Life interrupts. Pardon the lack of posting, but I’ve been working full-time and taking two compressed summer classes, which is like taking four regular classes. And I’m taking four in the fall, too, trying to graduate early because who the hell knows if I’ll have a job past August.
The pets are more or less fine, though Sugarplum, on top of everything else she’s had to go through this year, has had a mammary tumor removed. The edges are clean, but the tumor is highly malignant, which means that if it shows up in her lungs, that’s pretty much all she wrote.
The tomato plants, so promising in early June, have suffered terribly from June’s wet, cold weather. I don’t think they’re showing signs of blight, but they’re mildewed and the leaves are falling off. I’ve gotten a few large-cherry-sized tomatoes from them, but nothing to write home about. It’s going to be a lousy year for tomatoes in the Northeast.
Since I’ve made the decision to graduate in December instead of June of 2010, I’ve begun poking around looking for jobs in law librarianship. While I can’t really begin looking in earnest until October because I won’t be available until January, the market looks pretty decent in that there are, actually, jobs available if one is willing to relocate. I’ve also got 11+ years of legal research experience, so I’ll definitely have an advantage over anyone who’s coming right out of law school/library school who doesn’t have that.
Another thing I’m finding out is that either jobs are scarce in New York, or people hang on to their jobs forever so there are never any openings, and if there are any openings, they’re not advertised. But I’m very willing to relocate, at least within reason (like, I don’t want to get stuck somewhere with miserably hot weather, lots of fundamentalists, and no city life as compensation). I’ve also been told this is a terrible year to be looking because nobody who was ready to retire can afford to now that their 401(k)s have crashed, so they’re staying put, which means nobody else can move up, which means the entry-level jobs don’t open up.
Hope springs eternal, though, and I’m headed to the AALL annual meeting next weekend in the hopes of at least networking if not actually snagging a few interviews. Got my suit, got my reasonably-priced hotel not far from the convention site, working on getting business cards, and my shoes are in the mail.
CoughcoughTorontocough.
If you end up in Atlanta, I’d be happy to show you around. (I think Atlanta meets the “don’t want to get stuck somewhere with miserably hot weather, lots of fundamentalists, and no city life as compensation” criteria).
CoughcoughTorontocough.
Absolutely my first choice. But they don’t seem to have many jobs open.
Oh Zuzu, I’m sorry about your kitty Sugarplum’s troubles. Those kinds of worries are the worst, not to mention the most expensive. We’ve had a very bad year ourselves, animal-health-wise, with our big dog Carmine breaking his leg in a compound spiral fracture that required two steel plates to repair, losing our beloved young Pitbull Winston in a freak mail-truck accident, losing our beloved elderly Labrador Mo (she was 16, which is pretty amazingly old for a big Lab), and last month, having Marley Cat spend a week at the vet’s on a prednisone drip for near-fatal hepatitis.
Cats are amazing healers, though. I bet Sugarplum makes a full recovery. I send good thoughts your way.
That’s actually kind of odd, considering our public library system is apparently expanding and thriving right now. There’s also the three universities; I’ll keep an eye on the library in mine, and send you anything that pops up.
This is so very true. Our union renegotiated this year and had to temporarily close the “early retirement” window due to the economy, frustrating all of us near-entry-level types who need the boomers to retire already so we can move the hell up to a living wage. Sigh.
I love business cards! Have fun next weekend. Good luck.
If you end up in Atlanta, I’d be happy to show you around. (I think Atlanta meets the “don’t want to get stuck somewhere with miserably hot weather, lots of fundamentalists, and no city life as compensation” criteria).
Thanks! I’ll be sure to get in touch if I’m down that way.
Aw, litbrit, I’m so sorry about your pet misfortune! What a lousy year.
Heaps of good thoughts for Sugarplum.