Can't Be That Hard...Can It??

I am currently unemployed, have been now since the beginning of July.
Most people are shocked to hear that and then start questioning me as to how a nurse has not managed to get a job? Aren't they crying out for nurses they say? Isn't there a shortage of nurses at present?

Well yes there is but unfortunately there is also a thing called a budget and the hospitals are trying their hardest to stay within theirs. So this means that when someone leaves they are really scruntinising the position to see if it is really required or can they manage without replacing the person.
So to an extent there is a shortage of jobs at present.
Add to this that when you do find a job worth applying for then you are in line with up to 30-50 other interested people.

1 job I applied for a few weeks ago, I got to discover that 60 of us had applied for it!!
This means that the employers can afford to be picky about who they hire.
Where once upon a time someone with my experience would have got the job and with a little training in the new area I would be great in the position, they now have so many people apply that they can afford to choose the person who already has experience that they want and not take on someone who needs to be trained in anyway.
So for someone like myself, who has no ward experience because I am a theatre nurse by trade, then I really don't stand a chance at being successful against 20 others who have many years experience on the wards when I have none!

At present, it is a real privilege to just even gain an interview.
I have been successful in about 75% of the jobs I have applied for in that I have gained an interview, unfortunately I have not secured a position from this (well one I did, but I had to withdraw as it wasn't going to work with the family at all), however when they call and talk to me it is always the same feedback...
"You interviewed so well, we were impressed however unfortunately there was someone else with more experience at this time. Thank you for your time."

So I feel like I am hitting my head against a brick wall.
Once upon a time I would see a job advertised, think to myself "what a cool interesting job" apply for it, interview for it and always be successful in  obtaining the job. So it is a little disheartening to have applied for so many jobs in the last few months only to still have nothing, although there isn't a great deal out there to apply for either.

They can choose to be very picky at present with who they give the job too so I don't even stand a chance at working in a restaurant/office/shop till something comes along at present because I have no experience and there are 10 others who have been spilling coffee over people/typing faster for longer in another position and they are more suited.

It is very frustrating to say the least.

Friend Making Monday

If you’ve taken part in FMM before then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: All The Weigh, so we can all see your FMM questions and answers.


Fall Favorites
I do have to firstly say that I am just heading into spring, so difficult to answer every question with an answer about fall.

1. What is your favorite thing about this time of year? I love the fact that we are getting longer days and even some warm sunshine. People are becoming a little more relaxed as the nicer weather is heading our way. I also love the fact the heaters don't have to be on quite so much as before.
2. What do you hope to do again before Summer is officially over? By the time summer finishes I hope to have had plenty of time at the caravan with the family.
3. When did you last go on a hay ride? It has been so long I can't even remember!
4. What is your favorite pumpkin dish? Pumpkin Pie, although a good pumpkin soup is welcome anytime.
5. Do you decorate your home for fall? No
6. Do you have any hobbies that are seasonally specific? Yes, I find cross stitching nice in the summer, as I can sit in the shade and stitch. Knitting and quilting are for the winter, although sadly I got neither done this past winter!
7. Apple cider or hot chocolate? No question...Hot Chocolate.
8. Are you a fan of football? I take it you mean American Football, in which case sadly no, but if you include soccer in there then yes as both my boys play.
9. Share a fond Fall memory? Collecting conkers from under the big trees at school
10. It’s not Fall until…you start to snuggle under a blanket in the evenings to watch tv with a warm drink nearby.

Family Day

I love having family days here.
There is always something that can be done, even if it is a simple walk in the local gardens, and believe me we have lost many an hour there before!

One activity that we do attend each year is the Gallagher Great Race.
It is a rowing regatta that is completed over 3.85km on the Waikato River.
We only really go to see the main 2 races, the men's and women's final (but then so does everyone really)
Last year the boys in the family were all away at the caravan, as they had left me at home to complete my essay. This year we were all able to go.
Despite the weather, umbrellas definitely neeeded, we all had a great time out.

We love it when we bump into friends

5 Boys and A Wall

For Ben's Birthday this year he again wanted to take some friends to the Climbing Wall and then out to Burger King for dinner.
So we had the pleasure of watching 5 little boys climb like mad up every wall possible in the place

On your marks, get set, Go!

Look mummy, I can reach the top!

Birthday boy just hanging around

Wow, you mean the walls this end go over the ceiling!

Everyone had a great time and it was just perfect for a group of 9 year olds.
Thanks to all for coming and having such a great time.

All Things Must End

The Summer 2012 Scavenger Hunt has come to an end.
There have been over 70 people, from all over the world, taking part in this fun activity. All just to find and take a picture of 21 items throughout June, July, August and September.

When you look at it that way, there really isn't much too it.
Who couldn't do that??

