New apartment

Mom, Jim, Callie and I got to Butte on Friday. Mom and Jim left Monday for the trip home through Yellowstone and Wyoming. Callie and I have been hanging out. I'm having issues getting internet started, so I'll only be intermittently available.

These are pictures of the new apartment. Most of my stuff is still in IN and will be for awhile, so it's a little sparse. I'm thinking I could open a yoga studio in the living room, though.... The new job starts next Monday. Hopefully the internet issues will be resolved and I will be able to keep everyone updated on a more regular basis.

Exterior shot

Mom and Jim hanging out
living room

living room

living room

Callie claims the chair

dining room, office, guest room

bedroom (complete with air mattress bed)

bedroom

bedroom

kitchen

kitchen

kitchen

bathroom

bathroom (with thrift store stool)

bathroom

bathroom

New apartment pics

The new apartment in Butte! I will be taking care of all the official paperwork this week. Here are the pics I took while apartment hunting with Gary and his grandson (the model in several photos).
Living room, complete with small balcony

Front bedroom (I thought I had more of the room, but at least you can see the closet)

Other bedroom (that adjoins the kitchen)

Built in drawers/shelves in other bedroom (which will most likely become the office/dining room/guestroom)

Kitchen (it's a galley, with new appliances on one side and shelving (lots!) on the other

More kitchen - small, but wainscotting, glass front cabinets, shelves!!

Yes, the kitchen (can you tell I liked the cupboards?)

bathroom (with old claw tub!)

skylight in bathroom above tub

view from right outside the apartment looking down at the lobby (yes, second floor, steep stairs, apparently I like to try to kill myself and others)

view from balcony looking south (ish)

view from balcony looking north (ish)

It's not huge, but it's just the right size for me and Callie. It's only about 5-6 blocks from the library. And, it has all those quirky architectural details that I so love....

Employed at last, employed at last...

Okay, as promised, the scoop on the interview. I interviewed Monday afternoon last week. The interview was based on two scenarios, and involved a kind of simulated case study approach. They were scored, with the highest scoring person offered the job. The job was offered to the other person, who turned it down. I was offered the job Tuesday morning. Our scores differed by about 6 points, so it was close. I am naturally delighted to have a job, and hope the other candidate is successful in her search.

I left for Missoula on Monday evening after the interview, spent a few days in Missoula with friends, came over early on Friday to check out some apartments and turn in my application. I flew home, enjoyed the holiday with my family, including my Texas sister and nieces.

This afternoon I found out that I was approved for the apartment I liked. So... in a week I have a job and a place to live! Woo hoo! After being unemployed for 6 months, the mad scramble now begins to find money for all of this. I'm hiring myself out for odd jobs.

The list of completed and upcoming jobs -

• cleaning and reorganization of two different purses
• baking 12 dozen cookies and 4 loaves of non-yeast bread, and cooking & freezing a caserole to feed 24
• cleaning & reorganizing a basement
• weeding

My catch phrase is No Job Too Odd. So, if any of you have any need for odd jobs in the next 2 weeks, let me know. As long as it's legal, I'm not ruling anything out.

I am really excited about the job itself, and the temporary inconvenience of having to scrape together moving money is just that - temporary. I'm thinking that I may be doing some pretty rustic living at first, but having done that more than once in the last couple years... well, it's not pretty, but it works, and it doesn't last forever (thank goodness!) Thanks to all of you who are now and have been my supporters in the past. Without you, I would not have made it through grad school, and wouldn't be soon to start my first professional position. You know who you are, and I will be forever grateful.