Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Daily Report: New Everything

You know how I've often told you that everything I buy immediately breaks? Well, apparently it's an aura that emanates from my body that contacts every machined part within range, causing it to fail. Only days after arriving, my mother's 9-year-old winter / Florida car went wrong.

Stepdad Paul decided it was time to trade it in, so off he and mom went to the local Toyota dealer and leased a brand new Toyota Corolla in a lovely color called Capri Sea Metallic for the low low price of $100 per month. (The old car on trade in served as the down payment.) See? Definitely cheaper than The Philippines. (Of course, my mother's credit score of seventy trillion was a big factor in the low price.)

I've promised not to take my destructive aura anywhere near the new car.

Unfortunately, the dishwasher, which I and my aura have been emptying regularly is now entering a terminal phase.

At work, I started my new account... on a new team... using new software today. Given all of those changes, it really is like starting an entirely new job. The account is definitely not as good as I had hoped. But it isn't a complete disaster. There are just some intricate aspects to the work that are really time consuming. While they can never be sped up to a point where they don't significantly eat into my production levels, the process can be improved upon. (And if there is one thing I honestly am good at doing, it is taking tedious and time-consuming processes, and streamlining them.)

I paid a visit to the local community college today. One of their campuses up in Bradenton/Sarasota (an hour away) has a radiographic technician program that I'm interested in attending. (Radiographic technician = a guy who operates and maintains MRI machines and/or helps interpret the results thereof... an assistant radiologist.) It's a pretty hefty 3-year degree. Heheh: If and when I finish it, I'll have completed 4 college majors in 8 years of classes... almost 300 credits.

I've gathered the preliminary information to start Epril's visa process (the "I-130" form and all associated attachments). I just need to have Epril mail me some things and I'll get that sent in.

My Aunt Carol's birthday was tonight. She is the third of three aunts/uncles — all widowed — who are living here in Venice, Florida. I'm happy here because of the amount of family I have around. They are the kind of folks who put up with me regardless of how much damage my aura does. She, along with my parents and Uncle Bob and I, had a nice pork roast for dinner, and a carrot cake for dessert.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am no Einstein...
but you missed the obvious.How you have failed the Lady.
It also doesn't take an Einstein to know that you might not appreciate having the obvious pointed out to you.
As it is that thais-pinoys are so very easily offended,even to a very detrimental degree,and maybe some has rubbed off on you?
Whether blinded by love or lack of knowledge,or a little of both,you do not see it,but it is there.
Having read this blog for 4 yrs. and wanting to contact you personally when on the road(the sad excuse for a highway)between surigao-CDO-iligan but,due to a personal rule about minding my own business and having nothing to do with ex-pats personally,I didn't.
There are two things that spring to mind when reading advice to people re-locating to foreign lands that are just not mentioned.
Maybe it is because they are both consequences and not all to visible.
I am rooting for this to work out for you and this is not intended as an insult.

Jil Wrinkle said...

Not insulted at all.

In fact, I'm not sure where you caught a whiff of either insult or close-mindedness in my other reply to you.

Perhaps you have been hanging around easily-offended Pinoys for too long?

Well, anyway your adumbrations and hints of "failure" on my part without going into details are very much appreciated... for what they are worth.

Anonymous said...

I didn't and No I don't hang-out with too many natives,No,not at all.The comments were worth nothing and the reason I did/do not say it is coz you are in a bad enough situation as it is w/out me pointing out the obvious,which,in this case maybe isn't.an invitation maybe would have been a more accurate term for it,adumbrations eh?,I'm not going to look that one up,dont care that much even though I do want the best to happen for you n wifey.
With alot of people giving advice to you,unsoilicited and inaccurate as most of it is,ya just do not need to hear it.I assure you that someone else isn't not understanding this missed point and I really do feel like blurting it out,but,No.I mind my own biz,stay away from personal contact with any/all ex-pats and do not speak a word of thai/visayan/tagalog,no need.
I get along just fine in S E A,operating as I do pretty much anywhere I decide to go:States,Europe.Carribean,wherev..
I was wodering if you had lost all the New Yorker in you and then,badda -bing,there it is.I always thought the Italians in brooklyn were idiots for saying such a phrase,but,after being away from it for so long,it sounds kinda cool,better than the moronic ebonics being fed to the kids in NYC schools these days,oommpp,dere it is???Oh!(expletive deleted)please.Take care.