Taurus in Career Sector

There must be something mulling about in the stars for me at the moment...

My freelance work is likely to dry up very soon, if it hasn't already. Nothing to do with my work, more to do with contracts and deals with the agency I do work for and their suppliers and clients. I am not crying over it, as it was a project that needed more support from people who were determined not to, and as I was only a contracter I had very little push on it.

Anyhow, one of the promises to myself was to have some sound income before V comes down here so I can keep independence IYKWIM. I have been looking hard, but what I want (not full time and no time with my daughter) is not very thick on the ground, and using my skills fully is not going to happen with many places up here.

I was a professional temp for many years so I have very wide-ranging portable skills and I am basically willing to work at any level so long as it is not full on and I am treated with a certain level of dignity.

Anyhow, a few weeks ago I saw an ad for a part time job that looked goodish and applied through the agency. I had a good first interview and got onto the short list for the second interview.

In the interim, saw another ad for a part time job that looked goodish and applied through the same agency where I was put through to the client without interview as the rep knew my skills.

Yesterday I had the 2nd interview for the first job. Sounds like it will go from part time to full time in a hurry when the existing girl goes on maternity, they will be very inflexible on leave or time off and want to pay my lowest rate, so I am thinking even if it is offered I may not really want it.

Then I got a call from another person in the agency wanting to know my skills for graphic design and desk-top publishing. In the former I am crap, but have broad dtp skills so she wanted me to put forward for that. Its only 15 hours a week, but I could build around that, so could be good. I got a call back on that 10 minutes ago and am having an interview tomorrow on it.

The 2nd job I applied for is going to be interviewed next week, but it dovetails perfectly with my experience in administration - and is government so plenty of options to move sideways when the contract is up. A friend who has been looking for much longer has also been put forward for it so don't want to cut her grass, but I do have more skills and a faster typing speed.

Oh, and the supplier for my existing client is having a conference call with me tomorrow with their software developers to perhaps use some of my coding to create a flatfile for them as I did that for my existing client with reports from an outlet.

It is like all the stars are aligning to throw me opportunities - but I am also worried slightly that I will fail to grasp the right option. Hell, I may fall flat on my face on all options and just have to enjoy V's first days here with dd and keep looking...

But I have waited for 8 months for jobs to arise, and when they do there are 4? What is that!!!

"I've got a tummy ache" and other early morning bird calls

The first words spoken to me today was "I've got a tummy ache"

I don't know what these words do for you, but for me they strike a mixture of frustration, anxiety, irritation and pity. Because we have a l-o-o-o-o-o-o-n-g history with those words. A long history with:

• real diagnoses (ah, giardia, we knew you too well);
• hereditary failings on her dad's side(her dad was untempremental in most aspects except gut);
• hereditary failings on my family's side(we have even got a pet name for ours - surname begins with a B goes so well with Belly, set off by fats, fibres, frowns and changes in the weather);
• intestinal parasites (do you know that nightmares can be attributed to worms - as can grinding teeth, thrashing legs and, well, tummy ache); and
• learned responses (hey, my daughter is no dumbcluck - she also knows how to milk it).

So anyhow, end to my early morning attempt to wrangle my desk into ordered piles, paid bills, gleaming budget and an awesome to do list (yeah, if your bs detector went off its because I was perusing blogs while - okay, instead of - doing all those worthy things).

I was also going to have a new link list up with lots of new blogs I have visited and maybe a blurb about who I visit on Wednesday (yes, I went anal a few weeks ago and have limited a lot of blogs to only once or twice a week on roster - otherwise I would have NO TIME to angst over my own life!).

WTH - here is the Wednesday list:

• cRaZy tRacE is recovering from cycling about 500km
• Miscellanous Adventures of an Aussie Mum is doing Wordless Wednesday (and she has also done a review on a book I don't think I will read - but she assures me it is very good)
• so the fish said did a meme (sort of) and please don't ever ask her to do so again!
• destinations - journeys of a restless mind is coming to terms with visiting the old stomping ground and becoming used to the new
• Geese Aplenty Bringing sexy back. is always good for a laugh, even if it is at the devil's expense
• 8 Centimeters Deluded is trying to juggle work and family and needing a few hints (oh, and through her comments I added another newbie to my extensive "gee, I'd like to check her out again one day when I have a rejig of my links... but not today" list)
• Soul Gardening did some product reviews and extolled the virtues of moving house BEFORE having the baby
• Rainy Pete's Unbalanced World is celebrating a birthday - his daughter's 4th
• Crazy Hip Blog Mamas has meatless salads for their Tuesday recipe section - too bad I find out about it on Wednesday, otherwise I would give you a killer dressing recipe!
• SurvivingSingleMom is also celebrating a birthday - her son's 5th
• and I wasted all that birth control... has a great look at the education and empowerment of women who have suffered loss and are willing to stand up and educate doctors!
• It ain't all pizzas and cream is also celebrating a birthday in a way - a tribute to his remarkable grandmother who would be 95
• Mommy Has A Headache has a great piece on t&a (warning about some of the furries in an earlier post)
• Jennster! did a product review and is looking forward to wedding bells
• The Sheila Variations I am afraid I didn't go past the fold this week, but makes me believe I am keeping up with the New York literary scene
• Tokyo Girl Down Under was investigating her local library scene
• Ms Mac had a look at school lunches

Oh, and I can tick off writing my own (very boring) blog! Good thing I got up at 4.15 - means all those other things still sitting around to do have time to be admired!

