my phone interview is today at 3pm with the hiring manager, who shares the same last name as my mom's side of the family. maybe he's a distant cousin or something. 
my mom said there was a very distant relation who she thought lived in the area. if we have a good rapport going, maybe i'll inquire about it.
i have really mixed feelings about this interview. on one hand, i am really really really excited at the possibility of finding a newer and better job. on the other hand, change is always nerve-wracking for me. i just hope the decision isn't too tough, whether it's that i want the job, or that i don't want the job.
today i got an email from a new HR lady at the prospective employer…it sounds like the assignment of staffing the job got reassigned. she asked me to send my resume directly to her, and she would deal with it…
Teego comes from a long line of hunting dogs, so I feel like I owe it to him to train him to hunt. The AKC has competitive simulated hunt tests that we can participate in, without ever actually going "hunting". Last night, Teego and I made our first journey into the field, with the help of a very experienced friend. Saying Teego was a happy dog is a total understatement. He was out in a country field, doing long retrieves (100 yards) through tall grass and wide open fields. At the end, we walked around the land, and he jumped in the freezing cold lake of his own accord. Competitive obedience is obviously something I really enjoy — but field training for hunting is amazing because it's something much more natural for the dog. It's just in his genes to understand what to do — all the handler has to do is fine-tune those instincts. And he certainly does have good genes — his grandfather is the only Golden Retriever in history to have competitive championships in both obedience & hunt tests. He has even competed at the top level, internationally. Teego had the time of his life, and I had a great time too! I think we're hooked.
no word yet on the possible new job. not a peep. i'm getting pretty disappointed, and it makes me feel even more stuck in my current job. while before i didn't like it, i felt like it was my choice to stay there because i wasn't really looking for a new job. but now it doesn't feel like it's my choice anymore. it feels like nowhere else wants me. *sigh* hopefully they will contact me.
The best session i went to at my conference last week was entitled "Stepping out of Your Comfort Zone". It was really great, and there was a lot in it. The main message was that many of us strive to be comfortable in life – but instead we should strive to contribute to the world and challenge ourselves. He said…"If you don't like your job…quit! If you are in a bad relationship…get out! What are you waiting for?!?"
That same day, I found an ad for a job that sounds like it would be really great for me. So…today I submitted an application. It doesn't hurt to shop around, right? I figured that if the only reason not to do it is that I'm afraid of the change, then that isn't a good enough reason. So we'll see. I won't really have any big decision to make until when/if they offer me the job. I kind of hope they do, though!
