I haven’t posted any updates for the past few days, so here we are. Friend-locked because of the job-related information.
Monday my tie broke. Sounds bizarre, but bear with me for a moment. As many of you are aware, I am now mostly wearing bow ties. In order that they might fit a wide range of necks, they are usually adjustable. A tie that is too long looks very odd, since the wide ends of the loops go past the widest part of the tie into the taper. So the adjustment is normally done with a metal latch of some sort, with varied styles depending upon the cost of the tie.
So I was tying my tie at the mirror in the gents’, and all of a sudden the metal latch pulled away from the rest of the tie, and I was left with two pieces of cloth no longer connected. What a pain. I need to do more research on bow ties and perhaps get this one repaired (as it’s a nice one: blue with red spots).
Tuesday was my second interview in Ealing. This, unfortunately, coincided with a Tube strike here in London. These are normally very painful things, with congested roads, lots of people getting on buses and querying the driver as to whether s/he goes to someplace they wish to go (s/he usually doesn’t), and late appointments. I was determined not to miss this, so I left the house at 9 am (for an 11 am appointment) and got to Ealing around 10:20, which was very good time indeed. I took a 148 bus to Lancaster Gate and walked to Paddington, then took a Heathrow Connect train to Ealing Broadway.
The interview itself was interesting. I got to the building and called for the lift. A gentleman entered the vestibule and when the lift came, I motioned for him to enter first. He pressed the same floor that I would have pressed. When I did not press a different button, he asked, “You here for an interview?” I said, “Yes, are you {name of person who would be interviewing me}?” He was, so I think I made a good impression right away. We talked for 50 minutes, and then I spoke with the Chief Operating Officer, who was similarly interesting (and tough). I think I did well, but the proof will come when the second person they are interviewing finishes and they make their decision. The questions suggested by the Chief Happiness Officer seem to really interest interviewers and I recommend using them (see my previous blog entry for details). They spark a discussion that is positive and upbeat, rather than concentrating on unhappy experiences elsewhere.
Wednesday was pretty much a washout. I worked at home because of the strike, and then went to yoga class last night. That was not a washout. I feel that every class I do a bit better. I will never be as limber as everyone else (especially since I am too heavy to support my own weight in many of the positions) but I am getting better at various things and always feel better after class.
I was on the District Line this morning going from Embankment to Victoria (the strike was called off Tuesday night but yesterday was still chaotic, especially in the morning) and saw a spider right in front of my nose. S/he was swinging from point to point on the straphangers’ bar, being blown around by the breeze coming from the end windows when the carriage was moving and swinging around very energetically when it had stopped. I couldn’t see where the web or strand of spider silk was attached, just the spider swinging around. S/he got very close to one straphanger’s head and I debated whether to warn him or not. I decided not, and the spider just blissfully swung to the other side of the carriage. Very calming.