Wow. It Really Has Been Too Long

It's interesting the emotions one goes through on getting laid off. The initial depression, then the hope excitement when you see all the positions that you think are a perfect fit. Then the depression again when you apply for them and aren't even contacted. Then the incipient happiness when you think you've found something. Then - finally - the exuberance you feel when you finally DO find a position and begin working again. Being whipsawed back and forth is no fun at all.

Glad it's over.

I started last week in my new position, one that I think I'll really enjoy.

In my absence from this blog, M has gotten together with Allen a number of times, and I was invited to join them once. Allen was much, much more assertive with me when I was there compared with the first time I was with them. I'll eventually put all the details down, but not just yet.

For this post, I just wanted to thank all of you who have commented on my posts for your thoughts. I appreciate them more than you would think.

Now that I'm "gainfully employed" again, I can focus some of my attention on things other than just finding a job. Things around the house and between M and Allen were going on as they normally would while I was looking with the one exception being the fact that I was focused on my job search and spent all my time in that. And yes, I was "properly dressed" all the time. My panties are as much a part of me as anything. My bra and stockings are just "who I am" and I can't imagine getting dressed in the morning and NOT putting on panties! It's not something I would (or could to choose the more appropriate word) even think about. It's part of my DNA I guess...

Remaining Positive has its Advantages!

Whew... Talk about being busy during the last half of the week last week.

Yes, M had her date with Allen, and came home with an incredible smile on her face, as she always does when she sees him. They've taken to sending me text messages with attached pictures when they're together, and it sure LOOKS like they're having a good time...

I had my interview on Wednesday, as expected, and hit an interview home run. I felt incredibly pumped-up when the interview was over. We did it via phone because - as the interviewer said outright - "You live close to us, but some of the other candidates don't, so we want to interview everyone the same way to be completely fair to everyone." I wouldn't say it was a "hard" interview at all. Not too many questions, and I was all over them with background, examples, case studies, et al.

On Thursday, I had a two-hour plus drive to my other interview - the one with the much smaller organization. I spent close to three hours in discussions with the top four people in the organization, and had a blast doing it. We eventually had to stop because they had to jump into other meetings, but they wanted to continue on with more discussions this coming week.

On Friday, I got two eMails from the two interviewers from my Wednesday interview, telling me that they selected me for the position... YEA! So I'll likely have a choice to make in the next week or so...

I think I've mentioned on several occasions about traveling to some really ugly places in the world in my previous position. I've also been traveling for business for a long, long time. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against travel, but it DOES get really old after a while...

Soooooo

One position is a very low-risk position with a huge organization, requiring little (if any) travel. It is in a field that will be completely different than what I did previously, and it will pay a bit less.

The other position is a higher-risk position with a tiny organization, requiring extensive international travel (to some of the places I've been before). The work will be very similar to what I did previously (while it's OK work, it doesn't really "turn me on" the way it used to). It will likely pay a fair amount more.

I guess I've got some thinking to do... Thinking about the tradeoffs of each position.

Even Longer... (Sigh)

Searching for a new position when you're not currently employed is a stressful thing. When I think about it, this is the longest time I've ever been "unemployed." EVER... I confess it does grate on my psyche...

The most annoying thing is that you get the impression from some of the position descriptions that the company is anxious to fill the position. So you get all excited when you submit your paperwork. Then you fall into an "application under review" black hole. Seems like you fall off the face of the Earth.

Sometimes it's tough to keep up your motivation.

But I am a "glass half full" kind of person. I've been accused of being "overly optimistic" or "irrationally exuberant" in the past, and I've always taken it as a compliment. So I continue, patiently and diligently.

And over the past two days, my patience has been rewarded. I've got an interview tomorrow for one position with a very, very large organization, and I've got another interview on Thursday with another - much, much smaller - organization. The first position will entail much less risk and there's a good possibility that I could stay there for the rest of my career. The work would be challenging, but at the same time emotionally rewarding. The second position - the one with the much smaller organization - would be riskier. It would be similar work to what I did previously, and would probably pay a LOT more, but there's a lot of "stability" risk... Hmmmm.

