Working at the mall is going to be great! Not only am I surrounded by books and (more importantly) people who love books, but the constant influx of new people means that I'm meeting and re-meeting all sorts of exiting individuals.
My first day out on the floor, who should walk back into my life but Zeeshan, a dear friend from college. And my second day in front yielded a stunning reconnection with one of my wonderful friends from high school named Lizzy. Fortunately we have the kind of friendship that picks right back up where it left off regardless of how much time has passed. Seeing her again further cemented my decision to stay in Columbia for a little while longer. I take all of these random encounters as signs that I'm headed in the right direction.
Today, I was off and got to spend the afternoon with Fallyn, who was passing through town on her way home for a weekend trip. We went craft shopping and had a great catch-up lunch and commiserated about how much we would miss summer camp this year. Having someone who is going through a similar phase in their life is great and she is incredibly supportive of all the changes that are happening in my world. I only hope that I can give her the support and strength that she has given me.
When a friend, past or present, crosses my path I'm always grateful for the chance to reconnect and catch-up. Hearing from others always gives me great perspective on my life and my goals.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
School's In For the Summer
Woohoo! I got the job at Barnes and Noble and I'm still working at the church. Today I ran my first wedding and tomorrow I'm running a full service by myself with no help at all!
Also, big news: I'm officially a graduate student! I'm taking Religion in Film and Theatre Topics this summer and Advanced Directing in the fall. That means I'll be in Columbia for significantly longer than I had originally planned, but I'm fine with that. I used to be worried that I would get stuck in Columbia, but now that I'm faced with the prospect of spending a few years here, I'm not panicking at all. I know that I'm a goal-oriented person and it is my goal to move away from home. I will do it when the time is right and nothing can stop me!
I'm still addicted to baking cupcakes and will be making another batch tomorrow for my cousin's graduation party.
Also, big news: I'm officially a graduate student! I'm taking Religion in Film and Theatre Topics this summer and Advanced Directing in the fall. That means I'll be in Columbia for significantly longer than I had originally planned, but I'm fine with that. I used to be worried that I would get stuck in Columbia, but now that I'm faced with the prospect of spending a few years here, I'm not panicking at all. I know that I'm a goal-oriented person and it is my goal to move away from home. I will do it when the time is right and nothing can stop me!
I'm still addicted to baking cupcakes and will be making another batch tomorrow for my cousin's graduation party.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Post Grad Rad
Too often I end up doing "catch-up" posts because I get distracted by my life. It's a good problem to have and as much as I feel guilty for people who read this having to invest several hours reading my novella length updates, it's just how I roll and it's probably not going to change any time soon.
Here are the headlines:
Employment
I have continued to scour theater employment websites almost every day searching for new openings and chasing down leads whenever they present themselves. I've had a few promising interviews that all too quickly ended as disappointing emails. I've been told that your second job post-grad is the hardest to get in the theater industry and I believe it. So, I'm learning to be patient and keeping up the faith about my next big thing.
As far as temporary employment until something in the theater comes along, I've landed a job working as a technical assistant at a local church. As soon as I got home from Minnesota I started looking into volunteer positions to add to my resume, give me a chance to learn some new skills, etc. and I found an opening at a tech team at one of the big contemporary churches in town. Several of my family members attend church there, so I thought it would be great to have that connection. I went in and met with the IT Director and signed up to volunteer for that weeks service. Immediately I felt so comfortable with everyone at the church and loved the challenge of running lights for a live non-scripted event. It's a completely different experience that calling a play. The next week I got a chance to design lights for a big event at the church and it was incredible. It was definitely baptism by fire, but I made it through and have been working more and more as a designer for the church. A few days after my big designing debut, my supervisor asked if I wanted to dedicate a little more time to volunteering and really focus on directing Sunday morning services. Of course I said yes and we were off. I started spending even more time at the church and observing the inner workings of a technical team handling a church service complete with video, IPad slide shows, rock band, and lights. It's quite a thing to see how stage management translates from theater to churches. It would certainly be a good thesis topic. After a month of shadowing the service director, I got to jump into the driver's seat for the third service two weeks ago. I was scared out of my mind, just like the first night of Godspell, but I survived and learned a lot. My supervisor, Jake has been simply fantastic, taking the time to really make sure I feel comfortable and prepared for taking on more responsibilities with the services. Last week, I was calling all three services with Jake as a shadow. Moving up the volunteer ladder fast, huh? Working at the church is fulfilling and relaxed and I'm hoping to make the most of the opportunity while it lasts. In that same vein, the IT Director of the church knew my situation and understood the possibility of my leaving after only a few weeks. Apparently, everyone at the church was so impressed with how committed I've been and the quality of my work that they invented a position for me. There you go. My main duty as a technical assistant is burning and printing sermon series CDs for the bookstore in the church. I've been told it's basically a position to keep me around for as long as possible. The church is going through an expansion and they've hinted at keeping me on staff while that happens so that I can manage one of the auditoriums in the bigger building. It's a great feeling knowing that they trust my potential, but I'm just happy to be around for now.
