Ever since I got back from California, I�ve been having trouble concentrating on school. I hope that I�m not this useless for the rest of the semester because I have pretty damn good grades right now. I�m nearing my goal for a 4.0 semester and I don�t need to muck it up in the last four weeks. Four weeks, jeez.
Wednesday night, AC the Coworker, invited me to the bar since she wouldn�t be attending class on Thursday either. She was flying out to Georgia the same day that I was going to California. RP, the Roommate, decided to join us and we flagged down a Big Daddy Taxi and headed off to Harpers.
I�d never been to Harpers, but apparently they have a half off night on Wednesdays.
Anyway, shortly after we arrived, AC walked up wearing a snazzy new coat. I swear, she looked like pure city girl, completely out of place in this Midwest town. She had brand new redlights, a new coat, and a really nice one shoulder black shirt.
Needless to say that I was jealous of her �clubbing� clothes.
Anyway, the bar was packed and after awhile we found a table, or at least a makeshift table. We chatted about everything and these guys started yelling �Stacy!� until this guy came over and asked AC if her name was Stacy.
Not quite.
I figured it was just a ploy to get her attention and he walked away, but soon enough the guys were yelling �Tracy!� and it went on and on.
Hahaha, and *I* am the one used to getting all the attention.
I shouldn�t go out with AC anymore. Just kidding.
Anyway, after a few drinks, we were all pretty much buzzin, still having a grand old time. I got up to go to the bathroom and felt the pang of jealousy once again. All, and I mean all, of the girls in the bathroom were short and petite. Now, I hardly feel fat, but it�s hard to stand next to a five foot nothing girl, wearing a size zero, and not feel self-conscious. The earlier victory I�d had with my abs lookin all flat (which definitely didn�t stick around after all the beer I drank) was quashed by all the skinny, very fashionable girls in the bathroom.
But, I didn�t let it spoil my good time. When we went to leave, we flagged down the very slow waitress for our tab, which, somehow, was only $17.50. Amazing.
We walked AC home and then RP�s boyfriend drove me home. I went to bed ASAP because I knew that I was going to feel like hell the next morning.
And boy did I.
I wasn�t sick unless I turned my head upside down, which ruled out blow drying my hair. I thanked my lucky stars that I�d packed the night before, grabbed my stuff, grabbed the cat and drove home.
I didn�t have much time to spare, so I dropped Bandit off at my mom�s and went to my dad�s where I met his new girlfriend. She seemed young and very uninterested in the very huge part of my father�s life. But of course, this could be my father�s doing by downplaying my importance to him. Who knows? I�m not going to start anything, though.
They drove me to the new terminal of the airport, which I have to say is MUCH better than the old terminals of DTW. It was pretty amazing actually. After I had some coffee with them, I headed toward security, which they could not pass. I waved them off as some security dude made me take off my shoes and flipped out about the calculator attachment to my laptop.
Call CNN, I program my calculator.
Anyway, I went over to the terminal after going to the bathroom three or four times (too make sure I wouldn�t have to go on the plane) and they were already boarding. I hopped on and sat down in my aisle seat and looked to my left. There was a Christina Aguilera look-alike sitting in the window seat and we had an empty seat between us.
We were late taking off, of course, and no one ever sat in the seat between me and Christina. We chit-chatted for awhile, but it was already 8:00 pm. I was ready to get some sleep that I had missed from the bar the previous night.
I started to fall asleep when I swear we hit the most turbulence that is even possible on a flight. We were literally flying out of our seats. Baggage kept falling out of the overhead compartments. I clutched my magazine to my chest and tried to compare it to a rollercoaster.
However, a plane is not a rollercoaster.
We landed in California and it was already past midnight my time. My luggage came out pretty quickly and I managed to make it to the rental car shuttle rather quickly. At first, I was told that my reservation was cancelled, which instantly left me terrified. Then the guy looked again and found it. He told me that I was to go to a certain sign out in the parking lot of cars and just pick one.
Pick one?
I went over to the sign and looked at the cars. I was floored by the cars that I got to choose from.
�What the?�
I grabbed one as fast as I could and hoped that I wouldn�t be sent back. And I guess it wasn�t a mistake�.
I drove over to the hotel and saw that I�d be paying $12 a night for parking, which I didn�t understand until the next day after I�d been able to drive around LA for awhile. I went into the hotel and saw a check-in line that went out the door.
I didn�t get into my room until after 2 am my time, and promptly went to sleep because I had to be up at 6:30 CA time for the �day of festivities�.
I got up and got to my car, put in a CD and just FLEW down the road. Apparently, Califonians cannot drive in the rain because everyone stared at me as if I were nuts, driving so fast. I arrived at the company and waited in a line of about 200 people before getting in.
I�m not joking, this company invited something like 200 people, some from MIT, some from Georgia Tech, some even from the University of Puerto Rico.
It was a long day and I�m not going to bore you with the details, but here�s a list of highlights:
I got to play in and *drive* a tank. I�m not joking.
I got to sit in the cockpit of a stealth/b2 bomber.
They landed a helicopter for us and showed us their neat new IR system.
I want to work there.
I went through something like six interviews and was exhausted by the day�s end. I drove home, really hoping that I�d made a good enough impression. Right now, I feel like my chances are about 50/50.
Hopefully better.
My aunt was in the hotel when I got back and she took me out to dinner, driving around and showing me different areas that I could possibly live in if I got the job. We ate at the best Mexican restaurant I�ve ever eaten at and she dropped me off.
I was so damn tired.
Eventually, I managed to get up and go down to the hotel bar, but was discouraged by the expensive prices. I took out the rental car and took it for another drive, and then later retired for the night, very exhausted.
I woke up late and rushed to drop off the rental car and then to the airport. I grabbed my E-ticket and ran over to the security entrance when I happened upon KP, the Oniisan, who had been waiting for me. Unfortunately, I couldn�t get or receive calls, so we�d never crossed paths until that moment, but we spent an hour talking before I had to get back up to the monstrous security line.
Then, the story goes downhill.
The plan was delayed.
I was sitting behind two very small children who spoke very loudly.
The woman behind me kept elbowing me.
My luggage was the last to arrive in the terminal.
I had homework due by midnight.
I was very happy to be home though. I was both excited and sad. I was saddened by the fact that I have to concentrate for the next two weeks on homework when all I�m thinking about is whether or not I get that phone call. I was excited to see my family and my cat.
With the exception of the inclement weather and another missed day of class, nothing much happened.
And now I must be off.
