hour. She told me she was so I told her I’d be there. When I got in my boss asked me to sit down with her. My co-worker was asked to join the interview. I was scared! Not about losing my job, because I planned to quit that evening, but because my co-worker who’d given me the letter of recommendation was called into the interview! How we been found out?! Did she know I’d found a new job?!
My boss then began her tirade by showing me a paper she’d typed out with offenses caused by me. I was continually late, I did this, I did that… Totally erroneous. The one that set me in flames was when she said I’d lied on my resume about my skills. I stopped her dead in her tracks and asked her to explain. She said she continually over heard me asking one of my boss’s for help in a program. I then informed her that when she’d hired me she KNEW that I didn’t know the program InDesign and that they were training me in it because I knew Quark. The only programs I ever used in that company were Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Nothing else. She then said that she overheard me ask a co-worker for help.
“When searching for a project that is lost on the completely messed up server?!” I told her.
“No, for program help.” She retorted.
“Why on earth would I ask HIM for help in a program when he continually comes to ME for help. He isn’t a designer, he’s a marketer! He doesn’t work with those programs! Like everyone else in this company, no one knows what their real job title is because we’re hired for one thing but then you give us other tasks that have nothing to do with what we know how to do! I NEVER ask him for program advice!”
“Okay, then that one is incorrect.”
“You’re darn right it’s incorrect! All of these are incorrect! You’re lying and trying to make me look bad because you don’t like me! Since the day I started working here, you’ve been looking for reasons to fire me. So now I’m giving you one.”
“When you came back, you threatoned me.”
“I NEVER did! You assume to think that because I informed you that I was going to file for unemployment and that what you did was totally illegal that I had threatened you. All I said was that I was going to file and they would ask why. You’d written in paper why I was let go!”
“In the state of Utah I can fire you for any reason I want.”
“No you can’t. There’s a law that states that if your employee goes and has surgery, they are guaranteed their position until the day they come back. If you had any reason to fire me other than I took surgery leave like Richard had told me I could, then you could fire me.”
“I didn’t know that Richard had given you permission.”
“So you lied again. You’d said in our interview when I came back that you had known and Richard forgot that he gave you permission.”
“I’d said -”
“You know what, the thing is that this really doesn’t matter. I was offered a higher paying job today and I’ve accepted it. I will be leaving here.”
“Good.”
“Yeah, it is good.”
“I’m glad you have another job. I’m unhappy, you’re unhappy here. So this works for both of us.”
She went on and on about things that didn’t matter anymore and I continued to stand my ground, all the while as my co-worker looked on in horror. My boss informed me that she found me unprofessional that everyone knew when I was unhappy at work. I pointed out to her that it wasn’t only me that made it clear when I had a problem with you. She was unprofessional in asking co-workers if they liked me and if she should fire me. That was none of their business! This was one of the most asinine and hypocritical places I’d ever worked for.
Anyway, I hadn’t planned to do it at that moment, but since she was on the attack I was able to tell her that I was offered a new job and would be leaving. I then informed her that I’d told the company I’d give you a week to find a replacement, but wouldn’t stay if she didn’t want me there. My boss could do nothing but skirt around the question and contradict her on response. I was blunt and to the point several times, something I’d never done with her before. She even pointed it out stating that it was funny. Sometimes she’d find me completely weak and right now she found me – “confident” I told her. I wasn’t going to put up with her crap and she needed to know how though she liked to think she was a kind and loving woman she was a back bitting, hypocritical, unprofessional, and rude woman.
I stayed that day and finished my work. The worst thing was the tension was so thick. I was stuck working in an office with her all day. She’d follow me around the building like a cat sneaking around a corner. She didn’t have to worry about me informing everyone of what had happened. She was stupid enough to ask a co-worker who loved me to come and watch as my boss tried to lie about things. The paper with all the erroneous claims, my co-worker was asked to sign. She did and then it was brought to me. I crossed things out, wrote on the page, etc but never signed it. I refused to until she made the corrections.
