The Interview and The Weekend

So, the "work-week" didn't involve anything out of the ordinary. Sarah was feeling a bit under the weather for most of the week, and she was particularly puny on Thursday, so Duane stayed home with her to let her recover. She seems to be feeling better now except for a nasty cough that is lingering.

My interview in Durham was scheduled for Friday morning at 8:45. Of course, as luck would have it, the weather forecast was calling for a wintery mix Thursday night into Friday morning. So that added a level of stress to an already stressful situation. Luckily, the weather cooperated and I was able to make the drive to Durham early Friday morning without having to deal with any inclement weather. As for the interview itself, it was fantastic! I really enjoyed talking with all the scientists I met with and I have every confidence I would be happy working for this company. It was actually refreshing, because most of the scientists are in their mid-30s and at similar points in their careers as Duane and me. Everyone was extremely nice and friendly and only had good things to say about the company. Of course, I am sure they were also trying to sell the company to me just as I was trying to sell myself to the company, and I am certain they have their fair share of work-related issues there. But in general, it seemed a lot less political and hierarchical than the academic research setting. So now I just have to wait and see if I made it through this cut of the interview process. I should hear from the HR department by the end of the coming week, and they will let me know whether or not I am invited to return for the second (and last) on-site interview before they make their decision. So I am hopeful that I will be offered this opportunity to return and interview a second time. As usual, I will keep you all posted as the events unfold.

This weekend, Mimi and Papa Bagwell came to visit Sarah (and us too). Sarah warmed right up to them and she played hard with them all weekend! Saturday night Duane and I left Sarah with Mimi and Papa for a few hours. We actually went to see a movie (Vantage Point, which we highly recommend) and then out for dessert afterwards. It was nice to get away together for a few hours without the worry of how Sarah was coping...we knew she was happy and in good hands! We are all looking forward to another visit from Mimi and Papa in a couple of weeks. They are coming again to babysit Sarah so Duane and I can make it to a Wake Forest basketball game (I got Duane tickets to the Wake Forest vs. NC State game for Valentine's Day)!

In other Sarah news, her vocabulary is really exploding these days! She has mastered most of the parts of her face. She can say and correctly point to her eyes, nose and mouth. She can point to her ears, but she only says "ears" on occasion. Since my last post, she has also learned to say "night-night", "peek-a-boo", "popcorn", and "rhino". She has only said "peek-a-boo" and "popcorn" a couple of times, so I am sure they are not yet regular words in her vocabulary. Basically at this point, she tries to say anything we ask her to say, so it is really a lot of fun to teach her new words!

Guess that's all the updates we have. This is Duane's last week of work in his current lab before he transitions to his new lab. I will just be waiting to hear the verdict about my interview. And as far as we know, Sarah has a normal week at daycare with no special activities planned besides her weekly Preschool Music class. And Mr. Winston will also have a typical week of sleeping on the couch all day while we are at work and playing in the evenings when we are home.

Have a great week and we'll update you next weekend!