Sunday, October 20, 2013

Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose

I missed a good part of a 7-3 drubbing of the Wisconsin Badgers last night because I was too deep in my head to notice what was going on.

(Wow. Drubbing’s a weird word choice. Where did that come from?)

Anyhoo… three is a magic number, and right now I have three options:
1) Get a Tier 2 visa (employment sponsorship)
2) Become a German citizen
3) Go to grad school and get an MBA

I think German citizenship is the easiest since I can prove a “right” to citizenship through my mother. Grad school may be the second easiest, and of course, finding a damn job might just be downright impossible. Not that I’m going to stop looking for work, but I do worry that the fact that I don’t have a work visa / sponsorship yet is hurting me. I’m just going to stay positive and throw my CV at every position I fit the requirements for no matter where it is in the UK.

To quote Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.”

To quote myself, “This the year of flinging stuff and seeing what sticks.”

——

I discovered last night that I REALLY miss my versions Douglas and Martin. That’s probably why I couldn’t stop the trilogy at three episodes and kept pushing it out to four and almost five. I still can’t decide what I’m going to do for NaNo. There’s definitely the (getting more attractive) option of doing a 30 day OTP Challenge with those two. I could probably knock out 30 days of 2,000 word vignettes… they wouldn’t have to be related, so that’s nice. I wouldn’t use the leftover bits from the trilogy, but I do like some of the ideas I introduced and maybe I can expand on them or make them better.

Now I see why AtlinMerrick writes so many stories focused on her versions of Sherlock and John.

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Speaking of Sherlock and John:

I’ve spent the past two days charting out/researching the Zodiac and trying to figure out how to move his copycat to London.

You know it’s bad when you spend an hour looking at a map of the city and wondering which lake or pond could best replicate Lake Berryessa. (I think I’m ultimately going to cheat and use the Thames or even the Tower Bridge tube station since that has always struck me as a good place to leave a body.)

You know it’s a bit not good when you start asking, out loud, which college is the best one to dump a body at.

You know it’s probably as bad as it’s going to get when you entertain the possibility of asking British friends where the best make out/parking points were when they were growing up. Even if they’re not in London proper.

The Zodiac bounced around three police jurisdictions which meant it was harder to find him. (I don’t know about law enforcement in England, but it’s well documented that our cops don’t like to work together. In their defence, half the time they didn’t know that an unsolved murder in their jurisdiction may match one in another unless they saw it in the news or something. Now, of course, technology has made it easier for them to all play nice through national fingerprint databases and all that shit…)

I’m pretty sure I’m going to break from the real Zodiac’s path towards the end of the case, too. John always seems to get kidnapped because he’s Sherlock’s weak point, and since there’s a lot of (circumstantial) evidence pointing at a (now dead) man, it seems right that Sherlock solves the unsolvable and delivers a living suspect to the Met.

Besides, if I’m going to fictionalize it, I might as well use the term “based on a true story” and take it from there.

There’s DEFINITELY 50K words there and I’m positive that I can get it done in the 30 days. Maybe sooner if I can get all the research and outline done before November 1st.

*sigh*

——

I have a meeting with a recruiter on Wednesday and then there’s one I used to work with that has a position that I might be a good fit for. I’m resending my resume to him and telling him that he needs to submit it…

——

Monday’s a new day and I’m starting to feel human again. I’m even going to fit in a much needed haircut and get my Cumberbatch on this week.

It’s going to be a good week… I can feel it.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

One week, five days

I love the fact that the TiVo will record anything with a certain actor in it. Can you say Cumberbatch marathon? I’d forgotten he was in “The Other Boleyn Girl”... he plays Mary’s husband, before she becomes the King’s play toy. He’s also in “Atonement”. Interesting movie, but kind of boring at the same time. Plus, he’s got a mustache. Stachebatch is definitely not one of my favorites. 

So, Jack Parker announced his retirement yesterday. Not really a surprise, but wow. The man has spent 40 years as the head coach of the Terriers. FORTY YEARS. AT ONE UNIVERSITY. COACHING. Such an amazing career, even if some shithead players put a tarnish on it over the past two seasons.

Marshall left UCONN this year, too.

It’s been a bad year for my hockey programs… although UCONN managed to turn around their season and have made it to the Atlantic Hockey tourney. Hopefully, they don’t screw up… I’d love to see them do well, especially since they’re on their way to Hockey East, season after next. It’s time UCONN’s hockey program was taken seriously.

As for everything else…

The one position I didn’t want, I didn’t get. I knew I was done with the interview when he kept asking me about the year I spent at the CPA firm as opposed to my current experience. I was also done when I found out it was a three person accounting department with absolutely no chance for growth… I’m better than an A/P Clerk. I wouldn’t take a position like that unless it was the absolute last interview I’d ever have.

So. Not a big surprise that I got the ‘thanks, but no thanks’ email this morning.

The second company. God, I loved the job description and after the interview(s), I want that job more. They were originally going to make the decision yesterday/today. Then it became today/tomorrow. I haven’t heard a peep yet. Kind of freaking out about it. A lot. It’s frightening to have the perfect job plopped in your lap only one week after being shown the door… and to know that everything hangs on whether or not you were able to charm four different people, one at a time.

Here’s hoping there’s happy news tomorrow…

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

A lasting legacy

I haven’t really known what to say about two major things that have happened kind of back to back… if you know me well, and you really pay attention to my Facebook news feed / UConn athletics, you’ll know why I’m… not right.

I meant to send a get well soon card but I didn’t know the extent of the illness that kept him away from work. My sources were tight-lipped - I’m not sure why all the secrecy other than that’s the kind of person he is - but it sucks to be on the outside looking in. I was afraid that a commercial card would be cheesey.

Then came the news of his resignation. It floored me. It’s still hard for me to comprehend. He was a good man, a boon to the university, and the program wouldn’t be where its headed without him.

HE was the program.

It won’t be the same without him.

I won’t be the same without him.

Thank you, for everything, Coach Marshall.