More Adventures in San Jose (alternatively titled "Another Boring Day")

Another titillating day in San Jose . . .

My co-worker, John, and I are sharing a rental car and managed to get lost going to Initech again this morning. Oh, and we got lost on the way home, too. Now, I have a pretty terrible sense of direction, as, apparently, does John. Yes, we are quite a pair, driving through San Ho, circling the same streets like lunatics.

The interviews themselves were pretty uneventful. However, I did see something pretty funny in the new building I was in today. So, keeping with the "Office Space" vibe, I noticed that someone had removed the walls from their cubicle so they could see outside.

I passed this, cracked up, and then did a little backward jig so I could look again. It reminded me of that scene when Peter removes an entire cubicle wall, and then sits back in his chair, hands behind his head, to enjoy the view of the parking lot. I couldn't not sneak a pic!

After the interviews, a bunch of us got together and went out for dinner at a steakhouse nearby. Then, it was back to the hotel bar. This old lady decided to drag her tired butt home about 15 minutes ago, but I think the rest are in for a long night (and, likely, a crummy morning).

In other news, I finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Eat, Pray, Love is a memoir in which Gilbert recounts her adventures through Italy, India, and Indonesia. Basically, one day, Gilbert looks at her life, her successful career, house, husband, and, despite plans to get pregnant in the near future, decides she wants something else out of life. After a painful divorce, Gilbert embarks on a year-long trip, four months in Italy to eat and soak in "pleasure," four months in India for spiritual rekindling, and four months in Indonesia to find balance. Throughout the book, Gilbert is self-deprecating, candid, and pretty funny considering all she'd been through.

I really enjoyed this book...maybe because quitting my job and traveling for a year with Josh sounds like a fantasy that I want to experience, even if vicariously! (Well, Josh and I did buy lottery tickets, so here's hoping...)

Books, Art, and Noodles.

This week has been pretty tame. Work hasn't been overly demanding, and I have managed to make it home every evening at a decent-ish time (8 or so) and spend time with Josh. Last night, we even went for a two-mile walk around our neighborhood with the dogs, which was pleasant and relaxing.

Yesterday, I finished A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. (New Year's Resolution: Cut back a bit on TV watching and read more.) A Thousand Splendid Suns is a historical fiction that chronicles the lives of two women over the course of thirty-or-so years in Afghanistan. It was one of those books that picks you up out of your life and places you in a completely different world. Plus, I was surprised at how little I know about (and how much little thought I have given to) Afghani history and culture, which is somewhat shameful given recent events. The plot was rich and kept me engaged, although the stories are quite sad. Overall, it was one of the best books I've read in awhile.

This evening, Tater and the Monkey picked me up from work, and we went to the Murakami exhibit at the MOCA. The exhibit was great. I really enjoyed walking around and talking with Tater and the Monkey, both of whom are very funny and bright. Sadly, I have no pictures to show, but the Monkey was great about documenting the evening, and I suspect a picture-filled blog post will show up on her blog soon. After, we went to dinner. Now that I think of it, I cannot remember the name of the restaurant, but I had some spicy ramen with pork that was delish!

I am so excited that tomorrow is Friday! I will probably work a little over the weekend because I found out today that I am spending Sunday night through Wednesday night in San Jose. Luckily, a few other friends from work will be there for the same case. But for now ... bed.