Mathmatical equations and Weird questions

After doing some calculations, I have discovered that in the last 16 months, I have been unemployed for 9 months.  And if you count the last 20 months, I have not been working 12 of those months (because 3 months I was on maternity leave). Ugh, that is depressing.  Last time I was unemployeed I kept track of all the jobs I applied for because I was afraid unemployment might track me down and force me to prove I had been trying to get a job.  Last week my husband asked me if I had been doing that this time and I said no.  He said I should and keep a running tally on Facebook or Twitter or something, which did not sound like something that would boost my confidence.  But, I had to take a break from sending out resumes, so I counted it out. 

Last time around I applied for 53 jobs and had 16 interviews before landing a job.  So far, this time around, I have applied to 49 jobs and have had 14 interviews.  While it's a little disheartening to think that I have sent my resume out for 102 jobs in the last year and a half, the fact that I have had 30 interviews makes me feel pretty good about my return.  Thirty percent is a pretty respectable percentage, I feel. Now the return on interviews seems less than excellent but I can now say that I have 2 out of 30 (which is 6%) because I now have a job!!! A temporary job, but it is a job that pays real money. And if you are like most people that live on the planet earth, you know that money is pretty essential to living.

Of all of my interviews, I had the weirdest one ever this week (not for the job I just got) and that is saying a lot coming from the interview queen here.  This was described to me in an email as a "phone screen", which usually means, let us confirm you are not a crazy and that you didn't just make up all the stuff on your resume.  I prepare by looking over the job description and jotting down some notes about some areas they might ask me about. I might as well have used one of Elijah's drawings for this one.  This is how the interview started:
"Hi, is this Emily?"
"Yes"
"Is this still a good time to talk?" (it is the scheduled phone interview time)
"Yes"
"Ok. Tell me something you learned this week."
"(pause)....That's a great question...(pause)...(insert lame answer)"
"Tell me something you're curious about."
"(pause)...Wow, there are a lot of things I'm curious about...(pause)...(insert another lame answer)"
Nothing about the job or my work background. Nothing.  She actually asked what book I was currently reading.  And there was no conversational chit-chat with this woman, it was just one questions after another.  And the weird thing is, this isn't even the supervisor in the department, this is the "talent manager" or some other ridiculously titled HR person. And it's not like it's some podunk nonprofit either, it is a university. What the what, right?

Needless to say this interview really rattled me as well as pissing me off.  She said I would get an email by the end of next week that would offer me an in person interview or one that says, and I am quoting, "Thanks, but no thanks."  I think it was a test to see if I could think on my feet and I would have to say that from my long silences during that phone conversation, I failed.