Sparks and Butterflies...

I feel just crummy. My Dayquil has most definitely worn off. I made a decision. I cancelled all my job interviews for this week. 1. I just feel like crap with this cold, and I highly doubt that my future employer wants me coughing all over him. 2. I truly think I’m getting an offer this week on the job that I want. Therefore, going to other interviews just ties me up in knots. If, of course, I don’t get it, it’ll be back to the unemployement grind. Logan is killing us in bed. We wake up way too early and way too grumpy. The child, now that he is no longer in the confines of his crib, insists on getting in bed with us in the middle of the night, and then not sleeping. Which means climbing all over us, knees in backs, laying on our heads, kisses, pats, anything to get us to wake up and play. We’re not having that at 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 am. All freakin’ night long. Jay kept putting him back in bed and not ten minutes later he’s back. I don’t mind the middle of the night sneak. I remember waking up in the dark when I was little. It’s the not sleeping thing I don’t like. And then he fell back asleep about 6am. Therefore it was torture for him when I woke him at 7am, normal weekday wakeup. It was so not cool.

Alrighty… I’ve hit the wall. I’m boring. I therefore have no idea what to write for my holidailies entry. Sigh. Everything is status quo on this end. So, what to write about. So, I ask my husband, what should I write about? His answer: Acrobats. What the hell? It’s not like we have acrobats in the family, or we some obsession with them. Obviously, he is of no help whatsoever. Something strange has happened in this household… My husband has no interest in football. It is on right now somewhere in TV land, and my husband is not watching it. Do I need to repeat that? He is not watching it. He has no interest in it this season. He has no explanation for this, in fact he is quite baffled. He’s a Dallas Cowboys fan. He have afghans of the Dallas Cowboys. He has numerous shirts. The kids have whole Cowboys outfits. But he is not interested. I used to know I would definitely have the computer on Monday nights. Not so any longer. Same with Sunday afternoons. Not so any longer. Okay, I’ve officially exhausted my topics for today. Short. I’m going to go explore some prompts and colloborations in an attempt to have more to say in the future.

So the annual event has ocurred. The Michele-gets-sick-around-Christmas event. Once of those nasty, in the chest, colds. I’m waiting for the really bad days. You know, the huddle on the couch in the middle of the blankets and grunting in monosylables. Unfortunately, I have interviews every single day next week. I have no idea if I will have to cancel. I bet that’ll look good to a future employer. I’m about to do our money for the week, as Jay got paid his first paycheck yesterday. I’m positive I’ll be depressed, which is why I’m doing my entry now. I won’t want to later. I haven’t the foggiest notion what to write about today. Short updates on everything… Jay LOVES his new job, with a real, honest, benefits loving company. I’m still lookign for a job, and I think I’ll get an offer on the job I really really want next week. The wait is killing me. The kids are good. Logan’s heart is good for now. Although I’ve been a little concerned since he’s sweating more when he plays, which is the only true outside symptom until he really gets bad. I know that the transplant is imminent, however, putting it off means a better chance of surviving later. So it’s a waiting game that I try not to think about so I don’t panic. That’s not to say my head’s in the sand. He gets his checkups, his EKGs, and his Echos regularly, and we keep check on his weight and developmental progress, but other than that I can’t let myself think about it or I get close to hyperventilating. Money’s tight. Unemployment checks are a joke, which I find disgusting with the deductions one pays when paid. I ask you, where did it go? Hope you all have a great weekend.

