The MacDainings: Irony and Iron Mountain

I (Katie) had a job interview this week. After seeing an ad on craigslist for a marketing/publicity position I submitted my resume and cover letter. Like I said, I am so content with my current living that it would take a lot to get me back in a cube staring at a computer screen. But, I met every qualification and I’m of the mind that it never hurts, right? Only when it does hurt. . . from laughing so hard. This is what happened:

The ad did not list the company, which is common for craigslist. I was therefore not surprised when it was a recruiting company that called me about the position. They asked me to come in for a preliminary interview, saying they hoped to fill the position quickly. I showed up at their offices the next day feeling good, without a shred of nerves. The woman at the recruiting company asked me if I felt comfortable “creating marketing and publicity campaigns.” Check. How about “working with media to promote products.” Yes, check. “Authors?” Yes, definitely. Turns out, the company I applied to is a local Christian book publisher. The kind that publishes amish romance fiction and self-help books for wives. You know, books that tell women how to submit to their husbands and diet for Jesus. So how did this feminist agnostic respond to the irony? Laughter. I restrained myself for the rest of the interview, but laughed the entire way home. And for hours after the interview I would start laughing at just the thought of it. I told Michael it would be like him showing up for a warehouse position and finding out that it’s a meat packaging facility run by conservative West Michiganders.

I declined an interview with the company.

In other news, Michael and I had drinks with one of my co-workers and her husband this weekend. We like them. A lot. They love biking, camping, and books, and are funny, honest, and earnest people. I’ve really enjoyed the anonymity of a new city but being SO unknown can be overwhelming. It is therefore a relief to sit with new friends who don’t actually feel so new!

We also climbed Iron Mountain this weekend. The wildflowers were in bloom and magnificent. The hike took about five hours and in that time we saw lush forest, wildflower meadows, volcanic desert, snow, and more. What a landscape! When we made summit we were able to see the Three Sisters, Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, and more. This trail was a bit more populated than the last one we were on, so we had the opportunity to talk with a few people, including a very nice older couple. They asked if we knew our mountains because they were trying to determine one in the distance. I replied “Unfortunately, not well. We’ve only been here four weeks.” The older gentleman exclaimed “Only four weeks and you’ve discovered Iron Mountain? It took me fifteen years!” I understand his exclamation. Iron Mountain is a treasure.

Here are some pictures: