Success!

Had an interview at 9.30 am this morning, and this afternoon when I got home after a meeting there was a message on the ansaphone asking me to ring the employer. Great news! They've offered me the job! I'll be doing it on a trial basis initially, 17 hours a week, starting Monday 10th May.

Coming soon - more on the weekend

I had a de-light-ful weekend with the Quakers at the historic Swarthmoor Hall(pictured here). More on this in due course. Meanwhile normal life continues. Today I attended an interview for an exciting position - I thoroughly enjoyed the interview and I hope that bodes well for my prospects! Funny thing, I'd been warned there would be an IT Test, so this week I've been revising all those amazing features in Word, Excel and Outlook that I haven't had much cause to use recently ... only to discover that the test was in two parts, neither requiring any in-depth knowledge of software. In the first part I was given some information and had to construct a suitable letter, type it out and save it to the desktop. Part 2 posed a scenario and invited me to make notes on how I would handle it.

After the interview I met with some friends for lunch (and got to cuddle baby Olive for a while .... big sigh of satisfaction), then came home to discover an invitation to attend an interview on Monday. It's for a job which will require some specialist knowledge, and to make sure I'm fully up-to-date, I've borrowed some library books to get genned up before Monday.

Another Interview

I've been invited to interview for a job that sounds rather interesting next Thursday. I'll also be tested on my IT skills. Hopefully I'll have time to remind myself of some of the features I haven't used in a while before then.

Another rejection

The weather has been glorious lately and I've been taking a few walks over the Old Dean Common. There's a place I like to sit and meditate, allowing my peace to merge with the peace of the woods. This sign greets you at the entrance to the woods and amuses me - I think the picture looks more like a mobility scooter than a motorcycle - yes folks, keep those mobility scooters out of our woods! No tearing up the peace, disturbing the wildlife! As if!

Well, today I received yet another rejection letter to add to my growing pile. Apparently again a close-run second ... "I regret to say that on this occasion you were unsuccessful. It was a close decision between you and another candidate but overall the other candidate demonstrated a greater capacity to deal with the business sector, which is a central part of this role." I knew I hadn't come across as well as I might at the interview, having been thrown significantly by the muddly way the interview began. No more interviews arranged at present, and only 3 more applications outstanding. All I can do for the moment is make the most of the lovely weather and the free time. No great hardship there, then.

Welcome Summer Weather

I made the most of yesterday's sunshine by getting the potatoes and climbing bean plants in and sowing two rows of parsnip seeds. Whilst I was over the allotment I received a call to my mobile. A couple of weeks ago I interviewed for a secretarial position at a small company, and it was the director letting me know my application was unsuccessful. Once again I received some very positive feedback - my CV was great and laid out well, etc. etc. - it's just the fact I've not been in paid employment for three years now and being a small company they weren't quite willing to take a chance on me, but they will keep my details on file in case their appointee fails to perform to expectation.

Today I went down the gym. It's been a while.

The gym has a large car park: a few spaces immediately alongside near the front entrance, many more at the back of the building. Years ago you could use the back door to enter the building from the rear car park but these days that door is out of general use with a big sign on it "No Exit! This door is alarmed". If you park in the rear car park, you've a walk of about 100m, maybe a little more, to the front entrance.

So I'm going to the gym. I'm going there to get some exercise. Where do I want to park? Well, in one of those spaces near the entrance of course, to save myself the 100 metre walk. But hey, I'm not alone! Some people are so keen to save themselves that extra walk that they'll abandon the car on the pavement rather than drive round the back and park in a legitimate space. Now where is the logic in this? It's the sort of human foible I can imagine Michael Mcintyre poking fun at.

Ok, today I drive past all those illegally parked cars feeling a little smug because I'm going to do the logical thing and ENJOY that 100 metre walk in the glorious sunshine. Aren't I the smart one!

Once you've gone in the main entrance, you then walk all the way through the building to the back where the members' changing rooms are located. The ladies' changing room has lockers round three sides, two cloakroom/changing benches in the middle and a mirror and shelf along one wall with three hairdryers.

