The Waiting Game

I have spent most of the last week feeling quite sick from the stress of waiting to hear back from that job interview. I almost (almost) wish I knew it had gone terribly so I would know it wouldn't be a yes. The role will be quite a challenge – I'll have to learn a whole new world of financing, indices, interest, “joint ventures”. I know in my head that I'm up for it. I got my head around Glasgow leases for my regional council round, of course I can learn about flipping houses, but my stomach is in knots. I think it will be something of a relief whichever answer I get when they finally call back.

I spent Monday writing a “test” for the magazine, which consisted of turning around a press release from November last year. So being the good reporter I am, I got new quotes from a helpful but very confused French-Canadian man who kept telling me “There are new figures out.”... Thanks Marc.

The week has not been without its fun, however. In the interest of the long-term goals of making friends and learning about the city I managed two birds/one stone on Sunday with a Meetup organised Urban Scavenger Hunt. In teams of five or six we had to race around downtown Toronto taking pictures of things to tick off our list.

For example:

-A team member with a member of royalty

-The entire team on a floor higher than 15

-Three pizza places

-Five things that rhyme with “floor”

-A team member imitating a statue

There were 30 things all together and we had to hold a mini Maple Leafs jersey in front to prove we didn't just google image search it. Some required creativity (we found our royalty on a magazine cover and our “triplets” as mannequins in a store window) and our team was the only one that got 100% so we won! They're planning a summer version so we'll get to defend our title then. Each team had a slightly different list and some missed stuff like “A team member dressed as a superhero”, which we definitely would have achieved. A teammate suggested just holding our jersey up to a blank wall and calling it “Catie as the invisible woman”. Teeheehee.

It's funny how a good week (scavenger hunt, getting through two stages of an employment process) can still feel like a bad week when you're tied in stress knots. I should really take up yoga or meditation or something... Oh, actually, I took up shopping as stress relief. I got two dresses, a jacket and two belts for less than $30 at local op shops. Good for the budget AND the soul.

 This is me imitating the statue of Winston Churchill at Nathan Phillips Square. I do an excellent old man impression.