And I feel like the wind got knock out of me.
My mom felt the same. He was one of those actors we could both enjoy. He's cute and young and such a great actor. He left behind a small, small daughter and a list of movies we'll never get to see him in.
Amazing how life can change so rapidly.

I am inviting you.

Dinner at Redmond TC (haven't decided where) 
Second Story Theater has an Improv show at 8:30pm.
Drinks at the Ale House a block from our apartment.

Come and worship me on my day of offically being a quarter of a century old. :)

So although I wasn't sure if it was going to happen. I 100% am getting promoted.
Way too much to explain because I don't know what I'm going to be doing. My boss doesn't know either, but it will be happening.
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Current Mood: ecstatic

I have my yearly review on Monday. Semi-excited about it. Shouldn't be bad, Carla (my boss) is super easy to talk to and isn't judgmental at all about things. 
Marli also helped me out with my self-appraisal worksheet, which is a pain in the ass. It's hard to look at what you do and figure out what to write down. It's hard to know what my accomplishments or my areas of improvement are, because it not necessarily what I think but what she would think that's important. 
Along with the help on the worksheet from Marli, I was also told she is going to suggest to Carla that I get as big of raise as possible. I believe her words were 'More then we are supposed to get'...'as much as Carla can give'.  This of course makes me the most excited. Although I have no idea what that amount is and it probably won't be much to really make a difference, it is still a great thing to hear from your boss. 
Anyone have any suggestions as what to put for 'Areas of Improvement'? 

Current Mood: bouncy

Is my new Best Friend...

She brought up that that I should be the coordinator on at least one of the three new studies we are bringing on board. She is going to be mentioning this to Marli sometime in the near future. I’m not sure if that will lead to anything but knowing that she thinks I can do it is pretty damn awesome. If I did get it, it would mean not only a raise, but a huge chance to further my career.

Current Mood: chipper

Did you know that if you use WaMu as your bank you get to nickname your accounts. How fucking awesome is that!
So mine are now...
My Awesome Car Fund (for gas and insurance)
Spend Me and Only Me (my main account) &
Put Me Through Grad School Fund (Savings)

Yea, I'm the coolest person ever.

So on a more interesting note, I was contemplating something on the bus today. With the up and coming Presidential election I'm wondering who the best choice for the Democratic party is. I think with the growing desire not to have another Republican President we are on the brink of political history. If we were ever going to have a President who isn't White and Male it easily could be now. 

But what are the chances that a white woman, or a Black man would get the votes needed to make history? 

My biggest fear is that neither will. So which do you think is least prejudiced against? A white woman or a black man? Who has that better chance of becoming our next president. 

Obviously there are other candidates hoping not to let these two have a shot, but if not this election, when? When four years is up, or eight, will the Democratic party have enough power to get a non-white male into office? I honestly never thought it would happen in my lifetime, now I hope it will.

So which has more weight? White and Female, or Black and Male?

Current Location: Work, where else
Current Mood: contemplative

 

So I’m going back to school. I don’t care what anyone else thinks of this. I want a degree in Epidemiology and (I just learned) UW is the best school in the country for Epidemiology. If I can get in, I will be learning at the top school, why wouldn’t I at least try, with everything I have, to do this?

I have to take my GRE’s, the entrance exam for grad school. I have to get 600’s on each section. Think 1200’s on the SAT’s. That’s what I need, I have to do amazing. I got 990 on my SAT’s.

Feb 23^rd, it’s a Saturday, it’s the day I’m taking my GRE’s. It’s the day I find out if I have a shot in hell of making it into UW.

Epidemiology is the study of disease. Think ‘The Hot Zone’ or the movie ‘Outbreak’. Of course I won’t be doing that, I don’t have any real desire to deal with highly infectious and deadly diseases, but tracking TB outbreaks in the US, or Meningitis or the flu, that would be so much better then what I’m doing now.