At the same time I started volunteering for the church, I applied for a part-time bookseller position at Barnes and Noble. Last week I went in for a preliminary interview with the assistant manager and two days later got a call for a second interview with the store manager. The interviews were very smooth and I enjoyed talking with both of them and I'm in the final pool of potential hires. I should know by Monday or Tuesday about the final hiring decision, but I really hope I get it! I'm thinking that I won't be leaving Columbia until the fall, so this job would keep me occupied and keep me in the money while I chill in MO.
I also applied for a weekend job at a Vet Hospital because (believe it or not) I'm incredibly qualified to work there and I had a nice interview there and am waiting to hear back about that job too. I'm less excited about that because it would be mostly weekends and that would infringe upon my volunteering time at the church.
Slowly but surely, I'm becoming less and less unemployed, or more and more employed.
Domestic Issues
With so much free time, I've been experimenting with crafting and up-cycling. My dad and I cleaned out the garage and I found a bunch of old records and cassette tapes that I have since turned into a lamp (sort of) and two cupcake stands. I've also refurbished an old rocking chair, a sign, a coffee can and a small suitcase. I've also gone a bit cupcake crazy. I've always enjoyed baking cupcakes and now that I have a full kitchen to work with, I'm taking full advantage. About once a week I treat my parents to a fresh batch of cupcakes. I recently bought two trays for making mini-cupcakes, a special batter scoop, chocolate sauce bottles and a vat of Crisco to make my own icing. It's a good thing there are some big-ish holidays coming up because I need an excuse to bake. I bought a dress just because the pattern reminded me of cupcakes. It's bordering on obsession.
I occasionally help my mom with her rabbits. We now have about 80 rabbits living in our backyard. My family never does anything small.
My brother moved across town to a new house so my dad has been calling on me to help him more and I really like that I'm getting to spend more time with him. He'd never admit it, but he really wants me to stay unemployed forever so that I can live at home and hang out with him all the time. Every time I bring up the job search, he just says something like, "Don't worry about it, you're not causing any trouble being at home." He hated me being so far away and he's loving every moment I'm home. We've been hauling wood, getting feed, grilling and watching Duck Dynasty. It's the good life.
Foreign Affairs
There are several community theaters in Columbia and I contacted a few of them regarding stage management positions, but it ended up going nowhere. In an effort to stay connected to the theater industry, even in a small way I looked up a new company in Columbia called Talking Horse Productions housed in the Berlin Theatre (that's the Foreign part, I'm trying to be theme-y). I went to see [title of show] the musical and it was great! I was impressed and afterwards I met with the Artistic Director and found out that the next show they are doing is Five Women Wearing the Same Dress!!!!! I nearly had heart failure. Auditions are this weekend, and I'm really considering going. Just to be involved with that show again would be spectacular!
World Travel
I've made the trek up north to Kirksville a few times to see No Exit and Spring Awakening and had a blast hanging with some wonderful friends. I got to catch up with the Chicago crew and the St. Louis posse and party hard with everyone around.
New York Times Best Seller List
Sometimes the sheer strangeness of my dreams is astounding, but not too long ago I had a crazy dream that inspired an idea for a novel. I don't want to give it away, but it's a historical fiction thriller set in Austria in the late 1800's and several young girls go missing and then things get intense. It's still in the research and outlining phase, but I'm hoping that it turns into something. I've always been a huge fan of books and I love reading and writing, so to combine the two and get something original out of it would be interesting. It's going to be a challenge because the idea of writing a novel is daunting, but I'm pacing myself and staying focused so that it doesn't overwhelm me.
