Aqua Regia

So apparently falling off the Earth and forgetting to update my LJ is becoming alarmingly common.  Well, I comment in the communities I watch, but somehow I never get around to updating this journal.  I definitely need to remedy that going forward.  These three month gaps between updates means I forget to write about lots of stuff.

So, I see my last entry was right before Anime Expo, so let's start there.  Can I just wallow in the feelings of joy I experienced going to a con for the first time since 2004?  I know I was apprehensive before going down - would I still feel the same happiness about the con experience, or would I just feel irritated and frustrated?  To my delight, it was definitely the former. 

Except for the driving part, which was way worse this year - the con used to be in Anaheim (Disneyland area), which was a wonderful convention center and super easy to get to.  By this point however, the con has outgrown that area and now resides in the LA Convention Center.  I am ultra afraid of driving in congested metropolitan areas like whoa, and this was no exception.  It didn't help that the GPS got us super lost (it was the first time that's ever happened, and I feel so betrayed! XD) and that traffic seemed to come to a grinding halt in pretty much any direction we went.  At least if I go back next year, I will have a much greater understanding of that area!

On a happier note, I want to say how much of an improvement the registration process has undergone since I last attended.  We were in line for maybe 45 minutes - a far cry from the untold hours in line spent in years previous. 

The selection of guests and panels was only just okay.  I feel like if you hadn't seen Fate/Zero or Madoka Magica there was like no reason to attend. XD  I'm glad I made it a point to at least watch Madoka before going.  The composer for both of those series - Yuki Kajiura - was in attendance this year again (she was also here in 2003), and her band Fiction Junction gave an AMAZING concert.  I was so, so glad that I got those tickets because it was the highlight of the con for me to see her again.

On a weird note, I also got to meet Peter S. Beagle in the dealer's room!  He was there promoting the graphic novel edition of the Last Unicrorn (which I of course got a signed copy of), and I had the opportunity to chat with him a little bit; let me just say that man is an exceptional gentleman, and being able to meet him was probably my greatest con surprise.  He was also interested in my "20% Cooler" Rainbow Dash shirt (which I was also complemented on by a 10 year old boy and got bro-hoofed in line for the concert. XD  I'm not really a brony, so I found this all very amusing).

So yeah, Anime Expo 2012 was a great experience.  It really felt nice to just be around an are filled with general weirdness, be able to nerd out with panels, buy fun stuff in the dealer's room, and forcibly remind myself that I am not the only person in real life who likes anime.  Sometimes I tend to forget that little nugget of wisdom.

After AX, I spent about a week hanging out with my parents and spending time at the ocean.  We returned at long last to Sea Ranch (which despite the name really has nothing to do with horses) - possibly the most relaxing place on Earth.  I dug into reading the awesome Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, and we pretty much did nothing of import aside from walking down to the beach and looking at the adorable seal colony daily.

Other than the vacation, summer has been a little bit of a blur.  I've really tried to spend more time in the gym with my trainer.  I'm definitely feeling like I have a little more muscle definition, which is great, but since it's basically still covered with a layer of fat it's kind of a moot point?  IDK, I need to get my diet back under control.  After spending three months on the new Weight Watchers, I cancelled my subscription.  I never saw two consecutive weeks of weight loss, despite following the PointsPlus programs very closely.  So that was a bit defeating.  I'm debating getting out my old WW materials again.

Fall/Winter is looking rather busy.  For a self birthday gift, I got tickets to see Cirque du Soleil next week.  And then Sarah Brightman announced a new tour, which I can't miss.  Having been to her last two tours, I plan to keep going to every one I can.  I'm also thinking about getting Nutcracker tickets for Christmas.  It's been ages since I last went, and since I was able to secure a good amount of days off this Christmas (since I worked last year), it might be a nice outing.

Writing wise, a lot of it is still flailing about.  My end-of-year writing goal is to finish Queen Kale (a one-shot Jewel Riders fic I started at Sea Ranch) and add one more chapter on my old Tamara fic.  The Tamara fic unfortunately has like five or six more chapters to go.

And on a final note, on October 4th I celebrated two years at my current job.  It feels weird that I've been here for that long.  I'm torn about looking for another job, as I really like the people I work with, but want to be closer to my family.  But it's almost like the longer I stay the harder it will be to leave.

