What a week

I spent a week in Houston so that I can hang out with my sister. My sister and I, although very much different and have been on occations known to bump heads with me, we nevertheless had a pretty good time. We ate Ethiopean, Chinese, and Vietnamese food, talked a lot about our memories of grandma, griped about the rest of the family, and played with her beloved beagle, Woody. We also drove to Galveston beach and hung out for about an hour. Galveston doesn't have the best beach out there, but the weather was so nice that it made everything better.

I found out that on the plane ride over to Houston that the company that I've interviewd with in Pennsylvania has offered me a job. It was in the middle range what I said should be my "starting price" for them, but more than what I was earning before, with an extra sense of the illusion of job security. I feel kinda guilty about it because I really didn't try much to look for jobs or to try and look for another job. Part of the reasons why was because I was not really all that motivated in going through the process of selling myself to other people all over again and again. This job really literally fell out of the sky, and I just hope that I'm at least halfway useful for this company.

Above all, I hope it'll be a better and a friendlier place to be at, for all of us.

Catchy tune of the day

EVERYTHING FALLS APART - DOG'S EYE VIEW

written by Peter Stuart
from the 'Happy Nowhere" CD on Columbia

Don't look now, things just got worse.
I'm drunk again I swear this crescent is just a curse.
Oh, I got here by killin' off all my friends.
I think I've figured it out: my life begins when the fun ends.

I got my wings, I'm free to go as I please.
Yeah, I got my wings now nothing really pleases me

'till everything falls apart
then I get to try to put it back together
yeah, it falls apart you can count on that
you can count on
bad, bad weather again.

Was it good? I don't remember much about it.
When things start to feel right
you can count on me to start to doubt it.
and the devil's not in the details, no the devil is in my pants
And it's shoot first apologize later.
Another quick and new sure shot romance
Well I got what I wanted now I don't want anything
Yeah, I got what I wanted, now my life is just boring.

'till everything falls apart
then I get to try to put it back together
yeah, it falls apart and you can count on that
you can count on that; bad weather this year.

I met God this afternoon ridin' on an uptown train
I said, "Don't you have better things to do?"
He said, "If I do my job what would you complain about?
So I let it go to Hell, now I'll have something to do.
He said, "I'll let it go to hell; does that sound familiar to you?"

Well everything falls apart
then I get to try to put it back together
yeah it falls apart and you can count on that
you can count on bad, bad weather
well, everything that falls apart, baby,
sooner or later gonna come back together
well, everything that comes together, hey,
sooner or later gonna fall apart again
and you can call it anything you want
they're gonna take it all away from you
you're gonna wake up, wake up, wake up,
scarecrow and find yourself lost again...

Ode to....

The GF who is out there earning the dough right now while I'm getting reacquainted with the pets and some good old fashioned housework. While I cannot say that I'm the best housewife out there, but it has been good to get to do these things for a change.


I have to also say that my GF need to be commended for putting up with me, my funky job changes, my family, and my many shortcomings. She's the ultimate wife, mother, and the smartest gal that I know and have the pleasure of being with!

I do hope that everything will work out fine with the possible new job, possible new move, and the possible new bouncing baby!

Love you!

Back from the interview

About the job interview:

After 2 seperate legs of flights from here to Charlotte, NC, and finally to Pittsburgh (with a overbooked and rerouted flight), I took the rental car and drove to Johnstown, Pa., this mountaineous town that houses some big name defense contracting firms, and I went to interview with a not so well known company. However unknown, this company owns this campus of buildings of big proportions.

I took a look at the town, it was a small town and I can't say that I got a sense of what people were like in the town. I did think it was kind of funny that two out of two gas station attendants to which I asked driving directions from all had missing upper front teeth, and mullets for haircuts. All the Chinese restaurants from Pittsburgh to Johnstown are called Jade Garden. Overall, the town looked kind of scenic, like the rolling hills featured on a microsoft computer screensaver.

I interviews with a total of 5 people, from the manager (the one who first saw my resume), to his boss (who thought that I had a lot of military intelligence experience.), an analyst (this bald-headed guy who is a Arabic linguist who had spent 20 years in the army.), the human resources lady (this young twenty-something gal who went over their benefits packages with me. When I asked her what people in town did for fun, she was at a loss.), and last but not least, the security guy who took my info. to check up on whether or not I had a security clearances. ( I think all of them were ex-military, with the exception of the human resources lady.)

They were all friendly, but I wasn't sure exactly if I was the person that they were looking for. I got the impression that they wanted someone who has a lot more dealings with the military intelligence community (I'm just an accidental tourist, thanks to my language), and just someone who is a lot more technically aware. (I could be wrong though, I'm not always the best at reading people and what's spinning in their heads.) I do have to thank them for taking the trouble to fly me over, put me up in a hotel, and giving me a chance to interview!

They are supposed to tell me whether or not they wanted me to work for them in about two weeks time. I'm not going to worry about what the result of it will be, not really. I guess since in my mind I got this interview by total accident, if I get this job, it'll be a total accident too! I'll let y'all know when I hear something!

I was so tired when I came home last night, with just myself and not my luggage. Due to the re-routing of flight, I didn't get my luggage until sometimes this morning. (I was supposed to fly from Pittsburgh to Philadelphis, then from Philly back to Kansas City. Yet the flight to Philly was not going to leave until 3 hours after the supposed departure time, so I got the gate agent to put me on a flight to D.C. and then fly back to KC from there. That happened, but the luggage followed the original flight route. I wonder if this is a normal thing when it comes to flying with U.S. Air.....)


Glad to be back with the GF and the pets!

