Realistic Expectations

I read in the paper yesterday morning that there are not one, but two openings for Full Time Biology Faculty at the community college where I taught last year.  One is at the campus I was at, and the other is at another campus about 45 minutes away.  My first thought, was, "COOL!"  My second was, "I wonder if these are for real, or if they've already got someone picked".  There was yet another opening earlier in the fall at the third of the three campuses of this community college, and, despite being well-qualified, I didn't get an interview.

I know times are tough, and the competition is stiff, and all that.  But this is ME, and I know I'd do a fabulous job, and I want it (she pouted).  My point is that it is supremely frustrating to take the time and effort to put together a package to present your credentials for a job, only to be ignored because they've already got someone they're happy with, and they just had to go through the formality of opening the position to the public.

The upshot of already for applying for a similar job a few months ago is that my resume is up to date, and I've got a reasonably good one-page teaching philosophy already done.  The positions are a little different.  The one at my campus is pretty sparse in its description, where the "primary focus is teaching and curriculum development for Majors and nonmajors Biology".  I think that's pretty much what I was doing.  However, at the other campus, the primary focus is, "teaching and curriculum development for majors and nonmajors Biology, Ecology, Botany, Environmental Science and Genetics"

Well!  Did you nice community college people know I majored in Botany?  And that plant genetics is my thing? And that I have a PhD?  There you go.  So, I'm particularly excited about the second one, although the logistics would be a big deal.  Really, an interview for either would be validating. 

The downside to one of these positions is the pay cut I'd take.  However, I hope to figure something out to make up some of that, and it IS a 9 month position.  And I'd be teaching, which, at the risk of sounding self-important, is a way that I can see myself giving back, sending the elevator back down, that kind of thing.  The application process for both jobs doesn't close for another 3-4 weeks, so I'll get my stuff together this week and then try to forget about it.

In other news, it looks like my brothers and I will meet up with my dad in Florida next month.  He goes down there most winters, and has wanted us to come visit him for years.  This year we will manage to pull it off, over President's Day weekend.  I perused airfares on Orbitz, and for some reason (maybe the holiday?)  it was going to be $400 to fly to FL, and there was no direct flight.  The dates are set, so I was ready to just pony up the money.

Then, I had the smart idea to see if I could use some of my old Frontier frequent flier miles, and lo and behold, I used almost all of them to get a one way ticket to FL, and then I paid for the return flight for a little less than $200.  And they are both direct flights, and leaving when I want to.  Go figure.  Btw, I forgot to mention that Delta did come through and I got two $125 vouchers for future travel in compensation for Mr W's and I canceled/ delayed flight after Christmas.  So, we'll figure out some summer travel off of those.  More on that later.