I have a job.

I had two interviews yesterday - one for Sanctuary Housing Association, which went well, and one horrible one for EDF Energy, which went horribly. Quite close to the end of the second four-hour-long abomination I checked my phone and found an answerphone message saying that I'd been successful with the first - result.

I need to phone a person called Vic to take it up, and after a trial period of hanging around the house, phoning pretty regularly, as I'd like to get to mass if I can (not possible now), in as much clothing as is necessary for both normal life AND working life, I decided I'd kill time by blogging about it.

I will be in the glamorous position of admin assistant in estates management, arranging for people to move into vacant properties. Sanctuary do affordable housing (very necessary round here, as we have high house prices, comparable to London I think, relatively high council tax due to the way it's calculated - the Council is always pushing to reform this - and some of the lowest incomes going by region), housing and care for the elderly and student accommodation as well, though it's not much of a problem in Exeter, so I guess that's mostly elsewhere.

I start on £12,594, which is fine, rising to £13,327 when "proficient" - pretty close to what I was on after two and a bit years at the Council, accompanied by what sounds like a rather swish benefits package including:

• Permanent Health Insurance
• Group Life Assurance

They put holiday under the heading of benefits, which is a bit of a cheek when paid holidays were made statutory in the early twentieth century (or so I seem to recall). Anyway, it's 26 days, which sounds pretty good to me, plus bank holidays. I think it might work out as about the same as the Council, as I think they were pretty generous with Christmas. Oh, and 35 hours rather than 37, which doesn't sound like much of a difference, but - a whole hour every day for lunch! Brilliant!

I don't know when I start yet - hopefully Monday, as it means I'll be able to sort things with the Jobcentre, agencies and take a pop at our front room, dining room and kitchen, all of which resemble bomb-sites to varying degrees.