I just don't rate....

So, I just got a call a bit ago from a woman at the Human Resources Dept. regarding my application for the Library Assistant 3 position out here at NP Branch. The woman said that based on the fact that I don't meet ONE of the minimum qualifications for the Lib. Assist. 3 position, I'm not going to get to have an interview for the position. I asked which qualification it was that I don't meet and she replied that according to their reading of my application, it doesn't appear I've worked at more than the page level. I responded with "What about the fact that for nearly 5 months now I've been working as a VOLUNTEER Library Assistant at North Pole Elementary?" And she said that "Even IF we counted that, it still isn't a full year." *sigh*

So, I asked her if I could get that in writing and sent to my home. Then I called & left a message for the woman at work who helped me with my application, to see if she wouldn't mind calling me back. If I can appeal it, I'm going to.

So, I'm sitting here just a bit bummed. Not suprised at all, just bummed.

But, regardless of how THIS application for THIS job gets handled, I'm going to continue working at the school on Fridays, I'm going to continue working on my Word & Publisher skills, and I'm going to keep on applying for every damn job that comes open at NPB.

Oh, and the Librarian at the school taught me to cover hard-backed books today. She said that if I'm willing to come in early one of these mornings, she'll show my how to cover paperbacks. But the paperbacks, evidently, are considerably more time consuming & tedious, and therefore require being uninterrupted by children. Thus the need to go in before school starts. Anyway, so she's quite willing to teach me what she's able, in hopes that I will someday land that Library Assistant 3 position.

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DD's head is doing ok. It's still a bit sore when touched. But that comes with the fact that it's bruised. It was never really causing more problems than just the pain of the bruising & scrape itself. No concussion, disorientation, or even a real wound. Just a scrape & a bruise. And a good laugh over how darned tough the girl is! *grin*

On the other hand, she's had a nasty little sore throat for over a week now, so I've just gotten off the phone with the Dr's office and am schedualed to take her in to see the Dr. on Monday morning. The school's nurse, when I talked to her today, said that since DD's throat's been sore for so long, I should have her looked at in case she's got strep throat. Or, it may just be her allergies & we wind up putting her back on singulair for the allergies, though not the asthma (which still hasn't cropped back up as an issue).

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Greg, I certainly agree that regardless of how the economic troubles of our country turn out, regardless of whether the Mayans were right or not about the end-date of the world-as-we-know-it, we should continue on with life as best as possible. Certainly making arrangements for trouble should it come, but not losing ourselves in the process. That is why I told DD that regardless of what happens, she still needs to work on her math. *grin* Whether or not she ever gets to High School, I still want to see her pass 4th Grade with a math grade BETTER than a C-minus. (And, certainly, anything LESS than a C-minus is completely unacceptable, and should that happen, I will once again be pushing to hold her back.)

That said, should we get a tax rebate this year, DH and I, I'm going to put $100 away for a clothes-line tree, and I am continuing my preparations & stocking up for the Recession/Depression to come. I don't want to go into a recession/depression COMPLETELY unprepared. I want to know that should our paychecks get slimmer, or prices get considerably higher, that I've stocked up on some things to help us weather the storm.

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DD and I each had dentist appointments yesterday morning. Unfortunately, my dentist once again canceled on me for the exams that we're due up for. This is the third time in 12 month's time that she's canceled on me. This time she's in the Cayman Islands. But, we DID get our teeth cleaned, anyway. The report on DD's teeth is that she's doing a good job, from what the hygenist could say. My teeth, not so much. She said my gums are appearing much more sensative & bleeding more easily. So, I got harped at to brush & floss better and more frequently, as usual. *wry smile*

What I didn't tell the hygenist (who's a perfectly nice woman) is that I'm going to change dentists. It was a 45 minute drive in to our dentist's office yesterday, and we didn't even get the Xrays & exams that were half the reason I'd made the appointments. And I made them both at the same time to try to prevent having to go in a second time. Now, if the dentist has her way, I'll be making a second trip in anyway, and possibly a third. (Possibly a third because it's unlikely that I'd be able to get 2 appointments, one immediately after the other, again any time soon. So I'd wind up with 1 appointment on 1 day for myself, and a second appointment on a second day for DD.) I burned 1/4 tank of fuel in my car yesterday, with 2 round trips to town. Once for the appointments, and once for work after bringing DD back out to school.

