So I passed my test last week, hooray. Which puts me back into limbo. This time, I'm just waiting. Waiting for my license to come in the mail. Until it's actually in my hand, I can't operate the ferry solo. The other guys got their licenses in about a week, so I'm guessing I'll get mine in the mail on Tuesday or Wednesday. Because my regular shift will be Sunday through Wednesday, I'll probably be stuck in the office for all of this coming week. Which is lame. But oh well.
My boss and his counterpart are moving from a shared office into individual offices. It's not a step up though. The offices that they're getting are just dreadful, dark, filthy holes full of water heaters and electrical equipment. I've been working on cleaning out the rats nest...er...office, that'll be for D. It's an 8x13 cinder block room with windows that face the mechanic's bays where semis, excavators and other machines are repaired. It's smelly, loud and filthy. Prior to being cleaned out, it had been where tire chains were stored. The room hadn't been used for anything but that since 1997--there was a calendar turned to February 1997 on the far wall. It was disgusting, greasy and dusty. At one point, I was up on a ladder while someone else was unscrewing plywood from the wall. As the plywood dropped to the floor, a plume of dust flew up and made it impossible for me to breathe. I felt my throat close up, and I almost feel from my ladder as I ran outside for some fresh air. After that, I wore a face mask until it was clean. 20 minutes in the face mask, and the outside of the mask was dark brown from the soot that I kept out of my lungs.
Once the room was clean, it was primed, and next up is painting. I've cut in all of the corners, floor, ceiling, and windows with the paint color and I think I hate it. Which is unfortunate, since I picked the color! I was sent to Home Depot with a request for "cream, off white or a cheery yellow." I love cheery yellow rooms, so that's what I got. It's Behr Lemon Pound Cake, if you want to go look. It's cheery, not super bright, just a creamy happy yellow. Until you put it on the wall. It's the exact color of scrambled eggs. I think it's just dreadful. D, who will be moving into the office, said it's really not that bad, he's ok with it. But it's almost hard to paint onto the walls, it's so bad!
So I get to paint tomorrow. And probably the next day. And when I'm done with that, I get to lay peel and stick tile. And then, once I think I'm all done? I get to do it all again in my boss's office! sheesh. At least it should be my last week in the shops. Assuming my license comes this week (and it damn well better!) I should be working on the ferry from there on out.
And in addition to all that going on, I had a pretty great interview in Portland on Thursday. So good, in fact, that they called me on Friday (the Next Day!) to schedule a 2nd interview! OMG. So I'm going back up on Tuesday afternoon. I'm beyond thrilled that I'm in the running but I'm also pretty terrified. If I get the job, it means I'll have to move to Portland. Not right away, I'll save up, and need to figure out neighborhoods and transit and all, but probably late fall, I'll move. I'll be another hour from my parents, which sounds terrible to me. I've finally managed, after living in Salem for 6 years, to make friends. And I'll miss them so much. Salem has become my home. This little duplex has been my home longer than anywhere I've lived since I was in high school. The idea of leaving makes me sad. And yes, I know. I don't have the job yet. But the prospect of it has brought home the reality of getting what I've always dreamed of. And damn, sometimes reality bites!
Regardless, this is a job that I could grow into. This is the type of job where I only know about 50% of the stuff they want, and it'll take me a long time to hone my skills at the rest. But once I do, oh man! Even if I don't work at this place for the rest of my career, there are opportunities to stay there for a long time. And if I don't, when I move on, I'll be an extremely strong candidate for more advanced planning jobs. It's exciting, and very flattering that they like me and even have enough faith in me for a second interview!
It's on Tuesday afternoon. Fingers crossed!
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