Here I am, Baby...

Well, here I am a typical Saturday since we've moved to DC: set the alarm for 8, get out of bed at 10:30, say we're going out, sit on the couch listening to Al Green and watching The Simpsons until the day is gone. It's been a charmed life. Except today is different because the reason I'm sitting around half brain-dead and a little excited, is because I've gone to work every day this week.

As you know, I've been on the job search, trying to give a little meaning to my wanderings, my wayward life. So literal moments before I'm about to draft an open letter to the employers of DC which starts something like this:

Dear Employers of DC,

What does is it take to beat this game? Not only am I eager, willing and highly experienced, there is not a single exaggeration or lie on my résumé. I build strong relationships and actually AM a creative problem solver. They aren't just words. Not to mention that I don't do drugs, kill people, or steal office supplies...

But the letter was never drafted. With thanks in large part to Mae who sent my résumé on to a friend of hers. The morning after she sent the résumé, I got a call to schedule an interview (after nearly a month of hearing nothing from anyone to whom I applied). I applied to the Folger Shakespeare Library and even after a good friend of mine, who had worked there, physically went in, retrieved my application, and said "hire her" I never got a call back.

So last Thursday morning I miraculously end up in an interview with Clutch Legal Staffing and my interviewer tells me I should hear back from them sometime in the next week. Ok, fine.

That afternoon I get a phone call from the President of the company asking if I'd like a job as an Administrative Assistant, starting Monday.

Can I just say that it was one of those, jumping up and down, Tim throwing me over his shoulder, doing a little happy dance sort of events. See, the place is a staffing company that places people in temporary jobs working on legal cases. I didn't really dare to hope I'd get placed internally, but here I am. I've obviously never had a job with a salary. I've never had to report more than $9,000 on my taxes. I've never had full benefits. I've never had the option for a 401-K. I didn't even know what a 401-K is. The job isn't the stuff of dreams, it's true. (Paul, my boss said simply "it's not the best job in the world, but it's not the worst job either.") But for once I feel very stable and taken-care-of by my job (not that the Bookstore wouldn't have taken care of me if they had been allowed to).

So this is what I do: anything and everything I can do to help. I am, as Belen puts it, "Paul's right hand." The company is growing rapidly and I've never seen a busier person than my boss. It's not like I climb Everest on a daily basis, but I don't know how he lived without having an assistant before.

I make collages to make fulfill my craving for systematic chaos, I think Paul started a legal staffing agency to deal with his.

The thing is, the company is AMAZING. The people are all talented, dedicated, interesting people who genuinely care about the position they're in. After one week and can see that they're all kind, rational, hardworking, professional people. It's a small office, but in a lot of ways it runs like a high-speed train. It's just great. I'm so relieved to have ended up in a place like this. Besides having to get up early in the morning, I don't have a single complaint. I suppose it's set up that way intentionally: happy, interested employees make a better business.

If you're interested, check out the website. It can be kind of boring if you're not a lawyer looking for a position or a law office looking for good staff, but it will give you a picture anyway. We've recently merged with a company in India, so the current website is here and the soon-to-be website is here.

Don't ask me what I plan to do in the future. Grad school is still in the works, where and for what I don't know. But things are good right now and for the moments, that's enough.

A Message from my friend Sara

Marmet family of Mulvey, LA lost home and all possessions to tropical storm-strength winds.


MULVEY, LA – The Marmet family of Meridian Line Road in Mulvey, LA suffered a devastating loss on the morning of Thursday, September 13, when a tornado spawned by the landfall of Hurricane Humberto destroyed their home and the majority of their possessions. The family of three – Sonny, Megan, and daughter Kalie (age 7) – had only recently moved into the home following nearly a year and a half of major renovations and repairs. Without the aid of homeowner’s insurance, the Marmet family must now begin the process of rebuilding their lives. Family members of the Marmets have launched www.helpthemarmets.com to raise funds in order to assist with this process. Visitors to the site can read news coverage of the devastation of the Marmet home, make secure donations via Paypal, leave notes of support, and read updates on the family’s progress. While both Sonny and Megan are employed, the task at hand requires far greater resources than are available. Monetary contributions of all sizes are equally needed and appreciated, and will be used solely to assist the family in their efforts to rebuild. Family member Sara Hebert, sister to Megan and “Tee-Taunt” (aunt) to Kalie, created and administers the site. Those wishing to donate items or make special arrangements to help the Marmet family may contact Sara at Hebert.sara@gmail.com.