robots and jerbs and a comment on Zoya

This week was loooong.  (This update is long.)  My paper, getting yelled at, my video card catching fire,* getting up early at 8:30 to go to an all-day language workshop, spending all day downtown meeting with a company... but a lot of it was jerbs.  Researching and negotiating, but also worrying.  I put a lot of energy into worrying this week!  A lot.

Well:

• Paper's in.  And I think it's pretty good.
• I (still) hate getting yelled at.
• New video card ordered.  (Thank you, adviser L.)
• Language workshop (annual regional thing, maybe 100 people?) was awesome.**  Mostly because of the research/social catchup, but at least two really good talks.
• Company is a startup working on elder care robots, which coincidentally is what I do!  (It's not a coincidence.  They've gotten my name from a number of people.)  I see future collaborations there.

And jerbs.  Ah, jerbs.

I now have an offer from my second choice (henceforth "U") and a possibly-soon-offer from my first choice (henceforth "G").  U called this morning to offer me everything I asked for, pretty much; I said I'd answer them Thursday.  I'm not going to wait/keep them waiting forever on a maybe, and y'know... if it's a mistake, I'll try again.  There are very few irrevocable decisions in life.

I'm exhausted. I need to clarify about Zoya but... tomorrow.

I put a cushion in my usual pix spot, and now it is a kitty/sunbeam spot that,
as it happens, is close enough for skritches.  It is possible all subsequent
natural light photos will be fashionably framed against a background of
white fur.  In this case I can absolutely guarantee it is cruelty-free.

Oh and this weekend I am going to try to move to Wordpress.  Bulletins as events warrant.

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* Okay, it only scorched and let out the Magic Smoke, but once the smoke's out the magic is gone, so that's enough really.

** At the workshop, I ran into the director of the one and only company (not school) I applied to (they didn't call me).   He asked how it was going; I told him where I'd gone and what offers I had.   He was skeptical ("Wait... in, like, Iowa?"), then shocked ("That's not normal.  Is it?  Is that normal in this market?").  So, in the general spirit of managing my job search with maturity and grace, neener neener should've called me back, ppthblth. ^_^