On a less introspective note: first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season today!  SO GOOD.

So before January 2011 is over, I thought it might actually be nice to take a look back at 2010. XD Yes, yes, I know I am very behind on the whole "recap 2010" post, but I thought the last year just brought so many changes that I couldn't go without being revisited a little.

When I think back to January, I was just starting the second half of my clinical rotations to finish up school. It almost feels like another life by this point. My first rotation of that semester was Internal Medicine. I often felt it was an exercise in speed - how much information could I gather and tie together about the patients before having to present in the afternoon? I learned a great deal during those six weeks. It was also my first rotation where there was another student from school with me, and having someone to gripe with was a huge comfort.

The second six-week period saw me going to a community pharmacy attached to the hospital. This was probably my second-favorite rotation (after the Psych rotation I took in 2009). If all community pharmacy work was as rewarding and fulfilling as the time I spent there, the choice between hospital and community would have been much harder. But I also discovered just how tired standing for 8-10 hours a day can be.

For my final rotation, I returned to the hospital where I had done Internal Medicine. However, this time around, it was definitely not a good learning experience. Aside from just wanting to be done with rotations at that point, I found the work to be of little value to my learning. The preceptor was a strange, strange lady who issued the vaguest instructions I've ever heard. Then she had the nerve to call me "needy" during my final evaluation because I asked for further clarification. Is wanting to do something right the first time wrong? NO. Haha...looks like I still have issues regarding that final rotation! Again, I had a student with me who had been with this preceptor before, and she thankfully helped to clarify things for me a great deal. Anyway, I'm seriously glad I didn't get a residency at this facility, because this preceptor was also the residency program director. I'm not sure I could have handled a year of vague instructions and general weirdness.
But in all fairness...this was the rotation where I got to watch open-heart surgery, which was totally rad.

I should also note that all three of my second semester rotations were at a hospital that had off-site parking and a shuttle service - something my fellow students and I absolutely loathed by the end. I can't tell you how many times I had to stand in the cold rain because the shuttle would be driving away as I came out of the parking structure.

After finishing up rotations came review week at school - basically one last chance to sit in our lecture halls again and listen to speakers while everyone chatted and surfed the internet. XD

Of course, after that came Graduation on May 15th, 2010. I officially got my doctorate and finished school. Still, even now - eight months later - it feel weird writing that. School has been my life for...well...my life. Coming out of something so structured into the rather nebulous "real life" has been strange. I miss the comforting solidity and framework of working toward something greater with a purpose. After getting a job (even one that I enjoy) I'm kind of wondering...what next?

So summer was spent studying for my boards from the time I finished graduated until around mid July. I even snuck in a nice vacation to Seattle and the islands in there (visiting the cousin and relaxing with the family). But those interminable days days studying really felt endless. To help keep me sane, I would reward every two hours of studying with an episode of She-Ra (which I completed over the summer), Fantastic Four World's Greatest Heroes, Iron Man Armored Adventures, or Star Trek DS9. It felt like a weird combination of long past summer vacations and taking self-study summer school. XD

Thankfully, I passed both tests on the first go. I've been debating taking the tests to be able to practice in another state, which if I decide to go forward with should be something I undertake sooner rather than later. The further I go on, the harder it will be to force myself back into reviewing the material and going through the rigmarole of taking another test/forms/fees/etc.

Summer also saw an explosion in my toy collecting hobby. Something I attribute to lots of time at home to hunt stores, eBay, and read internet reviews. Also may have had something to do with getting money for graduation. :D Likely pent-up retail therapy after having no income since February after leaving CVS.

I got my license on August 5th, 2010. At that point, I gave myself until the end of August to look exclusively for hospital jobs. After thirty-odd applications, by the end of the month I had an interview set up for a not-quite-hospital job (the only non-hospital job I applied for). After that interview, I had set another one up with a hospital (the place I work now). But in the meantime, pharmacy 1 offered me a job (part-time for up to six months, then full time). I asked for an extension to think it over and was up front that I had the second interview. After being offered the job where I am now, I accepted and had to call back pharmacy 1 to decline their offer. That was an incredible weird experience. I've always had to fight for part-time jobs...so having to turn someone down was something I'd never done before.

