I feel like I owe all you loyal readers an update. I had a phone interview on Friday for a job in Oregon that was promising but they wanted a couple. I am not a couple, although size-wise I could probably be one. Therefore I did not get the job. Is there a legal case here, perhaps discriminated against because I didn't have a mate? Probably not. It would have been a stretch financially so it's no doubt a good outcome for everyone.
I have a job interview tomorrow for a position at Burlingame High School for which I am totally qualified but so are the other 45 people who will no doubt be interviewed. I hesitate to even mention it but again, because you have all put up with my whining about the job situation I thought I would keep you in the loop.
And of course you will all be the first to know if anything pans out. Many other job apps have been submitted in the last few days and if anyone bites on any of those, you will know as well. Thanks for your good wishes and thoughts.
The adventure continues......
.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Good, Bad and the Ugly
I have been battling a very bad sore throat and a dry hacking cough since Texas and it is just getting worse. That, combined with my sorry state of unemployment and my general feeling of "what the fuck should I do now" is not making for a pretty picture right now. To counterbalance this encroaching malaise I decided to meet my pal Tom at the SF farmers market this morning at the Ferry building.
Now, I am the first person in line to sing the praises of the Ferry building. It is lovely, there is easy access to it, if you live in Marin you can take the ferry to its front door. My favorite time is really early, before the markets all open, when just the Golden Gate Meat Company and Acme bread and Peet's Coffee are open. It means getting there around 8:00 in the morning but it's the best time. Get a coffee, get a little Acme roll and peruse the meat counter. Checking out the meat counter is, to me, like going to a really small but cool art show. Everything looks so fresh, so nicely placed in the display case and so delicious. You want to buy that piece of venison just because of its deep scarlet color and you wonder how those duck and rabbit sausages would taste. The people behind that counter are just ready to pounce on you, but in a good way. They know their product and they want you to know it too.
But this morning wasn't one of those early mornings. I got there around the time Tom's ferry arrived, a little before 10:30. (It continually amazes me that I can get there in my car in less than 12 minutes from where I now live!) The farmers market was in full swing, there was a long line for expensive coffee and many vendors were making breakfast. I met up with Tom and our first order of the day was to find that breakfast, which we did, eggs and chilaquilles and refried beans, really tasty.
Then to the fresh pasta people for the best ravioli ever, all kinds of flavors. Our work was done. We then just rambled through the market. It was packed. So much for the bad economy. People were buying overpriced broccoli and cheese and papayas and .... wait! Could that be correct? A teeny little bundle of baby bok choy for $2.50! How could that be? So I started paying attention to the prices of the produce and was astounded that almost everything was so expensive. Yes, the pasta we bought wasn't a bargain, but still, fresh porcini and truffle ravioli in an egg pasta was only $10.00 and you could easily get three meals out of it if served with a nice salad and some bread. But a teeny baby bok choy, once sauteed, would serve maybe a half of a person as a tiny side dish. Yes, everything was organic but nothing was in the economic realm of most of us working (or currently non-working) folks.
Jars of very intensely flavored jam: $12.00. Smaller jars were $8.00. A couple of spoonfuls on your toast and that jar would be empty. A dozen free-range, perfect eggs was $12.00. A dollar an egg! Yes, $3 is a good price for a nice omelet that you would make with those eggs, but still. You can get good organic eggs anywhere for less than $4.00 a dozen and even that is high at some local markets.
Oh my. So expensive. But there were so many people with so much money to spend on these very expensive products. Again, I guess the economic downturn hasn't impacted everyone.
And yet on the way back to my car I saw two different people going through the garbage bins looking for food. Pulling out paper plates that had some scraps on them and eating the food. Two people eating what us rich folks threw away. And that was in a 30 second time frame. Earlier, Tom and I were sitting on a bench, looking at the bay and chatting and a guy came up to us and asked us for money for food. We gave him some money, of course, how could we not, we just bought designer pasta. Just a short while later I saw the people looking for food in the garbage bins.
I am not naive. Homelessness exists everywhere. It's just so unsettling to see the juxtaposition between expensive food and poor people. On a day like any other day, in a city like any other city.
Makes my whining about not finding a job rather small.
.
