A Romantic Evening with the Fire Department

Two quick fun facts about our new home – it has a functioning fire place and we are 2 blocks away from the North Beach Fire Station. You can imagine how convenient that is.

This past Sunday, an exceptionally cold August evening, Martin decided to light a fire in the fireplace. Normally worried about fireplaces without having them inspected, I attempted to protest, but Martin brought up some valid points that I couldn’t argue. Specifically, we had plenty of scrap wood to get rid of (thanks to the start of pre-construction) and it was freezing in the house (thanks to the lack of heating). Against better judgment, I let him strike the match.

After 15 minutes of lighting the fire and 14 minutes of me beginning to relax and enjoy the warm glow of the flames (perfectly complimented by the bottle of red wine we had decided to open), we heard the sirens. What started as a low whine escalated quickly into what appeared to be 3 fire trucks. Martin and I immediately exchanged looks of surprise and horror…what were the odds? We had just started the fire, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary…that is unless our roof was on fire and we didn’t realize it.

With lightening like reflexes Martin ran to the roof to ensure we weren’t sending our biggest investment and new homes up in flames. With a grin he returned, shaking his head with the irony of it all.

But as we began to relax again and go back to our romantic evening, we couldn’t help but notice that the sirens were not stopping and while at times they seemed far away, they appeared to be getting closer. And so like all nosy neighbors, expecting to see someone else’s tragedy unfold across the street, we stepped outside to get a better look at the chaos. What we found was Armageddon.

With an orange glow of lights flashing against the buildings a block over, we could see 15 firemen fully geared up for a 5 alarm fire, led by the dim lights of their flashlights, emerge from the fog from every direction. Men were coming down the alley, down the side stairs all yelling “where’s the fire…I smell smoke over here.” It was Martin who spoke first, acknowledging that we in fact had a fire going in our fireplace. So while Martin took 2 firemen upstairs to inspect one of the main selling points of the house (we were in fact fine), I stayed in the alley and profusely apologized to the nearest fireman, a nice woman who continued to hold her 30 lbs of gear during the entire conversation.

In the end, we were fine, our house was fine and the neighborhood was safe… Apparently a neighbor had smelled smoke, got worried (because really, who has fires in San Francisco, especially in August) and called it in.

It is good to know we have people nearby who care, but going forward we will alert the neighbors (whom we all met that night) and the fire department next time we decide to have a romantic fireside evening again.

House Hunting in San Francisco

In February, Martin and I set out in search of a house in San Francisco. Our wish list was simple, at least we thought so: affordable, in an urban area but off the main street, and with charm but in need of updating (e.g. a project for Martin). Unfortunately for us, while the rest of the country experienced a downturn in the housing market, SF remained unaffected. But thankfully what we lacked in buying power (because really who has $700,000 in cash lying around) we made up for in patience. 60 houses, 2 failed offers and countless weekends driving around the city, we finally hit gold: a two bedroom, turn of the century flat in North Beach with period details but room for modern upgrades. And even better, our offer got accepted!

The house is currently livable, but there is plenty of work to be done: tear out a wall, update the kitchen, add in more closets, re-do the bathroom, and build a roof-deck. Below are some of the “before” shots. Including the money shot…which is why we both fell in the love with the place.

More photos to be added once work is completed…

A Taken Girl…Dating?

Interviewing is like dating… or is it dating is like interviewing?…Either way, I was screwed. I hadn’t been on a formal job interview since my junior year of college when I interviewed for an internship with KPMG and where the hiring decisions were based off if I was cute and had a good attitude (thankfully this was well before I gained the KPMG 15 and became a bitter old accountant). And I haven’t been on a first date in at least 3 years. Needless to say, it was a humbling, exhausting and eye opening experience. One which I hope to not have to repeat anytime soon - just like dating.

My first interview was with a great PE firm and I was really excited; I had my new suit laid out the night before, I had my list of questions that made me sound smart and knowledgeable and I had done my research not only about the Company but who I was meeting as well. I was ready. Unfortunately my interviewer was not, I got stood up. I was given the polite message that he was caught up in another meeting and wouldn’t be done for at least 30 minutes and therefore wanted to reschedule. In reality he had overslept and missed his train into the city. At least he was honest with me when we finally met.

On my second interview, I suffered from the standard bait and switch routine…I thought I was meeting with 2 individuals and had prepared accordingly, in the end I was stuck with a potential peer who wasn’t ready or prepared to conduct an interview (he had only been asked 10 minutes before I arrived). Let’s just say, I was less than impressed.

The third one I knew I wasn’t right for, but persuade by friends/recruiter I gave them a shot…needless to say it wasn’t a good fit.

Then I met the One. The one job I had dreamed about and checked all of my boxes. I was so nervous going in that I accidentally hit a car while trying to park. Nerves aside, the conversation went well; I thought they liked me, I thought it had potential…and then I was blindsided, just like the car I hit… I was given the half hearted “it’s not you, you are great, it is us, we are just afraid you will get bored.” But I knew what they were saying. They didn’t like me

So then I tried something different, and then I stopped trying all together, coming to terms that I would be that single lonely girl looking for the perfect job forever, growing bitter and desperate in the process. I continued to interview, but my heart wasn’t in it…I was beginning to lose faith, thinking I would have better odds if I was applying for an apprenticeship with the tooth fairy. I even stooped as low as half heartedly trying to make myself presentable before one interview in the Company’s parking lot.

And then, when I was at my darkest moment, not looking for anything, I found the one that wanted me and I, in return, couldn’t say no. It wasn’t what I had originally thought I wanted, but in the end, it was exactly what I needed. A great job, that will be challenging but rewarding, working for smart people at a Company that values and incentivizes their employees via fun perks and a great culture.

Ladies and gentleman, on September 6th, I will be the new Senior Manager of Technical Accounting for SalesForce. What that exactly means is yet to be seen, but I am excited! Here’s to the next Chapter!