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cornerofmadnessLet’s see, my trip, cut for length. I left Wednesday for OH for that job interview. It was odd. I was the only person on the prop plane from Rhinelander to Milwaukee. I’ve never had a plane to myself. Almost made me feel like a big shot. There were storms and the air over Milwaukee was so rough we hit one pocket and went from being horizontal to perpendicular in one ‘bump’ I get motion sick on carousels. You can imagine I was green when we landed then ticked off to realize my plane was delayed to Columbus (because nothing like working all day then flying so let’s make sure I don’t get where I’m going on time. Ever noticing me + flying = annoying happenings?) I can only get to the restaurants in Milwaukee’s airport if I go back out and have to come back thru security, which was highly discouraged. Sigh. I get into Columbus at 10 pm. Thunderstorms are raging. All the restaurants in the airport are closed. I go to Dollar to rent my car. The two young men in front of me are taking forever. It slowly occurs to me they must work at Dollar because both of them and the well dressed young man behind the counter are all speaking the same African language and that’s not likely to just happen (later I see them working in the garage). I finally get my car. I’m too tired and hungry to even really look at the type as I sign off on it. I get up to the garage and it’s a damn Dodge Durango. I go back and say look I confirmed a mid-sized CAR with you. I have a two-hour trip yet to drive and I’m not doing it in a gas hog and you have tons of cars up there. I see them. They give me a dirty on the outside Seabring. Now I used to do home health in Columbus. I know that city like I’ve never known any city and sadly they haven’t put anything in BUT a McDonald’s in the airport area since I left in 98. That glucerna diabetic lunch shake was about 9 hours in my past but I wasn’t hungry enough to eat at a McDonald’s. I drive in the opposite direction of Mapquest (realizing it was taking me the long way through downtown, technically it’s shorter but MUCH longer time wise. I get Wendy’s and trudge all the way to Chillicothe an hour south of the city to my hotel It pours the whole way. It’s a trucker hotel that cost nearly 70$ a night but it’s clean (though the light cover in the bathroom is wedged into place with toilet paper…)
I get on the road ridiculously early the next day because I’m still at least an hour away and when I lived in the area Chillicothe was the furthest south east I had been so I don’t know where I’m going. Into rural hill country apparently. It was an easy ride and I find the school easily enough. It’s right behind the Baptist church with the portable wagon of blue and pink anti-abortion crosses (yeah that doesn’t bode well). The school is on these hills. It’s the whole town actually and the houses around it are…let’s say…okay there is no good way to say it, rural poor. But in its way it reminds me of Waynesburg, my undergraduate college.
The college isn’t that big about 2,500 students but they’re getting bigger, much bigger in the allied health department and they have an aging faculty which means there’s actually THREE spots open right now (one tenure track and two that might be as well) The interviewers were very nice, not at all snotty, never tried to make me feel like an amateur at this (which I still am) like some schools have. I like what they want to do. I fear for it in the rural setting (not enough hospitals to do the clinicals for that many students just like here). The school is one of a kind in OH. It’s been there nearly 130 years, it’s both a community college AND a private college. Everyone comes in on the cheap at the CC level and then goes into the private school if they want the four year nursing degree and they’re trying to beef up the biology major, do more with training science K-12 teachers and pre-med (you can see why they might want me around). The building for Math and Science is a little on the old side but they’re building on. The old room I did my lecture in was bowl shaped and windowless and made me nervous. There are old houses renovated for offices (Like in Waynesburg) and that was nice because I love old homes. It had a stray cat (who took over the house) who wouldn’t leave my heels alone.) They have Welsh Studies (it’s a Welsh town) and I got points for recognizing the Welsh dragon on one interviewers desk. He was the president of the school. Thank God I didn’t know that going in. They have a nice bennies plan (they assured me that there was a 500$ deductible health insurance plan if the no deductible higher premium plan was too much for me at 35$. I pay 410$ now, I think I’ll cope). They would consider my time as a doctor as related teaching experience and start me at the 4-5 years in salary range (about 40K) but the cap on the salary looked kinda low. It’s even lower than here but not a surprise in an old mining town.
