So, quick weekend catchup.
The training that was scheduled at the Market Research Job this past week was cancelled because the trainer came down with bronchitis. So, training will be tentatively rescheduled for some time this week. *fingers crossed*
My story, Heading Home, was posted over at 365tomorrows earlier this week. So far, it's gotten some nice comments.
That same day, I had a job interview at Personnel Plus. I was there to apply for a reception position but wound up registering with them. What could it hurt? The interview went well, I think. The lady I spoke with used to work for Social Services in North Carolina, so we traded war stories about our experiences. She gave me some pointers re my resume, too.
Yesterday, I went and had my snow tires put on the car. It was only a four hour wait, long enough for me to see a movie and hang out in the library for a little while. Turns out, I have perfect timing, because when I left the tire place it was trying to snow.
Beyond that, there's not a whole lot else going on these days. I get up in the morning and scour the websites looking for a halfway decent job, then retreat to the bedroom to stare at my laptop computer for hours, trying to grind out a halfway decent bit of story. When the walls start closing in, I get up and go out, somewhere with people and just hang about. After about an hour, I'm ready to retreat back into my shell.
And that's pretty much my life these days.
Still alive and holding steady. - G.

Jobbed

I got a call a little while ago from the Market Research Firm I interviewed at last week. They've offered me a temp job. I go in this Wednesday for training and the gig starts Thursday and runs through Sunday.
Finally! The walls of my condo were starting to close in on me.
In other news, I have a condo showing this evening. Hopefully, with interest rates down to 4%, I'll get an offer. As it is, I feel like a wallflower at a high school dance, standing around waiting for somebody to ask me to hit the dance floor.
Still alive and considering a celebratory latte. - G.

Joke

A man walks into a doctor's office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear.
"What's the matter with me?" he asks the doctor.
The doctor replies, "You're not eating properly."

Still alive and telling jokes. - G.

I just got a call from the research place I applied at last week. They want to do an interview with me this Friday.
Woohoo!
Still alive and maybe getting out of the house. - G.

Fiction: Never Alone

NEVER ALONE

“I’ll miss you.” Pandora hangs her head, but her grip on Shadow’s hand is tight.
Shadow touches her hand. “You know I don’t want to go.”
She nods. “But you have to.”
Impulsively, Pandora throws back her veil. Shadow recoils, eyes flashing left and right, making sure that no one else is around to see.
“What are you doing?” he hisses. His heart is pounding in his chest.
“Kiss me,” says Pandora.
Shadow blanches. “Here? What if someone sees?”
“I don’t care. Kiss me once, before you go. So I’ll have something to remember you by.”
He turns away, shutting his eyes. “I can’t. It’s not right.”
“What do you care about right or wrong?” Her voice is laced with hot anger. She pulls her hand from his. “You’re leaving me. How is that right? After the promises you made?”
“Pandora, I don’t have any choice. You know that.”
“I don’t care.” She pulls her veil down over her face. “And don’t expect me to wait for you.”
“I never expected you too,” says Shadow.
He watches her spine stiffen and tells himself it’s for the best. They can’t be together. Not now, not ever. What’s the use of false hope?
Shadow places his hands together and bows, formally. “Goodbye, Miss Stringfellow.”
She doesn’t respond and he didn’t expect her too. Turning his back, Shadow walks away from her. Deliberately, he does not look back.
“You did the right thing, Shadow,” says his mentor, Aesop. Its voice resonates softly, feather-light within his ear.
Shadow touches the implant, at the base of his neck. “Did I?”
“You’ll be gone ten years,” says Aesop. “Would you really want her to sacrifice the best years of her life, waiting on you?”
“No.”
“Of course not.”
Shadow swallows. “She won’t get in trouble, will she? For lifting her veil.”
“She was upset. Allowances are made during such times. Her mentor is probably telling her the same thing, right now.”
“I wish I’d kissed her goodbye.”
“It’s better that you didn’t.”
Shadow hangs his head, stares at the concrete street beneath his feet. A tear slides down his cheek. “I feel so . . . alone.”
“You’re never alone,” whispers Aesop. “No one is. Not anymore. That’s why your ancestors made us. Remember?”
Of course he remembers. Shadow knows his history. A century ago when the pandemics reduced humanity to only a few hundred, the mentors were made. At first they were created to house humanity’s knowledge, but eventually they became more than mere librarians. They became treasured advisors, boon companions and, in some cases, surrogate parents.
“I remember,” murmurs Shadow.
He touches his neck again, reflecting on all the times that his mentor has helped him, offered comfort and guidance. “Thank you, Aesop.”
Tears still slide down Shadow’s cheeks, but the mentor, kindly, does not comment on them.

I got an early start this morning. Woke up at 8:00 AM - Which is totally early for some of us! - and hauled ass downtown to Barnes & Noble for their 9:00 AM group interview.
I honestly don't know how it went. I was the first one to show up and was chatting with the manager doing the interviews and we seemed to get along all right. I think I might have made an impression, but I'm not sure.
There were four other people there. A very nice young lady, a single mom taking a business management course at UAA and a couple of youngish college guys. One guy had a Beiber cut and the other guy was a very quiet black dude.
The interview was interesting, but I don't know how well I did. They only asked like three or four questions. I think I gave some pretty good answers on a couple of 'em. The manager guy looked at me and sort of nodded, which I take as a positive.
But the single mom did exceptionally well. She was very well spoken. I'm tempted to use the word erudite to describe her responses. The young lady sitting next to me was enthusiastic. As for the other guys? The black dude was just too quiet, in my opinion, and the Beiber hair guy was enthusiastic, but sort of twitchy.
Eh. They'll review their notes and if I haven't heard anything by the end of next week, I'll know it was a wash.
In other, job-related news, I faxed in a follow up document to a temp job I applied for last week. Its with a research firm that does political polling. The work sounds interesting, as long as I don't have to do it from home. I'm not cold calling people from my home phone. That's just not going to happen.
Got an e-mail from a guy who claims he saw my resume on Careerbuilder. But it read like a generic e-mail and it's a job in telephone sales, which I'm so not interested in. And speaking of Careerbuilder, I sent off my resume to their free resume review and got a totally generic response, stuffed full of links to their pay services. Fuckers.
My own fault though, since you get what you pay for.
That's pretty much it right now. Hope things are going well for y'all.
Still alive and looking for the right job. - G.