Now, I am the first person in line to sing the praises of the Ferry building. It is lovely, there is easy access to it, if you live in Marin you can take the ferry to its front door. My favorite time is really early, before the markets all open, when just the Golden Gate Meat Company and Acme bread and Peet's Coffee are open. It means getting there around 8:00 in the morning but it's the best time. Get a coffee, get a little Acme roll and peruse the meat counter. Checking out the meat counter is, to me, like going to a really small but cool art show. Everything looks so fresh, so nicely placed in the display case and so delicious. You want to buy that piece of venison just because of its deep scarlet color and you wonder how those duck and rabbit sausages would taste. The people behind that counter are just ready to pounce on you, but in a good way. They know their product and they want you to know it too.
But this morning wasn't one of those early mornings. I got there around the time Tom's ferry arrived, a little before 10:30. (It continually amazes me that I can get there in my car in less than 12 minutes from where I now live!) The farmers market was in full swing, there was a long line for expensive coffee and many vendors were making breakfast. I met up with Tom and our first order of the day was to find that breakfast, which we did, eggs and chilaquilles and refried beans, really tasty.
Then to the fresh pasta people for the best ravioli ever, all kinds of flavors. Our work was done. We then just rambled through the market. It was packed. So much for the bad economy. People were buying overpriced broccoli and cheese and papayas and .... wait! Could that be correct? A teeny little bundle of baby bok choy for $2.50! How could that be? So I started paying attention to the prices of the produce and was astounded that almost everything was so expensive. Yes, the pasta we bought wasn't a bargain, but still, fresh porcini and truffle ravioli in an egg pasta was only $10.00 and you could easily get three meals out of it if served with a nice salad and some bread. But a teeny baby bok choy, once sauteed, would serve maybe a half of a person as a tiny side dish. Yes, everything was organic but nothing was in the economic realm of most of us working (or currently non-working) folks.
Jars of very intensely flavored jam: $12.00. Smaller jars were $8.00. A couple of spoonfuls on your toast and that jar would be empty. A dozen free-range, perfect eggs was $12.00. A dollar an egg! Yes, $3 is a good price for a nice omelet that you would make with those eggs, but still. You can get good organic eggs anywhere for less than $4.00 a dozen and even that is high at some local markets.
Oh my. So expensive. But there were so many people with so much money to spend on these very expensive products. Again, I guess the economic downturn hasn't impacted everyone.
And yet on the way back to my car I saw two different people going through the garbage bins looking for food. Pulling out paper plates that had some scraps on them and eating the food. Two people eating what us rich folks threw away. And that was in a 30 second time frame. Earlier, Tom and I were sitting on a bench, looking at the bay and chatting and a guy came up to us and asked us for money for food. We gave him some money, of course, how could we not, we just bought designer pasta. Just a short while later I saw the people looking for food in the garbage bins.
I am not naive. Homelessness exists everywhere. It's just so unsettling to see the juxtaposition between expensive food and poor people. On a day like any other day, in a city like any other city.
Makes my whining about not finding a job rather small.
.
Friday, January 28, 2011
And still no job......
You would think, to look at the on-line job postings, that anyone could get a job. There are hundreds of them posted every day. Dozens posted every hour. Trust me. If you go to craigslist, just open up the general SF Bay area page and click on one of the categories, then click on a job near the top of the list. Then step away from your computer, or leave that site, for about a half hour. Then go back and see how many jobs have been added above the one on which you clicked. Lots of them. And look at all those job categories they list! There is a category for everything and everyone, even one for ETC. That's just one website, think of all the others, like monster and career builder and sfchronicle and so many others. Pages and pages of jobs.
Yet here I remain, jobless. Take a closer look at the listings, especially on craigslist. I pick that one because it is the most accessible and you can see the most jobs in a short period of time. For the admin / office category, you can just go from one listing to the next and you will notice that many of them are part-time jobs. Many of them are contract jobs. Some of them, not too many, have very particular requirements, usually regarding being bilingual or having a license of some sort or very specific work experience. Most of them pay nothing.
By nothing, of course I mean they don't pay a living wage. $10, $12 dollars an hour is not going to cut it here in the bay area. $30,000 a year means you make less than $14 an hour and that is gross pay, not take- home. Take-home would be closer to $11 an hour or even less if you have no dependants. That is less than $1800 a month. The number of jobs paying more than $45,000 in that category is very small.
I have begun applying for jobs that offer less than what I would normally need to live on. I don't know why, maybe it's just to see if I actually get a response. Would I take such a job? I don't know. Depends on whether or not the company pays health insurance benefits and you would be very surprised at how many do not.
