I wait. And I wait.

I'm not the most patient person I know. I'm patient with kids, that's all. When I was waiting at my psychotherapist's office, he was running about four minutes late. So I had a conversation with myself while I waited:

"So, self, should you leave? I mean seriously, therapist dude is late. Not a good sign."

"Maybe I should leave. I could always reschedule."

"I say go."

"Ok fine, that's it, I'm going to pack up my th... too late, there he is. Damn!"

I hate waiting. So when I went on my third interview last Tuesday with the friendly architect and his partner from New York, they mentioned that they would get back to me by the "end of next week". Today is Friday, the very end of next week. The tail end of next week. And no call. No email. Again, the voices spoke to me:

"Hey, self, should you call him?"

"Nah, maybe I should email him."

"I think you should call. At the end of the day."

I didn't call. It wouldn't be right. I shall wait until Monday, if I can last that long.

*sniff*

Not to sound like a selfish douche bag, but I have a cold, and when one has a nose that runs faster than a barefoot Kenyan sprinter, one blows one's nose. Usually with Kllenex. So I don't care how many ancielt boreal forests they have to cut down, I refuse to walk around with a dripping nose! Not cool.

Third interview

We all get a little nervous at times. It's natural. That's why they made Xanax. But I deviate. Today I had my third interview with the architectural firm. I think it went well, but I've been known to be wrong when making these judgement calls. So I guess I'll find out for sure in a week - if they call me or not.

Until then, I remain anxious.

Is it time for my cat nap?

The job hunt is a tiring job in itself. Just last week I went on three interviews. I have been asked to go back for a third with an architectural firm, the other one - a chemical company - will let me know if I've been selected to have a third interview on Wednesday, and also on Wednesday I have a writing test for a fundraising internship. And yes, it's unpaid.

This is, of course, over and above my serving tables and anwsering the phone and assembling office furniture and ordering toner cartridges and a new stapler for the copier room. Oh yes, and working 8 hours at an art show yesterday.

I want ONE full-time job. Just one. That's not being greedy. It just simplifies things so I can find the time to take a cat nap and recuperate and recharge and all that nice stuff.

Ever had the dickens scolded out of you?

And no lying allowed! We've all had the dickens scolded out of us. Maybe as a kid you pushed your female classmates into the street while walking up to the bus stop from school - and then had the dickens scolded out of you by your parents.

Or maybe you forgot your anniversary and arrived home from work giftless with an irrate wife who proceded to scold the dickens out of you.

Me, I had the dickens scolded out of me yesterday while chatting on Google chat with a friend of mine who lives down in the Cape of Storms. Somehow we got onto the topic of South Africans and how South African expats abroad like to bash their home country/insult the government/complain about crime. I made the mistake of doing the latter. And out came the fangs. Liewe hemel did I get the dickens scolded out of me? You're damn right I did. And now I know not to do it again.

Valuable lesson learned.

Bless!

Do you remember YOUR first day of school? I'm not asking about high school. I'm talking about the very, very first day of Grade 1 (or Standard 1, for those in South Africa old enough to remember 'those' days).

Well, bless, my niece started Grade 1 on Monday. Yes, the academic school year starts in January down south of the equator. And apparently the young angel has already made enough of an impact on her teachers that they have called my sister to tell her how the young blessed child is such a "helping star".

Wow, her first day of Grade 1. That makes me feel really old. But still, bless.

Just a little off the back, please

Tomorrow I shall be having my locks snipped. Not too short, mind you. Just enough to stop the ends from looking like barbed wire. And also the back is getting kinda lengthy, much like a baby mullet and those are not cool.

I'm proud to have a head of thick tresses. But what's the point if you don't look after them, right? A trim every six weeks, a treatment every month, some good hair products occasionally, and voila, healthy shiny hair - the stuff of shampoo commercials.

There's something to be said about having someone run their fingers through your hair. I imagine it's exactly what a cat feels when you pet it and it starts roaring with pleasure. It's soothing, relaxing, and enough to just almost put you to sleep. So yes, I'm looking forward to it.

I have a lot to prove

Sounds a little narcisistic, I know, but hey, what the hell, it's my blog. I'm back on the job hunt and changing my resume (or maybe I should say "tailoring my resume" to each of the positions I am applying for has made me reflect on myself and my abilities.

What am I really good at? I like to think I can write. I'm really good at spending time on the internet. But I've applied for a position as a business development person with an architectural firm, and I've been called back for a 2nd meeting. I have never worked in business development before. Where the hell does one start?

If I got the job, would I have something to prove to myself? Hell yeah, to myself AND my employer. At this point, I shall gladly take advice from readers on how to solicit new business for an architectural firm.

The thing about being a temp worker

The thing about being a temp worker is that it's not permanent.

Now I realize that sounds redundant, but in actuality, it makes perfect sense. Because nothing is ever actually permanent. No one stays at their first job for their entire lives. So it's hardly a permanent situation. But we call it that.

All that said, my temp assignment came to an end today. Way back when I was first hired, I was told it was a temp position and that it could last anywhere from a week to a few months. It lasted four months. So while I have until the end of the week until I have to say 'goodbye', the new job hunt started today. A quick call to the temp agency and now I wait. well, not really wait because I have an interview with another temp agency on Monday and another phone interview for an in-person interview I had about two months ago on Wednesday. So hopefully something pans out. It always does.