EMPLOYED!

this is very exciting news! the details:

there are precious few small animal jobs in the area. if i wanted to work exclussively in cows that would be one thing. there are 2 jobs in the area. if i had board certification and about 10 years of experience, there are a few jobs... i get regular e-mails from new job postings over 2 hours drive away! but not much locally. the local options?:

1) a place called heartland, has 2 well established clinics and good mentorship opportunities. willing to train me in any interest i might have, wanting me to become a specialist (although not necessarily board certified) in whatever. lots of back-up help. i would be helping them open a new clinic 15 min from my house. long hours- they want to be open until 11 pm, and i will have to do quite a bit of emergency work during that time.
2) a place 6 miles from home that was recently purchased by a former associate vet, he has no real plans for the future of the clinic. rare staff meetings, old vaccine protocols... bonus is that i would always get a day off midweek and 1.5 days every weekend, with a whole weekend every 3rd week.
3) banfield vet clinic in petsmart. have a good standard of care and lots of staff to help. want me to drive 1.5 hours both directions for a year until the new clinic opens closer to home. downside: this is a nation-wide corperation... yelch! commute is long and BORING. will have to invest in books on tape... yada, yada.

the outcome?:
1)they were very impressed with me, and would love to work with me, but are unable to offer me employment for the next year. no, sorry, not even part-time. after that point they may be able to hire me. MAY. 1 year. so sorry to waste your time and raise your hopes... so sorry to raise your expectations and get you ready for the real world. (losers)
2) they have no direction. they don't return my calls. they don't even have enough exam rooms for the number of vets they have. losers.
3) banfield had me come in to shadow for a half day the saturday after the 4th- ie the busiest they will ever be. we talked. we viewed. we assisted by squishing and restraining animals while they worked away. it was okay. OKAY. then i drove that whole long 1.5 hour commute up to florence and saw them on a slow day. hehe. i walk in and no one can greet me right away because... they are all too busy snibbling home-made cookies someone brought in (score 1 point). then they all introduce themselves, and include me in the conversation (point 2), and have a goodflow of gab, fun, funny, etc. no diamonds forming in their GI tracts, let me tell you! (point 3). they promise me i won't have to work alone for the first couple of months, at least until i'm comfortable. they are all working together well, they help each other out, and hang out together outside of the clinic (another point!).. it was a smooth and enjoyable day. we discussed lots of stuff. i feel comfortable there and happy.

i returned today for my contract meeting. i actually got hired! someone wants me! i feel so loved! so it is corporate... so it is a commute... the commute is only for one year until the new clinic opens, i have a good group until that time. i have a salary exactly what i expected, no signing bonus (normal for vet med), no moving bonus (had i signed with them before the move it couldhave been up to $2000), yes i get compensation for the miles... they may even give me a car! i had to pee in a cup for them. i can start my training as early as next week. yippee! i feel good about this. i think. there are times i wonder what i'm doing, but hey... if it doesn't work out, i can always start over again. the clinic meets my standards. they may vaccinate more than i like, but they are all about preventative care and client education. i can do my own diet plans... i can do as much CE as i want if i preapprove it (prove it will be of monetary value). i can grow here and stretch my wet little wings. i can learn a foreign language while driving mindlessly on I75. i only have to work 3-4 days a week because the days are long. they are open 7 days a week, so my weekends will not be normal all the time. this is all good.

and look at my other options. i mean seriously, what choice do i have.

i'm happy. at least, i'm giddy. i hope i'm still happy in a couple of weeks. it will be good to get my feet wet again.

i have 3 months to sign the contract. wish me luck!