better than getting laid off.

Today (Friday, May 26th) marked my last day at the place I work (now AND formerly known as the place I used to work).

In all honesty, it's been a depressing time. When I first (re) took a job here, I was sure it wouldn't last more than a couple of months. Then no one hired me. Then it got to be the new year, and my resolution was to get a new job. But no one hired me. I got tired of looking for jobs-- this was something like my 5th job search in three years. I hate cover letters, my resume and searching for jobs. More than anything, I hate interviewing. I have no idea how many jobs for which I've interviewed since June 2005. I still have all my rejection letters, though, filed away so I don't forget how hard it was for me to get a job.

Dear Erika/Candidate/Unemployed Slop,

Thank you for submitting your resume to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society/Ferguson/Trader Publishing/The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation/Old Dominion University/Christopher Newport University/Your Mom's House.

However, you suck. No job for you!

Love,

The Hiring Managers
Place that Doesn't Think You Deserve an Interview

I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir about job searches here, as many of you have experienced the same. You know how we do.

However-- enough about you, more about me. It hasn't all been bad, this working You Know Where. There have been glimpses of the Old Times. The guys I worked with still made fun of me. You-Know-Who is still bi-polar. Does She Like Me or Is She Just Faking It? I choose (b). But there were the downtown hotspots to visit- D'Egg and Guadalajara in particular. Tasty. Can't go wrong with meatloaf Wednesdays.

Am I sad to leave? On Monday I told CK "NO WAY NOPE NOT AT ALL!" How can I help but feel a little nostaglic for the place I met most of yous guys? Especially one in particular.

I've had some crazy times with people I met here. Crazy fun and crazy insanity. They make up for the sucky times-- the times my heart would sink when my alarm went off in the morning. The second time I came here to talk about a job, I cried on my way back to the car, and got straight back into bed once I made it home. Regression was all I could think about. I'm going back in my life. But there was That Voice in the back of my mind asking, "What choice do you have?" I knew the freelancing thing with Breadhouse would only last so long and the Virginia Employment Commission wasn't keeping me in imported pecorino cheese and Cinnamon Toast Crunch-- let alone shoes and purses. More like Ramen Noodles and government cheese.

Don't get me wrong-- I'm truly grateful for the opportunities I've had here. Thank goodness Tim hired the former travel agent/current waitress and not the cheerleader. Thank goodness HotCop actually gave me the message when Tim called-- because she almost didn't. I ALMOST ESCAPED. We were having phone trouble at the time and she had a hard time hearing what he said. When I returned his call to schedule my interview, I didn't even know his name. In fact, I don't think I knew his name when I came to my interview. When Front Desk Leslie said "Oh, you're here to see Tim." I replied, "Yes" and thought, "Uhhh...hope so."

Nostalgic? Just for today. Sad? That's too much.

And, no, I'm not going to give you the inside scoop.