In just a few days, I will be on my way to Miami, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten and I cannot wait. I definitely need to just get away and recharge my battery. How sad is that as I am not even working right now!?!

The weather this winter in Seattle hasn't been too horrible, but I am stoked for sunny skies, warm water, and warm wind, if there is any wind at all!

As the economy continues to take more and more victims, I am left wondering if there is any point in looking for a job at all? News story after news story document hundreds and thousands of people applying for low-paying and often times temporary work.

With that said, I am definitely moving full steam ahead with getting my knowledge compiled into a small book so as to consult campaigns on the use of candidate trackers. If they can't afford a consultant, they can get the small e-book and I might print out some hard copies because it would come in handy to have a small copy.

I better get to work, the 2010 campaign season is fast approaching!

The economy is still in the shitter. I've applied to a few jobs where I am overqualified and thought for sure I'd get a call back or something, but...nothing. Something will come along, someday.

Today, though, something interesting happened. Someone friend requested me on Facebook. We have some mutual friends (mainly campaign workers in D.C.), and so I accepted and took a look at his Facebook profile. He owns a firm that does communications work. They are hiring, but I am not quite qualified for what they are hiring for. Therefore, I decided to shoot him a Facebook email and ask if he would meet with me to possibly do an internship.

This is a great firm that does really good work. And I think it would be awesome to really get some great experience in communications and PR. He said yes to my email provided I email him a resume and cover letter!

Thoughts? No lectures on working for free, please.

It isn't much and it's pretty pathetic to what Idaho and New England are capable of producing, but it's still snow and it will have to do.

I remember back in Junior High and High School when we would get a few inches and the entire area would shut down. People out here get freaked out by snow. Emergency school closures, late-starts, people thinking they can drive in it when really they can't. That's winter in Seattle.

After 8 winter's in Idaho and 1 winter in New England, I've seen plenty of snow and no matter where you are, no matter how ugly the area, snow has a way of beautifying it. Everything is so much prettier with snow. That is until the red rock is poured on the streets and the pure white snow becomes red gunk. But still, there is never enough red rock to ruin it.

My favorite is when you get the whiteout snowstorms where you are almost insane to go drive in it. We had several of those in New Hampshire. One right after another. It would take 30 minutes to an hour to dig your car out and enough of a trail to get to a road the city had plowed and then I would drive the approximate 1 mile to my office and work while the city was calm. Yeah, that's right, I'm one of those insane people who insist on driving in snowstorms.

I love sitting in an office or your home and watching the massive amounts of snow fall. Seeing the buildup on trees, roofs, cars, and streets is exhilirating. This all makes me yearn for a white Christmas that is possible in Seattle, though unlikely. Last Christmas, I was in Rhode Island. I wanted to go somewhere I might never ever see and Rhode Island was only about 2 hours from New Hampshire. I was barely in Rhode Island because about 1 mile down the road from my hotel was Massachussets. lol. Gotta love how every state in New England is so close to other states.

I didn't really have the white Christmas in Rhode Island. There were traces of snow off the sidewalks and it was cold, but to the best of my knowledge, I don't remember snow. What I remember is driving across bridges that led to islands within Rhode Island. Rhode Island was simply gorgeous.

Hillary Clinton will soon be named Secretary of State and though I would rather have her be my Vice-President, I can live with SoS. I am just eating up some of these Obama staff announcements. It's so refreshing to have intelligent people that will be running our Federal Government again.

Today is also a great day because I finally got back up on that job searching horse and submitted some resumes and cover letters to some great places. The job market is just flooded with the unemployed and so it will be interesting to see what type of progress I have. Unfortunately, getting a job has a lot to do with who you know, not necessarily what you know, and most of my contacts are in Idaho, Vegas, New Hampshire, or DC, and not Seattle.

I am really digging my idea of creating a website with some information on candidate/campaign tracking. There is a huge lack of information out there and I have lots I could share with those novice trackers and campaigns who need help with their tracking program.

As you might know, I have views of downtown Seattle and Lake Union and I've noticed that often times when I look outside, I don't see any lights. Sometimes it startles me and I think the power went out out there and then I remember how much fog this area gets. I've missed fog. NEW HAMPSHIRE got some decent fog, but Seattle gets way more fog. It's nice.

to create (re-create) my Curriculum Vitae and submit it to a few community colleges to see if I can do some adjunct teaching next quarter. I think it's a good opportunity to see if I really like teaching and if so, maybe go back to school for another degree.

