Jordan Riane

For the first time in the past few months, I’ve managed to work non-stop on a design. Not only that but I managed to finish it. I’m not sure what the deal is, but I can never really get into a project for myself. Sure, I can get a client’s site done in about a week or so, but my own? It’ll take months. I started to redesign Holdfire back in September. Since then I’ve gone through almost 5 versions. Today (or yesterday?) I finally finished the redesign for the site.

Mark helped me out a lot with it tonight. He gave me tips on the WIP, things to change, add and edit. A good portion of it I finished while he was asleep, so I went through all of the pages again to make sure things looked okay. If you could do me a huge favor and just do a quick run through of it. Let me know if there’s a page that doesn’t validate, a link that’s broken (the cpanel/whm link is the only one that is not finished right now) or a form that doesn’t submit. I’ll take any constructive criticism, comments, compliments or complains. 😛

Though some things to consider: I have yet to add a few modules to the index, so it’s not going to be as bare. There’s also a few other images I plan on adding here and there, as well as switching around the header/navigation. Essentially what you see right now, is pretty much how it’ll look aside from a few tweaks I’ll implement later on.

I’m debating whether or not to start integrating the client control panel I’m sort of sleepy. But it’s more so the fact that my nose and toes are frozen.

Do you think you would be able to survive without logging onto a computer for 24 hours? Shutdownday.org is marking March 24th, as the day to do the unthinkable. Shutting down your computer, getting away from it.. for.. twenty four hours.

I marked that I would do it. We’ll see how that goes. I know I’ll have to make plans for that day, to make sure I don’t try to sneak out. If I’m preoccupied, I won’t even feel the need to get on!

You know what really kills me and just kind of makes my heart melt…? When Mark has this shit eating grin on his face, and I just know it’s because he tore ass. I know that sounds perversely strange, but it seriously is kind of really cute.. but.. really stinky. I don’t know, maybe I’m just strange. Regardless, it’s been almost two full months of being a girlfriend. I really like being his.

This week has been a fantastic week. My interview with the ASM for Barnes and Noble was perfect. It lasted about 45 minutes, and it was definitely one of the better interviews I’ve had. I have a very bubbly personality, and I tend to talk a lot, so that went well with him. I always have this tendency to be able to get someone to laugh, smile, and get more personal an interview then you’d expect.

I’m not exactly sure when I’ll find out if the Cafe Manager spot is mine, but I have his card to call him. I believe it’ll be salaried pay, which is a first for me. I’m used to hourly wages. I would really like for the pay to be at least $24,000-26,000 a year. The position does harbor a lot of responsibilities (essentially I would be the “store manager” for the Starbucks if it were stand alone. I’d handle schedules, interviewing possible employees to work under me, cash management, inventory, waste management, etc etc.) which is why I think I should be getting paid more then $11.50/hour. The work week is 40 hours, and benefits start after 60 days. I didn’t ask about the discount, but I assume there would be, since I’ll be considered a Barnes and Noble employee and not a Starbucks employee. Since the store I was originally applied for is opening in May, but since that spot is filled, I would not start work until late March/Early April.

The interview for Cingular went even better then my interview with B&N. It lasted about 50 minutes, and the manager and I really hit it off well. It was another down-to-earth interview, and again I was able to get on a personal level with her to kind of show her who I am, and how my personality is like with other people. She said pending experience (which I have from Best Buy–thank god) the lowest pay I would start off with would be $11/hour, including commission. There is no cap for commission so however much I would bring in, is how much would attach to my paycheck. All that obviously pending taxes, but she said on average her full time employees bring home over $1,000 (after taxes) a week. My position would just be an associate, and full time with benefits after 90 days. It was my first of two interviews, but about 2 hours after the interview, she called me back to let me know that the district manager would be at another store next week, and that whenever he got back to her about the location and time, she’d let me know. So not even thirty minutes later and she called me back to let me know that on Thursday I will go in at 3pm to talk to him for a few minutes. Looks like I managed to snag this job.

But I do have a decision to make. If Barnes and Noble will not pay me more then $12/hour, there is no way I will take the offer. The drive is an hour long (with light traffic), 30 miles one way. Each week I’d end up driving about 400 miles. I get 200 miles to the tank, and with gas prices right now, I’m looking at spending about $60 a week for gas just to get to work. The Cingular job might only be $11/hour, but the drive is a mile long, a mere five minutes. If I don’t drive anywhere else, except from home-to-work, a tank of gas could possibly last about 4 weeks (or 30 days.) So I’ve definitely got my work cut out for me.

Either way these jobs have a lot of potential and nice pay.

Time to whip up a new theme here. I’m already tired of the one I have right now.

Interview with Barnes and Noble went quite amazing. Cingular interview today at 2pm.

Yesterday was an awesome day. Not so much because it was Valentine’s Day, and I have the cutest boyfriend ever, but because of two phone calls I got. I’ve been job hunting for awhile now, two months almost, and with no luck. I’ve had some possible call backs, but one of them isn’t really getting back to me (the dealership job) and I don’t have the time to really wait around for the possibility of working for them.

But the two calls today were for Cafe Manager at Barnes and Noble, and the other for Cingular Wireless. Either of these jobs I know I’ve got the knowledge and experience to be able to master them. It’s just a matter of seeing what kind of pay I can get, along with benefits. The B&N job is about an hour north of me. It was originally for a new store opening up about about 10-15 minutes from where Mark lives, but the Cafe Manager from the store I’ll be going into, is going to that store that opens in May. So I assume that if I do get a job offer, and I take it, I would be training/working with him (or her) until he/she leaves for the NSO.

With Cingular Wireless, it’s literally a five minute drive, about a mile south of me. You can see which I’d rather have to take. Not only will I save a lot of money gas, but I won’t have to stress out and leave here 1-2 hours before work starts just to make it on time.

At 2pm is my interview with B&N, and Friday at 2pm is my interview with Cingular.

So because I’ve got an hour drive ahead of me, I’m going to be leaving here around 12:50 to ensure that I have ten minutes to get lost and get found quickly. I guess I should get off my ass and get dressed. If the interview goes well, which I know it will, I’ll treat myself to Subway. Yeah, food, whatever.

Oh but how could I forgot talking about my boyfriend and last night? Since I’m completely jobless (eg: broke) we didn’t go out for Valentine’s Day, but I didn’t mind at all. He came over and gave me a red rose, Trinidads, the big Reese’s cups, ghirardelli chocolates, and Ice Age 2. Ate a filling dinner here, watched Ice Age 2, and just relaxed. I felt like a wiener because I had a card for him down in my room, but I didn’t even remember to give it to him until he was getting ready to leave. Whoops!

Alright, NOW it’s time to get ready.