The Thing That Goes Doink

Today is cool, overcast, with a chance of rain. The perfect kind of day to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book. Admittedly, I have some other stuff that I should be doing (like, you know, looking for a job) but the book and tea idea is infinitely more tempting.

Of course, I once blew off school work to sit on the couch and read Anne of Windy Poplars while it snowed several winters back, so you can obviously see which choice is going to win.

Further more I have some cleaning to do around the apartment, as things are becoming cluttered again. I also need to remake the guest room bed, as I actually remembered to strip the sheets yesterday and wash them. I may give them a quick tumble in the dryer to get the wrinkles out (because they've been sitting in the dryer all night) before I tackle that specific task. I also wanted to start on those skirts - I think it's best that I get them done before I really start job hunting, as I can only imagine that it's going to be a major pain in the ass to sew while also juggling a job. And it's not like skirts are hard to sew in the first place.

And thinking of other things I should be doing, going down the gym to hit the treadmill comes to mind. Though I might come up with a "Gym Playlist" of happy, peppy music that motivates me to get moving. Anyone have any suggestions?

So I made it through my first week at my temp job. It's relatively laid back - answer the phone, take messages, sort and stamp mail, greet visitors as they come in - and quite a bit of time is just spent sitting at the front desk, staring out the window. On the plus side, the corporate administrative assistant (READ: my mother) has several little side projects that she needs to get done but doesn't have the time to do, and so she hands them off to me, knowing that I will do it and do it right the first the time.

This week had an interesting series of "ups" - I would have to say the highlight was watching a submarine reactor being loaded on a truck from a barge. I always knew that sub reactors were taken out on site to be properly decommissioned, but I had never actually seen one before. Just a little west of the barge slip is the planned site of the USS Triton memorial park (see the Wikipedia article on the USS Triton here) which stands in honor of all of the sub reactors that are brought in at the barge slip to be decommissioned on site. Right now it's only the sail superstructure (which is 66 feet long and 23 feet tall) but will soon include grassy areas, paved areas and three flag poles (one for the Stars and Stripes, one for the Washington state flag and probably a US Navy Flag). The best part of it? Right next to the office where I currently work. If, for some reason, I end up being an established worker at FE&C, I can enjoy lunch at the park when it's finished.

Tomorrow my husband and I are going to Leavenworth to take part in their Ale Fest. While I don't particularly care for beer, I'll still be going to because 1) it's Leavenworth and 2) it gets me out of town. We're going with his parents, who also enjoy beer tastings, and that means that depending on how much everyone has had to drink by the time we decide to leave town, I will be driving home. I'm perfectly okay with my status as the double d, because I'd rather drive home and know that we got there safely rather than having someone who is slightly inebriated drive us home and have a questionable outcome.

All in all, things are looking good right now. I even got a tentative job offer from a local engineering firm (that isn't FE&C) who is in need of a copy-editor. I may not have gotten my degree in English, but hot damn if I don't know how to write a paper (or a business proposal for that matter).

So I got to go and pick up my paychecks. One was decently sized, the other was skimpy, but what do you expect when you only work for seven days? On the plus side, I might have another two week prospect on the horizon, and it could stretch into three. This one has no chance of becoming permanent, but it would be good for a little while and put a bit more money in my pocket. I'll talk it over with my husband at lunch and then give the HR rep a call back after.

Well, I suppose this week hasn't been a TOTAL bust after all.

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!

I start at 6:45 tomorrow morning.

Suddenly, waking up to take care of Rusty has become a very good thing. It means I won't be an absolute bear tomorrow morning. XD

I have showered, gotten dressed, eaten, done dishes and have a batch of cookies in the oven. All before ten. (And once I finish this entry, I'll probably go and make the bed followed by putting a load of laundry in.) Part of this bustling productivity is that I've been getting up at the ass crack of dawn to let my in-law's dog out of the garage. And I've also decided that it's time to start waking up earlier because there is gainful employment on the horizon. (But more on that later.)

All of this waking up early has made me realize that I could, theoretically get up, put exercise clothes on, let the dog out, come back and work out, then shower after. Which in all reality, saves me from taking a second shower because I'm always sweaty and gross after running. (Thankfully, sweat production is always at a minimum while lifting weights, which is probably due to the fact that I do lower weight higher reps.) Today I'm going to get back into exercising because I didn't exercise at all last week, not even yoga, due to fighting off a cold. Let's face it, exercising is teh suck when it feels like you have a ten pound weight settled on your chest. However whatever I had I seem to be over, so it's back to working out.

Of course, this whole routine may change if I get a job. My mother contacted me on Friday with a job opportunity that a business contact of hers approached her with, basically asking her if she knew anyone who could fill a temporary position. Six weeks of working as an administrative assistant for one of the labs (or is it an engineering firm? I can never keep them all straight, all that alphabet soup up there) who are apparently working on a business proposal.

Guess who busted her ass to write a business proposal back in junior college? And guess who found it hanging out on her hard drive? Oh yeah, me.

If I do get a call about it, I'll have to print off a copy to take into the interview just so I can say, "And here's an example of a business proposal I wrote. By myself. It might not be exactly what you're doing, but I think it adequately shows my abilities for technical writing." Also, I'm freakishly organized when it comes to paperwork. Maybe even a little anal.