The time between taking the job offer (early September) and starting the job (October 4th) was another strange period. During that month I looked for apartments (and finally found a decent townhouse!), hunted for furniture, signed tons of papers, packed up my toys/books/life, and watched some more shows. It was a frenetic month to try and get everything ready for the move, and yet I didn't really feel all that stressed. Maybe because I knew I had at least gotten a job, I was able to savor a few of my final days of freedom.

Anyway, work is where I've been ever since October. I still visit home at least once a month (heh...if not more often!). It's hard to leave a place you've lived since second grade, after all.

So I hope that 2011 brings good things. I have plans to do some writing (namely, finish my Jewel Riders fic, writing an original novella, and hopefully doing some Dragon Flyz writing). I also want to really take the time now to develop healthy eating habits and lose some weight. Since I make most all of my food, it should be easier to implement healthier choices more often. And of course, 2011 will see me continue the growth of my toy collection! :D

Isn't it amazing how much your life can change in seven days? One week ago today I was moving in to my new apartment, anxiously awaiting the start of my new job.

So let's rewind a little and review. Last Friday (the 1st of October) my family and I packed up all of my stuff into the moving truck (and two cars - mine held all the toys and clothes) and headed off to Redding. Or rather, went back to the house twice to get stuff we forget. One of which was my DVD player that I discovered didn't work when we got to the apartment. :(

So after getting ourselves together and finally getting on the road, the journey itself was pretty uneventful. I listened to Masters Cast podcasts through one earbud, which made the time go much more quickly.

I arrived at the apartment first, only to find the power not on. Since I have a general lack of knowledge in anything mechanical/electrical, I frantically called the power company, who told me I had to just flip the main breaker outside. And voila! Electricity is a wonderful thing.

Mom arrived soon after me, and we unloaded her car (which had more fragile things like the TV, computer, etc.) before my brother and dad arrived with the U-haul truck. Cue hours and hours of unloading and arranging of my stuff. Seriously, we started at around four and finally went to get some pizza at 10 pm. And after pizza, we came back and put my bed together (and blew up the air bed in the office). Needless to say, we all slept like the dead that night.

The next day we were going to go to the area church, but just ended getting up too late. So we went out to the Sundial Bridge (apparently Redding's only attraction) and got some great photos. That night my brother and dad set up the TV, and we attempted to get my internet all hooked up.

Sunday found us taking care of a few last minute things like making a Target run for things nobody had thought of previously, and ordering a washer and dryer at Best Buy. My family finally got off from here around 4 pm, putting them home by about 7 pm. Though I feel bad because then my brother had to drive another two hours to get to his home!

I slept poorly that first night by myself. I knew I would - it reminded me of my first night alone in Sacramento for Rotations. So being alone + much bigger bed = bad sleep. I've slept on a twin bed for 17 years. A queen just feels weird. (I still just sleep on one side of it.)

Work started on Monday morning at 9 am. I've been very thankful that everyone there has been so nice and understanding! There's a guy who graduated a year ahead of me in pharmacy school, and he told me that it'll take at least eight months for me to feel pretty comfortable in my job. Yikes.

So as you can imagine, it has been a week of trying to remember things from school and coming across things I've never seen before. I do lots of order inputting, and go on rounds every day with whoever is the clinical pharmacist for the week (plus the pharmacy student, which is fun). I have a big orientation coming up on Monday, which will be nice for getting me out of the pharmacy for a few hours. :)

I'm currently working four 10 hour days per week, with hours generally from 9 to 7:30. I never truly appreciated how tiring a ten-hour day is until now. You hit that eight hour mark and sometimes you're just dying to leave. Then by the time I get home, I've only really got three hours to scare up something to eat and maybe watch a few episodes of a show. So that'll definitely take some getting used to.

I have four days off this coming weekend, so I think I'm going to jet out on Thursday night after work and get home late...but then I'll have three full days at home. :) Oh, and then I can due to monthly Matty Collector order the next morning! XD

Anyway, I'm going to go watch some more of the Glass Mask (a great anime about the acting world) and relax because tomorrow will bring some more cleaning with it!

After two interviews, I has a job!

I've been meaning to post about this for almost two weeks (haha...I am so slow). So to recap, the Tuesday after the hospital interview, I got a call from them offering the job, and I accepted! When the guy who called asked if I wanted a day or two to consider the offer, I was like "Nope!" Heh. That probably looked kind of desperate.

