job updates- no resolution

I guess this week was the week of making progress on the job front but not making progress on the job front. In no particular order, here are the job updates.

USF- I applied for a job at USF through a search agency. The last round was that I filled out this immensely long paper application that I did back in August when I was in Portland. It does not look like I made it to the next round. They have chosen three people to interview in person and as they have not contacted me to come in, I assume that i was not in those three people. But they said that they didn't want to release the candidates from the job search until they make a final selection.

Ohio- Ohio has gone very very quickly on me. I applied back in June/July. BUt they weren't reviewing applications until mid-Aug. mid-Sept I have a phone interview. Within the week, they want to fly me out, so about two weeks ago I went out and had a day long interview with half a billion people. With as quick as they were moving I assumed i would hear one way or the other very very quickly. Plus they said they wanted to open the office that this position would run by the end of the month and that requires hiring 25 staff people. So the following Monday (a week ago) I got an email from the head of the search committee saying that they were calling references. It didnt say they were calling my references and i thought it was oddly phrased, but I ended up chalking it up to my own nervousness about getting a new job and decided it was a good thing. But then over the week, I checked with my references and none of them have gotten calls. But I can't imagine why she would say they were checking references if I didn't make the cut, rather than just not sending an update. I didn't email and ask for an update. So I don't know what will happen with that. I assume that she may email on Monday again with another update... or sometime this week I get a rejection letter? I dont really know.

ED- Still no word from the Dept. of Ed, which will be an official 6 months in another week or so since i first interviewed there. My friend who works there came and saw me at work the other day and i mentioned that I still hadn't heard anything and whatnot. He emails me the next day saying that the assistant secretary that I had interviewed with 6 months ago and then funneled me to this new office thought I had already started? Its like a comedy of errors it seems.

My thought is that if Ohio offers I will take it. Its too much money and added responsibilities to turn it down. If it is a no go then I will be more aggressive with the Department. So we shall see.