I have a job!

And it's been in the 90's for pretty much the entire week so far! This makes me really happy! 98 degree weather in November is exactly why I moved to LA. Well, not exactly, it more had to do with the fact that I got accepted here and I could afford it, but it's the kind of weather that I was hoping for when I moved here. So far, it hasn't disappointed, and there's nothing quite like seeing Christmas decorations alongside palm trees. I actually think I prefer it to seeing Christmas decorations that are blanketed in snow.

So, now that I do have a job, I'll be checking into the possibility of getting a kitty as soon as I have enough time during the hours for the rescue! Also, I'll be seeing when I can get down to San Diego for a day or so. Why in the world does our high-speed rail go everywhere in Southern CA except for San Diego?

The only real downside is that this job involves lots of people speaking a language that I don't know at all, and that the dress code doesn't even allow me to have watches, jewelry, or nail polish that's not a "light" or "neutral" color, because we're supposed to look "professional". Seriously, when the person you're interviewing asks about the dress code because her hair is currently every color in between blood red and blond, wouldn't you think that "Oh, and no bright purple nail polish" might be a good thing to mention? Incidentally, the exact words used regarding the hair were "not a problem".

The hours right now are kind of tough, too, cause they go late enough in the day that nothing's open by the time I get out, but they still start early enough (compared to when everything opens at least) that I don't have time to go grocery shopping or whatever before going to work.

It's very frustating that after four years and tens of thousands of dollars and a degree in a hard science, that's STILL not enough to get me more than minimum wage. Ah, well, in 2 or 3 years I'll hopefully have a real career, and my career field will pay very comfortably =)

Things I will buy when I have a job.

I've been very busy lately, mostly applying at 20+ places, which so far have resulted in one interview and zero jobs. But, when I do get a job, here's what I'll buy, in no particular order:



Another warm, fuzzy blanket.

A small couch or love seat, because right now I just have a blanket and an extra pillow on the floor against the laundry hampers. If I were ever to get most of my laundry done at once, it would present a problem.

A TV stand, as mine is currently on the floor

A second set of color-coordinated towels.

Pierogies, even though I might have to buy them at Whole Foods.

At least one outfit that doesn't make me look entirely clueless about fashion.

A membership to the San Diego Zoo.

Bus tickets to San Diego, of course.

Christmas presents for my cousins and parents.

Nicer Christmas presents for my siblings.

Some sort of shelf thing to store my dishes or silverware (which are on an out-of-the-way corner of the floor).

A table for my microwave, which is in the same place as everything else in my apartment (ie, the floor).

Warm socks.

Combat boots.

A coffee table or end table, because who wants to guess where I put my dishes when I eat?

A DVD player.

Books.

CHOCOLATE!

Orville:

[unfortunately, the 3G on my phone appears to be broken, and so I cannot post a photo of him. He is an adorable orange-and-white cat that likes to stand or lie on people's shoulders, even while they're walking around a room.]

Well, I won't be buying him, but I will be paying the pet deposit, buying his food and dishes, his litterbox and litter, his bed or carrier, and his toys.

My weekend was full of fluffy adorableness!

So, this weekend I went to an American Idol concert, which Jocelyn covered pretty well over in her blog, so I'm going to refrain from writing an entire post about it. I'm just going to add that by the end of the night, we came to the conclusion that Casey James needs to record a cover of "Bad Things" by Jace Everett (better known as the song during the True Blood credits).

So, what else did I do this weekend? I worked, which was rather unexciting but that's a good thing for my job, I got a new phone (which may or may not get its own post later) and I hung out with loads of adorable animals - seriously. Labradoodles, kitties, baby horses, and bunnies. So, here's a photo of one of my favorites, Duke!


I also got to hang out with Jocelyn's special kitty Possum, and a bunch of other cats at a farm. I've never met such affectionate cats - I'm petting one of them and the other two are rubbing against me, purring. So, here's a kitty (whose name I didn't catch):

Last but not least, I'm friends with some Labradoodle breeders, and the other day they had a few of their former puppies over. Although they were all grown up, they still were essentially a pile of enthusiastic cuteness:

Sadly, I got no cute photos of all the bunnies, but that was more or less how my weekend went. Oh, and I turned in my 2 weeks notice at work - it's kind of surprising how fast everything is happening.