Quick Report: Looks Good

Seeing as I felt more welcomed and valued at this job on day one than I did at my last job after seven months? It looks good.

And given that the day had far more boring to it (tax forms, Word 2007 training) than scary (what is he talking about? is that even English?), it beats the last three first days I've had. So that looks good.

The commute was good.

I'm having lunch with my new peers tomorrow. That's good.

The Bruins, now? After their disintegration on Saturday, I expected them to come out at the top of their game tonight.

They did not.

They don't look good.

But if I had to choose one of the two to keep being good, I'd pick the job. Sorry, Bruins. I hope you rebound. But I know what's more important.

It's good.

Hockey and Packing (What Else?)

NHL Update (oh Bruins, my Bruins)
Well, that Tennessee sign guy has my sympathies, because the Predators were eliminated last night. The conference semis are down to one series, and if San Jose wins tonight, that will finish round two. If Detroit wins, they force game 7 on Thursday. I don't have a strong feeling either way; not being a big fan of Joe Thornton, I'd be mildly pleased to see him out, but really I won't lose sleep over it either way. (There have been very, very few NHL games not featuring the Bruins in the last 30+ years that I've cared strongly about, one way or the other. In fact the only exception that comes to mind is when Ray Bourque won the Cup with Colorado in 2001.)

Until this morning, all that I had read indicated that the start of the next round would depend on the outcome of tonight's game*, but this afternoon the NHL released the schedule for round three, starting Saturday. Which is good, because I'll only miss one game while I'm away, instead of possibly two.

*With round three starting Thursday or Saturday, depending.

Sure, I hate to miss it, but it's not the end of the world. And there's no one to blame for the timing of this trip but me! I'm a bad Bruins fan: when I was planning this trip (a month and more ago), the playoffs simply didn't occur to me. Give me some slight credit: it wasn't that I considered how far the Bruins were likely to go, and dismissed the possibility they'd still be playing this late*; it just never crossed my mind (which isn't quite as bad, I guess).

*Though the odds were in my favor, had I done so.

Listing, Planning, Packing
Last night, I started to put a few things aside, to get ready for packing. I'm so not a "grab the passport and go" traveler: I like to plan and consider and prepare. Anticipation!

Some people are aces at packing light, and some are not. I am very much not, but as I keep reminding myself, on this trip I have to carry everything I bring. Not that I'm walking to DC with my pack on my back, but you know, I want to be able to carry things (to, on, and off the train) without much strain. It helps that it's going to be a jeans-and-sneakers trip, nothing fancy that requires careful handling, and that it's spring, not winter with all its bulk.

It's a short trip (I'll be there for three days and four nights), but with the travel days it feels longer. I'm trying to balance having what I need (and want) on the train and on the trip with weight and space considerations. So I'm not shirking on the clean underwear, or weighing q-tips (literally or metaphorically), but I am working to control my just-in-case tendencies.

Nor am I bringing bulky knitting! The sweater is already too much for a travel outing, other than to stitch and bitch. Socks are good (I'll bring the current purse pair, and yarn for the next), and a little scarf/shawl thing I'm planning.

What Else?
Oh, the new job officially starts on Monday, May 23.

Whee!

Friday Night, pre-Bruins edition

This morning on the way to work, I heard three or four of my favorite crank-up-the-radio-and-sing songs in a row, which isn't unprecedented, but still, on top of The New Job*, and how well the Bruins are playing, and it being Friday, and the sun shining, it felt like a very good thing.** And it made me think that my brother was right: I should buy a lottery ticket.

*And thank you all for the good wishes!
**On the way home, I listened to English Beat (on cassette!), and saw the first lilacs budding. Spring! It's here!

Also on the way home, I saw this funky little car, and I had to wonder: do you think there's a removable head-support for the passenger side, or is it every man for himself?


Also in pictures, Miri this morning, trying to look out the window and monitor my intentions simultaneously:


And Carlos being fully unconcerned with my intentions, and contemplating a busy day of napping:


And there were some fabulous-smelling flowers (well, a flowering bush, actually) in a parking lot:

What is it? Do you know?

**********
By the way, I was looking in old e-mails for something, and happened upon this message, sent to a few friends on 11/15/09:

While I do still have my job, I am starting to look around the job market, scary as it is, in search of a position better suited to me. I would like to get back into proofreading, or perhaps copy editing, or something similar. Words, my friends, I want to work with words! It's time to brush up the resume and get it out there. Please, keep me in mind, would you? If you hear of an opening for a wordsmith, let me know.

So this situation of flux has been going on for even longer than I remembered.

**********
At work this morning, the other proofreader and I received an invitation that the rest of the department got on Tuesday, for lunch today. (Sometimes, being a temporary employee is more than just a state of mind ... we don't always hear about things before they happen.) A few times, there have been department lunches for people's birthdays and the like, but this one was unspecific about the why of it. Hmmm. Suspicious.

My decision about going was fairly easy, since I am now slipping into short-term syndrome. It won't be my problem for long, no big deal. But I did decide to bring my knitting, so that if there was a period of time after eating when it felt politic to sit and listen, and not leave the room as I might otherwise be inclined, I would have something to do with my hands. I'm better at sitting through things that way.

My conclusions:

• It's true, there really is no such thing as a free lunch.
• If you have chosen marketing as your field, then a presentation and discussion of branding, with a promise of follow-ups, may be as fun as you think it is; if, however, you have fallen into proofreading as a profession and just happen to work in the marketing department, then most of what you will hear will sound more like, "jargon jargon buzzword mumble blah."
• Bringing the knitting was a very good idea. I was able to segue from "eat pizza instead of saying what just crossed my mind" directly into "move hands, not lips", which was for the best. Definitely. (I don't have a lot of contact with this guy, but enough to have already learned that he does not "get" my sense of humor in the slightest.)

So. Contentedness here Chez Cat Hair. Go Bruins! Happy weekend!

Only a Year Later Than I Hoped For

AKA, The Resolution of Proofquest 2010-2011

I don't know if the waiting is the hardest part, as the song says, but it sure is hard.

This morning, I heard from one of my references that she was contacted yesterday. Yay!

And waiting...

