Subject: Amy's Life, 8/18/99

 Hey Everbody!
      Time for the latest update on Amy's life!  I think the last time i did
 this was when I got back from Cali.  Sory I haven't been able to return many
 personal e-mails, or much in depth - I've been a bit busy, and waiting for a
 better computer environment.  That might be in the works.... Mommy and Daddy
 want to buy me one for graduation :)
      Anyways, in recent history:  I searched briefly for a job in Chemistry,
 sent out a few resumes, applied at Horizon Bookstore and Borders to work in
 the Cafe area, and then was rejected!  Can you believe that, rejected at a
 coffee bar?  Ah well.  So, in lieu of that, I went back to good old J.C.
 Penneys and worked in the Shoe Department.  A new experience for me, after
 having worked in almost every area in the store.  But Hey, it' a commission
 envronment, and I was lured in by my friend Lorie's tales of 12-14 dollars
 and hour during Back-to-School sales (read "The entire month of August")
 Which you ahev to admit if pretty darned good for Traverse City and little
 training.  So, with a joblined up and no hits on the resumes (all to
 Pharmaceutical sales rep ads), I started at Penneys a month ago.  I also
 decided to heck with Chemistry, I was sick of it anyways, and so I decided
 to go to NMC, the community college, and get a Bachelors in Computers.  My
 friend Ben is getting his this semester, and likes what
 he does.  HEck, *I* like what he does (though not the hours) so why not go
 for that kind of job?  Well, we're geting there.  I was finally accepted at
 NMC last Thursday, registered for classes Friday.  Angrily.  All of the
 classes I wanted were FULL!  So, I signed up for some alternate stuff, like
 a webpage design class, and then sighed and hoped the University Center
 would be more forgiving.  SO far they haven't, and I wanted to wring the
 neck of the secretary yesterday.  Things are looking up in the Higher
 Education department, though, and I'm hoping heads will not have to roll ;>
 Back on the employment theme, there was an ad in the paper for a lab
 position at a local company.In Kalkaska, in fact - a small, SMALL town about
 a half hour east of TC. "Chemistry Degree with 1-3 years experience
 preferred" is what thead said.  Apparently everyone with ANY degree was
 applying, and I was the only Chemist.  Even with no lab exerience, I was
 hired within a half hour.  Whooppee!!  So, now I*do* have the job that
 Ben has that I admire, or at least the aspects I admire: Coem in when you
 wanna, but roughly 8-10ish; leave when teh work's done, but roughly 5 p.m.
 or earlier.  Wear grubby clothes, b/c you might spill something on you.
 Very little customer interaction (no complaints)  and breaks whenever you
 want 'em!  YE-haw!  Now, get That, and about $20,000 a year.... yeah, I can
 diggit.  :>
      On the housing front, I decided to move out of my parents' place. I
 have been looking for about a month now, but getting a job 50 minutes from
 Home sorta forced the issue.  I was looking at cottages witht eh intent of
 finding people to move in with me, but that didn't sound all that appealing.
 Soooo..... I did the dreaded, and answered a roommate wanted ad in the
 classified.  I figger if you have to do that, you have to be desperate, and
 why would you be that desperate unless you don't have any frineds, right?
 So, with little hope, I called up the gal, and talked to her current
 roommie, who sounds VERY cool.  I met with her today, asked a few questions,
 and found out htat we get along very well, that she's pretty normal, but she
 has had some pretty darned odd people calling for the place.  But hey, again
 this week I'm the best man for the job, and was hired on the spot!
 Actually, Jaimie asked me to move in more quickly than Craig and Bob did,
 which is funny.  I start both parts of my life fulltime
 next weekend:  I move in with Jaime on the 27/28/29th ish, and I start
 fulltime at Enviro Lab on the 30th.  I'm overlapping Enviro Lab with Penneys
 right now, b/c they needed someone ASAP, and they wanted some continuity
 between Dan (the guy I'm replacing) and myself.  I didn't wanna just up and
 quit Penneys though, b/c it's still back to school, and they're swamped, and
 I don't wanna let them down.  I've developed some loyalty to the place, and
 I don't wanna disappoint them. :(
      Oh, don't call there until the 30th, but the number at Jaime's (and
 soon to be mine) is (231) 946-8712
      I think that's about all of the news.  Bert's alive and well, his
 babies are growing healthy an big, and I think he might ahve eaten a few.
 There are four missing, with no bodies.... time to bring in the "Unsolved
 Mysteries" crew!  I also have somethingof a life, going out with the Penneys
 girls - I think I'm going ot miss that, the social aspect of my Job (there
 doesn't seem to be much of one at Envirolab, with just me and Bob in
 seperate labs)  but hey, I can always go visit, 'cuz I'll be living in
 town!!

      Well, have a good night kids, and tell me how things are going on your
 end! :)

                                                            -Amy