SPLAT!

You hear that? Splat! That? Yeah, that's me hitting a wall. All my leads have dried up. So, let's see...

When we last left our superhero, she was expecting an offer from Company B. Well, the week was moving along nicely (As you can see by my new kicks) until Company B decided to call me (I can't continue the 3rd person, sorry) on Wednesday afternoon around 2. My interview was scheduled for Thursday at 9AM, mind you.

I was cozied up at Starbucks, reading the last few pages of "Fried Green Tomatoes", venti cafe mocha in hand (as a side, I just have to say that this is so not me. it's amazing the changes unemployment can have on a girl) when I pulled out my phone and saw I had a missed call.

"Hi Sue, this is Joe Schmo from Company B. I wanted to catch you live since you're supposed to come in tomorrow morning, but I wanted to tell you as soon as possible that our budget has actually been cut so the position we were looking at you for is no longer available. I'm really sorry, but I wanted to let you know because I know you're on a time crunch. I might be able to hire again come May, but right now we're at the end of our fiscal year, so I can't. But I'll keep your resume on top and hope you keep in touch so if you're available when we can hire again..."

You get the idea. Letting me know as soon as possible, huh? To paraphrase Adam Sandler in "The Wedding Singer," that information really would've been more useful to me three weeks ago. Not the day before I'm expecting an offer. But, things happen, and I must move on.

So I'm back at square one. I'm exercising a bunch of leads that I didn't the first time around. I've also solicited a recruiter. So let's go for broke this time. Because monster.com is crap. Yeah, I said it. I'll say it again. Crap. Not one job lead from there. same with hotjobs and don't even get me started on careerbuilder. Just FYI.

Also, I am no longer staying with Sawyer. Her sister is coming home and kinda needs her room back. :) So this week I am staying with family and then Nancy's mom has been generous enough to have me stay with them. I am very fortunate to have such wonderful, selfless friends who are willing to help me figure my life out. And my parents are pretty kick-ass too. :)

Anyway, I'm not too bummed about the job. There was a little part of me that wasn't too crazy about it. I could do it and do it well, but I don't think I would really love it. I've heard nothing but great things about the company and enjoyed all the people I got to meet, but it probably wasn't the job for me. And this is probably God's way of telling me so. So it's okay. There's something better out there for me. :)

In other news, I had lunch with my friend Mike yesterday at Cooper's Tavern (http://newyorkerhotel.com/dining/CoopersTavern.html) near Penn Station. We had scheduled lunch due to my interview, and decided to still meet anyway. Now, Mike was also laid off. And he's still unemployed. But he's in a much better situation than I am. His severance was more than double what I make in a year. On top of that, he has a job offer on the table once the banking hiring freeze is lifted. The company calls him once a week to keep him "warm" and he's good to go. The thing is, when Mike was working, he had no social life. He worked like 90 hour weeks. He always managed to squeeze me in for lunch when I would come into town, but I never saw him any other time. So he's loving life right now. He went to Atlanta and Tampa for some of the tournament, is hanging out with friends....he was making great money and never had the time to spend it, so this is great for him. Very different situation for yours truly. So of course I allowed him to buy me lunch! Ha!

Side note--I'm watching the Davidson-Wisconsin game right now. LeBron James is at the game. Does anyone else think he's there scouting Curry? I'm just saying.....

Does anyone watch Eli Stone on ABC? It's quickly becoming one of my favorite shows. Figured I'd give it a shout-out since I'm hearing rumors of it being cancelled. Anyway, check it out. Any show where George Michael makes a cameo is all right by me. Thursdays on ABC at 10. And when you're watching, keep in mind that Eli (who totally grows on you), played by Jonny Lee Miller, is Angelina Jolie's first husband. Yeah.

And in regards to Yoel's comment about why we went to Hooters, here's the thing: we're in Jersey, not NYC. Going into the city just for the night is a hassle and a half. If you're driving, there's the issue with parking and how much that costs. Also, there are virtually no sports bars in Bergen county. I'm thinking I should open one. Seriously. The Office can pack in however many TVs they want, but they will never be a sports bar. I ran into this problem last year when I was in town for the Yankees' home opener. We ended up going to a Houlihan's to watch the Final Four. So yes, Yoel, we went to Hooters. And it was packed out. With Villanova fans, but still. At least everyone was focused on the game(s). Because if we were in the city, it would have been Brother Jimmy's or Ship of Fools with the Clemson club, trust me.

Anyway, this coming week I'll be staying with family and taking a break. I know, I know, a break from unemployment? Seriously, I need to regroup. So unless I score an amazing interview or buy another new pair of sneakers or meet Scott van Pelt (hey, it could happen), I probably won't post until I'm settled at Nancy's parents' house.

Here's to my boy Curry, continuing his 30+ point per game streak.

No book right now, just finished "Fried Green Tomatoes" and I want to watch the movie again. :) I need to find a new book to read this week.

Hope everyone is well and still employed!