So fun!

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May 23, 2025

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It's Wednesday Afternoon in Japan so here I am posting this on Wednesday! Japan trip is beautiful. It's been a wonderful reset, and we're not even halfway through our trip! Tokyo was awesome but too many people. Bullet train was smooth but really busy. Smaller local train to Takayama had bigger windows and was quieter, we liked that one better. Takayama is great. Off to Kanazawa and Kyoto (possible day trip to Osaka too for the world fair) in the coming days. Then a quick trip to Kinosaki for tattoo friendly onsens, and then home. Food and trip has been incredible so far, can't wait to see what else comes our way!

Not only does the job market suck right now, but jobs that are hiring are only ever temporary/limited term and/or Salaries are dropping fast. I can't seem to find anything that's more than a 2 year contract of sorts. We're buying a house and my partner is starting her PhD please give me a hint of stability that pays enough.

Leaving for Japan on Friday for 2 weeks. Super excited and ready not think about work for that time.

Putting in an offer on a house. Who knows what will happen. There's not a ton of interest in it which is wild because it's in phenomenal shape including a new foundation which for being surrounded by 100 year old homes that's genuinely shocking. Needs a new roof, and electric service is only 100 amps, but otherwise everything is immaculate. Great neighborhood too. We're worried we're missing something but we've gone over disclosures as have our realtors and my partner's parents and none of us noticed anything shocking or that would suggest low interest. Pictures of the house were staged with the owner's furniture and she's an older woman so we think that could be why, that it showed poorly in pictures. But otherwise not the foggiest notion on why people are passing over it. And the best part is that in 9 days we leave for an 2 week international trip.

Partner broke her foot a mere three weeks before we head out of the country on a two week vacation. It'll be gorgeous and we're really looking to it, but now worried about her ability to walk.

Samia released her new album last Friday. It is phenomenal. My favorite track on it is North Poles

I've got a conversation with a hiring manager in a few hours about a job so hoping that goes well. It should be an informal conversation to learn more about the job.

It'll be interesting to see who the cardinals choose as a new pope. Francis chose like 80% of the voting Cardinals so there's a real chance the Pope stays liberal. Hoping for that because we don't need more people who support Christian nationalism rising up or supporting all the shit going on globally.

I've got a hell of a week in front of me. Massive event I'm running Tuesday. Lots of deliverables coming due soon for my job. Everyone except me is going to a conference so I need to ask questions and actually get far ahead of the work. Will be working late today, tomorrow, and Monday since thus Friday I'm avoiding work and touring some houses. Have a meeting set up for next Wednesday to discuss a potential job opportunity in the same city my partner is starting her PhD in the fall. And yet even with actively exploring houses and jobs we're also like "is it time to pull the ripcord and get out since Trump is deporting lawful permanent residents, ignoring court orders to repatriate them, and talking about doing it for political dissidents next" and the work and research my partner and I do/have done would probably classify us as political dissidents in this hell of a timeline. It's wild out there y'all. Stay safe.

Japan! Finally got hotels booked. We're staying pretty much between Tokyo and Kyoto and not planning on adventuring much further, but we're going up in the mountains and over to the west coast and spending time in those parts. We also just found out the 2025 World's Fair is happening in Osaka while we're there so we're toying with a day trip for that.

Got a promising job I applied to the other day. Need to send a shmoozing cold email to the hiring manager but I'm well qualified and have her direct email. It's also right next to where my partner is doing her PhD so it'd be a really convenient location too.

Planning for the two week vacation in in late May is going well. Really looking forward to that. I need a break from all this shit and I'm ready for some real time off.

Thanks Cory Booker, for doing something, even if it's small and likely won't change anything in the short term. Also great he broke Thurmond's record.

Gotta love when no one in your department is able to attend meetings on time so you're the dependable one who has to let the chief of health into the office in the morning. Head of my team routinely is late it misses meetings. It's honestly embarrassing for me because I spend time organizing then they just don't show up. On the bright side, I've got a fancy shiny new updated resume with help from career services and have started the great cold emailing game. No bites yet since the job market is hot garbage but I'm going for it!

Union negotiated a long weekend for Cesar Chavez day so I'm excited and beyond ready for a three day weekend. Going off the grid to my partner's family's cabin. It's quiet and peaceful and such a great place for relaxation. Going to be rainy there probably which means we get to just hang out and cook and read and play games instead of hike or swim or explore. It's fabulous I'm so ready.