Kung POW!

Remember the Seinfeld episode when George ate the kung pao chicken? Holy cow, that’s me today.

I made it to DC for the RPCV career fair. I decided it’s a good thing when the weather folks freak out over storms, because that means there’s nothing to them. I was concerned about the 7:30 a.m. departure to Atlanta and then connecting to DCA, but it turns out everything went smoothly.

Zippy and I arrived in our nation’s capital around noon and got checked into my Hotwire find, the Capitol Inn Suites. It’s sweet, too. Microwave, fridge, dishes and a sofa bed. I might move in. And they even had a room ready around noon even though check-in wasn’t until 3 p.m.

Before hitting the botanical gardens and American Indian museum, we stopped at a greasy spoon called Pete’s Diner. They had kung pao on special, and I’d never had it. Since it involved chicken and rice, I didn’t see a downside.

Oh, my. I wasn’t really sure how hot the little pepper things were but WOW. It was fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but those suckers had far more pao than kung and over seven hours later, I am still feeling it.

Foolishly, I wolfed them down whole, which, in case you need to know, is very wrong. I am not sure how you’re supposed to do it, but I’d strongly advise against whole, especially if it will touch your teeth, gums, tongue or esophagus going down.

Even if you could manage getting it down without burning yourself, it will still rebel against your intestine and stomach. I ate about 6-7 of them and believe me, I am acutely aware of each.

No regrets, though, but if I did it again I’d go for water instead of tea to accompany. The sweet tea came loaded with lemon and it didn’t go well with the POW.

Obviously, I returned from Palm Springs, and I am really behind in posting. There’s not a lot to say about the LA area, though. It’s overpriced and has gorgeous weather all the time. No earthquake disrupted us, and gas was $3.50 a gallon.

We took the Palm Springs aerial tram and I took a bunch of pictures on the 10,000-foot ascent, but I can’t find the cord that attaches my camera to the computer, so I can’t post them right now.

We saw no celebrities, but went all the way to the Santa Monica Pier. For those keeping track, I’ve now driven practically across the United States. I lack from Tallahassee to Jacksonville (although I’ve been up to Augusta) and from St. George, Utah (near Las Vegas) to Palm Springs. Everything else I’ve done.

The job situation is extremely bleak. I’m not loving life at all right now and hope this little career seminar helps, but the reality is it might be worse. With the new hiring processes in place, the federal government has suddenly decided NCE status is useful and the agencies at this job fair want RPCVs who have it to apply for their openings. Sadly, mine ran out Nov. 20. They didn’t want it last year and now that it’s coveted, I no longer have it.

I am looking forward to seeing some friends here and meeting some new ones. It’s an effort to remain positive.

False start

I had a rough, rough 24 hours.

First, I took Dodger and Kocur for a walk and Kocur’s leash broke. As I was swapping them out – I’m far less concerned with DDog running loose than Kocur – a Volvo pulled to the end of their driveway and a woman got out to check her paper.

Kocur went nuts. She ran up to the woman, snarling, and circled her while nipping. She nipped her pants, but thankfully didn’t do anything worse. I was completely freaked out and apologetic. The neighbor was shaken up and her husband jumped out of the car to see if she was OK.

She was, I think, but it was just a bad start to an even worse day. I’d known the walk was way too much for Kokey, because about six cars passed up, exciting her widely. Normally, only one or two cars pass us.

So the day didn’t improve. I was working at Florida Law Weekly, happily stuffing envelopes and Bob came in and said I needed to check my car. Baffled, I asked why. He said he’d run into it while backing out. No one ever parks in the spot next to him and he just forgot to look.

I have a huge dent over my wheel well and my rearview mirror is toast. Honestly, I’m just not going to worry about the dent – no paint was broken – but the mirror has to be replaced.

It’s annoying, but this is the hand I got dealt. The really depressing thing is I’m flat-out too busy to take my car around and get estimates. I’m just too involved in this job search.

Which was another depressing thing yesterday. I got four rejections, two of which were local and two were in federal jobs I was overqualified for.

One was incredibly frustrating because I’d interviewed before Christmas and told they’d be in contact. I sent polite emails or voice mails asking for an update every week or so but heard absolutely nothing.

Finally, this morning, I received a response. All it said was, “You should have received an email from human resources informing you this position has been filled.”

