Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
It’s Santa Rosa!
Santa Rosa is hotter than we’d prefer, but we’ve lived in hotter climates — San Jose, Los Angeles, and (obviously) San Antonio are all worse. Even in Brookings, we’ve had a lot of 80F-and-above weather lately. Sometimes we get an ocean breeze, sometimes we don’t.
I’ll be going into practice with a guy I’ve known since med school; we’ve had an excellent professional relationship for the last ten years. I like him, I trust him, and the feeling is mutual. Best of all, he really, really wants me there. It’s nice to be wanted.
What about Washington? I told both places that I needed to know their offers, if any, by July 1st. One place managed to get me an answer by this morning — a little tardy, but not so bad as to make me risk my offer from Santa Rosa. They decided they didn’t want me. It was one of those baffling phone calls where you wonder afterwards, “If y’all liked me so much, why didn’t you make me an offer?”
I think I charmed the head of recruiting. She sounded genuinely disappointed to be giving me bad news. She told me, “They want to keep interviewing.”
The doc who would have been my partner did the menschlich* thing and called me this evening. He told me they had just hired two nurse practitioners, and they’re concerned about bringing on another partner this quickly. (So you had to fly me up there to figure this out? Whatever.) What this suggests is that they want to hire docs who would have a start date July ’09. Maybe they liked me, maybe they didn’t; bottom line, I was ready to work sooner than they needed.
You thought maybe I was kidding? They bronzed his ass, and his little dog, too!
Karen wonders whether the economy might be to blame. I would gladly have taken all of their pediatric patients, and they knew it. At present, those patients go to other ENTs in the area. Pediatric patients are predominantly Medicaid patients. Medicaid doesn’t pay well. If we’re looking at an impending recession, the organization might not want to see a big influx of Medicaid patients.
It’s a thought.
Oh, and the other Washington position? Once again, they knew I had a July 1st deadline to meet. They haven’t emailed, haven’t returned my calls. In my book, this defines “unprofessionalism.” Better to find that out now than after I’ve been hired.
It’s been a stressful time for me, but I’m glad I went through this job search. I feel like I’ve made an exhaustive study of the best opportunities from San Francisco to Seattle (and north of Seattle, too) and I’ve found the position that’s right for me. It’s not perfect (thanks in part to global warming) but what is?
Don’t know when we’re relocating. I’m going to shoot for mid-August. Meanwhile, no one wants to buy our house. There’s always something to worry about.
D.
*I explained to Jake that a mensch is a man who behaves in an impeccable, upstanding fashion. He asked me what you call a woman who behaves impeccably.
A womensch?
Have you told your real estate agent that your house would be the former home of the future hairy Sue Grafton? That might help with the sale.
And don’t forget to mention the lost ferret. That might be considered a pre-existing condition if he later shows up living in a cupboard and sneaking out at night to eat the new people’s food.
congrats! 🙂
santa rosa is not insanely far from my family in CA (they’re in hillsborough, close to the city–like 10 minutes from the airport), so perhaps, if i ever get out there again to visit them (next summer, if i’m lucky) i can come visit you too! BART, perhaps? i like BART. it’s fun.
Dan: hey, that’s a great idea! Not only is this the home of the future hairy Sue Grafton, but it comes with its own ferret. Or ghost ferret. I wish I knew.
Shaina: yes, of course you can come visit, even if you’re bringing that boyfriend with you. BART doesn’t come that far north, unfortunately. You would have to drive.
Of course, we could always meet in San Francisco 🙂
HEY NEIGHBOR!!! Okay, almost. I just mapquested and looks like you’re about an hour away. COOOOL!
yup, about an hour! What ya doin for Thanksgiving?
While it took a while for everything to pan out, you’ve got to be glad that it’s all resolved, true?
I’ve always thought of mensch as a unisex term, even if it isn’t typically applied to women.
YO! I’ve been to that place! My niece had a birthday party at the skating rink and I went and hung out there with my sister and new-born nephew.
Sounds to me like you made the right decision; ultimately, you have to be happy in the work situation to be any good to your family AND yourself.
Also, you’re an hour away from San Francisco, and that has to make you happy too.
Global warming makes everywhere suck in terms of climate.
I hope something will come along in terms of your house selling. There was a house in Arcadia that was on the market, and they actually put in their flyer that the house comes with its own pet peacock…work with the Sue Grafton thing…
Best of everything in Santa Rosa to you. Hey, you know what, I grew up in a little town (village, really, 1200 people) called Ste. Rose du Lac. I wonder if it’s the same saint that Santa Rosa is named for?
Thanks, everyone. Yup, I’m relieved it’s over. I’ve heard that some people enjoy this process, but I can’t imagine having a good time.
In academics, profs (especially chairmen) like to interview every few years just so everyone thinks they’re a hot item. Otherwise, folks imagine you covered in cobwebs.
Congrats. Sounds like a good fit for you.
Hey, I have a webcam now. I should try to make a chat someday soon.
M