Society Pages
Most of my friends live out of state or are incredibly busy so I don't get the chance to see them very often, but when I do it's always a good time. I've seen a couple of friends who are in grad school and a few who are battling it out in the real world job market. My social life is definitely lacking these days, but I hang out with my parents. If you think that's lame, you've got the wrong perspective.
Health
According to schedule my six-month check at the dentist came up shortly after I came home and it was the first dentist appointment EVER that I was worried about. Two days before my appointment my mom pointed out how much my jaw popped and I had noticed it over the last few years but never thought anything about it. She told me that it could be something that needed to be fixed which immediately got my thinking that I would have to be rushed to the hospital, thrown on the operating table and cut open face first to have my jaw sawed off and reattached with some minor adjustments. At the dentist's office, I asked about the popping and he informed me that I have a mild case of Temperomandibular Joint Disorder, which basically means that my jaw joint is structurally wonky. He also informed me that there is no solution for the problem and that I'm just going to have to deal with the popping sounds for the rest of my life. I was relieved that surgery was out of the question and quite entertained by my strange affliction.
Obituaries
Don't worry, this isn't what you think. Today, a snake somehow wound up in our house and met it's untimely end. The only kind of snake I like is a dead one.
I think that's it for this issue of Amy's news.
Here are the headlines:
Employment
I have continued to scour theater employment websites almost every day searching for new openings and chasing down leads whenever they present themselves. I've had a few promising interviews that all too quickly ended as disappointing emails. I've been told that your second job post-grad is the hardest to get in the theater industry and I believe it. So, I'm learning to be patient and keeping up the faith about my next big thing.
As far as temporary employment until something in the theater comes along, I've landed a job working as a technical assistant at a local church. As soon as I got home from Minnesota I started looking into volunteer positions to add to my resume, give me a chance to learn some new skills, etc. and I found an opening at a tech team at one of the big contemporary churches in town. Several of my family members attend church there, so I thought it would be great to have that connection. I went in and met with the IT Director and signed up to volunteer for that weeks service. Immediately I felt so comfortable with everyone at the church and loved the challenge of running lights for a live non-scripted event. It's a completely different experience that calling a play. The next week I got a chance to design lights for a big event at the church and it was incredible. It was definitely baptism by fire, but I made it through and have been working more and more as a designer for the church. A few days after my big designing debut, my supervisor asked if I wanted to dedicate a little more time to volunteering and really focus on directing Sunday morning services. Of course I said yes and we were off. I started spending even more time at the church and observing the inner workings of a technical team handling a church service complete with video, IPad slide shows, rock band, and lights. It's quite a thing to see how stage management translates from theater to churches. It would certainly be a good thesis topic. After a month of shadowing the service director, I got to jump into the driver's seat for the third service two weeks ago. I was scared out of my mind, just like the first night of Godspell, but I survived and learned a lot. My supervisor, Jake has been simply fantastic, taking the time to really make sure I feel comfortable and prepared for taking on more responsibilities with the services. Last week, I was calling all three services with Jake as a shadow. Moving up the volunteer ladder fast, huh? Working at the church is fulfilling and relaxed and I'm hoping to make the most of the opportunity while it lasts. In that same vein, the IT Director of the church knew my situation and understood the possibility of my leaving after only a few weeks. Apparently, everyone at the church was so impressed with how committed I've been and the quality of my work that they invented a position for me. There you go. My main duty as a technical assistant is burning and printing sermon series CDs for the bookstore in the church. I've been told it's basically a position to keep me around for as long as possible. The church is going through an expansion and they've hinted at keeping me on staff while that happens so that I can manage one of the auditoriums in the bigger building. It's a great feeling knowing that they trust my potential, but I'm just happy to be around for now.
At the same time I started volunteering for the church, I applied for a part-time bookseller position at Barnes and Noble. Last week I went in for a preliminary interview with the assistant manager and two days later got a call for a second interview with the store manager. The interviews were very smooth and I enjoyed talking with both of them and I'm in the final pool of potential hires. I should know by Monday or Tuesday about the final hiring decision, but I really hope I get it! I'm thinking that I won't be leaving Columbia until the fall, so this job would keep me occupied and keep me in the money while I chill in MO.
