I have to admit, I was a hothead yesterday evening. John insists he slept on the couch last night, because he fell asleep watching tv. I say, “likely story,” but whatever. Understandably, he didn’t appreciate my online attacks, and this evening, he gave his side of the story. I should correct myself, because well, sometimes I guess I really am guilty of selective memory. For that, I apologize. To set the record straight, John has asked his boss about opportunities for me. Lucky for him, his boss asked how my job search was going, and that was the segue. Of course, the very first time I asked for John’s help (in June), he definitely balked. But yes more recently, he’s made some attempts to get scoop. Maybe I consider those attempts feeble and so I tend to overlook them but still, I shouldn’t misrepresent. Anyway, his boss said he didn’t have contacts… but he offered to ask his neighbor. I guess the outcome of that inquiry is still pending.

As for the tech writer woman on staff, John offered to introduce us. However, seeing as his company rarely hosts family events and whenever it does, John forgets to introduce me anyway, I suppose I didn’t take the mention seriously.

John’s coworker is having a big party Friday, and everyone at the office is invited. Maybe that will be a chance for something. If anything, at least I can match names to the faces (handy for making sense of the office gossip). 😉

It’s a quarter past two, and I can’t sleep. Maybe it was the chocolate cake at dinner. Maybe it’s job anxiety again. Maybe it’s my annoyance that John’s sleeping on the couch.

My day started off well enough. I got up early and took the dogs on their walk down Saratoga St. We returned to the apartment by 9 a.m. I had the whole day to do my things. I checked my email, wrote some blog entries, submitted some yelp reviews. Our Reston townhouse finally rented. Last last week, we had received a rental application from a couple– the husband worked for the Department of Homeland Security. They offered $100 less than our asking rate (and $50 less than our current rent). I played phone tag for a few days with my agent, who I think avoids phoning me. John and I were not happy about the offer, but our agent kept pushing us to take it, saying the appliants had a really good credit rating and it was safer to take their offer than risk having the house sit vacant through the winter. In the end, we heeded the agent’s advice. But a few days passed and still no confirmation. Finally, it turned out the bastards backed out. No explanation given but whatever! I didn’t want to rent to a DOHS tenant anyway!

Fortunately, we got another bite last week. This time, a young couple (+ infant) with an even higher credit rating PLUS our asking rental price PLUS October 1 move-in (so no downtime/vacancy period). Thank goodness! Boy did we luck out. I like to think though that my various postings (to Yahoo newsgroups) and flyers (to friends and acquaintances) had something to do with it. 🙂

Truthfully though, I didn’t even know the contract went through until I called the agent today to follow-up. See how I have to ride ass with everything? Maybe this is is a telltale sign that I’m a micromanager? Maybe but jesus, I don’t think it’s too much to ask that he keep me posted, you know?

In job news, I received a nice email today from a former PM at the solid waste association where I once interned (in 1996). He’s now a landfill gas project lead at the USEPA, and I contacted him last week seeking job advice and assistance. He was really sweet– said that even though we worked together just briefly (three months), he was impressed by my work. He offered to make some introductions with solid waste peeps in the Bay area. So I’m pretty psyched.

Like I said, the day was going well. In the afternoon, I researched certificates of deposit. There are some great short-term CDs out there. Took a bit of digging, but I finally settled on Schwab. Of course, I spent time opening an account online only to have the damn thing freeze on the last step. Fuckers. I had to call in and repeat the entire process over the phone. On the plus side, I had a great rep. Thorough, informative, helpful, courteous– definitely a rare find these days. After that, I decided it was a good time for errands, with the bike.

Tired of walking around with my Sisley slacks (purchased in Shanghai with Pamela) all poofy in the butt, I decided to get that shit fixed at the tailor’s. Man, $20 because they have to take in material at the butt/crotch seam AND the inner leg. What the hell? I had maybe lost like ten pounds (from March to July)? Who knew that would make such a damn difference. And well, I was pretty much committed to these slacks, considering I’d already splurged $50 on them. Oh well, as long as they come out ok, I’ll be happy.

So the bike ride to the tailor’s was exhausting. I have to get a bike basket or rack or something, because me spinning around with a retarded cloth grocery sack just isn’t cuttin’ it. And topped with my green bulky helmet? I looked absolutely ridiculous. I need to get my backpack out of storage from upstairs. Gotta slim things down, become more aerodynamic or something, because I look like a total geek. Oh well, I made it there and back fine. I won’t mention the mileage, because then you’ll really laugh (out loud). I’m telling you though, the drag on the mountain bike tires is killing me!

