the weather in Arizona is absolutely not cooperating. in fact, i think it's actually out to get me. we're leaving Friday for Spring Training baseball and it just so happens that the day we arrive is the day the weather changes from 70-something and sunny to 60-something and rainy. there's even a chance of thunderstorms during our Saturday game for which we have very nice seats near the visitor's dugout. (read: rain out.) and the day after we leave? back to 70-something and sunny.

stupid weather.

still, i will not let this affect our vacation. even if we have to split our entire time between the hotel bar and the Pink Pony, we will have a good time. (the Pink Pony is not, as one might reasonably assume, a gay bar or a Barbie outlet store. it's purportedly a notorious hang-out for locals and visiting players alike. or so my Scottsdale informants tell me.) bad weather or good, we need the break. it's been a topsy-turvy couple weeks for both of us. mostly because of our job searches.

mine is showing promise, though it still has plenty of potential to let me down. i had a moment where one company called to tell me, basically, that i wasn't good enough right as i was in the midst of finish up a submission for another. i nearly quit the whole idea and resigned myself angrily to a life of employment doldrums. actually, it was more like a William Shatner-esque outburst of frustration and rage: "Khaaaan!" but thankfully, i finished the submission, the company loved it, and now i'm in the middle of an interview cycle feeling pretty okay about my chances. (let's not talk too much about it lest the gods be listening and decided to scuttle the good potential.)

Corinne's job search is showing promise, too, though not after a rather traumatic downturn. she's been working on getting a job for months, now. the market for doctors in the Bay Area is tight and she's had door after door unpleasantly close on her. i try and keep her upbeat, encourage her to keep up the fight, but it's hard with so much negative feedback. the worst part is that it's not because she's a bad doctor. quite the opposite; she's an excellent doctor and everyone who works with her recognizes it. part of the problem is a lot of people say they want her to come work with them, get her hopes up, and then discover they can't hire her for one reason or another.

Sunday night was the last straw. she came home pretty much in tears and it took me almost all night to get her to sleep. one of her back-up plans to the back-up plans, most of which had already fallen through, was a position at her residency hospital. unfortunately, they had decided to eliminate the position in favor of keeping another doctor around. what really got to Corinne was that they had decided this last week and only brought it up to her on Sunday by accident. she felt betrayed and completely left on her own.

thankfully, during her very next shift, she ran into someone she respected and liked who gave her the low-down on hospitals that might be hiring, and told her that splitting up her time between different hospitals was actually quite enjoyable. she gave Corinne some contacts and even sent out letters of introduction. it was a big giant pendulum swing in the opposite direction from the night before.

so, she's back to good and i'm doing fine and we'll both hopefully have jobs that we love in the near future.

as for the present, it's been pretty great. the weather has been fantastic. i feel a little guilty when Corinne's mom calls and tells me about the snow storm they're in the midst of, and i have to tell her that it was 86 and sunny the other day. but not that guilty. i mean, really, how bad can you feel when it's this nice out? plus, the trees in our courtyard are starting to bloom and leaf. we have japanese maples and something that looks like a dogwood tree but isn't. spring and summer, when they're in full growth, the courtyard is one of the most beautiful places on earth. seriously.

my parents came for a visit a couple weekends ago. it was a short but excellent time. we had a great dinner at Metro, nearly shutting down the restaurant as we lingered over coffee and dessert, talking about everything and anything. we hiked along the Coastal Trail, caught views of giant cranes going under the Golden Gate Bridge, and ate a spectacular lunch at Sutro's in the newly rebuilt Cliff House. (they really did an awesome job with that!) they brought us flowers and hanging plants, and took Pepper out for leashed walks outside. he liked the outside but not the leash so much.

in all, i wished they could have stayed longer. which is unusual. i love my parents and appreciate what a great relationship we have. but sometimes when they leave my house, i feel relieved. something about fondness and absence. or maybe i'm just stingy with my personal space.

there have been other goings on -- my car was sold and then it wasn't, we had the gang over for poker night, i bought a buddha -- and looking at the length of this entry, i realize i haven't done a very good job of keeping up with my journal. i'll just have to be better about posting more frequently. or you'll just have to be better about reading my mind.

"but don't be readin' my mind between four and five. that's Willie's time!"