First two days at KSC.

I started my job in Sunnyvale yesterday. I decided to take 101 just to see what traffic would be like. Man, it was slow. Fifty minutes to go fourteen miles. It took forty to get home.

I managed to get to work a half hour early though. Met some coworkers. Everyone looked somewhat incredulous when I said I was hired as an assembler. They don't think I could lift anything. i demonstrated. I also explained that I've assembled furniture before, and I've carried heavy equipment and whatnot.

I ended up being trained in filling sales orders, maintaining inventory, and handling RMAs (Return Merchandise Authorizations) by Johnny, whose last day was today. I'm essentially taking over his job, even though I was hired mainly for assembly. Supposedly, I'll help out with assembly soon. As for the sales orders and inventory, I think I've got the hang of them. (This could help me when I start looking for inventory-focused jobs, which is what I had mainly been looking for before anyway.) The RMAs, however, confused the hell out of me. There are two kinds of RMAs, but there are three different procedures depending on which type and from whom I received the request. My brain got a little jumbled about all that.

They gave me a notebook so that I could write things down to remember. So I've been taking notes, but I still don't think I'm quite all there yet. Only experience and hopefully not too many mistakes to help me learn and be where I need to be.

Training was not thorough. Johnny admitted it. Plus, only two days of training. Not enough. I need at least a few days where I do things and get direct feedback so I can learn, adapt, and improve. But I guess I'll just have to wing it and ask everyone a lot of questions >.< And hope that I get everything right and on time.

Anyway, today wasn't too bad. I filled sales orders, logged inventory, labeled computer memory with stickers, and counted inventory. Took me three hours to count inventory. It doesn't even look like they have much either, but it took the longest time.

I think the closest thing I've done to assembling has been taking CPUs, memory, and hard drives out of motherboards and kits. Oh yeah, I'm slowly remembering the terminology.

Today, I found out that the company comps free lunch delivery every Friday. And we're all to eat together as a big family. Cool. Save me some food money :P Or really save me from having to prepare lunch on Thursday nights haha. Anyway, lunch pretty much introduced me to everyone in the building. I think we've got closer to twenty than thirty people in the company. I think there were only sixteen people in the lunchroom. We introduced ourselves and played Two Truths and a Lie, except people didn't really understand the concept of it haha, but it was fun.

So my impression of KSC so far: nice atmosphere, nice people, cheap on the AC (Is there even AC in Production or Purchasing?), and a bit disorganized. Or maybe I'm just not used to their way of organizing things. Eventually, yeah?

I don't really know what else to say. Work is exhausting. Or mainly just very hot. I wish it started and ended earlier, but 9 to 6 gives me eight and a half hours of work every day. Overtime, woot woot!

Ok, time to pass out. When I wake up, I need to get some things done (cleaning, laundry, car battery change) and maybe go to SF Pride :D

Second official job!

I accepted the job offer from KSC. Tomorrow will be my last day at KPI, and I'll start my new job on Thursday.

So after 30 days, the medical and dental plans will kick in. That's good. I need healthcare...

Hours are 9 to 6. Nine hours. Two fifteen-minute breaks and one half-hour lunch. I'm still a bit confused about the two breaks. Do I get paid for those? If I do, does that mean I'll get overtime every day? I'll ask for clarification on Thursday when I come in to sign the forms and whatnot. I'm not too fond of the hours. I would prefer to start early, like I currently do, but I guess it's nice to not have to wake up at 5AM. Starting Thursday, I can wake up at 6 or 7AM :D I'll probably continue to sleep early, but it won't be such a pain if I occasionally stay up past 10.

So I think I'm probably going to keep like an extra pair of pants in my car for work. I was told that my job allows me to wear casual stuff, but if I end up delivering products to customers, I have to wear somewhat professional clothing. I'm a work jeans kind of person; so I guess I will have to keep an extra pair of pants in the car in case they don't let me know the day before that I'll be making a delivery.

This is exciting! I'm slightly anxious. Oh, change, why must you make me feel this way? But I'm still excited for change. Hopefully to a job that I'll really enjoy. C'mon! I get to help build computers! I get to build things :D Hope I learn quickly enough haha.

Wow, I've been working at KPI for fourteen and a half weeks. More than three months. I didn't know how long I was gonna stay there, but it's been good. I really like my coworkers there. It's kinda like a big family. I'll be sad to not see them anymore. I don't even know how I will tell any of them tomorrow... It is last-minute and sudden. I can't not tell them; I don't want to leave them hanging and worrying about me.