That whole day I kept thinking, yeah, Heavenly Father had a hand in me getting a new job – THAT’S FOR SURE! Moments before I was to be fired I was offered a job with a company I don’t even remember applying for. It’d been a month since I was searching for work. I’d heard NOTHING. And the day my boss goes on the attack I have 2 job interviews lined up. I couldn’t believe it! I’m thankful for the chance to start over at a new company, but at the same time, it’s not registering that my life is going to be normal again. Yes, I dread going into work on Monday to finish out the week. I also feel bad for the next graphic designer who takes over my position. They’ve no clue what’s going on. My boss is in denial about a lot of things. She demands and demands but doesn’t want to listen to the realities of what she’s asking for. He book – a complete mess! She doesn’t even have a text only copy. Why? Because she’d taken chapters (this is what she said, I’m not making this up people) from previous books written about beauty and edited them to make them her own. She didn’t even write her plagiarism down! Instead, she designed the book around her texts. She is using hundreds of images throughout her book that she doesn’t own copyrights to nor has she attempted to find them. She’s designing her book around The Davinci Code because it’s a well known book that is already popular. She’s used the same fonts and colors, clearly announcing that this is why she was doing it.
I’m thankful to be moving away from the small owned businesses and stepping into the corporate world now. I hope to earn more experience that way. I’ve learned far too much already of what NOT to do. Thursday evening when I was out shopping with my room mate, we stepped into Bath & Body Works where to my horror I noticed that my boss had tried to copy the design of their Wallflower collection to use with her new products soon to launch. I was furious! Even more upset that the company R[E]D allowed the designs to even be made!
So, to map out the world that is soon to be set right – I will be morning full time for a new company. Starting in the mornings around 8:30 or 9. Then I will go to school and return home to do whatever I’d like until 10:30 to 11pm when I’ll go to bed and wake up at a more reasonable 6:30 or 7am.
PS: Wednesday I got a new calling… I’ll be doing compassionate service in our relief society. 
After work Ryan and I went to see Wall-E. Wow, that movie is funny! 
I love it!!!
To get me excited for my new jobs, I’m posting the Inside Pixar Animation Studios.
Add comment June 28, 2008
Searching
I have 2 job interviews this week. One Thursday and one on Friday. I’m nervous because they seem to be popping up so fast… I think Heavenly Father knows it’s time for me to start looking again. I’ve been looking for a month and haven’t heard anything back. But now, after what happened last week with my boss, I get 2 job interviews right in a row. I’ve sent out hundreds of resumes. I know Heavenly Father is very aware of what’s going on with me and my life. It’s comforting to know that he’s helping. I’ve done as much as I can and now it’s up to him to fill up the rest.
This morning at the MTC I put in my 2 weeks notice. My hospital bill was knocked down from $3000 to only $50. I paid it off the moment I got the letter. I have payments with Radiology every month to pay a bill of $321. The Anesthesiologists are taking the cut the hospital gave me and figuring out how much of a cut I can get from them as well. Before my surgery I remember the blessing clearly and how many times were repeated “Don’t worry about how this will be paid. It will be paid.” 
It is going to be paid! And I’m going to be able to do it without killing myself! I’m so thankful for everything the Lord has helped me with. I’m amazed at how many blessings come from tithing. I’d been so SCARED to pay my tithing because of the continuing bills… But 2 weeks ago now I took a huge leap of faith and gave even though I had very little to give. Then now it seems as though the windows of Heaven really have opened up and are pouring out blessings and I almost have not room enough to receive it.
3 Ne. 24: 10
Bring ye all the atithes into the storehouse, that there may be bmeat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the cwindows of heaven, and pour you out a dblessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
2 comments June 24, 2008
A really GREAT date!
