Thank you for your prayers
March 14, 2006 | 10:15 P.M.

Yesterday went pretty well. Chad called the manager that was going to be interviewing me and was told that he could be interviewed about an hour and a half after my interview since he'd be there anyway. Well he picked me up from the train and we went to the store. We got there 15 minutes before my interview was scheduled so we went in to check out the store. We went to the department where they said that they'd be to meet me because I thought it might help if they saw that I was there early.

We met an employee named Karen and she told us that the manager was coming from an hour and a half away and that he had called to tell her to tell us about the job and show us around until he got there. She took as long doing so as she could. There's a lot to do and know. Constantly busy. But there are plenty of perks. Most importantly is the $12 per hour pay and benefits and the promise of 40 hours per week. Bob, our potential manager, showed up and decided to talk with Chad and myself at the same time. After about a half hour of quick discussion he said that he wanted to invite both of us to work for them. We both accepted. We are now trying to give as close to a 2 week notice with our current jobs as we can.

I thought that I might be able to ride my bike for the job until I made enough to get another car. Ride from Philly in the morning to the station in my hometown, walk to my mom's house to get my bike and ride my bike to work. Work my 9 hours (8 after having an hour lunch each day) and then ride back to catch the train home. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

As much as that would have sucked until I moved back up there and got another car, I thought I could do it. But then I found out how much stuff I had to carry with me to work everyday. Tools, manuals, binders, etc... That and on Wednesdays I have to be there until 11pm. And back by 8am at the latest on Thursday. There's no way I could keep doing that. And the third factor is that from time-to-time Bob will call us and tell us that we need to go to another store to help out a fellow employee and that will DEFINITELY require a car.

So I called my Uncle Larry to see if Aunt Debbie still had the car and then I would try to work out a deal with her to get it. But he informed me that they had sold it the previous day and would actually be picking the car up a couple of hours after I called. i was thinking then that I could get my Neon inspected. My mom told me that a potential buyer had asked the garage where the car is being kept to perform an inspection to see what it would need and how much it would cost to pass inspection/emissions. So I called and he told me that $500 would cover parts and labor as well as the fees for inspection and emissions.

So Jenn is going to loan me the $500 for that stuff. I am going to call the garage tomorrow and tell them to go ahead and do the necessary work and put on the stickers as soon as they can. I will go into work early on Thursday to get my check and cash it at the bank and then get back to work. I am off Friday so I will run to Lansdale to pay with Jenn's money for their work and then I will go the tags place I ususally use for my car related stuff. I will pay the $35 registration fee from my paycheck. And then I will come home and probably go with Safe Auto through their site for my insurance which would get my car legal for work by the end of the weekend. And then I will start work as quickly as I can after that.

So that's all good stuff. Just have to pay Jenn back as quickly as I possibly can with my first two paychecks from this job as she will need the money. She believes that she found the perfect apartment for herself and will need the money for a downpayment if she can get it.

Joe, Chad and I will look at a three bedroom apartment in a large complex in the town next to my hometown. I've known many people that lived there over the years and they've recently renovated all the three bedroom units. There's also a free pool for our use and laundry rooms. Great stuff.

I am very, very excited!