The news, it is good. The chock, it is full- and not of nuts. That would be my family tree.

... A fiver says that insiduous coffee jingle is going through your mind right now. On endless loop. Snicker.

Today:

* I received a call from another local HHA agency, recruiting me for employment. A call to my current employer confirmed no conflict-of-interest, or other such restriction(s), as many aides are employed by multiple agencies. I go in at 8:30am Monday for an interview.

* Finally! A woman answered my cleaning advert. Her free-estimate appointment is at 1:30pm that same Monday. She's considering a couple other cleaning services besides mine, so I'll have to be careful not to price myself out of a job. Or lowball such that it's hardly worth my time. Negotiations are as untenable as starting a sentence with a conjunction, but I still do both. Sigh.

* The professor called to let me know her current Nanny has decided not to go back to college in R0chester after all, and so won't actually need me in that capacity now. However, she IS very interested in obtaining my private cleaning services, and will call in Mid-January to set something up. Way to salvage the opportunity!

* The dentist called to let me know I did get the Nanny job with his family. My hours would be 2pm-6pm Monday through Friday, starting the 22nd of this month. I'm ecstatic, and much relieved, considering he's hiring me despite my dearth of experience with special-needs kids. Surprisingly, I'm not worried. Something tells me it will all shake out just fine.

* Ev3lyn called to set up a one-off cleaning next Saturday, to ready her household for holiday guests. Since I'm again cleaning for her (Bless) 97 year old father, she indicated her mother was interested in having me fill in for her ailing regular housecleaner, bi-monthly during January and February. I indicated my enthusiastic willingness, despite past experiences cleaning there. Why? "Dollar, dollar bill, ya'll".

* My boss at Current Agency called at 3pm to tell me about a sudden Housekeeping case just opened up, for a man who recently broke his ankle. Minimum two hours per day for the next week, maximum time TBD by the client (YAY, self-pays).

Tonight was my first night. I arrived at 6pm. The client was a very nice Hindu man- an engineering professor at Syr@cuseUn!versity. He had me help prepare ChickenCurryWithBasmatiRice (from scratch), then CleanOutandScrubHisEntireRefrigerator, after which he sweetly invited me to take a break and join him for a cuppa TheBestProperIndianLooseTea'N'Pastries. Once teatime ended, I finished up by HandwashingTheGazillionPotsPansDishesEtc and TakingOutThe1000Lbs'O'Trash. Finished at 10pm.

He's threatening to have me help him prepare codfish for his dinner tomorrow. I somehow doubt he wants it smothered in my vomitus, as opposed to -oh, say- homemade mango chutney.

He told me he's realizing more and more since his wife passed, how much help he truly needs with the upkeep of the household. Since I was "an excellent worker", once his week with the agency is formally up, he will keep me on privately (at the same rate of pay) until his move back to Indi@ in August. *Happy dance*

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What a difference a few days make! I'm immensely grateful to Life, The Universe, and Everything for this portion of the Infinite Abundance come my way. Situations have been difficult-to-a-downright-slog of late, to where I'd figured I'd little place to go but UP from here. Teh Supersonic Suck can indeed suck HARD, but even it needs to take a breath every now and again, eh? Now if I can manage to defy gravity long enough to pay down the stunning debt keeping me flailing in the red, well then.

Too knackered for reporting the upshot of the most recent familial dramas, but at least they're to a dull roar at this writing. Tho fear not! Much as the weather here, wait a second and it'll change. (Heh. Nodded off three times while trying to type that last paragraph. Whee.)

Off now to peacefully dream of swimming/sailing the deep and tranquil black seas of financial liquidity.

Better not be any codfish in there.