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I've been living here in Virginia two months and two days.
You'd think that with all of the "free" time I've had during that time I would have been more vocal about my new life, but here's the thing -- before I left for Virginia, a neurologist diagnosed me as having carpal tunnel in both hands and sometimes, my fingers go numb and it's like my hands are asleep. Typing, driving, writing, sleeping, cooking, etc. It just happens. It lasts anywhere from a few seconds to minutes. On top of all of my other medical woes, I just didn't want to think about it. I haven't seen anyone about it since then because I've heard horror stories about people who have surgery and/or treatment that only seems to make things worse. I've also heard horror stories about insurance companies not taking the "illness" seriously.
Anyhoo -- I've done quite a bit of exploring since I landed here. At least a couple of times a week, I will just get in my car and drive around. I'll pick a street and follow it for several miles, memorizing stores, landmarks, cross streets, etc. Sometimes, I'll google a specific store (Dollar Tree, Walgreens, Fashion Bug, Target, Wal-Mart) that I used to frequent in Ohio and then go there and then on my way back home, try to find alternate routes. I've gotten lost sometimes but in getting lost, I've discovered other things and places. I've found neighborhoods that scare me. I've found neighborhoods that impress me. I've noticed that in addition to tourism, retail is HUGE in Virginia Beach. There are shopping malls, shopping centers, independent stores, gas stations, restaurants, etc on every corner. Some are the same old same old that you find everywhere. Some are unique and fun to explore.
The only grocery store VB has in common with Columbus is Kroger. I've never really been a Kroger fan. I don't know why. I think it has something to do with the lackluster deli section. I judge a grocery store's worth by the variety and price of its deli section and its produce section. If a store has an extensive list of ready-to-eat foods (chicken, pastas, etc) that are not your typical processed foods (like cole slaw, macaroni salad, etc), I'm very happy. VB offers several really good options. I immediately fell in love with Farm Fresh which has all kinds of yummy things in their deli section -- meatloaf, veggies, soups, ribs, beef brisket, chicken, teriyaki beef and rice, cornbread, red skin potatoes, turkey. They also have a "wing bar" where you can get breaded, unbreaded, spicy, mild, boneless, popcorn etc chicken wings and drumettes. Always good. Made fresh. They never taste like something that was tossed in the oven from the freezer. Farm Fresh also has this huge salad bar and selection of pre-cut fruits and veggies, perfect for the lazy person like me. I've also discovered a store called The Fresh Market which is like Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Wild Oats rolled into one. Very nice upscale deli section, huge bakery section, unique fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, imported foods, gourmet candies, sweets and treats. Lots of bulk nuts, seeds, veggie chips, etc. Very stylish wine section. Lots of organic. Across the street from where I live is a Bloom grocery store, which started out as a Food Lion. When it was Food Lion, I wasn't too impressed with the cleanliness and variety, but now that it is Bloom, they offer more variety and seem to be having really great prices right now to draw in new customers. I've become obsessed with checking out all of the grocery stores and sampling the various deli things. I know. Food. My friend and enemy. Still -- there's this little thrill when I can find something for lunch or dinner that only requires me to press "start" on the microwave yet tastes yummy and home-cooked.
One of the things that VB doesn't seem to have is a proliferation of "Open 24 Hours" big box stores that sell everything from apples to zippers. In Ohio, K-Mart closed most of their stores when they filed bankruptcy. In VB, K-Mart is still thriving. It's the only store nearby that is open 24 hours a day and sells everything from apples to zippers. We do have a Wal-Mart Supercenter but it's not nearby. We have a regular Wal-Mart nearby, but I've only been there twice since I moved here -- to get inexpensive household items. I don't do nearly as much "impulse" shopping as I did in Ohio because if I only need groceries, I go to the grocery store. If I only need household things, I go to the dollar store or Target. I've been to K-Mart a few times but the local K-Mart isn't organized well and it's not that clean either. I don't like shopping in messy stores that look dingy.
I've gotten together a few times with my friend Janelle since moving here. I went up to her place on Halloween to celebrate our October birthdays. We had lunch in her town and then went to Williamsburg to walk around. It was a beautiful day -- sunny, warm but not too warm. I wore flip flops. We sat in a bookstore, talking and people watching, and I couldn't help but think how nice it was to be around someone I've known so long. Then, a couple of weeks later, she came down here and we attended two free baking workshops sponsored by King Arthur Flour. Janelle had mentioned to me that she wanted to learn how to make yeast bread and one day, I was looking at the local newspaper and saw the ad. I called her and asked her if she wanted to attend. She said yes. We had a rushed lunch at a Max and Erma's in the hotel where the workshops were being held and then attended an afternoon session on yeast bread. It was fun and informative so we decided to go back for the evening session on artisan breads. We did some browsing at Pembroke Mall before the night session and then had dinner at Schlotzsky's Deli. They are travelling the USA with these workshops and if you have the chance to attend, I highly recommend it. They gave us gift cards, bowl scrapers, coupons, recipes, catalogs and samples of yeast for attending. I used the gift cards to help with Christmas shopping. The workshop inspired me to want to bake some cookie bars I had seen/tasted at the local Willams Sonoma store so I called Janelle and asked her if I could visit her and use her oven and baking supplies. So, a few days after Thanksgiving, Janelle and I met up at her place and made Pumpkin Pecan Bars and Lemon Bars. I got to meet one of her friends, Cheryl, whom I'd heard a lot about. We all hooked up for lunch and then Cheryl followed us back to Janelle's house. They are major scrapbookers and I'm not so I left them to their shop talk and headed back home. Janelle lives about 45 minutes away in Newport News and the trip requires crossing/using the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel which can get pretty congested. The first time I went to her house, it took me 2 hours to get home because an accident blocked the tunnel and there was no way around. Then, Janelle came down here this past Thursday and we had our Christmas gift exchange and then dinner at this great restaurant called the No Frill Grill and then went to the Holiday Lights at the Beach display. Janelle gave me this incredibly soft blanket than Molly immediately claimed as her own.