At work today, I had the Priority Inbox showing on my Gmail, so my heart wouldn't leap at every meaningless message*. I had my cell phone on my desk, turned on but volume off, so I could check every little while: any calls? any messages? Nothing.

*And today, most everything was meaningless.

And waiting...

Aaaannd then. After lunch, I got an e-mail from the woman in HR, to set up a time to talk (they're having trouble with the phones in their building). Ahhhh. Keep breathing. We did a little phone-and-e-mail tag before connecting at last, and yes: offer.

Say it again: OFFER! And ACCEPTED!

Whew! The interviews felt so good, if they hadn't offered me the job, I wouldn't have known what to think. I wouldn't have been able to trust my instincts if they hadn't.

Thank you all for the crossed fingers (toes, ankles), good-karma thoughts, prayers, call it what you will. Your support means a lot to me. I've been looking for a permanent job for more than a year (since last February, I think), and it's been a long haul. It's not the sort of thing anyone gets through alone.

The funny thing is that this morning, I thought that I would be calmer once I heard from them. But once I did, I was still all excited and jittery and man, it's a good thing I didn't have to have my blood pressure taken today. But the bubbly feeling is more excitement than nervousness, which I take for a good sign.

And grocery shopping after work? A mighty comedown.

A permanent job. Benefits. Mmmm. Health insurance. And oh, four weeks paid time off a year. A year of temping will raise one's appreciation of these things.

**********
Now, as for hockey, the Bruins have not won the series yet, and if there's anyone who takes that to heart*, it's Bruins fans, but all the same, last night's game was one of the best they've played in recent memory.

*No premature celebrating, no counting chickens, no Googling about when round three would start if, if, if.

I fully expected Philly to come out full steam ahead, all guns blazing, but instead they seemed rather flat, while the Bruins got two goals in the first 1:03, and never let up. Startlingly good, considering the up-and-down way they played much of this season. It sure was fun to watch! And I'm very curious what will happen tomorrow night (Game 4, and on NESN!)(which means homers, the local announcers, not the neutrals on national coverage; hi, Jack!).

For the record, I do not fully agree with the opinion piece on NESN.com that is headlined:

Flyers Have No Chance of Rallying From 3-0 Series Deficit to Beat Bruins, No Matter What Happened Last Year

Still, I like the Bruins' chances. Certainly if last night's team shows up!

(Also, ow:
"Towing" a line must be hard. Toeing the line would be so much easier!)

Wordy Wednesday

(Y'all know I'm never going to be doing the Wordless Wednesdays, right? I'm just not the "goes without saying" type.)

I slept so well last night. Let me emphasize that as it deserves: sooooo wellllllll. It was blissful. I watched a little TV in the evening, between making dinner and washing dishes and biking, and stayed up long enough to catch the last few minutes of Tampa kicking the Capitals when they're down*, then read for about 4.2 minutes before turning off the light. Snuggle under covers, breathe fresh air through the half-open window, pet the cat, and out. Is there anything like good sleep? Doesn't it make even a cool, rainy day a little more bearable?

*It's rather restful to watch a game where I just don't care who wins.

Of course, I'm still feeling some stress today. Running through my head much of today: "It's Wednesday. It's only Wednesday. Wednesday is not the end of the week. Chill out." But it's so hard to listen to me, even when I give me good advice! The heart leaps at every e-mail, only to find a library request has come in ... sigh. Ordinarily I would be pleased by that, but not today.

The waiting feels endless, and yet at the same time, I know the process is moving quickly. And here's how I know: I get my hair cut every 5-6 weeks. At my last haircut, I hadn't heard of this company. At my next haircut, I could conceivably be working there. That's fast. But at the same time, the minutes are crawling. It didn't help that while the morning was busy, the afternoon ... how do I put this? ... was not. Busy is better for distraction.

Fun fact: One more small reason why I would be happy to get this new job: they have the usual office layout, cubes and closed-door offices, but apparently they give the offices with doors to the people who need to be on the phone. "What a radical concept!" I thought today, as three of my cube-neighbors were on the phone simultaneously.

**********
This year I'm going to try to stave off the many, many Father's-Day-themed e-mails I know are coming*, as did those that repeatedly whacked me about the head last year. Who needs it, you know?

*The first one came today, in fact, which is what made me think of it.

I set up a filter in Gmail for messages with "dad" in the subject, and "dad", "father", and "father's day" in the message, to go directly to a separate folder. I'll check it periodically for any real messages that get caught in the net, but if you e-mail me to come over on Father's Day, I may not answer right away. (Of course, I might not have answered promptly anyway, but I'm sure you understand that it's no slight to you, or your dad.)

**********
Finally, go Bruins! Oh, and by the way, if you celebrate the day, May the 4th be with you!

Second interview complete: let the waiting commence

I think it went well*; I am hopeful; there is nothing to do now but wait. They expect to make a decision by the end of the week, so at least it won't be a long wait.

*Oh, hell, it went well, it went well, I'm just trying to sound all casual, like I won't be crushed if they make the wrong decision. I will pity them! That's right. Uh-huh.

And I got a reminder lesson this morning in why it's a good idea to leave way, way early for an interview, even when you know where you're going, etc. When I went to my interview last week, the last little bit of the trip (through the town center) was very congested and slow-moving, and took about ten minutes for a two-minute distance. So I looked at the map and thought that perhaps going a slightly different way would work better--it's a little bit longer, but might be faster.

Or not. What might have been five minutes without traffic took thirty this morning. Fortunately, being the compulsive little early-freak that I am, I still parked 15 minutes before the time I was due. But still. Yoicks.

I wasn't feeling well yesterday, one of those headaches that takes the whole body down with it, and though I dragged myself to work, I only managed an hour before giving up and going home again. When I got there, I simply went back to bed, and slept the day away--the cats were thrilled. I did get up in time for the Bruins game*, but I missed stitch and bitch, as well as blogging. I don't feel great today, but much better. It'll do.

*Which the Bruins won, in OT, thanks largely to Tim Thomas.

