What ChiKat said.

The way to counteroffer is pretty straightforward, but there's a little homework in finding out what the area average salary for the position type is. Then just say thanks for the offer. Would you consider X amount? If you've done your homework, you can phrase it as "Based on my skills/experience/whatever, my salary requirements are in the X to Y range."

We just got back from a long walk around our completely deserted business district. Office buildings are creepy when empty. There's a lot of green space and woods, though, and we saw many cottontails and one meter-plus black snake (a black racer I think).

Back from the baseball tourney in Fremont. All day spent on a middle school baseball field with a break for Chili's.

We won both games. In the first game Arlo lead off and hit a double into the gap on the first pitch. There is no outfield fence. Arlo is exceptionally fast. Home run.

Second game? First pitch, Arlo drives one into the gap and gets another home run. Next at bat? Same thing.

We went 2-0, beating the other topped rank team 7-0. Emmett went 4 for 5 in the first game and got a couple knocks in the second game.

Back out there tomorrow at 8:30am. Oof. All the kids are staying in a hotel tonight. That will be mayhem.

I'm all sundazzled and fried.

Yay on the wins, Hec, but that is quite a schedule.

Phew!

t stumbles into thread, flops down like a flopping thing

I just spent the last 3 hours in a drum circle. Not the amateur drum circle I had been led to believe it would be by the innocuous flyer I noticed in the park. "Bring your drum!"

It was a blessing circle for the recently burned Eastern Market.

Ended up being 7 professional African drummers and...the pasty white chick that is me.

I confess to a momentary perhaps slinking away would be a better strategy before this goes too far impulse...but I stuck it out and ended up holding my own.

It was joyful and a tremendous workout. I predict that I will not be able to lift my arms come morning.

Damn. I love drumming. I need to find a regular circle.

Yay on the wins, Hec, but that is quite a schedule.

Two more tomorrow. One or two more on Monday. On the one hand, it's a lot of work. On the other hand, after three years of this, it's a community of parents and kids that I see over the summers. People that I like and care about, that like and care about Emmett. He was so pumped for the beginning of tournament season to start.

Maria and Suzi know what it's like traveling with a tournament team.

Damn. I love drumming. I need to find a regular circle.

Can you do the drum solo from In-a-gadda-da-vida?

That reminds me...

I'd like to see Blue Man Group tackle In-a-gadda-da-vida.

Can you do the drum solo from In-a-gadda-da-vida?

Baha. Waaaay different kind of drum. But if you hum a few bars...

Aimee, congrats on the offer. If the second company can't tell you when they are making their decision, that might be able to at least let you know if you are in the running for the job. That was my tactic in my most recent two job offer situation.

Spent the morning out in a "you see it, you yank it off the car, we'll sell it to you" junkyard, looking for tires. Hubby proceeded to ignore all the advice his surgeon gave him on acceptable use of his shoulder. Who among us is suprised? I'm not sure if I'll be pleased or not when he accepts that he is no long the man who could torque down bolts with his fingers.

Turns out that the new wheels won't fit on my old axle, so we're going to have to swap the rubber to the old rims. Sigh. Bled a brake, got some oil, got new rotor and cap and air filter. Stupid cars.

So, there was a good sale at Fred Meyers, so I thought I would get a whole set of matching towels for the bath, and another set for the kitchen. I figure, at 40, it's probably about time. But I was thwarted by everything they had being crap. Or the wrong colors. I love my town, but I kinda miss shopping options. I may peek online. Or, it might be a good goal for the next CA trip.