Moved in (until I move out again).

[shirenomad]

I found out about this new job due to the fact that three of my new coworkers graduated were in my class in UCI, all CompSci majors, all in the same dorm freshman year. I have no doubt I was hired (at maximum pay rate for an entry-level) almost purely because all three had seen what I was capable of at college and promoted the hell out of me to their supervisors. (The power of networking! Wish someone had hammered that point home while I was in college; I might have socialized more. Then again, maybe not.)

Another bonus of this is that Brian, one of the three, is able to house me until I find something more permanent. The "more permanent" place will probably be with Brian (and possibly Hacker, another of the three) as well; he's looking to find someplace closer to the new office. But in the meantime I'm housed in a spare room in a house with him and his dad.

Got everything moved in Thursday night (after a long drive down with Mom and Dad); did some shopping for supplies Friday morning (thanks to the parents!); spent Friday afternoon getting everything unpacked and organized (I'm ashamed to admit my computer got set up first, but that was largely because I needed music while I worked to stay sane). Spent Friday night sleeping. Caught up on life Saturday and had the chance to hang out with two out of three coworkers that evening.

Space is an issue. The room is a combination lounge/workshop/place to house Brian's personal webserver. Anything I don't need just yet (winter clothes, bedding, cooking gear) has been moved to a storage room until further notice, but my computer is on a desk that's really too small for the purpose (mouse pad is sitting on top of a lot of paper and books in an open drawer), I have no closet so my clothes are all organized in the largest suitcase on the floor, and the bed, when it's not a couch, takes up most of the rest of the room. I do have a mini-fridge, but it was never meant to hold anything larger than snacks, which is just as well since the kitchen is at the other end of the house and there's no place anywhere in between to sit down and eat. Nonetheless, due to a crowded primary fridge, I find myself stashing miscellaneous foodstuffs (largely sandwich material) in Fridge Jr. At least it seals well, which keeps out the ants.

Ah yes, the ants. They have a mild ant problem on this side of the house. Less mild when you leave food out. Eating around this room is probably a bad idea anyway, in other words; a few crumbs and a couple hours is enough to create a trail across your floor. I dumped the trash and washed the can out in the back yard, destroying the only real problem in this room, but there's still a few scouts wandering here and there trying to find a new source (I really hope that fridge has a good seal). One keeps exploring the edge of my keyboard as I type this. As soon as I or Mr. Ismay can pick up some baby powder (he didn't have any; wish I'd thought to pick up some Friday while my parents and I were grabbing supplies), I'm going to spread a line across the outside doorframe, and maybe another under the fridge door as a second line of defense.

There's one of the plusses, though: there's a door in this room that leads right outside and into the front walkway. Key lock with deadbolt. I can go in and out without disturbing anyone if I want. Not that I've got much of anywhere to go; I'm vehicle-less until further notice*, something that's left me a little nervous. Still, I should figure out what's within walking distance for shopping purposes.

The other plus being that they're housing me for free. Still on my own for food (so's Brian, apparently), but lack of rent will keep me above water until my first paycheck arrives. Not that I'm not hoping to find someplace else soon, even if it does mean heading back up north for furniture, but I'm grateful to Brian for the convenience.

*Think the Honda could have made it all the way down here? Please. Last time we tried making the trip with it, it died three times trying to get over the Grapevine.** That was five years ago; I don't expect it would last ten minutes this time. Plus with gas prices the way they are, I'm all too happy to carpool with Brian and split the cost. I'm just a little worried about inconveniencing someone in the house every time I need to go someplace.

**For those not familiar with Californian geography, this article will fill you in.

Comments

[aurora77]

The powder is a good start with the ants. You'll really have to keep up on dishes and food. Make sure you pick up extra plastic ziploc bags. Big ones and small. They're invaluable. And get some caulking stuff to plug the little gaps they're coming through. Take out the trash often. The Clorox wipes are useful for quick cleanups, too. If you don't have pets, there's a good bait/poison that the ants will pick up and take back to their nest with them. I don't remember the name of it (I think it starts with a B), but my dad would know. He does Integrated Pest Management for some school districts and has a program that cut back the use of pesticides by about 3/4 in his home district and they rarely have pest problems anymore.