eight years

Friday was my last day of work, and it also happened to be my eight year anniversary with Boyfriend.

rainy day

We're getting a good start to the rainy season this year, which is awesome. After a productive day yesterday, I feel entitled to a lazy day at home with a book, and if the rain lets up, maybe I'll even go out and plant some of the wildflower seeds I bought (and the ones I got from the library after I had already bought the other ones).

first day off

Dog adoption fair, gas, returned a dress at REI, pedicure (finished a book!), library (oh, the luxury of having the time to justify checking out ten books and four DVD box sets!), returned eyeliner and bought lip balm at Sephora, came home to dinner almost in the table, then watched for episodes of Battlestar Galactica. Not a bad first day.

full heart

When twenty of your coworkers come out in the pouring rain for your leaving drinks for four hours, then you crash your old team's team dinner for another four hours, then you get home and open a card and find so many kind words and a gift certificate to use at the spa after you are in the real world where massages aren't subsidized... that's when you realize that even if the company has changed in the last eight years, the people are still the best.

overtime

Favorite massage therapist went 20 minutes long on my 50 minute massage today.

it's so hard

The mark of a good workplace is the sadness that comes with leaving it.

addiction

The bad thing about my newfound addiction to microwave lasagna is that it's embarrassing and unhealthy. The good thing is that it's legal and cheap.

young-ish

Thank you to the grocery store clerk who asked where I work, and when I said I've been at Google for eight years, thought that maybe I'm young enough that it was my first job out of college.

times are changing

I had to stop a moment earlier today when I stopped to think that it's possible that in the course of a single decade in my lifetime, we'll have had our first black president, legalized gay marriage, and elected our first female president. Lots of big issue ballot measures in California this year: banning the death penalty, legalizing marijuana, requiring background checks for guns, increasing parole for non-violent offenders. As crazy as the world is, I have hope that we are on a saner track.

extended version

Brunch with my former office mate and Boyfriend's former manager turned into a 5.5 hour dalliance over brunch and two rounds of drinks, with much gossip, speculation, and nostalgia.

care package

Mysterious "adult must be present to sign" FedEx package ended up being a welcome gift from the new gig.

unofficial peer reviews

Reading all the kind things people write when you're leaving a job makes you not want to leave. Key takeaways: people like my dog, they think I'm funny, sarcastic, and social, and they like working together. I'll miss these people.

all good things

I got a finalized job offer on Friday, gave notice to my manager Monday, and sent out my farewell email today to wrap up work next Friday. Exciting and terrifying, and happy/sad/kind conversations with so many friends and coworkers.

i volunteer

Only two more weeks until we submit an Early Decision application for my Cambodian mentee, and the more we work on her application, the more she blows me away. I wrote the questions for a pub trivia night for the shelter, which we're hosting on Monday. And I've already pretty much maxed out my annual gift match for the year, so I feel like I'm ahead.

rainy season

First rain of the season, perfect for staying in, cooking dinner with friends, and watching the musical numbers from Sound of Music.

throwback

Law school friends came over, so the house had eight adults, three kids, and a dog. It was good to catch up and see what people are up to, and yet another reassuring data point that we really are quite happy not having children. Life is busy enough to then go and get rid of what calm parts remain.