I'm Sick of Snow

So, it's been a while.

Sorry.

In my defense I've been getting used to a new city and job. It's a poor excuse, I know, but it's all I've got. And I've written blog posts, I just never had internet access to publish them.

But now I feel as though I'm finally getting the hang of work, and all that jazz. There are some recent developments in my life ... I have a chair and ottoman in my apartment!! And I've made friends.

So the chair I bought at ikea. I will slowly be accumulating furniture from ikea over the next year. The friends I've made through work, mutual friends, meeting people around town, and other such things. The person I hang out with the most is Chris. I met him through the National Stutterers Association. He is also a 26 year old male speech pathologist who recently located to Seattle. Oh, and he stutters too. So - he has fulfilled my need to be nerdy. I get to talk about all sorts of nerdy stuff with him. It's great. He lives in another neighborhood of Seattle (West Seattle) about 8 miles from my house. And he works in a school a bit south of the city. There are Phillip, Will and Hannah I've met through our mutual friend (Phillip's brother) Jacob (aka: Cup). We played Settlers of Catan once, and there was the promise for another round, but so far that hasn't happened yet. Then there are the work friends (I use the word friend loosely, because virtually all of them are middle-aged parents, so we don't hang out a lot). We haven't hung out , but there was a Christmas party, and there will be another Christmas party after Christmas (it was supposed to be on Sunday, but due to the ridiculous amount of snow Seattle has received, it was cancelled). Then there are people around the neighborhood I occasionally hang out with, there's Brian, and Susan, and Susan's roommate (can't remember her name, whoops!). So, that's basically my small friend circle. It will expand. Chris has another speech pathologist friend who he hangs out with a lot. So, Chris and Katy will attempt to replace the camaraderie I had with my grad school friends.

So anyway - speaking about the snow. I had intended to go see a movie tonight up in the University District. And well, let's just say that because of the snow what is normally a 10 minute drive is taking over an hour. I thought I was leaving in plenty of time (5:30 for a 7:00 movie). Well, let's just say when the 5:50 bus finally arrived at the bus stop it was 6:20. I decided against spending the $1.50 for a bus fair that wasn't going to get me there in time, and instead walked to get a coffee and banana bread from Tully's. (Which, by the way, are both delicious).

More about the snow ... every winter my back starts to ache because of all the tension I have while driving in snow. Well - my back and neck are KILLING ME! (I'm going to take a VERY hot shower tonight). I've slid backwards down a hill twice. Once, almost hitting several cars. I was really really stuck on one of them and would have had to leave my car in the middle of the street. But some random people, seeing my plight decided to lend a helping hand and push my car. I've had to abandon my car in different parts of my neighborhood because I can't get it to my apartment. Twice. Right now my car is about 10 blocks uphill from my house. Last night it was 6 blocks downhill.

My land lady said that she has lived in Seattle for 30 years and she doesn't remember ever having this much snow. Seattle (a city of more than 500,000 people) has 27 (yep, twenty-seven) plows. I have yet to see one of those ellusive snow plows. I don't think they exist. And Seattle doesn't use salt on the roads (partially because it rarely snows here and partially because of the damage to the environment it causes). Needless to say: I miss that lovely thing called rock salt.

Some notable things I've seen as a result of the snow include: people sledding down the street. Incidently, the same street those buses were attempting to go down when they collided and almost fell onto the freeway. Speaking of which, as a result of the snow I'm taking another route to the freeway than normal, and so I drive under that spot everyday. It's a little weird seeing a 10 foot section of retaining wall missing. I've seen someone skiing down the street, a woman walking down the street with ski poles (admittedly, I had earlier wished for some), people shoveling a parking lot with a dust pan, a tree brach collapsed (either from wind or snow, don't know) that smashed in a car. Cars that are still covered in snow becaue they can't get out from underneath all the snow. I've seen city buses being pushed up hills by heavy duty tow trucks. And I have seen more people fall on ice then I have in a very long time. I have fallen three times, almost falling like 2789409823745637238765234 times. It's crazy. People who shovel their sidewalks are my BEST friends right now. Imagine walking home from the grocery store with eggs in your bag and seeing the three people before you slip on a particular patch of ice. Thankfully, I made it down with 12 unbroken eggs. Some of the roads are like sheets of ice (half of the roads in my neighborhood, hence, my car 10 blocks away from my house). Some are like pools of slush with some sand mixed in (like the ones by work). And some are like roads with mounds of snow. Imagine driving on a road covered with speed bumps of varying size and shape, and that's what 10th street is like. There are still many many closed roads. Literally, half the roads in my neighborhood are closed due to the ice, there are three ways to get to my apartment, two of them are closed. (well technically just one is closed, but the other is so steep that I'm not willing to try it - it's just not busy enough of a street to bother closing).

