Friday, December 5, 2008

Life in freefall...then back up again.


Sorry I have not posted in a couple of weeks, but life has been a bloody rollercoaster since just before Thanksgiving.

Turkey day itself went quite well, with the both my SIL's visiting from Buffalo with their families, as well as Mrs. Nighttime's aunt. A good time was had by all, but it was the events of just before and just after that made life interesting.

The Sunday prior, Mrs. N. got a phone call from an old high school friend and informed her that his mom died. She was sort of a second mom to Mrs. N, so as you can imagine, this hit her pretty hard. Her friend asked Mrs. N if she wouldn't mind singing at the funeral, which she gladly accepted. She went to Buffalo Tues. for the wake, stayed overnight with her aunt, and then went to the funeral Wed. morning. I was originally going to go to the wake, and then drive back to Rochester to go to work, but my place decided to call a staff meeting that I could not get out of. I probably should have just blown it off, but it was for all the work-from-home people like me, and it had to do with some big changes coming down the pike. In the end, I really didn't have a choice.

So, Turkey Day comes and goes, and then on Friday, I get a phone call from an old friend of about 35 years, who informs me that she just put her dad into hospice. He has been battling prostate cancer for about 5-6 years, but it appears as this time, it is going to win. I expect that at some point in the coming weeks, I will be making a trip down to NYC for a funeral. I guess that I am now at that age when I should be expecting more phone calls like this. Thank goodness my mom is healthy.

Now, on the plus side, the fundraiser for our new theatre with our alumnus, Donna Lynne Champlin went extremely well. She was wonderful to work with, and it was old home week for her as well. She has even told us that if she needs to come back for a second round of shows, she would be happy to do it.

Back on Halloween, I met an acquaintance that had left town for some time, and has now been back for the past few months. She used used to do PR for the local art house cinema that is near our theatre. Lovely British woman that I used to bring back boxes of PG Tips for on my visits to Canada. She is now in the media relations/PR dpet. of a large not-for-profit agency here in Rochester. I told her about my situation, the writing business, and how I am looking around for another job while building my business.

We were planning to get together for coffee, when she asked me if I would be interested in possibly doing some freelance PR work at her agency, that there may be a need for such things in the coming month. I told her I sure was, and e-mailed her some clips from my portfolio. (Articles I have written, PR releases, etc.) Out of the blue this past Wed. I get a phone call from her co-worker, who asks me if I might be interested in a full-time position there as a PR/media relations specialist. Apparently, my friend passed along my clips to her, and I have an interview this coming Tuesday.

Now, this is to fill the position for a woman on maternity leave until March, and who may (or may not) come back. Either way, it is a foot in the door and an opportunity I have been looking for a very long time. I have always known the value of networking, and hopefully, it will pay off in a big way now.

So, I am grabbing on to the bars, and just riding the rollercoaster to wherever it leads. Wish me luck on Tues.

8 comments:

VioletSky said...

Oh how exciting! Best of Luck on Tuesday.

Sorry to hear about the other bad news. Going through a bit of that myself lately.

High Power Rocketry said...

: )

Unknown said...

Saw your cartoon down there, how freaking funny is that!

That's one thing about getting older. More people start dying. I remember that even by the time I was in high school, I didn't know anyone that had died. That sounds weired, but you know what I mean. I wonder how I will handle it the first time someone I'm close to dies.

But great on the job! Sounds like an excellent opportunity.

A said...

That's a basic fact during this "festive season":
real life just goes on, regardless of Christmas.

Being offered a full-time position as a PR/media relations specialist sounds like the best Christmas present anyone could get in the current economic climate: ride the rollercoaster!

Mr. Nighttime said...

VS - Sorry to hear about your own situation. These things are tough.

R2K - Uh...Are you anyone I know? E-mail me privately.

Bina - With the exception of my grandmother, I was in the same boat as you.

Peter -When I was a paramedic, the number of cardiac arrest calls would just escalate tremendously during this part of the year.

Yeah, it would be a great present, wouldn't it?

AnneDroid said...

"Blest" wishes with that interview, Mr N.

You've certainly had a lot to contend with recently; we're the same.

Anonymous said...

Best of good luck for Tuesday! I hope you get your foot in the door!

Sorry about all the bad stuff. It does indeed sound like a rollercoaster - at least you're getting some ups with your downs!

Anonymous said...

C'est la vie - got one impending and am stuck, can't go visit - sucks. Anyway good luck on Tuesday, and at least you won't be doing what I did when I got a job as maternity cover - got pregnant myself and by the time I left over half the pre-menopausal women in the office were also expecting. The boss was threatening to put appropriate doses of oestrogen and progesterone in the coffee à la bromide!
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