I started early because I had two places on my new leads list that take applications before lunch. One, a place that I really like, was fine and real straight forward ... go in, fill out a 2-page application, hand it to the manager, and have him tell me they'll be meeting about the posiiton in the next week and they'll get back to me. Sweet and simple. It would be fun working there.
The second place was at the House of Blues ... but the placement office didn't know if it was the club or the Hotel ... since they're right next to each other, it wasn't a big problem, and after checking the club's site for available jobs (none in the booze area) I was pretty sure it was the Hotel. Unfortunately, the only bar gig they were looking to fill was a cocktail server ... I just can't see myself doing that more than a week before I'd kill somebody, so I explained that I was just out of bartending school and was really looking for something mixing drinks (and not doing the "bunny dip").
At this point I had a couple of hours to kill (the next application options were at 2pm), so I figured I'd head back home. I went to the bus stop right behind HoB, and waitied. The Dearborn St. bridge was up, not an unusual thing in the spring (when they bring sailboats out to the lake), but it's usually up for 10 mintues, then down and back to normal. Well, the bridge was up for about 10 mintues and then down and then ... still gates and flashing lights ... for like 15 minutes. Then I notice that the busses on the south side of the river are turning, and figure there's a problem. I start walking and just miss the #22 Clark (turning on Hubbard), then continue a few more blocks over to State and just miss the #36 Broadway (my normal bus). At that point I should probably have just walked the 12 blocks or so home, but it was warm again and the sun was getting high, and I really didn't want to have to shower again before heading out this afternoon, so I sat and waited another 20 mintues for the next bus. I got home, read for an hour and then headed back out.
I had thought that I was going to be able to make 2 applications this afternoon, but I got to the first place (a fancy new spot that replaced Spago), and was handed, along with the multi-page application form, a six-page "pre-test" that I was just not prepared for. I did my best with it, but it became obvious that they were NOT looking for a brand-new barkeep. The manager came out to chat, and I was up front wtih realizing that I was probably not what he was looking for, and he gave me some useful suggestions (on, for instance, good basic references to brush up on my wine knowledge, which has gotten real stale over the past 20+ years of sobriety). The whole process burned up about an hour and a half, and I was pretty stressed out at that point, so just hopped the bus back home.
Shit like that just shreds whatever piddling amounts of confidence I have. I'm back to wondering if I'm going to be able find a job again, or if I'm going to have to target being a K-Mart greeter.