The school is almost exactly analogous to where I am now in that it’s an hour to the nearest mall, two hours to a bigger city (and Columbus was kinda dull when I lived there) and unlike here it’s in a tiny town where Rhinelander has at least 12,000 people more or less. That town is much smaller and has one claim to fame. It’s the birthplace of Bob Evans Farm. That’s where we went for lunch, a Bob Evans (which I don’t really like but I’ll cope) it’s pretty much the only place in town to eat. I would have to live outside of town. Most likely places, Jackson 20 miles to the north. Gallipolis 15 miles to the south and for my money Point Pleasant, home of the Moth Man 16 miles to the east across the river in WV. I’m kinda torn. Would I take the job? Yes. Am I hoping that maybe someone else might call? Yes. My problem is, being older and single I don’t really want to end up in a place that small with an admitted under education problem (the school wants to reach out to the community and start getting the primary schools up to snuff because they are bad.) Then again I just spent three years in FL, which is the 48th worst state in the Union for education. I’m almost hoping for the one year slot which would give me time to see COULD I live there for longer and let me be flexible if I can’t.
Even though it’s raining I try to look at the other towns (I didn’t make it to PP since I was feeling ill thank you uterus). They’re all very run down and given names like coalton I’m assuming they were mining towns and farms. I can get a house for rent for like 400$ is that tells you the state of depression there. Oh and Rio Grande isn’t REE-O it’s Righ-O. And Gallipolis isn’t Galley-polis. It’s Police. It’s “French.” It’s kinda cruddy and it was the suggested living place along with Jackson (I’d probably opt for the other even if it’s NOT on the river simply because it’s closer to Columbus).
Speaking of that place, I go back intending to hit a few of my old stomping grounds to kill time before I turn in my rental. I’m driving the 270-belt loop around the city then realize suddenly I’m NOT on the loop any more. By memory I had gone home and was looking down Hamilton Drive at my former apartment. It’s still surrounded strip clubs. I go to the mall. It sucks. I remember I hate shopping. It’s why I don’t drive to Wausau here. I can’t find a bookstore but then again I never could on the east side of Columbus. I go to the Brice Outlet mall to see if my old comic book store is there. It is. I bought stuff (then realize I had already bought it from the online store and got notice today of that I thought they weren’t sending it since I ordered it so long ago). It’s the ONLY thing left in the mall. It was eerie. So I eventually remember why I didn’t find Columbus thrilling and go back to the airport to turn the car in. I’m staying in an airport hotel.
Here’s a mistake. Now this is an airport hotel there with all the fancy airport motels. It’s smaller than the trucker hotel and noisier (i.e. I can hear every toilet and shower in the damn place). The airplanes overhead made sleeping fun. Because I’m dumb I didn’t realize that there was a time change between Columbus and Milwaukee (I thought Columbus was on central time) and instead of an 1-½ hour lay over it’s almost 3 hours. I would have brought another book. I read all four of the ones I did bring. Sigh. I didn’t get much writing done since my mind was fried. I made it back here to find it was 38 degrees and sleeting. Whee fun.
I get on the road ridiculously early the next day because I’m still at least an hour away and when I lived in the area Chillicothe was the furthest south east I had been so I don’t know where I’m going. Into rural hill country apparently. It was an easy ride and I find the school easily enough. It’s right behind the Baptist church with the portable wagon of blue and pink anti-abortion crosses (yeah that doesn’t bode well). The school is on these hills. It’s the whole town actually and the houses around it are…let’s say…okay there is no good way to say it, rural poor. But in its way it reminds me of Waynesburg, my undergraduate college.
The college isn’t that big about 2,500 students but they’re getting bigger, much bigger in the allied health department and they have an aging faculty which means there’s actually THREE spots open right now (one tenure track and two that might be as well) The interviewers were very nice, not at all snotty, never tried to make me feel like an amateur at this (which I still am) like some schools have. I like what they want to do. I fear for it in the rural setting (not enough hospitals to do the clinicals for that many students just like here). The school is one of a kind in OH. It’s been there nearly 130 years, it’s both a community college AND a private college. Everyone comes in on the cheap at the CC level and then goes into the private school if they want the four year nursing degree and they’re trying to beef up the biology major, do more with training science K-12 teachers and pre-med (you can see why they might want me around). The building for Math and Science is a little on the old side but they’re building on. The old room I did my lecture in was bowl shaped and windowless and made me nervous. There are old houses renovated for offices (Like in Waynesburg) and that was nice because I love old homes. It had a stray cat (who took over the house) who wouldn’t leave my heels alone.) They have Welsh Studies (it’s a Welsh town) and I got points for recognizing the Welsh dragon on one interviewers desk. He was the president of the school. Thank God I didn’t know that going in. They have a nice bennies plan (they assured me that there was a 500$ deductible health insurance plan if the no deductible higher premium plan was too much for me at 35$. I pay 410$ now, I think I’ll cope). They would consider my time as a doctor as related teaching experience and start me at the 4-5 years in salary range (about 40K) but the cap on the salary looked kinda low. It’s even lower than here but not a surprise in an old mining town.