I love disease, I find it fascinating, wondrous, sometimes scary as anything else on earth. Microscopic organisms can make your body eat you alive, or can make you cough so that they can find someone else to cough, then replicate and infect. It’s a little disturbing to think about, but it’s soooo interesting.

Anyway the point is, I didn’t think I’d ever find something I wanted to go back to school for, but I also never thought I’d have an opportunity to become an Epidemiologist either. I’m going to make it happen, and I’m going to work hard for it. There aren’t many things I like to work hard for, this is a good one.

Current Mood: determined

Marli’s mad at me this morning, not for an entirely insane reason either, but still, this day is not getting better.

The place where we get all our supplies has just posted that it will take 3-4 weeks to get things once we order them (as apposed to the 10 days it used to). This also comes on the heals of me writing an email to one of the guys saying we ordered stuff on June 25^th, where the hell is it! He got it to me two days later.

On the plus side I get free pizza for lunch today, and Jon has a new kickass apartment he’s signing the lease for today. We both checked and it’s a half hour bus ride for me into work from it. Better then mine now. There’s no roommate or gremlin running around in it either. (Actually there isn’t a gremlin in mine anymore, but still). He has a full sized washer and dryer, and a nice sized kitchen.

Perfect Heather and I are getting along better and I’m not as mad at being here all the time. I still haven’t gotten to the phlebotomy stuff yet, but I’m hoping Thursday and Friday I will because Marli will be out of the office, and I’ll have time to get stuff done.

I’m doing one load of laundry today then sitting down and watching SG1 until it’s time for bed.

No word yet on whether or not Mom sold a house. Should know sometime today or tomorrow, depending on her annoying clients.

Great news, I get to see my awesome grandfather who I haven’t seen in five years this weekend. He’s the ex-CIA agent with the incredible stories he’s not supposed to tell, but allows us tidbits of when he’s been drinking enough.

Can’t decide if I’m happy or annoyed at being here today. Thoughts have crossed my mind about taking Friday off, or at least a half day. What do you three think? Enjoy  my Friday, take off part of it before I fly to Sac-town to see my relatives and throw Jon into the mix for the first time? And if I do take off part of it, which part, come in late and sleep in, or leave early? Might be easier to sleep in….

 

Current Mood: contemplative

So, this is mostly for Jon, but...
I was searching for some stuff on our Sponsor's website. (this is a huge orgainization all over the world, called TrialNet. ) And guess where they have a site...BEND. I almost laughed out loud. Of course it's only a very small part of what they do, but I figured if they do that, they might do other research. It's Bend Memorial Clinic. I'll be checking them out when I get home tonight. Who else is amused?

Current Mood: amused

I'm sitting at my desk, messing around (because honestly why should I be doing anything productive) and Marilyn our office manager comes over and whispered that we have a couple here who are potential donors, and that reception sent them into us instead of leaving them out front. (She's upset about this)
Carla our director and doctor was going to be meeting with them. I look at Marilyn with disbelief and then down at my big, baggy, torn apart sweatshirt, baggy comfy black pants and flipflops, then back up at her.
"how much do they want to donate?"
"A million or something"
This is when I think to myself it would've been nice to know this yesterday, so I could wear appropriate donor clothing. (I also have no makeup on, and did not do my hair. I am driving a crazy long way today)
So Marilyn smiles and says, "just stay at your desk. "
Which is when I look around and sigh, there is nothing for me to do at my desk. So I decided to fill you guys in on my cubical imprisonment.
Now I'm comtemplating the lifestyle the two people in my boss's office lead in order to hand us over a check for a million dollars. And now I'm jealous. I'd love to be writing checks to needy organizations for that kind of cash. I'd love to be making a difference like that. (Not that I'm not making a difference running around and putting together visits for my boss)<--- that was sarcastic.
Now I'm running 20 blocks on foot to try and track down the book our participant left at the hotel, because somehow their irresponsibility is now my problem.

Current Mood: indescribable