Some of the items however were not your everyday on the shelf items, some you just had to be there to capture, others you had to hunt a little for.
But in the end we all managed to have some fun and find some crazy stuff along the way.
I even managed to get the kids involved and they had fun looking for items and reminding me of things I may need a picture of!

In this post I will show you the final things I needed for the hunt and also my favorite picture of them all.
As of yesterday I did still require 4 items. 1 could be subsitituted by a picture of either a heart shaped stone or a 4 leaf clover. I will let you read on to discover whether I had to resort to using either item!

#3 A Border
I really wanted to go for something creative other than the border of a flower bed in the garden, however I never managed to find anything, so I ended up with the border of the flower bed in my neighbours garden. I just like the way they have used the bricks slightly differently.

Although I did take pictures of the border round the sewing on the quilt my mum made for me a few years ago. I do love the purple colour she used.

#12 A Maze, Labyrinth or Trail
Funny story with this find is that tomorrow I am going to be attempting to complete the grown maze in Rotorua with the boys. Sure it would have been perfect for the hunt, shame it would be a day too late!
However for this one I got creative...
Firstly I can give you the game my cousin lent to the boys to play

A Game called 'Labyrinth' which is a moving maze game. You set the maze as the game is played but the idea is to set it so you end up at the finish but you opponent gets stuck at dead ends on the maze!

Secondly I give you the maze book that the boys like trying to do, although they are now finding them easy to complete!

#16 A Bride
This one I knew would be shear luck if I managed it. I sadly had no weddings to go to and knew of none coming up. We have a local Cathedral, the one I took pictures of here, however I never saw much activity during the last few months, but as I have mentioned once or twice, it is winter here so not really wedding season. This is another one of those items that give me another few weeks and I would be able to find brides all over the place for you!
The funny story about all this is that I thought my luck was in 2 weeks ago.
The boys and I had just walked home from soccer and my husband called to ask where we were as he was now free to come and collect us. We were just down the road from the Cathedral and I could see cars and people starting to mingle outside.
Steve came and collected us but I told him to drive round the block and meet me on the corner as I thought there was a wedding taking place (it was about 11am on a Saturday) and that I still needed a picture of a bride for the hunt! Would you believe he rolled his eyes at me at the craziness of it all!
So he drove round the corner and I ran up to the junction, crossed the road, camera at the ready and loitered a little on the pavement. I waited and waited as people slowly came out, dressed smartly, in black! Then it hit me, there was too much black! And no ribbon on the car!
Yep I was loitering waiting to get a picture of a bride at a funeral!

So I surrender on this picture and give you a heart shaped stone instead

#21 A Picture of You with Something That Symbolizes Your Nation
I asked a few mums at school what they would have their picture taken with if it was them? I didn't want to do a flag or passport (also small problem in that my passport is British not New Zealand).
Then I decided to go with something that all New Zealander's would immediately see and know as important to NZ mainly because this item is something that they would have all grown up with. It is iconic to New Zealand and if you didn't have one as a small child then I have found out that you had something missing from your childhood.
Ladies and gentlemen.....I give you the world famous Buzzy Bee. You can check out all about it here.
It is a true New Zealand Icon, something that any NZer would see overseas and immediately think of home.

Here in fact is a picture of my son when he first got this Buzzy Bee from his Uncle and Aunty for his 1st birthday.

So that completes the Summer 2012 Scavenger Hunt. It means I managed to find all 21 items, yea. Thank you to Rinda for organising something that has kept many of us amused for a few months. I would love to do another, people are mubbling about a winter one, or though for me that would be a summer one, so if that comes about, no requests for a picture of snow! But yes I  will be there for the next, if there is one.

My Most Favorite Picture of All
Part of the closing of this hunt is to choose my favorite picture I have taken from the whole hunt.
After reading back through all the posts and checking them all out I give you my favorite.....

My boys having fun with shadows

Happy weekend to you all x x

Scavenger Hunt Ending Soon

The Summer 2012 Scavenger Hunt is almost at an end. It finishes tomorrow Sept 21.
I still have a few to picture before then however I am not sure I will achieve all of them in that time, so I may have to cheat a little to at least have some form of picture available, although I may just confess all and accept defeat....we will see.

All I have left to find is the following:

• #3 A Border
• #7 Someone playing a musical instrument
• #12 A maze, labyrinth or trail
• #15 Someone dancing
• #16 A Bride
• #21 A picture of myself with something that symbolizes our nation

I guess I will finally give in and use the picture I took of the boys holiday programme teacher playing the electric keyboard at their breakup production back in July, I really was hoping to find something a little better but have seen nothing.

So that takes #7 Someone Playing a Musical Instrument off the list.

When we went to the cemetery to get a picture of an angel statue, I was telling the boys what I had left to find.

