Shaved Kitty

If I had wanted to increase traffic to the site, I would've named this post Shaved Pussy Cat. But I didn't. I am a blogger of class and taste.

This is Ms. Hitler on the day after her spa grooming treatment. She's looking much hairier these days. And is healthy. She'll soon be back to her old long-haired self.

But I still think she's cute this way. Awww.

A First!

I spent an hour on the phone last night with a friend of my sister's who is a job interview whiz. She's amazing. She doesn't coach people for a living, but she should.

This morning I typed up my notes from my conversation with her, and now I'm ready to rock.

For the first time in 10 days I feel confident about the phone interview. Some people can work miracles.

Such an exciting life

I see from my Romantic Malebox that there is another fellow who has viewed my profile 3 times.

But his rate of matching to me is only 37%, whereas Ignatius rates a 62%. Algorithmicromantically-speaking, new guy is only matching me at 60% of the rate that Ignatius is. See, one hour with Ignatius and I'm juggling percentages around.

Call me Math Girrrl.

I'll check out the profile of new guy later. (What's that? I can already hear JAW Fan accusing me of cheating on Ignatius!)

Another Exam

I received a notice about another competition for jobs down at HQ in New York. This time they are looking for Editors. How convenient.

I'm drowning in job applications. How many different ways can I write, I love this Organization sooo much and want to work for you?

This sure beats last year when I was sitting here fretting and waiting to be fired.

Update II

I can't see a first encounter* going much better than last night. He was the same as his on-line persona: genuine, unpretentious and very polite. Which scores points with me because I hear so much about how people on-line are lying about everything, but he doesn't appear to have lied about anything.

We spent most of our time discussing the website we met on. He's far more familiar with it than I am, so I learned a few tricks. He talked a lot of computer talk; I stared blankly. He admitted he's never read another's man profile, and I said I've never read another woman's. So he was a bit surprised at some of the dumb-ass things men write on their profiles. His is not like that.

I'd see him again. I plan to up his access to me on the site. Oooh, computer lingo.

*better than "meeting", but not a "date".

Update

Because I know JAW Fan can't wait to find out if he's going to have a new best friend....

I can report that our "meeting" went really well. Much better than I anticipated. He seems a thoroughly decent guy. It's not love/lust at first sight, or anything remotely like that, but he appears to be a good guy.

He'd get along fine with JAW Fan.

Romantic Malebox Update

I have to change the nickname of my mystery date from Ignatius to Erkel. A self-described nerd who happens to be black. I'm almost ready to think he's pulling my leg. A black guy who loves REM? They are so white. All his taste is sooo white.

When I flew to Italy, I sat next to a black college professor from Vermont (yes, Vermont) who was so nice. We talked about the New Yorker and David Sedaris. Now that was a pretty white black guy.

If Erkel is half as pleasant as that man was, I'm laughing.

Hilarious Spam

Usually I just delete any spam message that makes it through the firewall at work, but the opening line of this one made me laugh out loud:

"In a few weeks you'll start noticing admiring glances shot at your groin"

Whoa!

As I type, the TSX is down 375 points. That's 375, with a 3. And the Dow is down 177.

Brother, can you spare a dime? What's happening? Who is behind this?

Looks like I picked a bad day to give up valium.

Peggy, C'est Moi

It’s been a long time since I’ve identified with a character in a movie or TV show, but since I started watching Mad Men, I’m rooting for Peggy because she is so much like me when I was 20 and earnestly working in my first job.

When she discovered her boss’s affair, I remembered finding out that one of the lawyers in the firm where I worked was having an affair with another lawyer’s (outside the firm) wife, I was shocked and not at all impressed. Nonetheless, if he had been my boss I know I would’ve been trying to cover up for him. I was like that. Loyal.

I was the plain girl that none of the men noticed. I kept my mouth shut and never revealed a thing about myself to anybody, except one friend, the only other 20-something secretary in the place. She was hot, and some of the lawyers made passes at her. She mocked them endlessly when we had lunch together.

One Xmas party, I had two (two!) glasses of wine and said a few things that were out of character for the office, and one of the lawyers (in his 50s, I thought he was ancient and creepy at the time) said: Hey, you’re pretty sharp. And I thought: Buddy, you have no idea.