Oh, I got a call today from a friend of a family friend. He asked me if I wanted him to forward my resume to a company that I thought he had just left. I don't know why he asked me. He supposedly sent it to the company twice already... -shrug- I told him to go ahead and do so. I could land a job in Milpitas that will pay me $15 an hour, but it's as an office assistant. I could do it. I don't know if I would enjoy it. However, it would be even closer to home than KSC and would definitely pay more. We'll see if that Milpitas company contacts me at all. Though, I would hate to leave KSC just like that...

I'll figure things out as opportunities arise. Hopefully, everything will work out well and for the best for everyone :)

Job offer from KSC

Earlier this month, I applied for the computer assembler/tester position at King Star Computer, Inc. via Craigslist. They contacted me on Friday, and we had a mini phone interview. We had the in-person interview today right after I got out of work. I somehow made it from Fremont to Sunnyvale in less than thirty minutes :D

I'm always so nervous during interviews, but today I was relatively calm on the inside haha. I managed to impress two people at KSC. About twenty minutes after I left the building, I got a call telling me that they would like to offer me the job. I have until Wednesday to accept the job offer.

Thirteen and a half miles away from home. Will save about $25 a month on gas; not much, but it's something. Will make $10.00 an hour. Up $1.50 from my current job. And this would be a permanent job. Small company; only about thirty employees. The job actually allows me to build something. Rackmount servers. Basically computers of varing sizes. I think the company's mainly full of Chinese employees. Hopefully, I won't be too awkward haha.

I forgot to ask about what the hours and benefits are. But I called and left a message about that info with my interviewer. Hopefully, I'll find out about that stuff tomorrow and maybe even give them my answer then.

This will probably be a 9 to 5 job, meaning I'll actually have to deal with serious traffic. But it's all good.

I will continue looking for other jobs. But I'm gonna see what I can learn and gain from KSC if I do ultimately take this job. I can't wait to learn how to build a computer :D and how to do a bunch of other stuff because being a small company means all employees contribute in every way necessary.

In other news, KPI, my current employer, is training me for more advanced jobs. I don't like it because the advanced jobs mainly involve thoroughly checking tiny little parts. I like working the machines more. And I've learned that I can't really use microscopes very well; My eyes won't focus properly. I can only see through one eye when I use the microscope -_- It's annoying. And slow. Oh well.

Oh, and darn my forgetfulness. My car battery died today. I had left my headlights on for two hours in front of the house. When I went to my car to go to dinner with Brother and Karina, I couldn't unlock my car. When I manually unlocked the door, my car alarm went off and wouldn't turn off. I thought my key fob had run out of battery, but then my car wouldn't start. So I figured out what happened. Brother brought D over with jumper cables, and they jumpstarted my car with Karina's car. That was all fun.

Afterward, Brother, Karina, and I went to eat at San Pedro Square. Turns out an acquaintance of mine from Q&A is co-owner of Phonomenal and silent partner of On A Roll. Got a discount on our pho :D Then got Treatbot. Marielle was working tonight. Hadn't seen her in at least two years probably. I saw her and thought I recognized her but wasn't sure. But it turned out to be her. And she gave me a free double scoop :)

Today ended well. I'm happy. I hope tomorrow will go just as well if not better.

Not too much else has been happening. I've been reading more lately. It's nice to get back into reading for fun :) Oh, it also rained today. Supposed to rain tomorrow too. Fun. Always strange to see rain during the summer. I think it's cool though. As long as it's not pouring. I don't want high humidity. No saunas for me XP

Anyway, way past my bedtime. Need sleep! Good night, folks!

I'm going to be an aunt!

Brother informed the family tonight that his girlfriend, Karina, is currently thirteen weeks pregnant. Imagine the surprise! Or rather the lack of. Family was much more supportive and encouraging than usual. It was interesting.

My initial reaction: Slight raise of the eyebrow. Slow curve of a smile. Tilt of the head. Body leaning to the side toward the wall. Cool. "Wow."

I always knew Brother would be a parent before I would. I mean, c'mon, he's got five years on me.

I'm excited. We're all excited. I'm going to be an aunt. Mother and D are going to be grandparents! :) Main thing is Brother is going to be a father!! I think he will be a great father. He is an idiot sometimes, and he's made his mistakes. But he's a good person, and he's learning. I just have this feeling that he'll be a wonderful dad. Doting and overprotective, but great. I told him as much. I also told him I love him. First time I've said that without it being  a response to him saying it to me first.