As you've read in previous blogs, I've been interviewing like crazy for jobs. The job market here is much tighter than I thought it would be. Things are more expensive here than in Ohio yet the jobs pay less. Housing is through the roof and apartments that go for $500 a month in Ohio go for $900 a month here, if you're lucky. As I posted previously, I was finally offered a job in the Collections department at a local loan company, making the same thing I was making in Ohio. I was pretty excited about the job -- mostly because I was glad to have one. But, the closer I got to the start date (tomorrow the 10th), the more I realized I didn't really want to be tied to a call center job... especially not an entry level job that I did 9+ years ago. I was still having panic attacks thinking about it. So, I've kept on applying and interviewing for other jobs, hoping for something better.
On Thursday, while I was waiting on Janelle to show up, a company I had applied at MONTHS ago called me and asked me if I was still interested in a job. I had applied for several positions months ago but never heard anything so I figured I just wasn't qualified. I heard about LandAmerica at my previous company when I was doing payment research -- one of LandAmerica's companies is LoanCare, which is a mortgage servicer, andwe got several loans from LoanCare right before I left and I remembered seeing a Virginia Beach address on one of the payment histories. Anyhow, long story short, I've been checking their website ever since looking for work.
I explained to the recruiter that I had already accepted a Collections position atanother companyand that I start on Monday the 10th and that although I didn't really want that job anymore, I didn't want to turn them down either if they were my only shot. The recruiter said that they really wanted me, that I was the best applicant suited for the job, and asked me if I'd consider them if she was able to get me in for an interview before I started at the other company. I said that I would. She called me back almost immediately with an interview for noon on Friday. The job is in the Loss Mitigation department and is exactly the job that I did in Loss Mitigation at Chase for 5+ years-- only for a smaller team and with fewer accounts. The position is M-F, 8-5. No call center work. No late nights. No weekends unless it's for OT. The manager I interviewed with was AWESOME -- very laid back yet she and I shared a lot of the same beliefs about work ethic, micromanagement, etc. The weird thing is that she looked, talked, acted and dressed a lot like the person who was my manager in Loss Mit. I couldn't believe the similarities. It gives me hope, though, because I really liked that manager and we got along great.
I barely made it home from the interview when the recruiter called and offered me a job -- making several thousand dollars more than theother job and starting two days later. :) I said yes immediately and then spent most of the afternoon filling out paperwork so that I can FEDEX itso that they have it before I start on Wednesday.
I AM much more excited about the job. The company is smaller. The building is brand new. Everyone I talked to/saw today was nice. I already know the job so I know what to expect. The manager even threw out things like having me work on special projects and even possibly promoting upwards to a management position next year. She said the company is growing by leaps and bounds and I'll be getting in on the ground floor and that there's nowhere to go but up.
Whew! A long catch up, huh?
Now, I'm gearing up for the new job and year-end. I can't believe the year is nearly over. I've already completed my Xmas shopping and have mailed/given out my cards and gifts. I'm enjoying living near the beach, especially when my Ohio friends tell me about ice and snow and school cancellations and the weather here is mild, sunny and wonderful. We've had some pretty chilly nights and the wind off of the Bay lowers the temp at night by 10-15 degrees. The house is VERY cold -- no insulation. It has two small baseboard heaters in the entire house and they do not produce any heat. I've bought several space heaters and blankets. When the sun is out, I can open the blinds and the heat of the sun warms the house, but as soon as the sun goes down, it gets chilly. It's supposed to be 75 tomorrow. I think I can suffer through some chilly nights in order to enjoy 75 degree days in the middle of December. :)
I'm looking forward to making some new friends and meeting people. Every now and then, I will lie in bed at night and have these panic attacks based on this "what if" game I play with myself. "what if" I die in my sleep. "what if" I get hurt. "what if" I need help. Then, I work myself up because I realize that I'm so isolated and cut off from normal interaction that no one would really notice for days or weeks if something did happen. I don't talk to my neighbors on a regular basis. Janelle and I can go weeks without contact. I'm not online much. It's a scary thing. I get pretty lonely at times. I'm glad I have unlimited long distance on my cable-based phone account because I call my friend Mandy in Ohio every day.
So- that is pretty much it for my life. :) I'll be posting more soon to let you know how the new job goes. I hope to be more present here in the new year.
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