Things Are Looking Up

This week has seen a marked increase in job opportunities for me. Yea! Starting Monday I began to receive numerous e-mails and phone calls from recruiters that all of a sudden have positions to fill. I guess I was right about things opening up after the election. ;-)

Today I had an interview with the lead recruiter at Robert Half which went very well. They gave me a skills test for Windows XP and Server 2003 support. I did really well on the server test which is surprising since I have't worked on a server in over two years. Guess I remembered more stuff than I thought. Gives me hope for the System Admin jobs I've applied for. The online job boards have a lot more listings for me now as well, so I think I'll be working soon which will mean we get to stay in our apartment and have decent Christmas. Whew!

I sure need to get back to a regular, full-size paycheck. This has been a crappy year. When I called in to certify for my unemployment this week, I only was asked about one week, not the usual two. After going do to the unemployment office to ask "What Up?" I learned that it's been one year since my initial registration for benefits -- even though I worked for a couple months earlier this year, the benefits were merely continued after that, not as a new claim. So, I have to requalify - which happens automatically - and call in again next week. Problem is, they treat this as a new claim which means I have a one week waiting period before benefits start, so now I just get one week's worth of pay instead of the usual two! Kinda screwed up what I had planned to pay this time. Had to ask the church and family for help with the rent -- really hope that comes through as I've already received the termination notice from the landlord (they don't waste any time, do they?). Really sucks since we had been working hard to cover it all ourselves. The new job I'm getting any minute will sure help that not being such a problem again.

Get to ride the train into Chicago for another interview tomorrow, so that will be fun. Wouldn't mind a job downtown again. Might make it possible to move back down there again. MLM sure would like that - she hates it out here and I don't like it much. After living in the city you forget what a hassle the 'burbs are. If I need to go to the store - any store - I have to get in the van and drive there! In the city I could just walk or take the El - so nice. Oh, well, that's just wishful thinking for now. After the bankruptcy it'll be tough to find any place that will rent to us for several years. For now, though, it would be handy to be working downtown when MLM has her shoulder surgery - make it easy to get to the hospital in the evenings. We'll see I guess.

Very pleased with how Obama is organizing his transition. Also glad to see that W is being cooperative and congenial about the process too. Guess he can't wait to get outta there!

Getting colder now. Winter is in the air.

Ho. Ho. Ho.