So yesterday was not my favorite day ever. Let's just say that I got overwhelmed with the process of learning a whole bunch of stuff combined with too much work to get through in one day although it all NEEDED to be done yesterday so I had to work through lunch and it's never a good idea for me to miss a meal.
I didn't cry at work, thank goodness, but by the time I drove home the waterworks started.
It was the ugly, snot coming out of my nose cry. I think I scared Charlie. It lasted way longer than it should have (I blame jet lag) and by the time I went to bed I had a raging headache which also woke me up at 3am.
But today was the dawning of a new day and everything seemed better and easier this morning. Thank goodness, I don't think anyone in my house could have taken another day like yesterday.
So I feel kindly towards my job once again and I want to share a few pictures of the things I have in my office.
This little guy does not belong to me (he goes in the exhibit booth to attract attention) but I get to share an office with him when he's not on the road. I've named him Otto.
I love bringing toys to the office, it makes it feel cozy. Paddington was from my trip to London a couple of years ago, Gallagher the flying pig usually holds my glasses (and was purchased at my favorite airplane museum that no longer exists) and the pen holder is a piece of china that features the same pattern that Laura Ingalls Wilder had in her house.
The wall right in front of me is a bulletin board so I add something new just about every day. I love being surrounded by images that I love.
I know I'll have bad moments/days again so I'm going to really enjoy days like today when it's nothing but fun.
Ever since I got the job at the Slough, we've spent the weekends walking the trails and taking pictures. Here are a few of my favorites. I'm grateful to have landed in such a beautiful place.
So, lots of things to catch up on.
You might remember hearing me bitch and moan a bit over the summer about my desperate job search. As you may recall, I was feeling very sorry for myself for having left my wonderful job at Tor House to move to Florida only to end up moving back to California and have to look for another job.
Truth be told, I still feel a bit sorry for myself over that.
But, I'm working on looking forward, not backward and so I spent the summer doing temp jobs and sending out resumes.
And going on interviews and not getting jobs.
Dream summer, right?
But then, as summer ended and autumn began, things began to happen. Weird things.
First of all I had an interview at a non-profit in Carmel. The interview went well and the next day I was asked for my references. I was told I'd hear something by Friday...Monday at the latest.
Friday came and went and I heard nothing. This didn't bode well. On Monday I had an interview at another place for a job that seemed nice. They told me I would hear an answer that afternoon.
And that afternoon I heard from both that interview and the non-profit. Same answer. NO. Believe me, it is not fun to be rejected twice within the space of an hour.
I cried and cried...all afternoon.
But then I interviewed for a bookkeeping job at a small business and I got a call 2 days later from the owner telling me that I was everyone's first choice and he just had a few more questions which I answered and he promised to get back to me on Monday.
Which he did. He called and asked me to come in the next day and get started.
YAY!
or not
The next week was the weirdest of my life. I went into the small business on Tuesday expecting to meet with the owner's wife who had been doing the books. She wasn't there when I arrived so the owner had me start cleaning off a table and making files. Then the wife came and instead of starting with her, the owner decided to take her out to lunch and told me to keep making the files. Then they came back from lunch and the wife had another appointment so she left. Then the owner had an appointment and he left. I finished up the files and I left.
Before the wife left, she and I made plans to meet the next day but at 7am, the owner texted me and said he would be out of the office all day and I should come by on Thursday so I did but instead of starting work, the owner said his wife was mad at him because she wasn't available that day (and he had scheduled this all without consulting her) and he really needed about a week so that they could both get organized on how to start the process of transferring the books over to me. I asked if he wanted to get back to me when they were ready and he seemed relieved at my suggestion. He said he'd given his wife my contact info and she would call me to set up a time to start.
So I left.
I haven't heard from him since.
When I walked out I knew that things probably weren't going to work out there (and I really never wanted to see this guy again) so I immediately called the temp agency and told them I was available again. I also had another job opportunity up my sleeve although it was a longshot.
Earlier in the week I had an interview scheduled with a local nature reserve non-profit but I had canceled it when the other job came through. I decided to email the nature reserve to let them know i was available again just in case they hadn't found anybody although I truly doubted it would work out.
Imagine my surprise when they immediately responded and scheduled an interview with me. Then more joy and surprise when I had a second interview with them and then a job offer. I guess it was meant to be. I started 2 weeks ago and it's a lovely place to work with super nice people.
It's also a wonderful place to hike on the weekends and T and I have really been enjoying our time there.
The reserve, also known as the Slough, encompasses 3500 acres much of which is former farmland. There used to be a dairy farm there from the '20s through the '70s.
So I've landed in another beautiful place and for that I'm truly grateful.
