Schmoozing...

(Part) of my new job looks like this, which is wayyyyy different than the nerdy-geeky-drinking-excessively conferences that I'm used to attending:





I ordered business cards on Monday (essential!) AND a few pieces of clothing with the company logo (I got to pick from a catalog - fun because I got to choose clothing without having to pay for it). I went with a beige collared button up shirt for a "professional" look (small company logo on left pocket area) and a white, stretchy T-shirt for the "booth babe" part of the job :) I was tempted by a pair of hot looking yoga pants (maybe with the logo emblazoned on the ass?) but decided I probably didn't need to advertise non-model organism anti-bodies during workouts. Huzzah! I'm looking forward to the conference next week.

Low-income housing

We've succeeded in finding an apartment in the village where we work now. It was surprising difficult, as we weren't interested in a full year long lease and have a pet. Two no-nos in a college-driven town. But a tiny thing (probably under 500 square feet) in an old house (don't think we'll get the queen size boxspring up the stairs) for $400/month, all utilities included. Which works well for us since neither will be getting paid for a few more weeks, and we keep blowing our money on two wheeled vehicles :)

And we are still on the search for a house. The little hovel on the floodplain here in EmploymentVillage is definitely out (yeesh), but there are a few other very cute options as well as a "bank re-po, super-fixer-upper" back in Hometown that I'm convinced is the best financial investment. We are waiting on the realtors to acquire keys, then we can get inside the place and assess the damage (very bad, I'm told, mostly mold) and the condition of the electrical wiring and plumbing (mostly good, I think, based on the age of the house). That would be a good project for the next six months.

But at least now we don't have to commute, and our cat can emerge from the in-laws basement where he has been residing for the last few months. Poor thing probably has seasonal-affective disorder by now...

Secret question of the day

What is your mother's maiden name?

So in the past few days, as part of my new job (as well as just ordinary-run-of-the-mill password expiry deadlines), I've had to remember a bunch of new passwords. And ohmy, it's getting ridiculous. It used to be so easy, a person's name (or your pet) 5 to 8 characters long. I used to just change the password when it expired to the same password, and no problem-o. But not now:



The code is nearly impossible to crack, even when I'M THE ONE PICKING THE PASSWORD.

My brain hurts.

July in the maritimes

I know, I know! It's been too long since I've complained about the weather.

Well: Weatherperson is calling for frost this evening.


Yay!!! This is just the beach weather I've been waiting for all fucking year long!!

I think that makes me a two year old

Well, I bought the scooter. And then I saw an awesome, navy blue, immaculate 1988 Honda Shadow on the side of the road. And bought that one too.

Vroom vroom vroom...



Like this, only navy, with saddle bags.

Maturity

Would it be irresponsible of me to spend 2K on a scooter (for "commuting") when we don't even have a house OR apartment yet? Eh? Eh?

I hope not, cause that Vino is seriously calling my name.

Ma Domain

Today is my first day in the new lab, in my new position (technical title: lab bench monkey/logistical queen). It appears this room is used mostly as a glorified closet, as I'm by myself (once this morning, an undergrad swept in, took an aliquot of some liqiud, nodded courteously, and then swept out) and the place is littered with bugs bits. I swept about a gajillion bug carcasses from the floor/window sills this morning. That is about a gajillion more than should be in an area used for RNA prep. A live one actually flew down my shirt! That was fun. Anyway, since my bosses are technically on vacation until Thursday, I'm amusing myself by scrubbing the floors/desks/windows/lab benches and reading up on the protocol I know nothing about but that I'm responsible for ordering reagents for.

The second look at the Hovel House didn't go so well this morning. Our agent, who had never seen the place, was appalled at the condition and fairly convinced we could never sell it for much. Apparently its in a flood plain, and could be the reason the "musty basement" smell is so, ummm...predominant. She said we could certainly rent it out after fixing it up (which could potentially involving hiking it up three more feet), but not really sell it for much. So now we must decide whether we are in for the long term or not. It makes me sad that the place was so uncared for, for so damn long, it is practically a tear-down now. She firmly declared it wasn't worth half of the asking price though, which was encouraging. We'll see.

AND!!!! Check it out: http://sappyrecords.com/SappyFest_09/lineup.html
It's nearly as good as it gets around here. Ohbijou!!

The band my babysitter liked in 1988

Feckin eh, if I hear one more song for the heavily promoted, "oh-my-good-guess-who's-playing-next summer?!?", terrible eighties hair band on the radio I'm going to get stabby.

