An update on Sky and the Job Fair

So, before I rant about my experiences of late, let me fill you in on how Sky is doing... oh, yeah, the actual reason for my blog!

We've gone on about three two-hour rides with Betsy which has been super fun. We went out Sunday and she was great - we met Betsy at her house and then trekked out into the woods to avoid the wind that was blowing. Along the way Sky mistook a small branch on the ground for a three-foot fence and we lept over it - thankfully I managed to stay in the saddle! The end of our ride found us on 132 that day - passed by two sets of bikers and although I was terrified Sky and Harvey both simply stopped to put their ears up at the sound and kept on trucking once the bikes had passed (I think my heart can't take much more road riding though!)

I spent yesterday afternoon brushing, which I didn't really intend. I had wanted to get on and ride in the yard with Kay but once I had Sky out it was apparent she really needed a good brushing! The shedding blade has taken all the long winter hairs away but the plethera of pin hairs below had to be scrubbed away with a curry comb - by the time I was done my arm was covered in Sky hair! But she looked good and I am hoping that by getting her out and not riding, it will make her easier to catch next time!

Yesterday was an amazing weather day - sunny and warm and a little windy.. but alas, I was not riding with Besty on her day off - no I was standing on line with about 10K other sad saps with the idea that I was going to march into that overadvertised, underplanned, under employer represented job fair and miraculously begin my career again! HA!

Here is the day in a nutshell - I drove down to Manchester and sat in traffic waiting to park for about a half hour - I got into a seemingly endless line and waited for two hours to get on a school bus, sandwiched between an out-of-work construction guy who didn't even bother to find a pair of wrinkly khakis for the occasion and an out-of-work father who brought his teenage daughter along for the debacle - then I got on a full bus and sat in traffic for a half hour to get to the gym where I was pushed and shoved through a slow moving line of people. Now, let's describe the 'fair' itself - about twenty eight-foot tables manned by people with no authority whatsoever to interview or make decisions... these tables were covered with banners etc. declaring the name of the company - of course you couldn't see those banners b/c of the hundreds of people standing infront of the tables! I did manage to march myself up to some people and firmly hand them my resume but I doubt it did me any good. I think the people hiring were as dumbfounded as those who attended.... So, then, after about 15 minutes of pushing and shoving and realizing that I had about as much chance of getting a job there as I do of winning the Grand National, I forced my way out of the building...

So, once out of the building, I looked around aimlessly for a line to take us back to the mall... I was spotted by an out-of-work salesman who I sat with on the bus and we booked it into a long line - about ten minutes later we realized that we were in the line to get into the fair and had to hike around the builidng in order to get into another equally long line to get back. It was funny, really, because everywhere I went I overheard conversation about how awful it was and how it wasn't helping anyone. Through the whole day I only overheard one spatter between some college-age girls and an old guy in a suit regarding whose place was what in line, so it was orderly overall, but in no part thanks to those who 'organized' it.

Anyway, so I am back today to applying online and being grateful that the weekend is coming. My rant about Faith is still acuate - and i'm still trying. I managed not to cry yesterday despite the depression that lingered in every soul there - I think it was the idea that I am not alone that saved me!

So, you readers - please continue to send your good thoughts my way and pray for me if you're into that sort of thing... I am remaining firm that things happen because there is something else I am meant to do.... we'll get there... C