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

Step by Step, but Good News

Oh, it went well! It went well, and I liked both the HR person and the hiring manager, liked what they had to say about the job, and about the company, and I'm excited and nervous, and trying not to be too excited too soon*, and ... I have a feeling that I'm emitting vibrations on a frequency that humans can't hear. I was as jittery as ten cups of coffee, all afternoon.

*I know that someone could have walked in there this afternoon and knocked their socks off (even more than I did), and I have no control over that. I can only control what I do.

It went well, is the thing, and we've scheduled a second interview for next week. Good feelings, but please continue to cross fingers! (Tuesday morning, specifically.)

Even before I heard back from the company last week, I was contemplating what to wear to an interview, should I get one. I did a lot of pondering, and purposely didn't blog about it because for once I didn't want anyone else's opinion. This was a case of deciding what I was comfortable with, and no one else can decide that for me.

I didn't have trouble deciding on a specific knit top and jacket to wear, both dressy but still comfortable, and ones that I felt confident wearing. The main issue that took thought was whether to wear a skirt or pants/slacks/trousers, and I went back and forth on that. First I decided that wearing nice, tidy slacks was sufficiently professional ... then that I really had to wear a skirt, to show that I can be more formal ... back and forth.

Part of the issue is that the last interview or two that I wore a skirt to, I felt very overdressed, enough to be uncomfortable. In general life, I don't care tremendously what others think of what I'm wearing, but if you sit through an interview wearing a skirt, while your interviewer wears jeans, it just is not comfortable. So I weighed each side pretty thoroughly.

In the end, the skirts stayed in the closet. It turns out to be a casual office, like jeans are okay every day, and I felt that I looked professional, and not too casual, and was dressy enough for that office without looking like central casting sent me over from 1955. And as a bonus, I could go on to work (after removing the pearls) without my clothing screaming, "My 'appointment' this morning was a job interview!" Even though I then sat down with my boss to tell her that.

**********
Now! Hockey! The Bruins couldn't get it done last night; it was a pretty pathetic effort, really. Maybe they just didn't want to distract me before the interview? Anyway, another day, another quote from Stanley Cup of Chowder:

I have been calling Habs fans clowns for a long time. My theory might be right after seeing the items that they bring to hockey games. What well-adjusted adult brings a rubber chicken to a hockey game and then throws it on the ice?

Exactly what I was asking! The Canadiens had a goal called back last night because the whistle had blown, and I don't blame them for being upset, but the fans started throwing things on the ice, and the trash included a rubber chicken. What, you just happened to have one with you? Seriously?

Anyway. Off to game 7. It's tied at 2 after 2, and I am capital-N Nervous.

Up and Down, This and That

It seems impossible--feels impossible--that it can have been two years since my dad died, but so the calendar tells me. Isn't time the strangest thing?

The pain is not so sharp, not so frequent as it was. But it's still there, of course.

**********
Oh, Shut Up
Some days I would like to kill the man who sits near me at work and whistles randomly throughout the day. Holy crow, man, STOPIT.

(I'm sure he doesn't even realize he's doing it. And it feels incredibly petty to bring it up, plus he's the sort of person to give me a hard time about it forever. [The morning after the Bruins went down by two games, he saw me, laughed, and said, "Go Habs!" Ha. Ha. Then later, it was, "Just kidding!" Uh-huh.])

Which leaves me fantasizing about hitting him in the throat with a blunt instrument. I think that would cut off outgoing noise, don't you?

**********
Careful How You Transcribe That
One of the Bruins blogs today quoted Claude Julien as saying, "...it certainly shows that there’s parody in this league..."

I'm relatively certain that the coach actually spoke of "parity", though I suppose given the NHL these days, it's not an impossible stretch. The first (and so far, only) commenter summed it up nicely: "Yes, there is parody in the league, plenty of it, but there’s also parity."

**********
And Yes, Interview Thoughts
Preparing for an interview without getting too crazy about the interview, well, that's a fine line to walk. Especially since my last interview was all the way back in September, and while it seemed to go well, it led exactly nowhere. I keep telling myself that even if this doesn't work out, I need the practice. Which is true, and also not all that comforting, but hey, that's why they invented unisom, right?

For perspective, I just remind myself that I'd far rather have Carlos's clean bill of health than this job, which is true. I don't even know if this job is right for me (and vice versa), while I know I love the fur-baby, and want him to stay healthy. So there's that.

And as for tomorrow evening (aka The Night Before), the good news is I have distractions. I go from work to get a mammogram (woo, that's not a phrase I expect to follow "good news"), then the Bruins play at 7. Those should help keep my mind from retreading the well-worn path to crazyville.

And will I go to the near-work stitch and bitch Wednesday night, aka The Night After? That depends on how I feel at the end of the day. I may need to go straight home and crawl into bed. (Or on the couch, should the Bruins lose tomorrow night and require game 7.) Ah, the uncertainty! A week ago, so far as I knew, I was working where I am for the foreseeable future. Now, who knows? The situation may change, and that would be for the better, but it's unpredictable, isn't it? You may have picked up on the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of change, or uncertainty, or unpredictability.

And hey, as long as we're on the topic of resumes, or at least in the neighborhood of the topic, can I ask your opinion? I recently read a short but humorous rant about resumes, asking why would someone have their address on their resume, because "What do I need your address for anyway? Telegram inviting you to an interview?" and I laughed while at the same time feeling much taken aback.

It never occurred to me, never once crossed my mind, to take my address off my resume. Yet when I think about it, no, I do not expect to be contacted that way. I expect either a phone call or an e-mail, and prefer the latter. But ... but ... somehow over the years I added my e-mail address, and even, recently, LinkedIn profile address, to the standard name-address-phone#, without ever thinking of taking anything off.

I have seen the job search change vigorously in under ten years, and I know that things that are taken for granted today would have shocked me just a few years ago. I also know that I'm old school, being middle-aged and all. So I thought I would ask you all for your opinion:

Would you remove your address from your resume? Have you? Will you?

It's weird when the world changes around you, fast enough for the eye to see.

Good News, Cubed

1. Carlos is fine.

The ultrasound revealed all looking as it should be. I knew I'd like the ultrasound vet when he came in and immediately noticed my OED (he has the magnifying-glass version himself). When he said that he couldn't see any problems? He's my new best friend.

