Last few weeks :-(
By request of Kate and Connie I am finally updating my blog again. You asked for a long entry so here it is:
Goodbye work!
Only one more week of work left now! I've had my performance review, which was very positive :-), and am just wrapping up things like documentation and so on. Definitely got that coming to an end feeling :-(
My project (looking at a new way of tuning the memory testing process) seems to have been quite successful, at least in getting visibility for my group and stimulating people to thing about adaptive methods for testing. Limited resources have meant I couldn't do as many experiments as I would have liked over the last few months, which is a shame. There's still a lot of work to be done before deployment but it looks like it's going to be a high priority for my group next year which is satisfying for me.
Goodbye car!
Mark and I sold the Jeep on Monday. This has meant three things:
- Much sadness at having to say goodbye to the first car I've ever owned. We've been through so much with it. It also kind of symbolizes the beginning of the end for this incredible year.
- I have been forced to use public transport and/or scrounge lifts off people. Public transport is crap. It takes ages and I am not very good at getting to bus stops on time which makes it take even longer. It frustrates me not being able to get to places whenever I want. It's now so much more of an effort going anywhere - the mall, the cinema, even just work. They all require planning, arranging to go with someone, etc.
- I suddenly have more money than I've had for the whole year. So I've been on a bit of a spending spree (don't worry I haven't spent all of it!). Going to Vegas and the Grand Canyon this weekend (tonight in fact!) with Helen and Jim, and meeting Santa Clarian Sun trainees Alex, Max and Tom down there as well as Cortney from Arizona (who gave me a new hat for Spasti at Get Golden which he lost by the end of the weekend).
I've booked flights for my summer trip! Portland, Seattle, New York and Boston with Marco, Alex and Kenneth. Laura's been trying to persuade me to hop up to Ottawa too, and Drew and I had a crazy plan to drive from NY to Florida. I doubt either of those things will happen. I'd be quite happy just to hang out in NY for a week, but we'll see.
Also over the last few days, I've bought the watch I lost in New York (a very nice Seiko one which was a 21st birthday present from my flatmates last year. Hopefully won't repeat that in July!), possibly bought an iPod and got myself a couple new pairs of running trainers. I'm now on a quest to find a laptop without a silly shiny super-reflective screen like most of the new ones seem to have.
Last weekend Aaron (our AIESEC ex-"minder") threw a party for us down in Campbell. It was a lot of fun. We had a keg, did sambuca shots, went to a club, did body shots. All of this inevitably led to some less than sober activities. Alex got into a breakdance-off with someone which I joined in. Andrew and I got kicked out for using the store room to make a phone call then Aaron worked his magic on the bouncer to get us back in. We did some drunken tree-climbing. Tom spent a lot of the time fertilizing Aaron's garden. Steve accidentally slept sitting on the doorstep with a cup in his hand!
It was also Nadine's leaving do in San Francisco. We got fish and chips beforehand, which was good but not British. There was no newspaper (they lied!), they didn't know what a "fish supper" was and there was no brown sauce. Still good though. We then went to a bar where I argued with Mark's girlfiend Sandy for what seemed like most of the time. She likes arguing way too much! After the party, about 12 of us went to change the wheel on Patricia's van. At one point the cops went by but we obviously looked to be on top of it as they didn't even ask if we needed any help. The two things to remember are:
1. Loosen the nuts before jacking it up, otherwise the whole wheel will just rotate.
2. Tighten them up each a bit at a time, moving between them diagonally.
Post-Get Golden we all seem so much more integrated into AIESEC which is a shame now that we're leaving. There are definitely a lot of people I'll try and keep in touch with and no doubt see again in the future.
Hello home!
Wee Steve and Max are off home one week tomorrow. Nico's already gone back to Germany. Most of the rest of us will be here for a big July 4th celebration as our last big event (mostly) together then people are off at various times in July. My summer travelling extraveganza is taking place between July 5th and 19th.
The wheels are in motion for my flight home on Wednesday July 22nd, putting me back in the UK on July 23rd. Looking forward to seeing all my family, friends and pets over the summer!
Labels: adventuring, california, usa
posted by Dan @ 12:30 AM
2 Comments:
well done!
posted @ Sat Jun 18, 12:45:00 AMyay! We are all so excited about u coming home! Gotta get planning much sooner than I expected though so things might be a bit late (as in the party).
posted @ Mon Jun 20, 07:33:00 PMGonna be skint cos going to manchester about a week b4 u get back for NIN!!!!! Am getting very excited about that too!!! yaay.
Thanx for the proper entry and all the photo link things. very well done! Much amusement and a bit scary at points.
We all can't wait to see u
Lots of love and hugs from all.
Kate
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