What a Day

Wow, what a day. I don't think I've ever had a day quite like this in my life.

First of all, the most important matter: today was a big and risky day for Sara's ailing mother back East. This morning she was transported from her home in Vermont to a hospice care center in Riverdale, NY. The journey, in her extremely delicate condition, had us biting our nails and waiting by the phone, until the news finally came through that she'd arrived safe and sound. As of tonight she's ensconced in her room, comfortable, and finally, for the first time, under constant professional care. Sara and I could let out a huge breath that we'd been holding all week. It wasn't until two days ago that an ambulance was arranged for the transport (thanks to a friend's amazing philanthropy); for a while it looked like Sara's sister would have to drive her in her own car. At some point I intend to describe the absolute dysfunction of the health care industry that has surrounded my mother-in-law's decline, an all-too-timely subject. But for now we can breathe a little easier, especially Sara's sister, who's put her job and life on hold for the last week to be in hard-working attendance 24 hours a day in Vermont.

This alone would have made for a big day. But it also just might be the day on which my unemployment ended--from three directions at once!

All right, this is almost embarrassing to relate. I mentioned, I think, that my motto for jobhunting this time around was "try everything quick." In that spirit I had launched three different harpoons in three different directions, with varying degrees of desperation. (1) The first day after my layoff, I actually got in the car, drove down to the local bookstore, and filled out an application. At the time, the idea of slouching at my computer sending endless resumes into the ether seemed the picture of despair; I wanted to pound the physical pavement, to have at least one real human being know that I was looking for a job. I used to work at bookstores in my twenties and loved it. (2) I slouched at my computer and sent resumes into the ether. Can't skip that step, and it's actually required for collecting unemployment. (3) I hit up contacts, namely my old company that laid me off in 2008; I'm still friends with my ex-coworker and manager there.

So, today, first, this morning the bookstore called and invited me for an interview on Sunday. Second, I went into Seattle to interview with a company that had called me the day before, having actually been hooked by one of those vaporous resumes. (I took the call incongruously at a horse farm, where I was accompanying Sara on her equine massage rounds.) Third, ON THE DRIVE TO THAT INTERVIEW, my cellphone rang and it was the manager from my old company, offering me a telecommuting contract job.

I proceeded to the interview anyway, and we all seemed to hit it off great. They're eager to make a decision soon and I might hear back from them as early as tomorrow. Now, to both places I explained (with great chagrin) that I'm due to make an emergency East Coast trip at any moment, possibly for a week or more, assuming that at least one of them would say, "Ooh. Sorry. See ya." But lo and behold, both places accepted the situation without blinking an eye.

So tonight I have a terrible dilemma, in that I've said yes to both parties! The Seattle place hasn't actually made me an offer yet, so I might be safe...but even if they do, it might still work out...I told them I couldn't start until April 1, and I might be able to complete the other contract before then...IF I don't go to the East Coast...

But at this point I've stopped blogging and am just cogitating aloud. It's after midnight, what do you want? My head is still reeling, and Sara and I spent all evening dizzily discussing the day's events and their ramifications, until we had to throw our budget overboard and go out for Thai food. Now I'm dizzy and stuffed. I also feel like I'm suffering from an embarrassment of riches, to the point where I probably shouldn't even be posting this in public under the titular format I've chosen, which I expected to remain in force for a decently extended and hopefully populist interval. Not least among my whirling thoughts is worry for what's going to happen to my blog, which is fair to being blown off course, Jupiter II-like, mere minutes into its track for the stars. But we take whatever comes our way...

...and I think I'm stil going to interview at the bookstore on Sunday!