It's over

The annual report is done - printed and delivered to NSF today.

Now what do I do at work?

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In other news, we have a kitty :) More info will come with pictures once he's social enough and no longer camera shy.

Happy New Year!

...and hopefully this year will be a great year

though, not like 2008 ended horribly....

As you all know, I went back home to Seattle for Christmas and this is what it looked like off the deck in the back:

(you got to love the little pathway carved out by the dog)

I think it was at least a foot and a half deep once we got there, and it stayed and kept snowing all through Christmas and the day after...

Anyway, I should back up a bit...

To be able to take my vacation and still get pay given that I am still in my "probation period," I worked mega hours at MIRTHE, trying to get the annual report out before the end of the year - Volume II was completed just 45 minutes before Andrew had to pick me up to go to the train station to get to Newark. Now, the mega hours were more in trying to get the report done before I left, not necessarily to have money.

Okay, so I worked, then took the train to Newark Liberty Int'l Airport and got on a 6-hour flight - all without a hitch! Luckily, we flew when there was a break in the weather - no problems leaving, no problems getting into SeaTac, not a single problem to get up to the in-law's house (big, big hill, and we know how Seattle is with maintaining their roads when covered with ice and snow). And of course, got into the house and a big, black furry thing was more than happy to see me (I scratched him for a good 30 minutes before he was thinking about being content)

And then it snowed again.

Of course, since I've been busy with work and had to travel, I had to do a bit of last minute Christmas shopping, plus everyone wanted out of the house while the 4-wheel-drive could still get up and down the hill. Shopping on the 24th in Bell-Square wasn't bad at all, thanks to the weather, and was highly successful where it only took 15 minutes to find Andrew's gift at Macy's (all other gifts were coming via FedEx or mail...) Unfortunately, I hitched a ride home in Keith's XB (he had the opportunity to make it down the hill and get a satallite radio installed in it) and ended up walking back up to the house. Never again will I do that in my Danskos in 18 inches of snow (but I guess I had to at least experience it, right?)

And it continued to snow - Newport Covenant cancelled Christmas Eve service... but we still had our nice ham dinner that night.

Christmas day - opened gifts, baked sugary stuff, baked crescent rolls, couldn't get out of the house, got bored. Highlights to the gifts this year:
- money for stuff, like Seattle art (which we finally purchased on the day we left- took three times total in trying to go to the artist's shop in Pike Place Market to browse and purchase when he was open) and food
- Kitchen aid standing mixer jucing attachment, which Nancy was willing to trade in and pay some extra to get me a new 5-speed hand mixer (snow and Andrew kept her from doing so in the first place - currently waiting for the package to show up here in Princeton)
- pretty sapphire/diamond necklace from Andrew (and he finally learned how to pull one over me - for those of you curious, bug me and I'll let you know how he did it - let's just learned that he learned that it's good to lie to me, especially when it comes to buying me something)

The days after Christmas kind of run together on me - still snowed in, and trying to reccouperate from all the work that I did prior to the vacay - let's say that I napped a lot.

Though, a couple other highlights of the trip to Seattle - got to see Becky and Danielle. Oh, and we hit up our favorite food places that we can't get in Princeton: Taco Del Mar and Kidd Valley (at Coulon, mind you)

Coming back to Princeton was rather bitter sweet. Before even finishing my packing, I got a call from work asking if I could go in Wednesday. Now, our plane left Seattle at 4 PST and got into Newark 12 EST, with a train ride after that - we got home at 2 am Wednesday morning - at least they were cool with me coming in at noon. Apparently, Volume I still had a lot of work to do. Also, Seattle is still home, and coming back to Princeton still doesn't feel quite like home.

Anyway, went into work Wednesday and I practically got to pick up right where I left off. We all still had New Year's off, but I went back in today and worked 9.5 hours - and Princeton called today a holiday, so hopefully some extra moola there. I begged out of going in tomorrow, since I'm still waiting on sections to be completed before I can format them in my uber-word document, but I will be going in Sunday since this thing needs to be at the printers ASAP on Monday... At least the good news is that I still have a day of comp time to use, so maybe once this thing is at NSF I can take an extended weekend...

And don't get me started on Word 2007... I hate how it likes to stylize my copied-over text, default font of Calibri 11 pt (not Times New Roman 12 pt, which is what this document needs to be in for the majority of it), and how even though if you save it as a 97-2003 document all is well but actually isn't...

