Ten years of journaling

[serene]

It occurred to me just now that I made my first LiveJournal post ten years ago today, on my 35th birthday. I will put all my September 20th posts (or the posts nearest that date) under the cuts (skipping birthday wishes and that sort of stuff, and unlocking anything that was locked but that I don't mind unlocking after the fact):



9/20/2001
Today I turn 35

No angst, no sorrow, no gnashing of teeth. Just a resolve, and a peaceful one at that, to make the next 35 as much of a journey towards myself as the first 35 were.

I've always thought I would decide by the time I was 35 whether or not to have children; I guess they're not in the cards. Also, I guess I thought I'd feel less like a kid by now, but I don't. I feel younger than I did at 17.

Ah, well, good journey so far. May the wind be at my back the rest of the way.




9/27/2002
Okay, shaktiqueen...

...since you're the only one with symptoms, you get to get blamed for my runny nose and sore throat, 'kay? 'Kay.

(Teasing. It's probably normal for hermits to get sick after spending time around a lot of people all of a sudden. I haven't had a cold in years, though, so I'm preparing to be annoyed. ;-)




9/19/2003
States

(...if you know what I mean.)

California
Kentucky

That's it. :-)




9/20/2004
Birfday postage

[friends-locked on the off chance that my potential new employer has discovered my LJ -- it wouldn't take much]

( birthdays and yesterday's ickiness )

I like birthdays, mine and other people's. I don't know if this will change, but so far I've never been distressed by my age, and I like being made a moderately big fuss over once in a while. That's what I like to use my birthday for, because normally, being made a big fuss over feels embarrassing. Thanks to everyone who sent birfday greetings -- they're much appreciated.

I am *so* glad that what happened yesterday happened yesterday and not today. I was *so* sick. I literally spent the entire day in bed, when I wasn't puking, and I barely had the energy to sit up. I went to keep [livejournal.com profile] someotherguy company while he did laundry, and even that might have been too much exertion, because I came home and fell asleep on a pile of fresh towels. I spent about twenty hours in bed, all told, and felt like my soul had left my body. Feeling much better today, which is good, 'cause I got *plans*!

( plans for the day -- meet a sweetie, get a job? )


Picking up intenselaura at the airport this evening, yay! We haven't ever met in person, much to our dismay, and today's the day. She'll be here (and at other friends' places in the Bay Area) until Saturday morning, and I'm *really* looking forward to it. Gonna take the day off from work, because I have a final interview at headsets.com from 10 to 12, and Laura gets in at 4:30, so it seemed silly to drive back to Oakland for an hour or two of work, and then head back to San Francisco to pick her up.

( hiring processes -- oy vey )


Speaking of headsets.com, oh, man, what an interview process! First, Daniel called me on the phone to screen me (they don't accept resumes in the first step, because they get hundreds of responses to each position ad). Then I went in for step one of their four-step process: the in-person interview. Chris interviewed me, then said that he was going to go ahead and send me on to the second step, which was usually done at a future time. I filled out an eight-or-nine-page questionnaire, and then took a computerized IQ test (!) and a typing test. I kicked ass, so Chris ushered me over to meet the CEO, which is normally part of step three.

The totality of step three is to call (or meet) FIVE people who get to have input into the hiring process: The CEO, their business psychologist, a voice coach, and the heads of marketing and shipping.

When I got home from step two, I had an email in my inbox giving me the contact info for the five folks, and I made the calls. By Friday afternoon, I had talked to all of them, and I felt it had gone well, but after what by my count was SEVEN interviews (counting the pre-screening on the phone), I was just ready for the process to be over. So imagine my mixed feelings when Daniel called me on Saturday morning asking if I could come in as soon as possible for step four. It's a final interview, and an hour or two of observing them at their busiest time, so I can decide if I really want the job.

