The Magic 8 Ball called it....

This morning, I finally got the attention of a temp placement person (the woman I had been assigned to has been on vacation for two weeks--yes, my luck is remarkable on just about every front, isn't it?), and she got me all charged up about a temp possibility at Smith, the woman's college down the street. It sounded so very promising that I felt it was best not to get excited about it until it was definite. The rep said she'd call just as soon as she got the green light from the school to send me over. Glad I kept myself in check.

Not that I expected to be turned down, oh no--what in my recent experience would suggest that?

Actually, what kept me from celebrating the first good news I've had in a while was that I checked to see what the "Magic 8 Ball" that Linda gave me for my birthday thought. I asked, "Am I going to get the temp gig at Smith?" And it said, "All signs are NO."

Don't you smirk. The Magic 8 also called the Wimbledon final between Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport for me (I couldn't take the stress of not knowing, nor could I bear watching the third set, so I asked the Ball). When I asked if Lindsay was going to win, it said "NO." And as any tennis fan would know, the Magic 8 was right.

Anyway, shortly after I asked the Ball what it thought, the temp placement person called me back, and her tone said it all: The student who had blown the job off was being given a second chance, so there went my sweet little summer gig, just as the Magic 8 called it.

Yes, I'm now turning to a toy for information. But seriously: Who could blame me, after getting almost no response to 50 job applications?

On other fronts, my dear dog Shwea wasn't able to see her vet today because he is in Germany. As I recall, he was in Jamaica the last time her paw sprung a leak, and I am beginning to see a pattern here. A pattern that has led me to make an appointment for tomorrow with another vet; here's hoping she'll be able to get to the bottom of what ails my dear first-born dog.

Otherwise, I'm slogging away on the work that's due on Friday, and trying not to worry about whether I'll get it done in time.

As is almost always the case, IT'S TOO SOON TO PANIC. Really.