So I had a date tonight. I met him a few days ago, we talked Sunday evening, and then today he drove down to Provo and we went on a date. He was so sweet! The date was totally casual, which I loved. We got some Jomba Juice then drove to a park where we laid out a blanket and he and I played his guitar. We talked, we laughed, it was so much fun! He was so sweet and so respectful. Not once did he try to kiss me. I’d told him I wasn’t the kind of girl who’d do kiss on the first date and he admitted he was like that too. We cuddled towards the end of the evening as the sun went down. He then asked when the last time someone held me like that was… Instantly my mind flashed to Kyle… It’d been December since he’d held me like that. “A while” I told him. We lingered a little longer until it came time to actually start taking me home. As we walked the trail which was covered in trees back to his car we held hands. On the drive home he held my hand. We cuddled on our way up the stairs to my door and then when he came inside we couldn’t stop hugging each other. He then asked if he could see me again tomorrow, we already made plans for Wednesday. My schedule was packed Tuesday but if he could find a spot, he was welcome to it! As we said goodbye at the door he took my hand and kissed it. teehee! SO CUTE!
*sigh* I really like this guy. We talked about everything! Our missions, family, things we liked to do, politics, music, cars, jobs, relationships (I know), religion, and so many other things I can’t think of… It was perfect!
Women, these are the characteristics of respectful and honorable men.
1 comment June 24, 2008
More Work Crap!
Well I was upstairs working on recreating a banner for something that was to go out. One of my bosses had told me he didn’t like the design so he wanted me to create it based on the senior citizen target market. My female boss looked at the old banner and said she didn’t like it so I told her that I was redesigning it. She said she wanted to show me a banner that she did like downstairs that had been created by a different designer and so I went with her. She showed me the design and it just so happened to be the exact design I first saw when I was interviewed for the job. I had been asked to give my honest oppionion about the design and so I did. It was busy and you couldn’t tell what it was for because they’d added too many people and then added the bottle on top of the people, making it very hard to even see the product image. I told her that it was rather busy and asked if I could simplify it. She said I could but then noted that some lady at Wallgreens liked it. Well for all I knew this was just a lady she saw in the check out stand and she asked them if she liked it.
I told her “well maybe she was just being nice.”
She replied, “You really think someone would say that just to be nice?”
“Yeah.” I replied with a chuckle.
“The lady in charge of marketing?”
!#)*$#& – I froze. “I don’t know.” I replied almost as to say this was a joke, let it go.
My boss smiled and said in a not so serious tone “Well, we’ll have to have a talk.”
So I laughed and said “okay”.
I start walking away and she says “No, Marie. I really need to have a talk with you.”
I turn around and sit down with her. She then says “I was going to wait a few more days to say something, but I think I should just say it now. I know you own your own business and you’re a very talented designer, but a lot of the time you’re disconnected from the design. You then say you’re confused as to what I wanted but I’ve never had someone so confused as you. In the 30 years I’ve been a boss, I’ve never had someone as confused as you. Julia would always bring a paper and write down everything I’d say.” She looked at me and smiled. I almost rolled my eyes at her but stopped myself, still in shock over the whole thing. This was the MILLIONTH time she’d used the previous designer as her boiling point. In her eyes this girl could do no wrong! Even though at times she’d say I was more into the design aspect and better at it than this other girl was. I was sick of being compared to this girl! I would ALWAYS write down things my boss would say during our meetings and she’d always tell me some half thought then ramble on to another topic then jump back to our previous one, say the exact same thing she’d already said but add the phrase “I’ll come up with more ideas. Don’t worry about that right now. We’ll talk about it later.” And heck yes, I am confused when it comes to some of her designs. She’ll come back to me a month or so later and say things like “I want that thing over the other thing on that one design we’re doing.”
“What design?” I’m working on a hundred different designs!
None of the people who are my boss, I have 3…, none of them know a single thing about Design but they claim they do because they’ve been reading design books. Yeah, that makes them as much a designer as my reading a medical book makes me a brain surgeon. Anyone have a problem? I can totally give you the best surgery you’ve EVER had! I’ve read medical books and watched all the seasons of Grey’s Anatomy. *note my sarcasm, it’s great, isn’t it?*
Well she continues on and says “I’ve also heard from [my other boss] that you told him that I said to stop the Andy Warhal idea you had. And then I told him something you’d told me and he said he hadn’t said that to you… So there’s a lot of miscommunication going on…”
I never knew what it meant to feel the blood drain from your face, but I felt it at that moment. Tingles sprinkled all over my face. I felt like I was about to die! I stopped her and said “Wait, when did he said I told him you said that? Why would I stop that project?! You and I were BOTH excited about it and I didn’t want to stop that project! You never told me that! That was the first project YOU told me I could jump out of the box with!”
