You guys earned it!

Thanks for supporting our campaign to raise money for DonorsChoose, dearest readers!  You generous people definitely deserve an actual blog update.

My last informative update was to tell you that Matt and I are moving to Kirkland, WA.  Feel free to Dance around in happiness- that's pretty much what I've been up to all week.  When I dropped this bomb on Nana during my visit to Spokane, she was thrilled, and then DOUBLE thrilled when Mom and Dad decided to bring us from Spokane to Seattle for the weekend.  I got in a little house hunting.  By which I mean I rented us a house to live in in the Northern Kirkland area.  It will be a great place for us, 3br, 2+ Bath, 2 car garage, a yard.  It's on a greenway, and only about 15 minutes driving to Matt's new work.

When I got back to Pittsburgh, Matt and I finally got to celebrate his good news together.  We went to a foodie restaurant called NaCl to eat until we were ready to burst, and catch up from our time apart.  It was fun talking about our new place, the things we'll get up to in our new life, the things Matt got up to finish up his commitments here.  It was fun.  And delicious.

This week I've been trying to get lots done at the Science Center.  Next week is National Chemistry week, and I'll be helping volunteers do a demonstration of the physical changes of crystal forms- ie, making candy.  I've recruited a few people from Pitt, and am trying to get some more hands to help out.  It's pretty exciting to be able to participate in these things.

One of the things I'll miss about Pittsburgh is being able to volunteer, it makes me feel productive and helps me develop professional skills and contacts (I have a budget!). When I get to Seattle, my job hunt will hopefully change forms a bit, since I can spend more time in face to face contacts.  But I'll still have a LOT of freetime.  This is one reason I am pursuing a short off-site contract with a biofuel company in BC.  It will keep me busy, and also provide those professional skills and contacts that my volunteer work did.  The compensation will be in equity, so I am thinking about this like an unpaid internship rather than a job yet.  But this does remind me that, um... I think my professional life is just going to weird for a while.  I know there isn't a straight way to navigate the route I am hoping to take, so it shouldn't be surprising that I am doing a lot of non-linear things to bulk up my CV.  Cross your fingers for an eventual pay-off in the form of a full-time job.

Otherwise, we are working out a timeline for this move. Movers are coming to get our stuff on the 24th and 25th.  Matt and the cat will be leaving Oct 27th, which is when our lease starts in Kirkland. It's not clear yet when our stuff will arrive, but after Matt, certainly. I am planning to stay for the Nov 12 event at the Science Center, and am thinking I may stay through Monday to see a friend defend (but Matt might be tired of holding down the house alone by then). I'll get a couple extra rounds of goodbyes with friends in the meantime though.