I really want the job, I think, but I'll go today and see how it is. This is the most thorough process I've ever been through, and it's not like they're going to be throwing money at me or anything (the pay's a little better than what I'm getting now, plus bonuses, and benefits kick in after 90 days, which is the real reason I'm jobhunting in the first place).

I am all for the philosophy behind the process, but doing the process itself kind of sucks. It works for them, though. Their turnover rate is tiny, and everyone obviously loves working there. We'll see.



All in all, I'd rather be less busy today, but it's a good and, I hope, productive busy, so there ya go.

(no subject)

[friends-locked again, same reason]

Got on the wrong bus.

Was late for the interview.

Got not one, but *two* pissy lectures about timeliness from the zygote who will be my boss if they hire me.

Expected to be sent home.

Was kept there anyway to interview and observe.

Because of pissy lectures, don't much care if I get the job, but if they offer it, I'm still gonna take it.


(no subject)

I have such wonderful partners. This week, they have showered me with gifts, flowers, and sex. Wonder Woman pajamas! A dining table (soon to come -- just pending my selecting one)! A trip to The Special Place(tm)! The most expensive half-eaten lunch in recent memory! :-)

Thank you, my loves. You are more than I ever dreamed of.




9/20/2005
(no subject)

Used my downtime today to make flyers for the readings. Now I'm gonna go
relax for an hour. It's lunchtime, ferpetesake, and I deserve/need/want
it. Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Four down, ten to go.

[Edit: But doesn't everyone find menu planning to be relaxing?]




9/20/2006
(no subject)

I kind of enjoy having my birthday on a holiday:

Today, of course, is So Stop Talking Like A Fucking Pirate Already Day.




9/20/2007
Yay!!!

You all know what today is, don't you?

It's International Okay, You Can Stop Talking Like A Fucking Pirate Now Day!

Whee!









Oh, yeah, and it's also my birthday.


So fun!

loracs sent me an earworm for my birthday! Fun!

(It's called "B-day ditty", and someotherguy says, "Is it all right if I'm hearing 'Happy BJ ditty"? Of course it's all right!)

Awoke to dozens of happy-birthday messages. Thanks, y'all, you're the greatest. *smooooooooooooooooooooooooch*


(no subject)

The adjective of the day is "birthday". As in, I'm sitting in my birthday suit, eating my birthday gribnes, doing my birthday work at my birthday computer and contemplating making my birthday soup. Like that there.

Anyway, the soup. I will post about the soup. I am excited about the soup. Oops, sorry, about the *birthday* soup.


Yet another birthday post

If you're sick of my birthday, you should maybe unfriend me until after Sunday. :-)

Thanks, mommaduck, for sending me birthday money and walking me through the knaedlach process.

Thanks, jwermont, for a way-fun time eating Thai food and chitting and chatting, and for my lovely sweet treats, for which someotherguy also thanks you.

Thanks, someotherguy, for birthday sex and birthday pie and birthday clean dishes, yay!

Thanks, loracs and sogwife for excellent birthday earworms.

Thanks, epi_lj for [data embargo]. Technically not a birthday gift for me, but I'm counting it. :-)


(no subject)

Nicked from maestrodog. My answers are at the bottom of this entry:

( Riddle me this )


1. Do you have a tattoo?
2. How old are you?
3. Are you single or taken?
4. Eat with your hands or utensils?
5. Do you dream at night?
6. Ever seen a corpse?
7. George Strait or Jay Z?
8. How did we meet?
9. What's your philosophy on life and death?
10. If you could do anything with me, and have no one know, what would it be?
11. Do you trust the police?
12. Do you like Country music?
13. What is your fondest memory of me?
14. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?
15. Would you cheat?
16. What do you wear to sleep?
17. Have you ever peed in a pool?
18. Would you hide evidence for me if I asked you to?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
20. Which do you prefer - short or long hair?
21. Do you sing in the shower?
22. What's your favorite color?
23. If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be?
24. Tell me one interesting/odd fact about you?
25. What was your first impression of me?
26. Have you ever done drugs?
27. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?


