AHHHH!!!!

So tomorrow I start my new job. This is of course a good thing, with the exception of one minor detail. I'm sick! For whatever reason, (maybe it's tied to stress?) I always seem to get sick at really crucial moments. I got plenty of sleep today and have been taking Vitamin C like crazy and will definitely be going to bed early. Of course, I'm not going to be used to getting up at a "normal" time as it is, but tomorrow should be extra interesting with me feeling not in top shape. I'm really hoping that with all of this sleep that perhaps tomorrow won't be too terrible.

In any case, I will post here tomorrow to let everyone know how the first day went. I am really excited about the job and hope that being sick doesn't last long so that I can hopefully enjoy things. Guess we'll have to wait and see...

Sorry for the Delay

Sorry to not have posted in almost a week. Lots has been going on and I've been crazy busy. I'm super excited to start my new job Monday but of course, that comes with trying to get alot of things done before then. I've been fairly busy on the EMT front as well.

I promise to post after my first day of work on Monday to let everyone know what I think.

The other big thing I'm considering at the moment, is whether to start attending a local gay group I just discovered is no more than 10 minutes away. They seem to engage in a combination of social, educational, and activist types of activities. It might be interesting, since I'm largely in the closet here, to meet some other gay people from the area. The group meets on Monday nights and they start their new year this coming Monday, the same day I start work. Something to think about anyway.

THE Job!!!

So yesterday afternoon I had my "second interview" at the place I was really excited about. Turns out it wasn't really so much a second interview as much as my new boss getting the blessing from the executive director to hire me. After meeting said executive director, I did in fact get her blessing. I begin my new and (I think) really cool job on October 1st. The office seems incredibly friendly and I think I'm going to love the work. It's a great opportunity (very close to home) to use both my psychology degree and medical background in the same position. I will be working with people with physical disabilities doing job development. This is the perfect kind of position for me. It suddenly makes the 3 1/2 months of searching and interviewing worth it to get a position that couldn't be more perfect in a whole lot of ways.

A Job?

So I was offered a paralegal position today at a large law firm with training to begin in a few weeks. The problem is, I have a second interview for the job I really want on Wednesday. I asked the law firm if they could hold off until the end of this week or early next week for an answer. They're going to try to hold off that long but I am taking a gamble. If I don't get my top choice job, there is a chance I might already have been replaced at the law firm. So, I'm making a bit of a risky move, but I feel like it's what I need to do. In any case, it seems like I'm going to be entering the working world very soon.

Good Day

So my interview at the law firm this morning was "ok." It seemed better than my last one, but it's more like someplace I'd work to have a job but not really something I'd be passionate about. The good news for the day, is that I got a call for a second interview at the place I do really like. Apparently my references must have said nice things about me. When the woman from this place called and said she wanted to schedule a second interview, I replied with, "Oh, that's great!" Her reply was, "We think that's great too." I took that to be a pretty good sign.

Aside from that, I responded to an ambulance call for nothing particularly interesting and got a chance to swim at the Y. The cute lifeguard was working, so that was an added little bonus.

I also had a great chat online with the author of one of my favorite blogs, I Think I Might Be Gay. It was nice to talk to one of the people whose life I read about on a regular basis. If you haven't, check out his blog here...http://ithinkimightbegay.blogspot.com/#

Something New

To avoid confusion, I have just made some changes. For anyone that I might have attempted to confuse yesterday, NYEMSWhacker and TraumaJunkie1 are both me. In the near future, I'll probably pick one or the other and stick with it.

What adding a new account to this blog allows me to do is have an email address that readers can use to contact me directly. You can find it in my TruamaJunkie1 profile, but it's simply traumajunkie1@gmail.com. Furthermore, in that profile, you will find a screenname that I have linked up with my usual one. On AIM, I can now be reached at traumajunkie1046. For those of you who are dorks enough to care, in many places, 10-46 is the police radio code for an MVA or motor vehicle accident.

So the net result of the above, is that for anyone whose interested, you can contact me via email or on AIM.

Remembering Six Years Later

I would like to pause from my usual postings to remember the events of six years ago today. As an EMT in the NY City Metro Area, this is of particular importance to me. I ask that everyone remember the 2,974 people directly killed in the attacks, particularly the 343 members of FDNY, the six additional EMTs and paramedics, and the 60 Porth Authority and NYPD police officers, as well as all of those who have died since from diseases suffered as a result of the rescue and recovery efforts.

NEVER FORGET
9/11/2001

I would also like to ask everyone to remember those American troops who have given their lives for this country following the tragic events of 9/11. As of this posting, 440 American lives have been lost in Afghanistan and 3,774 have been lost in Iraq. Regardless of politics, we should all be grateful to those who have served.

The List

I thought I'd post this because I find it interesting and I'm still trying to make up my mind regarding what I think about it.

http://blogactive.com/

Poke around, and if you feel like it, feel free to post any thoughts here. This blogger (Mike Rogers) is a Washington insider who keeps a list of government officials who support anti-gay agendas but whom Rogers contends are gay. He has outed a significant number of these people based on information he obtains. Mark Foley, for example, was outed by Rogers well before his public national scandal. Rogers does not like the word "outing" because that implies a more violent intent whereas Rogers sees his actions as justified.

Is it right to "out" someone you believe to be gay (or as Rogers would argue, know to be gay) if they are supporting an anti-gay agenda on the political front?

So I have yet another interview on Thursday, this one at a law firm. Could be interesting. The other place I interviewed at last Tuesday also called to get some specific info for three references, which I'm hoping is a good sign. The overall hope though, is that at least one of these three places will work out. The most frustrating thing at this point is just the waiting. I feel like everything is moving so slowly and I'm spending all of my time just waiting to hear from people. But, at least things are moving, however slowly.

Weirdness

So I've now completed both interviews scheduled for this week. And both were a little weird. Today's was only about 10-15 minutes and the primary interviewer was very professional in one of those matter-of-fact ways that can come across as a bit unfriendly. It turns out they haven't even hired the supervisor for the position they're hiring for and that person would need to do any second interviews, something that would have been nice to know ahead of time.

Tuesday's interview was a much more pleasant experience, except for the fact that it was over 2 1/2 hours. Both people who did the interviewing were very friendly (and talked a whole lot) and I felt like I could fit in in the office. I think I'm less qualified for the position than today's interview, but I'm still hopeful. It also turns out that two people who work in the office are mothers of friends/former teammates from my younger years. Both were very kind to me and put in good words for me.

Also today, I got my butt back into the pool after a period of slacking off and the YMCA being closed for their annual one week shutdown for maitenance. I actually had a very good swim and my freestyle felt really good. It improved my mood somewhat after the uncertainty of the interview.

Point for the Blog Team

So a little while back I wrote about a bitter author who bashed blogs and the internet in his book. Today I had the pleasure of reading a column in the newspaper written by a Duke writing and education professor who said that more professors ought to do what he does and teach writing by using blogs and the internet. He argued that the technicalities of grammar are not as important as having to think through an argument, then having that argument read by lots of other people (beyond just the professor) and then having to respond to others and defend yourself. There's a much greater vested interest in your writing when you know it will be published and read by others whom will then respond. The arguments are those of the real world and the author hasn't been backed into some corner and forced to argue for something. I think the professor rightly states that the traditional style isn't the best way to go.

Insert unrelated topic: Tomorrow if my first interview of the week. I'm pretty excited about this one and I really hope it goes well.

Unrelated topic #2: Tonight I got to hang out with a friend who graduated a year before me from my college and whom I haven't seen in well over a year. It was really really great to see her and spend a few hours catching up. It's put me in a good mood.