Oh well. I just keep on applying, keep on creating new and scintillating cover letters, keep on telling little white lies on my resume, changing dates, changing duties, changing my address depending on where the job is located, changing everything but my name. Have I lost hope yet? No. I still believe that there is a job out there for me. It's just getting harder and harder to be optimistic. Glass half empty or glass half full? How about bank account half empty or bank account half full?
Yet here I remain, jobless. Take a closer look at the listings, especially on craigslist. I pick that one because it is the most accessible and you can see the most jobs in a short period of time. For the admin / office category, you can just go from one listing to the next and you will notice that many of them are part-time jobs. Many of them are contract jobs. Some of them, not too many, have very particular requirements, usually regarding being bilingual or having a license of some sort or very specific work experience. Most of them pay nothing.
By nothing, of course I mean they don't pay a living wage. $10, $12 dollars an hour is not going to cut it here in the bay area. $30,000 a year means you make less than $14 an hour and that is gross pay, not take- home. Take-home would be closer to $11 an hour or even less if you have no dependants. That is less than $1800 a month. The number of jobs paying more than $45,000 in that category is very small.
I have begun applying for jobs that offer less than what I would normally need to live on. I don't know why, maybe it's just to see if I actually get a response. Would I take such a job? I don't know. Depends on whether or not the company pays health insurance benefits and you would be very surprised at how many do not.
Oh well. I just keep on applying, keep on creating new and scintillating cover letters, keep on telling little white lies on my resume, changing dates, changing duties, changing my address depending on where the job is located, changing everything but my name. Have I lost hope yet? No. I still believe that there is a job out there for me. It's just getting harder and harder to be optimistic. Glass half empty or glass half full? How about bank account half empty or bank account half full?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Fear of Flying
Here are some of the good things about flying: disembarking, having a final destination that promises to be fun and vacationy, getting a couple of hours to read without the nagging thought that you really should be cleaning the house instead, Sky Mall Magazine, cute little bottles of alcohol, not being in charge of anything for a short time, free water.
Here are a few of the bad things about flying: germs, loud uninterrupted noise, strangers coughing at you, pat-downs, stale air, ebola virus (come on, we've all seen the movie,) cramped quarters, sweat, boredom, fear of dying, a stranger's thigh touching yours, more germs, overpriced alcohol, being hit in the head by someones shoulder bag as they walk past you, overused smelly lavatories, bad coffee, body odors, the reclining seat in front of you, small children with legs in back of you, very large people sitting next to you.
I could go on and on and I am sure you have more to add to the list. Do the good points outweigh the bad? Sometimes. If, say, you are on your way to Paris, France, or on your way to collect your million dollar lottery winnings, then I would say the good will definitely outweigh the bad. Otherwise, it's a toss-up. Especially on the return journey. Everyone is excited on the way to the vacation or reunion or wedding or cruise. Expectations are high, a good time is waiting for you, all the clothes in your suitcase are clean. Coming back, no one is in a good mood. All the clothes you are carrying are dirty and stinky, your hair is a mess because you didn't have time for a shower because of the early flight, you know your office is going to be a disaster area because you had the gall to take a week off, the cat probably pooped on the floor in retribution for leaving it alone with a week's worth of food and water and kitty litter, and the person sitting next to you smells like a week-old pizza gone bad.
And the germs! Even if you don't touch anything on the plane, those germs are swarming around you like hyenas over a dead deer. Just waiting to pounce, waiting to bite, waiting to crawl up your nose and make you sick. Not then, of course, no, they are crafty little buggers. It isn't until two or three days later, once they have taken up residence in your body, then you start to feel a nagging scratchy thing in the back of your throat, or a little shiver in your gut which eventually turns into a full-blown flu or cold or plague. Is there some unwritten rule that as soon as you get on the plane you cannot cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze?
From SFO to DFW (Dallas-Ft. Worth) the flight was fine. Half full, easy, took off at a civilized time of day, we brought tasty snacks, landing was perfect, we were on our way to a four day fun-filled visit with Jenn. Everything was great! From DFW-SFO the flight was more crowded, departure time was pre-sunrise, we were already feeling the effects of the germs from the first flight. Getting through security, I made the metal detector go off..... for no reason, of course. But it won me a hands-on, full-blown pat-down. In front of everyone (or those who cared to watch) I got my front, back, sides and, let's just say interior, portions of my anatomy poked and patted and almost prodded. At one point I actually yelped, much to the surprise of the female TSA. She was alarmed that I was alarmed and my response was "I just wasn't expecting you to go there with such force!" Ah, yes, the joys of travel.
