So, stuff happens.
1) I interviewed for a job last Friday. I didn't want to say anything because I have been trying not to get too excited or optimistic. The HR guy emailed me Wednesday and said the interview had gone very well and could I send my references. So I did and now I'm desperately hoping that they do what they said they'd do and warn me before they call my current boss -- Toby -- so that I can tell him they're going to call him and also, by the way, I'm looking for a job.
Honestly, I don't think it will come as a big surprise; pretty much everybody at my level -- non-management -- at WJM is looking for a job, because the layoffs continue and the pay cuts suck. It's a crappy job and he knows that, and I would like to think that he would be understanding that I'm not going to stay in it for the long haul. But rationality is not necessarily Toby's strong suit.
The job I'm in the running for would be a web design (but not development, thank god), science writer and video guru position. They want a lot of varied skills and my weird work history actually leaves me with a lot of them. But we'll see. I'm determined not to get ahead of myself.
2) Also, I'm going on vacation.
Well, the vacation may wind up being a sort of a consolation prize if I don't get the job. Jean Genie and I have a plan to go to Key West. I, in fact, have a plane ticket for Key West. But the trip is planned for July 20-25. Now, Managing Editor actually let me schedule that week off, surprising the hell out of me (he denied my last vacation request). So it's a question of timing: if I do get offered the job and they do that this week, I can still do my two weeks at WJM and then hopefully the new place would be cool with me taking another week before I start. Or if they don't make up their mind until right around when I'm leaving for Key West, then I can basically go ahead and go and then give two weeks notice when I get back -- again, if they're cool with me starting in three weeks instead of two. On the other hand, I'm trying to constantly remind myself that they might not offer me the job at all, and I should just concentrate on the trip and not worry about the stuff I have no control over.
The trip will involve a lot of lying on the beach and rum drinks with little umbrellas and sailing and snorkeling. I've never been on a vacation without my parents -- I mean, an actual vacation rather than a mass encampment with the whole tribe, which, while fun, are usually not much less stressful than real life, and anyway the last three of those involved weddings which are in fact the opposite of vacation. This is going to be fantastic.
Although I just realized that I'll probably need a bathing suit. Sigh.
3) My computer is in its final throes of terminal obsolescence. It's weird: I still feel like it's new, even though it was a Christmas present in 2004, which is a long time ago for a computer these days. I swear, computers used to last longer. Also, I'm in denial about how long ago that actually was. The Marquis has been with me through a lot. But he's about to get power cord number four -- the current one has tape all over and I have to squeeze it and wiggle it every minute or so to keep it going. What's covered in tape is a bundle of completely frayed copper wire, which is obviously a fire hazard. The battery is completely shot. Plus I can't upgrade his system software because everything newer than what he's got requires an Intel processor, which means even though his hardware is still totally serviceable, it's terminally out-of-date. I'm not selling him, though -- it never hurts to have a back-up, and I can use him for storage, still.
The new computer will be either the 13.3 inch aluminum (2Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 SDRAM, 160GB hard drive, from macconnection reconditioned for $909 plus warranty) or the snow 13 inch (2.13 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB hard drive, from macconnection for $924 plus warranty), and if anybody can tell me a good reason to go with the new snow over the recon aluminum, or even what the significant difference is between those two computers, I'd appreciate all the help I can get. (The new aluminum is $1019, which isn't a huge difference, but I'd just as soon not pay extra just for the privilege of being the first to get my hands on the thing.)
The computer will be paid for with a handsome check I'm expecting from the government. The new homeowner's credit in 2008 was $7,500, plus my regular refund of about $600. Most of that's going into a CD to be a rainy day fund, but I'm taking about $1200 out to buy the new computer and another $300 to make a few purchases that I've been putting off because I have no money -- basic but stupidly expensive things like some new bras and something for guests to sleep on in the guest room.
So yes, stuff is happening. Stay tuned for scenes from next week's Life with Flamingo.
Honestly, I don't think it will come as a big surprise; pretty much everybody at my level -- non-management -- at WJM is looking for a job, because the layoffs continue and the pay cuts suck. It's a crappy job and he knows that, and I would like to think that he would be understanding that I'm not going to stay in it for the long haul. But rationality is not necessarily Toby's strong suit.
The job I'm in the running for would be a web design (but not development, thank god), science writer and video guru position. They want a lot of varied skills and my weird work history actually leaves me with a lot of them. But we'll see. I'm determined not to get ahead of myself.
2) Also, I'm going on vacation.
Well, the vacation may wind up being a sort of a consolation prize if I don't get the job. Jean Genie and I have a plan to go to Key West. I, in fact, have a plane ticket for Key West. But the trip is planned for July 20-25. Now, Managing Editor actually let me schedule that week off, surprising the hell out of me (he denied my last vacation request). So it's a question of timing: if I do get offered the job and they do that this week, I can still do my two weeks at WJM and then hopefully the new place would be cool with me taking another week before I start. Or if they don't make up their mind until right around when I'm leaving for Key West, then I can basically go ahead and go and then give two weeks notice when I get back -- again, if they're cool with me starting in three weeks instead of two. On the other hand, I'm trying to constantly remind myself that they might not offer me the job at all, and I should just concentrate on the trip and not worry about the stuff I have no control over.
The trip will involve a lot of lying on the beach and rum drinks with little umbrellas and sailing and snorkeling. I've never been on a vacation without my parents -- I mean, an actual vacation rather than a mass encampment with the whole tribe, which, while fun, are usually not much less stressful than real life, and anyway the last three of those involved weddings which are in fact the opposite of vacation. This is going to be fantastic.
Although I just realized that I'll probably need a bathing suit. Sigh.
3) My computer is in its final throes of terminal obsolescence. It's weird: I still feel like it's new, even though it was a Christmas present in 2004, which is a long time ago for a computer these days. I swear, computers used to last longer. Also, I'm in denial about how long ago that actually was. The Marquis has been with me through a lot. But he's about to get power cord number four -- the current one has tape all over and I have to squeeze it and wiggle it every minute or so to keep it going. What's covered in tape is a bundle of completely frayed copper wire, which is obviously a fire hazard. The battery is completely shot. Plus I can't upgrade his system software because everything newer than what he's got requires an Intel processor, which means even though his hardware is still totally serviceable, it's terminally out-of-date. I'm not selling him, though -- it never hurts to have a back-up, and I can use him for storage, still.
The new computer will be either the 13.3 inch aluminum (2Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 SDRAM, 160GB hard drive, from macconnection reconditioned for $909 plus warranty) or the snow 13 inch (2.13 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB hard drive, from macconnection for $924 plus warranty), and if anybody can tell me a good reason to go with the new snow over the recon aluminum, or even what the significant difference is between those two computers, I'd appreciate all the help I can get. (The new aluminum is $1019, which isn't a huge difference, but I'd just as soon not pay extra just for the privilege of being the first to get my hands on the thing.)
The computer will be paid for with a handsome check I'm expecting from the government. The new homeowner's credit in 2008 was $7,500, plus my regular refund of about $600. Most of that's going into a CD to be a rainy day fund, but I'm taking about $1200 out to buy the new computer and another $300 to make a few purchases that I've been putting off because I have no money -- basic but stupidly expensive things like some new bras and something for guests to sleep on in the guest room.
So yes, stuff is happening. Stay tuned for scenes from next week's Life with Flamingo.