My first nephew/niece. I can't wait to meet him/her. Not due until the end of the year. Mother's going to babysit a lot. She's looking forward to it. I think it would do her some good to have a baby in her house. She won't be alone. And I'll get to watch her interact with a baby.

And I'll learn how to take care of a child. I want to learn. I'm still terrified of kids. Maybe this will ease my anxiety around kids.

Anyway, this news woke me up a little. I was exhausted and wanted to go home to sleep. Then this news came out, and I was just awake. It brightened the end of my week. (Work wasn't the best this week.)

Now, we play the waiting game with the baby. Who will win? o: I'll try to keep you posted.

Yay, I moved again.

I spent the late morning and early afternoon moving all my stuff from Shiva's apartment and Mother's house to my new room. At first, it didn't look like I had that many things. But after I stuffed everything into my car from Mother's house, I felt like I had too many things. Clutter! Too much clothes. Especially since Brother gave me some more of his old clothes that he no longer fits.

I'm going to spend all day tomorrow trying to rid myself of clutter. It's going to be difficult. But I will do it! I'm also going to Swiffer the hell out of my room. It's so dusty and dirty -_- Once I get through this room, it's going to be clean, and I will enforce the Asian shoe rule.

Anyway, all my things have settled in my room, meaning each thing basically has a place in my room for now. But I still want to free up some space. I'm probably gonna donate some clothes to Goodwill. My old dresser is so full D: Much fuller than I thought it would be. It makes me sad.

So I like my room. I realize, though, there are a lot of bees in the front of the house. I hope I don't get stung >:

Oh, I met one of my roommates, the homeowner's uncle, who lives in the room across the hallway. He sure is a character. Quite hard on his nephew. But he seems like a very fair, understanding, and witty person, otherwise. He was yelling at his nephew, Peter, for not offering to help get me a job at some companies that Peter has connections too. I felt bad because Peter had offered but wasn't sure he could actually help me, given that I have a degree in Sociology and not something tech-related. His uncle yelled at him to try anyway >.> While I'm grateful for all the help (Peter did drive all the way from SF to help transport my bed and chair in his truck), I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of anyone. This is only the third time that Peter and I have talked in person. But he and his uncle are very generous and thoughtful people, I guess...

Mm, the fridge has absolutely zero space for my future food and drink. The Chinese girl, who lives in the room that once was a garage, cooks a lot. Much of the stuff in the kitchen is hers, taking up most of the space. The rest is the uncle's. I found some corner in one of the cabinets to put my bowls, plate, cup, and utensils. Though, it appears there are enough of those things in the cabinets for a whole party of people. But it's me; I don't really want to share things with strangers all that much. Anyway, there is a mini fridge in the kitchen that I will be using for a short while until the girl rearranges her fridge and freezer stuff so there's a little space for me. I just want to store my juice, a few beers, a few water bottles, and some food stuff. Though, I'm cool with using the mini fridge, but the owner doesn't want to risk getting a high energy bill.

Uhh, I hope it takes me just a week to get used to living in this place. I also hope that I'll enjoy living here and my stay lasts for a long while. I don't want to move again. At least not until I have way fewer things to move with me haha.

Oh yeah, I don't have a computer desk yet. Should be delivered within the next few days. Then I can bring my desktop with me :D I miss my desktop so much. But that means I have to go purchase a wireless adapter for my computer since it's nine years old. No wireless connection built in >: Until then, my netbook will still get some love from me.

Ooh, I renewed my library card yesterday. Borrowed a few books (two novels by Dean Koontz and A Child Called "It"). Can't wait to read them. It's been a long time since I've been to and borrowed anything from the library. Shiva borrowed a few children's books and a Dean Koontz book too :P

Ahh, this past week has been pretty relaxing. But also stressful at times for various reasons. But now the week is almost over. I have one more day for rest and everything else I need to do. Then Monday, it's back to work and making a living.

I'm so tired, and my head feels like it's all over the place. I should go home and rest. Maybe take a shower. I feel disgusting. Sweat, dust, and dirt. But if I go home, I'm going to want to clean and reorganize... Why can't I just leave it be for now? Rawr. Darn my compulsions -___- Must distract myself with a book! Don't think about clutter...