Trickling in

Got some good news--State of NY has cleared up the paperwork and I'm eligible to receive unemployment benefits. Good thing as it doesn't look like I'll have another temp job lined for next week. Looks like I'll be spending next week getting registered at other agencies.

Sad to say, but I have no idea of what I want to do to earn an income. I fell into IRB work back in 1999. Looks like I'm relying on a similar plan--wonder what I'll fall into this time? Hopefully it will be more compatible with my interests.

Things are wrapping up on my current assignment. It's been interesting talking to my fellow temps. The rumors that are flying. There's a possibility a couple may be asked to stay on for a while. There's one who really wants to be added so she can at last get herself settled in LA. I really hope she's asked as she's worked her butt off. There are a couple of others who ought to be asked to stay on as well, if indeed there are openings. They work hard and efficiently. I wouldn't mind being asked, but I'm too slow--I lack the rapid 10 key entering abilities of the others. The guy I described in my monday post is lobbying hard--being very friendly with the permanent staff and stepping into the office of the man in charge. His politics is rather obnoxious and reminds me of this woman I couldn't stand at my old job in NYC--she was all politics and little ability, but she managed to climb the ladder until finally the insane woman who took over my office got some sense and made life hell for her. Anyway, at least this guy is good to look at as he goes about his plan. If he is asked to stay, it better not be at the expense of the woman who most deserves to stay on.

There's another temp who intrigues me. He moved to LA from Texas about 8 years ago and seems to have been temping and doing various AA jobs ever since. He's very gregarious, though often the butt of jokes amongst the staff. He seems to take it in stride. Yet he's a contradiction. ON one hand, he complains about the work and how low it pays, yet he refused two better paying assignments. His rationale being that he doesn't want to alienate the agency. Yet there are hundreds of other agencies in town, and one of those assignments could be a better fit for him and for all he knows could lead to permanent employment. The guy also tends to put his foot in his mouth--he's prone to making inappropriate comments such as when he told a pregnant temp it will be sad when she has her baby. Huh? But he is a good soul--he enjoys life in LA in comparison to what he had in Texas. He seems to have friends in many parts of the world. He's active in his church. And he told us a story about a neighbor whom he took to Marie Callender's for dinner after her husband was brutally murdered. But underneath, I sense a lingering, suppressed anger. The cause of which I don't know, I can only speculate. I suspect he's a virgin and very lonely, despite what he's told of his life. Maybe one day he'll return to Texas? In some ways, he's a more social version of an old roommate of mine from my days in San Francisco, but that's the subject for another post. Anyway, one thing's for sure, chances are slim that he'll be asked to stay on at the temp job. But if he's asked to stay on, I'll bet he jump at the chance, despite his dissatisfaction and complaints.