Friday, December 06, 2013

*speechless*

To go all tumblr fangirl: John punches the Chief Superintendent so he can be with Sherlock. Then, they get handcuffed together and Sherlock holds a gun to John’s head calling him his “hostage” before they run away. Say all you want about the crazy Johnlock shippers, we’re not necessarily pulling this relationship out of thin air… some of us just choose to take it in a different direction instead of what was (supposedly) intended. [Insert reminder that Freeman himself has called Sherlock “the gayest show on television”.]

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Let’s get on to the real news shall we?

Since my last post on December 1st, I had two interviews back to back.

The first one this week was my third with the company I’ve turned down twice. I’m glad I decided to hear them out, because I would have taken the job in a heartbeat had it been offered to me again. They completely rewrote the job description and I joked that it was like they went down my resume line by line. It definitely wasn’t the same position I was offered the first two times. However, nothing changed the fact that I would have been in the same exact position I was in when I was let go by SG: 3rd in command, running the financial show, overly large fish in a ridiculously small pond. It’s not really where I wanted to be, but it was a good alternative if plan A didn’t work out.

(Plan A, of course, being the nearly impossible task to obtain a job at a large international company.)

Well.

The second interview this week killed the first company’s chances at landing me.

I accepted the offer today (verbally, but I do have a signed offer letter sitting next to me… I’m waiting for one more piece of info before I send it on), so I guess I can talk about it.

I’m going to be the staff accountant for a ridiculously massive international company that wants to expand into Europe. Why they haven’t yet, I don’t know, but the plan is there and I have no doubt it’s going to happen during my life time. Anyhoo, this company manages arenas, conference centres, etc. They manage UConn’s football stadium and the Hartford Civic Center among a gazillion others, but I will be working at an arena on a college campus about a half hour from here in MA. A college where their main sport is hockey and they are in the same league as Boston University.

So. Basically. I’ll be working in an ice rink. (At a college, even.)

Again.

Have I mentioned yet that my life seems to be circling around? That this how I started my professional life elebenty zillion years ago?

They loved me from the get go - even though my current resume says ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about my experience in college hockey, nor the NHL, nor even the ECHL. I’m not quite sure what it was about me, but the interview solidified that they loved me, that they wanted me, that they had to have me. OK. Maybe that bit’s a little exaggerated, but that’s what it felt like. When I brought out that experience, I knew I was wearing my “hockey face” and I knew I was in contention for the position.

When they asked if I would be open to relocation, I told them point blank that it depended on the city since it’s not just my decision. Then, I told the truth: I knew they were looking to expand to Europe and we would move there in a heartbeat. I’d prefer the UK, but I’m open to any where. They do a lot of promotion from within, relocation, all that good happy crap, and it was awesome to know we were on the same page with my GTFOOTUSP. (Hee hee… that looks funny. Maybe I should have written it out: “Get The Fuck Out Of The United States Plan.”)

Seriously. They didn’t look bothered by that at all. WOOO! But, also, they own a pro hockey team. How awesome would it be to be back in the NHL if that’s where life decided to take me? It’s not my endgame at all, but it wouldn’t be a terrible career path to go down.

And then they mentioned the money.

Less than I was making in NH, substantially less than I need to make if I take a job in MA. But the benefits… THE BENEFITS.

1) International company.
2) Looking to expand in Europe.
3) Huge discount on my cable/phone/internet.
4) 401(k) with match (!!!!)
5) OVERTIME

OVERTIME. FOR AN ACCOUNTING JOB.

That never happens.

I’m not expecting to make up the shortfall with overtime, but it’s a nice, unexpected, bonus. I mean, there’s a possibility for quite a bit in the beginning - there’s two new accountants and a new Director of Finance and accountants normally work more than 40 hour weeks during month and year end, but who knows how well-oiled a machine the finance department will be after a while?

So, when they offered me the job yesterday, the first thing out of the guy’s mouth was that he had to take the chance and offer it to me even though the money wasn’t there.

I guess it’s a good thing I’ve been unemployed for so long… swallowing the pay cut was made a lot easier by realising that we could afford it since we’d been living on one salary and the tiny bit the state sends me every week. It was still a very difficult decision even though I knew deep down there was no way I wasn’t taking it. Everything circles back and all… I’ve completely gone full circle: college ice rink, white Subaru, New England. It’s mind blowing to be completely honest.

I don’t start until January 2nd, so it’s going to be a long three weeks, but I finally feel 100% confident that I accepted the right position.

Thank. Fucking. Dog.

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In other job related news, I left that terrible temp job. The recruiter accused me of being difficult the entire time I was there. (All 5 days! Wow. I must really be a huge asshole since I was looking out for my best interests…) Eh, whatever.

Sunday, December 01, 2013

Happy December!

You burned up a sun to say good-bye to her, Ten. You could have manned up and finished the damn sentence! I suppose we should take comfort in the fact that your meta-crisis regeneration, Ten!Two, was finally able to complete the sentence for Rose… Jackass.

(I’m in a mood. J finally got to see me break down and watch how I’ve managed to spend my entire unemployment crying on the couch and feeling sorry for myself instead of doing the dishes and important shit like that. Bipolar’s a bitch. I wish I could take anti-depressants to get out of the funk I’ve been almost permanently in since February, but that would just make everything worse.)

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So… My Johnlock is finished. 54K words of horrendously ridiculous, terribly out of character, makes me want to vomit, Johnlock. I can’t figure out how to end it, so I’m going stop writing it for now. Maybe I’ll print all 200 pages and work on it in a bit. Pen and paper tend to help when I need to do serious revisions.

