Friday, September 28, 2001
Okay, so I moved things around a bit. I'm allowed. It's my page. :)
Fun new feature: random quote appears at bottom of page, down where the Romeo and Juliet one used to be. Take small victories where you can, I guess. :)
It's been a few days, and I thought I'd pop in and let all three of you know that I'm still alive. I just don't have much to say that doesn't involve job hunting, a still-aching back, being busy, and being broke. I'm not feeling much of anything lately, except worry. I do have three applications/resumes out right now that I think I would be an excellent match for. At this point I'd just be happy to get a call back. I could wallpaper my kitchen with the "Thank you for playing" letters I've gotten at this point.
Just a little ray of sunshine, aren't I?
Monday, September 24, 2001
Peaceful weekend. Much housecleaning, then we all went to pick plums on Sunday (so yummy and sweet). Kind of overworked myself and now my back is aching all over again.
Maybe this will be a week for good news.
Thursday, September 20, 2001
A Study of the Backs of Heads, Series One: San at an Event
(And you thought Trekkies were weird. :) )
Wednesday, September 19, 2001
I am unrepentantly stealing this link from Melsie because everyone really should read it.
I am all about short posts lately.
Tuesday, September 18, 2001
Adieu, Mr. Dressup :(
Dr. Scott is a wise man.
As yesterday morning wore on, my lower back hurt more and more, and my head was pounding/eyes felt a little unfocused, so I decided to go down to Volunteers in Medicine, who redirected me to the emergency room 1.) because the ER could see me immediately and 2.) the ER was equipped to handle a city bus insurance claim. After more waiting than examining, I was deemed to be concussion-free and no broken tailbone, just lots of bruising. I was let go with a prescription for Vicodan -- and it wasn't until I got to the pharmacy that I realized it had not been signed by the doctor and was therefore unfillable *sigh*.
Luckily, we had some Vicodan from Andra's bout with stomach pain, and I took a half of one before heading off to Fool's Paradise (I was not the one driving) for tea with friends. There is a relaxing, peaceful atmosphere there, couches to lounge on and gentle jazz music lazily breezing through the air. My pot of rose congou tea was incredibly good, and I had a sugar cookie freshly frosted and topped with fragrant lavender. It was just what I'd needed.
I leafed through a section of yesterday's New York Times, and I cried when I saw the full page ad placed by government of Canada, offering condolences for the devasating events of a week ago. "Canadians share the loss of loved ones and friends. On Friday our nation mourned with you for the victims of the terrorist attacks. We share your outrage, grief, compassion and resolve. The people of Canada are with you every step of the way. As friends. As neighbors. As family." It's like having your very best friend, your sister, living right next door.
Monday, September 17, 2001
Take my word for it that it is a bad idea for bus drivers to step on the gas and lurch their behemoth vehicles forward before their passengers are seated, especially at 6:30 in the morning, when the ground is dewy and damp. The ground moved under my feet despite the rubber soles of my shoes, and as I landed with a thud onto the ground, I likely sounded like I had possibly broken every bone in my body. I don't clearly remember anything but my voice issuing out of me. The worst part at first was not being able to breathe (wind knocked out of me), and as fellow passengers helped me into a seat, and the bus driver asked another passenger to hand me a pad and paper to write down my address and phone number. The names and contact info for witnesses was also taken down (per the driver's request).
After a weekend -- no, four days -- of working long hours, a day ahead of me of job searching and making follow-up phone calls, and working on a newsletter that should have gone out the first of the month, this is not what I needed.
Saturday, September 15, 2001
The first night of the festivities got cancelled last night, so we sat waiting to serve people that really never materialized. And when they did, there was a loud, metallic crash, and suddenly we were out of our seats, running to the door, wondering what had blown up or crashed, until we realized it was a thunderclap just over the bus station across the street. We stared at each other and wondered if we would have reacted the same way just a week earlier.
Thunder and lightning crashed and lit up the sky well into the night. There was me, resorting at last to earplugs and sleeping practically with a pillow over my eyes so that I could get enough rest to face another day downtown. Twice since I have lived in Oregon has it thunderstormed, and I have grown unaccustomed to them.
