It's funny, because it used to be pretty easy to get a job. Maybe a crappy job, but you could still find a job. You'd go around to 20 or 30 places, fill out applications, and you'd get at least a few call backs for interviews. It was a grind, but it eventually paid off.
Let me report for anyone that is still comfortably employed: the economy blows right now. I believed it when I heard reports and stuff, about how things were going downhill, but that was when I still had a job. It didn't seem real. Now it does. It's been a couple of months looking and applying, dropping off resumes, calling numbers from classified ads, and still nothing. I can't even get a call back from Burger King. WTF???!?!
I have been trying to hack it by doing what I like to call, in order to maintain some sort of claim to being part of the intelligentsia, "independent landscaping by contract." That basically means someone asks me to dig a ditch in their yard, I say cool, how much will you pay me, they say literally any number and I accept. Us independent landscapers by contract can't be choosy about rates these days.
As you might imagine, this does not provide a very good/reliable/satisfying income. But as much as I was embarrassed at first about the situation, I have to say I've been in pretty good spirits lately. There's something really nice about putting your body into your work -- something I'm not very familiar with, being a pasty-faced book-readin' type -- it gives you a chance to think about whatever you please, and its a satisfying feeling to see that you did a good job when all is finished.
All that time to think has given me a chance to think about what I want to aim for once I get the M.A., even though I'm pretty sure, given the economy's current state, it's not going to open all that many doors at the moment. But it's also given me a lot of time to think about ideas for my own writing, something I've been getting a lot more involved for some time.
Random, disorganized thoughts:
- Obama is still president. This is awesome.
- The other day, he had a press conference where he got mad at someone who asked if he was still a smoker, in light of his new anti-smoking law. He looked and sounded more pissed than I've ever witnessed -- he's a cool guy after all -- and said something I thought was pretty awesome: "You think it's neat to ask me about my smoking, as opposed to it being relevant to my new law." Seriously? Neat? Excellent work.
- Do you think when he got elected as president, the first thing he said was "Guys, this is really neat." I do. Either that or "Wow! Nifty!"
- I still don't use Twitter. I have an account but live in fear of it. Why is there a new thing like that every time you turn around? Can't people just be happy with newsgroups and AOL 3.0?!!?!?
- Gov. Mark Sanford, who confessed to an affair yesterday, had a tearful/awkward/painful to watch press conference. He had been flying to Argentina to get with his mistress, while telling his staff he was "hiking the Appalachian trail." While I sort of feel for him and especially his family, the press conference was particularly amusing in places, because he kept saying things that made no freaking sense. Example: "The biggest self of self is truly......... self."
- Having a dog never gets old. The longer I've had her, the more attached I get. I'm not one of those (obnoxious) people that treats a dog like a child, but I'm basically saying if I could only afford a pack of ramen a day, I'd split it with her.
- I'm basically only continuing this list because I think it's fun to put bulleted lists on a blog.
OK, the spell has been broken. I just wanted to update this long-neglected blog. It seems like I always go months between posts, but I think that is going to change now. If anything, it's just fun for me to go back and read posts months later, so I can shake my head and go "What the hell?"
Peace.
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