So uhhh sorry for my silence guys. I just really haven't had much to share. I didn't get the MSU College of Education job I had the Skype interview for--they went with someone who had "many more years of relevant advising experience" despite my "compelling enthusiasum." Well, they can take that enthusiasum and SHOVE IT!
But, lo and behold, I did have another job interview, with MSU's School of Packaging (which is a lot more complex and cool than it sounds) as an advisor, which is a faculty position (same position I was turned down for in the COE). They offered to fly me up to Michigan, and I was like Hey, sounds like a plan! So on Thursday, July 21st, I was whisked by the WORST AIRLINE EVER IN EXISTANCE Delta (and it's parent company ASA sucks too) to East Lansing. But hey, I can't complain, because I didn't book the flight OR pay for it.
Despite being stuck on the airplane in ATL for 45 minutes (an O2 tank busted or something), I made it to Michigan with relatively little incident. The administrative assistant, Sherrie, picked me up in Flint, and we had a nice chat on the way to the hotel. She was super nice!
They put me up in a Marriot, and Sherrie told me if I ate at the hotel, I could charge it to my room and it would be taken care of.
....OMG. I felt so important! And so AWKWARD! I have never had someone pay for all my expenses before! But don't worry, I didn't take advantage--I got a chicken caesar salad and a diet coke for dinner, and then went for a walk around MSU. Despite the "heat wave" it was a nice evening--upper 70s or low 80s and breezy. I found the SoP where I'd be interviewing, and realized it's across the street from where Dr. Bugs would be working!
My interview was Friday, my birthday, and I believe it went well. I had an hour long interview with a committee of three faculty members plus the diversity office person, and then another hour long interview with the director of the department. I had a tour too, and got to see all the labs and learn about what they do. It was pretty high-tech stuff. Very cool.
I got to the airport on time, check in--OH LOOK my flight is DELAYED until 11pm in ATL. I was supposed to leave there at 8:55, to get into Jacksonville around 10pm. So I huff and puff and get irritated for awhile, try to get them to put me on a different flight, get me into Gainesville, throw out the "you know LAST time I flew Delta I was CANCELLED in ATL, this is unacceptable, blah blah..." but alas, nothing doing. So I got into ATL and waited. And waited. AND WAITED.
The plane gets in from Denver at 10:46pm. Great, yeah, NOT getting outta here by 11pm. Finally the crew gets on--and we sit some more. They annouce we'll board shortly, and a cheer goes up. And we sit some more. Then they say there is a mechanical problem. Greaaaaaaaaat. 20 minutes after that, the crew gets off the flight. In an exodus of Hebrews-fleeing-Egypt proportions, we all follow them to a different gate. Apparently our original plane had MULTIPLE mechanical and safety issues. I don't know how the heck that thing got to ATL from Denver. Don't you just feel SO SAFE flying now?!
I finally got on a plane at 1am, and we got to Jacksonvill e at 1:45am. The pilot was good, and he BOOKED it, turning a 1 hour 15 minute flight into 45 minutes. Good job, Captian. We finally arrived home at nearly 4am. UGH.
Of course, since I spent the majority of my birthday in Atlanta, my celebration on Saturday was much enjoyed. Some friends joined Dr. Bugs and I for dinner at Bistro1245, and dessert at a new cupcake place in town called Sarkara Sweets. He has now since left for a Florida Entomological Society conference in Ft. Meyers.
A little over one month left here in Gainesville. We finally settled on a moving company, but haven't set a specific date for them to pick up our stuff yet. I need to write my resignation letter this week. I hope I will find out about the advising job in Packaging this week too. I would really like to get it, it's a small department with a lot of interesting faculty members, and the new director is doing some very progressive things. The pay ain't half bad, either! :o)
Until next time!
