It's a Nice Day for a Blue Monday

According to the news, today is what they called "Blue Monday." It's named that because the holidays are over and everyone is going back to work and feeling blue. Whatever. I was determined that wasn't going to be me because I had something to look forward to! On Friday, I got a call back from a job agency about a position I applied for. This job didn't pay crap, but it was really close--about 15 minutes from my house and the location would make it worth it. 

The lady from the job agency said she'd called me today and prescreen me for the job. Yay! All weekend I fluctuated between being nervous and being excited. It had been a long time since I'd heard about a job!

So this morning I stayed near the computer waiting for her email. I made sure my phone was charged for when she called. I applied for another job because I had to keep moving forward. Nothing was guaranteed and I couldn't get my hopes up. That's when I got the email from her saying that the company decided to hire someone they had interviewed this morning so there was no point in prescreening me, but she was impressed by my resume and wanted to keep it for future reference.

I emailed her thanking her and saying that of course she could keep my resume, but for the first time in a long time I felt disappointment and tears came to my eyes. It had been so long since I let myself feel hope when it came to a job. I apply for so many that look really good and I just know I would be perfect for them, but I rarely hear back. That's why I never allow myself to believe there's a chance I'll get a chance. But this time, I did... One got underneath my shell... It hurt. A lot.

Blue Monday, indeed.

I shook it off the best I could and then Smoke and I had to go out to grab some dog and cat food, so we ran by the Goodwill and a thrift store. I love looking at other people's junk from time to time and seeing what treasures I can dig up. And boy did I find some good ones!



This ceramic cat statue is huge! I'm assuming it's a mama cat grooming her kitten. Or it's a zombie cat trying to eat the kitten's brains. Take your pick! To see how big it truly is, look at it next to my photobombing dog:



The guy in the Goodwill asked me if I had cats and I said yes and then he asked me if they stared at other cats and I was like, "At other cats or cat statues?" I was confused. Smoke totally ignored him but I tried to be polite. I still couldn't understand though. Despite what people might think I don't talk crazy cat person. Next time someone asks me if I have cats, I'll just say no.

Of course I had to mess with my cats and put the statue outside...



"Is you my friend or are you going to eat my brains?"

I also bought this wooden lighthouse:



It has cool little details like this rocking horse:



Who knew there were rocking horses teetering on the roof of a lighthouse? I'm assuming it's actually supposed to be a pelican or seagull, but to me it looks like a rocking horse. Maybe a seahorse?

Then I got this:



It has pictures of seashells and says Ocean City, MD on it. I only bought this because O.C. is my favorite vacation spot and it reminded me of a better time. A warmer time. I'm pretty sure it's a toothpick holder. Or a tiny Putt-Putt miniature golf pencil holder. It's something I would never buy in a store, but for fifty cents, it's worth it. If I put it up to my ear, I can hear the sound of the sea... And the sound of people getting ripped off as they pay way too much for this cheap item. Ahh... Vacation.

I bought these mugs:



One is a souvenir from Assateague Island in Chincoteague, VA and has a horse (maybe the same horses you find on lighthouses) and the one on the right says it was hand painted in Italy exclusively for Starbucks Coffee Company and is not microwave safe. Not sure why. How did I end up with a pretentious Italian coffee mug? I just liked it because it was huge and could hold a lot of coffee! It also kind of reminded me of the mugs you might get at Luke's Diner in Stars Hollow (Yes, Gilmore Girl's reference).

We got Scooter a stuffed kangaroo. Smoke kept calling it a bunny (despite the obvious pocket on the front) so it ended up being a bunnyroo. This is Scooter chewing out his eyes. Cats go for brains, Scooter goes for the eyes.



My husband picked out this:



We're not sure what it is, but it looks pretty cool. He's hoping it's a good luck charm. I was ok with that as long as it's not a Brady Bunch tiki statue situation. I'm not sure if he even got it from a shelf and instead got it from someone shady in the back of the Goodwill. You never know! (If anyone knows what it is, please let us know!)

We bought a few other things-Smoke bought some golf clubs and I bought a sweater and a computer game, but those weren't as cool as my treasures. I look forward to displaying them proudly somewhere where people could see them! Until the cats start creeping me out and I have to hide them out of sight.

All in all, it was a pretty good Blue Monday. Maybe a yellow Monday. Or Mauve. Puce.