Watching the convention this year from Seattle will be extremely bittersweet. I watch with envy as some of my dearest professional mentors are in Denver soaking it all up. I had the opportunity to go to Denver, for free, but I turned down the job that would've brought me there. 

So I owe ya'll a list of Obama potential VP choices. I'm not going to be as thorough as I was with the McCain list because I just don't have the time anymore and frankly, I am more familiar with the Republican choices. I need to make the list in the next few days because Obama could very well announce his choice in the next 1-2 weeks.

I've been in Seattle for almost 6 days now. I was going to start work yesterday but will start this coming Monday instead. It's nice to get a break here, to try to get settled and acclimated. I have all of my belongings spread out here (my parents house), my car, another house my parents own, and it's made getting settled a bit difficult. I only live here in a sortof kind of way. My things wouldn't fit in my bedroom here, and I can't stay here when we have guests since I am in the guestroom.

The plan is to stay here until I know more about my job situation. Right now it's just a temporary job until November and if that ends up being the case, I need to have other employment lined up before I move into my own apartment, condo, etc. Staying here with no rent/utilities allows me to save up some money that I spent moving out here and pay down some bills.

Stay tuned for some potential news over the next few days, as well as my Obama VP list.

My name is Jessica. For the last several months, I have tracked over 130 events, all of which included Republican Presidential Candidates (oh and I tracked for 2 days at CPAC, which was a blast!). I tracked town halls (including invite only, private, closed, corporate, etc), house parties, rallies, parties, speeches, "events", press/media avails, tours, and every other type of campaign event. I was able to gain access to events no other tracker could get into. I was told and known by many people and organizations as the "best tracker in the country." What can I say, I have a gift.

I tracked for an organization that provided me with the top notch equipment that made my job easier. I had a Macbook and Final Cut Express for editing, a sweet Canon HD Camcorder, a nice microphone that captured great sound, a fancy Manfrotto tripod, the cords and adapters to plug into a mult box, a digital voice recorder, and more.

So, Washington State Democratic Party, if you want to track and ensure that the crook Dino Rossi doesn't win, and ensure a Darcy Burner victory so that douchebag Reichart loses his seat, I suggest you not only keep tracking their events, but you invest in equipment that will capture great images and, more importantly, GREAT sound.

Call me. I'll help you. I'll be in Seattle by August 11th, see you then.

Sincerely Yours,

Jessica

I'd like to let you all know that I have been offered a job with a progressive organization in Washington State! This group is doing cutting edge work using the internet and I am very excited about the learning opportunities involved and the chance to meet the wheels that make the progressive bus go round up in Washington.

I think I'll hold off on naming the organization. Feel free to email me if you want to know.

For the last several months, I've tracked Republican presidential candidates. The campaign I was on would disburse the videos to various blogs (Crooks and Liars) and websites (Brave New Films) as well as members of the press. One of my videos that I got at a private town hall at Rice University was used to alert the folks at Countdown with Keith Olbermann that McCain had goofed on the Shiite-Iran connection on yet another instance. Olbermann ran a segment with that video of McCain screwing up. Thanks to me.

My videos and audio I got from videos was also used in commercials for the campaign I was on, Campaign to Defend America (go here for one where multiple videos I shot were used), and a commercial Moveon.org did, which you can view here. I never got credit outside of the campaign, but I want to give myself credit now. My videos are still being used and dammit, I'm gonna take credit each time they pop up. You can go to this link for the youtube page of the campaign I was on and view hundreds of videos, a majority of which are mine.

If you watch a video under the last link to the IssueAlliance youtube page and want to know if I shot it, click on the "more info" link in the video description box and look for a label. If the label contains "JC", which stands for my name, then I shot the video. Here is one example you can see where "JC" is listed under the "label."

I've been dead set on staying out in Washington D.C. ever since I lost my job. I just didn't think I was ready to leave, until the other day. I can't quite pinpoint what triggered it, maybe feeling the full extent of the nothingness D.C. represents now, but I felt this sudden and strong desire to move back to Seattle. I felt like I was ready. I had ventured out on my own at the age of 18 and seldom returned home for extended periods of time. Three times for a few months at a time in the last nine years, if I recall correctly.

