Sniffer 1 and Sniffer 2

Took the Typist I civil service test this morning. I reviewed for it until I couldn't stand thinking about it another second. The test was administered at our local community college, in their auditorium. No personal seat selection allowed; we were slotted one desk apart and the space was very tight. My teeny weeny fold-away desktop was barely letter paper size. Was it like this when I went to college in the '80's? Here's a horrible thought -- I've gotten bigger -- yew. At least I did fit into the seat and didn't have to ask for a Big Person/Handicapped Seat in the back. I juggled the admission form, survey sheet, scratch paper, answer page, and testing book. I was glad I chose my smallest calculator, as the regular one I use would have taken up most of the desktop. It was pretty claustrophobic.

Dr. Seuss has nothing on me, as I was placed between Sniffer 1 and Sniffer 2. They couldn't get into sync, as Sniffer 2 was occasional and Sniffer 1 was every minute. Perhaps this was a signal between them -- the updated Old North Church --"one sniff if by answer a, two sniffs if by answer b."

As with the Clerk test three weeks ago, I filled out the voluntary purple survey form, noting I was White and Female, just like 99% of the others today. Last time it was 100%.

Here's a survey question: why even test spelling any more? SpellCheck has cleared out much-needed space in my brain once reserved for spelling memory. I'm sure I took all of my hits on the spelling portion, as the rest of the test was common sense and attention to detail.

I finished an hour and ten minutes into the three hours allotted, and almost everyone else had already turned in their papers. It's all computer scored, but the results still take four weeks.

Outside once again, taking great breaths of clean air, trying to get my nasal passages to forget the bug spray some babe doused herself with. Claustrophobia, nasty cheap perfume, sniffling -- this civil service test was a true test -- of concentration.