quick story

em the hunter--update #1

I'm still pecking away trying to land a new job. It's been since Sept 25, and money is now a serious problem. I’ve still got a few good prospects, but each has each has pluses/minuses, and the process is soooooo slow. I'm progressing with some, and adding new prospects in the event that wave 1 does not yield a job. Here's my update:

• New! Editorial Director, medical education projects: This is my best opportunity. The current editorial director is a former colleague who contacted me to see whether I was interested in coming on board. Um, yes. And she is advocating on my behalf with the company president. It's a lateral move, so presumably the money will be commensurate with my experience, and it's not a 100-mile drive to the office. Hiring experts say the best way to get a job is via networking, so I'm very hopeful about this one.

• Editor, dental publications: Would be a reprise of working for Charismatic but Volatile Executive, but this time at the company that he started when he left my former employer at the first acquisition. Trying to navigate these complex financial times himself, he can only offer 60% of my last salary. Welcome to 1995. Ouch.

• Editor, retail publications: Step down both financially and professionally, just not sure to what degree.  Not a bad commute (25 miles of highway). Have met with them twice now, the first session consisting of a personality test and several aptitude tests.  Welcome to 1979. Guess I faked my way through, however, since they called me back in for more interviewing. According to HR director, it could be several more rounds--including a dinner out (?!)--before a decision is made. Note to self--elbows off the table.

• Editorial director, medical projects: Right in my wheelhouse--variety of media and topics, fast pace,  good company. But! A 90 mile commute.They've gone silent on me.

• Update! Community publisher, physician networking Web site: Electronic media is where I need to go, given the die-off among print publications. Interesting work too, involving courting of key opinion leaders, acquisitions, long-range strategizing, audience generation efforts, and writing and editing. But! Would entail moving from lovely Trenton NJ to a suburb of Boston.   Not impossible, just daunting. I had 3 long telephone interviews before they went silent for  2 weeks. Received an email Friday--they want me to come to  Boston to interview in person. Yes!

•  Update! Senior editor, medical publishing: A women-owned medical communications company, I’d be taking a step down, financially and professionally, but it seems like a great place to work. Another 90-mile drive to the office, but as a nonsupervisor,  I think I could finagle a work from home arrangement. Had a second round of interviews, this time with the 3 principal owners (tough talkers). They like my resume but do not immediately see a fit for me in their organization. They offered some freelance editing, which I took, as a means  of assessing my editing  chops (suffice it to say it has been a while since I had to get into the nitty gritty of a manuscript). In waiting mode.

• New! Another colleague received an offer from a headunter and referred it to me. I had a very nice talk with him Friday night, and he's very optimistic about my chances to find something good. He has put me in the running for a good job in Big Pharma. Not a bad place to be in uncertain times. 

• New! Had a nice long interview with the headhunter for a medical education project director opening. Job is right up my alley as far as skill-set and salary. Drive is in the vicinity of 1 hour 1 way--doable. Headhunter thinks I have a chance!

Lock and load.

Denny Crane.

A breach in the fortress

An intruder entered em manor twice in 3 days. A drug-fueled Trenton gangbanger perhaps? No, but it was the burliest flying squirrel you've ever seen. The first night the little fellow scurried up between the screen and the window, so we (by “we” I mean .rz) were able to open the screen and it found its own way out again.

Silly thing came back last night. It perched on the curtain rod, and .rz and I tried to capture it in a towel, but it launched its little body into the air and glided straight at Joey, who squealed and ran away down the hallway. We had it trapped in the room, but the animal’s superior speed and evasive maneuvering ability made it next to impossible to get a good shot at draping a towel over it.  I caught numerous toys, dirty socks, and .rz’s foot in my towel-net, but no flying squirrel. It finally found a secret hidey-hole and we had to give up for the night. 

I wish we hadn’t. Cat got on the trail at approximately 5:00 in the morning and rapidly had the poor thing clenched in his mouth and then quickly retreated to the first floor, under the couch. Poor little guy.

But how were you getting in? Despite climbing around on the roof, I can not find your tiny doorway to the upstairs front bedroom.

Magical thinking

I can not stand being unemployed. Day after day of grinding anxiety over money, unpaid bills, the health of my children, the loss of my identity, the looming economic depression. Lately, I'm catching myself mentally making deals:

• Paying for parrot food: if I select the Donate $1.00 to Homeless Animals button at the PetSmart checkout then I will surely get a job tomorrow.

• Screeching to a halt on the Interstate, if I let that guy into traffic in front of me then the editor job is all mine.

• Accelerating into the final mile of a jog, if I maintain at least a 7 minute pace, then my phone will ring within the next 30 minutes with a job.

• Walking into the kitchen, if I tap the tip of  my nose 3 times and spin around twice, then an amazing employment opportunity will shortly follow.

WTF is going on inside my head?

