Wildwood Park

Yesterday I found Wildwood Lake in Susquehanna Township, about 2 miles north of downtown Harrisburg.  It's a wildlife sanctuary, literally at the foot of I-81, next to an industrial park.   It's an odd location, but once you are on the trails, you can't hear the cars.  

It is beautiful, and one of two places in PA where American Lotuses grow wild.  I wish I had known about it earlier in the summer, when the lotuses were in season.  It's also home, throughout the year, to a  150 species of birds throughout the year, many of which are migrating south in the fall and north in the spring.  Yesterday, I saw a lot of mallard ducks, and got fairly close to an egret, walking through the water.  The water level is low, and the egret raised its feet above the water.  It has long bony toes.  This is the egret.

Looking across Wildwood Lake.  The expressway is right behind me.  This is where the lotuses grow.  Unfortunately, they are out of season.

This is looking back across the lake toward where I took the picture above.  You can see the expressway signs in the background.

This is the first time I've been exploring in a while.  It was great to get out!

My Job

By now, everyone knows I got a job.  It is temp to hire, with a 6-week temp period.  The job title is Loan Specialist (I think), with a state-affiliated agency, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA).  I will be working with people who are greater than 45 days past due on their mortgages, up to the time of foreclosure.  PHFA purpose to keep as many people in their homes as possible.  Since I left GMAC/Ally,  I have been saying I really want to help people.  Now I can!  I start of September 30.

My blog doesn't stop here...I have so many things ahead:  settling into the job, being offered the job permanently, finding a place to live in the area, and settling in.  I'm starting over!  I hope you will all stick with me!

Thank you all for your love and support.  Life is good!

Enjoy your weekend!

Additional Job Update

Today is my lovely sister, Anne's, birthday.  Happy Birthday!

On Tuesday, I had an interview to be a consultant at Jenny Craig.  As I told her the story of how I got to Harrisburg, she told me I am a fascinating person.  I was very flattered.  I don't think of myself as fascinating, but my life is my life.  The rest of the interview went well, but she is not hiring for about 30 days.  Ugh...

In the meantime, I am still waiting to hear about the job with the state agency.  They advised the temp service they have chosen 2 candidates, but must get approval to hire them.  Not sure when that will happen.  This is the place where the manager and I really got along well, and he told me I was "brave" to move to Harrisburg without a job.

Finally, I've started to apply for seasonal work in local stores.  I am a busy woman!

Enjoy this amazing weather!

Moving Past the Disappointment

On Thursday, the day after my second interview, I received an email from the company advising me they had selected someone else.  I was extremely disappointed, but not surprised.  When I left on Wednesday, he did not look me in the eye when I shook hands.  I knew immediately I wouldn't  get the job, but spent the night trying to convince myself I was wrong.  I wasn't.

Whenever I receive a disappointment in my job search, I feel I have to do something immediately to help myself.  Any small thing.  So I immediately jumped on the computer and applied for a job as a cashier at Costco.  Then I watched the series finale of Burn Notice, which I have loyally watched for 7 years.  It was a good distraction with a great series ending.

By yesterday, I was back thinking about what's next.  First, no decision has been communicated about the job I interviewed for Monday, with a manager and supervisor who I really liked.  The pay is not great, but the benefits are outstanding.  I hope to hear about that Monday.  When I told the manager there the reason I moved here, he said, "That was a very brave move."  I was happy he recognized it!

Second, I have another interview for a job on Tuesday.  

This morning, I woke up thinking about what I really want to do.  So I am back at the AARP website looking for job search advice.  And I LOVE writing.  Part of the reason I started this blog is to write frequently.  So I am adding that to my list, and researching it today.  If anyone has any connections in the publishing world, please let me know.  

My greatest loves (other than my daughter, family, friends, and Lake Michigan) are writing, public policy and politics, and doing things to help others.  There must be SOMETHING I can do with this knowledge and skill.  If anyone has any idea, I am open to any and all suggestions.  I can and will move anywhere in the U.S. My email is pmbreslin@gmail.com.

Back to work.  It is a beautiful fall day in Harrisburg, and I hope you are all sharing this weather!

Second Interview!!!!

A lot is happening pretty quickly.  First, and most importantly, I have a second interview for the job I interviewed for next week.  It is at 10 am tomorrow, and is a team of 2-3 people.  One of them is the person who was promoted out of the job I am interviewing for.  The second is the director of Member Relations.  I don't know if Hank, the person I originally interviewed with, will be there or not.

Second, I interviewed with a state agency yesterday.  The interview went VERY well.  The hiring manager told me I interviewed very well, and he liked me.  I am waiting on progress on that job till Friday.

So I went from famine to feast, and I am loving it!  Employment is just around the corner!

I'll update tomorrow afternoon about the second interview.  In the meantime, have a wonderful day!

Labor Day Weekend Part II and Update

These weeks just fly by!

The manager I interviewed with on Tuesday thought he would get back to me by yesterday.  I haven't heard anything.  In the meantime, I have an interview Monday for a temp job.  At least I am finally getting interviews!

The second day of Alexandra's trip here was spent at Gettysburg and in Annapolis, MD.  We started at Gettysburg, and spent 4 hours there.  The first time I was there, I spent time in the cemetery.  Alexandra and I did a partial tour of the battlefield.  Four hours is not nearly enough time to spend there.  We were both exhausted by then, and overwhelmed by the amount we had learned.

The North Carolina Memorial was dedicated in 1929.  North Carolina had over 14,000 men in the Confederate Northern Virginia regiment.  Over 6,000 of them were killed or injured during the battle.  The statue was sculpted by the same sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, who designed the sculptures on Mt. Rushmore.  

These pictures are of the battlefield.  It was huge.  We were standing on LIttle Round Top where Union General Goveurnor Warren  was standing watching the fighting below.  He is depicted in the statue. 

In the distance, you can see the Pennsylvania Monument with the white dome.  The entire area, as far as you can see, is the battlefield.

Annapolis On a whim, we drove to Annapolis in the late afternoon.  We both fell in love with the city.  Here is Capital Teas with the State Capitol in the background.

This is the Maryland State Capitol.

We ate pasta with fresh crab sauce on the street in downtown Annapolis.  This is the view from our table.

The harbor at Annapolis.

More pictures tomorrow from our third day.  Have a good week!

Labor Day weekend with Alexandra, Day I & Job Update

Alexandra arrived via Megabus late Thursday.  After 14 hours on the bus and in terminals, and with homework to do, she decided to take it relatively easy on Friday.  She brought her spectacular camera. We started by taking a self-guided tour through the PA state capitol.  A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of what I thought was the front entrance to the capitol.  I was wrong, to say the least!  It was the back entrance.  This is the very stunning front entrance:

We took the time to tour the building, which was dedicated in 1906.  This is the rotunda:

Senate chambers:

House Chambers:

More tomorrow on what we did Saturday.

JOB UPDATE

I had an interview yesterday with the PA Association of Realtors, for a job very similar to my job at GMAC.  I believe it went well, and I really liked the man I interviewed with.  I should hear if I made it through to the next round of interviews by Friday.