Playing the numbers game

Yesterday I tromped all over what used to be called Purdue's Married Student Housing hanging up flyers advertising my house for sale. It's now called Purdue Village or something similar. A lot has changed. Like half the buildings are gone! The buildings are all non-smoking now. But a lot is the same. The buildings still look the same. The first apartment I lived in is still there. Squirrel park hasn't changed much either.

While on my way to hang up flyers I received a phone call from my former place of employment and a plea for help with data entry in the fiscal department - needed immediately and lasting until Friday. I hate data entry. I took the job and started today. I spent the entire day typing numbers into some mysterious fiscal program and at the end of each page I entered, if the number in the corner magically turned to zero I'd "post" and the screen would clear and I'd start again on another page. I also get printouts and match them with the sheets I entered. I'm so clueless. I don't know what I'm entering but I get all excited when the numbers come out like they're supposed to and the sheets match the printouts! And if the value of something on the sheet is zero I don't have to enter it! Whoohooo! I can skip it and go on to the next one! I think I got 4 or 5 stacks done.

A few hours into my temp job my cell phone rang. This was after it was sternly stressed to me by PC, who KNOWS me quite well btw, that I'm not to chat, be on the phone, walk around...basically I'm chained to a desk normally used by a woman who has cat hair all over her chair. Let's just say that PC is a bit stressed out so I'll forgive her...this time ;-) What I don't understand is how on earth she thinks I'm going to enter data "even faster" tomorrow! I think not! My fingers have already exceeded the speed limit in my brain. If I type any faster I might blow a gasket or something.

Oh, I was talking about my phone call, wasn't I? I let it go to voice mail and called back a bit later. Of all days...OF ALL WEEKS I get a phone call about an interview! Never mind that I had to reschedule my hair cut and my bangs are now providing more shade than my sunglasses. Never mind that I don't have a decent interview suit and no time to shop for one. Never mind that I'm working 8 to 5 the rest of the week. The woman was very nice and offered to interview me after work on Thursday. This is going to be good. I have an interview after a full day of mind-numbing data entry. I will be wired to the hilt on caffiene (necessary so I don't fall asleep while keying in numbers. And yes, it IS possible. I caught myself doing it several times after lunch), antsy as a kid in church on a sunny day, HUNGRY, tired, and in desperate need of a haircut and something interview appropriate to wear. And lets not forget the desk chair of death. Being uncomfortable and about ready to break isn't bad enough. It also has to be covered in cat hair. Can we say ASTHMA and ALLERGIES? I'm taking my allergen reducing Febreeze with me tomorrow! Like I need to go into an interview at Head Start with sneezing, coughing and watering eyes.

[On a serious note - the womam I'm filling in for is gone because her son was in a near fatal car accident several weeks ago. Oh, and the cat hair didn't really bother me...yet.]

Back to selling the house. I put an ad in the Purdue newspaper, the Exponent but I can't remember what days I put it in for. Duh. And my web site stats show a marked increase in page views over the past 2 days. I feel like I'm holding out a big, juicy piece of cheese filled with poison and I'm waiting for some desperate, cheese deprived mouse to eat it.

I mentioned the interview at Head Start. I'm happy to have an interview but I really don't want to stay in social services. I especially don't want a job that is dependent upon state or federal funding. Especially not after how the state EFFED over my clients (with federal funds that are allocated to each state for HIV care) who STILL don't have a local care site after 2 FREAKIN months! And has that place contacted me for an interview? Hell no! *mutters incoherently under breath*

Tired now.