Bill emailed ESO HR in Santiago yesterday to ask what the hell is going on. Now, whether this is just inter-agency bickering or not I don't know, but Santiago said that it was being held up by NRAO. Now, that begins to NOT sound plausible, since NRAO have managed to get him an offer for the other job. Unless they really want him to take the Charlottesville job and think making him wait for the CHile job offer will fix that...
We talked a little last night, and the Charlottesville job is a definite no-go. He would be away arounf half the time - we're not going to live like that for 2 or 3 years. That's why we all want to be in Chile together, he'll still be away a significant amoun tof time, but it will rarely be more than 8 days at a time.
He's just heard from another Brit who's just gone out on ESO terms and condiditons, and it sounds as though NRAO's might be better if you have kids in school. Aargh. If NRAO allow you to name your home country for home leave type benefits, then it might be fine, and it migfht also make it easier to transfer to Charlottesville a few years down the road, if that's what BIll wants to do.
But we just sit here trying to imagine what things will say, becasue we don't have the damn pieces of paper. I suppose that since the two agencies are trying to make sure their offers are near identical, and one of the agencies has just offered him another job, the liklihood is that their second job offer will be the same grade and salary as the first - right? So maybe we already know the salary. But who knows about the allowances. We know what they are with ESO, but not with NRAO.
Oh this is so tedious.
As is trying to get through on either the phone or the website to book tickets for Richard Dawkins at the book festival.
Oh and, my
Regia Bamboo socks? They are very pretty, but unfortunately there are a bit hard on the feet. And they've been washed a few times, I don't think they are going to soften up anymore. They are fine inside my fluffy lined
rocket dogs, but not in my everyday shoes. damn. can't wear fluffy lined shoes in the "summer". I use inverted commas, becasue well, you call this summer? Anyway, the socks are so uncomfortable that I'm going to have to change them before I walk up to gt Thomas, then down to get Nico. The car is in the shop, getting its brakes sorted so that we can tow the trailer tent with confidence!
And I still can't get through to the book fest box office. But I really want to do something with my morning that doesn't involve being sat here at the computer, so I'm going to have to tkae a chance on them selling out, and walk away for a while.