I think my last trip helped me realize what I miss out on when I choose to see the world and grow up, on my own. I miss familar faces, home cooked meals, extended family, my pets, familiarity of surroundings, memories, my dog sleeping under the covers to keep warm, puppies and kittens, and the realization that I am not completely alone.

I go into the storage area where all of my stuff is in Washington and get so excited at what I have collected over the years. I cannot wait until I settle down somewhere and I can hang my diploma's up on my wall in their beautiful frames my dad bought for me for the last three of my four degrees. I cannot wait to have my stuff back. I cannot wait to have my winter, summer, fall, and spring wardrobes all together!

So I texted my mom a few days ago and told her I was ready to come back. Not necessarily move back into the family home, but move back to the area. The sad reality now has been the foundation of why I wanted to stay; there are just more jobs here. More professional opportunities to grow. My professional ties are here. A job I might get is most likely here and to start applying to jobs in Seattle would be a time consuming and potentially fruitless effort.

This job I might get would last thru November. I couldn't drive across the country in December. The time is now, or next year when I am most likely broke. I can't make the decision now, nor a week from now. I need time. I need things to sort themselves out and then everything will become clear again and the road will unfold before me. Until then I bask in the nothingness of Washington D.C.

One of my former bosses, who I adore, has passed my name along to someone in the political consulting industry. I was able to have a phone coversation with them and met with them today to talk about getting a position with the consulting firm. The problem is that I am lacking in some of the qualifications they desire. They asked me to have two of my references call them and gave me a homework assignment. The assignment is a writing project, but the project is a type of project I've never done before. Yikes.

The pay would be about a $500/month cut in pay, but the experience I would get would hopefully trump the cut in pay. They actually told me when they mentioned the pay that it would probably be more than what I was making at my last job...not quite. I got a promotion and raise in February.

My main concern, aside from the homework, is approaching my boss about these medical issues I am having with that damn car accident. I really should be getting physical therapy 2x/week. The appointments are only about 30 minutes, and I can walk there in about 10-15 minutes from work. So I only need a few hours a week. However, if I do get this job and start right away, I will still need to schedule time to go see a Neurologist and go get that MRI.

The most unfortunate thing about campaign work, and this job would essentially be a campaign job, is not just the pay, but the hours really kick you in the ass. You don't work 8 hours a day, and scheduling needed appointments around a campaign schedule can be exceptionally difficult.

So any advice on approaching my potential boss if I get the job about appointments would be greatly appreciated. I figure as soon as she opens the door to accepting the job would be my time to ask her if it's "possible" to go see my physical therapist twice a week. Frankly, I'm content holding off on the MRI until I get more physical therapy.

So I had two phone interviews today. The first was for a Senatorial campaign in a southern state. Pretty major race. I would be so much more interested if it meant I didn't have to move. I thought for sure they were calling and wanting to guage my interest in field work, but it was actually for a research position, which I found so much more interesting. What's really great is they approached me! I sent them some of my research work earlier tonight. I just have no interest in moving to this particular state. DC or bust!

Then I interviewed with a group who does staffing for a lot of campaigns and organizations, such as the DNC, Moveon.org, etc...You do work on behalf of the groups but are paid through this other group. A lot of campaigns contract out some, or all, of their staffing. I have a feeling that the pay will not be great and the hours (80-100/week) is really tough to maintain. I pulled hours like that for two months last summer, then dropped down to 60-80 hours for a few more months, and have been at around 50-80 hours since then and it is killer. I just don't think I can maintain that and this position includes a lot of door-to-door work, which can be physically and mentally exhausting.

Later on I received a call from a political temp agency. Only in DC. I'm gonna go see them next week. Figure it's worth a shot, ya know? I'd love to work in a PR Firm or Ad Firm, or something like that. I find advertising so interesting.

So that's the status. Meanwhile, I'm plugging away at cover letters. Ugh.

For the past year, politics has been my life. Everything else has taken a backseat while I traveled our country to live my dream. Anytime I start feeling sad about my job, I just remember that I had an opportunity few have and there were many many happy times. For that, I am eternally grateful.

There were times when I thought that my life was just too great and maybe it was something God made happen to make up for the fact that I had this not so great childhood. I'll never forget those times and I have many people in my life now that only exist in my life because my job placed me in places where I could meet them (hi Paula and Michelle!).

But I wasn't smart. I let politics not only dominate my life but dominate it to a point where I didn't have much else there. So, this makes me wonder if maybe I'm not cut out for campaign work.

