I went into a major department store... I won't say which one, but I will say it rhymes with holey's. So I walk up to human resources and fill out an application. There is a man sitting in a chair near me, and he is diligently filling his application out. I sit down, fill it out, and get up to turn it in. The man looks at me with total disbelief. I glance at his application and see is not even halfway done! And he was there before me! He keeps staring at me, as a woman introduces herself and says "Do you have a minute to talk to me?"

No, I'm jobless, so I really must be going. I don't have time to sit around and talk to potential employers. It might ruin my reputation in the homeless community, which is where I am headed...

"Of course!"

So the tornado begins. She wisks me away to a small, but tidy, office, where she asks me how I am doing about a dozen times. I kept trying to come up with new ways to say "I'm fine today." She asks me questions and seems genuinely interested in my answers. She is sympathetic to my needs for a daytime position, and wants me to work in cosmetics because I have a gorgeous complextion and a real knack for applying make-up. I say thanks and tell her that I would really enjoy working in cosmetics. We discuss other departments, and I divulge my serious problem with shoe collecting. She gets up and says she would like me to meet someone. She leaves and comes back with another woman, who is also very nice, and I proceed to have my second interview! After I am through talking to the second woman, the first woman comes back and offers me a job.

It is part time in the women's shoe department. It is not commission, which is good, as I have already told her that I was done with commission jobs. The hours are set and I basically work Mondays and Wednesdays and rotate weekends. I work from 9:15 am to 6:15 pm, and I tell her I think it is great. I am already planning in my head all the time I will have with my daughter, while still pulling in a paycheck and waiting on a better job to come along.

I have an overwhelming sense of relief as she hands me a job offer, in writing, and tells me to take it home and talk it over with my husband and call her tomorrow or Friday.

I skip out to the car, while calling Slippy. He is very supportive even though it is only part time and doesn't really pay well. I get to the root... he wants a new wardrobe! So do I, and our daughter needs spring clothes, and the discount is good. Hmmm. Maybe it won't be too bad of a stop-over job afterall. Even though I am not looking forward to working weekends. At least it is all day shifts!