Long time
I'm no longer a paid member on LJ. Partly b/c I can't afford it (as sad as that sounds) and partly b/c I rarely log on anymore. I intend to fix the latter.
There hasn't been much going on here. Work. :) A lot of work. Though, I do relax quite a bit at home now though.
Highlights of the past month or so should hardly be considered highlights.
I did go to Vegas last week with Jonah to see Cher. Jonah paid for the entire trip. I had the cher tickets. Originally, I wasn't going to go b/c I couldn't afford it. But, Jonah insisted even though I said no several times. It was very sweet of him. But, I don't accept gifts well, esp. one of this magnitude. We stayed at the mandalay bay, which was amazing. Got in Friday night - drank and ate. Sat. we hung out at the pool from noon until 5. We were drunk off our asses by the time we left the pool. Then off to the Palace to see the Cher. We had an incredible, very expensive meal there only to find out Cher cancelled. This put me in a funk. Partly b/c I was drinking and a bit drunk (ie, sleepy) and partly b/c it was the only way I had contributed to this trip and the whole reason for the trip. Well, eventually we made it back to the hotel room where I had a bit of an emotional breakdown from everything (Reno, the job, homesickness, etc.) and this pissing Jonah off, so he left and stayed in a different room that night. Well, it's been over a week and after emails, texts, and voicemails, he has yet to call me back. So I guess we're no longer dating.
This is fine. I liked him quite a bit, but I always sensed that we didn't really see eye to eye on several key issues that would have eventually torn us apart anyway. He was a bit too conservative on a lot of things for my taste. Still, I'm sad that I hurt him (not sure how or why, but I apparantly did if he had to get his own room), and I'm sad to have lost a person who at least would have been a great friend.
This week was Rosh Hashanah. I attended Temple Sinai, where I did go one week for Shabbat services. I like it, even though it's a reform synagogue. I usually don't like reform b/c it's a little too laid back, but on the other hand, I sometimes find conservative synagogues too staunch. But, Sinai is a nice place that meets perfectly in the middle. Well, it's still just slightly too laid back for me, but I'm too damn picky anyways to find the "perfect" synagogue to attend. So, I went there for the new year and the services were nice. It was definitely something I needed after the trip to Vegas. I'm looking forward to Yom Kippur there, though the choir sucks and I'm sure they're going to butcher the Kol Nidre, which is usually so beautiful and serene.
I've applied to 9 faculty positions, and keeping my eyes open for other ones. I figure I should make attempts to go into academia, industry, and gov't. labs. Keep my options open. I think ideally I'd like to work in academia, but financially I would prefer not to for a few years until I can get back on my feet after grad school and this post doc. But, it can't hurt to try to get whatever I can. The faculty position I want most is at UW in Seattle. I think I'd like Seattle. I also applied to Drexel, Tufts, UMass Amherst, UNC Chapel Hill, CSU Long Beach, U Vermont, Brown, and U Chicago. Since I hate the cold, most of these options have that going against them, but beggars can't be chosers. :) The one in Long Beach would be great since I'd be in the LA area, but it's only a master's granting institution and I think I want to be at a larger research institution. I also plan on applying for one of the very prestigious Lawrence Livermore postdocs, which essentially pay 100K a year and it's a three year term!
So that's about it. Hopefully Karah is coming to Reno for a visit in Oct, and I need to get a few more applications out the door. OK...lunch is over. Back to work. Grrrr.
There hasn't been much going on here. Work. :) A lot of work. Though, I do relax quite a bit at home now though.
Highlights of the past month or so should hardly be considered highlights.
I did go to Vegas last week with Jonah to see Cher. Jonah paid for the entire trip. I had the cher tickets. Originally, I wasn't going to go b/c I couldn't afford it. But, Jonah insisted even though I said no several times. It was very sweet of him. But, I don't accept gifts well, esp. one of this magnitude. We stayed at the mandalay bay, which was amazing. Got in Friday night - drank and ate. Sat. we hung out at the pool from noon until 5. We were drunk off our asses by the time we left the pool. Then off to the Palace to see the Cher. We had an incredible, very expensive meal there only to find out Cher cancelled. This put me in a funk. Partly b/c I was drinking and a bit drunk (ie, sleepy) and partly b/c it was the only way I had contributed to this trip and the whole reason for the trip. Well, eventually we made it back to the hotel room where I had a bit of an emotional breakdown from everything (Reno, the job, homesickness, etc.) and this pissing Jonah off, so he left and stayed in a different room that night. Well, it's been over a week and after emails, texts, and voicemails, he has yet to call me back. So I guess we're no longer dating.
This is fine. I liked him quite a bit, but I always sensed that we didn't really see eye to eye on several key issues that would have eventually torn us apart anyway. He was a bit too conservative on a lot of things for my taste. Still, I'm sad that I hurt him (not sure how or why, but I apparantly did if he had to get his own room), and I'm sad to have lost a person who at least would have been a great friend.
This week was Rosh Hashanah. I attended Temple Sinai, where I did go one week for Shabbat services. I like it, even though it's a reform synagogue. I usually don't like reform b/c it's a little too laid back, but on the other hand, I sometimes find conservative synagogues too staunch. But, Sinai is a nice place that meets perfectly in the middle. Well, it's still just slightly too laid back for me, but I'm too damn picky anyways to find the "perfect" synagogue to attend. So, I went there for the new year and the services were nice. It was definitely something I needed after the trip to Vegas. I'm looking forward to Yom Kippur there, though the choir sucks and I'm sure they're going to butcher the Kol Nidre, which is usually so beautiful and serene.
I've applied to 9 faculty positions, and keeping my eyes open for other ones. I figure I should make attempts to go into academia, industry, and gov't. labs. Keep my options open. I think ideally I'd like to work in academia, but financially I would prefer not to for a few years until I can get back on my feet after grad school and this post doc. But, it can't hurt to try to get whatever I can. The faculty position I want most is at UW in Seattle. I think I'd like Seattle. I also applied to Drexel, Tufts, UMass Amherst, UNC Chapel Hill, CSU Long Beach, U Vermont, Brown, and U Chicago. Since I hate the cold, most of these options have that going against them, but beggars can't be chosers. :) The one in Long Beach would be great since I'd be in the LA area, but it's only a master's granting institution and I think I want to be at a larger research institution. I also plan on applying for one of the very prestigious Lawrence Livermore postdocs, which essentially pay 100K a year and it's a three year term!
So that's about it. Hopefully Karah is coming to Reno for a visit in Oct, and I need to get a few more applications out the door. OK...lunch is over. Back to work. Grrrr.