I don't even want to get started on the people who insist on rolling their suitcases down the aisle of the airplane. The suitcases do not fit down the aisle. They are too wide. The aisle is too narrow. The suitcases have a handle. Pick them up and carry them sideways. If you can't carry them, check them. Simple.
But will I give up traveling? Nope. Most of my travel will be by car for the next year or so, but if I have the opportunity to go to Paris without breaking the bank, I will gladly put up with the germs, the smells, the inconvenience of air travel. The best thing about airplanes is that after hours of captivity, when you finally disembark, there you are! Safe, alive and somewhere else and hopefully that somewhere else is somewhere like Paris.
Here are a few of the bad things about flying: germs, loud uninterrupted noise, strangers coughing at you, pat-downs, stale air, ebola virus (come on, we've all seen the movie,) cramped quarters, sweat, boredom, fear of dying, a stranger's thigh touching yours, more germs, overpriced alcohol, being hit in the head by someones shoulder bag as they walk past you, overused smelly lavatories, bad coffee, body odors, the reclining seat in front of you, small children with legs in back of you, very large people sitting next to you.
I could go on and on and I am sure you have more to add to the list. Do the good points outweigh the bad? Sometimes. If, say, you are on your way to Paris, France, or on your way to collect your million dollar lottery winnings, then I would say the good will definitely outweigh the bad. Otherwise, it's a toss-up. Especially on the return journey. Everyone is excited on the way to the vacation or reunion or wedding or cruise. Expectations are high, a good time is waiting for you, all the clothes in your suitcase are clean. Coming back, no one is in a good mood. All the clothes you are carrying are dirty and stinky, your hair is a mess because you didn't have time for a shower because of the early flight, you know your office is going to be a disaster area because you had the gall to take a week off, the cat probably pooped on the floor in retribution for leaving it alone with a week's worth of food and water and kitty litter, and the person sitting next to you smells like a week-old pizza gone bad.
And the germs! Even if you don't touch anything on the plane, those germs are swarming around you like hyenas over a dead deer. Just waiting to pounce, waiting to bite, waiting to crawl up your nose and make you sick. Not then, of course, no, they are crafty little buggers. It isn't until two or three days later, once they have taken up residence in your body, then you start to feel a nagging scratchy thing in the back of your throat, or a little shiver in your gut which eventually turns into a full-blown flu or cold or plague. Is there some unwritten rule that as soon as you get on the plane you cannot cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze?
From SFO to DFW (Dallas-Ft. Worth) the flight was fine. Half full, easy, took off at a civilized time of day, we brought tasty snacks, landing was perfect, we were on our way to a four day fun-filled visit with Jenn. Everything was great! From DFW-SFO the flight was more crowded, departure time was pre-sunrise, we were already feeling the effects of the germs from the first flight. Getting through security, I made the metal detector go off..... for no reason, of course. But it won me a hands-on, full-blown pat-down. In front of everyone (or those who cared to watch) I got my front, back, sides and, let's just say interior, portions of my anatomy poked and patted and almost prodded. At one point I actually yelped, much to the surprise of the female TSA. She was alarmed that I was alarmed and my response was "I just wasn't expecting you to go there with such force!" Ah, yes, the joys of travel.
I don't even want to get started on the people who insist on rolling their suitcases down the aisle of the airplane. The suitcases do not fit down the aisle. They are too wide. The aisle is too narrow. The suitcases have a handle. Pick them up and carry them sideways. If you can't carry them, check them. Simple.
