The floors are done, furniture to come

Hallways entrance

Actually the bamboo floors were done last week but I am just now getting around to posting photos. For the complete set you can go here to my Facebook album. It's a public album and you don't have to be a Facebook member to view them. But I will post my favorite angles here anyway. Overall I am thrilled with the job and glad I spent the extra money to do the hallways. Now I am in the process of purchasing a sofa, coffee table and bar stools. I got a great deal on a queen size bed and dining table with four chairs. I get those delivered on Friday.

Here is the front entrance

I like this angle

With the kitchen in the background. So glad the area with the pet urine is gone!

 

 

Other view of living room from dining area

I love the transitional strips that go to the tile. 

New job and new hardwood floors

I started my new job as an Account Executive at an direct marketing agency. It's really interesting and I will be working on a major, national Medicare health care account. I'm finally going to be able to do marketing within a different industry and within a business to consumer (B2C) market. I'm learning a lot about Medicare and health care overall. It is so refreshing to do something different. I have been there only a week so far (Started on Aug 11). It's a really successful company who has had growth in this down economy. I look forward to the challenge. It's also a mile away from my previous job in suburban San Diego (about 17 miles north of where I live). I have virtually the same commute as I did 2007-2009. I don't mind it. I simply make my coffee in the morning and listen to NPR on the way up. It only takes 25-30 min to get there, sometimes less.

I want to explain exactly in more detail what happened and why I decided to take this full-time job over the contract one I had already accepted back on June 30. I had interviewed with this direct marketing agency a week before I was to start the contract job. I knew that they were not going to get back to me before I started the contract job. I figured that I would go on the interview since I had nothing to lose. I had already had a phone interview the week prior so I was "in the process" with them.  My current boss ended up calling me during her vacation the morning of my second day at the contract job to offer me the position. I was thrilled and a little shocked.

It was a Friday, so I negotiated the offer with the agency. I got the counter offer the following Monday. I finally let the contract job's staffing firm know I got another full-time offer that Wed. I said that if the company could offer me a full-time position with benefits at the same salary I would stay. The VP of Sales at the contract company said he would talk to the CEO and see if he could get an approval for a full-time marketing position. A week went by and he still hadn't been able to discuss it with the CEO. I then formally accepted the offer from the direct marketing agency and gave my 2-week notice. Deal done.

I am in the process of installing hardwood floors in my condo. I researched several options and ended up going with a bamboo wood. It turned out that Costco had the exact shade that I wanted. My installation guy told me about the deal they had since I was already reviewing the bamboo he had. I basically saved over $600 by buying the materials directly from Costco instead of him. He knew I was on a strict budget so I was grateful he shared this info with me. He didn't have to. That shows he is a honest businessperson. He is in the process of installing the floors now. Tomorrow he should be finished as the first day he did concrete patch work. Day 2 he laid down the padding and did most of the hallway. 

This will surely add value to the condo. I am so happy I got rid of the awful carpet in the living room/dining room area. The previous owner did not take care of it and actually allowed dogs to piss on the carpet. It was disgusting when I had the carpet cleaners come in and they lifted up the carpet to show the urine had went straight through the carpet and soiled the pad underneath it. It was so gross. They cut away the padding and cleaned the carpet as best as they could. I spent $215 on the carpet cleaning for the entire condo, just to rip out the living/dining and hallway carpet. You live you learn though. I still needed the carpets in the bedrooms to be cleaned. So it wasn't a total waste of money. I can't wait to post photos of the completed job. Below is a photo of the living room area with the padding on it.

Changing jobs again

Ok since the last time I updated on July 1 I had an offer in hand for a contract job. This position was only 25-30 hours a week, but at a good rate that I felt it was worth it to accept. I started the job on July 15. On my drive into work on the morning of July 16, I got a call from a company I interviewed with the week prior to starting my new job. The woman called me on her vacation and offered me a position as an Account Executive for this direct marketing agency. I was very shocked since I didn't think I would hear back about that job until the following week.

Long story short, I negotiated more money and accepted the position. I had to make sure that the background check and drug test was clear before giving notice at my current contract job. Of course they weren't happy, but they couldn't give me a full-time position. The VP had time to ask for the approval from the CEO. She never called him back. So time ran out, and I accepted the new job. I start Aug 11. Things are looking up. I got a new roommate move in on July 24, the painting is complete and I have decided to get new hardwood flooring in the living and dining areas put in. I will write more later but at least wanted to update this since it's been a month since my last entry!