Conrad Blog:

Daytips to Nashville are a Terrible Idea.

Here's what I did last monday:
I had trouble sleeping the night before. So woke up at 7:30am, tired, and put on dress pants and my white radiohead t-shirt. I packed up my car and drove to Nashville. 5 hours and some change later, there I was, really tired, with black circles under my sunken-in eyes. I went to the local upscale mall, which was actually in Franklin, TN, until my interview was supposed to start. The whole reason I was down here was to interview for a good job doing some Java coding for a mortgage company. I'm a pretty darn good Java programmer, I kick OOP in the pants, I've made multithreaded apps, used java to make networked (distributed) apps, GUIs, animations, you name it. I'm also a likeable person - after you get to know me. I also happen to apparently be terrible at giving people a good idea of the kind of person I am in an hour's time. So anyway, back to the interview.

I change into my suit out in my car in the parking lot. It's not tailored still, but the blue shirt with the French cuffs looks good on me and brings out my eyes. Anyway, I think I look alright. I just got a haircut and I'm well-groomed. And dangit I drove 5 hours for this thing, I hope they appreciate that. So there I am, not comfortable because I've never been around business people, really... My mom was a mom most of her life, and my dad fixes air conditioners. The business world is strange and foriegn to me, and I don't know the rules very well. And i've been in the car all day and not drinking enough, so my saliva is thick and my throat is dry. Well I get some water and off we go.

I get into the room, and the guy is nice, seems like a cool dude. The first thing he says to me: "Alright, i'm not going to ask any questions - I want to hear you talk." Seems like a good idea at first. And it goes well. For the first five minutes or so. Then its just a little awkward. I don't know what he wants to hear, and I understate my abilities like I always do because... oh I don't know, I don't know what he wants to hear, so i don't feel like talking myself up or anything... But we joke about some stuff, and talk about their operations and seem to get along well. But basically I have no idea what the heck he wants, so I try to appear confident and motivated. Anyway i'm my usual awkward self.

After that's all over, I start the drive home. Its rush hour, there's traffic. Stink. A few hours out of nashtown I stop at a Sonic - my first time. I pull into this space, push a button and order a doublecheese, and then swipe my CC right there. Neat trick. Then this girl comes out and takes away my Sonic virginity. Sorry, Kristin. The burger is amazing... Like really really really surprisingly good... but too many onions and by now I'm developing the headache to kill an army of heads.

Anyway by this time I'm starting to get tired... like REAL tired. and dehydrated, which makes my ears do wierd thigns, so I can't hear very well. and my head is beginning to pound. So I drive some more, obviously. Well I see a rest stop and think, "yeah, rest. that sounds good." So I pull off and nap for about 15 minutes. Its not really comfortable so I don't really sleep or anything... But its a good break in the routine and its more like a power nap anyway. I wake up and realize that I've left the headlights on and hope that it starts. It does. w00t. Back on the road.

Hours later I pull in to Greenville, dead tired, feeling TERRIBLE. I check if kristin is online, she isn't. So i put up an away message for when she checks. Then I drink two huge glasses of water, and go straight to bed. Its approximately 10:30pm.

The next day I wake up at about 10 am to study for my western civ test. I am residually exhausted still, but it goes okay. The day passes in a haze.

The next day I find out I didn't make the short list. Damn. That's all I have to say about that. It was a wierd series of days.