In Between Opportunities

It's been a month now. One month ago, I walked into my boss's office and gave him my two weeks notice. I wanted to return to law enforcement, I said. The oilfield wasn't for me, I explained. He seemed very understanding. We set my last day to work at December 19th.

And so it was. December 19th, six days before Christmas, I left my steady paycheck behind. I can just imagine what you're thinking.

The amount of knowledge I've gained about cable TV in the last month staggers the imagination. For instance, they repeat the same commercial an average of four times per hour. The same, exact commercial. Some hours, it's the same four or five commercials at every break, with just the order they run in rearranged. Yep. I'm paying attention. And watching waaaaayyy tooooo muuuchh Television. I've read a few books, but if you know me, you know that reading a book takes a day, maybe two for me. So books don't fill the idle time as effectively as TV. My English teachers are rolling in their graves.

The anticipation of being welcomed back into my old police job with open arms was foiled by a Chief of Police who, frankly, is so tight-assed, you can see it on his face. Literally, the man looks like he's got a really itchy hemmorhoid or something. And that's when he's happy. Anyway, it's a Department policy that if an officer resigns, he or she must give 30 days notice to be re-hirable (is that even a word?) Needless to say, the new Chief is "by the book, no exceptions."

So, I didn't get "re-hired." I didn't give the required notice, because I was in the throes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and I had to get away from there right-this-minute-before-I-exploded. Seriously, if you've never had PTSD or been very close to someone with PTSD, you won't understand, so you can stop reading now.

Being the CYA type of person that I am, I had applied at a neighboring Police Department. I am "in the process" of being hired now, contingent upon the usual battery of a background check, lie detector, physical, psychological exam (that'll be fun...) and of course, the interview board. Being "in the process" takes alot longer than I thought it would. It takes at least a month, apparently. And this particular Department needs officers, as they are short handed. But that doesn't speed up "the process."

Ergo, lots of time in front of the T.V. and wondering where the money for next month's bills will come from.

Monster.com and Hotjobs have become my online friends. I am a member of an internet executive search (aim high, I always say). I have faxed, emailed, mailed, and taken resume' after resume' to just about every job posting that sounds remotely interesting. Always, always, always have a Plan B. Even if you hope it never happens. I've even given thought to "GASP" - returning to college and finishing the Bachelor's. Funny what too much time to think will do to your mind...

I didn't realize until just now that writing about it helps decrease the stress. Hmmmm.

Well, at least I'll have something to fill the time.