New Job or No Job?

Well, I was expecting to hear about about that job in Virginia last Tuesday, but no go. I'm surprised because they've kept in touch really well in the past, so I don't know what to think. I'm assuming that no news is bad news, but I called today to hear for sure. The answer is... probably there will be a job position opening up, but all the details need to get worked out (and since I want to live on site, that's another obstacle), and it could take who knows how long. I already asked the housemates if I can stay on for a few more months. I hope to find a temp agency/job, and then find a real farm job in March if not sooner. I don't want to wait until then - 4 months! - but it must be done.

I haven't kept this blog up with the saga that is the Brethren House, probably because it was too depressing. We are currently house-manager-less. In August, our house manager finished up her year after moving out early. She was in law school and too busy for all the drama. Plus, she was freaked out when one of the housemates punched a dent in the wall after a particularly upsetting house meeting. I don't blame her. We got a new house manager in August. His behavior worried me from the start, but not enough to say anything. Until... he got VERY drunk one night and threw a whiskey bottle into the TV to break it so that the house board would have to buy a new (and better?) one. The next day, Mike the house manager went around asking everyone if they knew what happened to the TV, because he supposedly didn't remember breaking it. This led to hours upon hours of house meetings and actual mediation in which we eventuallly asked Mike to leave. He agreed at the mediation session, but then later said he thought the process was unfair. He fought tooth and nail to stay in the house, but finally the house board did something right and told him that he'd have to resign or they would fire him. We still gave him a month to get out of the house, which was excruciating. He is finally, finally gone. I feel so much better, and now can focus on the million other problems with the house (maintenence, bad blood between folks, negligent house board, nonexistent presence of the church that owns the house).

I volunteered to be interim house manager for a month or so until we can find a new house manager. A lot of the responsibility for finding and communicating with potential house managers is falling upon the current residents. We're also trying to create a better, more thorough contract for folks that live in the house, a better interview process for potential housemates and house managers, landscape the front yard, and get the board to keep up with maintenence. Recently the church that owns the house got a new pastor and she came to a house/board meeting. She was a very helpful presence and I'm hoping to meet with her sometime this week to go over some of my concerns.

So. There's the depressing update. I will post pictures hopefully soon of Halloween. Let the job search begin!