“Well I don’t know. That’s just what he told me.”…
My mind tuned out of her mumbles and I had the thought race to my mind – “Don’t quit the MTC because you’re about to be fired right now.”
I don’t say anything so she says to me “Don’t cry, we’ll just talk with [my other boss] about this on Monday and try to clear up some miscommunication. He and I know we’re giving you too many counter productive instructions and we’re trying to work on that.”
“I’m not going to cry” that irritated me because number one all I did was sit there quitetly. She always thinks I’ll cry. (Twit…)
Anyway… I told her “I’m not going to cry, I’m just a little irritated that you would think I told him that you told me to stop working on a project that we both love.”
At that moment my other boss walked down the stairs and into the room. I got up and left because my female boss wanted to talk to him. I went back to my office and couldn’t even sit at my desk! I was about ready to punch the wall
I’m supposed to have my 3 month review and get a raise on Monday and then this crap comes up! WHAT THE HECK!!!! I’m not getting a raise. I’m getting fired! I just know it! I’m so sick of all the drama at work! I want to quit!
As I sat down finally at my desk I noticed I had a email come in on my personal account. I opened it and amazingly enough it was from a graphic design company who had received my resume and wanted to interview me.
Marie,
You have expressed interest in applying for the position of part-time graphic designer. I have received your resume and believe you may have the qualities and attributes to be a strong employment candidate. I would like to invite you to come to our corporate office for an interview. We have time available at 2pm on June 23rd-25th, and 27th, Mon-Wed and Fri, or at 10am on June 26th or 27th. Please let me know two of the times you would prefer. I will do our best to accommodate your preference. If either of these times do not work, please let me know on which day you would be available.
The interview will last roughly 40 minutes, and includes a review of your portfolio (a portfolio is required). Following your interview you will be given 30 minutes to create a design utilizing your skills related to Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop (Images and text will be provided). You will meeting with myself and a senior manager…
I didn’t care anymore that I was only a beginner at InDesign. I could tell them that during the interview if they really cared. This was the first interview offer I’d had since I first started looking for work back in May! Any other option was a great option in my eyes! I sat for a moment and realized something. I’d only been downstairs for maybe 10 minutes tops. Before I left with my boss to go look at the ad I’d checked my personal email and had nothing new. I’d left the window up on accident! The company had probably emailed me right when my boss was giving me that big crappy speech!
So I’ll be hopefully interviewing for this position on the 26th or 27th. I’m waiting for them to contact me back.
1 comment June 21, 2008
Quit? What do I do?!
I just got home from work at the MTC not too long ago. I’m extremely tired. I now am in charge of cleaning all the offices on both the 1st (Development offices and Training offices) and 2nd (Media offices, HR, and Clinic) floors of 18M. My co-worker quit. I’ve been thinking lately that maybe I should do the same. But I’m worried to quit.
Reasons I should:
- I’m tired
- I usually get around 4 hours of sleep each night
- From my first pay check it looks like I’m not making any headway with finances.
- It’s cutting into my hours with my other job.
- I usually finish before my time is up and go home early.
- I’m usually late because I can’t pull myself out of bed.
Reasons I could stay:
- I don’t have to worry about picking up anyone now.
- I have the keys
- I’m making $8.10 every hour
- I could put in up to 14 hours per week.
- I like working there.
- I like the spirit of missionary work.
- It’s fun to see the new missionaries.
- I can ask questions for my book from the people who work there.
