Breathing out

I took my car in for repairs yesterday. They said it'll take at least two weeks. I leave in three weeks. That doesn't give me much time to sell it. :-p At least the other guy's insurance is covering it. It's being resolved, and I need to sit back and relax.

I finished my visa application (finally!). I had to restart it because they deleted the incomplete one (they still haven't responded to my question of WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!?). But I finished it. Yay! Sort of. I finished the online part. Now I have to go in to an "application service center" in order to get my picture and fingerprints taken, then I'll submit the printed-up application, passport, and all my other documents, they'll take 5-14 days to process it, and overnight it back to me. Of course, there's a hitch. You have to make an appointment at an application service center that is accredited by the US government. There are three in Washington State. There earliest appointment at the Seattle one is September 15, a.k.a. THE DAY I LEAVE. The Yakima and Spokane sites are no better, but luckily, Portland has an opening early next week. So I'm going to Portland! Again. I was down there this past weekend (I drove my crunchilated car) and I had a lovely time visiting with Gma, Gpa, and the aunts. Aunt Chris even gave me some of her old cowboy boots! Yeehaw! I've been wanting a pair for a while (a worn-in, used pair) so that I can show my American West pride while abroad. I think Jax and I are gonna drive down together in celebration of our new-but-temporary liberation from the slavery that is a nine-to-five job. It should be fun (obviously, we'll be spending hours in Powells.) And a 2.5-hr drive to Portland sure beats a 13-hr drive to San Francisco!

So yeah, Friday is my last day at work. I have mixed feelings. I really love all my coworkers. It's a fun and friendly place to work and they take good care of their employees. Like Microsoft, they provide free drinks and Tim's Cascade potato chips (quality!) and cup o' noodles and other snacks, including (this is a recent development) Rice Krispie Treats. Giant ones! Take a moment to allow the weight of that to sink in. Free, Giant Rice Krispie Treats. It's a good thing they only recently started providing those, because I won't have time to pack on several pounds from eating them and only them. Anyway, it's a fantastic company and I believe they'll do exceptionally well in the industry. But at the same time, I'm glad to leave because I was booooooorrrrred. There wasn't enough work for me to do, and even when there was work, I was still bored with what I was doing. I think research is not for me. I really enjoyed it for a few years, but now I'm ready for something else. I want to spend my life doing something that more directly and immediately helps people. What can I say? I'm addicted to instant gratification.

So anyway, things are going alright. I've successfully staved off THE PANIC for now. I've completed a fair amount of the items on my 38-item list of things to do before I leave. Oh! And that letter from my lender FINALLY came yesterday. Only 31 days late! I think it'll all be alright.