Finally home! I went to the interview and didn't get home till
Suz - So sorry to hear about your friend. That is tough to hear someone say that stuff. Everyone has different degrees of depression and deals with grief and pain in their life differently. I can relate to how she feels. I have been at that point in my life a few times....not wanting to live and I was only 26 the time I recall that it was actually the worst and I had a gun in my hand and wanted to shoot myself but was afraid of going to He!!. It sounds really sick and I'm almost ashmed to admit that, but I was in the depths of my addiction and it is a progressive disease and it was at the very end of my active addiction before I hit rock bottom and got clean. I actually felt like that other times....and it was severe, but that was the worst I can recall. Nowadays when I get severely depressed, I still get that feeling that I don't want to live, but I don't actually think of doing something about it on my own (well, it does cross my mind, but I really wouldn't do it....as I'm much saner than I was when I was messed up on drugs and lost control over my life). I don't know what to tell you on how to help her though.....sorry. I guess if you try to let her see all of the reasons she has to live and be happy (without being like your lecturing her), that would help her see things in a different light. I'd definitely call her and try to be there for her. I think it's important for her to know she has people who genuinely care about her in a time like this.
Toasty - Wow - you got your lunar oil!! Did you even get a Click & Ship. I haven't gotten anything yet....not even a C&S.
Netta - I think I either scratched my eye, have something in it, or the contact was bad and it irritated my eye so badly that I can't get it calmed down.
Well, the interview went very well. I first met with the Office Manager for a while and I was nervous and tend to babble a bit (no kidding!!) but I was my normal outgoing, friendly self and didn't keep the conversation strictly business and act like a stick in the mud. I asked LOTS of questions (good ones I thought). She asked me how fast I can type and I said "gee...I didn't do too much typing on my last job (little does she know the narratives I post here LOL), but said last time I was tested for a job, I think it was 75 WPM. So then, she gave me a typing test and I told her that if I was nervous (which I was) that it might be lower. Anyway, I guess she knows I'm honest cuz after my test (which I thought I sucked at cuz I lost my place 3 times), I typed 76 WPM. She liked that. Then she left for a few minutes and when she came back she told me I was going to meet with the one Attorney I'd be working for.
The job is Assistant to 2 of the Attorneys in the 10 Attorney Firm. It's a very large practice in Downtown...nice office. They have they're own parking lot across the street from the building. The Attorney's I'd be working for are the Corporate one and the Real Estate one (good...I can learn stuff for my DH & I for house flipping) and they also have a Bankruptcy attorney in the Firm, Tax Attorney and Estate one. I think that's a good practice to be in. They've been in business since 1917. Sounds like a secure job. Hours are 9-5 with an hour for lunch and when I asked if I could start a bit earlier, she said she's doesn't see why it couldn't be worked out. She did state there was some OT occasionally when meeting deadlines for contract/agreements. The job consists of mostly typing contract/agreements from sloppy handwriting (but I worked for doctors my whole life....LOL - had to understand their foreign accents and read their scribbles). Not being cocky here as I'd need to learn it. I'd also need to learn some Legal jargon and and a lot of other stuff. They seemed to think it wouldn't be a problem for me to work there with my background being medical, as they said a strong Secretarial/Adm Assistant background goes a long way.
All of that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with the Senior Attorney I met with. I think he was one of the ones that had been there the longest and knows ALL of the specialties. I got the feeling he really liked me (and the feeling was mutual -- but he's 65...so don't get any strange ideas). However, he wants me to meet the other partner I'd be working for before they decide. They know that I'm supposed to start another job and I'm working under time constraints (need to know by the end of the week...so I can notify the other job if I'm not going to take it).
This job will pay more (not sure how much...as he just asked what salary I was looking at and I told him my last salary and said I'd like it to be comparable). The benefits are comparable to the other job give or take a few things. The main thing I like about this job is that you're only there 8 hours and that means they pay for your hour lunch. The other job - you don't get paid for your lunch - so you're there almost 9 hours a day. I much prefer working 8:30 to 4:30 versus 7:45 to 4:30.
I'm leaning towards liking this job today and if they offer it to me I'm probably going to take it. I am a bit scared because I think the Attorney job will be much more difficult and stressful than the Real Estate but I also think that they generally care about their employees and I get the feeling they treat them with much dignity and respect (something I haven't had for a long time). Whereas the Real Estate job, I didn't get that feeling. I got the feeling it was more every man for himself and that I'd have to deal with all of the Realtors coming in and giving me a hard time. I could be totally wrong though. I would hate to get the Atty job and be working a ton of overtime, since you know how they downplay stuff in an interview.
Here's a few tidbits of info also.....comments that made be think. The Office Manager (on the phone when setting the interview) said to me "oh - I was thinking about taking Dec 26th off, but knowing this place, I won't get out of here". That made me say....hmmmm... but today when I was there - the sly fox I am - made a point of asking the Receptionist how long she's been there and also if she liked it there. I also asked the same thing to the Office Manager. They've both been their 9 and 12 years and the only reason the person that's leaving is leaving is cuz she just moved here in Sept and got the job and her DH can't find work here, so they are moving. That says a lot about a place (IMO).
Are you ladies sorry you asked?? LOL
Phyllis (my old boss) called me as I was walking in the door (we went to the Mall to exchange stuff) and she called to tell me how much she missed me. I told her about the job interview and she was excited for me. I miss her too. I know you ladies probably think I'm nuts.
Deb - I was in the shower and bent over to wash my foot, and I twisted at the same time...and my sciatica pain got a pinching feeling and now my back and hip are really bothering me. Any advice? Ice or heat?
Diane Sue - I think I'm going to ease off a bit on my leg workout for tomorrow and go with a full body/cardio circuit. Since I hurt my back slightly and my low back was bothering me ...I thought it'd be a good idea to do Jari Love's Ripped 1000. I haven't done it yet.
Wow - the Collage catalog just came and there's all kinds of new workouts I want and I have no money!!!
OMG - I can't believe how long this is!!!! You guys are probably ready to kill me! I sorry! I type fast!! LOL.