At any rate, even if it is only temporary, sometimes they'll keep you around if you prove yourself worthy of keeping. Honestly, I hope I do. This is probably a full time position, but it's better than nothing.

Still waiting to hear back from the Clarion.  They have not called my references (or so my references say) which means that whatever hiring plans they might have had have now been put on hold.  I'm also going to see about possibly volunteering at the CREHST Museum, the East Benton County Historical Society Museum, and at the Franklin County Historical Society and Museum.  And maybe, if I'm lucky, they'll have a paid position for someone with a history degree.  (At the fair last year I talked to the nice folks for the FCHS&M and they seemed interested in a young person with a history degree - it's worth a shot at the very least.) 

Also, my husband is officially set to go to Baltimore.  He leaves in exactly one week, at 6:00 AM out of the local airport, which means I'll be getting an early start to my day because I'll be taking him to the airport.  Though I think it's probably safe to say that we could leave at 4:45 instead of 4:30, unless we're planning to stop at the Road 68 McDonald's to pick up some breakfast for him.  I will say that the lucky SOB gets to fly first class the whole way to Baltimore because those were the only seats left, but he has to fly coach on the way home.  We're going to discuss his itinerary when he gets home and figure out a plan of attack.  So I have two lonely nights without him, and I have to say pillows and stuffed animals are poor substitutes to someone who cuddles back and puts off heat.

Which means I may need to borrow someone's kitty.  Anyone have a whore-cat they're willing to lend out?

Other than that, I've been slowly working on my steampunk character.  Sophia is developing nicely, though I need to finish the long, official biography.  Personally, I subscribe to the Third Gunner's logic behind the demise of the cook, pushing Sophia into that roll from rigger with a fear of heights. 

(According to the rumors, the Third Gunner grew tired of the constant indigestion and heart burn, and finally fired him from one of the guns.  Now, this may be true, or she merely USED the gun to run him overboard.  Nobody is sure which, and she's not saying.  At any rate, after the demise of the cook, the entire crew played the game of," Not it!" which Sophia lost - because she had no idea that it was happening.  At first she had to deal with some intense ragging from Darcy and Maggie (one of the few times they've ever been on the same side of anything), but after the first meal, both Darcy and Maggie decided to lay off and now defend the greenhorn when she comes under attack from Bert because she insists that they half-way decent food on board and not whatever was cheapest.  The plus side of her being a naturalist means that if they ever end up in an exotic location, she can hunt for herbs and spices so they don't have to buy them.)  

That, and she lacks any real athletic ability so she did the job because it had to be done, and not because she was suited to it.  I'm currently combing my Illustrated History of the Civil War: Images of an American Tragedy because it is a great reference for weapons and dress of the Victorian era.  If anyone from the group would like to borrow said book, you certainly may - though keep in mind it weighs nearly five pounds.  Whether or not it's worth it to haul it around is completely up to you, as you can drop by at any time to to give it a looksie.  Though a little warning would be nice.  :3

I just got a letter from the Montessori school thanking me for my interest in the job, but another applicant was hired.

Guess I'll just have to start hounding the Clarion now.

My second interview at the Montessori school is today - at 12:30.  I'm nervous because me getting a job there really depends on if the teacher likes me or not. 

Damn it, I should NOT be so nervous.

In other news, must try to steer my steampunk characters away from Mary Sue-ville, but not quite sure how...

So I got a call from the Montessori school about five minutes ago.  They would be delighted to see me.  I go in for an interview tomorrow.  Which means I get to do the stupid, "What the hell do I wear?!" all over again.  But it'll probably be a skirt...nope, just saw my legs.  Slacks, flats, and a nice blouse (I think the pink one will go nicely with my black and white pinstripe slacks) it is.

First of all - I have a job interview at the Clarion Hotel tomorrow.  ^_^  Completely unexpected, but not wholly unpleasant.  It's a nice place, the rehearsal dinner for my wedding was held there.  Anyway, hoping for something front desk part time if I can.  Otherwise I do have other options since I applied to a Montessori school today (and have my resume out to other places as well). 

Secondly, just watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  I've been doing a Jones movie night for the last four days - leading up to Crystal Skull since I started watching it while waiting for for a friend to finish at the plasma donation center (and got an hour and fifteen into it, I found out tonight).  To this I have to say: George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, if you're going to do anything with aliens, stick with Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind respectively.  Not that it was bad - it IS a send up to the B-action movies of the 1950s and all - but there were some parts where I just sort of sighed and rolled my eyes.  But what the hell, it's a fun movie, made me laugh, and kept me entertained for two hours (though for parts of it I was doing other things, like mending a dress or updating Facebook or taking calls regarding interviews).  John Williams is a genius with the score, as always, and it was nice to hear Marion's theme again.  And since we're on the topic of Marion, there's really no woman for Indy than spitfire Marion Ravenwood, probably the only woman who could best Indy, PERIOD.

And Harrison Ford.  The man has aged brilliantly.  :3  Even in his mid-sixties, he's kicking like he's in his forties...like he was when the ORIGINAL movies were done.  Shia LaBeouf is amazing as Mutt, who is a greaser with a prep school upbringing.  The leather jacket and the motorcycle - yeah, pretty nice.  He's an amazing actor and there will be great things to come in his future.

/rambling.

I'm excited about my interview - tomorrow will be spent in my closet going, "What the hell am I going to wear?!"