Moving on

I had gotten back in touch with a few people from my job from prior to Japan, went to dinner together this past Friday evening, and through a quick visit, I got to see more of my former colleges face to face.

That was yesterday, I went to the old office on a bad day, I found out. For one thing, one of the person there was just let go and from all accounts, he didn't take it too well. On top of that, due to budgetary concerns, everyone in that office have to now submit written reasons why they should stay in their perspective jobs. My old partner in crime told me that his contract (he's a civilian contractor) has been extended for another year, but he's not even sure what will happen after that. Most of the people there have invested a lot in this particular geographical area, bought houses, cars, and sent their kids to the public schools in the area.

Even though that place wasn't fully staffed when I had visited yesterday, I could sense the uneasiness and the frustration there even though the people that I saw were happy to see me.

I thought about why I chose to leave that place and I thought that even though it wasn't a easy decision to make, I'm glad that I did it. Granted, I am on unemployment right now, but I'm looking around and I like some of the possibilities around me. I don't have that "I'm stuck" kind of feeling.

On a side note, I'm glad that ABC decided to show the "Path to 9/11" movie desptie of complaints from former president Clinton and his posse. Let's play fair here, I don't think President Bush demanded that "Fareneheit 9/11" be pulled from the theaters because the movie had placed him in a negative light. Just to let you know, I don't like either the republicans or the democrats, and when we entrust our lives to the politicians, we might as well become card-carrying members of the masochist party (I made that up, by the way).

Flying out tomorrow to a job interview in the Northeast, and I hope that the interview will go well, regardless or whether or not I get the job. The GF and I are anticipating a move to...?

Here's to that ever-present unknown!

Commitment phobic men take note.....

From Associated Press...

NEW YORK -
Brad Pitt, ever the social activist, says he won't be marrying
Angelina Jolie until the restrictions on who can marry whom are dropped. "Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able," the 42-year-old actor reveals in Esquire magazine's October issue, on newsstands Sept. 19.

In the article he reflects on "fifteen things I think everyone should know."

Though Shiloh, the world-famous daughter of Pitt and girlfriend/earth mother Angelina Jolie, hogged much attention upon her birth in May, Pitt says he "cannot imagine life" without adopted children, Maddox, 5, and Zahara, 1.

"They're as much of my blood as any natural born, and I'm theirs," says Pitt. "That's all I can say about it. I can't live without them. So: Anyone considering (adoption), that's my vote."

Pitt, who plays a world traveler in the upcoming drama "Babel," subscribes to a laid-back parenting style.

"I try not to stifle them in any way," he says. "If it's not hurting anyone, I want them to be able to explore. Sometimes that means they're quite rambunctious."

Lucky kids.


....I wonder if Angelina turned around and slapped his face...

"I feel it's really important to have that time to sit and talk to them," he continues. "I really like that last minute before they fade off. And always give them a heads-up before you jerk them out of something. You need to tell them, like, `You have three more minutes.'"

___

American Cities That Best Fit You::

55% Austin

55% Miami

50% Honolulu

50% Los Angeles

50% Washington, DC

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Funny....I used to live in Austin!

Rest in peace, Steve Irwin

He was so full of life, one of these people that I envy. He puts out more energy in one day than I do in 10 years!

I hope your legacy will be carried on. My condolences to Terri and the kids.

If you are interested, you can read about him here, I am sure that animal planet is probably going to run all sorts of tributes to him, so we can catch footages of him there too.

The award for favorite guilty pleasures movie of 06'....

goes to "Snakes on A Plane"!

Granted that the movie will probably never win an academy award, but it sure beat about at least 80% of the current movies out there when it comes to guilty pleasures!

I dragged the GF to see it with me, and even though she said that I owed her for this one, I could see that she enjoyed the movie as much as I did! Sure, some parts of the movie were a bit gory, but that was part of the fun part of the movie.

I have to admit that the internet was a big motivating factor for myself wanting to see this movie, and the other motivating factor is the fact that I really like cheesy movies.

So if you are like myself, a fan of cheesy movies with a bit of a gore, I think you'll like this movie!

The week so far....

I've been cleaning the apt. a bit, cooking some, did lots of dishes, filed for unemployment, surfed a lot of net, walked my dog, and made some phone calls to the friendly folks at the Washington army national guard, where some thoughts of me transferring there loomed for a while.

The GF has been great, constantly reminding me that we are on unemployment budget right now so we've got to act as such, reminding me what chores lie ahead for me during the day, and talking to each other at various times during the day and night. Thanks to her, I'm taking it easy for a few weeks!

I might have this job interview coming up in the next two weeks, and I don't really know if I'll get it, much less know what the job is really about... not a good way to go in to an interview. I'll keep you updated when/if anything happens. The GF and I would love to move out of the Midwest, but we realize that it's partly up to us, and partly depending on what job that I get and where that job will be at. We'll see what happens.

I've been talking to the GF a lot about my grandmother's passing and how it feels afterwards. It's like free therapy for me, and I'm really grateful for her for that. My poor sister has been dealing also with the aftermath, and I think for her it has been bittersweet. Bitter because she had looked so forward to be spending time with both of grandparents, (and some more things that come with spending time with them.) and sweet because she's now getting to know my grandfather a lot better. A death in the family can sure bring out a lot of things in us, force us to deal with things that we had avoided for a long time, influence us in both positive and negative ways, and that's just the beginning.

To my nephew Zach, we're going to try really hard to come and see you soon! We've missed you a lot from here! We'll bring down Ramen dog for you to play with, and sneak you some goodies! You got to try and stay the good boy that you are, despite the fact that a lot of the adults around you aren't as good as you are. Adults can be real idiots at times.