Holy job rejection.

OK, so the other week when I was in Boston I had a phone interview that I thought went really well, and that I'd hear back the next week on moving forward in the process.

The next week (which was last week), I hear nothing. So, Friday morning I e-mail HR.

No Response.

Friday afternoon I see the job re-posted on a major industry job board.

Um, OK.

Finally, TODAY I get an e-mail back that the position was re-posted (duh) and that nobody that was interviewed is still under consideration for the position, and that letters will be sent out stating that.

Um, OK. Let's not E-MAIL candidates. Because e-mail is fast and free. Let's send them a LETTER. But before we do that, let's RE-POST this job on a major industry job board so that they can feel like they were stabbed in the heart when they see the posting!

Sounds great to me!

The fact that this all happened with the university I graduated from makes it sting even more.

FML.

Held hostage at the nail salon.

Oh, my word. Just earlier today I was talking to my dear friend Julia about how I think of getting a pedicure as an errand, instead of "Yay! A pedi!". And then I was held hostage at the salon for TWO HOURS.

I arrived and signed in at 4:15. 4:30 came around and the three people working at the salon were still working on the same three people they were when I walked in. They were all getting acrylics. I got up and said I'd come back tomorrow, because really, no BFD, I don't need a pedi like RIGHT NOW or anything.

But they were like "Oh, no-we're almost done, blah blah." So I stay. And they put me in a pedicure chair soon after.

And I sat. And sat. And sat. It was hard to be totally peeved, because I was reading magazines and all, but I was a prune by the time they actually got to me.

When it was all said and done, I left the place at 6:20. Geez. That WAS a chore.

Question-why do they never want to cut my toenails? Are claws in style now? Yes, I know I have short nail beds and that when my nails are nicely trimmed, they are SHORT. And I am ok with that. I prefer it over having the nail pass my skin. WTF?

I thought that since I am already annoyed...

That I would post about annoying travel experiences.

1) Please listen to the flight attendant's advice of putting your small shit UNDERNEATH THE SEAT IN FRONT OF YOU.

2) Same applies for your coat-please do what the nice people say and DO NOT PUT IN THE OVERHEAD BINS UNTIL ALL BAGS HAVE BEEN STOWED.

3) Especially on an airline like Southwest, which allows you two checked bags for free, consider CHECKING YOUR BAG.

4) Baggage claim-please do not STAND RIGHT UP AT THE BELT. Especially at an airport like AUS that seems to only ever use two carousels at a time out of the available six.

5) Some of you are just TOO STUPID TO SELECT YOUR OWN SEAT. So, if you are a family that needs to sit together, whatever....PAY FOR EARLY CHECK-IN so that you can get into group A, LIKE I DID.

6) Also, if you are one of the LAST PEOPLE ON THE PLANE on an open-seating flight (like on SWA), don't walk past the open middle seats. You just walked past YOUR seat.

Thanks for flying.

I could not make this shit up.

OK, so even though I don't like the idea of sucking on the tit of the government, I also don't like how I haven't found a job in Austin yet, and being a one-income family sucks. So back in October I read on the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) web site that you may be eligible for benefits if you relocated to be w/a spouse. I filed that in my head. November rolled around, still no job, and so at the encouragement of a friend, I decided to file.

I filed a week or so before Thanksgiving, and this is still not resolved.

Because the last place I worked was in Illinois, I had to file through IL. TWC could not take my claim, so I had to call the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). I filed and waited for my info in the mail.

Info came in the mail right after Thanksgiving. I had to do a phone interview with somebody to further explain my situation. I had to get a letter from my husband's employer, on their letterhead, saying when he started his job. I had to write up a little something and they were to contact my employer.

Fast-forward to about two weeks later, I guess. More mail. This time it told me that I was eligible to collect as long as I met the eligibility requirements.

Um, OK.

They also sent me another letter at the same time (in a different envelope, of course) requesting another phone interview, which was scheduled for Dec. 21st. In this letter it was apparent that they decided my husband is in the military. But I had to give them a letter from his employer, and that clearly was NOT on letterhead of any branch of the US Military.

So that interview on the 21st never happened-they were supposed to call me and never did. And because I was in Galveston at a cookie-making sweatshop, I didn't call until now.

And have been on hold almost 30 minutes. I just pray that my cell doesn't drop this call.

All I want is a yes or a no.

It pains me...

Let me start this off by saying I am not intending to offend anybody here.

But it pains me that my nephew isn't going to grow up in TX.

That no matter how hard our side of the family tries, he's going to know my BIL's side of the family better. Because they are there, and from there. And my family is not nor will ever be.

And there's probably no chance he'll be a fourth-generation Aggie. :(

I haven't even met him yet, but this all makes me sad.

Hugs and kisses from Aunt Sissy to Baby Jack.

I was out of pocket.

And now I am back in pocket. :)

I spent almost a week in Chicagoland visiting friends and attending some industry networking events. Fun was had by all! My friend Julia and her husband Troy are just awesome, and so are their kids and dog. I enjoyed my time with them and with my adorable friend Trisha, as well has her husband Chris and their dog Austin. I love you, friends.

I got back to Austin late Wednesday night, and have felt like I was run over by a truck since I've gotten back. Probably this house needs groceries. Perhaps I need to go shop at Ulta and use my 20% off entire purchase coupon. But I don't see these things happening again today.

News on the job search: I must have something on my forehead that says "Please interview me and don't follow up with me even though it's been almost two weeks." Ugh. I am awaiting results for three interviews I had in the past couple of weeks, but am not getting my knickers too bunched up yet because I've had a couple EVEN BETTER opportunities come across my desk and of course I am all into those. Because who wouldn't want a director-level job or to work with a Fortune 500 company? ;)

Anyway...still trying to catch up from being in Chicago, and will be heading to Galveston next week. Then probably on to Boston at the beginning of 2011. I need to meet my sweet nephew!

One rejection and two interviews this week.

Well, the one place with short cubicle walls didn't hire me.

I had interviews with two different organizations this week. Of the two, I think I really prefer one over the other. But who knows, maybe neither will prefer me. At least I've found some other positions to apply for this week and then just got a lead from a contact of mine (God bless LinkedIn).

Here's a depressing scenario for you. Me in an interview, earlier today.

Interviewer: this position is lower-level than your past positions. Are you OK with that?

Me (in my head): No, not really. I want the same type of job that I had in Chicago. However, the job market here is NOT GOOD for meetings & events like it is here.

But, I didn't say that. I did say something about it being a different market, blah blah, which it is.

I just wonder if I will ever be OK with that?