I have a job interview tomorrow later this morning for what I think is the job I really, really want. It may be a different job, or it may not be what I thought, but in any case, if it is the one I think it is, I need all the cosmic good vibrations I can get, so any prayers, good thoughts, good wishes, or just good vibes would be appreciated in the morning around 11 am PDT.

At this point, I could really use the job, and getting the one I want is just a bonus.

Also, thanks to Jen and Beau for reminding me that these things happen in His time, not mine. I had just read this post about half an hour before the phone rang. I've been dealing with the same challenges as Beau, just a little more urgently, since I don't have a job or school right now. I just need to keep reminding myself that faith brought me home and faith brought me a house and faith found DH a wonderful job at a great school with neat coworkers. Now I just need to keep having faith that my turn will come soon.

I'll let you all know tomorrow how it's going.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:15 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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So taking about the drumline reminded me of the movie Drumline. Which I really like. The funny thing about me and movies is that because I refuse to waste time on predictable situations, and I hate watching characters fall into embarrassing situations that I knew were coming, a lot of movies just don't make the cut for me. Even in good movies there are parts that I skip or fast forward because they make me squirm.

Thinking about Drumline made me think of movies that I like that I was certain I was going to hate (in many cases thanks to the USA and TNT networks). Here's a partial list, feel free to add your own in the comments:

Drumline
The American President
Nothing to Lose
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo
From Hell
The Searchers
Goldeneye

More later when I think of them...

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:52 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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So I'm sitting here in DH's classroom. Tomorrow is the first day of school, and we're taking care of the last few odds and ends in getting the room ready: putting up the last few posters, getting rid of an extra filing cabinet, moving the tables around. DH himself is in a Pow Wow with two of the other middle school science teachers, planning for Science Fair,

But I digress. One of the more interesting things I learned in my neuroscience education was that sense memory, especially smell memory, is stronger than any other. As I sit here in the classroom waiting for DH, the school marching band is on the practice field, getting ready for football season. The band room must be nearby as well, because I could hear the drum line from the moment they started the cadence.

It about gave me chills.

For 2 years in high school (until my schedule got too full with AP classes) I was in colorguard. Some of my best friends were in the band, so it was like I never left. Just hearing the band reminded me of sweaty afternoons on the practice field, tripping in holes, arms aching from lugging a 40 pound shield around all day.

In college, neither of us was in band, but DH's best friend was an active member of the Spirit of Troy USC Trojan Marching Band, and wherever we went with him, there was always the band. We'd sit next to the band at football and hockey (yes, the band went to hockey games).

In any case, the drum line isn't so bad. A little slow at the end of the cadence, but all together, so you wouldn't be able to tell if you were simply a casual observer. It's actually quite comforting.

I actually miss those days. And yes, if you run into me in an elevator on a rainy day, I AM doing a colorguard flag routine with my closed umbrella

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:42 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Everyone and their aunt is blogging the hurricane, which is the closest I get to round-the-clock coverage without cable....

The best on the web?
--Live coverage from NOLA CBS affiliate WWL here (click on live coverage link)

--Irish Trojan Brendan Loy has comprehensive updates

Posted by: caltechgirl at 07:18 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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It's Saturday night. For me that means football (Go Broncos!!!) and (Deb and Margi close your eyes...) crocheting. Trying out a new blanket pattern. (Ok, you can open them now) and of course soaking up the air con.

So, what are you all up to? Why are you web surfing instead of out doing something?

Posted by: caltechgirl at 06:51 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I am officially Dr. Caltechgirl. This was posted yesterday!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:24 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1. I can get my rent paid for September and October despite being jobless.

2. I FINALLY got an email back from someone I submitted an application to. YES! Of course, they just wanted my CV for their files, but at least it was a response!

3. I applied for an administrative job at my alma mater and I'm really proud of the cover letter I wrote, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one will come through even if the others don't.

4. I have 3 applications ready to be printed up and go out in the mail. I just need to drop by and pick up my Caltech transcripts from the registrar's office.

On another note, don't you hate it when you think of something you want to blog about, something that really drives you batsh*t and then when you actually sit down in front of the computer so much else has happened that you have COMPLETELY forgotten what it was that you wanted to write about? Arrgh!

Oh yeah, and click the button on the left to donate to Project Valour-IT.

