Frantic Friday AM

fri 19 Feb - Job interview 10.30am, IVF appointment 2.30pm

er, yeah its been quite a stressful day really. I didnt plan to do nothing all week, then 2 very important things on one day, it just happened like that.

To start with, my period was 3 days later than normal which meant the clinic appointment made for my day 5-8 scan was going to be on day 4 so I moved it to the Friday afternoon which was also better for hubby as he could have a late lunch hour.

Then typically within 30 minutes I got a call from an agency to attend an interview and I was only offered Friday am or pm so I was a bit stuck really. This did not help my stress levels at all. I had 4 days to prepare for the interview in the morning and I then had to get my knickers off the same afternoon. (hope I dont sweat too much in the morning)

Im not sure why I was worrying so much I just know that I dont have a button to switch my worrying off, even if I know its not necessary or helpful I just cant stop. Rather like our cat who cant stop crying for food, even though she has just eaten and is not hungry.

A chat to my good friend the night before really helped. The reason why I was panicking was the pressure put on me by hubby to get a job so we can afford to have a baby in the first place. But my good friend (lets call her H from now on) made me realise that the interview wasnt the most important thing happening that day and I should concentrate on the clinic appointment.
She also said that the interviewer would be stupid not to hire me and I should pretend I am too good for them, and dont forget to breathe.

Now the last point should just come naturally, obviously, but it was the best advice ever.

I had driven a test run to the interview a few days earlier so I knew where it was, how much time to leave and where to park. If it wasnt for this trip I would probably be worried sick by now but I was in my smart suit, folder full of papers and random proof of ID, non of which had my new married name or new address on but I was told to just bring everything. Now carrying every piece of ID I own together in one bag did make me an excellent target for identity theft an this did worry me. Luckily my handbag is the size of a baby elephant so It wasnt obvious what I was carrying. Still the bag was held very tightly all day just in case.

Now I am not usually superstitious but when I kept hearing Florence and the Machine on the radio whenever the interview was on my mind, it just got weird. The song is 'The Dog Days are Over' and I know it was in the charts recently but it keeps being played to me on radio one. It was playing when I did my test run to the interview, it played again when me and Phil were arguing about money and this job and again when I was getting ready for the interview. Is it trying to tell me something?

I was just about to set off on my military organised journey, on time, when I realised an enormous error - no change for parking! Panic! Is there any on hubbys bedside table? (no) is there much in the pot we put random change in? (no) shit.
But Im much more resourceful than I give myself credit for, I stopped on the way at a newsagent and bought chewing gum. Now I have change and great breath - good eh! oh and Florence starting playing on the radio when I pulled into a parking space.

The interview was both horrific and terrific. Horrific because there was an interview, role play and written test over 2 hours and terrific because I sailed through it knowing all the answers. The interview questions were just what I expected, 'Give me an example of a time when.....' but i was still stumped by a few, this is when H's tip came in useful. I concentrated on breathing deeply while thinking for an answer and, it really helped. The panic stopped and the words came - some of them were so good I dont think they came from me, Im sure someone else was doing the talking for me, and they knew some long clever words.

Anyway he interview was fine, the role play was in fact a telephone complaint I had to handle and the written test was a memo about the phone call - easy! Knowing I had done well, my mood lifted and Florence was playing again in the car when I put the radio on. 'The dog days are over, the dog days are over......