I'm Back in the Saddle Again

I’m back in the saddle again
Out where a friend is a friend
Where the longhorn cattle feed
On the lowly jimson weed
I'm back in the saddle again.

– Ray Whitney

“Back in the saddle again” originally referred to cowboys and jockeys who went back to riding on horses, after injury or hiatus. In my case, it's a temporary "consulting" position in financial services, for up to three months.  Ah yes. Two hundred two days passed since I last found myself working for pay. Until Wednesday.

There's nothing quite like the trauma of becoming reacquainted with pantyhose.

It's not that I haven't been busy. I have worked very hard since January to learn stock and options trading and create my blog, so, yes, I have put in long days, but the rhythm of my days working at home was different. I'd stroll in my pajamas to the office around 7 am and turn on streaming quotes for stock trading, check my blog stats, read dozens and hundreds of financial and blogging publications, study stock charts, and maybe eventually go to the kitchen to grab some coffee. And often, in the middle of the day, I'd take off and go to yoga. Then I'd come back and learn some more.

A morning now involves finding suitable clothing, getting dressed, and heading out the door early. I have three meetings per week that begin at 7 am. I'll eat breakfast on days when there's time. My drive to the office traumatizes me, even though the office is closer than all of my previous work places. Driving of late has been ex rush hour and it's been too long since I've had to deal with other drivers cutting me off, going too slow or too fast.

Rush hour drivers of Salt Lake City, you'd be wise to yield to me.

I've survived the “new girl” routine … I discovered an overactive drinking fountain that squirts all the way to the men's room door.  I accidentally went down the wrong hall, a dead end with four offices, all open and occupied.  But I got a furnished, well appointed cube, and I was invited for someone's birthday cake on my first day. I have worked with several of the full time employees previously, so I'm among friends. Once I get started, my day flies.

I hope I can survive both working and having a life. My social calendar is jammed with fun get togethers with friends and social groups. I don't want to give anything up -- the beading group, the skating moms, the Cottonwood Heights single ladies and friends, the dining and dancing, all the rest -- but I'm a bit worried about balancing everything. Yoga is going to be hit or miss now. And because my job is temporary, I willingly persist with my blog and stock trading, my two activities with the greatest potential for short- and long-term cash flow, since it will be back to those when I'm done with this assignment. My brother's been texting me several times a day to give me the stock chart scoop.  And a website that wants to host my blog wrote yesterday to say "where is that signed contract???"  I think I've been sitting on it for over a month now.

Still, it's all good. Good to show that I'm even more resourceful than I was back when. Good to show that I can get things done. Good to remember I still know what I used to know a year or so ago. Good to be able to understand more fully the risk management parallels between lending and capital markets. Good to have people appreciate my talents and expertise. Good to have coworkers, even if it is only for a few months. And of course, good because it's not fun to burn through my savings despite my frugality.

My "real" saddle is a well padded office chair.  Ahhhhhh ...

Go ahead and think happy thoughts as you press PLAY on the Aerosmith “Back in the Saddle” to get your weekend going.  Gene Autry, it's not that I don't love you and your country twang, but for me, Fridays are all about rock. {from the saddle}

Today's Job Posting Gems

Alas, another day on the hunt. Job hunt, that is. Here are some random headlines found on Craigslist.org.

Great business oppertunity.. ... Obviously want someone to check your spelling, no? and last time I checked, ellipsis was ..., not .. but I'm open to new ideas.

*** Investor seeks 3 Interns *** ... I smell snake oil written all over this. Next thing, I'd be required as an intern to invest my own money, blah blah blah.

Female Navajo Voice Over Talent ... Well this should attract a fairly large pool of applicants given the distance to the Navajo reservation. Not.

Casting for a Latina character for principle TV role ... Somebody forgot the usage rules on principle/principal. But I hope the successful candidate is principled, just the same.

TRACTOR TRAILER SIDE DUMPS NEEDED ... Gosh, that side dump's been just sitting in my RV parking awaiting an opportunity like this. I once considered financing a loan for a belly dump truck. Does that substitute for experience? Never mind, the job's in Louisiana.

Egg Donors Needed! Women Ages 21-29!! ... Yesssss ... maybe they'd take my eggs even though I am past the age limit. I can see my egg donor resume now ... Proven offspring. No childhood discipline problems except the occasional sneaking out of the house at midnight and deleting everything from hard drive on computer. Talented in ice skating, photography, music, cooking. Magna Cum Laude for everybody! And ... witty and cute, too.

Become Unstoppable! ... Sounds like a Viagra ad. In my last job, I was unstoppable, but am hoping for a saner work schedule next time.

--Slot Tech II-- ... This ad is for a casino game repair person, even though it's based here in Gamblenot. I don't have the required two years of experience. I wonder if the Utah legislature knows about this company.

Eng to Tongan translator ... I don't know why they couldn't have bought a few extra letters for added comprehensibility. G-L-I-S-H, to be precise.

BUCK BUILDER - 2nd SHIFT ... I know what 2nd shift is but what I thought a buck was a deer. I don't think ... yeah. No.

Nearly Naked Networking

Normally, when I'm in the changing room at yoga, I'm engrossed in rushing to get out of there. Yesterday, however, I overheard a conversation between two women that caught my attention.

"Do you have credit or credit policy experience?" asked woman A.

My ears perked up. I have 15 years of experience in credit, with several years experience in policy writing.

Woman B was unemployed but wasn't sure she'd qualify for a position in credit. She was in accounting and was frustrated because even with 23 years of experience, employers turned her down since she didn't have a bachelors degree.

"Go ahead and send me your resume and I'll see what I can do," said woman A.

Oh perfect, I thought. I'm in a dressing room, dripping in sweat and rapidly removing my wet clothing. Here's my prime networking opportunity of the week and I'm ... wearing not much more than a smile.

At this point, pragmatism won out. In this economy, there are 6.1 unemployed workers for every position posting. Job postings have declined by 25% year over year. Way too many employed people are terribly unhappy in their jobs and are trying to make a job change. I recalled conversation at lunch last week with someone who said they had 140 applicants for a secretarial posting, and many were overqualified. Hence, this is no time to worry about being sweaty or underdressed.

I asked woman A if she was a headhunter. Turns out, she works for a credit trade association with a membership of over 800 companies. Her organization receives requests for credit professionals and they keep resumes for distribution. She was especially interested when I said I'd love to work on contract. I had to memorize her email address, since I had no paper nor pen, even to write on my hand a la Sarah Palin.

Woman A's last name is Moses. Who knows? Maybe she can lead me through the desert of unemployment to my next gig. Even if not, I've made a new friend and taken my networking skills to the northern European sauna level, if you know what that means.

On to new adventures ...