Browse Category: life

A New Life

logo_childrenshospital.gifYesterday I accepted a new job at Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland. I chose the per diem position so I could get a higher hourly rate and no benefits. With Jes’ job providing a pretty good health plan and two mortgages to pay, this was the best plan for now. I think eventually I’ll try to get a full-time benefited position but I think I’m ok with my decision for now. My position will be in out-patient since it’s the best match for my current skill set. It’s not my first choice but it’ll be the easiest transition. I’ve been working in the educational model for the past six years so it’ll take a little studying, reviewing, and shadowing to get me back into the medical model.

I considered working for SFUSD but when I spoke with their lead therapist, she didn’t sell the job very well. One of the biggest things that turned me off was the fact that I’d have to drive (and find parking) several times a day everyday in the city.  That doesn’t sound very pleasant.  With a job at Children’s, I can hop on the Muni outside my condo, transfer to BART, and take the employee shuttle to work…awesome.

So, in about a month, I’ll be saying “goodbye” to attorneys, IEPs, and school holidays and “hello” to picky eaters, heart rate monitors, and premies.  I know I’ll miss my little preschool and the friends I’ve made but this will be a good change for me and HUGE learning experience.   Here’s to a new professional life.  Cheers!

temporary

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I spent my first day on my own today and it was a little weird but managable.  Last night I set up my Aerobed, put the little TV on a foot stool, and used a spoon from the picnic basket we left behind.  With a lack of pots, an odd set of bowls, and plastic utensils, dinnertime has been interesting.  But so far it hasn’t been too bad…just really temporary-feeling.  The dog also looked a little confused last night but he settled into his travel bed rather quickly.  Jes is now at Jimmy’s house and it’s like he never moved away.  The old roomies are back together again.

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We also gave iChat a try and it was pretty cool.  The video is pretty smooth and you can adjust the screen small enough so you can keep working on your laptop.   I can also hear audio from the person on the other end and IM all at the same time.  It was kinda like I was hanging out with Jes, Jimmy, and Eleen.  We were even watching the same TV show and I could hear Jimmy’s comments in the background.  As much as we try to hate Apple, they sure do make a pretty good camera and video program.  By the way, the camera is just to the left of that little light at the top of my laptop screen.  And that’s Jimmy saying “hi”.

See ya in a month.

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The movers were here today and they came through like a tornado. It’s amazing how quickly they can get everything wrapped out and thrown into the back of a truck. Over the phone we were quoted $0.41 per pound but when they arrived the head guy started charging by the cubic foot. Hm…pretty shady. So, when it was all totaled up, Jes was not happy with the final charge so he called the main office and insisted that we be charged by the pound. The moving guy tried to play it off like the amount would be the same but Jes insisted that they go have the truck weighed. So, he’s now on his way to a weigh station in Long Beach and I’m at home sitting in my empty livingroom on the floor just trying to let this all sink in.

This is all very surreal. All of my belongings are packed away in some random truck and I won’t be able to access any of it for at least a month. I actually let them take our wedding album and I’m starting regret that. I just hope they don’t lose any of the boxes or damage anything. As they took away our boxes and furniture, I really couldn’t watch them. I put on a brave face but it made me really sad and I was on the verge of tears. It’s really happening. We’re really leaving. Jes is supposed to catch a 7:00 flight this evening but I’m not so sure he’s going to make it.

Update (11:17 pm): We all know that Jes is a pain in the ass but this time it came in handy.  Because he insisted on having the trunk weighed, he managed to save us at least $1000.  He drove all the way to Long Beach and totally called their bluff.  We ended up getting almost exactly what they initially quoted ($900) instead of the final $2000 that the moving guy asked for.  He also got back in time to catch his flight.  We had a happy ending to a very stressful day.

Letting go…

We’re back from our fun-filled weekend in the Bay Area (I will have to recap it later) and we have less than a week to have EVERYTHING packed and ready to go.  This morning, a cleaning crew came to clean the entire house from top to bottom and they did an awesome job.  One of them even took our old bottles of booze that we were planning to throw out.  Score!

This evening, Kenji came to pick up the plasma and we took down all of the frames and drapes to get ready for the painters who are scheduled to come tomorrow.  This move is very sad but little by little I’m accepting the fact that I have to let go.  I guess the part that will make it all real is having the red wall painted over with a nice coat of off-white.  The house was good to us and it was fun while it lasted.

The movers are coming on Sunday to pick up all of our stuff and Jes will be flying up to SF to start his job on Monday.  Next month will certainly be a interesting.  I can just see it now…me in my room in a sleeping bag on the floor with the dog, a suitcase of clothes, and my laptop.

Ready for Summer

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Thursday was the last day of school and the first day of summer – also known as the longest day of the year. On Friday, Jes and I packed up the car and drove up to SF for the Wine Tasting Weekend that we had planned for months with Johnny and Joy.  The drive up was painful.  We haven’t made the 400-mile journey in the while and have become so accustomed to hopping on Southwest and arriving an hour and a half later.  It was a beautiful day for driving though.  It felt like the sun was never going to set.  At one point around 7:30 pm, we noticed the time and how the sun wasn’t even close to the horizon.  I guess being the day after Summer Solstice had something to do with that.  We finally arrived in SF around 10:00 pm and met up with Vyl, Bang, and some of their Ross friends for some beer and pizza.  I’m so ready for summer.

half gone

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On Sunday, we had our Family Fire Sale. We’re moving to a house that doesn’t fit all of our furniture so it was time to give stuff away. After our Father’s Day breakfast, Brother rented the U-Haul and we packed up half of our belongings into the truck.

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Brother got a new dresser, bookcase, chair, and futon. The parents got a new dining set and full bed. We also dropped off our entire office set at Jes’ parents’ house. Phew! To top it all off, Marie and Kenji have agreed to take the plasma for an undisclosed bargain price. Awesome.

It was pretty liberating getting rid of our stuff but it was also a little sad. The best thing about moving it all out is that I can now do a cartwheel in the dining room! Haha. But really, it’s just nice to have more room to clean, pack, and reorganize. Hanging out with the family all day was also a special treat and made the move much more memorable and bearable. Thanks for all your help, everyone!!