So evening came and John got home earlier than usual, because we were meeting people downtown. He was getting together with Brian, and I was meeting Kelly (visiting from Shanghai) and her Stanford buds for dinner. I totally envy Kelly. She’s fully fluent in Japanese, pretty much fluent in Mandarin, has lived/worked in Tokyo, is currently in Shanghai, and she has professional options galore. Already two competing companies are pursuing her; her current company has offered her the choice of Asia director in HK or VP in New Jersey; she may work for the Clinton Foundation in Beijing; she may apply for the Hopkins MPH program, or she may do the Japanese and Chinese master’s interpreter programs at the Monterey School of International Studies. So many choices. All of them great ones, and I’m so jealous. I so want the “I’m the independent working woman” job.

So tonight was disturbing, because well, I met like six of Kelly’s friends. And they were all high profile professionals (with very proud Asian parents, I’m sure): an anesthesiologist, a pediatrician, a psychiatrist, a registered nurse, a child psychologist, a pharmaceutical research manager, and a patent lawyer. How can I not feel inadequate in such company? So once again, I am feeling anxious. Thankfully, I think I’ve found another vacancy that appears highly compatible– a project manager/editor for Sustainable San Mateo County, a green nonprofit. Tomorrow’s another day, I suppose.

Oh, I didn’t tell you– that outreach writer job I was gunning for with SF Environment? I hustled so hard to get it. In the end, the PM replied to my personal appeal email explaining they had received over 100 applications for the job, and they went for an internal staffer. Nice. Jesus, don’t fucking waste my time or anything, you know? I had to contact IBM in SH to get employment verification letters on official letterhead and shit. Fucking a. Seriously, if you already have someone in mind, you’re not doing anyone any favors by posting the position. Government, I tell you.

On the education front, I researched some classes… there was an upper level Mandarin class that started yesterday. I called up the teacher, but she said the class was full. Other classes (other subjects) already started in August, so I’ll have to wait until next semester. Maybe I’ll have my shit figured out by then.

The second thing that bothered me tonight was learning about John’s friend having a meltdown. He has a degree in psych but wants to get a job in SEO (search engine optimization). Naturally, none of the tech places want to take a chance on him. I’m so sick of these employers playing it safe. What happened to reading people’s vibes? It’s like everything nowadays has to follow some bullshit conventional track, otherwise it’s dismissed as being non-committal or flippant. Total bullshit. And I get so pissed off, because how many people do crap, sub-standard, piss-poor work? Seriously, if my personal encounters and experiences are any indication, the answer is A LOT. And yeah, these people probably have resumes that follow the protocol. On paper, they look right for the job, but in the end, are they really? I don’t even care if people just work these jobs to clock in and clock out. I don’t care if there isn’t an ounce of enthusiasm for what they do. But please, get the job done, you know? I don’t need the extra service with a smile crap– just perform the job duties and responsibilities; otherwise, you should get taken out. Anyway, I totally empathize with Brian’s frustration. And my instinctive reaction is to find a way. That’s where John comes in. John always insists he doesn’t know anyone, that his company doesn’t do this or doesn’t do that. I don’t fucking care. John has been working with his company’s second-in-command for over FIVE yers. Higher ups DEFINITELY know people, because their job is to schmooze. So what I want is for John to link us: me with Google or some tech writing place and Brian with SEO places. Maybe that requires John to ask his boss to comb through his contacts or maybe John has to ask his recruiter for company names. A link-up will likely require more than two degrees of separation, but I feel that attempting ANY degree of separation is worth doing. Otherwise, John’s not really putting his support where his mouth is.

Am I asking too much? Isn’t this entire concept the basis for networking sites like LinkedIn and Friendster anyway? Or even employee referral bonuses– this is what they’re all about. The idea is nothing new and my point is, no one else in the business world thinks twice about it, so why should he? It’s not as if I can’t do the job or as if I’m a total slacker whom he should be ashamed to introduce. I’m pissed. This is bullshit. Asking/prodding contacts is not some kind of embarrassing or desperate plea for help. Granted, maybe in a way it is for me since I’m getting frustrated, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s all about the way you ask anyway. And if people match up in the end, both sides benefit so who the hell cares? So I guess that’s why he’s sleeping on the couch tonight. Guess it’s back to my daily grind: building my contacts on my own. He’s been saying for weeks now that he might introduce me to their tech writer on staff. Whatever. I found her on LinkedIn and now at least I can see the educational and professional path she took to get where she is. So at least I have some idea (without John’s help, thank you very much).

