One of the random things related to my new job, often people are invited in to talk. Last month I sat in on a talk by Jose Hernandez from STS-128, today a talk by Gary Kasparov, which was quite interesting and I imagine will be on youtube in a couple weeks. There are several of these a week with a variety of people visiting, sometimes involving free books from authors.
It is a very easy place to get distracted away from getting actual work done.
It is a very easy place to get distracted away from getting actual work done.
- Current Location:USA, Mountain View, CA 94043, 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy
This morning I had a dream I remember. And in this dream, something happened which, to my knowledge has never happened before.
I turned it into a lucid dream.
I don't remember what the trigger was, but I remember suddenly it occurred to me, "I'm dreaming..." And so I decided to fly around a bit. I was still pretty tied up in the story line of the dream so didn't change anything drastic, just played my role differently.
Later today I had another first. A few people who started at work the same day I did got together in Oakland to have a few hours learning to do the flying trapeze. We started with the basics, how to grab the bar, and invert to hang by our knees, then drop into the net. After everyone had a few tries with the basic moves, then we did a simple catch; the same thing, except that we were then caught by someone swinging on a different trapeze. It was both easier and harder than it seemed at the same time. One of the staff commented that I seemed to move pretty well for my size; I guess doing all that yoga paid off a bit.
( Video behind the cutCollapse )
In case you're wondering what makes something a "flying" trapeze... I was too, so I looked it up. According to wikipedia, a flying trapeze act is where you start from a raised platform, and the trick (In this case a catch) is done at the far end of the swing. The alternative would be a static trapeze (A graceful show of strength on a mostly motionless hanging bar) or a swinging trapeze (like flying, but starting from a standstill and the trick is usually performed on either end of the swing).
In other news of my life, I started a different medication this week, which is supposed to be more targeted towards ADHD. Hopefully it works and I feel more motivated to get off my butt and get things done.
I turned it into a lucid dream.
I don't remember what the trigger was, but I remember suddenly it occurred to me, "I'm dreaming..." And so I decided to fly around a bit. I was still pretty tied up in the story line of the dream so didn't change anything drastic, just played my role differently.
Later today I had another first. A few people who started at work the same day I did got together in Oakland to have a few hours learning to do the flying trapeze. We started with the basics, how to grab the bar, and invert to hang by our knees, then drop into the net. After everyone had a few tries with the basic moves, then we did a simple catch; the same thing, except that we were then caught by someone swinging on a different trapeze. It was both easier and harder than it seemed at the same time. One of the staff commented that I seemed to move pretty well for my size; I guess doing all that yoga paid off a bit.
( Video behind the cutCollapse )
In case you're wondering what makes something a "flying" trapeze... I was too, so I looked it up. According to wikipedia, a flying trapeze act is where you start from a raised platform, and the trick (In this case a catch) is done at the far end of the swing. The alternative would be a static trapeze (A graceful show of strength on a mostly motionless hanging bar) or a swinging trapeze (like flying, but starting from a standstill and the trick is usually performed on either end of the swing).
In other news of my life, I started a different medication this week, which is supposed to be more targeted towards ADHD. Hopefully it works and I feel more motivated to get off my butt and get things done.
- Current Location:Home
- Current Mood:
happy
So, as I'm sure you know, I now work for big giant search company.
When I got the offer and told a friend from India, her response was to email me an article about working at Google, outlining some of the perks. Some of the stuff sounded really outlandish on the surface. Her question, was any of it true. I read through it and everything I knew about that it mentioned, it was correct, and that was most of it. The rest seemed perfectly within the realm of possibility, and it turned out to also be correct.
So what is it like? Well, a recent commercial that AT&T and Blackberry have been running, I think actually manages to sum it up pretty well.
In some ways it's just a ... strange place. Some things, from the outside seem quirky, odd, or plain bizarre. But like in the commercial, the people there take it in stride, and don't even bat an eyelash. The quirky, odd, and strange becomes the every day. When some of the office decorations include a T-rex skeleton, a slide between floors, and ball pits... Someone setting up an inflatable screen on the lawn to project Flash Gordon onto just doesn't really stand out as anything unusual anymore. When the cafes occasionally serve venison, lobster, or waygu beef, a random snack truck serving sweets parked outside one of the buildings is just another day at the office.
When I got the offer and told a friend from India, her response was to email me an article about working at Google, outlining some of the perks. Some of the stuff sounded really outlandish on the surface. Her question, was any of it true. I read through it and everything I knew about that it mentioned, it was correct, and that was most of it. The rest seemed perfectly within the realm of possibility, and it turned out to also be correct.
So what is it like? Well, a recent commercial that AT&T and Blackberry have been running, I think actually manages to sum it up pretty well.
In some ways it's just a ... strange place. Some things, from the outside seem quirky, odd, or plain bizarre. But like in the commercial, the people there take it in stride, and don't even bat an eyelash. The quirky, odd, and strange becomes the every day. When some of the office decorations include a T-rex skeleton, a slide between floors, and ball pits... Someone setting up an inflatable screen on the lawn to project Flash Gordon onto just doesn't really stand out as anything unusual anymore. When the cafes occasionally serve venison, lobster, or waygu beef, a random snack truck serving sweets parked outside one of the buildings is just another day at the office.