Anyway, (just saw a guy with snow shoes on). That's enough blabbering for now. I'll write more often, I promise.

I'm not Dead, I promise!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while ... over a month!  eek!

Anyway, I thought I would post another life update (side note: I just saw a guy walk past with a Siamese cat perched on his shoulder.  So funny.  I love the odd things you see in big cities).

Ok, so I'm in Seattle.  Currently I'm at a coffee shop looking up how to become an official resident of Washington.  It's great.

So, I'll tell you a little bit about my apartment.  It is just a hop skip and a jump away from downtown Seattle.  I walked from my apartment to Broadway, which has a lot of little shops and coffee houses on it.  Right now I'm at a Tully's at Broadway and Pike (if you wanted to google map it).  From my front window I have a spectacular view of Lake Union, the Aurora Bridge, and the Queen Anne, Fremont and Wallingford neighborhoods.  I'll post pictures soon. 

So, yesterday I hung out with my friend Jacob (also known as "cup").  We went to lunch with a missionary friend of his parents.  Bandou is from Sri Lanka and is traveling the US and Canada telling churches of his work in Sri Lanka and India.  After lunch we went to Cup's house, which is on Anderson Island (the southernmost island in the Puget sound), we went kayaking in a little bay on the island, and I got to meet the majority of his family (to Justin, Natalie and Theresa ... I've met all the Kobernicks except 1 now hahahaha).  Then Cup's mom sent me home with a bag full of fresh veggies from the garden.  It was great!!

Anyway - my coffee is gone and I'm getting hungry, so I think I'll start the walk home to make some lunch. 

Should have brought a coat!!!

That's what I'm thinking right now: I should have brought a coat. Not because it's rainy, but because I'M COLD!!!! Of course, I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm sitting directly beneath an air conditioning vent in the coffee shop I'm in. Which begs the question - why is the air conditioning on anyway - it's only 65 degrees outside!!

Anyway. The skies are still gray and I still don't hate my life from lack of sunlight! (Course, I've never really disliked cloudy days anyway). Today I'm in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. I walked around Seattle Pacific University for a bit, and right now I'm looking out the window at the Aurora Bridge and as soon as my coffee is gone (approximately 20 minutes) I'll be going to see the Seattle Troll. For those of you who have seen the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, there is a scene where Cameron and Bianca have a conversation while sitting on the troll.

So - enough of this blabbing blitheringly (do you like my atrocious alliteration?) What about the facilities I toured yesterday? Ok, so I toured two facilities yesterday. If I am offered this job I will be half time in each facility. Not altogether a bad deal - they are just about 5 minutes apart. So the first place: Richmond Beach Rehab. Really nice cottage style building, yellow siding, nice big windows. Looks like a fairly new building. There were decorations on the wall, nice carpeting, good wall treatments etc etc etc. Basically - they take care of the building and it shows. The patients were smiling, joking with the support and therapy staff. I met with the rehab director (a physical therapist) any my CFY supervisor. We had a great conversation. They gave me lunch, it was great. (And it's like two blocks from the Puget Sound - so it's really close to the water!) So, there was at least one flaw I can think of: there was a general lack of parking. The second place, Crista (I forget their whole name - it's just referred to as Crista). Anyway. Once again - very nice building. This one looks like a castle. It's crazy. However, the building where I'd be working is not the building that looks like a castle. It's one of the outbuildings. The staff was congenial and fun to interact with. There was a bit of confusion because I was told I was supposed to talk with Deb. Well, there were two Debs, and so the front desk attendant called the wrong Deb and there was a little mix up because she didn't know she was interviewing someone and mass pandemonium. But 5 minutes later we figured everything out and we shared a laugh over it. But fun staff, it's a busy place, which is kinda nice. It's organized in a functional way, the patients were smiling and joking with the staff - so once again, it seems like it would be a good place to work.