The baby was very good, not wiggling during the exam (the other vet held his scruff, just in case), and in fact he mostly just lay there and waited for it to be over. When it was, he beat a dignified retreat and sat in the sunshine to recover.

Was hard work, have to rest now.

Are you coming for me next?

Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes. Whew! I feel like we dodged a bullet here. The vet suggests testing the bloodwork again in a few months, but she's not too worried, so neither am I.

2. The Bruins won. From being down two games, they're even again.

It wasn't their best game of the season, and they had to get it to overtime to do it, but they won, and the series is now tied at 2 games apiece.

Funny thing was, once OT started and I realized I wasn't breathing all that deeply, I gave myself a perspective talk about how their losing (game or series) would not be that big a deal, and I needed to not get stressed about it.

Not five seconds later, they scored. Well! Won't tomorrow night be interesting. So far, the home team has lost every game. I want that to stop, please, since we only play once more in Montreal, and need two wins to advance.

3. Oh, and my interview is set for Wednesday morning at 9. Mark your calendars for finger-crossing then, please.

This afternoon, I drove to where the company is, to make sure I could find it, see how long it took, etc. It's about 8.5 miles each way (which compares favorably to 20, eh?), and granted, I wasn't going during rush hour, but it only took 25 minutes. It's in a pretty town, too, which is aesthetically appealing.

Sigh.

Prepare for four days of I'm-not-panicking, which I expect will leak into my blogging somewhat. (You think?)

Attempting to take advantage of the weather not completely sucking today (it was mid-50s, partly sunny, chilly breeze), since it's going to rain tomorrow, I went for a walk around the pond later. It's slightly under two miles, according to my research, and I pushed it to keep my pace going, and not stop*, and made it in 40 minutes. Some exercise, anyway!

*Except for a couple of photos, of course.

The appearance of depth is misleading.

Though he may be standing on a rock...

The trees are juuuuuust starting to turn green.

It's a very welcome sight.

Spring is edging into town, but so slowly, and I am in such a hurry for it! I eagerly look for trees sprouting leaves, for flowers and flowering bushes, for green grass, and every day see more, but there's still a lot of winter-bare to the views. And not enough warm.

But given points one, two, and three above, you understand that I don't really feel like complaining too much. I just throw it in, so you'll know that the blog hasn't been hijacked.

Another Small Step; Knitting Updates

Here's what I planned this morning to write tonight:

So, there's no cat news until tomorrow, the Bruins game is tonight, and I've heard nothing else about that job application. Let's talk about knitting instead!

However, at lunchtime I got another e-mail from the company where I applied for a job, asking about my availability for an interview, so that third thing is no longer strictly true! As you can imagine, I was doing some deep breathing this afternoon, trying to remain at least somewhat calm. There isn't a set time yet, but I will let you know when the mass finger-crossing is (hopefully next week sometime).

Until then, let's talk a little knitting after all! (We certainly don't want to talk about the Bruins--not after the way they played in the first period. Urgh.)

The sock that is purse knitting continues down the foot. I tried it on last night, since the Malabrigo sock that didn't fit is recent enough to be a painful memory. I knew this one would fit, as the yarn is my friend, but I tried it on all the same.


Perfect! (And notice the tail of the inspector.)

The sock that is bike knitting is growing, too. I'm waiting until it's a little longer to try it on, but will do so before the heel, since this is my first experience with this yarn.


It's pretty, though, right? I need to capture the colors better, but this is close.

I've all-but-finished the furry neck pillow. I got near to the end of the yarn at the near-work stitch and bitch last night, so I bound off and closed one end of the tube.

When I got home, I pulled out the fiber-fill I had (most of a bag) and stuffed the pillow. It wasn't enough to cram it full-full, but I don't want the pillow to be really overstuffed and stiff, I want it to be flexible, so I think this amount might work out. All the same, I didn't sew the end shut, I tied it off so I can test it out before I decided for sure. The pictures I took did not come out well, so I will have to try again.

Going to the stitch and bitch near work has been an interesting experience for me. I started going mainly to see a friend of mine who goes to it. I also like going because when I wait until after rush hour to drive home, the commute is much faster and easier. It's a large, friendly group of knitters, and the place where it's held has good food and drink options.

I am still going to my regular stitch and bitch group on Monday nights (most weeks I do both), which has been going on for about four years now. But that's a smaller group with less regular attenders, which means that there are still nights like this week, where I went and no one else showed up. Contrast that to the near-work group, where 8 other people showed up between 5 and when I left early (7) to go get my car at the shop. I wish the Monday group had more regular attendees, so I could be more certain of having company.

This morning at 4 o'clock, when I woke with cramps and an aching back, I was very glad to have the heated mattress pad on my bed. Woo. I rotated like a roast on a rotisserie, dozing, until it was time to get up. I feel better now than I did this morning, but better is a relative term. Codeine has been my friend today; tonight unisom and heat and lots of sleep will be my friends. And hopefully I will have happy Bruins dreams, though it doesn't look likely right now. But we have to hope.

Bits and Pieces (worth sticking around to the end, though)

The week progresses slowly toward Friday. I'm not conscious of overwhelming stress levels, though I am a little more minor-headachy than usual. Not life-impairing pain levels, just small ouch. On the other hand, that could be PMS, because OF COURSE this is the week*. Way to go, universe.

*TMI? Sorry about that.

"I know!" says Mother Nature. "Let's take a pants-too-tight week, with impending PMS, and add pet-health-related stress! Fun!" Awesome. Excuse me while I go eat my weight in chocolate, then go shopping for a new wardrobe.

Yeah, not really.

**********
I tried something a little different on the bike last night. Inspired by that NYT article I mentioned yesterday and the idea of interval training, I rode for a few minutes at my regular pace, then for about thirty seconds I went as fast as I could. Then back to regular, and did it again a few minutes later. My legs really felt like they'd worked harder than usual. We shall see.

I did my grocery shopping last night, and brought home lots of fruit, and the veggies to make that (no-tomato) salsa I love so much. Healthy and delicious! And I did not buy ice cream--which I managed by reminding myself that I want my clothing to fit, and then not even walking down that aisle.

