Yay, I finally finished my May photos! There's a mixture of the last days of school, my partner's babies' baptism and the official opening of sports season. Two more months to go.
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Last weekend I got together with an old acquaintance. She was sweet, charming, beautiful, had a great sense of humor and an accent, wants to do non-profit work and loves to travel. We talked endlessly and I didn't even notice the time. I couldn't stop thinking about her afterwards and she was likewise excited about our get-together.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention she has a fiance too. Oh, and she lives across the Pacific.
Yesterday my boss asked me if I knew how to spell "myriad". My first day of work he called me at 5:10 to see if I was still at work. A few days ago, I was given an hour to assemble and turn in a grant. I feel like I'm going through admin assistant boot camp.
I got my first ticket today after moving. $50 for a meter fine is outrageous. The last time i spent $50 that quick for something illegal was in Las Vegas and it didn't involve dice.
Every week that I've crossed the street to the store I've almost been hit by crazy drivers. I'm hoping one day it will actually happen so I can get this $50 back.
I got an email from Peace Corps this week for an interview. Of couuurse. No, don't call me two weeks ago when I would've jumped at this opportunity. No, email me right at the threshold of the point of no return for my current job. Well, I did get a raise and furloughed in the span of a week into it so that would be a good excuse if I had to. If. How about you stop being idiots about my medical bill first?
The chaos of my apartment has finally settled down I think. We'll see if it gets reflected in my rent next month. I just used my kitchen to full capacity and I didn't burn the place down. I mean I have electric stoves so you'd think there wouldn't be any flames. Yeah, unless I was in the kitchen.
I just checked my mail at my new apartment for the first time. Things are looking up.
]]>My lucky streak since I've been back to the U.S.:
It just took me two hours to pick up and drop off my nephew and niece from school. 2 hours! I have driven to San Diego in less time. Some gang bangers decided to shoot up a local bar and now all the streets are closed off. The driving-with-a-car honeymoon period has definitely worn off.
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...pics are up.
]]>Last week my packages finally arrived from Moldova. I had shipped back home a bunch of my clothes and some electronics in 3 boxes. One arrived opened with my things taken out and random books, cheap clothes, and a plastic thingy put back in. Needless to say, I'm pretty peeved.
I am also missing a package from UPS now, getting my T-mobile bill reduced, worked on an insurance claim, got my car fixed up, and who knows what else. Ugh, the curse of having too many things. Because of that, I've spent more time here on the phone with CSRs than I ever have in Moldova. In fact, I think I spent 0 minutes on the phone with a CSR in Moldova.
Two weeks ago, I participated in the 9/11 volunteering day at a LA garden. I met up with a bunch of previous and potential PCV's to try and network and see if I can find some work. I left covered in sweat and dirt and my future still looking like a fog of war.
Last week I went to my first Rotary meeting to try and get sponsored for the Ambassador scholarship. It was a dud. The person helping me couldn't even remember my name or where I was stationed. Romania? Timmy Geo? He's a doctor though so I'm not too surprised. He also told me that the scholarship has actually been canceled but considering my experience with him that day, I need to find a second opinion.
After that I went down to drop my niece off at UCSD. They have a horrible moving in situation. You have a set time that you're allowed to come in. Of course you think, "Oh I have an appointment, this should be easy." It was about as easy as trying to get rid of Giardia. They make you wait in one line and then another line and then another. We waited almost two hours inching along with almost a hundred other cars and when I left, there was still a line. There was a about 5 bajillion volunteers/workers who kept telling us the same things (stay to your right, please move up 2 inches) and yet nothing was actually getting done. I hope my nieces education won't be anything like that.
Ready to leave that place with earnest, I headed over to see a friend who I haven't seen in over eight years from my Vietnam program. She was just as beautiful as when I first met her, works at UCSD, has a newborn and a house. I only envied that she had a job, the rest I could do without. But it works for her and I'm glad she has found what she needs.
Surprisingly, she was the only person who has really been interested in my PC experience. Yeah, not my family who has known me my whole life (some who think I was in New Zealand studying), not my friends who I've known for more than eight years, not even my bff. No, a girl that I met for four months, had a crush on, living in a different place, at a different time.
In keeping with the EAP reunion theme I then went to see another friend from my Australia program. She did have her own house as well but luckily no children. I was surprised considering everyone and their moms are getting engaged or married. I made Canh Cua for the first time and it turned out not that bad considering there were ZERO Asian supermarkets around.
As I was driving home on the 5, the gas light went on. Thinking my sisters' car was like all my other ones, I felt pretty confident I could make it home even if the needle went below zero. I was wrong and paid for it by waiting on the 5 fwy for 1 1/2 hours as cars and trucks were happily enjoying their day constantly zooming by inches away. I almost didn't even make it over to the meridian as my car was choking on fumes and I was on the far left lane.
That was my adventure for the week. Now it's back to chauffeuring, volunteering, studying and looking for work.
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Finally got a new car. Now I'm free to do nothing. I got buyers remorse of course. Wrong color, too expensive, wrong type, too expensive. Good thing I'm not Catholic or else the excess guilt would drown me.
I'm volunteering now as a way to get out of the house and procrastinate on getting a job. The other day two little kids were out of control. Like throwing things and shouting and yelling out of control. And then I wonder if people realize how lucky they are to have the right to bear children. And then take advantage of it and ruin it for everyone else. There should be a system like what we have for credit scores. Earn it. Someone needs to make that happen. Ok, I'm sure Obama could articulate that more coherently (like he just did for Health Care [my first Obama speech btw])
I'm also blogging to procrastinate. I've still yet to find a job but heck I'm an American. I live outside my means! But I do have Amsterdam and Belgium pics up.