Settling In

Things seem to be settling down here, although I am not sure if they actually are or it just seem like they are. I still have been getting out and doing things but it doesn’t feel like I am always busy. Highlights of the week included happy hour at PF Changs (if you like them on Facebook you can land a free lettuce wraps) with great apps and a bottle of sake (my first time trying it after years of curiosity and I thought it was just eh), the Mariners game vs. the Rangers preluded by fantastic sliders and amazing sweet potato fries at Built Burger in Pioneer Square with my JA (Jacobs Associates) homegirls (gotta love those company box tickets with an overhang on a drizzily day but not the horrendous hitting by the Mariners), and music and food at the Bite of Seattle Friday followed by volunteering at a St Paul De Vence concert at the Q Cafe in the Magnolia area. Great live music! And Saturday I actually was a guest to a wedding. It was a wonderful wedding. Small, with about 100 guests, set at the most beautiful golf course I have ever personally seen in Woodinville (wine country) with the reception held in the country club. The weather held out for a great night, the DJ was really good, the buffet dinner and Country Crest wine was also delicious, and I got to get all dressed up!! Yea I love dancing!! Sorry for the ridiculously unecessary parenthesis.

I also feel unlike a newbie at work, now that I have settled into a pretty solid role on two projects for the North Link project. My first deadline is approaching for my supportive excavation design which is on the 25th. I have really enjoyed this project because it has refamiliarized me with a lot of foundation and soil design material and has been a good mix between hand calculations and Autocad/RISA 2D utilization. My newest project is on the design for the station finishes (the station box itself) which will be a project that I will be working continuously on for awhile. Right now I am modeling the different levels of the station and designing for the required steel for the concrete floor slabs for the preliminary design. In general, we are going to use this design to determine the feasibility of the station box design as well as the required reinforcement for a cost estimate for potential transit-oriented-development on top of the station. It has required me to learn the program SAFE, but since no one else in my office knows the new program I am now the expert with it, and that is not the easiest thing. It was also annual review week at the company and because I have been here for 6/7 weeks I don’t get the 4% raise like my friend Ashley. Drats. But I did get the opportunity Friday to grab a coffee with my supervisor and ask questions as well as discuss my direction for the upcoming year and that was very helpful. They seem to think that I am doing well and fitting in nicely so all in all I was pleased with that. I’ll discuss later my goals career-wise for the next year.

My friend’s car is mended, thank goodness I can get that out of my conscience. The $1000 + tax setback only spurred a spending frenzy. Ahh. An obscene amount of Victoria’s Secret swimsuits ordered (only one will be kept), plane tickets home for Christmas, tickets to a whole slew of concerty things, happy hours, looking at more Joe’s jeans, an air mattress, and really wanting to plan a trip to Austin for South by Southwest/visiting friends.

Chelsea