2002-12-20 - 9:13 a.m.

Although I have not found a regular job yet, I am feeling less despair. I found out yesterday that the company I am temping at wants to keep me for an additional week. This is a very good thing! It ensures that I will be able to pay January rent without any help. That of course makes me very happy - I hate feeling so dependent on all the people around me.

It would be great if that could be extended another week. That way I could work through the end of the year. Then I would just have to face the whole shifting to part time work thing. I am afraid that is going to be something of a nightmare. The job market is so awful right now.

It has been so easy to live in my little academic cocoon. Now that I am breaking out of that some, I am shocked by just how bad things are. I was talking with an old friend yesterday who has had the misfortune of being a laid off tech worker for the last several months. He has been pounding the pavement till he has blisters, and has gotten barely a nibble. His frustration level is so high that he actually asked me about temping and how to go about presenting himself in the best way possible to a temp agency. How the mighty have fallen - the guy who was making gobs of money just a year ago is thinking that ten dollars and hour is sounding real good. Sigh. It is a sad state of affairs.

On to bright and shiny things. Grades for fall quarter finally got posted. I am very, very pleased with my performance. I managed a 4.0! This of course thrills me. Even better it pulls my cumulative GPA up to a 3.78. Yay! I am thrilled with the success I have had academically in my masters program. It bolsters my confidence and makes me feel secure in my choice of profession.

The phones are ringing, so back to work I go.

Until Next Time...

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