Chemo has Begun

I started chemo again yesterday. This stuff isn't as bad as the last time. Not too much sickness, just puked once. One of the drugs I'm on keeps me awake, but I'm kind of sore from the other ones.

At the beginning of April though, I'll start my stem cell transplant. (Just incase there are any right wingers out there, these will be my own stem cells, so no going religiousy on my ass.) For the transplant, I'll have to live in Seattle (don't know how I'll accomplish that.) I'll have to be 30 minutes or less for about too weeks until I get too sick to tolerate that. Then I'll have to be hospitalized for a couple weeks, then back to somewhere within 30 minutes for another 3 to 8 weeks.

During the whole time that I'm not in the hospital, someone will have to be with me all day every day, meaning someone not working. Don't know how this will all work out.

Bike Class

There are several people who do not have their motorcycle licenses yet. Right now is when you need to sign up if you are going to get a spot in a local class. You know who you are, so get on it.

Oh, and many Bostonians are idiots

To youTube

It's all coming together (to screw me)

Last week, everything decided to come together. On Monday, I had another job interview, they really liked me, and put me on their short list. Amazon called me back to schedule a test, University of Puget Sound scheduled me for another interview, I got offered a job as a data base admin in Tacoma, and I was told I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

What???

Yep. Again.

So I decided that probably I could work while having treatment again, so I said yes to the database admin under the condition that I be able to take days off as needed for chemo and stuff, which legally, they can't have a problem with, but I felt bad for having to do that to them anyway. The got back to me on Monday to say that they'd rather wait and see how I was feeling... But also on Monday, my doctor said that there isn't a chance that I'll be able to work. So screw that idea.

So I need some money. I refuse to go back the the Redmond job again. When I called the temp agency, she asked if I wanted to keep working there until I started chemo, I said "Not a chance. That was the worst job I've ever had. I worked 12 hours Thursday, 14 hours Friday, and 16 hours Saturday. If anything's going to kill me, it'll be that job."

So shit.

Amazon

So that really bad Amazon interview last week? It wasn't. Bad that is, it was an interview, and according to the recruiter, a pretty good one. They'd like to meet me. I have the UPS interview Monday, and surgery Tuesday, so hopefully I can go to Amazon on Thursday or Friday.

Learning English

I learned a new word this week. I never remembered hearing the word 'skosh' before a couple days ago when someone said it a work, and then just yesterday, I heard it again. Skosh, skosh... Interesting... It's used just like the Japanese word sukoshi, which when said in conversational Japanese, is pronounced pretty much the same. Huh... I guess I must have heard it before, but just didn't realize it until recently. I like it. I'm going to use it from now on.

While I'm at it...

I guess I'd better post some pictures from Tokyo last month. I have a few more rolls, but I haven't developed them yet.

Tokyo Dec. 06

I did the coolest thing on Saturday

I got a $5 Polaroid Land camera at Goodwill the other day, spent a half hour making a battery pack for it, and stuck a $10 pack of film in it, and look what I got.

Botched Pola

The digital camera picture doesn't do it justice. I need my scanner.

Job Hunting Day 4:

Got a call from Amazon.com today. The first part of the interview was good, nice guy, seemed impressed. The second part was in Japanese, by a Japanese lady. It wasn't so good, and she didn't seem impressed.
Bad point: She asked my why she should hire me considering that other applicants were native Japanese speakers.
Worst Point: I said I don't know.

After the Amazon interview, I submitted a resume on a job site. An hour later I got a job offer to work at UPS (University of Puget Sound). It's in Tacoma though. Too far away from where I want to live. BUT, they are offering my $17/h, so I think I can be a bit picker and insist on a job in or around Seattle. I have an interview with them next monday anyway.

Job Hunting

Day 1: Edited resume, contacted a few staffing agencies. Got an email from a recruiter about a position at Amazon.

Day 2: Got an email to schedule an interview at a tech staffing agency on day 3. Got a call to schedule an interview with Amazon on day 4.

Day 3: Got a job on the campus of a very large Redmond software company. Waiting for Amazon's interview on day 4.