The dirty secret of campaign work is that a lot of the time you get treated like crap, paid like crap, and promised things that never materialize (promotions, pay increases, opportunities, skills). I worked for people during the last year which were pretty good to me but I started out organizing making $400/week. Thank goodness I had free housing, but I was working 80-100 hours a week! The interns in DC were making $2000/month....so annoying.

So the question then becomes, am I willing to put my life on hold to work in politics, not make very good money, not have very stable employment, work insane hours, and work with and under people who can be inept or totally lame?

Sigh. So I've applied to several jobs and it's really frustrating how time consuming it is just to apply to a job. Not only should your cover letter and resume be tailored to each job you apply to, but when you email those out, you should even have a mini cover letter in the email body. And then I'm all confused because most of the jobs I'm applying to ask for no phone calls or faxes and so I email them my stuff. Do I follow up with an email a week or so later? I'm not usually emailing these to specific people because a specific person isn't listed. The whole thing is just really annoying.

The good thing is that I'm realizing how valuable my background is in qualitative and quantitative methodology is. In fact, I wish I had some of my books here so I can refresh my knowledge.

I've discovered I get bad writer's block on my cover letters. The worst part is my intro. I want it to be exciting enough to catch their interest, but nothing crazy or weird. I'm also having a hard time summarizing how awesome I am. I kid. But really, summarizing 7 years of college, 5 years of work experience and several skills I've gained from school and work can be challenging.

So that's the challenge. I'm thinking I might head to Border's tomorrow to get out of the house and work a little on job applications. I'm getting bored here at home...

There were aspects of my last job that I greatly enjoyed. Namely, the candidate tracking. The rest of my job, which encompassed most of what I did, I didn't enjoy. It felt like menial work and everyday that passed, my IQ dropped a point. With this in mind, I continued in my job, worked my ass off and didn't search very hard for another job. Why?

I enjoyed the familiarity I had with the campaign and my coworkers. I loved the casual dress code and other small perks that can be unique to campaigns. But mostly, it was safe. I knew how to do the job, it wasn't difficult, and I made enough money to pay my bills. So when I was laid off, I was pretty upset but realized the silver lining. I wasn't strong enough to leave on my own to pursue something better, someone had to push me out, push me out so I could pursue something great. Greatness doesn't happen when you are playing it safe.

So with a severance package that buys me a month or so to find another job, I begin my search in hopes of finding greatness.

So after spending a few days home in Seattle, I returned to my other home back east. I felt like I was going to a funeral, which sounds so awful and melodramatic, but it's painfully true. My whole life was my job and now it's gone which means I have no life. My social life revolved around my work and co-workers and that is gone. I can only spend some much time job hunting, writing cover letters, tweaking my resume, etc, before I become bored to death. So, I decided to use my severance check to buy a small television and get cable installed...

I haven't had my own access to a tv and cable in almost a year, so I think it's high time I was reunited with one of my great loves-television. I love to sleep with the tv on. It's a bad habit, but I've done it for so long and the familiarity of it feels really nice. I also figure that even when I do find a new job, it hopefully won't require 60-80 hour+ work weeks like my last job so I will have more time to relax in front of the tv.

I've been really toying with the idea of moving to Seattle. I just don't know if I should pull the trigger on that idea quite yet. Here's why; I've spent the last year building up my resume, but building it up for campaign work. Now, I'm not quite sure I want to do campaign work. The hours, the instability, the often times shitty treatment, I just don't know if I have it in me to make a career out of it. So when I look at other jobs that I'm not quite qualified for, but could be soon, I think what better place to be than D.C. to build up my resume and really get good experience outside of campaign work?

I love politics, and if I don't/can't work on campaigns, maybe I should keep myself in my Mecca to still feed that hunger but not gorge myself on it by working on campaigns?

Lastly, I would just like to say that I wish more than anything that my family lived out east. I love it out here, especially New England.

But only temporarily. Why sit around and job hunt and be lonely and bored in Maryland when I can do it surrounded by family and animals??? 

So...it all happened today. I'm looking to get my resume out there. Gonna look for work in New England, Washington D.C., Utah/Idaho, Vegas, or Seattle.

Anyone know of any campaigns looking for a tracker or researcher? How about the public or non-profit sectors looking for a recent grad who works her ass off?