TheBanyanTree: Frost on the Pumpkin

[Margaret R. Kramer]

What a week this has been!  We’ve had snow, rain, sleet, and lots of cold
weather.  I dumped out most of my potted plants last weekend while dodging
snowflakes.  The last few Octobers have been gorgeous, with warm
temperatures and lots of golden color, but this year is kind of a bust.  The
dry and cool summer led to a warm and dry September and now a cool and wet
October which doesn’t help in getting the best color.

The icky weather has kept me in the house, looking for jobs.  I think I’ve
worked harder in the last couple of weeks than I have at my job.  

I haven’t had to seriously look for a job since I graduated from college
back in 1980.  There wasn’t the internet, of course.  I had to type up my
resume on a typewriter.  If I wanted to make copies, then I had to go to
Kinko’s.  I didn’t have a car back then, so I had to ride the bus
everywhere.

There was a recession going on back then, too.  I remember it took me about
five months to find a good paying job.  In the meantime, just to say I was
working, I took a job at the credit bureau, doing data entry at night.

Fast forward to 2009.  A big recession going on.  I use a computer to zip
around the job sites.  We can make instant contact with HR and recruiters
with email and cell phones.  We never have to worry about missing a call!
My resume is at my command.

Everything is easier, but it’s more work, because during a single session at
the computer, I’m searching jobs sites, answering email, sending email,
taking webinars, and trying to build up my linkedin connections.  Looking
for a job is truly a job.

No, I didn’t get the job from my interview.  I noticed it posted again this
week.  I went into the my account on the employer’s website and saw that I
no longer was under consideration.  Well, no one else was considered either,
because there it was, the same job online again.  Picky, picky.

But I have had activity.  I met with a recruiter on Friday.  It was a good
interview.  They don’t have any jobs right now, but I’ll stay in touch.

I posted my updated resume on monster and careerbuilder and I’ve been
getting a few nibbles.  I have a phone interview on Monday morning with a
recruiting agency in Des Moines, IA.  They have a job up here in St Paul.

Another recruiting agency sent me a job, but it’s not a good fit for me.

I applied for five jobs this past week.

One of the recruiters told me that companies are taking their sweet time to
hire.  I just keep telling myself , I have to be patient.  I try not to
worry about money.  I try not to worry about my future.  It’s very scary.


I took advantage of my last few days with health and dental coverage to get
my teeth cleaned and I also had a filling done.  When I was driving out to
my dentist, there was a minor traffic jam in the lane next to me, because of
rush hour.  Oh, I wished I was in that rush hour with those workers.  I miss
working.  I feel like a second class citizen, because I don’t have a job.  I
hate staying home.  At least, I still have my second job.  It’s not much,
but it’s something.  I’m not totally unemployed.  I’m not totally useless. 

The boys had Thursday and Friday off from school, so on Friday, we went to
the apple orchard.  It was cool and cloudy, but no rain and it was great,
because there were so few people.  Usually the place is packed, but we
normally have gone on the weekend.  It was great to park close, because I
can no longer use the handicap parking, and be able to walk around the
orchard without bumping into the people.

We got the pumpkins, one is almost 30 pounds and the other is 27 pounds.  We
got apples and cider and cookies and donuts.  The boys have ingested a lot
of sugar over the past few hours.  Whew!

I decorated the house for Halloween today.  The sun was out, what a rare
sight around here.  It’s actually going to warm up to 60 degrees tomorrow.

It looks like that frost on the pumpkin will melt at last.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net
margaret.kramer at polarispublications.com
www.polarispublications.com

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band. 
-George Cooper