But the big news is, I got some really constructive feedback on PARIS! and have found someone to beta/proofread my new Cabin Pressure stuff. *happy dance*

Saturday, November 30, 2013

It’s time for disembarkation…

One more chapter and ZURICH! is done. I’ve received a few comments that people want more, but… I don’t know. This Cabin Pressure fan fic was always meant to be a trilogy - first, we get Martin’s story, then Douglas’, and then finally, Marlas happens in all its fluffy goodness. There were four (and then five) chapters written in total, but I’m torn as to whether or not I add an epilogue. I could - there’s enough left in those chapters to cobble something together.

I’m not going to lie - it’ll be sad to leave this AU (Is it an AU? I don’t even know any more. Maybe?), but I think it’s time. I have plenty of other things to write about regarding Cabin Pressure, but this trilogy has come to its natural resolution… *sigh* I’m going to miss them.

In other fan fic news, I’m still cranking away on the Johnlock… 53K words or something ridiculous like that because I can’t put it down. I NEED to finish it. I’d like to finish it before NaNo ends tonight, but I don’t know if I can.

—-

I was looking into a service called “TheTelly” - it basically lets you rent a slingbox that you can dial into and watch UK channels (overly simplified description of their business model.) I have other ways to watch Sherlock without TheTelly, but I thought it might be worth a try. So I started to look into it, and then I had questions. I had a rather nice email chat with a guy named Robert and then, in my final email, I joked that I would clean their corporate office’s toilets if they would sponsor me for a tier 2 visa. Then, he tells me to call him.

Um, OK. I did, but I still had some questions, so it was legit.

It turns out he’s a British ex-pat, living in Illinois, and he wanted to know why I wanted to move so badly. Then he spent 22 minutes (I looked at the phone) trying to talk me out of moving there. The VAT, the cost of petrol, culture shock, blah blah blah.

I know my reasoning sounds stupid, and even a tad bit immature, because, well, it boils down to “I just want to move there.” There’s no real thought behind it. Just the knowledge that it’s time. And I’ve always listened to my gut when it comes to things like this. Even though Ohio didn’t work out in the long run, it was worth all the shit.

I’ve been thinking about this move for a long time, but I’ve never had the balls to do it… well, I’ve grown a pair.

After his ‘sales pitch’ to emigrate to somewhere else in Europe, I came to the sad realisation that I couldn’t afford their services and then found several things wrong with his website… Of course, being a bug finder doesn’t get me a discount on their services. *pout*

Oh well, TheTelly’s not the only one that can provide me a slingbox I can dial into. I happen to have one in Belguim I can access… (BECAUSE I HAVE AWESOME FUCKING FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!)

Silly BBC, did you really think I was going to wait to watch it in the US?

If spoilers weren’t such a huge deal, I could be patient, but shit… I was seeing Doctor Who anniversary episode spoilers SECONDS after whatever it was happened in the show. Thank Dog that was aired simultaneously across the world. Could you imagine what would have happened if we had had to wait to watch it? (Well, besides the common everyday uproar that BBC America sucks some hardcore hairy wanger.)

So, yeah, that.

——

REALLY excited about Wednesday’s job interview. I’ve got to start prepping for the it. I don’t want to let this one slip through my hands…

And with that, I’m back to Johnlock…

Friday, November 29, 2013

Bad people access overseas stuff illegally. I am not a bad person.

So! We have the BBCOne air dates and they are easily accessible to Americans! (New Year’s Day, and then the next two Sundays! SUNDAYS!)

I’m also very happy that it airs in the US almost immediately after the UK broadcast dates. (Exactly a week after “His Last Vow” airs, but who’s keeping track of that kind of stuff? Not me. Nope.)

Not that I plan on waiting.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I see the finish line!

2,500-ish words to go!!!! I will reach my word count tonight and be a NaNoWriMo winner. WOOOOO!!!!

ZURICH! is still gaining popularity, but it’s slow and and kind of bumming me out. I’ve become addicted to my email blowing up with comments and kudos because the other two took off the way they did, and it’s not happening right now.

——

The temp job is OK. The commute is definitely a bitch, but mine isn’t nearly as long as the Controller’s and I have to keep reminding myself that it’s only a temp job. I have to experience the commute on a regular day. Thanksgiving week isn’t really a good representative of what it’s going to be like. So, yeah, patience, grasshopper.

I’m more than willing to commute into Boston (which is a bigger bitch), but at least I have several ways to get into Boston. I’d actually prefer Boston, so I could take the train in. Think of all the knitting I could do on the train! Socks! Hats! Mittens! Baby sweaters! I’d finally work my way through my WIPs and get to start new projects.

I’m very excited for my interview on Wednesday. I think I can pull off the bravado I need to really sell myself. I have a lot of prep to do to prove that I want this as badly as I do. I’m not letting this one slip through my fingers like the restaurant job.

In other job hunt news, I told this other company AGAIN that I wasn’t interested in the job. I want 40 hours of accounting work, not 20 hours of accounting and 20 hours of other shit. I know the state would be pissed because I passed up a ‘suitable’ job, but they’re not the ones that have to commute to Beverly and/or be bored to tears within a year. I’m assuming that since we never got to the nitty gritty of a REAL offer extension, it doesn’t count.

I don’t even know what to do any more.

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I’m almost done with one sock - ONE! - for a pair I’m making for a Christmas present. It’s a good thing I won’t see the recipient until January!! Although, once November is over, I’ll probably take a little break from writing and work on the other sock. I’ve still got plenty of other things to write about (30 Day OTP Challenges), but the knitting needs to take priority. (See what I said about taking the train?)

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Gah. I’m so boring, I’m even boring myself.