I just realized what one of the things I wanted to talk about was: that vile Sheehan woman. Her son died right next to my b-i-l. They were friends. More on that later when I can "use my words".

But there was something else less vitriolic that I wanted to write about too... Oh well. Must be old age creeping up on me....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:19 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The crew of STS-114 arrived safely at Edwards AFB in Mojave aboard an intact shuttle Discovery shortly after 5 am PDT.

I was awake, of course, watching it on TV and with the NASA feed on the computer. If you were asleep or otherwise engaged, the NASA video is here.

I didn't need to be. The sonic boom was all the news I needed.... Here in Pasadena it was like a long boom of rolling thunder, which of course reminded me of summer nights in Carolina.... Almost like a welcome home to me too!

After the last two and a half years, this was the best picture of the day:

(photos courtesy of NASA)
The post-landing crew press conference can be found here

Job well done, folks. Now let's hope that we'll see Atlantis fly again in November.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:48 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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DH HAS A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE ALSO GOT THE HOUSE. We sign the lease this afternoon.

Now as for me..... well, I have time to look and not worry so much, now.....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:55 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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DH said the test went pretty well, and the reunion was fun. People were actually getting along....

Two comments from friends really sum up the night..."Either the assh*les were plastered or they kept it to themselves.." and "Wow, your class has less of a stick up its a$$ than my class did..."

Who else has been to a reunion and found it extremely creepy that:
1. Everyone instantly breaks up into the same groups as before
2. Said groups gravitate to the same parts of the room as before
3. You're sitting with the people you ate lunch with every day when you were 15, and you're discussing kids and houses and law school and grad school.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:08 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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We're in Fresno. Safe and Sound.

Pictures tomorrow when my brain works and/or I get the wi-fi all hooked up to Mom's computer....

Now, if the folks we're supposed to meet with will just call back so we can get into our house....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:40 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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We're in Medford, OR, crashing and resting up for our last big road day tomorrow. We'll have lunch with a friend in Stockton, and hopefully arrive in Fresno tomorrow afternoon sometime. Then it's off to Pasadena to meet the potential future landlords and then back to Fresno for a few days.

Last night was our stop over in Spokane, where we had dinner with Margi and Mitch and The Boy. Between pasta and ice cream, we had a really great visit and laughed so much I think we chased people out of the restaurant!

And don't let her tell you she looks like a horse or a house or a whale, or anything else like that. You look great, sweetie!

Tomorrow home, and after the 8th or 9th, more pictures from the road....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:58 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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DH and I are in Harrison, OH: exactly 1 mile from what would be our 6th state of the day.... but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

For those of you keeping track, that's NC, VA, WV, KY, and now OH... and more different freeways than I can count....

The Princess has been very good so far, she even helped her Daddy get $$ today!

After that:
7/3 Rapid City, SD
7/4 Billings, MT
7/5 Spokane, WA and hoping to meet up with these folks
7/6 Medford, OR
7/7 Fresno, CA (my parent's house)
7/8 Pasadena, CA (to meet the potential landlords)
7/9 Fresno, CA.

You'll forgive me if I don't see you until the 10th or so

The moving went really, really well. The movers were really nice and very efficient and careful. I can't say enough how nice they were. It remains to be seen how well I like them after we get the stuff.....

One last funny before I go...
I couldn't get a photo of the sign because there was a truck in the way, but there is a State Park in KY called Big Bone Lick.... and it's in Richwood.
Draw your own conclusions.....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:06 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Wow! Nice to see a post and that all is going well.

Posted by: vw bug at July 02, 2005 07:01 AM (zTMeN)

2 Thanks for the update. Glad to hear all is well. Happy Traveling!

Posted by: Amanda at July 02, 2005 09:12 AM (WjG+m)

3 And it's in KY! Glad all's going well... have fun!

Posted by: Marie at July 02, 2005 04:51 PM (cRiTs)

4 Looks like you're taking the scenic route, almost a mirror image of what I did in 1993 when I moved from San Diego Chicago by way of New Orleans. Enjoy!

Posted by: Xrlq at July 02, 2005 06:56 PM (547Mx)

5 Ohhh...I'll be thinking of you on Thursday as you pass thru Sac! Safe travels!

Posted by: Pam at July 03, 2005 04:54 PM (hHdR7)

6 Cain'twaittameecha! (I obviously lived in Oklahoma too long.)

Posted by: Margi at July 03, 2005 10:25 PM (nwEQH)

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At 2:30 pm EDT say a little prayer for my mouth, that it doesn't flub up.