*sigh*

Anyway, one of the reasons to make tomorrow a day off (besides I didn't get my full vacation) is that Andrew and I will be looking at kitties to adopt. Any tips/suggestions, please leave a comment - I don't want to feel like a faluire again...

That should be it for now - sorry to post so long, life is busy with work and otherwise boring. If we're successful at adoption with a new kitty family member, I'll be sure to post all about it with pictures.

ta-ta for now

Update/Brain Dump

Yes, it's been a while. Been working, and adjusting to working, which translates to me coming home and ploping down on the couch until it's time for bed.

Also, what doesn't help is that I managed to get some sort of stomach bug. Woke up early Monday morning just as sick as can be, called in sick after my alarm went off, and was very thankful for water to finally stay down. I'm still recovering a bit, but I can at least eat again. Still not drinking as much fluid as I normally do, so I guess I'm drinking like a normal person, but that's of course translating to me still being dehydrated.

Job is going okay. Though honestly I am really starting to wonder if it's THE job for me. I really don't have a sense as to what my job description really is (and the fun is that I eventually need to provide a 1-2 sentence short description for upload on the main PRISM site). Also don't really have a sense of purpose. So far, I am collecting information for the annual report and doing the miscellaneous tasks that come down my way as people think of them. I understand that they need someone in this position, but as I'm going through this day by day, I am starting to feel like it requires a more out-going personality, which I am not. I'm very shy. And I need a sense of accomplishment - everything seems to be on-going. I like the people, the hours, and the commute, just not necessarily liking the position.

Maybe this is all because I've been sick and really missing my life back in Seattle...

Andrew has been busy with school - NSF proposal was due today, which he submitted last night, and he's been consumed with coursework, and of course you need to add on there that he needs to meet with so many professors before submitting his picks for thesis projects.

Boy would I love to have my 110-pound black lab here convincing me to scratch him.

The apartment is a mess, need to do laundry, need to grocery shop, but I really don't want to do it, but I know it's driving me nuts. Andrew finds that he cannot work here at the desk, so the "office" really isn't being used, especially since I haven't sewn since I started the job.

I feel so alone...

What am I doing here?

Where should I be?

First day of being a Tiger

I survived the first day and I think I'll go back. Not too bad so far.

The day started out with the HR Orientation (aka, turn in your payroll forms, listen to all the policies, learn about the benefits available, etc...) but I got to watch an information video about Princeton - a brief history of Princeton to be exact. I learned about the history of the campus during the Revolutionary War, the key presidents of the university, and learned that that aerial scene of pretty buildings and lawn with what looks to be a dirt track field in Fox's TV medical drama "House" is actually a shot of campus (since all the doctors of House work in Princeton-Plainsboro hospital - yeah, that's fictional - first clue: since when did a hospital look like that on the inside?)

Afterwords I got to go get my TigerCard, which I can put PawPoints (yes, PawPoints) on for buying food on campus, opening doors, accessing the library. UW has prettier cards, but then again, I'm bias, but at the same time, I did not look orange on my student or staff id...

Anyway, then I got to find my way over to the E-Quad to eventually be shown my work space. Now brace yourselves, my lovely UWAA friends - I HAVE AN OFFICE!!! AND I DON'T HAVE TO SHARE IT!!! (as of right now, there is a second desk in there in case they run out of space). Only bummer right now is that my phone line is currently in the office next door, so if my phone rings, Roxanne will yell at me to say that it's ringing for me to run over and grab it (I'm sure you can relate to this headache Kristin). Though, I have to say, it seems foreign to work a day at a computer and not have to be there to answer a phone - doesn't seem to be a problem that my phone is in the office next door right now.

So, as of right now, I have an office, computer with login and email, and starting the task of organizing all the info coming in for the annual report (two volumes) for NSF saying where the center is in the research. And tomorrow I get to be a friendly face for high-schoolers checking in and wondering where the bathroom is for an event tomorrow (this is reminicient of my first day at the UWAA. Only thing is is that I have to learn what to do in the afternoon so that I can take care of it for the same event Thursday since the coordinator of this event has to leave early on Thursday... ahh, the start of the "catch-all" title in the job description...)

Guess it's time to Huskify the place - nobody there to tell me that the colors are all wrong.

:)

Dawg gone Tiger

Well, the news is now official as Princeton HR has finally contacted me, but I won't be getting the formal letter for a couple of days.

I have a job.

