Job Hunt - Week #4

Resumes: 4

Phone Calls: 1

Responses: 1

Attitude: The one employer I spoke to was a CEO who wanted someone to travel with him and manage his life. Ok, I've done that for 30 years and can do it in my sleep. Boring, but I am willing to do it for the sake of my family. I asked him about his travel as I would be going with him. Mostly Chicago and New York with a couple of times a year to Africa and Europe. Ok, been there, done that. How much do you want to pay for it? I always negotiate this up front because when I work jobs like this, I have to hire a live in nanny. I stopped doing this kind of work because I wanted to be home every evening with my children. Still, I was willing to suck it up. His response to the salary question. $9.00 an hour.

He is willing to pay me $9.00 an hour. Sorry, I had to say it again. Now a live-in costs me about $15 an hour plus room and board. I explained that to him and his response was that people are desperate and he believes he can get it. Ahem, I told him that he probably can, but that he would get what he paid for. We didn't bother to meet in person.

While I'm enjoying the time with my children, we did hit a major snafu this past week. My car "blew a rod" and while those who understand "car speak" know what that is, I have no idea.

Anyhoo, the rod went through the block going 65 miles an hour on the freeway. The tow truck driver said it was probably a miracle that we weren't all killed. I suppose that is why my post from yesterday is so precious. The laughing children in the pictures could have been dead children.

My mechanic is a good guy and he and his wife seem to always look kindly on me. I think it is because she was once a single mom. Originally, they quoted me $3500, but they are looking for ways to reduce it as they go and have the price down to $2800.

I should have it back by the end of next week, so for the time being we are a family without a car. I thought about buying another car, but I know what I'm dealing with in this one and I certainly can't take on a car payment at this time.

So there you go....the rest of the story.

The rain has returned to Western Washington, of course we now walk to school more than a mile, a total of four miles a day for me. It was cleansing yesterday in the rain and my children and I enjoyed stomping in the puddles.

Still, life feels tenuous right now.

I want a job. I want my children to have what they need. I want to find an employer who actually values what I do for them. I want to ward off this feeling of anxiety that wakes me every night at 2:30 am. Sigh.