It was definitely weird to have to decline my first offer too. I never expected to be put in that position, and I actually felt genuinely sad after turning them down; it would have been a good place to work as well, just not the specific area that I was really after.

So last weekend I went up there to the hospital to sign boatloads of paperwork and apartment hunt. And after going through seemingly every slum in the city looking at places...I finally found a townhouse that I think will work nicely (can anyone say fireplace?). The thing is, I'm not 100% cleared by the hospital yet for work (they're still waiting for the background check to come through and a few other things), so I am trying to put off committing to the townhouse yet. What can I say? I'm kind of paranoid about these things.

Though I have been stocking up on things I'll need for the place. Dishes, cups, assorted kitchen paraphernalia, chairs, etc. Having lived in a largely furnished place during my rotations, I realized that I have pretty much...nothing required to live on my own. XD So remedying that is a priority (though I'm definitely saving receipts!)

I just can't believe that everything is really happening so fast. I mean, there was only one month in-between when I got my license and when I accepted a job. I may be going through a little bit of Lodi withdrawal. This week I went to my local comic shop and used book store for what may be the last time in a long while, and that made me a little sad (especially when I basically had to cancel my standing manga orders at the comic shop). The last time I go to my local coffee shop will be really depressing too. :(

But by driving all over the town looking for somewhere to live, I discovered that there are lots of places that will make moving there easier. Barnes & Noble, for instance, and a variety of good restaurants. Though there's no Borders! I'll definitely miss those savings coupons.

Anyway, enough blathering from me.

This coming Friday I will have had my pharmacy license for exactly two weeks. So far I have sent out nearly twenty different applications to hospital stretching the length of California. How many responses have a I gotten? 1.5

The first was for an outpatient (ie retail) pharmacy job that was associated with a hospital. It has fabulous hours and the location was definitely not bad. I've talked several times with a guy from the HR department, but on Monday I was supposed to hear SOMETHING about an interview from the pharmacy manager. And of course I've heard nothing. Definitely losing patience with that one.

The second was for a full-time job in Nowheresville. Now, I have said that I am perfectly willing to go to Nowheresville for a full-time hospital job. For at least a year or two, anyway. However, when they called me, the hospital tried to gauge my interest in a fucking PER DIEM position. That just pissed me off. Don't waste my time by advertising a full-time job and then try to net me for per diem! I have, oh, you know, LOANS that I need to pay. The fact that they sent that hook out under false pretenses really pissed me off. I literally went out for a jog tonight to work off the irritation from that.

But other than two frustrating experiences....I've heard zilch from the other applications. Not even an email one way or the other. I've mentally given my "hospital only" search a limit until the end of August. If there is nothing promising, I'll still apply at hospitals, but mix in the chains and other retail outfits. Except effing CVS. I wouldn't work for them for all the tea in China. I don't think I can wait any longer than that. I really need a job. And I've never been particularly patient.

A bad corollary to all this is that I'm starting to get really down about the whole thing. Which makes me want to spend more money that I don't have. *Sigh* If I have no leads whatsoever by the end of this week, I may have to make a little purchase to keep myself going.

After much deliberation, I have decided to enter a self-imposed toy buying moratorium. The Rufus and Takeo that I bought as a reward for finishing my tests are on their way, as well as a rare Jewel Riders purchase that I couldn't pass up for the price. But the binge is really and truly over now.

I think the only things I would make an exception for now are possibly a Monster High Clawdeen (I think I'm going to end up caving and getting one now after taking photos of the others) or a new Disney Fairies Vidia.

The moratorium will end either when I get a job and a steady income or some time after the Alice Cullen Twilight Barbie comes out. Not right away, because I realize that would be in like...a month. Let's hope the job comes before Alice!

I just haven't been motivated to look for jobs, though. Until I have that letter saying that I've passed Board #2, I don't feel like my applications will even be considered because I'll lack the "minimum qualifications necessary" (aka licensure in California). So I'm pretty much stuck until I hear the news one way or the other.

So to amuse myself, I've been deboxing/photographing things I've had sitting around for ages like some Mattel Winx, Monster High, and a few Barbies tomorrow. I even started a Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ry_sabir/ to contain some of these photos. But I didn't realize they have a monthly limit on how many photos you can put up!