So it's nearly one month since I moved from Newport News to Raleigh. It's a Saturday night and I have nothing to do at all. Figured I'd take a minute and talk about a few things that have gone on.
First and foremost, the job. It's 3 weeks down and it's slow, steady progress. This school had systems and reports to run that I'm still trying to understand how they fit in the overall scheme. But this role is far more administrative than my previous ones were. I'm used to seeing a lot of students and this isn't like that. I'm still answering questions, but most of my job is self-paced. I do like that, but it's a matter of knowing what to do when and eventually understanding how I'm helping. Staff is super nice, very supportive. Funny thing is I'm one of the youngest people on staff! I think at some point I can try to modernize a few things. Translation: less paper, more electronic.
The building is old. Really old. Like about 100 years old. The restrooms are unisex and in the summer months you have to leave the door open so the air can flow. And I actually have my own desk with a window! I never expected that to have that. If anything, I could use a couple more outlets, but with all the old heavy wooden furniture, there isn't much room to move stuff around.
I've done several meetup events, mostly all walks. It's a decent group of folks, though I'm seeing new people every time. I'm hoping there will be some people who will be reliable, steady friends.
As for the women, well, not much to say. One girl decided after a week of communication she was too busy. Funny, it's like she suddenly realized she had a lot going on. Frustrating thing I feel she led me on, talking about trips and date ideas. There's always a catch: they're taken, they're far away, they have a ton of kids, they have a severe mental health diagnosis. I don't know how people ever end up in good relationships.
Food highlight is probably Morelia Paletas, which is a custom popsicle shop. They have about 20 flavors of ice cream and sorbet on sticks, 4 dips, and about 10 toppings. I opted for the strawberry cheesecake dipped in cookie butter, since it was the only non-chocolate option, topped with crushed almonds. Fantastic. The pop was kept so cold that it didn't even have a chance to melt. Great flavor, I'm not a major dessert guy, but this was great.
Some of the restaurants have been hit or miss. Red Hot and Blue was mediocre counter BBQ at best. I've been to Bad Daddy's Burger bar three times. I like the funky vibe and food a lot. I just wish the kitchen guys realized a medium burger is not intended to be cooked all the way through. Taco Bamba is a great spot near where I work, my boss actually took me there on my first day. Some of the tacos have some Southern influence such as using Cheerwine flavored bacon carnitas. Definitely a place to return to.
The apartment is working out well. There are a lot of college aged people here, which makes sense since it's so close to NC State, I'm assuming their parents cover the rent. I guess it's a good balance since my co-workers are mostly older. I haven't made too many conversations with people around, I guess it's a societal thing to not interrupt anyone. Hopefully when they have a few community events this month, it'll help. And I was used to being the only one at the pool when I was living in Virginia. Not here. There are usually 4 or 5 women around getting sun. And no, I'm not about to talk to them.
Shipt grocery deliveries are much different here than they were in Virginia. The drives from store to residence can sometimes be 30-40 minutes. Now I don't mind driving to a new town, but some of these towns ain't worth going back to. But there are a good number of orders that are usually available. The thing is I usually get off work at 5 pm and that's the time when traffic is at its worst. So if I'm doing deliveries, I'd rather do 2 or 3 if I'm taking the time to not go home right away. And there are probably 4 or 5 zones all 10 minutes away, so it does present options. Guess I'm still finding my groove of what zones work for me and which ones don't.
Update: I did see a girl back to back days. Let's see if this goes somewhere.
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