Sunday, November 03, 2013
MIT interview today. I picked a new place to meet. The old spot in the village was constantly under assault by events being held there. Crowds. Last weekend it was biker's weekend. This week, the end of the gay pride parade. So I met the kid in a coffee place near where we used to live, new to me as I don't do coffee in "places", but it all worked out. Plenty of parking, nice surroundings, not crowded, not too noisy from the nearby street. Just right. I am going to use it again next week. The interview was so so. I wrote as enthusiastically as I could. That is my new policy. Pump it up reasonably. I have found in the feedback I get from MIT that they downgrade me when I am critical of the kid. I am never too tough but they like to hear the good side and draw their own conclusions. Another few years at this and I will have it down.
We are under siege from painters of the condo A major project, the first painting of the wood and stucco, all around, in over 20 years. I moved all the plants, mostly cactus, and stuff to the middle of the patio and the gardeners have trimmed back most, not all, of the bushes in preparation for the washers and painters. People who have had this done so far, on the other side, say it is not too bad in the actual painting. The results look pretty good although a bit undramatic as I do not see that much difference between then and now. But that is me. People are a bit upset when I don't ooh and aaaahhh over it. It is as though it is their personal paint job. But it is not.