I don't know what it's like in the gents' changing room - in my mind's eye, I picture men strutting round naked all but doing Mr Universe poses and wearing signs round their necks proudly pointing down at their tackle - but on the whole, us ladies tend to be a modest lot. In fact one acquaintance who came with me for her first visit last year took one look at the communal changing room and never set foot in it again! Normally you'll find we're fully dressed when standing at the mirrors drying our hair - hence my surprise today to find a scene like a lingerie advert: a very shapely lady drying her beautiful long dark hair wearing only sexy red underwear. I suppose if I had her figure (and underwear!), I might feel inclined to expose myself too.

Back home the postman brought yet another rejection letter. The jobhunt continues.

Interview

I was the first interviewee and the panel (3 worthy ladies) was still settling itself in and getting comfortable. I'd phoned the day before to clarify whether there would be any equipment set up to do a PowerPoint presentation and been told there wouldn't, so I'd lugged the laptop along, only to discover that they'd had a change of heart and had set up a laptop, projector and screen. Nonetheless I set up my laptop on their table and did the show from there, as that was what I was geared up to do. I was thrown a little when one member of the panel invited me to give them a presentation on "Why I want the job" ... as this bore no resemblance to the title I'd been given. What a relief to receive the confirmation that the presentation I'd researched so thoroughly was actually on the right topic! Phew!

The next difficult point to negotiate was that the letter hadn't given a time-limit, it had merely said 'you will be asked to give a short presentation'. Before I began the slide-show, I explained it would last about 10 minutes, was that ok? The lady Chairman looked a little put out and told me the letter had said 5 minutes - fortunately I had the letter with me and was able to refer to it and offer as a point of information that it hadn't stated a specific time.

Normally I'm fairly cool calm and collected for interviews but on this occasion I think I may have come across a bit like a rabbit caught in headlights, struggling with some of the questions. I do think I'd be competent in the job, I believe it is well within my capabilities and I think I'd enjoy it, but I suppose because I felt I'd not got off on the right foot from the beginning, I was finding it difficult to shake off that soggy start and leave them with a good impression. Oh well - the decision is out of my hands now. I consoled myself with a real 'comfort-eating' meal, home-made Shepherds Pie served with steamed broccoli, leeks and fine green beans. It did the trick - I feel comforted.

Procrastinating

I've heard it referred to as 'sharpening pencils' - that activity which appears to be related to preparation for the main task but which, in reality, is procrastination. So I've had plenty of time to prepare a presentation for my forthcoming interview and I've put in many hours sitting at the computer 'doing research' and jotting notes without really achieving very much. When you read books on how to write, it would appear that aspiring writers tend to live in households where if nothing else, the pencils are sharp and ready for use.

This morning I was dutifully sitting at the computer not achieving very much. There was a ring at the doorbell - I wasn't expecting visitors but hey, it was an excuse to move away from the computer and my failure to produce a winning presentation. At the door was one of the little girls who came to the Mother's Day card craft session a couple of weeks ago, holding a bouquet of beautiful carnations and a box of chocolates. Quelle bonne surprise!

I've been invited round for lunch at a friend's today - it was a spontaneous invitation yesterday and I haven't had a chance to go shopping and buy a hostess gift, so I have a little confession - rather than eat the chocolates, I'm going to present them to my friend.

Colour coordinated kitchen

My friends could probably tell you without having to think very hard that I've never paid too much attention to colour coordinating. I can appreciate and admire others' colour sense, for instance from the first moment I set eyes on this kitchen, I liked it - it was definitely an influential factor in my buying this house.

The old hand-towels I brought with me from my previous home are a bit past their best, and I decided to buy some colour coordinated new ones. I'd been given an M&S voucher, so it was the obvious place to start looking. They didn't have any in the red (burgundy? Morello cherry?), so I bought a couple of lovely luxurious-feeling charcoal coloured hand-towels to go with the colour of the worktop and floor tiles. Then in town today I noticed a new linen shop offering this burgundy towel (see photo). What do you think? Not a bad match, eh? Before you know it I'll be wearing colour-coordinated outfits, with matching handbag and shoes ... or not.

