/dev/zero

It’s been an interesting week. Had a job interview last Friday that left me feeling pretty sure I got the job. By the end of the day the recruiting firm let me know I did get the job, and for a grand more than the initial listing for the position. They were supposed to have an actual offer letter to me on Monday, but the manager has been out of the office all week. The recruiters contacted the customer’s HR dept and they hadn’t gotten the paperwork from the manager yet, so I still don’t have it. They also need to do a background check, but I told them I’m OK with giving notice at my current place with a contingent offer letter. There’s nothing in my background that will cause a problem.
Meanwhile, I don’t have an actual offer yet, so I’m not giving notice.
I also have a job interview with UT Austin next week in their computer services dept. Since I haven’t signed any offers yet, I’m going to go ahead and take the interview. It’s more in line with what I really want to do (system administration, rather than tech support) and the pay is almost $10k more. Pluses: what I want to do with my career, stable firm (can’t get much more stable than the largest state university in the country), more money, closer to my folks. Drawbacks: moving away from some very good friends here in DFW.

Meanwhile, at my current $POE, a water pipe burst in another suite on Wed night, flooding out half our tech floor, including my desk. I had to work from the NOC Thurs morning. At least this time I had my laptop with me so I didn’t have to spend an hour setting up all my tools on yet another PC that isn’t my normal workstation. Friday morning I got to put my desk back together, but luckily both Thurs and Friday were quiet days, calls-wise.

Today, my parents are coming to town to go out to dinner to celebrate Dad’s retirement. We’re going to go to some place in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Apparently Dad also wants to go shopping for some casual western wear. I dont’ know why he needs to come up here to DFW for that. Surely there’s plenty of places in Austin to buy that stuff, but oh well. I know where I can take him. Not sure why he’s suddenly interested in acquiring some western wear either.
However, them coming to visit means I need to do some mad cleaning. I think it’s almost a blessing that Kestrel has to work today; it means she’ll be out of my way while I run around the house stuffing things into closets and getting them off the floor.
The lawn is edged and mowed and I’m exhausted and drenched in sweat. But I still have the kitchen, living room and front bathroom to clean. Back to work.

Finished church, now off to lunch w/ parents.

Kestrel and I went to Mom and Dad’s house on Saturday to help packing things up and generally assist getting the house ready to move out and sell.

Kestrel managed to trip on the step up to the master bedroom and somehow cut her hand. We never did find what she cut herself on. It’s a hardwood floor with no rough edges of any kind and there was no glass or anything on the floor to cut her hand.

I cut out 3 more pieces of plastic to fit the light fixtures in the kitchen (the old ones were yellowed), then went to sand and paint the one remaining area in the garage where the drywall had been repaired and plastered, only to find mold. Yet another thing that will have to be fixed before the house is sold. It never seems to end. Every time they get the house all fixed up and ready to go on the market, something else breaks.

Mom surprised me when she asked if Kestrel and I were staying the night. We had actually brought changes of clothes with us, but with the idea that after working in the house all day we might want to shower and change before going out to dinner.

When bed time rolled around, Mom actually asked if I wanted her to make up the couch.. I asked if she would be offended if I said no and again, she surprised me by saying “No. Dad and I talked about it last night and decided it was OK.” Huh. Mom has changed.

Kestrel is now thoroughly convinced the house is haunted. She thinks whatever is in the house likes Mom though, and doesn’t like her. She thinks whatever it is doesn’t want my parents to move out.

I’m really happy how well Kestrel and my parents get along.

Sunday morning we went to church, even though the mention of it kind of scarred Kestrel. I completely spaced that it was the first Sunday of the month and thus we would be having Communion. Kestrel was comfortable with it and even took communion. That also made me happy.

godmoma, did you get the voice mail Dad and I left?