So, after the tours I called my recruiter and told her that I would rather work in the Seattle locations. She is 'doing her thing' and should have an offer for me on Friday. We'll see what happens (if the stars align just right so I can work in the Seattle facilities - I guess it may take some finagling because there are two facilities so we'll see what happens). Anyway, I should have an update tomorrow.

Yay!!

SEATTLE!!!!! (and tacoma too)

So, I'm back in Seattle.  Just for the remainder of the week.  It's a little after 6pm local time, and I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood.  Today is a stereotypical Seattle day: overcast and cool.  It's only about 65 degrees.  I am perfectly fine with that (although don't think I'll be wearing the shorts I packed, it's supposed to be in the high 60's/low 70's all week).  

So, I made some noteworthy observations today ... 

1) northwest MI and Northeast WI really look like they do on the map.  We flew over Lake Michigan and I was able to see the Grand Traverse Bay, the Sleeping Bear Dunes, and both Beaver Islands, and then opposite that - Green Bay as well.  So - that's that.

2) *Warning - nerd moment* Then on the plane over I was able to sit behind and kitty-corner to another stutterer.  I would have liked to have talked with him, but the flight was entirely too full to manage switching seats and all that.  Anyway, I enjoyed eaves dropping on the conversation he was having with his seat buddy and more importantly the stewardess.  So, the stutterer, we'll call him Henry, was talking with his single serving friend (thank you Fight Club)  and they were having a nice little chat.  I would call Henry a moderate stutterer (to add context I'm a mild stutterer).  And Henry was doing a great job stuttering - I was impressed with the manner in which he stuttered openly and easily - not the point.  Henry's single serving friend was congenial and unobtrusive - the perfect conversation partner.  The stewardess, however, was not.  SHE NEVER LOOKED AT HIM WHEN HE TALKED TO HER!!  By contrast, she and Henry's single serving friend made eye contact and all that jazz.  I was a little annoyed by her.  Anyway.   *nerd moment over*

3) My first impression of Tacoma - holy hills!  The city is one big hill.  Literally.  

4) The facility I toured (in Tacoma) this afternoon was just about what I was expecting but less than I was hoping for (I was hoping for the impossible, just so we're all aware).  It is a mix of short term stay and long-term care.  Fairly typical, my caseload would probably not be that exciting, strokes, general debility, etc. The facility itself was not amazing, but it was acceptable.  I was disappointed with their selection of therapy materials and testing supplies.  That is something we would need to rectify.  It would also be nice to have a MBS suite in house (but I was spoiled with that at Southwest, so I shouldn't expect every rehab facility to have one).  I think I could work there.  I would like a bigger facility (more therapists) but it could work. 

5) I like Seattle - even on the stereotypical cloudy days.

That's about it for now .... I'll have more later, I'm sure.

Happy Birthday to Bryan

Hey! I'm 26! Virtually as old as the Dead Sea Scrolls, I know I know - shut it!

Anyway, I got an absolutely fabulous birthday present today ... I've been working with a staffing company in the Northwest Region (Infinity Rehab), anyway. For a while there were not any speech openings in Seattle (where I would love to be living); however, they do have positions in Tacoma. So - we had been exploring the possibility of working/living in Tacoma. Anyway. I had a phone interview with the therapy director (a COTA - for those of you who care), and had a great interview - later I was told that I had "aced" the interview. Anyway - not the point. The point is that while following up with the Washington recruiter, she told me that a position in Seattle had just opened up! So, she began telling me about it. And it sounds like it could be pretty cool. The only thing is - that after thinking about living in Tacoma I had kinda become attached to the idea of living in Tacoma. (such is life, eh). So, the recruiter said it would be perfect if I could come visit each place and choose the better of the two for me.