I also applied for a weekend job at a Vet Hospital because (believe it or not) I'm incredibly qualified to work there and I had a nice interview there and am waiting to hear back about that job too. I'm less excited about that because it would be mostly weekends and that would infringe upon my volunteering time at the church.
Slowly but surely, I'm becoming less and less unemployed, or more and more employed.
Domestic Issues
With so much free time, I've been experimenting with crafting and up-cycling. My dad and I cleaned out the garage and I found a bunch of old records and cassette tapes that I have since turned into a lamp (sort of) and two cupcake stands. I've also refurbished an old rocking chair, a sign, a coffee can and a small suitcase. I've also gone a bit cupcake crazy. I've always enjoyed baking cupcakes and now that I have a full kitchen to work with, I'm taking full advantage. About once a week I treat my parents to a fresh batch of cupcakes. I recently bought two trays for making mini-cupcakes, a special batter scoop, chocolate sauce bottles and a vat of Crisco to make my own icing. It's a good thing there are some big-ish holidays coming up because I need an excuse to bake. I bought a dress just because the pattern reminded me of cupcakes. It's bordering on obsession.
I occasionally help my mom with her rabbits. We now have about 80 rabbits living in our backyard. My family never does anything small.
My brother moved across town to a new house so my dad has been calling on me to help him more and I really like that I'm getting to spend more time with him. He'd never admit it, but he really wants me to stay unemployed forever so that I can live at home and hang out with him all the time. Every time I bring up the job search, he just says something like, "Don't worry about it, you're not causing any trouble being at home." He hated me being so far away and he's loving every moment I'm home. We've been hauling wood, getting feed, grilling and watching Duck Dynasty. It's the good life.
Foreign Affairs
There are several community theaters in Columbia and I contacted a few of them regarding stage management positions, but it ended up going nowhere. In an effort to stay connected to the theater industry, even in a small way I looked up a new company in Columbia called Talking Horse Productions housed in the Berlin Theatre (that's the Foreign part, I'm trying to be theme-y). I went to see [title of show] the musical and it was great! I was impressed and afterwards I met with the Artistic Director and found out that the next show they are doing is Five Women Wearing the Same Dress!!!!! I nearly had heart failure. Auditions are this weekend, and I'm really considering going. Just to be involved with that show again would be spectacular!
World Travel
I've made the trek up north to Kirksville a few times to see No Exit and Spring Awakening and had a blast hanging with some wonderful friends. I got to catch up with the Chicago crew and the St. Louis posse and party hard with everyone around.
New York Times Best Seller List
Sometimes the sheer strangeness of my dreams is astounding, but not too long ago I had a crazy dream that inspired an idea for a novel. I don't want to give it away, but it's a historical fiction thriller set in Austria in the late 1800's and several young girls go missing and then things get intense. It's still in the research and outlining phase, but I'm hoping that it turns into something. I've always been a huge fan of books and I love reading and writing, so to combine the two and get something original out of it would be interesting. It's going to be a challenge because the idea of writing a novel is daunting, but I'm pacing myself and staying focused so that it doesn't overwhelm me.
Society Pages
Most of my friends live out of state or are incredibly busy so I don't get the chance to see them very often, but when I do it's always a good time. I've seen a couple of friends who are in grad school and a few who are battling it out in the real world job market. My social life is definitely lacking these days, but I hang out with my parents. If you think that's lame, you've got the wrong perspective.
Health
According to schedule my six-month check at the dentist came up shortly after I came home and it was the first dentist appointment EVER that I was worried about. Two days before my appointment my mom pointed out how much my jaw popped and I had noticed it over the last few years but never thought anything about it. She told me that it could be something that needed to be fixed which immediately got my thinking that I would have to be rushed to the hospital, thrown on the operating table and cut open face first to have my jaw sawed off and reattached with some minor adjustments. At the dentist's office, I asked about the popping and he informed me that I have a mild case of Temperomandibular Joint Disorder, which basically means that my jaw joint is structurally wonky. He also informed me that there is no solution for the problem and that I'm just going to have to deal with the popping sounds for the rest of my life. I was relieved that surgery was out of the question and quite entertained by my strange affliction.
