Skip to main content

Breathe Deep, The Gathering Gloom

Okay, after I drew black pictures with broad strokes, it turns out reality is not quite so grim. I still don’t have an offer for a job (more on that later) but I want to update you on my other issues.

I tried the Virginia Employment Commission website on Sunday and it let me enter my information (whew!), so I didn’t have to make an angry call to them.

Next, I called my mortgage company and explained about the double payment. “I’m sorry, we can’t –“ is all I heard. “Let me talk to your supervisor” I demanded. I got this very nice woman on the phone and explained my situation (again) and she took my information. She put me on hold for about 2 minutes. She came back to get my banking information. Another 2 minute hold. She came back and said they could put the request in but it wouldn’t take effect until tomorrow because of the time I called – banking rules will only update today’s information up to a certain time. No problem, tomorrow is fine.

I was as tight as a drum as I left for my follow-up interview. I knew where the place was so it only took me 10 minutes to get there. The reception area is small and quiet. I told the receptionist why I was there and she said the woman I needed to see (the CEO) was out at the moment but that she’d be back in about 10 minutes. These people really know how to draw out the drama.

So I patiently waited on the couch, reading the many magazines on the table. Next thing I know the receptionist says “she’s walking in now”. We said our ‘hellos’ and she led me to the small conference room where we were going to talk. My resume was there, located at the head of the table.

We sat, we talked, we laughed a little, I gave her my life’s story and she told me about the under-pinning’s of the job (insurance, benefits, etc.) She seemed to be happy with me, as far as I could tell. She asked me “Are there any other questions you have for me?”, so I whipped out a classic:

“When can I start?”

Nice. She needed to discuss the end result with the guy who would be my boss (her son, by the way) and would get back with me late Monday or some time on Tuesday.

[Ed. Note: Since I'm writing this late Monday, I'm assuming I'll hear something tomorrow]

For whatever reason, the pressure seemed off. I felt like I could breathe again, I felt like I could eat again. Even though I predicted tears for today there were none shed.

And that’s a good thing.

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 Cartoon Duo's

This time out the subject is Top 10 Cartoon Duo’s. I was only going to make this a Top 5 list but I had so many entries to work with, I added the last 5. Here’s the list is no particular order – wait, that’s not right… 10. Ren & Stimpy: Call this entry the ‘Odd Couple’ of the group. A cat and a dog (I think) living together and making their way despite their obvious instincts to be sworn enemies. I have to admit that this cartoon was hard to watch sometimes because of the ‘gross’ nature of both characters – pooping and boogers a big part of the vernacular. “Oh, Re-e-e-n?”, “Yes, Stimpy!” 9. Inspector Gadget & Penny: An uncle and his niece go around solving crimes against Dr. Claw. It was actually Gadget and his dog, Brain, that tried to solve the crimes and Penny that actually solved them. She would tell Brain the solution and that crazy dog would expend a great deal of energy trying to make the Inspector understand the solution. Finally, when Inspector Gadget would ‘stumble
Read more

High Kings vs. Celtic Thunder

I had the rare chance to compare Irish music this weekend. I caught performances by both “The High Kings” and “Celtic Thunder”. First up was HK: The show was filmed in front of an audience somewhere in Ireland. The set appeared to be a simple wooden stage that was reminiscent of a boat dock – simple and effective. There were drums on the left and a small supporting band on the right. While they played, a large video wall displayed images behind them – mostly water – setting the mood for the song they were singing at the time. The vocalists were excellent. You could tell they were really Irish by their brogues, which were honest and uncluttered. The harmonies were good and you could tell they were really singing. In the beginning of the show they made it clear that everyone should know all the words to the songs they were singing and the audience was asked to “sing up”. They started with a rousing version of “The Rocky Road To Dublin” which drew everyone in and they never let the audien
Read more

Lunch with a side of awkward

Last week I was sitting in my office wondering what to eat for lunch since I didn’t bring anything to eat. I happened to be in our break room and saw a collection of restaurant menus and began thumbing through them for suggestions. I came across a place that I had heard of but had never been to, so I decided to go there – mostly because of how close it was to the office. I walked in and looked around. The place was empty. There was a table of 4 ladies in the corner who looked like your basic bridge-playing women. Sitting in the booth next to them was another couple that looked like they were wrapping things up in order to leave. Finally a server appeared and seated me at a table across the aisle from the foursome. By then, the other couple had left. As I looked around, I noticed a lot of the place was made of or covered in wood. It’s the kind of a place you might find overlooking a body of water, but all that was outside this place was a parking lot. The server was tall, thin, dark hai
Read more