Let the floodgates open.

So nothing ever happens to me slowly, in a spread-out manner. I have a good time period of calm, I get used to the way things are, then suddenly EVERYTHING appears at once.

My last major temp job ended June 30th. Two days prior to that, a few of us on the project were offered in on another long-term temp project, and I took it because, well, there was nothing else and this was at least 3 months' work. Later that day I got an interview for a job. I eventually didn't get that job when another applicant had worked for the competitor of the company, which understandibly is a huge leg up on me. Menawhile I'm waiting for the background check to be completed. I'd already gone through a Dept. of Homeland Security investigation and was cleared, but this was the Dept. of State. They can't possibly use the same FBI investigation that DHS used. That would be efficiency, and this IS the federal government, after all. So I waited. I began to take short temp jobs to fill the time, thinking it couldn't possibly drag on for 7 weeks like the last one did. Clients began to ask for me by name when arranging future temp jobs. I was booked through the second week of September.

Last week I responded to two ads that Hubby sent me from Craigslist. One company called me back the next day, and after a phone interview we arranged a face-to-face for tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. This morning I got a call that the DoS clearance has finished, and can I start tomorrow (Tuesday)? I had to fudge a bit and say I had something going this week, which I do, but I never actually said it was a job going, just "something". I said I could start next Monday, if that was OK. I called back my agency to cancel the future gigs I had lined up. On the way to pick up Ebay, my phone rang and it was the other Craigslist job with a sneak-attack phone interview.

Seriously? Why can't I be this popular the rest of the month, when I'm just sitting on my ass waiting for work?

So tomorrow I hope to wow them, but it's not the actual company, it's a headhunter for the actual company. I have to tell them that I would prefer to meet the company this week, but if they can't I may have to turn down the opportunity because there's no way I can get away for an interview once I begin working the other job next Monday. The hours are the same, with only a half-hour's lunch. Same goes for Sneak Attack.

You all understand that I'd have to take a permanent, salaried job with benifits over a temp-that-may-hire-permanent-but-nobody-can-confirm job, even if I feel super guilty over the time and resources they spent to get my clearance. But how can I get these two interviews in THIS WEEK so I don't lose the chance? I suppose I could call in sick some time next week if needed, but I'm not good at lying like that.

HR people? Any suggestions? Is there some polite way to get the point across that I'm on a time crunch without them saying to just forget it then?