Status

So many ideas have cropped up regarding blogs - but so little time, it seems.

I wanted to talk about being a solo mum and entering the dating game, in reference to two excellent posts by Kimberly at Sanity and the Solo Mom, SSM at Surviving Single Mom that got me thinking... but I don't have time, really. So note to self, think and write some time...

The reason for rush today is that in 1 hour and 25 minutes I have a 2nd interview for a job that I would like to get but won't be devastated if I don't.

I would love to get it because I don't like being unemployed (or rather, under employed - I find little bits to keep me occupied but it doesn't pay squat or keep me solvent) and I would really like to be employed before Easter because I made a promise to myself to be so before V is no longer my long-distance darling and he will no longer be my long-distance darling come Easter.

V will no longer be my long-distance darling come Easter - because he is coming at Easter (here, that is, none of your minds in gutters or biblical analogies, please).

And on top of that it (we are talking about the job again) would wake my mind up and widen the circle - and, perchance, give the bank account a refreshing new look.

I wouldn't be devastated because I am being put forward for another job this week that looks more interesting, use more of my skills and have more people in the workplace. Today's job also has the potential for 2 office moves in the next 8 months - but I would have more autonomy.

Oh well, enough crossing bridges. If I get it, it is meant to be. If not, maybe I will get the next one. And if not that, then maybe I will get to spend some time with V and 'Salina over the Easter Break.

Its just win, win, win really. (But do wish me luck!)

Training Wheels

Isn't it funny how, as mothers, little things can become our report cards. When we moved up here, one of the reasons that I verbalised for our move was so that my daughter could learn how to ride a bike. (The others were to be closer to family and in a place that wasn't going to build a busway at my daughter's school's back gate OR a bus tunnel directly between home and school).

I know, I know, all you need is a bike, smooth ground and a willing child, and I sort of had some of all three in the big smoke. Bike was a wonderful pink 4th birthday present, ground was smooth in places and child was willing except when being extremely cautious. Her main drawback, however, was an overprotective mother. The first long word that my sweet child learned to mimic from me was "careful" - I look at myself some days and cringe.

In my defence, I will also mention heavy traffic, pollution, steep and cracked footpaths and fear of faceless strangers stealing her away. Up here, however, it is still unfolding, this whole cycling saga - because of a lot of little reasons, but I am afraid I must look to my report card and see an "F" beside "passing on cycling ability in a confident manner"...

When we first got up here, both she and I said "beauty" at the prospect of cycling away our free time amidst the delights of our new flat neighbourhood - but it didn't eventuate. One reason was the failure to take advantage of or make spare time - and the other is all my fault (again). Because I thought she was ready for the next step by wobbling on her wheels I took them off - and she wasn't - and she point blank refused to ride the bike...

So now we have new training wheels - ones that can be adjusted - and she is very, very keen again to go cycling so we do. We go to the shops, we go to the beach, we explore the neighbourhood. Last weekend, we put the wheels up one notch - and while very tentative at first, she has found she CAN ride with them up that bit higher and not touching the ground. I think that soon they will be more a hindrance than a help and she will be ready - but until I get the green light this time I will hold myself between pushing too hard and not pushing at all.

Darn, its hard being a perfect parent...

Whirr!!!!

My week:

• Recover from weekend, feel sick as a dog and swimming lessons on Monday.
• Recover from feeling sick as a dog, rearrange 1/2 of house, do errands, volunteer at Girl Guides, be hostess for brother/sil and 3 kids on Tuesday.
• Recover from visitors, chase work and invoices.
• Volunteer at school, meet with sister in town for coffee, meet with girls in town for lunch, find prospective job and apply, have interview with job placement agency about course last week and go for a long cycle with daughter on Thursday.
• Tuck shop lady at school, organise a job interview for Monday, organise freelance potentials and followups, courier for parcel collection for my brother and (separately) my sister and go for a long cycle with daughter today.

To do between now and leaving house tomorrow morning: pack for weekend, tidy living room/front room/bedrooms (don't want to leave it ALL for Jean), compost, washing up, wash floors (eggs broke on kitchen floor this morning and have not had a chance today), bath for my princess, chop meat for the cat, do a blog, colour my hair and, of course spend quality phone time with my long distance darling - second Friday without him about and pining horribly here (see him tomorrow though!!)

To do also tomorrow morning before leaving: reorganise car to fit all of siblings packages, port for weekend and daughter's bike, put throught the washing and put on inside lines, try and touch base with a friend, make cat feel loved, leave notes for cat feeding (and house ha ha) and see if I have anything for an 8.30 interview on Monday.

To do tomorrow morning before leaving town: buy sister-in-law a birthday gift, stress if gift I have for sister is enough, see if there is anything for an 8.30 interview on Monday, shoes that are comfortable, climatically suitable and suitably businesslike for abovementioned, sandals for daughter that may be comfortable, climatically suitable, meet with her desires and likely to not fall apart in 6 weeks and any last minute groceries that may be needed for the trip.

Then 200km drive West to my sisters 40th - a dinner party on the tennis courts for 30 people - I am the cous cous lady.

(There I also get to see my sweetie after 13 days and nights apart and spend one night in the quarters aka The Love Shack)

Then come back and maybe stress a bit more about a job interview, a quote I have to prepare, any other job prospects and what a slack housekeeper I am. I might even get around to my folding (ha ha ha ha)

Plenty to keep a girl busy!! (Now ticking off "do a blog" and, of course, "write list" - ah, the feeling of accomplishment!!)