Scrappy Blog

Over the past few months I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out what I want to do when I grow up… and then trying to figure out how to do it.  I think that quest is complete (though I’m too superstitious to announce it until I have the written offer in hand). 

I’m one of those people who are unreasonably terrified by change.  So the whole process has been a ruthless suppression of my wibbling fright while I carry forward with resumes, interviews, and all that jazz.  As a result my body was probably producing cortisol like mad… and I’ve picked up just enough weight that none of my nice professional clothes fit well any more. 

So I’ve resolved, for the first time in my life, to deliberately try to lose some weight.  Ideally I’d be taking a whole-foods, low-fat, low-sugar, home-cooked portion control route… but since I’m still in the midst of a huge life change and still busy, stressed, and distracted, I’d never manage that.  So I’m doing meal-replacements.  I get a couple “treat” meals a week (Fri night dinner, Sunday brunch).  Normal days, I replace two meals with a slimfast and a snack.  If a particularly healthy meal offers itself (like Sushi for lunch last Friday), I’ll do just one meal replacement.

Continuing to work out daily but that’s not really a change.

Dunno why I’m posting this here except that it might help keep me honest.  It’ll be easier to pay attention to this for more than a week if I have the support of my friends 🙂

So I suppose that’s my short but major list of  new year resolutions:  start new job, lose weight until my clothes fit again.  What else should I add?

Anyone have a Roomba?  (paging

nicoleallee

and

johnbrandon

)

With two cats, two litter boxes, a couple cardboard scratching posts, and a couple shedding feathered cat toys, I’m feeling the need to vacuum really often.  And recently I was utterly grossed out when I looked under the bed, where my traditional vacuum can’t reach.

Questions:  does it do OK transitioning from carpet to hard floor?  does it freak out if it finds a shoelace on the floor?  how about a pile of paper clutter?  what else should I know before indulging myself, here?

So much going on, I really should post about it.  But for the moment, a simple observation.

After years of cat ownership I was aware that it’s cute when a cat washes her own face:  lick paw, swipe ear, repeat.

Really cute is when two cats recognize this isn’t getting the job done very fast, so they wash one each other’s faces*  –  simultaneously.  It’s become a nightly ritual for my girls.

*so – what exactly is the right thing to do with the apostrophe in that sentence?

Merry Tuesday, all!  Hope you have the day off and that you are able to enjoy friends and family on this national holiday.

So yesterday I had an in-person interview.  I dressed nicely and showed up on time and we had lively discussions about the people and the work and at the end, I had a verbal promise for an offer later in the week.

So I guess that went OK.

Today one of my blog feeds pointed me to a “funny” post about interview screwups… I’m rather glad I didn’t get it earlier as it probably would have fed my nervousness.  One of the stories describes a guy who wore a “poorly-fitting” suit and sneakers to an interview for a programming job.  He also wandered away from the interview room while unattended, and was found (after a search) browsing the bookshelves in a private office. He didn’t get the job, despite an excellent resume and recommendations.

The comments section was full of people who felt it was unreasonable to discount the guy for his clothing choices.  Several posters appeared to feel very strongly about this.   Their position:  what does it matter how a programmer dresses, as long as his technical skills are good?

I often use this space to see how other peoples’ opinions differ from mine, and to test the validity of my own opinions.  So here’s my opinion – tell  me how I’m wrong: 

An interview is an attempt to determine whether the applicant can do the job.  Most jobs involve some element of working with other people – in a programming job, for example, often several people need to work together to produce a single final product.  There may also be interaction with the potential end-users.  All of this requires some basic minimum in social and communication skills. How do you know if an applicant has that basic minimum social competency?  Well, someone who isn’t aware of common clothing conventions, or typical rules of public and private space, is probably a little weak on other social conventions as well.  And therefore that person is a poor candidate for a job involving interaction with other people, no matter how strong his tech skilz.

So am I wrong?

1.  Have meeting at coffeehouse, imbibe two cups strong coffee and a sweet pastry.
2.  As of 11:30 AM you’ve had nothing else to eat that day
3.  Cell phone rings:  someone’s excited about getting you in for an interview for a job that sounds like it was designed with you in mind.  A local job – wouldn’t require travel or moving.  In an area you’re passionate about.  For a salary which, while less than your potential, is reasonable enough that it’s worth continuing negotiations.

