Agent Nardoni

Can you believe that I meet more qualifications to being a CIA Agent than a writer?

The Hunt

I need a new job.
I need benefits.
I need something that pays decently because I will be paying rent.

Knowing me, are there any suggestions?

Confessional

Target temptations...
Anytime I'm in Target with chipped toe nail polish, I have to withold the urge to touch up in their cosmetic aisle.

You're a bully man! Just lemme have a piece...
As a child, I remember visiting the local Pamida. They had large bin of candy, perfect for a young person's reach (this was not your mama's cookie jar - this candy was right there, in your face!). Next to the bin was a box, likened to a boring piggy bank, with a sign attached that read "5 cents a sample." That's it - a nickel for a piece of candy; the gummy fruit shapes doused in sugar were my favorite. But sometimes Mom wouldn't allow us to sample the candy. Walking past it I recall wondering how the upper Pamida management ever knew whether the little children were paying or not. My curiosity was never fulfilled. I feared the wrath of my mother too much to test the store's security.

Destined friendship...
I think Rush Limbaugh and I would be good friends. He corrects his own grammatical errors.

Blonde moment...
My sophomore year of college, a friend and I were heading to Bloomington for a movie. While cruising down I-55, I was especially energized by the song on the radio and began honking the horn of my Cutlass Cierra to the beat of the obnoxious tune. My friend suggested that I stop before my car ran out of horn juice. Horrified, I quickly stopped. I had no idea how much it would cost to refill horn juice.

Confession...
I find satisfaction in kicking small dogs. Kick...kick...

For a Price

Microsoft Word has a feature that I, and many others, took advantage of throughout the college years - Shift+F7 - the Thesaurus shortcut. I recently noticed that a synonym for expense is sacrifice. Quite humorously, it's antonym - income.

Money has sadly been pouring from my wallet. As I watch it fade from my grasp, I remind myself that it's an investment...

the gas mileage
the professional dress clothes
the magazines
the books
the dinner after a long wedding shoot
the ibuprofen
the lenses

It is an investment, right?

Picture: Home

I have posted new pictures HERE

September's Post

Sometimes change isn't so bad. I can honestly say that a year ago, I would be in turmoil over the lack of permanent housing and potential joblessness, but today I feel great!

After a fabulous vacation home, I returned with a spirit of distaste towards my job. Yesterday morning I trudged into work with a heavy heart (this always happens after a visit with my family, it takes me a few days to realize that I can make it without them right next to me, and then I'm back to normal) and immediately sat down to make a note in my planner: CRUNCH NUMBERS - DETERMINE HOW MUCH $ I NEED TO MAKE. An hour or so later I was scribbling down characteristics of my ideal job. I tucked the note into my planner with anticipation of tending to it later this week. By 3 pm, I was standing at the sink thinking that I should just walk into my boss' office and say, "Look, this isn't working for me anymore." Startled by my impulsive thoughts, I shoved the idea aside as nonsense, but managed to utter a prayer that my employer would initiate a conversation with me, that the "answer" would be obvious, that I would no longer be wondering if I should stay...or if I should go.

Within the hour, it happened. Tai Kwan Do called me into the other room and point blank asked me if I wanted to pursue a new career. Without hesitation, I said yes. (Honestly, I think he realized that they don't really need me here. I have managed to alleviate the tasks and mundane activity from his plate, but it isn't anything that the other employees couldn't do. After all, they don't "need" an office manager anymore. They need a programmer. And a programmer I am not.) He has offered to help me get to a point of departure, allowing me to stay with the company until January, complete two years with the company for my resume, and giving me time to take a class if I so desire. We won't be burning any bridges.

I am at peace with the situation. Anyone who has heard my stories, my anxiety, my frustrations knows that this is a wonderful thing. Staying in NH? Probably. For the past year I have known that I am not staying for the job. I am digging roots (that very well may uproot later in life). I love my experiences, my friends, my ministries... Until God pulls me elsewhere, this is where I'll stay.

So, I may be the only person who is truly relieved about losing a job. How could I not be? I am more excited about my photography business potential. I am already dreaming about a trip to see some friends on the West Coast in January. I see God closing doors and that can only mean one thing. He's on the move.