31 January - 20 February 1999
Reno, NV
The big news is that I have started to work. Got an assignment from AccounTemps on the 4th that lasted for one week. It was with a temporary labor company called Contractors Labor Pool that has offices in CA, AZ, WA, OR & NV. They had changed their accounting system back in October and were having a lot of conversion problems; among them was their checking account reconcilements. AccounTemps had sent another person in to help them and could do nothing. AccounTemps thought it would be a 2-3 week assignment but I had the company as current as they could get within a week. I then got a call at home around 6 asking me to report for another assignment the next morning (no break in work was nice). This one looks like it will last into April; working Accounts Payable for a Farm Credit Bank. Not much of a job but it beats what I have been doing - NOTHING. I also took a written test for one accounting job with Washoe County on 2 Feb. Then I took an oral exam with a panel of 4 questioners on the 19th for a higher level accounting position at the County. Have also submitted applications for two positions at Harrah's where I worked before the Peace Corps. Also, applied for an Accounting Manager position with the Reno/Sparks Convention & Visitors Center. And last but not least, the Peace Corps finally posted a new job announcement for Admin. Officers on 1 Feb and I have re-applied for that. During this period I have received a couple of NO THANK YOU, WE DON"T NEED YOU letters!!
We have had a lot of winter this month; a storm every week with a little sticking to the valley floor in Reno during two of them. The worst part was the winds. A storm during the first weekend of the month had winds at 104 MPH that did a lot of damage. In the southeast they call those kinds of winds a hurricane, Nevada just talks of "the winds blowing strong today".
The final thing that has come up during this time is my ability to get on the Internet and send out e-mail. The hours at the library are 10:00 to 6:00 on Thu & Fri so I get no time because I am at work or on the way home. Monday, Tue & Wed have closing hours of 8:00 so maybe I can get on IF the waiting list is not to long. That leaves me with Sat & Sun when the waiting lists can become 3-4 hours long. It is a problem and I will be slower in responding until I can get my own computer and connect from home. It that area I may pick up a used Dell 486 from Intermountain farm Credit where I am now working. They are upgrading their equipment and I can get the Dell with monitor for $250!!! The only big question now is when.