**********
Fellow yarn lovers, there's a contest at Tanis Fiber Arts you should check out. I've been reading their blog since I saw and fell in love with the jewel tones in their Fiddlehead Mittens (someday I will get the kit for that), and all you have to do for a chance to win some beautiful yarn is tell them your favorite of their colorways. The hard part is picking only one!

**********
Has anyone been wanting to try Netflix? I got an e-mail from them offering a free month's trial for me to share with friends and family. Since that's how I tried it before joining, I thought I'd pay it forward and offer if anyone's interested. Let me know, before June 15th.

**********
Just for fun today*, I tried to list all 30 NHL teams without looking them up. I got to 20 without slowing down, then up to 26 more slowly. At that point, I allowed myself to look at a US map, and got up closer (I forgot St Louis?!), even checking a Canadian map** to verify that there are only 6 Canadian teams. The last team I remembered (or the one I forgot the most) was Columbus. Got it!

*I know, not everyone's idea of fun. I enjoyed it!
**Not a map that shows the teams, just one that shows cities so I could confirm that I got all the ones with teams.

**********
Actually, I did get a piece of good news today, a small but significant thing that might be a step in the right direction, job-wise (or, of course, may be a step that dead-ends, but don't rain on my parade). I applied for a job on Sunday, and was contacted by an HR person today with a couple of questions before passing my info on to the hiring manager.

It's not an interview, not yet, but it means that someone actually looked at my resume, and didn't circular-file it. Fingers crossed! I am so grateful to be working (and getting paid), but wouldn't I love a permanent job, wow.

Slight Updates (to drugs and job ap)

Ahh, Friday night.

Follow-up to yesterday's whining: I spoke to Miss Thing at the Doctor's office this morning, and the doctor wants me to make an appointment for a physical, which doesn't surprise me, as it's been a while since I had one. I go to the GYN regularly (since he dispenses the magical period-regulating prescription), but the primary-care doctor of late has only been for oops stuff that's come up, like the tendinitis, which even then tends to end with referrals elsewhere.

The doctor thing, you know? I suppose it's natural as I get older, but how many doctors are in my life? I know, this list will only get longer, but jeepers already.

There are the regular doctors:
PCP: general doctor stuff
Dentist: teeth (duh)
Gynecologist: duh
Neurologist: migraines
Ophthalmologist: eyes

There are the doctors I've seen for one thing or another:
Endodontist
Orthopedic Surgeon

Then there are the doctors I should also see, or will see soon:
podiatrist (recurrence of plantar wart on foot)
allergist
rheumatologist (arthritis)
[Edited to add] dermatologist [thanks, Shelly]

Plus I think I'm going to try acupuncture, as a friend recommended the acupuncturist who cured her migraines. May work, may not, but I think it's worth a try. (Anyone been punctured? Happy stories to share?)

As for today, my symptoms were, thankfully, less than yesterday. I took a Benadryl last night, unable to bear the ever-dripping nose, and then was suddenly stricken with exhaustion around 8, and in bed by 8:30. I know I'm tired if lying on the couch watching hockey takes too much effort! I turned the game on to listen to in bed, but fell asleep before it was over (not that I missed much; too bad the team that played for Boston during the first period didn't show up for the rest of the game). And did I ever sleep deeply. Benadryl doesn't usually do that for me, so who knows.

While I'm very glad not to be sneezing my head off today, it's still a relief that, since the appointment I made is for March first*, she sent in a refill on the prescription to cover me until then. Because if my sinuses were that unhappy yesterday, it may come back, and I don't know how I'd survive the next few months if that were the case. Better safe than sorry.

*Physical on the first, jury duty on the third. That's going to be quite a week!

It was kind of weird, making an appointment when I have no idea what I'll be doing then. Working? Hopefully. But I don't know where, I don't know what schedule ... weird. I'm ready for some continuity of employment, here.

Speaking of which, I applied for that job Wednesday night. Although the application had one of those "click here to apply through our website" buttons, it was thankfully NOT one where you then have to re-enter all the information that is already on your resume. Those really annoy me, you know? Is it actually too much to ask that the employer looks at my resume? I mean, I know, they probably all use scanners and search-keyword tools and no actual human is looking, but let's pretend, okay? (On the scale of Luddite to tech whiz, guess which end I'm closer to?)

Anyway, this one was just a portal (if I'm using the word correctly), where you entered name and contact info, then attached your documents: cover letter, resume, and red-lined application (the job listing included errors for the applicant to "catch"; pretty clever way to weed out those who shouldn't be proofreaders, if you ask me). So I sent it all along, and pretty quickly received the auto-response e-mail assuring me that they'd received it, and don't-call-us-we'll-call-you.

And now I wait. Which leads to:

Topic: Fantasy
Sub-Topic: Related to Job Hunting

It's not like I don't know that when I apply for a job, I am not going to hear from them the next day. I know that, a, I'll be lucky to hear back at all, and b, if I hear back, it's probably just an auto-response of "we got ur app, don't call us plz", and c, if I do by chance get more than that, it Absolutely Will Not Be Right Away. (Oh, and d: if I actually get an interview, that doesn't mean anything more than that will happen.)

And yet. Apply for one job, and the next day my heart leaps to check e-mail. And oh, the droop when only the usual messages are there! The Fantasy has me casually looking at e-mail and finding an eager message offering me the job, at a fantastic salary, and asking when I can start. Yes, the Fantasy doesn't even want a mere interview, but jumps the process to get to the good part.

Well, as someone said, if it wasn't for leaping to conclusions, I'd get no exercise at all. Happy Friday night.

Quick Proof-quest Note

The last month or two, my job search has been in the holiday doldrums, something that I was more or less at peace with. I know that December is about the worst month to be looking for a job, and the fact that I wasn't finding openings I wanted to apply for did not surprise me. "Wait for January," I told myself (and others). "January will be better."

I was not expecting a magical fairy-wand-wave on January first, or even January third, and certainly I didn't get one. Even when we make sharp delineations between periods of time in our heads, in real life, the lines are not usually so clearly drawn. Instead of striding crisply into the new year, poised and ready, I sort of stumbled over the threshold, metaphorically speaking, holding my aching head and tripping over my sweatpants. And that's okay.