Obituaries
Don't worry, this isn't what you think. Today, a snake somehow wound up in our house and met it's untimely end. The only kind of snake I like is a dead one.
I think that's it for this issue of Amy's news.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Rabbit Wrangling
In recent days, I have added "rabbit wrangling" to my set of special skills. My parents and I worked on revamping three old hutches over the weekend and then several of our young rabbits escaped so we had to chase them down in the dark. I should probably look into animal handling as a possible profession, I have enough experience.
I'm going through all of my stuff and trying to get rid of as many of my unnecessary possessions as possible. It is slow going, but I'm making progress. I discovered that it is difficult to travel when you have more things than space in your car.
I've been getting addicted to bad television. Mostly I watch Storage Wars, Pawn Stars, Hardcore Pawn and Swamp People. I don't know what it is, but I love those shows so much and it doesn't hurt that my dad and I have a blast watching them together.
Also, this is going to sound so cliche about an unemployed person, but I've been challenging myself almost daily to beat the high scores on Angry Birds. As per usual, I'm about two years late on the "hip" trends, but such is life.
I'm going through all of my stuff and trying to get rid of as many of my unnecessary possessions as possible. It is slow going, but I'm making progress. I discovered that it is difficult to travel when you have more things than space in your car.
I've been getting addicted to bad television. Mostly I watch Storage Wars, Pawn Stars, Hardcore Pawn and Swamp People. I don't know what it is, but I love those shows so much and it doesn't hurt that my dad and I have a blast watching them together.
Also, this is going to sound so cliche about an unemployed person, but I've been challenging myself almost daily to beat the high scores on Angry Birds. As per usual, I'm about two years late on the "hip" trends, but such is life.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Growing Up
I still haven't heard so much as "boo" from any of the places I've sent applications to, but it's only been a few days. Patience is a virtue... that I'm apparently lacking in. Mom has given me some tasks to keep me busy for the next few weeks and I'm going to use this time to forget about my uncertain future and focus on the present.
Today, I celebrated my youngest cousin's 18th birthday. It's strange to be growing up. In all of the fanticizing about my future, I never made it passed graduation from college. Now that I'm out here dealing with the real world, it's very different from what I imagined (some days in a good way, some days in a bad way). Life is never what you expect it is going to be, but that's half the fun, right?
Today, I celebrated my youngest cousin's 18th birthday. It's strange to be growing up. In all of the fanticizing about my future, I never made it passed graduation from college. Now that I'm out here dealing with the real world, it's very different from what I imagined (some days in a good way, some days in a bad way). Life is never what you expect it is going to be, but that's half the fun, right?
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Hello Unemployment!
Well, friends there is good news and bad news. The good news: I'll be updating my blog with more regularity from here on out. The bad news: My new-found dedication to my blog is simply because I am officially unemployed (for the time-being).
Let's recap, shall we?
I spent all of January and February working at the Guthrie on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as a Child Supervisor and really embracing my place in the Twin Cities but also aching to come home and spend some time with my family. I sort of view my time in Minnesota as my "first two weeks of college" in the real world. When I went to college, a mere 100 miles away from home, I was miserable for the first two weeks because I was alone and unsure of the direction my life was going in, but I survived and became a better person for that struggle. The eight months I spent in Minnesota were exactly like those first frustrating weeks in college. I had to strike out on my own and be brave in order to make the best of the situation and appreciate what I was experiencing. Now that I have lived in a different state and survived on my own, I know that I can handle anything that comes my way. After I fully embraced Minnesota life, I flourished and dare I say it, thrived. I had some amazing opportunities to meet with professional theater artists and network with equity stage managers and hopefully I have begun some career and life-long relationships that will continually draw me back to the Twin Cities. I feel so blessed to have been granted such a strong first step into the professional theater world and I will actively try to take full advantage of the chance I've been given to meet and work with and make a fabulous career for myself.
In terms of the job search, I have about 30 resumes out around the country and I have interviewed with several theaters about summer stock and full season positions. While I'm bumming around home, I've started to look into community theater stage management jobs, backstage camera jobs at local television stations and a few other odds and ends to develop some new skills to keep myself marketable. I'll definitely keep you posted!
