I can't sleep

I woke up a little before 4 am, after falling asleep about 8 pm. Today I worked from 8 am to 11:30 am, then came home, got into Spanx and pantyhose (which is a little harder than it sounds, as I'm not as limber as I once was), and then headed to Owenton via the Interstate. Big mistake. I thought, well, I'm on the eastern side of Lexington so it will be quicker to take the Interstate rather than the road I'm familiar with, Highway 127, which is accessed by going through Frankfort. The drive up the Interstate wasn't bad at all, although there were backups in the other direction due to construction and possibly a wreck. But then I got off at the exit for Corinth and took three winding and terribly maintained roads which had the posts for guardrails, but no actual guardrails, through Grant and Owen counties. At one point Google Maps had me take a right on a road that was at a 45-degree angle to the one I was on, and it was so small it didn't warrant a yellow line, and thank goodness I had the Google Maps on because I would have been totally lost. I never drove that much on the eastern side of the county, after all, and I was a child when we lived in Grant County at Dry Ridge and near the boat dock on Williamstown Lake. Finally, I was within a mile or two of the library, and I wound up behind a tractor in a no-passing area. But he eventually left the road, and then I drove right by the library and had to turn around at the Save-a-Lot. :)

So I was a few minutes late despite leaving work earlier than planned. But the director was great. I told her I'd had some trouble with the roads, and she was horrified I'd come that way, and when I told her about the tractor, she smiled and said 'Welcome to Owen County.' She had a great sense of humour, and we chatted for quite awhile before the actual interview questions were asked. It was the best interview I'd had in my entire life, really, and I think part of the reason was I was speaking with one person in a conversational way, as opposed to a panel whose members are reading questions off a sheet and scoring me on little sheets of paper, like they do here. I mean, yes, she had the questions laid out on paper, and I'm sure I was being scored mentally, but it was different, and she was very personable. She actually told me that I had all the qualifications they were looking forward to. I came out of the interview feeling very good, and really wanting to work there. There are a lot of potentials there for helping the community. For example, one of the largest employers is about to shut down, and librarians--and especially in this position, which is the electronic resources coordinator, whose main job is to teach people how to use technology, which we all know is vital for finding a job these days. I could really help people and make a difference, and I understand what it's like to lose a job after years of service. I know how important that job search is, and how frustrating it can be to have to do everything online--and I have the tech skills. For many people there, the library has the best internet connexion in the area, as some still have slow connexions or none at all, in such a rural area.

There are some cons, though, like the fact that it starts a full $5 an hour less than I've been making an hour, although that may be somewhat negotiable. I knew that out in the rural areas that would probably be the case, although it's better than the jobs Jessamine County, which is adjacent to mine, ever offers. I might be able to get a dollar or so more, maybe. Also, there's the drive, a full hour or so away from my apartment, and I am not in a position to move, as I have people here that I consider family who needs me. I went through about a half a tank of gas in one trip up and back. That's a lot. I usually fill up every week and a half. They do have benefits, but the health plan is high deductible, and so medical costs would be higher, although they do have a health spending account, and I believe she said they contribute a certain amount in addition to what the employee does. But monetarily, I just don't know if I can make it on this job.

She said she has one more person of the seven applicants to interview and would make a decision on Tuesday evening who the top two candidates would be, and she wants them to meet the board on Friday. I told her that I do have an obligation planned in addition to a morning of work, but I would see if I could make arrangments should she pick me (which I am fairly confident that she will). She would then make a decision at the end of that week. I looked at the board members listed on the website when I got home, and one is a Cobb, so either she or her spouse is most likely a relative through my great-grandmother's family. I don't know if that's a plus or a minus, but it could go either way.

So I took Highway 127 home, and they've done a lot to make the road safer. It's even three lanes in some so you can do more passing when needed. I got on 421 at Frankfort, but made a mistake and kept going straight when it turned off towards Lexington and took 60 to Versailles and then to Lexington, which was longer, but I was able to go Man O'War instead of through downtown. On the other hand, the main snag was when I was within a block or two of home, as there was a wreck at Easthills that slowed everything to a crawl there towards the end. I left Owenton about 3:45 and got home at 5:25 as a result. I think it would be safest to allow an hour and a half each way. So that's three hours or so of driving a day. That's a lot, although we have demonstrated 127 is the way to go. Anyway, I guess I'm trying to figure some way to make this work, as I would really like to accept the job if offered, but that's my heart, not my head talking. I just don't know if I can do it from a practical standpoint. So I guess it's not all that surprising that I'm up and can't sleep.