9.15.2008

Whilst Waiting

I am looking looking looking for some sort of temporary employment while I await news of assignment - a month from now I learn my region and synod, and then start the process of getting matched up with a church, which could a short or long ordeal. In the meantime, between now and my start date for my first call, I'd love some sort of employment. So I comb Craigslist multiple times a day, I've sent my resume to a handful of potential employers, and I spent Friday wandering Michigan Avenue, stopping into retail establishments that looked interesting (applying at Argo Tea, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and the Apple Store).

And now I continue to wait. Wait for temporary employment. Wait for assignment. Wait for a first call.

In these past two post-internship, unemployed weeks, I find that there are some days when I can bring myself to do nothing at all of importance. These are the days that I help get Matt out of bed and on his way out the door to class, but then go back to bed until 10 or 10:30, and then spend my day flipping channels and surfing the internet and generally feeling slobby. There are other days, however, when I am a flurry of activity. Today, for instance, I cleaned the bathroom and the kitchen (and I mean REALLY CLEANED - floors washed and mopped, bathtub scrubbed, stovetop cleaned, the works!), and I did some laundry. I planned an impromptu dinner party for Wednesday night with my sister and my cousin, browsed recipes for said dinner party, experimented with making cold-brewed iced coffee (there's a batch steeping in the fridge as I speak), and caught up on some blog reading.

Tomorrow, I really need to finish the last of my unpacking, shove a lot of boxes into our small storage unit, vacuum everywhere, figure out what to make for Wednesday's dessert (and what wine I should buy...yay for an excuse to go to Trader Joe's!), and maybe do some more laundry if I can find more quarters. And maybe knit. I'm on the home stretch with this sweater I've been working on forever - done with the body, partway through the first sleeve.

But of course, there's also the chance that I wake up lazy tomorrow and play video games all day. Sigh.

It's intersting to see what happens when I mix unemployment and waiting.

4 comments:

  1. Being unemployed and feeling great about yourself is tough. Really tough.

    One question, though--can you really plan an impromptu dinner? :)

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  2. Good point...it feels impromptu because I got the idea of having them over for dinner and invited them over for dinner in a matter of about one minute. So I suppose that it feels impromptu because I just up and decided to do it! But now, the planning and cooking and waiting until tomorrow definitely doesn't count as impromptu anymore. :)

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  3. Oh, just be slobby for a while (if you can afford to). Before too long you're going to be up to your eyes in work, not that you should'nt enjoy your work, but you won't have the same time to just play video games, knit, channel surf, wear your pyjamas all day if you want, etc. You'll have your 4 weeks of scheduled vacation time and that's it.

    Enjoy it while you can and then enjoy your ministry once it starts.

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  4. I second tom in ontario. soaking up a restful season can be a challenge...where does meaning and purpose come from when you don't have an external outlet to express your gifts?

    an aside. I worked at Ann Taylor post PTS until just before moving to Philly. The training in customer service was great, the discount even better...helped build some basics into my meager clergy woman's wardrobe.

    all best as you actively wait and rest.

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