The One With the Chocolate Muffin

The high point of my week has been a chocolate muffin I got today. Now, that's an off-week.

I talked to "Mr. Interview" on Monday to set up the second one and had one of "my adventures" just in calling.

See, I didn't charge my cellphone over the weekend and my battery was beyond the final bar for power. I called anyway.

15 rings.... Voicemail finally picks up and I prepare to leave him a message. It's the guy's voice "You have reached blah-blah-blah..." he says. "Our hours are..." Uh-oh! I think. This isn't his voicemail, but the company voicemail!! "On Monday, we are open from 8am until 12 Midnight. On Tuesday, we are open from 8am until 12 Midnight..." Seriously, they're open the same hours 5 of 7 days and this guy's describing each individual day!! "Our Summer hours begin June 1st. On Mondays we will be open..." And again, through all 7 days! Finally, he gets to the voicemail part... "For so-and-so, press 1-1-5." Uh-oh. "For such-and-such, press 1-1-2. For that-girl, press 1-0-9..." Crap! they're not even in order!!! FINALLY, after naming 8 other people, he lists his --naturally, the lowest number. So, I enter in his voicemail number.

15 rings....

I'm about hang up when the voicemail kicks in. "Hello. You have reached blah-blah-blah. I'm sorry... blah-blah-blah... Please leave a detailed message after the tone with your name and phone number and I will get back to you as soon as I am able." BBEEEEE---*

My phone died.

I eventually (after a few minutes of cursing and swearing) borrowed a friend's cell and called back. This time, someone picked up and I asked to be put through to his voicemail. They said he was around, but at the moment I didn't care... I eventually got through to him anyway.

I introduce myself and he says "Oh, so you've thought about it over the weekend and have decided to pursue this further?" While my mouth said 'Yes', my mind said 'I was supposed to think about it?"

After my mouth said yes, my mind wished I'd just learn when to shut up. See, he suddenly turned from a somewhat odd fellow but friendly enough into a Hyde of a boss who demanded all sorts of things from me. We could only meet at one time and one time only. "No ifs, ands or buts!" He then rips into the type of work I'm currently doing, warns me that there'll be a few people doing a shotgun interview and I'd "better be prepared this time!" The entire time, I'm either speechless or just saying "o-kay" and letting him continue to throw things at me. Finally it comes to a conclusion, but with one final shot:

"And this time, WEAR A TIE!"

Then he hung up.

Not sure how to take it, but it's 2 days later and I'm still a little shocked that this was the same guy I met before.

Yesterday was just another day at work. I had to drive because I missed the damn train (the road to the station has a railway crossing on the way and a train goes through 5 minutes before the commuter train leaves the station. Get behind some slackass driver and you're doomed to wait an extra 30 minutes for the next train. Screw that. It's faster to drive at that point!

And today was a forced day off. With no one available to watch the kids and my wife working a 5-hour shift, it's actually cheaper for me (paid a little more) to stay home from my 7-hour shift for her to work the 5-hour one. Go figure. Not that I got much done today (I made a list of 10 things and I checked off #1 and almost finished #2....). While trying to work on the second part of my list, my wife called me from an event she was attending asking me to help clean up. And there went the next 3 hours of my day.

But I got a chocolate muffin out of it.