As you can see, the counter's down to less than a day. When I finish, I will have completed all my program's requirements, and other than some paperwork, I'll be a free-and-clear Doctor (Technically, I already am since the paperwork's in, but hey....)

I am so mental....

We're having a party afterward. I'll let you know how it went.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:51 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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1 Best of luck! (and congrats!)

Posted by: Princess Cat at June 23, 2005 01:32 AM (qha9N)

2 Mazel Tov!

Posted by: Rachel Ann at June 23, 2005 01:43 AM (qE+If)

3 You know, they say in the theatre to break a leg? Well, BREAK A BRAIN CELL! YOU CAN DOOOO EEEEET!! We're rootin' for ya, gal. xoxo

Posted by: Margi at June 23, 2005 04:09 AM (nwEQH)

4 Party Party Party! You go girl!

Posted by: vw bug at June 23, 2005 08:08 AM (Q19td)

5 All the best, and congratulations!

Posted by: Laughing Wolf at June 23, 2005 09:17 AM (zI0Ey)

6 Congratulations! {{{hugs}}}

Posted by: Kate at June 23, 2005 09:32 AM (XargM)

7 Congrats!! will be thinking of you @ 2:30! BTW, I am SO jealous of your trip cross country. Looking forward to your moblogging...

Posted by: Marie at June 23, 2005 09:57 AM (cRiTs)

8 Best of Luck, Doctor!!

Posted by: Amanda at June 23, 2005 10:05 AM (ay+rD)

9 Saying a little prayer that you'll feel calm, cool and confident through your defense. All the best!

Posted by: Omnibus Driver at June 23, 2005 12:37 PM (6VG2d)

10 What Margi said Break a brain cell!

Posted by: Ith at June 23, 2005 03:35 PM (/Kiii)

11 Yay! It's sure going to be a busy week or so. Enjoy it as much as you can.

Posted by: Ben at June 23, 2005 07:37 PM (NIpoo)

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MommaBear's beloved PoppaBear has passed away.

So terribly sad. There's not much else to say. Our thoughts and prayers are with her. Drop be and let her know you care.

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Mom and Dad arrive tomorrow, just in time to go to one of our favorite places for dinner (yummmmm....piggy.....)

I had to do an hour-plus power point presentation for tomorrow's class. Learning and Memory.... Need to do two more for Wednesday and Thursday and then make a test for Friday....

I'm baking a cake for Dad's birthday...

Need to bake banana bread tonight before the bananas completely die....

Need to build a 50 minute presentation for my defense

Public defense seminar on the 23rd, followed by party....

Need to make a list of people to email about the defense...

Text corrections from committee members need to be added to my dissertation and done in time to get all my paperwork in before I leave.

Moving van comes on the 29th

No (firm) job (for either of us right now), no house. Just winging it.

Mom and Dad leave on the 30th

We leave on the 1st.

Must Pack. Must Clean. Must finish graduation requirements. Must get mail forwarded.

Sleep??? Ha. I need no sleep. Bring me caffeine!!!!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:42 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Craig of MTpolitics and the Spousal Unit are the new parents of a daughter, Kiran Lee, born in the wee sma's this morning....

Go congratulate them and check out the pictures!

She couldn't ask for nicer parents....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 02:27 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Well, we're officially moving.

We've contracted with a moving company. For the charming price of 60⊄ per pound, these lovely people will load their truck with my stuff, drive it to CA, and unload it for me. All I have to do is pack and unpack.

They even solved a big problem for me. They told us that they can't guarantee a delivery date until the end of July. Which is fine. See, our friends are trying to move out of their house into a condo. We're trying to move into their house. But the landlord of the condo is giving them the runaround. The actual landlord is out of the country on vacation, and the management company won't do anything about them wanting to move in until this lady gets back. Meanwhile they're getting married and going on their honeymoon.... So we wouldn't be able to move in until they get back from Hawaii in the middle of July at the earliest, even assuming all of the variables fall into place and they are approved by the condo owner and we are approved by the house owner... Anyway, if the stuff doesn't come until the end of July, that's fine by me, now.