Right now I’m up for my 3 month review with my graphic design job. I’m on pins and needles – scared to death that I could be fired, seeing as how I really don’t trust them now. Though, if I was to quit the MTC now and then lose my other job, I’d be out two jobs. I don’t want to put in a 2 weeks notice with the MTC until I’ve had my review. I need to get a raise at my graphic design job before I’ll leave. I’m making $10 an hour there but if I get a raise I’ll be making $11.
I’ve actively been searching for a new graphic design job. I honestly have no prospects. I’ve emailed and submitted my resume to quite a few places but nothing. I’ve decided it’s time for me to go back to school.
Yesterday I attended the academic workshop with UVU to try to get myself in better standing. I need to see a counselor and then I can apply for pill grants and sign up for school.
If I start school, I wont be able to do my job at the MTC anymore. I’ve been trying to go to all my church things (institute, FHE, etc) right now and it’s almost impossible! I’m so stressed and tired that I’m too tired to actually stress. I’ve made myself ill instead. The last time I was like this was while I was on my mission and Sister Heater and I had been working our bums off. I was scared that we didn’t have enough investigators and that’d get us in trouble with the Zone Leaders and President Hacking… Did it? No. I just stressed myself out and gave myself and ulcer… I’m thinking I’ve given myself another one already. 
I’ve gone over my finances and honestly I’m not even making a dent higher with 2 jobs. The cutting of my hours at my higher paying job so I can focus on the MTC makes my hours cut from 72-80 hours per 2 weeks to about 62 hours per 2 weeks. That’s not helping at all! And if I push myself any harder I’ll crack!
WHAT DO I DO?! This is totally stuff of the world, but I need Heavenly Father’s advice on it. I’d feel bad quitting a job where I’m serving those who are helping to move this work forward… technically you could say I’m helping too by teaching missionaries and keeping areas clean so “the spirit can dwell”…
I’m almost wondering if I should stay until school starts, too. I don’t know what to do! If I stay in August then I’ll have even more of a reason to quit. :S But can I hack the 4 hours of sleep every night until then? Can I last another month?
Either way, here’s a video for us all… It was President Hinckley’s last speach that he ever made. It’s interesting how he really did know he was leaving soon…
1 comment June 19, 2008
Blogging
At work I’ve started to learn a lot more about marketing and advertising. Supposedly if you get your names in enough blogs, every time someone enters a topic you blog about in a web crawler or search engine, the more links you have on that topic the more your website will pop up!
I’ve noticed this with my mom. Renee’s Genealogy Blog ( http://rzamor1.blogspot.com/ ) has been really popular lately! Yes, people, I’m HER daughter. For those of you who haven’t heard of her, she posts a lot of useful information about genealogy giving tools and advice on how to go about it.
My boss has been wanting to start a blog about her book and the fashion/beauty industry. One of my male co-workers has been assigned the task and the other day looked almost ill at the thought of having to blog something related to the topic. I felt truly bad for him!
Work has been a lot more interesting lately. They’ve been making several steps forward as far as advertising and design and it’s got me excited beyond belief.
This past week I spent 4 days scanning hundreds of magazine advertisements at my boss’s request because she “Want[ed] to know and see how people are advertising in the health and beauty world today.” When she said that blessed phrase I could have jumped out of my seat for joy! They’d been in desperate need of an update for quite some time. Their idea of advertising was to aim toward a 1980s and early 1990s design audience. Their labeling design was very retro – 70s. Every time I had to create something I’d feel trapped because I felt a box was artistically placed over me. Yes, I’d design things that were visually pleasing, but to capture a younger audience (mothers with young children, 20 somethings) you’d never archive it. Granted they’d said their target market was towards an older generation, few people actually looked at their packaging and saw a reliable product.
But now, they’ve changed their design (or at least are in the process of changing their design) and I couldn’t be more excited! Last night before heading home from work I took one of the product design concepts and designed an advertisement to go along with it. I felt ALIVE! My boss only earlier that week had told me “I release you from your box. I want to see what you can do!” when he gave me an ingredients poster project. I was scared at first because I didn’t want them to tell me I’d gone too far so I designed something very “Martha Stuart”… He noticed and called me out on it. I told him my fear and then he said “Just go for it!” I went back to the drawing board and started a posterized “Andy Warhol” style poster using a play on words from something they’d written in the text of the advertisement. The one of my 3 bosses I was worried about the most (she’s in her late 60s) actually liked the idea and told me to continue with it! YEAY!!!!!!