At the moment for some unknown reason my emotions seem a lot closer to the surface than usual - unexpectedly I shed more than a few tears when I learned today that my application for the audio-typing position was unsuccessful. Strange, 'cos I wasn't even aware of really wanting it.

Busy day

I had an interview for a position at a local organisation at 9 am today. Knowing how bad the traffic and the queue for the car park can be, originally I'd planned to catch the bus but with the rain varying from 'tipping it down' to 'torrential', I decided to take the car. I left plenty of time and managed to arrive half an hour early. It seems the ticket machine wasn't working, the barriers to the car park were up and cars were streaming in so I followed suit. I passed some time in a book shop before heading on up to the interview. I had to take an audio-typing test which seemed to go ok, although I'd never used a digital transcription machine before. I didn't feel I gave a very good impression at the interview - could probably still do with brushing up my technique. The good news is when I came out, one of the exit barriers was up at the car park and I was able to sail out again without having a ticket.

Afterwards I took myself to a 'Prayer labyrinth' that has been set up in a local church. I hadn't anticipated quite how powerful it would be - I found stuff from my childhood surfacing that I didn't realise I was still harbouring jealousy over - it was a real surprise, perhaps triggered in part by the big impression the happy family in 'The Blindside' had made on me (it's based on a true story).

In the afternoon I made a couple of desserts - a banoffee pie and a tiramisu (see photos) - ready for tonight's bring and share supper party at my place. There were 6 of us plus baby Olive and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Brilliant: The Blindside

Had hoped to hear by now the outcome of an interview I attended on Friday, but so far nothing. To cheer myself up I bought this bunch of vibrantly colourful Germini.

I received an interesting email from a Friend which challenged some preconcieved notions and assumptions. I appreciate that kind of challenge.

Went to see the film which won Sandra Bullock 'Best Actress' - The Blindside. Thoroughly enjoyed it! I laughed out loud at the funny bits and even shed a few tears over the poignant bits (very unusual for me). Sandra Bullock rates as one of my most favourite actresses anyway, but even my friend (who doesn't rate her so highly) had to admit she deserved the accolade for her performance. I liked the values the film depicted and to see an example of what I'm guessing would rate as an 'exceptionally healthy family' according to Robin Skynner and John Cleese's take on 'Families and how to survive them'.

Dream Job

So far I've been invited for interviews for jobs that deep down I didn't really want but today I attended an interview for a dream job - one that when I read the job description and the person specification, I felt was tailor-made for me. I was asked to arrive for 9 am on the understanding that all candidates would be interviewed in the order of arrival. I anticipated the traffic would be terrible at that time of day, clashing with school runs and so on. Imagine my delight when I sailed through with no hold-ups, arriving in a nifty 21 minutes. I parked up and enjoyed the golden sunshine - the day was looking perfect!

As I'd allowed an hour to get there (you can tell how bad I anticipated the traffic to be!), I was really, really early, so the parking place I chose was not too close. I sat in the car for a while. Finally I decided it was time to make a move. Not a moment too soon, as it wasn't immediately obvious which building I was supposed to go to and I wasted some time going to the main reception only to discover the interview room was across the site, a few minutes walk away.

The receptionist took my name, noted my time of arrival and pointed me to a group of couches where 3 other candidates were already waiting. Another lady arrived after me, and the 5 of us chatted a little, taking the opportunity to size each other up. One of the candidates, the only male, was already employed by the organisation, and getting this job would mean a step up for him.

Whilst I was waiting, I picked up a booklet which listed all the super training opportunities the organisation offered staff for key skills development. Even if I hadn't wanted the job before, that little booklet really sold me on it!

The interview panel was two very pleasant ladies, and I found myself enjoying the interview. Mostly I felt I answered the questions well, apart from one. I was asked what it was that made me apply for the job. I'd already explained my reasons in the application form and for some reason I didn't like to repeat them. Did I say I thought the job was tailor-made for me? These two smiling ladies didn't get to hear that, unfortunately. Instead I found myself waffling about when I was an undergraduate. I could sense I wasn't giving what was wanted, but I didn't quite know how to retrieve the moment. Still, I came out of the interview feeling quite buoyant.