Sunday, February 26 was my final performance at the Guthrie and if I thought I had the stamina to drive 8 1/2 hours in the dark I would have run out of the theater to my car and hit the road. But, I knew that was a dumb idea so I stayed for the party and a last night at Grumpy's Bingo. At 5:30 the next morning, I jumped out of bed and loaded all of my earthly possessions into my car and drove like a madwoman until I was south of Des Moines, IA. As per tradition, I stopped at Truman for a brief visit, which turned into a multiple hour ordeal. It is astonishing how loved one person can feel. My friends who are still kicking butt at Truman welcomed me back with open arms and reminded me why I love coming home so much. My parents were less than thrilled at the six-hour delay, but every second I spent at Truman I felt so grateful for the wonderful friends I have. Thank you to everyone for making my pit-stop so amazing. In addition to feeling so loved, I also had the chance to feel really important and successful because I was allowed to sit in on a stage management workshop and was able to talk a bit about my experiences in the professional world. It was strange to be on the flip-side of a conversation like that, but it was gratifying to have the chance to motivate my younger colleagues.
I got home around 9 pm and nearly had a come-apart because I was so happy to see my parents. It's easy to get caught up in the rest of the world, but when it comes down to it, you have to remember how lucky you are to have such a wonderful, supportive family. As I was driving I thought about how blessed I was to be missing my parents over the past few months, because a lot of people don't miss their parents or don't have parents around anymore to miss. I'm so lucky that my parents and I have a functional and sometimes nauseatingly perfect relationship. I'll always be grateful for that.
Now that I've been home for two days, I'm going a bit stir crazy. I have a stack of 17 books to get through and I'm putting out feelers in the community for some part time work. Speaking of books, I'm already at 13 out of 75 for the year and I've read some fantastic novels this year and often I think that goodreads.com should hire me for all of the new members I've gotten on their website. As for the giveaways, I think they've cut me off until I've read the 15 books that I've accumulated in the last six months. But now I have the time to blast through them.
I think that's it for now. Thanks for reading. Here's hoping I have some exciting news in the next few days/weeks.
Let's recap, shall we?
I spent all of January and February working at the Guthrie on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as a Child Supervisor and really embracing my place in the Twin Cities but also aching to come home and spend some time with my family. I sort of view my time in Minnesota as my "first two weeks of college" in the real world. When I went to college, a mere 100 miles away from home, I was miserable for the first two weeks because I was alone and unsure of the direction my life was going in, but I survived and became a better person for that struggle. The eight months I spent in Minnesota were exactly like those first frustrating weeks in college. I had to strike out on my own and be brave in order to make the best of the situation and appreciate what I was experiencing. Now that I have lived in a different state and survived on my own, I know that I can handle anything that comes my way. After I fully embraced Minnesota life, I flourished and dare I say it, thrived. I had some amazing opportunities to meet with professional theater artists and network with equity stage managers and hopefully I have begun some career and life-long relationships that will continually draw me back to the Twin Cities. I feel so blessed to have been granted such a strong first step into the professional theater world and I will actively try to take full advantage of the chance I've been given to meet and work with and make a fabulous career for myself.
In terms of the job search, I have about 30 resumes out around the country and I have interviewed with several theaters about summer stock and full season positions. While I'm bumming around home, I've started to look into community theater stage management jobs, backstage camera jobs at local television stations and a few other odds and ends to develop some new skills to keep myself marketable. I'll definitely keep you posted!
Sunday, February 26 was my final performance at the Guthrie and if I thought I had the stamina to drive 8 1/2 hours in the dark I would have run out of the theater to my car and hit the road. But, I knew that was a dumb idea so I stayed for the party and a last night at Grumpy's Bingo. At 5:30 the next morning, I jumped out of bed and loaded all of my earthly possessions into my car and drove like a madwoman until I was south of Des Moines, IA. As per tradition, I stopped at Truman for a brief visit, which turned into a multiple hour ordeal. It is astonishing how loved one person can feel. My friends who are still kicking butt at Truman welcomed me back with open arms and reminded me why I love coming home so much. My parents were less than thrilled at the six-hour delay, but every second I spent at Truman I felt so grateful for the wonderful friends I have. Thank you to everyone for making my pit-stop so amazing. In addition to feeling so loved, I also had the chance to feel really important and successful because I was allowed to sit in on a stage management workshop and was able to talk a bit about my experiences in the professional world. It was strange to be on the flip-side of a conversation like that, but it was gratifying to have the chance to motivate my younger colleagues.