Today I came across a job listing I want to apply for. It isn't perfect, but it's very good. And just reading it made me feel better.

Off to apply. Cross your fingers, eh?

Of Math, Jobs, and Various Other Things

Math rarely makes me feel better (about anything), but I recently employed it to make me feel a little better about my job situation. (Employed! Ha! Look at that, I made a funny!)

To recap, I left the temp-job-that-might-could-maybe-turn-permanent, which was the one with the uncommunicative boss and the commute I loathed, for this temp-job-that-is-really-temp. As in, it goes to Christmas, but maybe not beyond, I don't know yet. And now I'm facing the possibility of being out of work until I can find something else, which could be who-knows-how-long. Scary.

I don't regret the change, actually, but it's still a scary situation. However! Math to the rescue, or at least to the mood improvement*. My current job pays much better than the last job did. So much so, in fact, that ten weeks here would be roughly equivalent to sixteen and a half weeks there. I needed a pen and paper, and a calculator to check my figuring, but I am confident in the result. Somehow, this makes me feel better about the possibility of being unemployed in January**.

*The construction of that phrase made me think of the Princess Bride, and the whole "To the death! no, to the pain" discussion.
**And now that I'm thinking Princess Bride, this makes me think of Vezzini threatening Fezzick, does he want to go back to being "unemployed, in Greenland?"

Of course, part of the conflict in my head is that the prospective joblessness isn't only scary. For the short term, it sounds divine. I LOVE the idea of some time spent not working. I'm just afraid of how long it will go on.

A month without work? No problem! Cake! Sleep late, hang with Carlos on my lap, read, generally fart around doing nothing much. Not have to traipse out every day in the cold? Dream!

But, much longer than that? Bills. That pesky mortgage. Et-very-cetera. When will I find something? Will I have to settle for something less than what I want? Will I even be able to find something to settle on?

Scary monsters.

*********
The Bruins are in one of those phases again. One of those "we make your goalie look HOT" phases. One of those "maybe special teams* isn't the right way to put it" phases. One of those "turn on the game, but bring a book" phases. I hate these phases.

*For the non-hockey-fans: when your team is penalized and has to play short-handed, or when the other team is penalized and yours gets to play with an extra man, the players in these situations are called special teams. Penalty-killing + power play = special teams

It's a frustrating time, as a fan. They don't have to win every game and sweep to the Cup, but could they suck a little less thoroughly? Please?

*********
Tomorrow is the end of November; how crazy is that? Still, there's a lot to look forward to in December, and I'm going to try to hold onto that, this dark and cold time of year.

For one thing, the solstice is in just three weeks. Only three more weeks of Getting Darker, and then we reach Getting Lighter again.

Meals and plans with friends. I have three such events in the next two weeks. Friends are good.

In two and a half weeks, my mother will be here. Yay! Hugs whenever I want one. Nutcracker. Eating out, and visiting friends, and driving around looking at Christmas lights. Hanging out with Carlos. Whatever we want.

And at some point before Christmas (I don't know exactly when), my brother will be here, and my universe will right itself a little when we three are together. A lot of shared history, shorthand references, and laughter. Driving to Grandma's, family and food and fun. And craziness, let's be honest. Still, mostly fun, and totally worth it.

*********
Now that my VCR isn't working, I keep thinking of things I have on video that I want to watch. I figure that once I'm permanently employed again, I'll get a new VCR, as it seems you can still get them in a combined video-and-DVD-player. I already want to replace my TV* then, so I may as well do it all at once. In the meantime, though, no watching videos, which feels odd. I have a lot of videos still.

*Bought it in college. Graduated from college in 1991. Old TV.

Happily, I did get Miracle on 34th Street* on DVD for my birthday, or I would have been SOL this weekend. I like to watch it Thanksgiving weekend, since it starts at the Macy's parade, and it sort of guides me from the mindset of one holiday to the next.

*Not the remake, thank you (and NOT colorized, either!). I know you're shocked to hear it, but I'm a bit of a stick in the mud that way. I've never even watched High Society all the way through, since I love The Philadelphia Story so much. I like Bing Crosby, but seeing him in Cary Grant's role makes my brain hurt.

*********
I saw a car this morning with the vanity plate "GOD", which kind of surprised me. I don't picture Him driving a small sedan, somehow. I suppose Jesus would, but I imagine God in something more powerful, with smiting capability.

*********
P.S. Mary Ellen, the colorway of that Socks That Rock lightweight is "Sunkisssed Sands", and I can't wait to see how it knits up. I lack skein vision, so looking from the skein to the balled yarn to the knit fabric is almost always eye-opening for me.

A Step Back That Is a Step Forward

It's official! Tomorrow is my last day at this job, Tuesday I start elsewhere. End of the tease commences now.

So here's what happened: last week, I heard from the company where I used to be a proofreader, up until they had layoffs two years ago August. You know, the place where I worked when I started blogging (if you've been around that long), where I had the garden. They wanted to bring in a temporary proofreader, and wondered if I might be interested and available.

Now, I would by far prefer a permanent job, I won't lie. Hence all the efforts to find out if TPWII* was planning to make a decision any time soon**. However, just getting off the subway*** and back into my car for the commute is a big plus. Add in the fact that I know (and like!) many people still there, that I know something about the products and style, and then consider that they're paying more than I'm making now, and I am sold.

*The Place Where I Interviewed
**I talked to the recruiter at 11 Monday morning, and told him why I was hoping to get a sense of their timeline. He said that he didn't know, but he was meeting with the hiring manager "this morning" and hopefully he could give me an answer by the end of the day. And of course, nothing was heard from him again. Color me not-so-optimistic. This feels like the job-hunting equivalent of He's Just Not That Into You.
***Yes! It's the end of the bitching about the subway! See, now you're excited!

Whew. Looking back at the summer, it seems so ... placid, compared to late September/October. Between trips to Apple Festival and Rhinebeck and Florida, and job interviews and possibilities and changes, it feels like I've been on a roller coaster for, oh, the last three weeks, with another three weeks to come. Not all bad stuff (I like roller coasters), just a lot of it.

