Erincita

Friday, January 31, 2003

Prayers have been answered, and work is going alot better. I feel like rapport between me and co-workers is improving tremendously, plus I've got alot more responsibility. I was doing administrative stuff to help out other inspectors...a good learning experiences since it builds on what I've already learned, and now I'm doing cashiering. I guess it's sad to admit that I'm doing the same job I did in high school but it keeps me busy and gives me a real purpose to be here. They actually need me now.

8:55 AM |

Thursday, January 23, 2003

Wish I had more news for everyone. Last weekend was pretty much summed up in Dana's entry. This week hasn't been too eventful, although the dynamics of the workplace have changed. We have 4 people besides myself who will begin training at FLETC. They will all be leaving before me and I'm guessing that I will once again be the only person in my class stationed in Blaine. We also have 4 new people who just got back from FLETC. There's alot of training and learning going on, with interesting cases every day but nothing outstanding to speak of. I wrote that I have been shooting once, but my request to train with one of the firing instructors from my POE was denied, I have no idea why. I'm still doing physical therapy once a week and finally signed a release form to use the gym a few miles away. I've done a lot of praying and psychological and emotional preparation for going back to training, and it's shameful to not be preparing myself physically as well.
Things with roomates are always evolving in a good way. Tara invited me to visit some friends in Bellingham last night. We all know that Bellingham barely passes as a city in comparison to Seattle, but at least there's alot of people, which is more than I can say for Blaine. I love where I live and it's like a safe haven when I need to just relax and unwind, but one can develop a bad case of cabin fever in such isolation. I always consider staying here over the weekend but find myself leaving for Seattle every Friday after work. My social circles still revolve around Seattle and I haven't made enough of an effort to make this area more of a home for me. I have all these plans to settle in once I finish training, but it's almost like superstition, not wanting to attatch myself to an area unless I know I'll have a reason to stick around (in this case, that reason would be a job).
Hope all is well will everyone. I appreciate the comments and especially the encouragement from Kris, who knows what I'll be facing when I get back (haven't heard from you in awhile Kris, but I'm sure you're doing a great job back in New York). Take care everybody.

9:30 AM |

Friday, January 17, 2003

I don't want to beat a dead horse by repeating how slow time passes here. Let's just hope things pick up by the time I finish training. I have a feeling that this is one of the least busy times of the year for us. I have one highlight for today, and that is that the Port Director gave me a compliment on my writing skills. Nice to know I haven't lost my touch! :) Someone had sent a letter and resume to the POE applying for a position here, and I can only guess that she's been sending out resumes like mad because I cannot imagine many who would apply for a federal job in such a fashion. Larry, my supervisor, gave me the letter and asked me to write a response advising her on the application process since I went through it so recently. Apparantly I did a pretty good job because both he and the director were impressed. This is only important because I haven't exchanged more than a few words with the director in all my time here. She is fairly reserved so whenever she speaks to you it's important to listen. This isn't meant to be of any significance to my faithful readers, but it's my own journal and I'll write what I please.

2:03 PM |

Tuesday, January 14, 2003

Had the most fantastic weekend in Seattle. On Saturday I got together with my friends Deanne and Divya, and we went to dinner at Tandoor, another one of the beloved restaurants I frequented while I was a student at the UW. We at three different kinds of chicken (tandoori, butter and coconut) with that indian rice that is somehow much tastier than anything you can get at a chinese restaurant, and of course, garlic and basil nan (nan is basically unleavened bread--that's biblical right? Just kidding...). Div and Dee had mango lassis too, but those yogurt drinks don't appeal to me. I ordered a cup of chai tea.
After dinner we went to downtown Seattle so we could get first picks on parking, and since the nightlife hadn't really begun yet we went to the award-winning Metropolitan Grill. The steaks are $40 a plate but we decided split a $13 slice of a nine-layer chocolate cake a la mode between the three of us. We were already stuffed after dinner but it's just the whole atmosphere that made the experience worth it. The place was crowded but we managed to find three empty barstools and the three of us chatted with the bartenders for awhile before heading to Pioneer Square. Late Tuesday, my roommate's band, was playing at Doc Maynard's that night. My friend Bryce and some of his buddies, Alex, Aaron, and Nieve (a perky spanish exchange student who won me over instantly) met up with us at the bar to see her show. They were spectacular. I'm so proud of her! She's just so talented.
Anyway, there's a good deal in Pioneer Square where $10 cover is good for 6 different clubs in the area, so after Tara's set we went to Oldtimer's Cafe where they were playing salsa music. I had taught Bryce a few moves so we tore up the floor for awhile and then grabbed people from the rest of the group to join in. Those of us who spoke Spanish went nuts when the song "Suavemente", came on. We figured it wasn't best to subject everyone to a culture that only a few of us were famliar with so we moved on to the Bohemian, where there are three different rooms with different kind of music. I don't think I've ever been in a club so crowded. I could hardly move with all the bodies in there and it was unbearably hot. There were, however, a few dancers hired by the club to "keep the party going" so to speak. They were up on stage near the DJ and played with fire, literally. It was pretty interesting. It was already very late so the club closed soon and we went to Chinatown for a late dinner (though I was still full from earlier that evening and couldn't eat another bite). I got home around 4am and slept like a rock.
We got three new people at work today. Finally! Another girl! She's 29 but still single so I feel like we have a little in common. She's from the Dominican Republic, really nice person. She and the rest of the trainees will all be in FLETC before me so I'm a little jealous. I just want to get going again. Sitting around here isn't doing anyone any good.

