Riba Rambles:
Musings of a Mental Magpie

Posted by Lis Riba at 5:10 PM

So by the end of the day, after sitting by my computer and phone from 9 to 5 doing jobhuntingish stuff, I left a voicemail message with one person, somebody else is forwarding my contact info to their HR department which might have more info on the industry, and had one really really good conversation. Maybe more people will be in on Monday, because I've got many more numbers to call.

Meanwhile, here's something possibly more achievable than NaNoWriMo, International *Write Something* Month a.k.a. IWriSloMo! Doesn't have to be a novel, just write something... It's a thought...

But for now, I did work hard today, so I deserve a break. Byeee!

Posted by Lis Riba at 2:40 PM

Argh! It seems like everybody I'm trying to call is away from their desks, because all I'm getting is voicemail!

I'm trying to ask people for informational interviews, and I don't want to leave those kinds of requests on voicemail where they're more likely to be ignored. I want to talk to the people themselves.

This is really annoying. After I go through all the trouble of getting myself prepared to call, the least they could do is be there for me. :)

Posted by Lis Riba at 2:05 PM

Rereading my last post, I smile to myself over what a total geek I am. Oohing and aahing over Cecil's correspondence with James. <embarrassed-blushing> I just find these things so indescribably exciting, and I tend to operate on enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, I just found out about a nifty project: National Novel Writing Month, in which people pledge to write a 50,000 word novel (175 pages) in November. Unfortunately, given the demands of my classes, I can't in good conscience participate, but it's definitely something to think about if they do it again next year.

Hmm... Maybe I can turn all my research on Elizabethan and Jacobean history into a novel. At this point, I know a lot about the politics and espionage, Christopher Marlowe and the theatre, beliefs about Faerie, attitudes towards sexuality... I even have a character I'd love to explore, but I don't have a viable plot. On the other hand, I've already read so much fiction set in the period that avoiding unintentional plagiarism may be difficult. And I can't even imagine writing anything as good as Armor of Light, even though I'll probably end up using some of the same (historic) characters in my own work. I know the website talks about producing quantity over quality, to actually write a novel, rather than endlessly mooning over "some day", but I'm enough of a perfectionist that I wouldn't want to create something I'm embarrassed by.

Still, it's something I'll have to consider if they do this program again. And if anyone else is inspired to participate because I've publicized here, please let me know.

Posted by Lis Riba at 11:10 AM

Gee, when I was describing my Tuesday, I forgot the best thing. After seeing the financial planner, we went to the Boston Athenaeum -- a private library which we recently joined. This was our first visit since the library reopened after years of renovations. [We went back for the reopening open house, but this was our first visit since it's been open for regular business.] Oh, I'm in love! So many books! I found myself just browsing around in an undirected daze, not sure what to look for first. It's so cool; they have so many primary sources. If I want to, I can actually read the logs of the early Atlantic navigators, the records of the Virginia company colonists, the secret coded letters between Cecil and James of Scotland... It seemed like everywhere I looked, I found a new avenue to explore.

Speaking of libraries, over on Librarian.net, I just found something else I want. Take a look at some of the pictures in the Renaissance Library calendar... I'll settle for the calendar, but... ooh I want those books and rooms. [I think I started actually salivating over the picture of Trinity College Library in Dublin.]

It's interesting. A few weeks ago at WIND, the speaker took us through a relaxation/meditation exercise. We were supposed to visualize someplace we felt safe and calm. And, my mind instantly put me in one of the oversized leather chairs in the Melrose Public Library. I love libraries. When I was young, I saw a film about some kids who moved into a museum -- sleeping in the period bedrooms, getting cash from the fountains, spending the days with tour groups. I saw that movie and decided I wanted to do something similar in a library. And to a certain extent, I still do. The idea of overnighting in a deserted library, wandering through the stacks, having the place to myself... it just hits a romantic spot in me.

This spring, when I first saw the writing on the wall about my job, I picked up the What color is your parachute workbook to see what possible fields it might uncover. The first exercise asks what "favorite kinds of things [one] likes to work with" figuring that if you "hate working with the Things your job requires, you will end up hating that job." It's got a huge checklist of possible Things one could work with, and then instructs the reader to prioritize the favorites. My first place position tied between Books and Computers, and I simply couldn't come up with a meaningful answer to the tiebreaker question it proposes: "If I could have job #1 which lets me use books but not computers, or I could have job #2 which lets me use computers but not books, which job would I take?" I just couldn't choose. I guess that's another reason I'm studying library science -- it lets me have both!

In other news, I'm feeling moderately okay, though still waking up in the middle of the night with anxiety/fear dreams. Last night, I imagined that my computer screen kept blanking out, which means working out a replacement computer and getting the warranty service taken care of before the power blows again.

Last night, Ian & I saw the movie Secretary, which we highly recommend. For those in the Boston area, it's now playing at Hollywood Hits in Danvers, which charges only $5 a ticket for second run and art house films. A good deal and a great movie. I want to see it again.

And, I'm procrastinating... I've got to pick up the phone and cold-call people (most of whom I've met once before, but it's still nervewracking) for informational interviews. Wish me luck/send me good vibes! And have a good weekend.

Posted by Lis Riba at 9:20 PM

So, after a slow start yesterday, I hit the ground running today.