Weekend Pictures, Some Job News

I had such a nice weekend. It was great to see my aunt and grandmother, shop for yarn (naturally; pictures to come when I meet the daylight, maybe Friday), eat the Fire Department's french fries and sell pies at the church tent ... all the usual Apple Festival weekend things I enjoy so.

All right, who wants to see some pictures from my weekend? If you do, you're in luck!

Some gourds ... because what says autumn like a four-foot gourd?


Pretty, pretty trees. The foliage was ahead of itself, versus the last few years at this time. Beautiful!





Mystery weed/plant that sprang up near my aunt's roses. Anyone know what it is?


Rose, of course.


Their cat, Junior, who makes Miri look friendly and approachable. If you look closely, you can see that Junior is sticking her tongue out at me.


A few years back, Syracuse had a display of painted horses, the way Chicago did cows, and Naples has gators. Check out the dapper Blue Cross model!


Quite a building it graces, by the way.


I liked this sign at the Apple Festival.


And this Rhinebeck-worthy plate.


In fact, the live guys were very cute, but it was the motion that I really liked.


So I took a little movie. To the left, to the right, chew it all night...




Oh, and my last day at my current job is Thursday. I gave notice today.

Here's where I'm going to be annoying and not Tell All, for which I'm sorry but it isn't all confirmed yet, and I don't want to jinx anything. I will tell you that isn't related to The Place Where I Interviewed (TPWII) a few weeks ago. They haven't responded to my attempts to learn what their hiring time line might be, which is fine and all, it hasn't been that long, but I'm not going to just sit around waiting for them, you know? It's something else, and I should hopefully get confirmation tomorrow, so tune in next time! (When you'll hear Nurse Piggy say ... When you'll hear Doctor Bob say ... anyone? anyone?)

There's always time for the Muppet Show:

Quick Notes, Post SnB: job, agency, Kermit/Queen

Thank you all for the comments on my recent (and continuing) job-angst. A few things to mention:

• For the prospective new job, yes, the job listing in question is still on Company's website.
• In my current position, although I am technically an employee of the agency, they had nothing to do with hiring me (I got an e-mail directly from the person who is now my manager, and interviewed with her, she offered me the job, and the agency knew nothing about it until after I started). They aren't like other agencies from when I've temped in the past; I would describe it more as the company where I work outsources their HR for some employees.
  
• Also, the agency's policy manual refers to their website for details about current policies including vacation and sick time. I've tried several times to find that on their website, but unfortunately their website was designed by blind monkeys, and I can never find anything there. I'll have to call them. Oh joy, another item for the to-do list.
  

**********
The agency sent out a newsletter (the September newsletter, by the way, on October 4th) of links to employment-related stories, and each description had a link at the bottom to Twitter. Which lead to this interesting juxtaposition:


**********
Items like this one are the reason I read Boing Boing. Not everything there is my cup of tea, but oh my, when it is.



Top that, Michelangelo. Whoever that man is, he's totally into it. And Queen + Kermit + Bowie + Kermit = genius.

Thoughts on Not the Last Day After All, and on Knitting

I am a planner. I enjoy planning and anticipation and lists, sometimes as much as the thing itself. A proposed last-minute trip can throw me for a loop because I wasn't planning that, can I do that? Do I want to? Give me a minute here...

I like knowing what to expect, and having time to get my head in the right place, to plan, to gather what I need, to make lists. I like surprises sometimes, but not always, and not too many.

I started this job mid-May with the clearly stated expectation that it was a temp job, with a clear end date of October first. Nothing was said to indicate anything else. Once in June and once in September, my boss mentioned in the course of e-mails that I did well on a certain project, but otherwise I got no feedback, no information about scheduling or planning, until two weeks before the expected end date. I feel like I knew the path ahead of me and wham! Here I am on a different path, all confused.

Instinct versus reason

I know what the reasonable, sensible decision here is: stay on at the current temp job until I find a better permanent job. What I can't resolve is how I feel about that decision.

Instinct says leave. Go. Last day Friday, as planned. I don't like the atmosphere, the management style, the pay rate, the benefits or lack thereof, the commute. Go. Leave.

I don't know why it's been okay to work here up to now, but feels untenable to continue. Perhaps it's simply that one can put up with a lot when there's a definite end date set. Once that end becomes undefined, it's a whole new ballgame. Plus, I hate not knowing, and being able to plan accordingly. I did expect to have uncertainty in October, but it was going to come with all that time off...

Earlier this week, the stress that arose from the thought of staying was tremendous. I didn't know what to do, and felt almost panicked. I know what I should do, but but but, I don' wanna. Now I feel more resigned, but still not happy.

Meanwhile, my boss continues to be hard for me to understand, this time in that she seems to be assuming that I'm staying on. Tuesday she dropped off a great big in-your-downtime project for me.

I wonder how long she thinks I'm staying?

I wonder what the weather's like in her world?

On a related note, I have a question for you, or two actually. You know, if you have an opinion. No pressure. Just that I'm sure you'd have something to contribute, you clever thing, you.

First, how soon is too soon to get in touch again with the company where I interviewed?

To recap, I interviewed last Thursday, 9/23. I sent an e-mail thank-you note the same day, and mailed a handwritten one Friday afternoon. I'm thinking that next week might be okay: I noticed a trademarking inconsistency on their website, and thought that letting them know about it would bring me (and my eye for detail) to mind. And I could ask what their timeline is looking like.

Please, if you have an opinion, weigh in: is next week good, or too soon?

Second, when the happy day comes that I have another job (or the unhappy day when I don't, but I can't take the current job, or more likely the commute, for another day without an end in sight), what about giving notice?

Normally, I am a staunch two-weeks-notice person. I believe that short of extreme circumstances, it's just rude not to give notice.

In this case, though, I'm kind of pondering. I feel like I committed to October one, and I haven't committed to anything beyond that (nor have I been asked to, straight out). As they say, Massachusetts is an at-will employment state, meaning that the employer can ask you to leave at any time, and legally you can leave at any time.

So, in my shoes, would you give two weeks notice? One week? What do you say?

