Job Update (part 5)

So I was a bit confused. I wasn't top 2 for the job before. I was top 2 for that round of interviews. There were 4 rounds, so 8 people were asked to do the writing test portion. Still not too shabby. I'm pretty much a rockstar.

Even more rockstar worthy is the fact that now that they've reviewed the writing test, I'm actually in the top 2. I've got a 50% chance of getting this job.

Of course, I have to do another interview--with the bosses. That's what decides who gets the job. It's a casual interview to see who fits best with the company culture. I can do this. I'm pretty loveable, right?

*Fingers crossed*

Doing the Freedom Dance

I'm done with work. I'm happy. I'm free!

I need to clean my apartment and load up my car. *sad face*

It's weird, but I may never actually see my boss again. She's been a great boss and a good friend, but I don't have any reason to come back to this place. That's kind of weird--not that I thought I would see her again when I left the last time. Well, actually, I did come for visits before, but that's when I had a few friends here too. Everyone is gone now.

I need to clean the bird cage and drop it off at Goodwill tomorrow morning. I thought about doing it this afternoon, but I'd rather lounge.

Right now, I'm reading SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act. People are talking about it as if it will censor our freedom of speech. I'm not sure about that since the first line says that this bill isn't allowed to make any changes that would restrict our freedom of speech. I'm not saying people won't use this bill to try, but I think any judge in the nation will exercise caution before upholding anything that might remotely compromise freedom of speech. I do think that this bill demonstrates how much the policies of our nation are being shaped by corporations rather than the people. For that reason, this bill scares me. It does give more power to corporations, and I think they have more than enough since most haven't demonstrated much interest in doing what's right for the larger population. Social justice isn't high up on their concerns.

I used to read legislation rather than take seriously anything I heard about a bill. I haven't done that in a while, so I'm doing it now. I used to get great science fiction ideas from reading legislation too. I still remember reading a failed women's rights bill from the 60s, and it would have been a great jumping off point for a speculative fictional world. I'm sure at the time women felt like they'd been denied something important, but from what I remember, the world have been a weird and scary place shaped by the ideas of that bill.

Back to SOPA and perhaps a nap. Going out for a beer and fries with my boss later. She's a bit stressed, so we're going to work on her resume. I think she'd like to be as free from the job as I now am.

How Long Does It Take to Change a Lightbulb?

Apparently, it takes a full hour.

Of course, we're not talking just any lightbulb. We're talking the headlight of my car.

I remember in my old Honda I could change a lightbulb, a fuse, an airfilter so quickly and easily. It was a car a monkey could maintain, which was awesome.

This Subaru is alway strying to hide things, to create extra steps. Is their hope that I will give up and go to the dealership to get a lightbulb changed? Psh. I am too stubborn for that.

So when I got off work, I was determined to change my lightbulb. I pulled my car up under a light at work because I didn't want to be changing a lightbulb in the alley by apartment after dark. It was only 5:30 by the way.

I flipped through to the page in the manual, glanced over the instructions, rolled my eyes at how many things I had to move out of the way just to change the lightbulb.

I attempted to unscrew the non-screws holding the air intake thingy in place. The manual said unscrew. The little caps looks like screws from the top. I spent forever trying to unscrew two little things that have no threads to be unscrewing. They pop off. "Pry" would have been a better verb.

After the air intake thing was removed, I had to twist off the cover of the light. That was easy. When I was trying to unplug the electric thing from the lightbulb, I was worried I was gonna break something, so that took too long because I was trying to be gentle.

Then I couldn't get the little metal bar that locks the lightbulb in place to move out of the way...most of that was visual difficulty. My shadow was blocking the parking lot light. My flashlight was dying, and the angle was all wrong. Also the manual drawings had the perspective of me sitting on the engine to look at all this. My actual perspective was upside down and more from the top than directly in front. I popped it off eventally (when I went to put it back in I noticed it wasn't locked into a hole but more a groove that I could have more easily slidden it out of.

When I went to change the lightbulb, I lost the old one somewhere underneath the air filter stuff. It will be hanging out there until further notice.

Putting everything back in place was a much quicker process, and I'm proud to have changed the stupid thing. I am also relieved to no longer be at risk for a ticket.

Hopefully the other bulb lasts a while longer.

A Good Book is Hard to Find

Quite a while ago, I began reading Water for Elephants. I've wanted to read it for a long time but just never got around to it. Then the movie came out, and I thought, "I have to read it now before it gets spoiled by common knowledge."

Even though it took me a while to read the book, it has nothing to do with it not being engaging enough. I liked it almost from the start, but life has been busy. I haven't had time.

I picked it up again this weekend and wasn't really able to put it down since. Tonight, I stayed up way too late so that I could finish it. "Just one more chapter," I'd say to myself. You know how that goes. I couldn't stop until I was done.

It is a dark and beautiful book. It shows some of the ugliest faces of humanity in gruesome openness. It depicts a gritty life, extending into senility. And yet somehow it captures hope.

This is one of the best books I have ever read, and I've read a lot.

Job News Delayed

So...I got an email today that the guy who is reviewing my application materials got swamped with work and will not be getting back to me as soon as hoped.

I'll find out if I got the job by the end of the week.

I'm still really impressed with the practices of this company. A lot of places would have just made me wait without saying anything.

Sad news is that the list of jobs I have to apply to this week will all have to be applied to. There is no hope that hearing good news on this other job will prevent the need.

I need a cookie. I think I've earned it.

Camping in my Living Room

I am currently camping in my own home. There's a suitcase in my empty closet. My sleeping bag and a bunch of blankets are taking up a chunk of the living room floor. That's where I'll be sleeping the next 4 nights. Otherwise, there are just a few random remnants of my life in GJ hanging out in my apartment.

All of my stuff is on its way to my parents home.

I need to clean my apartment.

I also need to apply for jobs today, although I'm still hoping for good news about this potential job tomorrow.

My productivity is being limited by the fact that my TV is gone. I can't apply for jobs while watching things on Netflix, and Netflix is so tempting.

Fingers are still crossed.