Then I could go home and listen to The Clash and The Jam. They had no idea.

Some Women!

I know I usually complain about male behaviour, but sometimes….

I have learned that a very, very good friend is saying that the exam I passed for the London job wasn’t as challenging as all that because it did not contain the language requirements (i.e. bilingual or trilingual requirements) that a New York HQ job would require.

This is bullshit. And I’m mad as hell at her about this.

She applied to write the exam for a New York HQ job and was rejected, not because of language but because she never finished university, and a U degree is a requirement for qualification. She insists she was randomly rejected. She won’t admit that she was justifiably rejected because she didn’t have the degree.

So now she is deriving some kind of satisfaction from saying that I wrote an easier exam. I am so pissed off at her right now!

I am very much looking forward to receiving notification from New York that I will be accepted to write their exam because I have all the requisite qualifications. Including U degree and bilingualism! So there!

And the day I get that acceptance notification…..I’m going to rub her nose in it.

It’s freakin’ High School all over again. Girl fight! Cat fight!

In other news

It appears I will meet Ignatius the nerd boy on Thursday.

This IM-ing business is weird. I feel like I know him already. Very odd indeed, this modern world of ours.

A Cheesie Moment

Yesterday I went to the depanneur to buy a Gazette. While there, I had a hankering for a snack, so I picked up a single serving bag of Cheetos for $1.29. I then took my place in the queue. There was a 50-something Jamaican woman ahead of me. She turned around, looked at my bag and said:

JW: What you doin' wit that small bag, girrrrl?
(I looked at her confused.)
JW: They so expennnnsiiive. Get de big bag, it's the same priiiice.
Me: But if I buy the big bag, I'm going to eat the big bag.
JW: (pause) Oh, you so riiiiiiight.

She leaves.

Fin

Paging LLJ

LLJ, Please see my comment under the Ooh! post on Tuesday, 7 July.

Everyone else can ignore it, as it's of no interest to others.

And so it goes

I must've dreamt about the London job all night because I woke up this morning at 7, and I could barely lift my head off the pillow. I had such a tension headache. My neck was in rigor mortis.

Two Motrin and two hours lying on a hot hot heating pad, it was gone, but I fear this is what I am up against.

If I can't get this job, it won't have anything to do with my editing or writing skills, it will be because I physically can't take the stress. Fudge.

The Morning After

Went out with the girls last night. Told them about London and the on-line dating scene. Much wine was consumed. My head hurts.

Ain't nobody today gonna tell me I'm sweet like sugar candy*. I feel like crap.


*Yesterday, a 27-year-old from Morocco told me I was indeed sweet like sugar candy.

Romantic Malebox Update

I had my first-ever IM chat last night. With the aforementioned Ignatius, the only (seemingly) decent man I've encountered in my first week of on-line "adventure".

Should I be worried that he is a Fantasia fan boy? That's okay, I'm a nerd too. At least this gives us lots of neutral ground for conversation.

You can see where this is leading, right? I will fall madly in love with Ignatius and want to have his babies (in vitro, at my age) but it will be my duty to move to London instead. For Queen and country and a really good salary.

The drama! The bodice-ripping romance! Cue the music, the splashing waves...

London Calling

HOLY SHIT!

I was just contacted by the good folks in London. I have a telephone interview on July 21. If successful, I'd go to London for the in-person interview in September.

In other great work-related news:
I'm officially designating today: MR ANONYMOUS DAY in honour of his landing a new job. Congratulations again. I'm thrilled for you.

Actually, at this moment I'm thrilled for both of us!

Today's Poll

My "profile" needs to know what is the thing about me that people notice first. Since I'm un-noticeable, and frankly should've become a professional pickpocket or a spy, really, I have to throw this question out to people who know me.

What's the first thing you notice about me? I can't think of anything other than my lack of height. (This is especially true since I stopped wearing those crazy shorts. )

Talking Turkey

Yesterday the travel agent affiliated with our office sent round an itinerary for a trip to Turkey in October. Turkey in on my list of places I want to see, particularly Istanbul.

Today, a gun battle in Istanbul killed 6 people. In front of the US consulate which is, I assume, a place where a lot of tourists need to go.

I'm putting Turkey back in the oven for now. It's not done yet.