I was told that they had 4 more candidates to see in the afternoon, that I had already done extremely well to have been short-listed out of so many applicants, and that I would receive a phone call at 6.30 pm to let me know if I had been successful.

A friend came round and waited with me. 6.30 pm came ... and the clock ticked on, and the phone stayed silent. My friend pointed out that with 9 candidates to call, they couldn't all be called dead on 6.30 pm. I replied that if it were me doing the calling, I would ring the successful candidates (I should explain there were 2 positions, one permanent, one a temporary 12 month contract) first, in case one of them then turned the job offer down. I wasn't altogether surprised when finally at around 7 pm, I learned I had been unsuccessful. Apparently I was 3rd equal. Should I be consoled by that, do you think? Of course it was my failure to offer any real reason why I was enthusiastic about the position that had let me down - that was the answer I had 'scored less than average' on.

And to cap it all, I've got a large spot come out on my nose and another on my chin. Hey, ain't life grand, folks?

If at first you don't succeed ...

You remember me telling you about my experimental Rye bread that the birds wouldn't touch? Tonight I had another go and made these yummy rolls.

Simplified the recipe from last time:

1lb 5ozs Flour made up of 2ozs Soya Flour, and the rest 50:50 Rye and Spelt flour;

1 tablespoon dry yeast mixed with 1 teasp sugar and 3/4 pint water at 37º;

1 dessertspoon honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix the flour and salt and put to warm;

Whisk the yeast into the sugared water and leave to stand in a warm place until it has a thick layer of froth on top; rub the honey and olive oil into the warm flour then mix in the yeast liquid and knead well for 5 minutes; put dough back into bowl, cover and leave in a warm place to prove for about an hour; knock back and knead again, break into small dough balls and put on a baking tray, cover and prove for another 20 minutes then bake in a hot oven (170º if fan assisted). Check they're cooked by tapping the bottom - they should sound hollow. Delicious!

I guess that motto (if at first you don't succeed, try and try and try again) will have to serve for a while as I continue to send out job applications.

Another Interview

On Tuesday I received another invitation to interview, this time to provide maternity cover for a general admin job. Pay wasn't too bad and the hours were nice, but unfortunately I don't think I presented very well. Once again the first question was "Tell us a little about yourself". Someone suggests I try saying, "I'm wonderful, you'll love me and bless the day you found me". I suppose I'll soon get the hang of this interviewing business but for the moment I'm fairly certain that they're not seeing me at my most confident.

Recently have been having some annoyance with the PC keep losing my internet connection, which doesn't improve matters when I'm trying to complete online application forms for jobs.

In like a lamb

There's an old saying, March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb. Wonder how it goes when we meet the lamb first? What a glorious day! Bright blue sky and warm sunshine. I had my first interview at 10 am this morning - did I tell you I'm job-hunting? I'm sure I told you ... I've applied for about 12 positions so far and received rejections for some of them and an invitation to interview for one. When the call came, it was to my mobile whilst I was in town and I was very careful not to let on that I couldn't remember which job it was because I'd applied for so many. When I got home and checked my paperwork, I realised that the hours weren't ideal, but nonetheless I attended for interview. I need the practice - much more than I realised, as it happens. The lady interviewing was lovely, very kind, but I was thrown by her very first question: "Tell me a little about yourself". Ok, in retrospect I should have been better prepared. As it was I fumbled my answer. Afterwards I dropped in on a friend who offered some crumbs of comfort.

In the evening I went to see the film 'The Lovely Bones' with another friend. I have to say I don't think it was my best choice, although the cinematography was incredible.

Oh, by the way - the photo above shows a neighbour's cat perched on a stone in my garden pretending to be a statue. He sat there motionless for a good few minutes. I took the photo with the camera on my mobile phone from a distance of about 25' through a window, hence the poor quality.