3:35 PM |

Friday, January 10, 2003

Looks like a whole bunch of posts are going to show up at once because I can't get my password to work. I need Dana's help. Isn't it great she's started studying web design? I think it's perfect for her. So forgive me, but the next few posts may seem choppy and out of order. No matter...
Nothing has happened yet, but we are getting the ball rolling around here in terms of getting me back to FLETC. I went shooting on Wednesday and my arm felt fine, so I Thursday I paid a visit to Dr. Thompson. He gave me a note saying I was ready to resume full duties and advised me to continue physical therapy until I leave for Georgia. I love physical therapy. I get an arm massage and talk with Heather, who's about my age, about nothing in particular. And it's all worker's comp! Larry, my supervisor, has gotten in touch with the scheduling department. So far the soonest they can get me back is February 20th. Ick. But that may all change if someone else in an earlier class cancels, drops out, or is picked up by a different agency. Let's hope that things change!

1:51 PM |

Wednesday, January 08, 2003

Work is downright boring. So slow. I mean, all the kids are back in school, all the adults are back at work. Why would anybody want to travel right now? We're only getting occasional travelers and people needing visas to work in the United States. Yesterday just crawled by and today isn't much different, though I brought a book with me to help pass the time. Hopefully things will pick up soon. I'm just so ready to get back to FLETC, where things are always busy and I hardly ever get bored. Anything's better than being stuck here. I really feel trapped. There's nothing of significance I'm allowed to do. I could sit here all day and it wouldn't make a difference, I'd still get paid.
Anyway, I meant to go shoot yesterday after work but I just didn't feel like it, and since it's out-of-pocket, I thought it best to postpone it. I had to get a new pair of glasses anyway. The frames I chose are Armani's, kinda pricey but Dad would agree that I should like what I'm buying if I'm going to be using them for at least three years. I think they're real cute. Kind of trendy. The only problem is that the prescription makes everything look a bit small so my depth perception is off...I feel taller than I already am. They said it might take awhile to get used to.
Vancouver was fun and that's really all I can say about it. We just ate, went dancing and bummed around the next day. Nothing of significance but just a great way to spend a weekend out of town.

12:13 PM |

Monday, January 06, 2003

I finally got to experience a little nightlife in Vancouver. Bryce, a friend from college, was going to Vancouver with a friend and was nice enough to invite me along since he discovered that I work on the border. He's applying for the same type of job but wants to go to Boston. The thing he dislikes most about Blaine is how small it is and how far it is from any big cities. I'm still adapting to it too. So far I guess I like it, but I tend to go home every weekend. I don't know if it's simpling homesickness or the sleepiness of this town. Vancouver's a great city, and I'd like to head up there sometime again and just see the museums and other cultural stuff. It is, after all, closer than Seattle. There really aren't any skyscrapers in Vancouver, and Bryce says he feels less "boxed in". I can't say what I thought, because we stayed in the nice part of town.

1:05 PM |

Friday, January 03, 2003

Hey all. This an e-mail I wrote to a friend at FLETC. Thought I'd copy it onto the journal because it kind of sums up how things are going...

We usually get at least one group of Spanish
speakers in here every day, and I always use the
opportunity to practice my Spanish. My formal Spanish
could use a little polishing, but where I'm hurting
the most is the chilean spanish that I used to know so
well. Over in West Seattle I have few friends that I
met in Chile, Karen and Leo, who are now married.
Karen met Leo down there and decided to marry him and
take him home. We relate simply because I almost did
the same thing but it would have been the wrong
person. Anyway I was talking to Leo and not only did
I keep fumbling for the words but I kept asking him to
repeat himself. I can't believe I was once so
accustomed to such a sloppy dialect. Eventually the
sloppy part becomes one of the endearing traits of the
country, but right now I'm just very frustrated.
(Thought I'd tell you someone was just taken off
primary in handcuffs...)
New Year's Eve was fantastic but a little odd.
It was actually the first time I've ever celebrated
with anyone besides my family, which was never much of
a celebration at all. My roommate Sherie invited to
spend it with her and her friends, all of whom she's
grown up with. I integrated well though. We ate tons
of good food (the food seems to be the best part about
small towns like this) and then guess what? Around
9:15pm we celebrated the lowest tide of the year by
going clam digging. This was a first for me, and keep
in mind that the temp was well below freezing. I
didn't actually dig at all because I don't have a
license, but I did get to clean them and eat them.
They were enormous clams, almost as big as geoducks.
We got so many so quickly that the 20 of us left
within 1/2 hour, so we had plenty of time to settle in
and wait for midnight to roll around. We were so
exhausted we went home right after.
After work today I'm going to pack a few things
and head up to Vancouver for the night. A good friend
from college and few of his friends got in touch with
me and invited me to join him since he knew I was
working up here now. Finally I'll get to taste some
of the clubbing that goes on up there.
I'd tell you more about work but it's just so
frustrating. I like working on secondary but it's all
the administrative stuff that's getting to me,
especially when it comes to my injury and all the
paperwork I've never seen and the people who never get
back to me with the info I need. You know how it is.
There's not much else to tell but the email's pretty
long as it is. You didn't tell me anything about your
trip, when am I going to hear about that?

Besos, Erin

10:12 AM |