But of course, I'm putting the cart before the horse. I'm only at the interview stage (but I'm convinced I'll hit the ball out of the park)!

So wish me luck!

PS... M has a date with Allen tomorrow afternoon. He ordered some "toys" and had them delivered to our house... She's all excited about that after not being able to see him for a while whilst she was visiting her mother out of state.

Wow... Has it Really Been 9 Days???

To all of you who have offered your thoughts and inspiration to me as I work my way through my job search, thank you. Thank all of you so much.

Lots of rejections obviously - the automated kind - but a couple of good prospects. I've made it through the first couple of hoops in the process with about 4 places. I guess that's a good thing.

Fortunately, oh so fortunately, I've been rather frugal for a while and did a LOT of 401(k) saving. So I'm a lot less worried about retirement than a lot of my peers when it ultimately happens down the road (no, I'm nowhere close to that point yet).

I'm also the kind of person who can "check your ego at the door." What I mean by that is that - while I held a pretty high level position before, there's no reason what I HAVE to do that again. M and I are at a point where we can comfortably get by on a lot less than we could before. That one fact opens a lot of new opportunities for me.

One of the nicest things is that I can finally make a graceful exit from the industry I was supporting before, and can pretty much eliminate the travel to the places I have written so much about in my blog. That will be a welcome change... A very welcome change...

So thanks to all of you, and I'll try to do a better job of keeping you up to date!

The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same...

Just a very short update as I continue with my job search.

There are many, oh so very many positions I've found that I would excel at. But that's not surprising given my background. The most frustrating thing is that when you submit an application or a CV, you go into a period of stasis - a period of waiting for a response. In my previous position, it was an unwritten expectation that we would respond one way or the other within a single business day - two days at most - when recruiting people. We did it because we needed the people, but more importantly because (culturally) it was the "polite thing to do." But it's pretty apparent that that kind of culture is definitely NOT the norm.

So that addresses the "The more things change" portion of the post...

And now on to the "The more they stay the same" portion...

Yesterday, M had a date with Allen.

As always, she came home later - hours and hours later - with this huge smile on her face.

He always pleases her so much better than I ever did...

Major, Major Turmoil in my Life...

But absolutely none of it is related to my being a sissy...

Right around the end of the year, I came down with that really nasty flu bug that's going around. The one that the flu vaccine doesn't really work for because the powers that be guessed incorrectly as to the strain for this year. I was pretty much bed ridden for about 5 days, and didn't really start feeling like myself until Wednesday the 3rd.

So about half the time, I was able to work from home, and the other half of the time I worked from an office. Convenient because of all my international travel. And with technology being what it is, and with the profession I'm in, I am fortunate that I can work equally well in an office or at home.

So I had a call with my boss on the 3rd, and learned that (as the Brits would say) my "position has been made redundant." That's a polite way of saying that I've been laid off.

Major bummer...

So that explains why I haven't been posting at all, and I apologize for that.

My full-time job right now is to find a full-time job! All things being said, I've been gainfully unemployed since the 9th of January, so it hasn't been so long yet, and because of my severance I've still got my pay and benefits for a couple months. But still there's this underlying stress.

Happy New Year!

And I hope it's a joyous one for everyone!

I read in the news how cold it was on New Year's Eve. As for me, I was fast asleep by 6 o'clock PM with a dire case of that nasty flu that's going around. I'm only now getting over it. Not completely better yet, but at least well enough that I can start work again - from home.

Getting More and More Excited

Only a few more days until Christmas...

I wonder what Santa will be bringing me this year...

Have I been a good sissy or a naughty one???

So I'll decorate the tree with care...

 And maybe, just maybe I'll try to stay up really late on Christmas Eve to surprise Santa!

There's Just Something

I'm not sure what it is.

But when I put on my bra, a change comes over me.

My entire emotional state changes.

For the better...

Formal

Mistress laid out Sissy's outfit for the evening's festivities. "It's a formal event, Sissy, everyone will be showing off in their most formal attire so you should too."

Sissy always felt more formal and suave when she was dressed in black.