My friend Jill used to live in Seattle. In fact, she was there for a long time– six years or so. It’s a shame we never visited her then, because last weekend, we finally checked the place out and now, I’d have to say, I’ve caught on. Seattle rocks. Green, clean, and casual, I fell for the city almost immediately. Everyone I met was so nice too. The airport info desk person was actually helpful and organized. The lady had this awesome clear-view flip file of all the city bus schedules and routes. I was so impressed (and I think I’m going to go out and buy one of those organizers for myself!). I once went to the info desk at SFO. The person basically told me to go find the monitors and THEN, she asked me for a donation to a women’s shelter. Bizarre. So yeah, the Seattle info booth was awesome. We caught a bus downtown for $1.25! And get this: when lining up for the bus, this guy totally let everyone get in front of him. You don’t see that in DC and definitely not in Shanghai!

John and I went up for only Saturday and Sunday. United had some last minute e-deals, so the airfare wasn’t too bad. We stayed at the Warwick Hotel downtown– very clean and convenient. We arrived at the hotel at 9 a.m., and the front desk checked us in SIX hours early. Unbelievable. Seattle is our kind of town… fresh produce and ingredients (Pike Place Market had incredible fresh flowers for cheap too!), great restaurants, public transportation (no metro unfortunately, but electric buses!), green spaces, plenty of window shopping. Yes, the weather is a factor. I went prepared, but the penetrating, damp chill was a bit discomforting. Still, when the sun’s out, the place is amazing.

On Sunday, the forecast called for rain and we lucked out with sunshine. John and I cabbed over to Ballard, ate at this yummy diner along Salmon Bay, checked out the Chittenden Locks, and walked miles and miles to Golden Gardens Park where there was a sandy beach even! Of course, we are out of shape and the walk took us forever but damn, with the sun, the water, and the cool crisp air, we really felt invigorated.

And looking at the regional map, there’s so much to see. Like Jill warned, a weekend is certainly not enough. In the future, we’ll probably rent a car and drive out to Mt. Rainer, Olympia National Park, maybe Mt. St. Helens.

I should say though, I did get a little weirded out our final night there. Walking around downtown after 8, I felt a bit uneasy with the homeless people out and about. John said he had noticed a lot of druggies– not homeless people, but people scrounging around looking for their next fix. Huh? I mean, I’m totally ignorant about that stuff– people who are drunk, high, whatever. I can never tell. I’ll have a conversation with someone at the bar, and afterwards John will comment on how smashed the person was… I’ll say, “Really? Oh, I just thought he was tired.” Yes, I’m THAT bad. So John says there’s a difference between the druggies and the homeless. Apparently, the homeless usually lug around all their stuff. The druggies, he claims, don’t carry around all this stuff. They are higher energy and nervous, and they’re searching for things. Just as he explained that, we walked by two guys who were exactly as he described. They were like looking at the sidewalk and around the garbage cans– not digging inside, just looking around the outside. Their body language reminded me of Gollum from Lord of the Rings. After that, I was really kind of freaked out. On our way back to the hotel, we passed two ladies, both probably my age. It was pretty chilly by then, and they were wearing next to nothing: mini, mini skirts, high heels, big hair. Maybe they are clubbers, I thought? I don’t know. John said they were hookers, and after seeing them scope him out, I guess he was right. I felt really bummed after that. Seeing the tougher side to any place is pretty depressing.

The IBM project ended up being like eight hours worth of recording last week. I completed it early, in my usual upbeat and peppy manner and got a sore throat as a result. I went to a Chinese networking event Monday… It was so-so. I met a Chinese guy there who works for the SF government. He said he’d help me with the job process for the public utilities division– they’re hiring engineers.

So I met with him on Friday, and he did this weird thing with holding my hand and rubbing it with his thumb. Having never experienced such a bizarre incident before, I freaked out and couldn’t even answer his question asking what kind of dogs I had! Uh, uh… I have two mutts… um a shepherd mix and a um… pointer mix. I’m a retard. Then, instinctively (and immediately) I pointed to a picture on his desk and asked him about his family and kids. I know, I have absolutely no polish, but wtf? I was caught off guard. When he asked what I had planned for the rest of the day, I said I had to run errands for my husband (meanwhile, I was already wearing my ring… hello!). When I finally got out of there, I took the metro home, went to the Apple store to buy laptops for John’s work, and then realized I didn’t have my wallet. Basically, I’d lost my wallet and then had to retrace my steps all the way back downtown (30+ minute commute) and back to freaky guy’s office!! And John and I were traveling Saturday to Seattle! So I was a total stressed out mess.

In the end, John found my wallet on the passenger side of the car, by the door. Damn thing had fallen out of my purse and through the crack. I always lose important things 1) when I’m PMSing 2) when I’m menstruating and/or 3) the day before a trip. Good thing I’m not working for the airlines. I’d be losing stuff all the damn time! Oh well, I’m just glad we found my wallet. Sigh!