It's official now, I start a new job the end of this month.
I don't actually know what I will be doing yet though. I have a series of questions to answer about what I want to be doing, and they will find a project for me by my start date. I am half tempted to just respond something silly like "Surprise me!" - but of course I do have preferences about what I want to be doing.
It is the first time in many years that I will be going somewhere completely new to me; nobody I have worked with in the past, nothing familiar, except the skills. I am a bit nervous, and excited at the same time.
I don't actually know what I will be doing yet though. I have a series of questions to answer about what I want to be doing, and they will find a project for me by my start date. I am half tempted to just respond something silly like "Surprise me!" - but of course I do have preferences about what I want to be doing.
It is the first time in many years that I will be going somewhere completely new to me; nobody I have worked with in the past, nothing familiar, except the skills. I am a bit nervous, and excited at the same time.
What a day yesterday.
It started with FedEx dropping off the offer letter I was expecting. Now I just need to figure out a start date and I have a new job! Then later some friends came over for dinner and games, so I made turkey stroganoff and let Falcor have the run of the house for the first time, after going over everything and picking up anything that he could get into trouble with.
The stroganoff came out great, which is good because it is the first time I've done it with no beef at all. Before even when I made it with turkey, I still used beef stock for flavor. I made enough for 7 or 8, and there is barely a serving of leftovers, from 5 people eating it.
After dinner, we played Clue, which I hadn't done since I was a child, so that was fun too! And when everyone was gone, Falcor was suitably worn out and quickly fell asleep... On me...
It started with FedEx dropping off the offer letter I was expecting. Now I just need to figure out a start date and I have a new job! Then later some friends came over for dinner and games, so I made turkey stroganoff and let Falcor have the run of the house for the first time, after going over everything and picking up anything that he could get into trouble with.
The stroganoff came out great, which is good because it is the first time I've done it with no beef at all. Before even when I made it with turkey, I still used beef stock for flavor. I made enough for 7 or 8, and there is barely a serving of leftovers, from 5 people eating it.
After dinner, we played Clue, which I hadn't done since I was a child, so that was fun too! And when everyone was gone, Falcor was suitably worn out and quickly fell asleep... On me...
I don't think I've mentioned it here (Though those paying close attention to comments might have noticed)....
After having not actually had a formal interview for the past 6 or 7 years, I decided a couple months ago to try for a new job. So I went through the process with a company who is notorious for their picky hiring practices and difficult interview process, and pretty much breezed through everything.
Now I am sitting on a job offer for what some people would consider one of the best places to work in the industry.
In other news, I don't know if it was too soon or not, but I made the mistake of going to the humane society and looking at their cats. I came home with a kitten, who is now napping on my bed and in the long term, is in the process of being introduced to my other cat. (The kitten doesn't care, but the other cat will take some adjusting.)
After having not actually had a formal interview for the past 6 or 7 years, I decided a couple months ago to try for a new job. So I went through the process with a company who is notorious for their picky hiring practices and difficult interview process, and pretty much breezed through everything.
Now I am sitting on a job offer for what some people would consider one of the best places to work in the industry.
In other news, I don't know if it was too soon or not, but I made the mistake of going to the humane society and looking at their cats. I came home with a kitten, who is now napping on my bed and in the long term, is in the process of being introduced to my other cat. (The kitten doesn't care, but the other cat will take some adjusting.)
Over the past decade, many things have changed through my life, but you have been there through all of it. One of the few constants amidst a sea of change. You will be missed.
Enjoy your next life.
And once again in my life, I find myself on my own. I feel like I am trapped under the past few years of my life and struggling to get out.
I have spent the past month trying to not think about it. I've found things to do to distract my mind. I've been out nearly every chance I get.
But today, it all caught up to me. I had no plans for the day. Work gave everyone an extra day off for a four day weekend. I've sat around most of the day, unsure what to do with myself. I want to get out again, to prove to myself that I am better than just moping about. But the best I can come up with to do is to go somewhere and hang around alone. I guess it slightly beats hanging around at home alone, as long as I don't spend too much money.
I have spent the past month trying to not think about it. I've found things to do to distract my mind. I've been out nearly every chance I get.
But today, it all caught up to me. I had no plans for the day. Work gave everyone an extra day off for a four day weekend. I've sat around most of the day, unsure what to do with myself. I want to get out again, to prove to myself that I am better than just moping about. But the best I can come up with to do is to go somewhere and hang around alone. I guess it slightly beats hanging around at home alone, as long as I don't spend too much money.
If anyone is curious what spoken Na'vi sounds like outside of the Avatar movie, here's a roughly 10 minute clip I recorded of me answering some questions about myself, entirely in Na'vi. (Or download it directly)
Profile
credendovides- Believer
- Website
Syndicate
