I GOT THE JOB!

I almost can't believe it. I start June 8th! Wow. I, I, I... wow. After all that hard work and effort I beat out all other applicants and got the NWPR job. Here's the blow-by-blow:

I had to call them first and then wait for a return call but they did call back a few hours later. I was asked if I had a second, I said I had several seconds. Then I was told that they wanted to offer ME the position. Being of skeptical mind and, to be honest, my patience was coming to an end, I asked if she was kidding me. No she wasn't. I wanted to scream YES! YES! But all that came out was a calm and cool, yeah that sounds great. I asked if there was relocation compensation and there was a yes to that. Then I asked about help finding a place, yes they would help. So she asked again, do you accept? Then I said yes, yes, I accept. Great now we need to figure out when you will start, because they would like me to start ASAP. Next step then is to see how much notice I need to give Macy's (I found out later, they want 2 weeks). I'll call you back after I talk to them. Okay. Bye.

Then I tossed the phone and shouted YES! YES! YES! yesyesyesyesyesyes! I did it! I did it! Then I kissed and hugged Dazey.

Since I currently live in a trailer next to my sister's house I thought I'd better tell Sue. So I went to put on shoes and decided "fuck the shoes" and ran barefoot into the house and shouted for Sue. When I saw her I shouted, again with the shouting, I got it, I got the job! Then she hugged me and I started crying. I tell you what, I have been holding back on so many emotions lately and this was just such a huge relief for me. Next I called my Mom (Hi Mom), of course, and told her. Then I got a call from my sister Mary (Hi Mary) who sang "Congratulations to you." To the tune of "The Happy Birthday Song." Next I called Elise, who has been a true treasure and so supportive, and I cried a little more. I talked with Sue for a while after than, still totally stunned and excited, and overwhelmed. I decided to go back to the trailer and call some more people, but I ended up just balling my eyes out and releasing so much pent up emotion.

What really got to me was just really how much I have gone through in the last year to get to this point. I lost my job, sold my house, put my junk into a storage unit, left with one bag for a long 7 month journey. Came back to the States, hopped around from place to place, got a job working for Macy's, been living in a 5th wheel trailer since January, lost my Auntie Anna, and have been looking for a radio job intently for months and now it all comes to this job. Wow. As I type this my eyes are welling up. It has just taken so much time, effort, patients, and work to get to this point in my life that it's hard to put into words.

But now my life takes another twist or as David put it, this is my second Capernican revolution... whatever that means. All I know is that this is something that I have wanted for a very long time and I am positive that this will be very good for me, for NWPR, and I am positive about the future.

Thank you all for you support. Really. It means a great deal to me.

Now to find a place in Pullman, WA. that is less than $800 a month rent, has few neighbors, and will accept a dog. I am so excited. YEEEHAW!

It's Finally Friday

Still no word, at least as I type this blog report on whether or not I got the NWPR gig. I was told "You will know by Friday (May 11th) at the very latest. Probably, almost definitely before Friday." Well, here it is. Friday. 2:30 P.M. and no call...yet. At the risk of saying bad things and regret it later, I will shut up for now and criticize or vent at a later date.

Somewhere on Hwy 14, Mt. Hood in the distance

My Mom says (Hi Mom!) that the reason it is taking so long is because "they" are not sure if they want to hire me because I lack public radio experience, even though they know that I could learn their style, or go with someone who would need less training or has more experience in that field. We'll see.

If this gig falls through, and I hope it does not, then I'm taking off and heading to Portland to find my fortune there. I like Portland. Come to think of it everyone I have talked to about moving to Portland all say "I like Portland" but none of them live there, except for my friend Doug (Hi Doug!) who is really loving living there and is more than willing to help me out in any way needed. So life is interesting, which is better than the opposite, and I am happy despite this strange position I find myself in. But whatever happens, Dazey stays with me.


I'm willing to make many sacrifices to keep my dog. I was without her for, what, nine months? I do not want that to happen again. Unless I have to. But I don't want to have to.

The Interview


My day began around 5:15 A.M. when I awoke to the morning sun. The great thing is that the Bob Marley song “3 little birds” began in my head and I fell back asleep singing it in my noggin. It goes something like this “Woke up this mornin'/smiled at the risen sun/ three little birds/ sittin' by my doorstep/singing sweet songs/ of melody pure and true/ sayin' this is my message to you-who-who. Don't worry/ about a thing/ because every little thing/ gonna be alright (repeat last phrase as often as you want. Why not? It's in your head). So when I woke up at the right time of 7:30 I still had that song in my head and sung it throughout the long day. I think it helped.



After waking up and drinking some coffee, having a little breakfast and taking a shower then getting dressed up in a suit and shiny shoes. I had about 30 minutes to cram study for the interview the best I could. At 9:30 I set off for the interview knowing it would take me about 20 minutes to get to the Northwest Public Radio (NWPR) offices.



10 A.M. I meet with the NWPR Weekend Edition Host/Producer Search Committee and was grilled with interview type questions for around an hour. This was the most intense part of the day.



11 A.M. Met with the person in charge of benefits and accounting for NWPR etc. for a half hour. For a description of what types of benefits I can expect from Washington State University, of which there are many.



11:30 (or so) a brief break, then at 11:45 went and got a lunch to be brought back to the station for a Noon to 1:00 “brown bag lunch” with the staff of NWPR. I was the only one eating. Some brought in coffee. But it was take a bite, get asked a question, *chew-chew-chew* then hold up a finger to show hold on a second. Take a swig of juice, swallow, answer said question. I only got to eat about ¼ of my lunch. After their questions then I got to ask a few. This was the most fun part of the day. I had them laughing and we had a good time and I actually enjoyed myself. I think we all did.



A break and now time took a strange leap. There was a break, and then I was shown how to basically go about doing a “Production Exercise” that had 5 sections that had a couple of parts in each section. I got the 1st one done and ½ of the second one. Not great speed but I was happy with the quality. Of the parts of this interview day this is the one where I wish I could have done more.



I got another break and then I met with the Program Director for a chat about what it would be like to work with her and etc. By this time (around 3 something) my brain was toast and I was mentally done in. But it was good to talk with her. She told me that I should be proud of myself because I was the only candidate they interviewed who did not have Public Radio experience and I got this far (1 of 3 finalist for the position) because of my enthusiasm for the job. While there where others who applied that were actually doing the job as posted, they lacked any kind of enthusiasm. That was a really nice thing to say. She also said that I did a “fabulous job” today.



After it was over, and it was all I could think of the 2 days, my overall feeling was that I did the very best I could. I have no regrets about anything that I said or did. I put my best foot forward and gave it my best shot. Once again, if I don't get the job it is not because of the interview. It will be because I just don't have what they are looking for. Even though I know that I do. I was told that I will definitely know by next Friday, May 11th, but should know before that.




COME ON JOB OFFER!