**********
The Evolution of Knitting Confidence

Four years ago, I read on Knitty about the technique of knitting two socks at once, one inside the other*. I was shocked, fascinated, awestruck, and absolutely positive I would never, ever try it**.

*Imagine twice as many stitches on each needle as usual, where the odd-numbered ones belong to sock A and the evens to sock B. And two balls of yarn. When you're done knitting, there's the magic trick of pulling one finished sock out of the other.
**One single stitch wrong, and you're screwed: you have conjoined socks. Most people do not have conjoined feet.

But I thought of it one morning this week, knitting my (singular) sock on the subway, and realized that I'm more interested and less appalled by the idea now. I'm not rushing out to start it, and it certainly wouldn't be travel or social knitting, but it seems much less impossible.

I think maybe I'll scout around for a more basic double-knitting project, so I could see just how crazy it would make me, holding two strands of yarn separately. And then we'll see.

Coming home tonight, the T was absolutely mobbed. I knit, standing up (leaning against the door), because it was that or get off the train. As usual, 90% of the remaining riders got off at the next to last stop. I looked up to see just one other person remained in my section of seats, and as I said to her, "What are the odds that the last two people here are both knitting?" Because she was! A scarf. We talked about knitting, and hand-knit socks, and it was a nice moment after the madness.

Sometimes, while knitting on the T, I think about all the answers to the seldom-asked question, "What are you doing?" Some possibilities, more and less literal:

• knitting
• making a sock
• turning the heel (casting on, decreasing for the toe, etc)
  
• self-tranquilizing
• staving off a claustrophobic* panic attack
• not thinking about how much I hate people
  

*Side question: is it in any way dismissive of people who are diagnosed claustrophobic, if I refer to myself as a little bit claustrophobic? It's not a condition/diagnosis that I've ever officially gotten, and I don't want to imply more than that serious crowds make me anxious. Really, really panicky and anxious. (Do I sound like a nutcase tonight or what?) (More than usual, I mean.)

For that matter, my knitting confidence has increased during my months knitting on the T. I have cast on, and worked on heels and toes, while riding the subway, without causing crisis or angst. How about that?

In My Head, This Friday Night

First: oh Friday night I love you. Love love love. And the only thing better than Friday night is knowing that I don't have to get up early Saturday. Sleep, blessèd sleep, you are mine.

Next: Interviews. Ah. How I hate them.

Yes, having passed the day-of feelings (nerves before, relief and hope after), I am now into day-after downer thoughts. Why didn't I say this, ask that, mention the other? Or why did I say/ask/mention that? Was that relevant? When she said that, was she trying to tell me something? Why don't I have a portfolio? What if they don't pick me? Telling myself that hey, I wouldn't want to work there if they aren't smart enough to hire me is ... curiously unconsoling. When will I hear from them?

I e-mailed her a thank you yesterday: should I have? They seemed fairly casual*, but is that too casual? I called her Ms. LastName; should I have used FirstName instead? Was I too formal?

*At least, a pool table in the break area isn't terribly formal. And jeans, chinos, capris are not formal business attire.

Would a too-casual containing a too-formal become neutral?

If I sent a paper thank-you note as well (and I did), is that too much, or just right to remind them of me? Was putting my proofreader card in the note, and writing on it that I'd love to trade it for a TheirCompany card, corny? Cause I did that too.

Am I over-thinking this? Of course I am. It's the day after an interview for a job I really want. After applying, I heard back in a ridiculously short amount of time (less than 48 hours), so there's no way I'm not going to over-think every minute between 9:30 yesterday morning and whenever I hear from them again, assuming I do.

*********
What a week at work, with proofs for the 520-page catalog and the 650-page catalog both coming in and needing review and all those last-chance corrections that seem to happen. I would like to think it wasn't scheduled to happen this way, but intentional or not, whew.

It came out today that my boss didn't even notice* that I came in late yesterday, which is kind of impressive, since it was three hours later than usual. She is something, all right.

*I did tell her, in an e-mail, but she asked in the course of conversation today if I was leaving early, was that today? Wasn't I leaving early one day?

*********
I finished knitting the first of the latest pair of socks on Wednesday night, did I mention that? And am well into the next one now. Plus my little capelet is almost done. Photos soon, I hope.

*********
I picked up the new Gail Carriger novel, Blameless, from Borders today with a 40% off coupon. (Those vixens at Borders, constantly tempting me with coupons. It's to the point where they'll have a 25% or 33% off coupon and I think, "That's not enough, I'm waiting for more." Greedy, but it always comes.) I really (really, really) want to start reading it now, but I have problems putting down books in the middle, at least new books I've been waiting for. I don't want to be up half the night, and I have afternoon and evening plans tomorrow. I think I'd best leave it for Sunday.

Oh, I hate waiting, though. And I can't even tell you why I'm dying to know what happens without major spoilers if you haven't read books one and two (Soulless and Changeless)(and why haven't you read them? why are you denying me someone to talk to about these books? Werewolves, vampires, a woman without a soul, steampunk, Queen Victoria, what more do you want?).

If you need me, I'll be over here gnashing my teeth.

I Wish the News Was More "!", But For Now It's "..."

So, who guessed from the blog header that September 24th is National Punctuation Day?

Just me?

Ah, well. Throw a bone to the word nerd, all right?

The interview went well. I think. Who knows? I didn't feel that it went badly, but since she didn't offer me the job right away, we can say that it could have been even better. Still, nothing turned me off the job in question, and nothing made me think I was eliminated from contention, so we'll call that good. Hopefully I make it to round two, and hopefully round two happens soon. (Thank you for all well-wishes, by the way.)

Because I don't want to keep working where I am, and continuing to work there is the smart thing to do in the interim. But I don't want to. But I should. You can see I haven't worked this out yet.

I had dinner tonight with a friend from my old workplace, and it was wonderful and I had to tear myself away and I'm so tired. And the cats are all confused: You left an hour later than usual this morning! And then you were back two hours later, but then left right away*! And then you were late late late getting home! What's going on?

*Changing out of the "I had an interview" outfit before going to work.

Basically, I'm going to bed. Happy Friday (eve).