But will I give up traveling? Nope. Most of my travel will be by car for the next year or so, but if I have the opportunity to go to Paris without breaking the bank, I will gladly put up with the germs, the smells, the inconvenience of air travel. The best thing about airplanes is that after hours of captivity, when you finally disembark, there you are! Safe, alive and somewhere else and hopefully that somewhere else is somewhere like Paris.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Cowboys are my weakness
I'm thinking that even a gray-haired, overweight and over 60 woman like me can probably get lucky in the cowboy section of Ft. Worth. Not that I went down that road, mind you, too much family around, but I'm just saying. Lots of older cowboys giving the eye to even me! Ft. Worth, the cowboy section, "Stockyard Station," is touristy, kitchy, historic and rather fun. Excellent shopping for boots, saddles, hats and shirts. Good beer and pool tables at Billy Bob's, which is a huge venue, by the way. Lunch at the Love Shack: burgers, beers, hotdogs and fries, live music, overlooking the boulevard. A cattle drive down Main Street with a dozen or more huge long-horn steers. Doesn't get much more Texan than that.
This morning we were off to Jack's Backyard outside of Dallas for brunch and the bottomless pitcher of Mimosas. Cool, funky, very friendly and great fun. Now the football playoffs are on TV and several of the family contingent are intent on that sort of Sunday viewing, while the rest of us are not. Lasagna and home-made bread for dinner, early to bed and our flight leaves Dallas tomorrow (Monday) morning before the sun comes up. Ugh.
We've met great people, have laughed way too much and have had way too much fun for a four day holiday. We will be back. Texas might have too many conservative redneck hacks but they also have some folks on the other side of that coin who do like to show a visitor a really good time.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Texas Winos
Who knew wine tasting in Texas would be so informative, fun and tasty? None of us had great expectations but we had discount coupons for a tour, tasting and free glasses of wine from the Lone Oak Winery in Burleson and given that we are all up for an adventure now and then, we piled into our Dodge Caravan van and hit the road. The winery, from the outside, is very small and there is evidence of very few vines. Although the tasting room was small and a bit crowded with wine paraphernalia, the greeting from our tour guide was warm and welcoming. Since she was still in training, we were also accompanied by the owner of the vineyard who was a quiet yet articulate guy. We got a little history of the place and then a walk-about around the small vineyards they have at that location. Maybe only 15 acres of grapes planted there, many different varietals.
I think they were happy to have people from California and Oregon, people who actually knew a lot about wine and asked good, intelligent questions. We were given lessons in pruning, in pest control, in blending, in the inherent problems of growing grapes in Texas weather. We were also given a bit of the history of viticulture in Texas, where it was ten years ago and what they predict for the next decade. Those involved in wine making and grape growing (two totally different entities, by the way) are anxious to see the industry grow even more than it has recently. They are encouraging new capital investments, new farming techniques, new marketing techniques. Texas is the fifth largest wine-producing state in the US and they intend on keeping that ranking.
Before ending the tour in the wine tasting room, we stopped in the wine-making area and got to taste three white wines out of the tanks. Delicious! They don't oak their white wines at all and even have a varietal that was specifically cloned for Texas. On to the tasting room where we tasted several wines and loved them. I mean, they were really good. Some crisp white, some truly intense Viogner, outstanding Tempranillos, a very good Cabernet, and even some aged Madeira. Needless to say, we all bought a few bottles.
Then they poured us a generous glass of whatever we wanted and we retired to the outdoor patio, heat lamps on, and sat there for an hour sipping, talking and eating the picnic snacks we had brought with us. The day was sunny and chilly, the company was great and a good time was had by all.
Today we are venturing to Ft. Worth, as I mentioned previously. There is an entire historic section called something like "Stockyard Stations" and another Cultural District with museums, etc. It seems there is plenty to see and do, lots to keep us all occupied for a couple of hours, beers to drink, cattle to view, and maybe even some history lessons to absorb. Yee-Haw!
Friday, January 21, 2011
From Daly City to Texas
I am now here in Texas for a long weekend, with the family (son, daughter-in-law, ex husband and his wife) to visit my daughter. Weather is very cold (26 last night) but supposed to be warming up..... and today we are going wine tasting here in Texas! Wine tasting, who knew these cowboys drank wine! Well, perhaps I am jumping the gun. Maybe they don't actually drink it, they just make it for out-of-towners like this bunch. But since we are all wine snobs (but in a good way) and California natives, where drinking wine is learned at a very early age, we will definitely be critical but in a gentle and kind way.
Tomorrow, who knows? Perhaps off to Billy Bob's in Ft. Worth to ride the bull. Or to a place in Dallas that serves margarita's with jalapeno peppers. The options are almost endless. I will keep you posted.....
Tomorrow, who knows? Perhaps off to Billy Bob's in Ft. Worth to ride the bull. Or to a place in Dallas that serves margarita's with jalapeno peppers. The options are almost endless. I will keep you posted.....
