I'm bored! I've been bored, but it's been nice at the same time to have the opportunity to be bored- it means my life isn't so hectic that I can't catch a breath! I just keep telling myself that this is only a temporary point in my life and I know it's true, I just can't wait for the next chapter!
Josh received a Conditional Job offer the week before Christmas with Clatskanie, Oregon's Police Department and we couldn't be happier! He interviewed and tested in central Oregon on Saturday the 18th and then we headed north to Clatskanie to check into a hotel and relax until his interview Monday. We had the puppies with us so it was a really nice little family trip! His interview lasted longer than the other interviews he's had so that was nerve-wracking and exciting all at the same time! He told me all about the interview after he got out and how well he thought it went! He said it was his best interview yet and that all the people that he met/interviewed with were such great people and they had a great dynamic! We were both so very hopeful as we drove out of Clatskanie and towards home! 2 hours into our drive, Josh got a phone call from the Chief of Police asking him when he could be back for a Chief's interview and that Josh was the interview panel's #1 choice for the position! We turned around, headed back to Clatskanie, and checked back into our hotel and Josh interviewed with the Chief the next morning! Josh called me about an hour into the interview saying that they were notorizing some papers and that I need to come inside because the Cheif wants to meet me! That could only mean one thing!!!
As the Chief shook my hand and introduced himself, he told me that they have offered Josh a conditional job offer and that they are very happy to have him! Josh was elated, but trying not to show it. He is such a pessimist even though he just received some of the most exciting news you could ask for!
So the conditional part of the job offer means he has to pass some stuff first.
1) He had to fill out a 20 page background information packet with questions regarding past employment, living arrangements, addresses, all family members, including mine, any criminal history in any family members, credit history and current situation and references! took him a while to gather all of that info but it's done! 2) He has to get his California POST (Peace Officer's Standards and Training) certification information over to Oregon's equivalent and see if Oregon will qualify him as Oregon certified based on his California qualifications since his certs are less than 5 years old. This sounds tough to me and like it is going to be a difficult process to compete but I guess it's totally possible. 3) He has to have a doctor's physical, which we have yet to hear about. 4) the department, after receiving his background packet, which they have, will conduct a thorough background investigation on him, pull his credit report and delve into the details he provided in his packet- Fingers Crossed here, but he has no skeleton's to hide so it should go very smoothly! 5) He is supposed to have a psych eval done but the department is going to try to use his psych evaluation that National City conducted prior to his hire there because again, it is less than 5 years old. Once all of this, and possibly more that I am missing, is completed, they should extend a full offer of employment with the Clatskanie Police Department! We are hoping that it will all fall into place by the end of this month or early February and we will pack up and move out of his dad's basement! put our whole lives into a U-haul again and move 12 hours away from here all the way to the beautiful pacific northwest! And I absolutely can't wait to make this move, because it means our lives will no longer be on hold but rather moving forward again!
We plan to find an apartment to rent or a duplex or something affordable/cheap for awhile, while we look into the possibility of owning our own home. Hopefully not too long into living there, we can buy a house and be settled!! Oh, I can't wait for that moment!
So the town of Clatskanie itself is TINY. Pronounced Clats-kin-I, with a long I at the end instead of E. Population- about 1,700 people. I keep comparing that to the entire student body of my high school my senior year and that it is less than that! HAHA
The Clatskanie river runs through the middle of town and feeds into the Columbia river, separating Washington state from Oregon. Clatskanie is about 30 minutes from Astoria, a pretty little coastal town bigger than Clatskanie, an hour from Seaside Oregon, which is where we stayed at a hotel on the beach on our pacific northwest trip. It's about 45 minutes from Portland and 20 minutes southwest of the bridge that crosses into Longview, WA which is most likely where I will find a job. and only a measly 2 1/2 hours to Seattle, which is really exciting! The town is an estimated 1.2 square miles! TINY HUH??? Now you can probably understand the size! But despite being small, you can tell that we are soooo close to big cities that shopping and work and everyday stuff wont be hard to accomplish in Longview, WA or Portland or Astoria!
Clatskanie, Oregon on a map!
City Hall
Mt St Helens from the Columbia River right outside of Clatskanie
Mt Rainier from Rainier, OR the town to east of Clatskanie
With a view of Longview, WA
The Farmhouse for sale that we told everyone about!
$230,000 7bdrm/2.5bath 2500 sq ft on 7 acres just outside of town!!
We won't get it, but it gives you an idea of real estate there!
Astoria, OR and bridgefrom WA into OR.
View from Washington
Seaside, Oregon
Seaside, OR coast
Josh and I are excited to start the next chapter of our lives and can't wait to get the final word on his job offer! Fingers crossed that all of the paperwork and hiring process goes smoothly and that he passes everything which he should so that we can MOVE and put down roots and maybe start a family!!
I will keep you all posted as things unfold!
Seaside, OR coast at sunset
