Running Around Town

That's what I 've been since my last post: running around town. On Thursday, I had a boatload of appointments (9:30, 1:00, 2:30) for jobs. Charged the cell phone, packed up knitting, loaded some podcasts on my MP3 player, got dressed up in one of my new suits (I even put on makeup!), threw my heels in the knitting back and wore walking shoes, had Tool Man drop me at the MAX station and was headed downtown. I wave as he pulls out of the parking lot, walk to the platform, and . . . . one machine won't take bills or cards, and the other is completely out of service. At 8:00 a.m. on a weekday. WTF? Not having $4.25 in change, I have to ride to the next stop, get off, buy a ticket, and wait for another train. I may not be all that bright, but I'm not risking a $75 ticket for not having a ticket.

The next train comes, and I actually get a seat! Make it to the first appointment (9:30 for a 2nd intereview) with less than 5 minutes to spare and find out . . . . . the attorney I'm supposed to meet with is stuck in a traffic jam (overturned double semi on the interstate) and can't make the appointment. So we reschedule, and now I have 3 hours to kill before my next appointment. Called the headhunter and let her know about the reschedule, then go shopping at Pioneer Place; stopped in Claire's and bought some cheap earrings: buy 2 get 1 free (the soon-to-be-unemployed have to find good sales). Then go to the headhunters office to put my feet up, check email, and knit.

They put me in my headhunter's office (she works from home on Friday) so I checked my email; there's a BIG to-do over another special assessment to cover replacing our doors, so I have 46 emails since last night. I waded through those and found an email from a firm I'd previously contacted on my own and the administrator wants to see me. WHOOO HOOOO! Called her and got an appointment for 4:00 that afternoon. One of the girls in the office got a salad from a street vendor for my lunch (a fabulous salad of spring greens, candied walnuts, goat cheese, fresh strawberries, and balsamic vinaigrette) and then I dashed down Broadway to my 1:00 appointment.

That one went very well. Even though the administrator and I didn't know each other, we know a lot of the same people. And she's seen my resume, so it really wasn't a "sell myself" interview; it was more "see if the personalities fit" interview. We had such a good time talking, we went over the alloted hour, she said she wants me back for a 2nd interview, and I left at 2:20. Good thing my next appointment was in the same building! Then up the elevator to the next one. There, I've known the administrator for about 6 years; again, more "personality fit" interview. That one went so well, we again ran over an hour, he said he wants me back for a 2nd interview, and I left at 3:45. But I didn't realize that until I had gotten down to the street, bought a bottle of tea, and changed back to walking shoes. CRAP! My next appointment was a good 11 blocks away and NOT on a MAX line! Quick, call and let them know I'll be a little late (I didn't say also out of breath and sweaty from running). I didn't run, but I did walk very fast (as my friend Chris would say, "Quick like a bunny!") so I could try to find a ladies room to primp up before going to their office. No public ladies rooms; WTF? Good thing I've known that administrator a long time, she'll know I don't usually arrive looking frantic and disheveled! That interview also went great; although she really wants me in the office, she's out of space until renovations are done and would I be interested in floating until September? I said maybe, and we agreed to talk in a couple weeks.

That was a great day, but Friday was even better. It was a slow day at the office (most of them are now, actually) and all the attorneys were gone, so I made the executive decision to close an hour early. In order to get downtown to Powell's for Yarn Harlot's book release!

Tool Man and I took MAX downtown, got off at the library, and walked toward Powell's. It was now 4:00 (I wanted to go into Powell's, get my book, and find the tribe of knitters) so Tool Man suggested we have a drink or two before the 7:30 start time. I say, "Sure, we've got lots of time", but I'm really thinking, "DOESN'T HE REALIZE HARLOT IS IN TOWN, THERE ARE KNITTERS WAITING FOR ME TO JOIN THEIR TRIBE, AND I WANT TO HAVE DRINKS WITH THEM, THANKS FOR COMING WITH ME, YOU CAN GO HOME NOW, SEE YOU LATER". And I AM thinking that loudly in my head. So as we're walking up 11th, we see this on top of Jake's Famous Crawfish:

Just another one of the reasons Portland is weird and I love it. We go to Living Room Theater and sit down. Tool Man wants sit and relax; I want to GO TO POWELL'S RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE HARLOT IS HERE but manage to not twitch too much and drink a mint ice tea. (They have really good tea and the coolest ladies room sink you've ever seen. Trust me on that second one.) I finally get so twitchy at 5:30 that Tool Man suggests we go now. We find our way to the Pearl Room see they haven't even begun to set up chairs and about 2 dozen people are already waiting. Tool Man says he'll meet me back here at 8:30, he's going to find a bar. Honestly, I think I really did brush him off, but I was so distracted by knitters and the wool fumes that I hardly noticed he left. The book guy finally started setting up chairs, about 100, and we knitters told him he would need LOTS more than that. He was a little condescending but continued to set up chairs. I located Kathy in the crowd (whose hair really does look great) and settled in. Pretty soon, seats around us were filled by R0dger, Melissa, and Barbara. There were also some nice younger women on the floor near me, but I never caught their names. Anyway, by 6:00 the room looked like this:

That's Rodger standing up in front. And by 6:30 it looked like this:

That's Barbara's back in the middle, and Kathy's great hair on the right. Remember, we told them they would need LOTS more chairs? Well, by 7:00, the crowd looked like this:

Standing room only; and about 10 deep in the stacks. And we were all busy examining each others work, yarn, talking patterns, yarn, feeling each other up (the projects, that is.), and exchanging blog names. Then, there she was:

Taking our pictures with the traveling sock.



Isn't that podium of stacked books just the bees' knees? You can't really see it, but they even have a big book for her to stand on.



Even though I've read her books, read her blog daily (and check back in later, like Barbara, to see if she's posted more), and usually read the comments, it was WAY better hearing her in person. Melissa and I got so tickled, I think both of us would pee our pants! And it was over WAY too soon. I didn't stay for the book signing, but I did leave her a dishcloth with a little gift inside (a Moonstruck chocolate bar). Tool Man was standing in the back waiting for me, and I felt like he'd been SO patient all night long that I really couldn't say, "Ok, wait for another hour while I stand in line, have a brain freeze when she actually talks to me, and then listen for another hour while I tell you all about how it was for me." Ok, well, I did do that third part, but I spared him the first two things while we ate dinner at Jake's and headed home.

I had a great time, both days. I didn't get much knitting done on either one, but I got to walk all over a city that I love, the weather was great, spent time with Tool Man doing something out of the ordinary, made new friends, ate great seafood, and laughed my arse off. What more could anybody want?