I will be working at MIRTHE (Mid-InfraRed Technologies for Health and the Environment, which is under the big umbrella known as PRISM (Princeton Research Institute for the Science/technology of Materials), funded by a huge NSF award, located in the E-Quad, not too far away from Andrew and his studies, which will be kinda nice. Find a life on campus and maybe catch lunch every now and then with the boy. I will be the "Office Coordinator," and as I understand it from the day of interviewing for the position is the person who is the catch-all, doer of all things that everybody else can't do. Main tasks that I hear is website updating, keeping people on task, event coordination (booking rooms, caterers, etc), and all basic office upkeep (filing, copying, errands, etc).

I will be starting Monday, first with a 3-hour orientation with HR.

So much for the life at home quilting...

Am I done interviewing?

So, Tuesday I had an interview, and today I completed that interview...

Tuesday I met with MIRTHE, which is a part of PRISM, which is a science/technology insitute at Princeton. Originally I was scheduled to meet with three people, and it ended up being seven, basically, everyone on the team. Can I say, exhausting? Never before have I interviewed with so many people for a position, especially an administrative position.... The same day after completing those interviews, I recieved word that I needed to contact HR to set up an interview with them, which of course included testing of basic knowlege on Word and Excel - felt like going through a temp agency having to do that. Sounds like the test went well, they said I scored well, even though you get asked to do things you have never though you'd have to do and you can't use your keyboard/right-click mouse short-cuts.

I guess all of this is a good indication, but who knows, there might be a candidate as qualified as me that they like better.

Oh, I guess I should elaborate on the job. Job posting calls it a Department Office Support III position, and people in MIRTHE called it "Office Coordinator" and I actually like "Office Coordinator" better. This person basically does everything that everybody else can't do: basic office tasks of copying, filing, errands; updating the website; some event coordination (to what extent, I'm not clear even after asking); etc... Sounds like a happening job at least, lots to do and I get to talk with people at 5 other universities while in this position - oh, and I get the opportunity to travel to conferences as well (do the grunt work, and everyone else is there, so why be at Princeton alone?)

It's been an interesting experience, first having a lot of apprehension of whether or not I want the job, figuring out that it's just me still adjusting to the area, and me just not having the self-confience that I can do what they are asking. I'm finally more at peace about the situation. Though I will say, I'm not holding my breath for the job, but if I do get it, I will most likely take it - work would be nice and they seem to like me...

Eh, we'll see what God has planned for me...

Got work?

Princeton called with regards to an application I sent in. Have an interview starting at 9:30 and get to meet three people... Let's cross our fingers!

Day 1 of unemployment

Yes, that's right, I am now unemployed.

That's because Friday was my last day at the Alumni Association. Yes, sadly, I had to leave... kind of hard to do my job with them all the way across the country. Luckily they found a great temp (and hopefully hire!) in time for me to train her in my last two days. I must say that I was really pleased with my time with her and I am confident that the UWAA is in great hands. And, of course, I went out with style - a great big happy hour at the end of the day. Did a little drinking, chatting, laughing, and said lots of goodbyes. Also, there was the lovely going away gifts, which really came in handy today!

Nothing like celebrating your unemployment by spending money on a new putter and then going to test it out at a golf course. We drove over to Bremerton to play at Gold Mountain so that Andrew could tackle his "white whale," if you will. All I can say is lovely course, and thank god I was in a a cart! Also, best round yet. I may not be a pro, but my score came out to be a 132 (not counting some shots here and there... but you know that the important ones to count are the shots that went somewhere, especially the shots that were terriffic). Finally, I have a putter that I'm confident in. Another reason for playing today was to get in a little practice before we hit up Washington National on Friday (I've been looking forward to this round for so long). My new towel worked perfectly as there was a lot of muck to clean off (rainy day) and that little pouch works perfect to organize my balls and tees in my bag... and finally I have a ball marker to be proud about (I finally had a chance to use it!!). Nope, when I golf, you can't tell I'm a Husky ;) (hope to post a picture of all my gear after Friday).

Anyway, time to shower and then go grab some dinner with the hubby... then who knows what... definitely need to plan the rest of the week out and contact some people about getting together (yes, I'm sending a message to you Becky, I know we need to get together this week! I will call later)

Shoot -there goes the shower... the cute puppy came upstairs to hang out with me (aka, scratch him as he keeps a close eye on me)... must break away...

later!

scheiβe!

let's just say that this day has so far sucked with no indication of it improving at all...