So, there will probably be another trip out to the great Northwest in the near future (but not 'till the end of August / beginning of September). I might get to live in Seattle after all!! I LOVE Seattle - it says to me: "Bryan, I am your home."

So, other than that the only other news to report is - that I had a great time eating sushi with grad school friends. We all got different rolls and shared it was delicious. I got the spider roll (soft shell crab, asparagus, avocado and egg cake - delicious). Then we went out for ice cream afterwards (at Plum Crazzy). I got the peanut butter fudge ice cream (surprise, he got something with peanut butter in it!?!?).

Anyway, I'm at fourth coast (another coffee shop in town, but this one's not smoke free) and my eyes are burning. I'm here because it has internet (my house has no internet for the time being) and it was close to where I was (my car was at the library). But in an effort to save my eyes, lungs, larynx and clothes I'm going to shut up and leave this place. Ok ... bye.

Kwame

So - this whole deal is getting to the point of being beyond ridiculous. For those of you who might not know (obviously you either don't live in Michigan or you've had your head in the ground for the past 6 months) but, the illustrious city of Detroit has a mayor (Kwame Kilpatrick) who has been indicted with many felony charges which include (but are not limited to) perjury, and most recently assault. All of this over some text messages which indicate that he lied about having an affair with his top aide during a whistle-blower trial.

Granted, the real issue *may* not be about the affair, but instead about the fact that several police officers lost their jobs because they uncovered the affair. But honestly - this has gone far enough. It has been blown COMPLETELY out of proportion. Previous to this incident, Detroit's image was already marred due to the sagging economy, failing automotive industry, the stereotype of rampant crime throughout the city and it's pattern of urban sprawl. Does it really need another blemish on it's already scar-encrusted face? And if the simple fact that the mayor and the city officials are in a heated hissy-fit wasn't enough, we now have the attorney general heaping on more felony charges. THIS IS NOT SOLVING ANYTHING!

Kwame needs to step down, and the city and state officials need to stop making such a big fuss! This brouhaha is not helpful for either the city of Detroit nor the state of Michigan. We are fighting enough battles that are out of our control - the failing state economy, the tanking federal economy, the failure of the auto industry, the abysmal performance of some public schools. We need not fight amongst ourselves, but instead work together to promote and rebuild Michigan and Detroit. Michigan has a lot to offer, Detroit could be a shining beacon of Michigan and the country - let us stop stabbing each other in the back and work together.

Ok - I'm done with my political rant for the month.

In other news ...

I had a phone interview with a VA Hospital in Long Beach, CA (did I mention that, I don't remember). And I'm going to be talking with a long-term care facility in Tacoma, WA. I also had a phone interview with a private practice in Arizona ... I'm not sure this is exactly what I'm looking for (but the salary is really nice). So - there are options available to me. I just have to decide which one. The best job is the VA hospital in Long Beach, CA. I am hopeful for that job.

Time will tell.

Jobs Jobs Jobs

So - I've got some leads.

I've requested more information about a job in Tacoma, Washington (about 45 mins south of Seattle). Tacoma is not as big as Seattle, but there's still about 200,000 people there, so it's not a minuscule city. I've heard it's got a smell to it, but I've never been there, so I can't vouch.

I also had a phone interview with the Long Beach, CA Veteran's Affairs Hospital. This would be a really good job. It's not exactly where I would want to be in the VA system, but it's a foot in the door. Long Beach is bigger than I expected - 400,000 people. So - that's a nice surprise. And it's much more affordable than the SF bay area, and it's in Los Angeles County and not the insanely over priced Orange County. We'll see what happens.

I'm still waiting to hear from some places I submitted applications (i.e., Seattle Children's Hospital, Indiana Rehabilitation Hospital, etc) ... so hopefully I'll get more leads soon!!