Affymetrix - My New Employer

Affymetrix was just named one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies. In the March 2008 issue, Fast Company Magazine ranked Affymetrix 13th, right alongside leading innovative brands like Google, Apple and Facebook. Affymetrix is the only life sciences company on the list and is ranked in front of companies like Disney, IBM and Boeing.

http://www.fastcompany.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/fast50_08.html?page=38

“Imagine going in for a half-hour doctor's visit and coming out with a treatment plan tailored to your unique genetic blueprint. That's the vision at Santa Clara, California-based Affymetrix, which makes lab tests that scan tissue samples for variations in thousands of genes…Now the race is on to develop tests for genetic predisposition to heart disease and the most common types of cancer.”

I'm excited to be a part of this innovative biotechnology organization and am busy assimilating myself to the company. If anyone has any suggestions on good places to network within the biotech industry, helpful associations or users groups that might be useful in my recruiting efforts, I welcome the input!

Mer

Guest Blogger - The Sher Show

I've been bugging my lovely boyfriend, Sheridan, for some time now about writing a piece for The Mer Show and he finally found a topic that fires him up enough to take the time to write for you fine folks - bathroom etiquette, particularly as it pertains to the mens room. So please enjoy this literary masterpiece written just for The Mer Show readers by the love of my life.

Love, Mer

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Meredith felt that a little talk on bathroom etiquette was appropriate for the male audience of her blog. I will henceforth give my best effort to discuss the issue in a rational and dignified manner suitable for her educated, sophisticated, and mature readers.

Here goes:

Let's divide the bathroom into 2 segments. Most dudes will head in there to do one of two things - use the one on the wall, or the one in the stall. Let's discuss some etiquette tips for the receptacle on the wall first.

When heading in there, it is always advisable to survey the landscape first. If there are a multitude of choices, find your donkey and pin the tail. If there is a toilet in use, the general rule applies of one empty toilet between users, please. Nothing is going to make you enemies faster than brushing elbows with someone whose fly is open when you don't have to. If you happen to walk in and there is a fellow at every other toilet, thereby making your only choices limited, bite your lower lip, curse the gods, and head in there between two guys. It is best to never look down, nor ever look around. (Actually, there is one thing that will make you enemies faster than brushing elbows - getting caught with wandering eyes.) Pick a spot on the wall in front of you and analyze said spot until you are finished. If there happens to be newspapers hanging on the wall for reading material, life just got better.

Note: if you are bracing yourself against the wall with your arm, even at work, it is safe to assume you are drunk.

Another helpful hint - don't talk to me while I am taking care of business. I don't care if you are getting drinks with the new intern, just bought a Porsche, or hooked up with my sister. Now isn't the time, as I am busy analyzing the spot on the wall in front of me and hoping not to drip on myself when I do "the shake". Talk to me at the sinks.

Do us all a favor, flush.

The (dreaded) stall:

If I am sacrificing home field advantage and using a public restroom to take care of business, I am not happy about it - I will really not be happy about it if you talk to me while I am busy. I can't imagine a topic being so important that I need to discuss it with you with my pants around my ankles. It is an awkward moment we can all avoid rather easily. You can think about it, but don't do it.

If you are using a stall and are getting rid of some bad sushi from the night before, let me put some words into your vocabulary: courtesy flush. Do us all a favor and send that stuff back to where it came from pronto! Just because you flush doesn't mean you are done, or need to get up, it just means you are one nice individual to consider your fellow man. It is bad enough we all have to use a dirty, over used, under cleaned commode, but using it while smelling someone else's chili con carne isn't cool, man.

If you view your time in the stall as your time to catch up phone calls, don't be mad if I throw a courtesy flush your way. It is only fair the person you are talking to knows you are talking to them with your pants around your ankles.

If you have to share a bathroom with me, you should be nice to me. I can see your shoes under the stall wall, and whether you are an Executive Vice President, or a mailroom guy, you don't want your business to be public knowledge. Don't make me tell everyone you made the bathroom unusable for a few hours.

When you flush, it is perfectly acceptable to use your foot to jiggle the handle. If you touch that thing with your hand, you are a brave soul, and one dirty mofo.

And finally,

If you are in to use the wall version, you must still wash your hands. Don't think I don't know who you are; I can see your shoes! Believe me, you don't want to be known as "that guy".

