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Finally managed to get my application sent and received by the INS/USCIS and have a receipt notice. The notice lists my priority date as April 9th, but the online case tracking system lists it as April 16th. A quick look at the current priority dates being processed shows San Diego is working on September 12 2006 so it looks like there is a 7-8 month turnaround time right now. Plenty of time to learn my US history…

So you get to a new company, after three months you are put on the project from hell – testing server code for people who don’t want you to do it in the first place, oh and they are in Japan, and you hate testing, and everyone where you work wishes the project didn’t exist – then get put in a group whose sole focus is a technology totally opposite from the one you were hired to do. Despite this, you get through it (admittedly with much whining) and manage a decent performance review.

And then you get a 2% pay raise.

Now, its not totally my boss’ fault, he asked for more but HR said I was already earning ‘too much’. My boss basically says to suck it up and perhaps things will be better for me next year though I could have exactly the same situation.

At some point I think Teri and I will be leaving California (NZ isn’t totally off the table) and I really don’t want any more jobs before then but maybe I can squeeze one more in….

Last weekend was the Coachella Festival in nearby Indio and I had no idea that Amy Winehouse was playing. Can’t believe I had a chance to go see her and didn’t even know she was just a short drive away. I need to pay more attention to the culture section of the newspapers I suppose, though usually there ain’t nothing going on out here in the desert that good. Click on the pic for full size.