Went to a WIND Networking meeting in the morning, then headed over to Kendall Square to drop off a resume at a career open house. That didn't seem to be too fruitful (apparently, they haven't yet been awarded the contract, but are just accumulating resumes in case they win), but a UI Conference was going on downstairs in the same building. I had attended the same conference several years ago, so did the enterprising, creative thing and put down a couple resumes and a few more business cards where people would be walking past. Maybe something will hit.

From there, I headed downtown where we talked with a financial advisor. Yes, because I'm unemployed our expenses are greater than our income. However, we've got a better idea of how much our sieve is leaking, which tells us when I have to get a job and provides a bottom range for our combined salaries. We're living pretty frugally already -- no real extravagances to cut -- and the planner showed us a few assets we hadn't noticed that we could mine. So, I'm feeling pretty good about that.

In the evening, I attended an event hosted by AXLE, the Association for eX-Lotus Employees. I saw a number of old friends and had a really good time. Unfortunately, like many networking events, it seems like most of the people I talked with were also looking for jobs. It's a tough economy out there, folks!

But I seem to be making the right moves in the right direction. I've got a stack of business cards from LITA to follow up with, and -- as the song says, I'm doing alright...

Now, off to watch Buffy (which Ian taped for me while I attended the AXLE event).

Posted by Lis Riba at 2:25 PM

Well, I'm back again.

Let me start by saying that I both love and hate Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology, because it's so apt so often. My horoscope right before the conference (scroll down to Cancer), seemed particularly on target. I like reading escapist fantasy, and for a long time I've been wishing for the magic wand to make everything all better. I still am, but all weekend I kept using that horoscope as a much needed kick-in-the-pants to get off my butt and keep in mind that I was at the conference to network for a job.

I combined that with an odd piece of advice from the WIND networking group meetings. As much as I like to retreat from the public, I kept trying to act like someonw who wasn't shy and force myself to interact with people. I actually went up to strangers and initiated conversations, trying to model myself on what I've seen not-shy people do. [Acting like an extrovert was beyond my abilities, but I could pretend I wasn't shy.] And it went pretty well. I felt like a yo-yo at times, because after conversations I'd find myself slingshotting from the room to have a few private moments to catch my breath before heading once more into the breach. I know they say that smiling uses fewer muscles than frowning, but I could still feel all the muscles as I wandered into private corners for a long sign and a mental regroup. I kept thinking of the line from Rocky Horror that "Even smiling makes my face ache." But I survived and think I did well.

I did have a good time, but I don't know if it was as useful as I had hoped as far as job-hunting was concerned. It wasn't much of a vendor's conference, so while I did talk with all the vendors and get their cards and invitations to informational interview with them all, that was still less than a dozen people all told. I passed out my business cards, and carried around my resumes but nobody asked for them. Then, finally Saturday night (remember, I skipped the last day of the conference) I suddenly realized what I should have done and put several copies of my resume on the freebie table for people to peruse. Mind you, I did that after I already left the conference so people couldn't talk to me about it, but better late than never. Several people recommended that I go to ALA's Midwinter conference, which has job placement services, or to the ASIS conference (both of which will be in Philly), but I'd like to be employed before then.

I also called Ian every day to talk to him. The conference hotel adjoined a really large shopping mall, and they had a Build-A-Bear store, so I made Ian a teddy bear with my voice so he wouldn't feel as lonely when I'm away in the future. We're so disgustingly cute...

The family gathering on Sunday was good. I was rather tired, since I had to get up at 3:45 AM to catch the cab to catch the 5:50 AM flight and all I had to eat on the flights were two cookies and two packets of pretzels. But I arrived on time and got to see everyone and ate well and it's good to be home again.

So, my next step is to follow up on all those business cards I accumulated and phone people up. Yeek!

Last night, I had a nightmare. I was rehired by Lotus/IBM for a week or two because they did something wrong when they fired me which they had to correct. So, I was getting another two weeks of salary, got to see my old friends again, and was back on Soapbox and all, but I didn't have anything to actually do at work (which is not a good thing) and everybody knew I was only there until they could let me go properly. The more nightmarish portion involved a conversation with my former manager, who made an analogy about me finding work compared to a glass of water. Either the water glass was insufficiently full, meaning the work wasn't challenging enough to me so I would be bored and do a shoddy job, or the water glass was filled to overflowing, meaning the job was beyond my abilities and I wasn't capable of doing it. Needless to say, I woke up feeling depressed and overwhelmed again.

Anyway, a few random observations about Houston:

• There were a lot more stores selling furs than I see up here in Boston, though you'd think by temperatures that we'd need furs more than Texans. I guess we've got more animal-rights activists up here or something. I went into one store and actually pet the various furs on the rack to see what they felt like. Interestingly enough, the one whose texture I liked best was solid squirrel. And, you know, I wouldn't feel at all guilty about a coat made of squirrels. They're cute and all, but still just tree rats.
• Also, are there any birders reading this? When I went outside for a walk, I saw a bird which I couldn't identify. Maybe 8 inches long, it was solid brown with black wings -- not an irridescent black, but brownish black. Eyes were yellow with black pupils, beak was long-ish and straight and both beak and legs were solid black. Body shape was a little like a grackle. I've never seen this bird before, but it was common around Houston. Any ideas?
• I find it somewhat embarrassing to admit that while I was in Texas, I actually ate at a Taco Bell. I wanted to eat at the real Southwestern restaurant in the food court, but I was too pressed for time for a sit-down meal. Ah well, I got Southwestern food at the networking dinner, so I wasn't totally hopeless.

I'll probably write more about the conference later, including descriptions of some of the panels and people, but this has gone on long enough.