The school is almost exactly analogous to where I am now in that it’s an hour to the nearest mall, two hours to a bigger city (and Columbus was kinda dull when I lived there) and unlike here it’s in a tiny town where Rhinelander has at least 12,000 people more or less. That town is much smaller and has one claim to fame. It’s the birthplace of Bob Evans Farm. That’s where we went for lunch, a Bob Evans (which I don’t really like but I’ll cope) it’s pretty much the only place in town to eat. I would have to live outside of town. Most likely places, Jackson 20 miles to the north. Gallipolis 15 miles to the south and for my money Point Pleasant, home of the Moth Man 16 miles to the east across the river in WV. I’m kinda torn. Would I take the job? Yes. Am I hoping that maybe someone else might call? Yes. My problem is, being older and single I don’t really want to end up in a place that small with an admitted under education problem (the school wants to reach out to the community and start getting the primary schools up to snuff because they are bad.) Then again I just spent three years in FL, which is the 48th worst state in the Union for education. I’m almost hoping for the one year slot which would give me time to see COULD I live there for longer and let me be flexible if I can’t.
Even though it’s raining I try to look at the other towns (I didn’t make it to PP since I was feeling ill thank you uterus). They’re all very run down and given names like coalton I’m assuming they were mining towns and farms. I can get a house for rent for like 400$ is that tells you the state of depression there. Oh and Rio Grande isn’t REE-O it’s Righ-O. And Gallipolis isn’t Galley-polis. It’s Police. It’s “French.” It’s kinda cruddy and it was the suggested living place along with Jackson (I’d probably opt for the other even if it’s NOT on the river simply because it’s closer to Columbus).
Speaking of that place, I go back intending to hit a few of my old stomping grounds to kill time before I turn in my rental. I’m driving the 270-belt loop around the city then realize suddenly I’m NOT on the loop any more. By memory I had gone home and was looking down Hamilton Drive at my former apartment. It’s still surrounded strip clubs. I go to the mall. It sucks. I remember I hate shopping. It’s why I don’t drive to Wausau here. I can’t find a bookstore but then again I never could on the east side of Columbus. I go to the Brice Outlet mall to see if my old comic book store is there. It is. I bought stuff (then realize I had already bought it from the online store and got notice today of that I thought they weren’t sending it since I ordered it so long ago). It’s the ONLY thing left in the mall. It was eerie. So I eventually remember why I didn’t find Columbus thrilling and go back to the airport to turn the car in. I’m staying in an airport hotel.
Here’s a mistake. Now this is an airport hotel there with all the fancy airport motels. It’s smaller than the trucker hotel and noisier (i.e. I can hear every toilet and shower in the damn place). The airplanes overhead made sleeping fun. Because I’m dumb I didn’t realize that there was a time change between Columbus and Milwaukee (I thought Columbus was on central time) and instead of an 1-½ hour lay over it’s almost 3 hours. I would have brought another book. I read all four of the ones I did bring. Sigh. I didn’t get much writing done since my mind was fried. I made it back here to find it was 38 degrees and sleeting. Whee fun.
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no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 01:46 am (UTC)It sounds... interesting. Maybe it will work out that you will get the one year slot so you can see how you like it, and if you don't, you can continue looking elsewhere.
Super glad you made it home safely! Exhausted but safe.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 02:45 am (UTC)thanks. You guys will be the second to know how it all turns out
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Date: 2005-05-14 01:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 02:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 01:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 01:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 01:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 02:43 am (UTC)If nothing else, if I get the job the school would be a good learning experience I think.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 08:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 01:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 01:40 pm (UTC)Good luck with the job.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-14 02:03 pm (UTC)And thanks
no subject
Date: 2005-05-15 04:45 am (UTC)Good luck with the job!
no subject
Date: 2005-05-15 04:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-16 12:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-16 12:54 am (UTC)