News I Can Use!

Let me just say before I go any further, that I truly cannot believe that I forgot to mention the following here.  I think that since it all happened kinda fast, I forgot who I did or did not tell.  Some of you I have told personally, or you've found out from other sources.  But I'm coming clean here and now, and then I think everyone who I've meant to tell, will know.

The week before Christmas, there was a day when I had just paid some bills, and was literally close to tears, wondering how we were going to pay our mortgage, etc. after December, since I was unemployed.  I was giving myself a mental pep talk, but it wasn't working, and as the day went on, I was feeling more and more depressed about things.  The phone rang, and I even considered not answering.  But then I thought that maybe it was The Tim, or one of my sisters, or someone else I would enjoy talking to, so I picked up.

The person on the other end was calling to see if I would be interested in a job interview.  Somewhat stunned, I agreed to go in the next week.  I did of course tell The Tim and a few people I would use as job references, but otherwise kept quiet because I didn't want to tempt fate.  (After 50+ years, I have finally learned my lesson!  Well, at least this time ...)  Said interview went well, which was a nice feeling.  Fortunately, I was so busy with Christmas stuff, I had no more time to a) worry about not having a job, or b) worry about whether or not I would be offered a job.

To make a long story short, this past week I had my first four days of work at my new job!!  (They were closed on MLK Day.)  I am now the serials librarian and cataloger at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.  It is funded for only a year, but a year with a paycheck beats any uncertain amount of time with no paycheck, don't you agree?  (Yes, in my perfect world, I would have the chance to reinvent myself and change careers without a hitch, have awesome hair and shoes, win numerous writing awards, and make a mint of money.  But I am too lazy to consider have no idea how I would like to be reinvented career-wise, which is a serious drawback ...)

So now I am employed in a really cool place, with nice people, doing something I know how to do (well, it's coming back to me - I didn't even think of the stuff over the past year ...), and they are paying me to be there!  There were flowers on my desk on the first day, and I have a nice big window so that I can enjoy outside without having to be outside no matter what the weather is like. 

Oh, and did I mention they have a lunchtime knitting group on Thursdays?  I didn't see that coming!  I may not have the chance to go, since one of my responsibilities is covering someone else's lunch break, and I think it's usually at the time the knitters meet.  But I've already had a pleasant conversation about knitting with one of the scientists (whose name or department I have forgotten), so if nothing else, I may be able to talk about knitting with some people at work from time to time.   

I'm not a very religious person (though I do consider myself spiritual; in any event, I'm not getting into that here), but you know that saying that when God closes one door, He opens another?  I think on that day during the week before Christmas, my name finally hit the top of the Open Door List!

I hope it will be a good year, and not just for me ... *



*Well, ok, mostly for me!