01:47 - 11.01.08
Progress
As it turned out, I didn't even wake with my alarm when my youngest had got up to go to work yesterday morning, nor did he wake me. After the cats finished their wee hours of the morning melodrama, I had got up so as to settle them, then packed lunch for my youngest, thinking I might be too fuzzy headed to do a proper job come morning - the real morning that is.
Didn't wake up until just before I should have been on the bus going to that rescheduled interview. My chest hurt a lot and I felt rather weak. Emailed the agent I had originally had contact with - also having no voice to speak of or with - giving her two hours notice that I wouldn't be able to attend that interview, as I had suspected might be the case. I probably could have made it there, but not being able to talk or think clearly just did not make sense to me. I included my doctor's question about the advisability of working for an employer with so little regard for my welfare. Prima donna maybe, but the likelihood of having a relapse back to the really bad part of that infection, as a result, didn't sit well. Received an email rsponse from her about an hour later that was quite defensive. The employer hadn't made the decision to reschedule - she and the woman who had called about it had. She tried to insist that there had been no pressure to agree, but that wasn't the case. Now I wasn't happy about being manipulated by the two of them, since it likely would cost me any interview with that company if I was portrayed by the two agents as being the one being deliberately unco-operative. I had explained about the extent to which my doctor and I had gone to try to accommodate the request to meet yesterday, but my body simply wasn't ready. Couldn't do anything further about it at that point either. Given all the miscommunications and roadblocks, I decided to conclude it was the universe's way of saying it was a bad match for me. If you can't change the circumstances, then change your attitude. Very long void of course moon moving into my astrological sign didn't bode well for long term stability either. I'm babbling, I know.
Grabbed the day's mail and found a letter appearing to be from a major appliance dealer stating that my application for credit to purchase my "chosen" appliance had been rejected, because they couldn't verify who I was. No doubt, since I hadn't been near any appliance store nor been shopping for any household goods - you know how bad my financial state is, dear diary. I wouldn't even consider it right now. Decided to check with my youngest, before proceeding any further. The security breach at his work having something to do with credit cards, you see. I couldn't imagine any reasonable explanation from him either, but I didn't want to go calling in the authorities without first being really certain that some odd twist of luck had allowed the hackers access to my information that way. When my youngest arrived home at the end of his work day, he affirmed that there was no connection between their security problems and this letter. Hmmm. There was also a phone call listed on our call display coming from an area code that didn't show up in any local or international listing I checked. Don't know if they are related to each other or not.
There were a lot of job postings and articles waiting in my inbox yesterday, that seemed perfect to help out other people I know in a lot of different ways, so I spent my time - in between several naps - at the computer sending them off to each individual. Got two invitations to meet up with people I haven't seen in a long time, as a result. Sometimes small acts of kindness give back much more than one would expect, eh?
This morning I still was feeling really sore and uncomfortable, but the coughing fits were under control enough that another shot of steroids in a pinch would allow me to control any unexpected fits. As I was preparing to leave, news came on the television about an emergency landing for an airbus along with injured passengers at the airport a short distance away. That explained all the sirens. I was wondering if that would mean detours or blocked access on transit along the route. It didn't, but the drivers were all very alert. A few other planes circling like large drone bees overhead, obviously waiting to land, was disconcerting since they usually zip in one right after another that time of day, mostly being business people popping into the city for a day or two of meetings. The airplane in question wasn't even meant to stop over. Some issue happening just the west side of the mountains had precipitated the crisis. If nothing else, it diverted my attention away from any nervousness about attending the interview and I was feeling lucky again in terms of what could have been a very bad scene if that plane had crashed coming down over our community, rather than making it to the runway before almost flipping over. It's all relative, isn't it?
The interview today was really interesting. First up the one interviewer allowed he had been really ill with what appeared to be the same infection for the past two weeks. He was fully sympathetic when I explained about not really being up to par yet for an interview. I had one short coughing fit and lost my voice as well at one point, but there was no censure for that from either gentleman. Both were very kind. I also really liked the woman I would most likely have the greatest interaction with, should I be taken on as well. It seemed the two gentlemen interviewers were as much interested in picking my brains to fully flesh out their description of the position, as they were in interviewing me. They both seemed unclear what they needed to do, even though one was the head of the agency and one was the legal counsel. Investigative as well as prosecutorial in function. Low public profile, but a truly important role played in order to protect the public. I would love to work with them. After our discussion, they stated that they would have to revisit and redraft the position based on the information I gave them. Might be a while before they would actually fill it. Drat. I can't wait that long, especially without some guarantee of income. Drat, drat, drat. Sigh.
Stopped at the grocery store to pick up some essentials that we were completely out of, then trekked home on foot. When I had left home it was cold and windy; the temperature below zero C, of course. A lot of people on the train seriously underdressed, because a chinook had been forecast as well. As we were watching the sky and the aircraft activity on the way downtown, one could see those planes coming from a southwesterly direction flying through the chinook arch forming up at that time. The news reports said that wind sheer wasn't part of the damaged airplane's problems, but it couldn't have helped matters either, being so powerful. On the way home from the grocery store, that temperature had risen significantly but the wind was still harsh - especially for someone like me whose breathing was already compromised. There were even other pedestrians wearing balaclavas to cover their faces, because it did take one's breath away, all on it's own. Had that steroid inhaler out as soon as I walked in my front door, hoping to fend off another major coughing incident or relapse.
Decided to nourish both myself and those felines before settling into the afternoon's tasks. Besides it's like having toddlers or teens to deal with. Feed them and they become quite tame while their bellies are full. They napped as I tackled today's to-do list. First up called and left a voicemail for the one appliance store's financial department, trying to get clarification about the letter I had received the day before. One of the other odd things was that the return address on the letter was a PO box number located in another city. What's up with that and why was there no phone number on the letter. Too odd. I wasn't certain if the letter was even legitimate because of that lack of a feature. If I do hand it over to the police, I want to be able to give them some sort of leads to work with. Next up called my youngest at work. A voicemail had been left for him from one of the agencies he had sent his resume to, asking him to call for an appointment. As I've noted before, he really likes and respects his boss, but now their staff is at about half what it should be. Double the workload because of the hacker, with half the support. No increase in pay for the additional levels of responsibilities he is being asked to take on either. Opened my email and found a note from another agency that I had interviewed with in November. They had two postings they thought would be a good fit for me. Was I still interested and would I call them as soon as possible. You bet. I'm not certain I could have pulled off another interview or even two tomorrow, because my lungs had relapsed quite a bit after this morning's journey, but maybe the beginning of next week? He said he would contact the employers and get back to me with more direction next week. One is an extended contract, while the other is a permanent position, both in the same field of endeavour and both not far from each other. I felt better about the day after that. All I need is a job that allows me to do my best and pay my bills. Just one job, dear lord, is all I'm asking. Don't think that's unreasonable. And on that note, good night, dear diary.
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