Hovel lovah

So, the more I think about this little house in the new town where I'll be working (hurmm..."town" is an awfully strong word. More like "village"), the angrier I get at the person who is selling it. Check out the pictures:







You would think, from the above pictures, that major renovations are underway. But in reality, other than the recently ripped up linoleum flooring piled up in the entry, this house is untouched from the last student renter. I know because when I was an undergrad, a friend WAS renting this place four years ago and it was a mess then. No fireplace on the livingroom hearth - just an exposed flue with insulation stuffed inside. Etc, etc... It makes me angry when landlords would rent a place they would NEVER live in themselves. Its exploitative and repulsive behaviour. And as a result, I don't want to pay her anywhere near what she is asking for the house. She just "happened to" drop by last night when I was checking out the house, to check up on her landscaper. Picture a blond cougar driving a big black SUV, who has hired a Mexican man (in an area of ridiculous caucasian homogeneity) to landscape (ie raze the waist-high grasslands) and rip up the linoleum. It took all I had not to hiss at her. Gross.

Too much bitching will blacken my heart. I hope she knows when to fold 'em, and take our offer at 88% asking price.

Huntin'

The two week anniversary of our European return is tomorrow. Currently my husband is away on the Magdalene Islands, exploring via bicycle the islands connected to the continent by a five hour ferry. While he was away, I had one formal interview and an informal meeting at two potential employers. The interview went really well, and I started to get excited about the prospect of working there. The informal discussion, with the head of the Molecular Biology unit at the local governmental office, was friendly and sympathetic, but told me her hands were tied at the moment due to physical constraints on the lab (ie she has money and projects but no more room. I guess). So that left one job in my field, which is at a small start-up company in a small town with a small university. Same university where I did my undergrad, actually. So they offered me the position (at a higher pay rate than the government job) and I accepted. Part two of this week's adventures involved figuring out where to LIVE. The small town is 40 minutes from Hometown, but lots of people commute. The two housing options break down thusly:

1. Bank re-po within a five minute walk to an excellent middle school in Hometown. Potential resale very high, the area was once one of the sketchiest streets in the city (my FIL was once a furniture delivery man. He had standing orders to not enter any houses on this one street by himself) but has since seen revitalization. Big time. But the paperwork is slow, as the listing actually expired last time, so it isn't even technically on the market (I just found it snooping by chance) and is in rough shape, apparently. New windows, metal roof, but black mold everywhere and just getting worse. It would be a gut job, but potentially limited to items we can do (replacing roof, stairwell, insulation, drywall, siding) and not items we can't do (electrical, plumbing, foundation work). Would still need to commute though, which means two cars I think. Two NEW cars, since ours is dying (the mechanic delivered the news earlier this week)

2. Small place in University Town, was rented for students for years as it is so close to downtown. But man, I was just inside, and it is a wreck. No insulation, thermal pane windows, creaky EVERYTHING. Also a gut job. But, I could walk to my new place of employment, and we could rent it to pay off the mortgage if we ever decided to move on. It a good long term investment. I'll try to upload some pictures to give an idea of the gross condition, though. Big job.

Anyway, the cafe where I've spent the dusk is closing. Time to head back into Hometown for a solo Friday at my moms place. Good times :)

I love this seasonally-inappropriate video:) Makes me want to be a red-head some days (I bought dye in Czech Republic, but haven't used it yet for fear of potential employer disapproval...oh, and the the directions are in the wrong language). The spider in the attic is too cute.

Home Sweet Home

It cold as fuck and the air smells like fish/the ocean.

Ahh....home.

Sigh. I hate London. I had to pay 5 pounds per hour for internet access at the budget hotel. Boo!!

But we got here, and other than the price of internet, the hotel is clean and worth the 50 pounds per night for a great soft bed and full washroom. We bought groceries before leaving Prague (and a czech garnet ring! SOO beautiful!!) so we've just camped out here, and will continue to do so before noon check out tomorrow. Then catch the free bus to the terminal, check-in, and fly home. Almost time for reality to set in. I keep getting emails from the realtor at home sending new listings, and I tallied up our total cost of our trip (somewhere around - cough- $5000 for two for three weeks) that doesn't even include the $2000 gadget we bought right before taking off, so I really ought to find a job. The manuscript writing is continuing after a false alarm, and I'm due to present my work next week at a conference in Hometown. I'll probably work on the presentation on the plane tomorrow.

Ha! Yeah right. Just kidding :) I'll probably spend the whole time worrying about money. Or reading The Cloud Atlas. I can't decide.

Cheers to everyone back home!

(Oh, and just in time I hear. The budget hotel news program tells me the WHO are suggesting borders be closed due to the swine flu. Not before I get home, bitches. I'll jump into the Thames if I get stuck in London...)