Does anybody remember when I used to work for the lab?

Anybody?????

Well, I did. For almost two years. There are countless posts about my fun-filled collection days in the archives. I'd link back to one of them, but I can't remember how to do that.

(See what happens when you don't use your (very limited) html skills?)

Anyway..... I had thought about calling my former contact at the lab. I should tell y'all: I worked as a contractor and everything was done by mail, Fed-Ex, phone, email, fax, etc. I've never actually met anyone I dealt with at the lab. Some of the employees are based in Detroit, some in Houston, some in Ohio....and then there are collectors (like me) all over the country. I hadn't called my contact about the possibility of working for them in the Atlanta area because I considered that a last resort. Doing DNA collections in a major metropolitan area like Atlanta is much different than in rural Alabama.

Imagine my surprise when my contact at the lab phoned ME week before last to ask if I'd be interested in working with them again. I have to tell y'all: I've been really bummed about not being able to find a job here. (Even Bed, Bath, and Beyond didn't call me back.) So of course I said "Thank you, JESUS! YES !!!!" (The "thank you, Jesus" part was just inside my head, but y'all know what I mean.) Before we all get too excited, I'm only going to be "on call". Used as backup for regular collectors until an opening comes up. However, I AM working September 8th in Alabama. It's a big collection site and I can expect to earn between $400 - $800 in that one day. So yeah, a little hard to turn down. Then, I've been given one collection day per month for the months of October, November, and December here in Atlanta. Other days could come up at any time, but at least this way I'll get my foot in the door.

Also....my contact gave me the name and number of the owner of a company located about 20 minutes from me. This company does genetic testing and other types of lab work. She told to call him. He might be able to use me (and she'd give me a glowing reference). Of course I called him immediately and amazingly enough~got through to him on my first try. He was VERY enthusiastic about me possibly working for his company. We talked for about 10 minutes and during that time he mentioned that they would train me to do drug testing as well. He gave me his office number and the person to speak to there. Told me to call her, tell her I'd spoken to him and that he'd said to email me an application. I did that last Wednesday. She was to have emailed it to me that day. I've yet to receive it. I called her again on Friday. She said she'd get it out to me right away. Never got it. I emailed her today asking about it again. No response. *sigh*

I spoke to my contact at the lab today and she said not to give up. The company is very, very busy, but great to work for and with, etc. I figure I'll make some sort of contact with this woman every week or so until she finally gets tired of me and sends me the application. I don't want to make her angry on the off chance that I actually DO end up working with her someday.

During all this, Little Pissy sent me an email from her neighborhood homeowners group. The email was a posting from a mother looking for a part-time nanny for seven weeks while her regular nanny is on vacation.

The mother and I emailed, chatted on the phone and met on Saturday. I also met the adorable one year old girl I'll be caring for three days a week beginning September 29th. It's a rather unusual set up in that the mother works from home 2 of those three days. I've never cared for a child while the parent was in the home, but I think it will be fine. The mother and I got along well and the child was very sweet and seemed comfortable with me.

So......I'll be a nanny on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from September 29th until November 11th. Hopefully during that time I can work something out with the company here in Atlanta and still be doing the on-call DNA testing as well. Another possibility is that a regular position could come up with the lab. Either way, I feel better about things and am looking forward to both jobs.

I can't close without saying that a MAJOR reason I took the nanny position is that the family lives across the pool/tennis courts from Little Pissy. YAY! I'll be able to spend time with her on a regular basis and will even spend the night at her house on Tuesday nights during those seven weeks. Yes, I cleared that with her before I even interviewed. ;-) The one day the mother goes into an actual office is Wednesdays. She leaves at 7 a.m. ACK! MUCH easier for me to go around the corner to her house at 6:45 as opposed to driving 30 minutes to get there.

So, if you're still reading this~that's what's been going on with me. I know it isn't well written and probably sounds a little confusing, but I wanted to catch y'all up on the job search.

Here's a cute picture.

Don't know which is more adorable:
the puppy or the little girl. :)