It made me feel sub-human. The person who’d interviewed me WAS in HR, and that person is the one I’d been sending emails to. It became rather clear to me awhile back that I was not going to get a second interview, but is it too much to hope for that someone follows through with what the say? I was really qualified for that position and don’t think it’s asking too much to get a somewhat personalized reply.

Or hey, even a generic “thanks for playing, please try again.” But it’s just so wrong to specifically say, “I will contact you next week” and then ignore me for 6-8 weeks.

Honestly, just because I am unemployed doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be treated with respect. It’s just tiring being swept under the rug.

So I really needed a vacation, which was fortuitous because today is the departure date for Palm Springs.

When Zippy planned this trip, I was kind of lukewarm on it because I’m just not a California girl. But for $100, it’s a nice break.

However, by today, I realized how much I need a break from the job search and just everything right now, so I was glad to get away.

Except we haven’t actually gotten away.

Right now, I am hanging out in the Holiday Inn on Apalachee Parkway and Magnolia, awaiting a Delta early morning flight. We got bumped.

I’ve never successfully been bumped, so it’s kind of cool. What’s a little bizarre is when we checked in online, the website told us there was a chance the flight was oversold and to, if we were interested in getting bumped, name our price.

So, knowing the tickets cost a total of $450, I said to put in $300 each, not thinking it’d actually come through. I’ve never seen people “bid” to be bumped.

It didn’t work. Or they just didn’t consider it, or something. But we were sitting at the airport, enduring a weather (or some kind of) delay and wondering if we were going to make our connection when the gate agent came on to say they needed three volunteers for $400 each plus a hotel and dinner.

Sold. We jumped up and got it.

It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, though. We had to cough up tip money for the shuttle driver and learned there’s no early-morning shuttle, so we have to pay for a taxi. And I’d Hotwired the hotel tonight so I am out the $65.

But in the long run I guess I’ll still be ahead.

Finally, something in my favor

Breaking news: I'm still unemployed

Although I really feel like I'm thisclose to finding a job, I am still unemployed. I'm doing everything I know to do, including going into every event I can at the local Workforce office. I'm even trying to work in a five-week Microsoft certification course, although I am far too busy job searching to schedule it.

And this week, the Tallahassee Democrat was investigating under/unemployment in the area. They ran a blurb -- unseen by me -- asking for anyone who was un- or underemployed to call or email the reporter.

The morning it ran, I had a job interview and I didn't see it. Zippy, however, reads the entire paper every day (thank God some people still do) and when I called her after the interview she told me about the story and said I'd call.

I figured I would, but at the time I was headed to stuff envelopes at FLW after a lunch with Beth. During my lunch, she called me again. Apparently the reporter had called Workforce to ask if they had a suggestion for the story and my name was at the top of the list.

So I ran by WF and emailed the guy, who called me back almost immediately (and as I was preparing to clean a building.) We set a time for him to call me the next day, which was right after this networking meeting.

Oh, the meeting. Let's break here to mention the biggest boob I have met in a long time.

OK, this networking meeting is just a group of unemployed people who bounce ideas off each other. It's the first I've been to, and it involves Krispy Kreme.

It also involved some loudmouthed guy whom I vow not to put up with next time. I think his name was Bob, but to me, he was just Arrogant Ass.

There were a dozen people at the meeting, two of whom worked there. Two of the job seekers were male and the other eight were women. When I came in, I noticed most of the women sitting on one side, across from a man who had at least two empty seats of each side of him.

I later learned there was a reason for that, but I ignorantly sat down beside him so the sides of the table would be more even and we could facilitate discussion without having to crane our necks or raise our voices.

Well, none of that was needed, because AA commanded ALL of the attention.

Ten minutes in (he allowed us to get through the introductions unscathed), he absolutely took over the meeting. The WF woman tried hard to reel him in, but he just raised his voice over anyone who attempted to speak.

He was all about self-promotion, taking (or, more correctly, making) every opportunity to talk about his past achievements, which, to hear him tell it, were bountiful. He was smarter than everyone who'd interviewed him, he made six figures, he began several businesses. Oh, and I think he died for our sins.

I got fed up with it after about five minutes but stuffed myself with three Krispy Kremes in an effort to play nicely. I was refilling my OJ when he was bragging, "I traveled halfway around the world," and I couldn't help but mutter, "So what? I went all the way around."