They’re eager enough that the interview is Monday (Christmas eve). 

Shake.  Shake.  Shake.  I better get some food into me.  The adrenaline rush will just have to settle out on its own.

A full-size poodle that had been dyed green and had a red bow tied around its neck.  His owner was dressed to match…

It’s Dec 19th.  In less than a week, the days will start getting longer.

I have been more resistant to the urge to hibernate this year – maybe the vitamins?  But I’ll welcome a bit more sun.

Recently various folk (Hi,

immlass

  and drelmo!) were talking about the “nice guy” phenomenon – that is, the icky guy who is only being nice to you because he thinks you’ll put out…

And then today I was listening to random CDs today and hit a few songs from George Michael’s “Faith”… like “I want your sex”:

****

“I swear I won’t tease you, Won’t tell you no lies; I don’t need no bible, Just look in my eyes
I’ve waited so long baby, Now that we’re friends; Every man’s got his patience, And here’s where mine ends

It’s playing on my mind, It’s dancing on my soul, It’s taken so much time, So why don’t you just let me go
I’d really like to try, Oh i’d really love to know,
When you tell me you’re gonna regret it, Then i tell you that i love you but you still say no!

****
You know, when I was fifteen or so and this song came out, I didn’t find myself thinking “yeah, Georgie, since when is friendship with me supposed to have a guaranteed physical payback? And, er, no, you don’t have a right to have sex with me just because you tell me you love me!” Although I’m pretty sure I was clear on those concepts even then, but I don’t think I ever listened to the words that closely.

Or how about this little treasure?

****
It’s late, Time for bed;
So I sit, and wait For that gin and tonic To go to your head

You know That I remain a gentle man
But even so There’s only so much A gentleman can stand
Sleep with me Oh sleep with me tonight
****

Then switched over to classic jazz. And was in a sufficiently cynical frame of mind to note:

****
Gimme a kiss to build a dream on
And my imagination
Will thrive upon that kiss
Sweetheart, I ask no more than this
A Kiss to build a dream on

When I’m alone with my fancies
I’ll be with you
Weaving romances
Making believe they’re true

*****

Um… so, is the above (sung by the immortal Louis Armstrong, I believe) sweet, or just creepy? …. I’m leaning toward creepy and more than a little pathetic…

Enough.  Time to go to sleep.

Friday I had another informational interview about a possible job that would have me working for the same company as

nicoleallee

– the work sounded like fun and they sounded interested in continuing forward to another interview, so I’m cautiously hopeful. 

So that’s who we bought the car from, Friday night.  Total time on phone – maybe an hour (spread out over a couple hours, with gaps between calls).  Total time in dealership, filling out paperwork – an hour or less.  End deal, pretty good I think. 

Then I ordered myself a new camera (Canon digital Elph – I like having a little camera around to take shots of the cats and I ought to return the one I’ve borrowed) which should be arriving tomorrow. 

Saturday I slept in, worked out, acquired insurance for K’s new car, then lazed around until evening, then went to have dinner with friends.  There was wine and italian food and cards and conversation and much, much laughter.  Made me very aware of how lucky I am to have such good friends.

Today I worked out, had brunch with a friend, did all my clinic paperwork for the week, went and bought silly toys for my cats (I’m slowly redecorating my entire home in cat furniture…), worked a little on a handicraft project, and caught up a bit on email.

So yeah, it was a good weekend.  Hope everyone has a good week.

Anyone have a newer desktop Mac?

I have a G5 desktop and overall find it to be quite satisfactory.  But, it’s an astonishingly noisy machine.  The fan runs loudly, and constantly.

I understand part of the issue was that the G5s were the last ones with the old mac chips, before they went over to intel (which I guess runs cooler?)  I may have a chance to replace my desktop machine in the not-so-distant future and am wondering whether a newer Mac would be quieter, or whether I should go for a PC.  I like the Mac OS but maybe not quite enough to justify the constant white noise bombardment.

On other fronts, who makes the best laptops these days?  Who sells PC laptops that DON’T have Vista?