Friday, September 14, 2001
I know all Americans have an enormous undirectable anger right now. I just wish statements like this weren't necessary.
Thursday, September 13, 2001
I won't even try to say it all because others have said it all before me.
I was surrounded by brick red rubble and bodies wherever I stepped. Illogically I wanted to take the dead out first, instead of searching for the living and treating them, and as I pulled on cold stiff limbs I cried and cried and realized that I would never have them all out.
That nightmare was over when I woke. Someone in Manhattan today, tomorrow, next week, will have to endure this nightmare and won't get the luxury of waking up.
From space, the big blue marble looks as if it's bleeding white.
Wednesday, September 12, 2001
They played "Give Peace a Chance" on the radio (whether by accident or by design, I don't know). That's when I started to cry. Before that, I was just numb.
Until I can get in touch with my cousin Brian, my friend Michele, and my ex-college roommate Debbie, I won't feel totally secure.
Happy birthday Barbara, wherever you are.
Monday, September 10, 2001
Comments seem to be temporarily down (might have something to do with the fact that the ReBlogger page is absolutely BLANK).
Good weekend. Lousy Monday.
Thursday, September 06, 2001
Let's hope this falls under "things happen for a reason" category: y'all might remember I interviewed on Tuesday with a local research group. I was way overqualified for the job, like I said before, but I appreciated that they were still willing to talk to me. The office was nice and I was immediately impressed by two important things: the blue-and-white G3 PowerMac on the desk, and the cardboard standup of Captain Picard dressed in some plain old clothes. I found out today that they decided to go with someone else, as there was really no room to grow for someone like me. The positive-within-a-negative is that she has forwarded my resume on to the group's team of programmers, because they will be doing a conversion from CD only software to the web, so I may be hearing from them soonish. That'd be very nice.
Wednesday, September 05, 2001
If one more person comes in here gushing about their vacation I may just have to kill them.
Tuesday, September 04, 2001
I was a cleanin' fool yesterday. The feeling of vanquishing a mess and being able to use a room again is a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.
Saw two movies over the weekend: Chocolat, which I adored beyond my expectations, and Dungeons and Dragons, which sucked beyond sucking. The only redeeming qualities were Richard "Riff Raff" O'Brien as the smarmy head of the Thieves Guild and the very cool CGI dragons (and I'm not usually even into dragons). There was much gnashing of teeth and chewing of scenery by Jeremy "What was I thinking?" Irons and Bruce "I look like Imhotep from The Mummy" Payne to the point of being laughable. The guy who plays Ridley, Justin Whalin, looks eerily like Wil Wheaton (and in fact two out of our group making snarky "he should have stayed on the Enterprise" comments were shocked when we said it wasn't him).
Today's that interview. I am a bit nervous but ok knowing they think I'm overqualified. I'm also hoping to get a call this week from Lucrative State Web Job -- I called to follow up last week and they said, calls this week. Yeah, it'd be in Salem, but for nearly $4K a month, I'd deal with a commute.
Saturday, September 01, 2001
Anyone who has ever watched and loved Mr. Rogers (whose show just aired its last first-run episode yesterday, August 31st) needs to read this.
Wow, I'm blushing at all the nice things folks are saying about my art things. I sense a definite favourite in "This Will Teach Me a Thing or Two". It's actually not specifically an illustration in the sense that it was never intended to accompany a printed piece but was deliberately done on the theme of "Hell" for a past-and-present illustration students' show at SUNY@B in 1997. Since the original is hanging framed in my front door entryway and is definitely larger than a magazine page (oooh, I should add dimensions to that page), part of the impact to me has always been being able to read the words. If the picture was on a coffee cup, obviously it's going to be way too small to read the words on the chalkboard. So, I pose the question: if the picture on the cup was too small to read the words, and was captioned "Hell", do you think that would still work?
I am having a day. My neck and shoulders ache; the muscles and tendons feel like they are slowly turning to stone and are only tenuously holding my head upright. The headache keeps moving from front to sinuses to jaw. I have been performing feats of clumsiness worthy of Jack Tripper of Three's Company. But hey, I get to sleep in past 5:30 am for three days in a row. Woo-freakin'-hoo.