Update on NorCal

Hey everyone! Well, greetings from my new home - San Jose, California. Yep, The Mer Show has moved for good!! I started my new job at Affymetrix, a publicly held biotechnical company in Santa Clara, this Wednesday and am going to have my hands full there - I'm going to be recruiting for technical and professional hires within the company and already have over 20 requisitions for which I'm responsible! It's a lot of information to take in all at one time - new hiring managers, processes, technologies, applicant tracking system - all while learning to cohabitate with my sweetie, trying to navigate my way around a new city, processing all the stuff that's going on with my body right now, and figuring out how the heck I'm going to get my dog, car, and stuff here to Northern California. I really miss my STUFF and especially my little Baci ball - he's been down in San Diego without me for almost two weeks now, while I've been figuring things out up here, and I bet he thinks that his mommy left him... It's been a big change for everyone involved in this move!! Thanks to all of you that have been so incredibly supportive and encouraging.

All in all, I'm really happy with my decision to move north, be with Sheridan, and pursue my professional endeavours here!! I know that I'm going to be very happy in Northern California and can't wait to get started exploring the area, making new friends, and making my mark here.

This weekend Sheridan and I are heading down to San Diego to pack my things into the Uhaul (I should own stock in the darn company!) and make the 10 hour drive up to the Bay Area. Everyone say a prayer that we get here safely and without incident, please. Once we're back and unpacked, though, a major source of stress will be done for The Sher and Mer Show, and we get can get the official show on the road!! Yea for that!!

Meanwhile, I hope all of you have a great weekend. Who's going to be the first visitor to Chez Jose? The guest suite awaits you!

Love, Mer xo

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, for those of you that know me, this is a particularly special Valentine's Day, since I have met the love of my life, Sheridan. It's our first of many, many Valentine's Days together and I'm so thrilled about it!

I woke up this morning to a hot pot of coffee made for me (he was already at work), waiting patiently for me to get my lazy ass out of bed, a dozen gorgeous pink roses, and a lovely Valentine. I got him a little gift bag of goodies too, but I can't say what's in it just yet, because he reads The Mer Show, and I haven't given it to him yet! ;) Tonight we're going to a lovely place in Los Gatos for a romantic dinner together, and I'm looking forward to my hot date.

Oh yeah, and I just accepted a long term contract up here in Santa Clara today! As of Wednesday, February 20th, I'm going to be officially employed, people! Very exciting stuff - everything is coming together...

To all The Mer Show fans, may you and your loved ones (spouses, girl/boyfriends, friends, pets, and otherwise) have a lovely day filled with lots of sweet surprises!

Love, Mer xo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BACI!!!!!!

To my dear little Baci ball,

I can't tell you how much you have changed my life in the last 10 months that I've had the pleasure of taking care of you. You came into my life like a fresh breath of air and filled my heart and home with so much love, and I love you for it. Even though you ate my favorite pair of shoes, pooped in the crate a few times, peed on my future mother-in-law's foot, and spilled tomato soup on the Life Sucker 4000, you're still my favorite little doggie ever. I wouldn't trade being your mom for anything in the whole, wide world!!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY today, my little Valentine doggie!! I look forward to many more years of cuddles, kisses, and growing experiences together.

Love, Mommy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FINLEY!

Auntie Mer loves you so much!! I'm so proud of you for being TWO whole years old today!! Didn't your mommy just tell me that she's pregnant?? Wow!

I can't wait to watch you grow, learn, and explore the world. You're the best 'nephew' in the world!

Love, Auntie Mer Mer xoxoxoxo

SUPER TUESDAY!!!

Oooooooooooooooooooooooh, what's gonna happen? I'm so excited!!! It's Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. and I plan to spend the rest of the night on the Lifesucker 4000 (that's my fabulous couch) and watch things unfold. Who did you vote for? I say OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!!!!! Crossing my fingers...

Otherwise, I know it's been a quite front on The Mer Show, so here's a quick update:

1. My contract at Fair Isaac ended last Friday and I'm furiously interviewing for new opportunities, both in San Diego and the Bay Area, and it's looking like the latter is going to win the race, as I have 2 really formidable openings for which I'm interviewing currently. Stay tuned for an amended move date to San Jose!

2. On that note, Sheridan and I... drum roll please... signed a lease!! We found a gorgeous place to live up there, in downtown San Jose, and he's going to be moving in next weekend. I'll be shortly behind!

3. Mom was here for about 6 days and we had a really nice visit. After my little surgerito (that's the Spanglish version of little surgery) on Thursday, we did a lot of lounging, eating, catching up, packing for the move, and touring San Diego via car so I could sit and host at the same time. :) She left today and the house sure is quiet tonight! Baci and she are new BFFs - it's very sweet.

4. While Mom was here, we had a fabulous dinner with his father and stepmother, Fred and Bonnie, and introduced the future in-laws. What a lovely time we had! Fred hosted the ladies to a lovely dinner at Il Fornaio and we had a great night of conversation, introductions, and family.

5. Eye heart Sheridan!

That's it. GO BARACK!!!!!!!!!

Love, Mer