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.

Best laid plans…

So, remember me mentioning that I had an interview today? Yeah, well, that’s not going to happen. Firstly I had zero sleep last night (thanks insomnia) but I was up and all set to get ready to go when I watched the news. Strikes were affecting all my travel options and I caught something about delays due to weather. So I rang TFL for travel advice and basically, it was going to be a nightmare.
Did I really want all that for a job that I didn’t even really want? Ok, so I’m pretty desperate for cash (my savings are a-dwindling) but this was only ever going to be very occasional work. So I decided not to risk catching cold while waiting for rail replacement buses and being sneezed on by some random bloke who is standing on my feet (true story – he sneezed right into my parting). I really have too much on this week to get ill!
But today is not going to be wasted. I’m off to buy wrapping paper, pick up a Metro for the job section, then I’m going to tear through some job applications and get a few other things done. At some point today, with any luck, I’ll also feel warm.
But it is not all rubbish news! Merlin was incredible this weekend, I had a good night out and Vulpes Libris had a mention in The Guardian. Woo! Speaking of VL, got two reviews up this week (Tuesday and Friday) so check them out!
In other news, I’m living with the Grinch. Only don’t tell her I said that. Also, my weakness for boys in bands with guitars is approaching legendary proportions.

The girl gets a makeover.

A lot of things happen when you give up chocolate, cake and biscuits. I thought I’d be absolute hell to live with considering I build my day around chocolate breaks and biccies keep me going between breakfast and lunch. But I’m actually not too bad, occasionally a bit tetchy, but that’s nothing. And hey, half way through the month and I’ve only suffered a two day wobble (hardly my fault when there was a CARRIER BAG of chocolate buttons in the house!) And I’m starting to get these looks from le fam. Little sideways ones when they think I’m not looking, while they’re having tea and biscuits and I’m just sipping my green tea. They’re actually starting to look quite impressed.

Secondly, you lose weight. I hadn’t realised that I actually eat pretty healthily and I don’t eat loads. Take away all those sugary snacks and I’m a breakfast-lunch-dinner girl. It’s surprising how pecking away at biscuits between meals, cake for elevenses and chocolate for pudding makes you think you’ve eaten loads that day. Which – calorie-wise – you probably have.

Anyway, I’m doing less running because it’s getting too chilly for a wuss like me, but I’ve got back into Pilates and yoga. Pilates had slid away when I got into running and I had forgotten that it was actually a cardio workout and crikey, it doesn’t half make your legs ache. But combined with the no-sugar-month the results were super speedy and I’m feeling pretty good. Bring on that Christmas Little Black Dress! I’ll be cranking up the Flirt-o-Factor so watch out Laaandaaaan!

So, my skin is glowing because I’ve been so healthy these last couple of weeks and I’ve got into the habit of drinking water when a sugar craving hits. I’m feeling pretty fit and good about my figure.

And then insomnia made me decide to cut my hair. I was tossing and turning and when your hair reaches down almost to the middle of your back, it gets in the way. I woke up with a birds nest and spent nearly ten minutes untangling it. And that was it, its fate was sealed. But my good mate C couldn’t fit me in for a cut for a couple of weeks so it’s been driving me mad for a while. So when it went I was totally ok with it. Relieved even. I would have gone shorter, I love cute little bobs, but I’m lazy and this is just long enough that I can tie it up if I don’t have time to style it or I’m having a bad hair day.

And here’s the results (posing is not my forte):
 
In other news, I’ve received a couple of ever so polite rejections. The sort that made me think that in any other time I might have made it to the interview stage. This is both heartening and depressing! Still, I’m plugging away and that’s the main thing.

The writing goes well too, which is wonderful and possibly the only thing that’s keeping me from climbing on the roof and going “Wooooee is meeeeeee!” And, rather excitingly, I’m going to a script-writing class on Monday. This makes me very happy indeed!

Oh and this week is Shakespeare Week on Vulpes Libris and it’s been rather wonderful. Here’s the link to my contribution: Shakespeare and Me

The news in brief.

Saw my oldest pal this week. There was so much chatter, it was nuts. Massive amounts of gossip and the realisation that I’d forget to tell him large-ish occurrences in my life, yet I still manage to text “Omigosh! Merlin was epic tonight!!” or “Gavin Henson dances like a cardboard box.” Perhaps it’s not a big deal if the Pal doesn’t know.

The November Challenge is fine, by the way. My Nan offered me a biscuit and when I said no, ta, she said, “Go on, I won’t look.” How can you resist an offer like that? With great difficulty, that’s how, but I did. So take that, sugar addiction.

Did I mention I’ve got an interview at the end of the month? It’s for occasional work that is certainly not going to set my world on fire, but there’s a chance that if I get it my bank statement’s won’t look like this anymore:

IN: £0.00

OUT: £78.56

I’ve applied to a few other jobs and otherwise caned the writing this week. There was also post-birthday-sorry-I-couldn’t-make-it drinks with H. And I’m about halfway through my Christmas shopping (sorry, bank account) and I’m counting the days till the 19th. Bring on the Potter!! (Although as far as I’m concerned it’s Bring on the Neville!!)

Otherwise I’m pooped. Bye-bye, motivation. See you in the spring. There’s something really depressing about not earning at this time of year. I’m not doing what I did last year and buying crappy small presents to save money. I’m not chucking my savings around like a man with no arms, but I am buying nice gifts, thank you very much. Maybe it’s the darkness, it’s not exactly conducive to going out there and smacking the world on the nose. It’s hibernation time as far as I’m concerned. Still got my good feeling though.

To keep me cosy on these long, dark nights I’m looking for a cosy and baggy read, like last year’s Bleak House, since I’ve heard sweet FA about an upcoming BBC period drama. I was hoping to get The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, but the library doesn’t have it. Also is it fogey if I was stunned that they were playing MUSIC in the LIBRARY??

P.S. Matt or Kara for Strictly champ 2010! (X who?)