My answers:

1. Do you have a tattoo? No
2. How old are you? 41 today
3. Are you single or taken? Neither
4. Eat with your hands or utensils? Usually utensils, but not always
5. Do you dream at night? Yes, and in the daytime, too
6. Ever seen a corpse? Yes
7. George Strait or Jay Z? George. I actually don't know who Jay Z is.
8. How did we meet? I don't think we've met, but I might be wrong. My memory is what it used to be.
9. What's your philosophy on life and death? ONE philosophy on life AND death? Hah!
10. If you could do anything with me, and have no one know, what would it be? Depose the sitting US President
11. Do you trust the police? I don't have a simple answer for that
12. Do you like Country music? Sometimes
13. What is your fondest memory of me? You've always been very kind to me on LJ
14. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be? I would be able to provide everything my family needed
15. Would you cheat? I did, once. I hated it, and hated myself for it
16. What do you wear to sleep? Nothing
17. Have you ever peed in a pool? Yep. Don't all kids do that at some point?
18. Would you hide evidence for me if I asked you to? Evidence of what? And for what purpose?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together? Sorry; I'd hang with my family. Hope you don't mind.
20. Which do you prefer - short or long hair? I don't have a preference
21. Do you sing in the shower? OH, yes.
22. What's your favorite color? Don't really have one
23. If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be? My nana
24. Tell me one interesting/odd fact about you? I think that chocolate and fruit together is an abomination
25. What was your first impression of me? Don't remember.
26. Have you ever done drugs? I have drunk alcohol, and taken prescription and over-the-counter medication, but I've never tried any illegal drugs.
27. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you? Sure. :-)





9/20/2008
(no subject)

I really want to go to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass this year if it's not the same weekend as the camping event I'm supposed to go to in October. I missed one where Joan Baez was playing, and I regretted it.

As I said to stonebender just now, "alison krauss, jimmie dale gilmore, emmylou, shawn colvin, odetta (odetta!), carlene carter, jerry jeff walker, ricky skaggs, elvis costello, greg brown, loudon wainright, IRIS DEMENT!!"

I'm either going to go alone, or with folks who don't mind splitting up and doing our own things, because I have eclectic tastes and probably want to wander around following the folks I love best.



9/21/2009
Hippy birthday to me!

sogwife and loracs outdid themselves yesterday, I'll tell you. It wasn't a happy birthday -- it was a HIPPY birthday! I had a lovely, mellow time with my family, ate TONS of food, and got many lovely gifts, including a new logo for the magazine that I adore.

Are there pictures? Well, loracs was there, wasn't she? :-) (Not pictured: stonebender, sogwife, loracs, wild_irises, and dbubley, all of whom are perfect and gorgeous, as well you already know.)

http://www.serenepages.org/images/birthday/

* Current Location: 94609
* Current Music: "I like the Starbucks here, it's better than the other one..."

Tags:

* birthday,
* family,
* joy


Thank you all so much!

We raised $390 even, which equals three whole SmartPens for the students!

The following is from my great-grandboss (the Director of our Program), who really does have a heart for helping the students:

Thank you Serene. How can I properly thank all involved?

With this donation, I'd like to start a test program loaning these pens to
selected students with DSP assigned note takers. Of course, along with the
loaded pens, we would want to provide these students with adequate training
on "how to" utilize the technology.

This technology appears to be promising for the students, as they have
immediate access to their notes; they will have a better understanding of
the recorded notes as they will have been a part of recording them; and, the
students can begin a new and better strategy for accommodating themselves in
the workplace.

[...]

Again, thank you Serene, et al.

* Current Location: UC Berkeley
* Current Mood: proud of my friends
* Current Music: "Least Complicated" earworm





9/17/2010
(no subject)

So the ibuprofen? Totally working. For the first time in about 7 years, I slept through the night two nights in a row.

Comments

[pameladean]

Happy day after your birthday, Serene!

P.