I just realized that I totally and completely forgot to update yesterday. Yeah, didn’t take long to screw up Holidailies. Hmph. So night before last, we turned in all the change in the house in order to buy a Christmas tree. I just couldn’t take one more, \”Dija get my Christmas Tree yet?\” from Joseph. We got it all decorated, good to go. I was feeling under the weather (still am) and grumpy. So I put on Miracle on 34th Street. The original in black and white, and sure enough I actually started to feel the Christmas spirit a little bit. Finally. Oh yeah. Then the tree fell down in the middle of the night. Sigh. In other news, I’ve got this little anxious ball in my stomach. First, I got a call saying that I was one of two contenders for a job that I really really want. This is the only job that I REALLY want out of the hundreds of thousands of job interviews I went on. Mind you, I would take the other jobs, and could do them, but this is the one I really wanted. So I was waiting on pins and needles. Then the HR lady called me yesterday to say that the person who would be my boss told her to go ahead and run my references and background check. This is good. This must be done before an offer is made. Hence, my anxiety. You see, I have no idea if they do a credit check. I also have no idea who they call. I’m nervous about that. But also, I’m going on a second interview today, which could lead to an offer today or Monday. And another interview on Tuesday that could lead to a same day offer. I’ve already been told this. However, the background check for the job I really really want is going to take 5 days. 5 Business Days – and tomorrow starts the weekend. So now – do I take the offers if they come before the job I want gets ready for an offer? Jay told me that first of all, I’m being nuts since I have NO offers on the table at all at the moment. He’s right. Then he said, if I do get offers, just say that I have gotten several offers in the same few days and I need some time to discuss with my family which is the right one. If they say no, they need an answer right now – then the answer is no. I don’t need to be pressured. And he’s right again. So that’s what I’m going to do. If, of course, I get any offers at all. What I really wanted was a job before Christmas in order to actually have presents under the tree, but we’re cutting too close now. At this point, even if I started somewhere on Monday, I probably wouldn’t get my first paycheck til the week after. Damn.

So I’m back at home in my jammies after spending the morning testing at one place, and interviewing at another. Both went well, thank you for asking… I passed the testing, which means I’ll now be actually looked at as a possibility for the position, Department Secretary for the Cardiology Department at a hospital near my home. A subject near and dear to my heart given Logan’s condition. The other was for a financial lending firm. They want me to come back to actually interview for the person I would be working for. That one’s an Executive Assistant position. Which brings me to a timely long coming rant on the \”interview process.\” First, the testing. Excuse me, the \”skills assessment.\” Do you know how many Excel/Word/Outlook/PowerPoint/Access/general-you-thought-the-SATs-were-ov er tests I’ve taken in the last two months? Oh My God. Which brings me to the question of – How the hell did you think I spent 15 years in this profession, working my way to the top of my profession, without learning this stuff? My tested skills are between 90% and 100%. And that includes software I’ve never opened, such as Access, because, frankly, MicroSoft uses the same interface for everything. So. I tested online and I tested higher than 95% of all it’s other testers. Ever. So. The testing really gets my goat, because I’m turning my wheels and jumping through hoops. Oh and NOW they’ll consider me, which means now I have to fill out another everything-but-a-rectal-exam application. For the priviledge of a \”we’ll call you if we want you to interview.\” Now the interviews. I hate suits. I hate pantyhose. I hate high heels. I have to wear a combination of all combined for an interview. Enough said. And last but not least, the credit report. Excuse me, \”consumer history report.\” My background, did I lie about graduating, sure check that. I understand that. Did I really work there? I understand that. Criminal check, I totally understand. Am I going to go postal? Do I make a habit of stealing money? Totally understand. References? Sure. Get that. However, why someone might list someone who would give you a bad reference is beyond me. HOWEVER – my credit is none of your God Damned business and never will be. The only people who should be concerned about my credit are for cars, houses, and renting. That’s it. It has absolutely NO bearing no whether or not I am a good employee, skilled, a shining example administrative acumen. Do you care why it looks that way? NO! Do you give a shit that my husband was in the grocery strike for 8 months? NO! And you know what? It’s none of your business, and keep your nose out of my financial affairs. What gives you the right, almighty employer, to deign what is and is not acceptable? That’s the one that really gets my goat. I’ve also been asked all the no-no questions. Am I a Christian? Am I married? Do I have children? How’s my child care situation? Will your family interfere in your overtime availability? These questions are all illegal, by the way. What I should probably say is: I’ll go to whatever worshipful institution you deam politically correct. I’m single. My favorite pastime is rushing home from work and waiting with bated breath for my boss to call and say he needs me. I am so sick and tired of looking for a job.