He insulted interviewers, their businesses and practically everyone in the room. He's brilliant, to hear him tell it, smarter than everyone.

And he of course can't figure out why he doesn't get offered jobs left and right.

Well, I was proud of myself for making it through without bloodshed, but I decided if he was ever at another thing I attended I/he wouldn't be so lucky.

On the little survey we fill out, there's a little line for how to improve the seminar. I filled it out.

After the meeting and after my interview, I heard the WF woman burst out laughing from her office. She came out, holding a paper. She held it up for me and asked if I'd written it:

"Shut that guy up."

Yes, I said, I did. And I told her if he was in attendance for anything I went to, I'd leave. She told me she'd talked to him extensively about his bragging and asked him to stop. She's even called him out, politely, in meetings.

So I changed my mind. I told her if I ever see him in another meeting and he pulls the same "I'm so much better than everyone, I don't understand why I'm not getting job offers" I will, *not* politely, tell him why he's not getting them.

Heck, if I was AA's interviewer and he was just 10 percent as asshole-ish as he acted with us, I'd end the interview. No one wants to work WITH someone who acts like he's better than everyone else. I can't imagine considering hiring him to work FOR me. No. No, no no.

So part of me -- a very large part -- is stoked about showing up to some event with him there and being able to tell the guy to STFU.

Yeah, it's not usually a good thing to burn a bridge, but AA isn't the kind of guy who's going to help anyone but himself, so I figure I'd be doing everyone a favor.

Anyway, back to the Democrat.

I'd sent the reporter a list of work I've done since COSing from PC:

• ghost-written a book for a motivational speaker


• written stories for Michigan Hockey Magazine


• overseen kids baseball and softball games for Parks & Rec


• worked at Camp Indian Springs for $37 a day all summer


• worked as a prep cook at a dude ranch in Wyoming


• returned to Morocco to set up a travel program for high school students


• came back from Morocco and finished that budget, thought I was hired permanently and then wasn't


• helped my aunt with her catering business in South Carolina


• babysat my nephews here and there


• done odd jobs for my old boss in Tallahassee, which has included stuffing envelopes for the business, cleaning out the storage building and doing cleaning work in general

We talked for awhile and I told him everything I'd done in trying to find a job. He asked what else I could do and I was at a loss. I mean, I've talked to career counselors who've been unable to give me new ideas.

He said I was the most "compelling" person I'd talked to and he'd have to lede with me. Not sure whether to be flattered or a bit freaked out over that.

So here's the lede, from http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20110206/NEWS01/102060323/Rate-of-under-utilized-workers-has-nearly-doubled-statewide (you have to have a subscription to view, so I'm posting just my part.)

(Insert my name here) has taken just about any job she can find since returning to Florida in late 2009 after a two-year stint with the Peace Corps.

She worked as a part-time park supervisor in Tallahassee during baseball season last year, and when that job ended, she worked a couple of months at a YMCA camp that paid $37 a day. She was a prep cook at a dude ranch in Wyoming, earning $8 an hour. More recently, she spent a couple of months working to establish a travel program in Morocco, where she was based during the Peace Corps.

Lately, she's been taking odd jobs with a former employer, working only a few hours a week cleaning an office building and stuffing envelopes. Were she not living with her parents in Havana, she would probably be homeless, she said.

"It's been very frustrating," said Wartenberg, who spent a decade working as an editorial and administrative assistant for the Associated Press in Detroit. "There are times when I'm very optimistic, and there are times when I'm really, really depressed."

She is one of hundreds of thousands of Floridians who are considered under-utilized workers, which includes people in the labor force without jobs, discouraged workers who want a job but have given up active searches and people who are working part time who want full-time employment.

It goes on later to say:

Trying to find a full-time job has been an exasperating experience for many Tallahassee residents. (My name again), 41, has gone to job fairs in Tallahassee and Atlanta. She puts in about 10 applications a week for jobs in town and across the country. She went to four interviews over the past two weeks.

"I'm doing everything," she said. "I don't know what else to do."

Wartenberg has a bachelor's degree from Florida State University and a master's degree from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Ala. Her resume includes volunteer work for the American Red Cross and a week of service helping HIV-positive street children in New Delhi, India.

So that's the news from today. Literally.