I got home around 9 pm and nearly had a come-apart because I was so happy to see my parents. It's easy to get caught up in the rest of the world, but when it comes down to it, you have to remember how lucky you are to have such a wonderful, supportive family. As I was driving I thought about how blessed I was to be missing my parents over the past few months, because a lot of people don't miss their parents or don't have parents around anymore to miss. I'm so lucky that my parents and I have a functional and sometimes nauseatingly perfect relationship. I'll always be grateful for that.
Now that I've been home for two days, I'm going a bit stir crazy. I have a stack of 17 books to get through and I'm putting out feelers in the community for some part time work. Speaking of books, I'm already at 13 out of 75 for the year and I've read some fantastic novels this year and often I think that goodreads.com should hire me for all of the new members I've gotten on their website. As for the giveaways, I think they've cut me off until I've read the 15 books that I've accumulated in the last six months. But now I have the time to blast through them.
I think that's it for now. Thanks for reading. Here's hoping I have some exciting news in the next few days/weeks.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Just Another Year
Happy New Year everyone!
Last night I once again showed just how much like my father I really am. I had originally planned to go out with some work colleagues and tear up downtown Minneapolis, but by 10:00 I was too exhausted to do anything, so I took a nap and woke up just in time to see the clock strike 12:00. Then I went back to sleep. 500 miles away, my dad went to sleep at 9:00 and missed all of the festivities. We are so related. Today doesn't have the magic feeling it usually does, probably because I just let it happen. I liked it that way though. I'm just going to take life as it happens and enjoy it.
I spent all of yesterday really pondering New Year's resolutions. I have made the standard resolutions I suppose and I'll let you know how those go. But I guess I should back up to before New Year's Eve. Christmas Carol closed on Friday and I start work on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on Tuesday. A three day weekend is the longest break I've had since I moved here and I'm reveling in it. Yesterday I cleaned my house and did dishes and laundry and finished the third book in the Percy Jackson series. The completion of that novel made a staggering 36 books total that I have read since I moved to Minnesota. Which brings me to the resolution I am most excited about. I have decided to read 75 books in the year 2012. It may not seem like a lofty goal, but reading so much has made me fall in love with the written word again and I can't explain how much I love getting lost in the world of literature.
A reflection on 2011: I graduated from college, spent a second year working at JBA, moved 500 miles away from home, got my first post-grad internship followed closely by my first post-grad job and had a blast the entire time. I think it is fair to say that 2011 was a year of ups and downs and one that I will never forget. But you know me, always looking to the future. And that's what I'm doing today, looking forward to a stellar 2012.
Last night I once again showed just how much like my father I really am. I had originally planned to go out with some work colleagues and tear up downtown Minneapolis, but by 10:00 I was too exhausted to do anything, so I took a nap and woke up just in time to see the clock strike 12:00. Then I went back to sleep. 500 miles away, my dad went to sleep at 9:00 and missed all of the festivities. We are so related. Today doesn't have the magic feeling it usually does, probably because I just let it happen. I liked it that way though. I'm just going to take life as it happens and enjoy it.
I spent all of yesterday really pondering New Year's resolutions. I have made the standard resolutions I suppose and I'll let you know how those go. But I guess I should back up to before New Year's Eve. Christmas Carol closed on Friday and I start work on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on Tuesday. A three day weekend is the longest break I've had since I moved here and I'm reveling in it. Yesterday I cleaned my house and did dishes and laundry and finished the third book in the Percy Jackson series. The completion of that novel made a staggering 36 books total that I have read since I moved to Minnesota. Which brings me to the resolution I am most excited about. I have decided to read 75 books in the year 2012. It may not seem like a lofty goal, but reading so much has made me fall in love with the written word again and I can't explain how much I love getting lost in the world of literature.
A reflection on 2011: I graduated from college, spent a second year working at JBA, moved 500 miles away from home, got my first post-grad internship followed closely by my first post-grad job and had a blast the entire time. I think it is fair to say that 2011 was a year of ups and downs and one that I will never forget. But you know me, always looking to the future. And that's what I'm doing today, looking forward to a stellar 2012.
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