Alex asked who I was going to take a picture of dancing? I explained that I wasn't sure. So he proceeded to dance for me in the street and kept telling me to take a picture of him doing it, then I would have completed another challenge.

I took the pictures because he was making me laugh so much with his silly ways, but I think I will submit then for #15 Someone Dancing anyway......

He did all this whilst singing very loudly to himself so he had music to dance by!

I really wish I had found a couple or dance troop to picture but I smile every time I think of Alex dancing in the street for me.

Unfortunately due to it being winter here whilst I am undertaking this hunt, it means that we have not had any weddings to see. Well there have been weddings, I know they take place at this time of year as today is my 4th wedding anniversary, so some people are mad enough to get married in Spring here in New Zealand

And yes, before you ask my husband did remember to wish me Happy Anniversary this morning!

However this does not help much with the scavenger hunt as I have been unsuccessful in finding a bride to picture. I do however have an amusing story to tell about this and will enlighten you all more tomorrow on the official last day of the scavenger hunt.

Have to go now as I need to find a border, a maze and something that symbolizes our nation to have my picture taken next to.

Friend Making Monday

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules.
If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at alltheweigh so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Blog Stuff

1. Have you ever met anyone through your blog that led to an in-person friendship/relationship? I once read a blog and realised that the lady worked at the same company as me, we have met at work a few times but we have never become out of work friends.

2. Most bloggers have a specific niche. What would you discuss if it didn’t seem inappropriate on your blog? Probably a few more personal things or topics that people want to talk about but just daren't discuss.

3. If you could meet three bloggers, who would they be? I would love to meet up with Alexis ( aka Running Away? I'll help You Pack) my new blogging friend from the USA. I would also love to go to Spain and meet Alison, I think we could happily sit in the sun together for a few hours getting to know each other.

4. If you had to choose between Facebook or Twitter which one would you choose? Do not Twitter so very easy.... Facebook.

5. Do you vlog (video blog?) I have never done this, have never actually worked out how to get videos on to the blog, they always seem too large and I don't know how to condense them!

6. How many blogs do you read on an average day? It varies depending on what day it is, but I read as many as I can. I too don’t always comment because I too cannot be bothered by the immense hassles one must often go through to post a comment on blogger.

7. What is the coolest thing that you’ve seen online recently? It would be some of the amazing pictures from the 2012 Summer Scavenger Hunt I am involved in.

8. If you gave your blog a new name what would it be? Whenever I change the template, I do always wonder if I need to change the name, but can never come up with any thing else to be called. But after all my blog is about life today so it is actually a perfect name for me.

9. Have you ever attended a blog conference like Fitbloggin? If not, would you? We don't seem to have anything like that here in New Zealand. If there was I would love to attend and learn things and meet people.

10. In the past I have asked why you blog. Now I want to know why you read blogs? What do you take from it? I read blogs for a variety of reasons. I like to find how others have dealt with life, happy things that are happening to them and to read their stories on their life and realise that we do at the end of the day all pretty much experience the same things with kids and that we are not alone.

More Scavenge Hunt Finds

Sometimes it is all or nothing...!
I can find several items within hours of each other and sometimes it can be weeks before I find that 1 item I needed.
Seeing as this lovely scavenger hunt finishes next week then I had better get a move on...

#10 A Horse
Now how hard could this really be??? I mean I live in the middle of New Zealand surrounded by farming communities as far as the eye can see and there are horses all over the place BUT do you think I ever had the camera with me?? Yea exactly never!
Eventually I remembered where there was a horse and I was determined to picture it.
So we trapsed all the way to the field at the end of a road and here is what we found...

a sign that a horse is near by

even more of a sign they are near by

Oh look, there they are in the farthest field away

#18 A Movie Poster
The main cinema in town closed down due to 2 huge ones opening outside of town in the shopping malls. But the last time I went to either mall was ages ago. However when I had to go to the largest mall for another shop that too has closed its branch in town, I remembered that the cinema was out there.
So with camera in hand I zoomed up the escalator to capture a suitable movie poster.

Only problem I found is that this particular cinema has decided to go all high tech and the movie posters are now only shown on the screens high on the wall.
What happened to a nice big picture on the wall? What happened to them being advertised at bus stops nowadays? The internet and phone apps sure have a lot to answer to!

And just to add to it all, the pictures changed every 20 seconds.

What I Am Loving

I am currently loving my new individual ramikin dishes.
They are large ones so are suitable to make individual dishes in.
I have served Chicken Pasta Bake in them and the other day I did individual Shepherds Pies.
Anything to try and make dinner more fun and appertising.

I have also found that it is a perfect size portion for people and I am loving serving them for dinner. The family are enjoying eating out of them too.

In fact I am loving them so much I think I may need to purchase 2 more to have a decent set of them in case we get company.
Watch out Grandma, individual dishes when you next have dinner here!