Next week I'm going to call the dentist's office where DH had his root canal, and I'm going to see if I can have DD and myself both set up in July with exams, X-rays, and cleanings, and we'll start seeing Dr. E. for our dental work, instead of Dr. B. in town. Even just the fact that it's a 10 minute drive, instead of 45 minutes, makes it worthwhile. Add in the fact that I'm sick of being jerked around by Dr B's inability to keep an appointment..... Yeah, I'm making the change-over.

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DD finally got to play a game against her buddy from the church nursery. DD and A. have been friends since they were literally both in diapers, at 2 years old, in the nursery at the church that I used to attend with my Dad. A's mom is a nice lady who I get along with rather well, on the rare occasions I get to see her. A. & DD have played hockey with and against each other since they started. (A. started only 1 year ahead of DD, as he's approx. 6 months older than DD is.) Well, yesterday's hockey game had both DD and A. in the goal nets for their respective teams. A. did a FANTASTIC job!!!! This is also his second year as goalie, though he's never been "only" goalie the way DD has. He also plays Left Wing, when he plays out. So A's mom & I are hoping that in their next match-up, A. and DD can play Left Wing against each other, the way they played goalie against each other this time.

Anyway, we beat A's team, 6 to 1. But it wasn't an easy game. They really fought us hard in the first two periods, but it appeared that they got wore out in the third period, as that's when we made 4 of our 6 goals on A. DD got only maybe half as many shots on her as A. did, and she didn't get the shut-out she was hoping for. But it was a good game. And I got some chuckles as I was in the warm-up/viewing room rooting for both DD AND A. The fact that I'm mom to one of the goalies, and the other goalie is a friend of DD's (and therefore also somebody I'll root for) made for some funny moments.

Tonight I've got to take DD in to town to sell programs & frisbees for the University's (The Nanooks) hockey game. The whole team, and one of the parents from each child, have got to be there. DH is going to work in the concession stand (as it sounds like they're short a couple of folks) while I walk around with DD and whatever other of the girls she goes around with. *sigh* I hate doing this part of the hockey-mom bit. I hate fundraising, and I esp. hate anything that requires me to make change. *wry smile* Not to mention it's going to be a tense drive INTO town, then a tense drive HOME from town in the dark, with a lot of other vehicals.

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Why is it going to be tense??? Because the driving conditions haven't eased up at all in the last few days. Not only did we get rain on Sunday, but it was 30 above and windy as hell on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday it cooled a bit, and yesterday was about -30 (below zero) again. Then last night it clouded over & started snowing again. We haven't gotten the 3 inches of snow that were predicted for us, but the snow has nonetheless made the driving conditions even more iffy than the rain had already caused. Because not only is there BLACK ICE on the roads, but there is also now snow covering it.

Evidently this morning, as everybody was rushing off to work, there was a multiple car pile-up at the base of the second over-pass heading up the Richardson Hwy in to town. The last mile as you approach the overpass is pure ice (looks like a poorly zammed ice rink), then had the 3/4 inch layer of snow over top of that. Folks evidently didn't remember that just the night before you could get a good look at the ice, so they were driving as if the snow would quickly blow off an otherwise clear Hwy. Not so. So many, many cars found themselves jam packed in a pile-up.

And it's been this way for almost a week now. Every day, on my way to work I've seen at least 2 more vehicals in the ditch, replacing the 2 or 3 (or 4, or 5) from the day before. And on the way home, it's not much better. Why everybody seems to think the roads will have cleared up completely while they slept, is anybody's guess. I would only blame it on terribly short memories & idiotic thinking.

Anyway, so tonight, that's what I'm doing. Please keep us in your thoughts & prayers as we venture out on those roads. I'm really, really not looking foward to the drive.

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Tomorrow, DD and I will get to be home all morning. YEAH!!!!! I'm going to watch TV and veg, and maybe do some laundry. Then in the evening we'll be heading up Chena Hot Springs Road to Two River's Restaraunt for supper. My MIL's birthday was on the 18th of this month, mine on the 22nd, and my FIL's is today (the 25th) so we're going out to celebrate all three at once. The Inlaws often treat, this way, in leau of presents. It's just easier to buy a nice dinner out as a celebration for us 3, than to try to find a real present, I suppose. *wry smile* I'm not one to complain about a free dinner with great food, though.

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I think that about covers it for now. I'll catch up tomorrow, hopefully.

Have a Blessed Day!