And now, for something completely different: good news.

And it’s not just generic, run of the mill, bland good news–it’s AMAZING, FANTASTIC GOOD NEWS!

I got a new job!

I have complained before in this space–often and loudly, seems to me–about my job. (In case anyone happened to miss that: retail / food service sucks, it’s the single most soul killing job anyone can do, particularly when it’s their main source of income.)

Obviously, I have been looking for something else, preferably something in an office. Working different shifts every day, with changing schedules every week, it’s just hell on my sleep pattern. It’s all good and dandy when you are in your 20s, but I’ll be 50 in less than two years and it’s no longer so easy.

So I have been looking, and looking, and looking, and yeah, looking, for a while. Filling out applications, sending out resumes, going to interviews… Authors will not be surprised to hear me say that rejection? It. Sucks. And yet, what else is there but to keep trying, right?

After months of nothing, a friendly acquaintance who’s had my resume for about a year called me on Tuesday.

She goes, “There’s this job, forty hours a week, 8 to 5, Monday through Friday, pays *** per hour, full benefits after 30 days, are you interested?”

I jump from joy and say, “Hell, yeah! I can go tomorrow morning for the interview.”

She goes, “The job is yours, no interview, come tomorrow to fill the paperwork and meet everybody. When can you start?”

Me, after picking myself up off the floor and doing an energetic and heartfelt happy dance in my head, because I was at the current place of employment at this point, “I could start next Wednesday” (thinking to give the current job one week notice–because it’s not in me to just walk out, as much as I despise my current boss, and because I’m on the calendar only until Tuesday June 3rd anyway).

She, “I need you to start this week, can you come any day this week?”

Me, *incoherent noises of joy, amazement, joy, acceptance, joy, shock, joy, incredulity, joy*

So, longish story a bit shorter: I managed to shuffle a couple of shifts and did start yesterday, and it’s awesome all around. And by starting before May 31st, I qualify for a full week paid vacation before December 31st.

(For the full effect of that last bit: A full week paid vacation…when I haven’t been able to take more than two consecutive days off at any given time since January 2010.)

Oh, and I’m keeping the other job at my current position (shift supervisor) and rate of pay for about 20 hours on the weekends, at least for a while, with my boss’ boss‘ blessings.

This has the added benefit of burning my asshat of a boss’ ass, since when I tried to change my availability back in January (so I would be scheduled consistently and therefore able to look for a second job), he threatened to demote me and cut my hourly pay. Never mind that all the other shift supervisors in the fucking company can and do limit their availability whenever their fucking please.

*deep breath*

Back to joy.

And the moral of the story? Keep at it, it does pay off, even if it takes almost two years.

* * *

Where *** is $1.50 per hour more than what I am currently making at the other place, where the asshat was only scheduling me for 30 to 35 hours a week (that he manages to spread for 5 days a week). Quick math tells you, this is a very significant difference (comes to something like a 40% increase in income)