I love being let out of artistic boxes. I just hope they continue to let me design in a modern, clean fashion. Retro is good, but there’s a difference between dated design and vintage design.
1 comment June 14, 2008
Interesting feeling… I like it!
This week I was invited to go to institute with my co-worker and her husband. I’d signed up for 3 institute classes at the Orem Institute previously but had only attended one. My co-worker was so sweet to invite me and I did wanted to meet new people so I made plans to attend with her Thursday night on BYU campus.
When Thursday rolled around I was extremely tired. I’d pulled my regular early shift at the MTC, my body was finally catching up with all my 3-4 hours of sleep each night. As I drug myself through the rest of the boring day when 5pm came I was glad to go home and try to sleep. The first thing I did was lay on the couch and turn on the TV. Terminator 2 was on and I personally love t hat movie. Laying there I looked up at the clock and bickered with myself if I should get up and find the building I’d never been to. It seemed like too much effort and I hated looking for addresses. The thought came to me of Sunday when I’d asked my bishop for a blessing. I had been told that the Lord was concerned for me. I hadn’t been attending my meetings – coming up with excuses not to go (I slept in, I’m too tired, it starts at 9am, I don’t want to go by myself)… I was admonished to attend my meetings. Every righteous act, I should do. I was then blessed with an added measure of the spirit… Then as I lay there looking at the clock as the minute hand crept closer and closer to the 6:35pm mark I said to myself “This is a prompting, I need to go.” Why would I debate doing a righteous action when in the past I wouldn’t have even thought about it. If I’m thinking about it, I should just go.
So I rolled myself out of my comfortable blanket, grabbed my bag, and ran out to my car. I had map in hand and wasn’t sure where I was going. 800 North was close to the road I should be on. I drove to 8th North and called my co-worker. She directed me the rest of the way and I made it to class just in time. I’m so glad that I went. The lesson was exactly what I needed to hear! Everyone commented, each one was outstanding. For the first time since my mission I didn’t feel odd speaking up. And I actually did raise my hand and make a comment. “That was a great comment” my co-worker whispered. My face cooled from it’s red complexion after commenting, but I felt that it really was a good comment. The teacher had asked for an example from the scriptures of words that gave hope. I had quoted a scripture from the Doctrine and Covenants when Joseph was in Liberty Jail. That scripture gave me hope prior to my mission.
Doctrine and Covenants 122: 7 – And if thou shouldst be cast into the apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the bdeep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee eexperience, and shall be for thy good.
It’s 8:46am now and I’m honestly feeling a feeling I haven’t felt in a while. Comfort, peace, joy… hmm… sounds like something I’ve experience before… maybe an added measure of the spirit of the Lord?
I like this feeling. It makes me want to read my scriptures! The new Ensign came in the mail and the first thing I did this morning after rolling out of bed was pick it up and look through it. Just doing that felt inspiring. I wonder what actually reading the articles will do. Inside a little green plush monster that sits on my chair is a secret compartment storing CDs. Those CDs are the audio version of the Doctrine and Covenants. I think I’ll bring those with me to my car and listen on my way to work today.
Today is going to be a great day!
Add comment June 13, 2008
My Book
Well I’ve allowed 5 people to see my book so far. Everyone really likes it. I’m excited to finish it! I’ve gotten past my sticky point and am trucking along to the real guts of the story. I really can not wait for it to be finished. I’ve been working on this for a year now. Granted I took a break from it for a couple months, but I still started it a year ago.
I signed up for a website called Good Reads. It’s actually a really cool site! Check it out!
http://www.goodreads.com/profile/LDSMarie
I’ll keep you all updated on the progress of my book. I’m still trying to design a cover. But that’s on the back burner right now.
2 comments June 7, 2008
