So much to do, so little time!!

As it turns out I picked the best – and the worst – time of year to get a job. Best because it’s the priciest time of year, not only for gifts for Christmas but also because I’ve had to buy snow boots (the irony being that they won’t arrive any time soon because of the snow) and I’m having to think about a new coat that doesn’t just soak up the cold and wet. Worst because I’ve got about a gazillion things to do before Christmas and another gazillion to do before New Year. Made worse by the fact that I was going to get loads done this weekend, but snow ruined everything! I couldn’t meet my friends for present delivery, so that’s something to do this week. Then I spent three and a half hours trying to get home from Harrow on Saturday. It’s normally a 25minute journey!! We decided that as it wasn’t snowing, we’d go to get most of the food. Next thing we know – blizzard. Still, got a lot of reading done in those three and a half hours. Even if I couldn’t feel my fingers by the time I got home.

And I also have to work Christmas Eve, which I sort of don’t mind because I can go once the last person has been seen. There are no appointments available after 1pm so even if I’m there till the last appointment, it’s not too late. The problem I have is that I’m doing a late on Thursday and last Thursday I finished an hour later than I was supposed to. If that happens again and there’s travel chaos, I’m not going to get home until very late and I’ll have to be out at 6:30am the next day to get in on time. I also haven’t seen hide nor hair of a contract and no one seems bothered about asking for my bank details. I hate having to ask about that stuff because I can see how busy everyone is and I feel like I’m worrying them. But I’m going to have to ask today because it’s getting daft now. And I really would like to be paid at the end of the month.

And finally! My internet started playing up last night which somehow – don’t ask me how! – led to iPlayer deleting every download that I attempted to play. So I’ve lost the last episode of Live at the Apollo and the last two episodes of Holby City. No great loss I hear you cry – but it’s my guilty pleasure and I wanted to see the lead up to the great Connie Beauchamp’s departure!

To sum up: I am feeling very stressed right now. I can’t even think about that short story competition that I wanted to enter.

So this is my job.

Yesterday I had my first day working the reception solo. It was an evening shift and it was relatively quiet so that was good to ease me in. I think I did ok, I haven’t had any phone calls today to say I managed to totally screw up the system yesterday. I take it that’s a good sign? There’s a couple of things I need to go over again but otherwise I should be ok. I admit I was really nervous. But practice makes perfect!

It was pretty slow, so I will be certain to keep a notebook with me so that I can write once I’ve got everything I need to do done on the quiet days. I’m no shirker, but once I’ve prepped for the next day and there’s no one waiting, no tidying or faxing to be done, it makes sense to occupy myself. I think I’ll work on some short stories and reviews until the end of the year.

I am so grateful for this job and the freedom I suddenly have. I can give cash to charities which I like to do at Christmas, especially now that I’ve been blessed with some good fortune, it’s good to pass it on. I also got a thrill when I spotted something so perfect for the Pal and knew I could get it for him. I also treated myself too, to some clothes that I could also wear to work.

And now that I can stop worrying about finding a job and having enough money in my savings to dodge the dole, I can think about other things. Pray silence for the Things to Do Before the New Year list:

• Clear out wardrobe, give clothes to charity.
• Clear out bookshelves, give books to charity.
• Sort out the files under the bed.
• Sort out this year’s bank statements.
• Sort out a writing/running schedule for the New Year.
• Sort out make-up, throw away old/unused stuff.
• Type up handwritten notes.
• Clear up computer, documents, photos, emails.

This is a yearly list. I like to start the New Year fresh, with the decks totally cleared. Everything I don’t want or don’t use anymore is either recycled or given to charity, I try not to throw things away if I can help it.

Friday is my day off so I’ll start then. This weekend is mad busy, can you believe it’s the last one before Christmas? Vulpes Libris will be on hiatus from this Sunday until the New Year, so I’ve also got plenty of time to put together some reviews. And as I’ve already sorted my outfit for the New Year, there are no more worlds to conquer! So roll on 2011!

The girl got a job.

So remember my “inspirational” post yesterday wherein I said that I was certain that 2011 was going to be great? Turns out I’m a touch more psychic than I thought because guess who just got offered a job?

I had an interview on Tuesday for the role of part-time receptionist at a private clinic. I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want to jinx it, even though I came out feeling that I had got it. I tried not to dwell on that and I didn’t mention it to anyone because well, you don’t want to look an idiot if you don’t get it. But I did, as of about an hour ago. Good money, good job and because it’s part-time I can still write and I fully intend to put myself about (um, publishing-wise that is).

This is just the early Christmas present I needed. I’m very glad that I didn’t go back to the Job Centre, although I told myself that I’d have to in the New Year, funds not being what they were a few months ago. So this is well-timed. I feel really good about this job and I intend to celebrate this weekend by dipping into my savings one more time. Well, I’ve got to have a work wardrobe, haven’t I? And an outfit for New Year wouldn’t hurt, would it? After all I am ushering in a great year!

So to those of you that are out of work and feeling a bit rubbish – keep your chins up! I know that is the hardest thing you can do right now, but if you do remain positive, you’ll write better applications, you’ll come over better in interviews. And remember – it’s impossible that you’re going to be in this situation forever. Every no is just taking you closer to that yes. And I know that this isn’t my dream job, but it’s keeping me going while I work towards my overall goal. It’s good to see the bigger picture, but it’s also worthwhile thinking about the brushstrokes, the steps between you and your dream.

I should probably point out that this blog isn’t about finding a job anymore. But I’m going to keep writing – about trying to get published and working towards the dream goal. Life is still full of challenges!

The girl gets inspired.

I have just received the January edition of Zest magazine (I’ve got a subscription) and it’s brimming with inspiration for change in 2011. I am determined that 2011 will be fantastic, in fact I have a feeling that it will be. I had such a feeling about 2009 and I was right (well, apart from the last couple of months when I had my very first taste of unemployment). I had a feeling that 2010 wouldn’t be great and I was right again, it’s been mainly about managing disappointment. Which is a good lesson to learn actually, so it’s not been a wasted time.

But now I’m feeling much better, the job search is well underway and I can only receive so many no’s before I get a yes. And the writing is going well, I’m still plugging away which counts for something! You can’t publish something if you don’t write it after all.

This year has not been the greatest, unemployment and terrible jobs being the main reason. But we’ve also had our fair share of bad news. Sometimes you have a bad year, when everything that can go wrong in your family seems too, all at once. So I’m ready to let this year go in a few weeks time and only remember the fun times I had (yes, I did have some!)

But next year will be better. I have decided it. I don’t have any control over the bad news days, but I do have control over the things that can make me happy. It’s really easy to feel useless – after all, if I keep getting turned down for jobs there’s got to be a reason, right? And that reason must be that I’m useless, mustn’t it? Well, no actually. I know full well I’m not useless and I hate falling under that spell because that gets me nowhere except to the bottom of a large box of chocolates. The only way out of the hole is to climb out myself, no one’s going to throw me a ladder. And I spend so much time worrying about whether I can afford to go out, whether I can afford to have dinner with friends that life becomes unendingly dreary and sorry, but that’s not my bag.

So bring on 2011! I have great plans for you. And in case you’re wondering where I’m getting my sudden zeal from, check out Zest magazine and also check out some of these inspirational ladies: Natural Beautee, A Beautiful Mess, Skunkboy Creatures and The Bothered Owl.