like a shooting star, falling
like a shooting star, falling from the sky to die
well, welcome back. Me, I mean. You haven’t gone anywhere, I am the one who has been missing.
Temping does odd things to one’s brain.
So, I’m at IP Callison for the next two and a half weeks. My first Executive Assistant temp job. I’ve done plenty of reception/Admin asst. type work before, but in the first day here, during my training, I took TEN PAGES of incredibly detailed notes, and that was only the beginning. Trying to learn all the ins and outs of a job this complicated, in ONE DAY??? Frankly, I’m feeling a little wary. I mean, right now, obviously nothing is going on. That is because the entire office is at a retreat in Chehalis for the next two days. Or, rather, not “retreat” so much as “dinner and golfing”. After stressing about all the stuff I had to learn, it’s nice to be sitting here by myself, no longer doing everything under the scrutiny of Monica, who is (as far as I can tell) an uber-executive assistant. Damn is she good. Very together, knows every little shortcut in word and excel and outlook, and yet is still (and I’m guessing here) in her mid twenties and (not guessing HERE) fun to be around. She’s going on a road trip next week, and then the week after that she’s going to HAWAII with two of her girlfriends. Sickening, I tell you. What a fun-sounding trip.
Anyway, turns out that her roommate used to work at Jack Morton, where I’ve also temped before. Turns out her roommate got laid off right after I temped there - and just before good old Kelly started working there as their receptionist. (Kelly, if you ever read this, I miss you. We should hang out.) What a small world. This temping thing means that if I go much longer without finding a permanent job, I may very well end up knowing every single damn person in the entire downtown area! As well as, of course, my friends in South Seattle, and that company I quit my assignment for over in West Seattle. Ugh.
SO: job news. POP! Multimedia decided they were “not going to fill the position” at this time. I think this means they interviewed a whole bunch of people and then decided that none of them are good enough. This is obviously quite frustrating. Of course, the person who currently has the position is hella-cool, and maybe she just decided not to switch over to her new web producer job yet. Who knows. I’m starting to learn that I need to NOT get so excited about jobs when I really desperately want them. I just end up being sad all the time at my apparent un-hire-ability. (Note: that does not mean I am unable to hire. Just for clarification.) I’m considering writing one of those “would you please tell me what I could have improved about my interview, etc” emails. Maybe I would learn a thing or two.
SO: I applied for another job. My fave place to temp, so far, has been Committee for Children. The people there have always been so kind and accepting to me, and I really think what they do is important. Plus, and this has become perhaps my most important criterion in my job search: the people are fun. Their executive coordinator is so sweet, and the people there just really seem to care about each other and enjoy what they do. One thing I have learned in my temping adventures: this is not the case in every company. I really want to work with people I feel I can learn from - people with a good work ethic that might rub off on me - people with vision and passion and energy. I feel so full of useless right now. I’m getting so antsy and feeling like such a NON-valid contributor to society - it’s like a little kid who gets so hyper that they can’t stand it and start to cry for no reason, just because it’s something to do to let that pent up energy out. Temping is fun, meeting lots of new people is fun, going somewhere different every day of the week is fun. For awhile. But, now it’s been three months, and it’s getting old. QUICKLY. And this job just seems like it would be so perfect for me. (And, more importantly [at least to them,] I would be perfect for this JOB.) Oh well. The position closed today, so maybe I’ll hear something soon. I can only hope!
Anyway, enough Pollyanna “I have such dreams and aspirations” blather. I’m sure it seems like drivel, and one by one, my faithful friends are surfing on to more exotic and exciting blogs. SO, here is a bit of exciting news:
I can hardly believe it. Before Bill, my longest actual technical relationship was somewhere in the area of three months. And, for the record, it occurred in 1995. I’m just so proud of us for making it this long. We rule. And, let me apologize right now to everyone who has lost money on us in the “which couple will get engaged/married/whatever first” betting pool. I know there are many of you out there, and you have lost a substantial amount of money due to the exceptionally high odds placed on us, and I want to apologize to all of you. I assure you, there was no harm intended.
Now, the crappy part is - we are so stinking broke that, as far as I know, we aren’t even really doing anything for our big important anniversary. As of right now, I don’t even know if we’re going to make rent, which stinks. I really wanted to do something cool, but due to my not-real-job-having-state, we’re going to be lucky if we pull out of the next couple of weeks with our electricity and phones intact. sigh. I suppose we can just make up for it at our 3 1/2 year anniversary, which just happens to be New Year’s Day. (Convenient, isn’t it? We planned it that way.)
Another downside - the brother of a girl I was kind of friends with in high school passed away. We were … good acquaintances? We didn’t hang out with the same crowd, but she was a sweetie pie, and we got along well when we were together. (Somewhere, I think I still have a pair of her shoes sitting at the bottom of a box.) She was a year behind me in school, and her brother was a couple of years ahead. He died of a heart attack at the age of 25, and left his wife and his little girl behind. This has been such a year of sickness and death among people I know - maybe the millennium is upon us after all. It just kind of makes me wonder what it’s all for.
Anyway, excuse my pensive mood.
It must be time for a potty break.