Incisive election commentary

I enjoyed watching the election-coverage programs with my mom. A dependable liberal Dem, she manages to combine strong partisanship with unshakable politeness.  Thus, I was surprised by the following exchange.
Well-behaved em mom: “It’s time for McCain and his funny little arms to get off the stage.” 
em: “I know! What is with those arms?? They’re like robot arms that can’t bend! ”  
Well-behaved em mom: *Scolding* “His arms were injured during his POW imprisonment. They strung him up by them for days.”
em: *Guilty* “Oh. Well that’s just awful.”
Well-behaved em mom: “None of that means he can govern effectively for anyone other than those in the upper class. Anyway, they’re more like Tyrannosaurus Rex arms.”
em:  “Or short little fetus arms.”

Interview #10

Returned to Ramsey NJ for a second interview today at a medical education agency. Distance: 85 miles. Drive time: 1 hour 40 minutes.  Position: step down. Salary: dunno. 

Met with the owners of the company, 3 women.  Jane took the lead in drilling for information and  weaknesses.  She began the discussion by admitting that my background really didn’t seem to fit with their current needs and then invited me to change her mind, like Rachel Maddow, who asks her guests to “please talk me down.”  I wish I thought of that at the time, but perhaps it's best not to make reference to a far-left-leaning host of a political television show who also happens to be an out lesbian until you know your audience a little better.

Instead, I rolled with my newly perfected Barack Obama hand gestures.  I deployed 3:

• The loose fist with pads of pointer finger and  thumb clasped together; it works best as a quiet emphasis-adder and much better than an arrogant finger jab, a la Bill Clinton as he denied having “sexual relations with that woman.”;

•  The fingers together and slightly closed, like you’re gently holding a glass; this is another subdued emphasis-adder;

• The open palm with pushing movement; this is to emphasize extra-important points.

The upshot is they will toss me some freelance work on a big insomnia project to see how well I do. They hope to get more funding to continue the project into ‘09, and if that happens, I think I’m golden. But how to pay the bills until then?

Things that fly by

1. While walking outside with the dog one morning the other day, a large hawk caught my eye about 20 feet above me. It coasted straight toward me and passed right over my head. With at least a 6-foot wing-span, it threw quite the shadow as it swooped on by. Interesting twist--it clutched a large fish in its talons, and the light of the morning sun made that fish just sparkle up there in the sky. 

2. Also while walking the dog last week in the early morning light, I spotted a Bald Eagle floating waaay up against a blue blue sky. Even though the bird was far away, I could easily see that it was indeed a Bald Eagle, because every time it turned this way or that, the light from the rising sun caught the pristine white feathers of the head and tail just so, with a glinting wink right at me.

3. And after years of close observation, I have finally heard a Great Blue Heron. While running last week, I startled one from nearby on the riverbank and it flapped off with one or two massive pumps of those enormous wings. But as it went, it let out a loud pterodactyl squawk. Sorry big guy, did not mean to startle you.

4. So as the weeks fly by while I peck away at trying to find a new job in the middle of this hideous economy, I will try to stay focused and avoid a meltdown of an emotional nature. The natural beauty around here really does help.

em the hunter

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged. Forgot my own password in fact.  This happens when work and family get in the way of a healthy blogging habit.

Well, I no longer have the old "job" excuse. I was laid off Sept 25, a few days before the whole economic collapse escapade. It’s been almost 5 weeks. I’m on the trail of a few good prospects, although each has pluses/minuses.

• Editor, dental publications: Would be a reprise of working for Charismatic but Volatile Executive, but this time at the company that he started when he left my former employer at the first acquisition. Trying to navigate these complex financial times himself, he can only offer 60% of my last salary. Welcome to 1995. Ouch.

• Editor, retail publications: Step down both financially and professionally, just not sure to what degree.  Not a bad commute (25 miles of highway). Have met with them twice now, the first session consisting of a personality test and several aptitude tests.  Welcome to 1979. Guess I faked my way through, however, since they called me back in for more interviewing. According to HR director, it could be several more rounds--including a dinner out (?!)--before a decision is made. Note to self--elbows off the table.

• Editorial director, medical projects: Right in my wheelhouse--variety of media and topics, fast pace,  good company. But! A 90 mile commute.

• Community publisher, physician networking Web site: Electronic media is where I need to go, given the die-off among print publications. Interesting work too, involving courting of key opinion leaders, acquisitions, long-range strategizing, audience generation efforts, and writing and editing. But! Would entail moving from lovely Trenton NJ to a suburb of Boston.   Not impossible, just daunting.

• Senior editor, medical publishing: A women-owned medical communications company, I’d be taking a step down, financially and professionally, but it seems like a great place to work. Another 90-mile drive to the office, but as a nonsupervisor,  I think I could finagle a work from home arrangement.

Lock and load.

Denny Crane.