It's times like this that make me INCREDIBLY happy I own an SUV. We can haul enough stuff across the country on our own that we don't need to have furniture for a month. And we can stay with family and friends if we have to. We were planning on spending a good chunk of July in Fresno anyway.

Today's other good news: We went to Costco to pick up the dog's prescription and found exactly what we needed for a reasonable price. They had a "deluxe moving pack" from Allied, and it contains 30 boxes (most of them 18x12x12, which is great for books), 5 rolls of bubble wrap, 4 pounds of packing paper, 36 foam sleeves, 3 dividers for glasses, 3 rolls of packing tape, 2 tape dispensers, and 2 markers (not that we needed the markers....) for $50.00. Not bad considering that in the packing stores around here the boxes sell for more that $1 apiece and they really gouge you on the other stuff, like paper and bubble wrap.

The current plan is to have the stuff shipped to Fresno, and then we can UHaul it down to Pasadena when we know where we're going to live.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:41 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 Sounds like a good plan. There's one only one problem: when it's all over, you'll end up living in California.

Posted by: Xrlq at June 11, 2005 12:59 AM (4/bIn)

2 Hey, from where I sit that's the good part. But I'm in Massachussetts, so there you go.

Posted by: Deb at June 11, 2005 01:05 AM (8n5zS)

3 NC is similarly evil in some ways.... Like roads that curve in 4 directions and have at least 3 names depending on which street you've just crossed. Not to mention the dearth of alternate routes.... I wish you luck, Deb, in your possible upcoming move. I can't imagine trying to move with a somewhat mobile toddling rugrat....

Posted by: caltechgirl at June 11, 2005 01:12 AM (UNuTU)

4 Darn... I could use those boxes. You wouldn't want to move to Florida instead?

Posted by: vw bug at June 11, 2005 08:19 AM (n+JjT)

5 Thanks. It'll definitely be interesting. Luckily Sadie is a pretty cooperative kid, generally speaking. You know, I got all misty-eyed when you posted about streets laid out in grid patterns and people who know how to use left turn lanes. Left turn lanes? I soooo miss left turn lanes.

Posted by: Deb at June 11, 2005 10:30 AM (8n5zS)

6 Good luck with the move. Usually, I'd say don't move in, we don't have any water for you to drink! But considering you're a native, I think we can make an exception this time.

Posted by: Bill at June 12, 2005 01:13 AM (x0SOn)

7 Two extremely valuable pieces of advice: 1) Public storage is a wonderful thing, and relatively cheap. Put a large fraction of your boxed stuff (that you can move yourself) into a storage unit near the new place. It's a LOT easier to unpack without having to work around boxes. 2) The best moving boxes for any breakables are liquor or wine boxes. Very heavy duty cardboard with heavy duty dividers. Several sizes available, and liquor stores will be happy to let you have them. You just have to find out when deliveries are, because the stores tend to flatten the boxes very quickly after unloading them.

Posted by: Ken Summers at June 12, 2005 11:13 AM (YElNr)

8 I liked Cali believe it or not. But I was in a small town outside of Palm Springs :-) I hope the move goes well. I know that can be a pain!

Posted by: Sissy at June 12, 2005 10:59 PM (uXS+O)

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I just wrote the first of 2 tests that I have to give in the class I'm teaching.

65 multiple choice, and 43 fill-the-name-in-the-diagram questions.

In 90 minutes. Shouldn't be a problem.

The REAL problem is the M**^(^F&%^*$G COPIER that won't do more than 40 sheets at a time before the roller heats up and the pages stick......

And it's always THE SAME F*)^%$$@G PAGE!

ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

Did I mention it's past midnight?

So I'm here blogging and checking mail waiting for the stupid bitch copier to cool down...

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:47 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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According to this new study, it's unsafe for kids under the age of 15 to ride in the front seat.

Therefore in some states, it's legal to drive a car before it's safe to sit in the front.

Hey, I've got an idea. Let's make the airbags adjustable. It is possible. The technology exists NOW. You can even have them removed in 2-seaters ifyou have kids. The driver just flips a switch: Adult setting and the airbag is armed, child setting, and it isn't. Of course in this day and age you have to sign a waiver saying that you accept responsibility for failing to protect an adult or a child adequately.

Then we could put rear facing child seats in the front for small babies again. That's been shown to be FAR safer than a rear facing seat in the back since it's a little hard for the driver to check on a baby they can't see.....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:18 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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