Monday, January 17, 2011
Los Angeles - SLO - Daly City
It's odd to realize that Santa Barbara is only two hours from Lakewood. Felt like a lot longer, and where is all that traffic going on a Sunday afternoon? We realized as we left LA that we didn't have to be in Northern Cal until mid afternoon so we took the sort of scenic route. It's actually not all that pretty til you get past Santa Barbara, and the hills become empty and green and the traffic ceases to be white-knuckled. Man, those Angelinos drive so close to each other and I simply do not trust them to not scoot stealthily into my lane, ignoring my presence and thus annihilating me and my passengers. And yes, of course, I am just being a big baby, but there you have it.
From SB to San Luis Obispo (SLO) the ride is nice, and it was there we spent the night, much to the dogs delight. Good rooms, really decent food delivered to our door from a sort of Waiters-on-Wheels service. You can sit around and drink whiskey from the bottle and wait for the food fairy to arrive. (We actually used glasses this time, how civilized!) The drive north from there this morning (four hours to SF in case you were wondering) was lovely, sunny, warm, beautiful until we hit San Jose where the all-encompassing fog appeared. But a good ride, a good week-long road trip with some good stops. I would heartily recommend it, get on the road.
Tom and I were talking about that very subject. Most of us live in a small bubble, in our small towns, in our small lives. We venture out now and then but usually with a specific destination in mind and therefore we don't really do much wandering about. But it's that aimless wandering about that gets us into towns or abandoned areas that we never see if we take the direct route. There is so much poverty and desolation even in California that you cannot imagine unless you hit the small back roads. It is even worse in places like north-west Texas.
And you ask "why do I want to see that?" The reason is this: because as much as we sort of know it is there, we do not really know it until we see it up close and personal. Just as we "know" about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, how many people have read a book about either of those wars? How many of my faithful followers (and I love you all) have read THE GOOD SOLDIERS by David Finkel or WAR by Sebastian Junger? These books should be required reading before you can vote next time. And seeing the small towns of California that once were and no longer are, seeing their remains, seeing mile after mile of what once was is important. If for no other reason than to put our lives in perspective. We are lucky. Our work has paid off, we don't live in a shack.
OK. OK. I am once again getting on the soap box. But I really, really like driving around America and some of what I see is so incredibly awe inspiring and some is so incredibly sad. Maybe that's why I like it. The good, the bad, the ugly. Seeing mouth-dropping gorgeous scenery after miles of road-side despair.
Thanks for reading. More tomorrow.
From SB to San Luis Obispo (SLO) the ride is nice, and it was there we spent the night, much to the dogs delight. Good rooms, really decent food delivered to our door from a sort of Waiters-on-Wheels service. You can sit around and drink whiskey from the bottle and wait for the food fairy to arrive. (We actually used glasses this time, how civilized!) The drive north from there this morning (four hours to SF in case you were wondering) was lovely, sunny, warm, beautiful until we hit San Jose where the all-encompassing fog appeared. But a good ride, a good week-long road trip with some good stops. I would heartily recommend it, get on the road.
Tom and I were talking about that very subject. Most of us live in a small bubble, in our small towns, in our small lives. We venture out now and then but usually with a specific destination in mind and therefore we don't really do much wandering about. But it's that aimless wandering about that gets us into towns or abandoned areas that we never see if we take the direct route. There is so much poverty and desolation even in California that you cannot imagine unless you hit the small back roads. It is even worse in places like north-west Texas.
And you ask "why do I want to see that?" The reason is this: because as much as we sort of know it is there, we do not really know it until we see it up close and personal. Just as we "know" about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, how many people have read a book about either of those wars? How many of my faithful followers (and I love you all) have read THE GOOD SOLDIERS by David Finkel or WAR by Sebastian Junger? These books should be required reading before you can vote next time. And seeing the small towns of California that once were and no longer are, seeing their remains, seeing mile after mile of what once was is important. If for no other reason than to put our lives in perspective. We are lucky. Our work has paid off, we don't live in a shack.
OK. OK. I am once again getting on the soap box. But I really, really like driving around America and some of what I see is so incredibly awe inspiring and some is so incredibly sad. Maybe that's why I like it. The good, the bad, the ugly. Seeing mouth-dropping gorgeous scenery after miles of road-side despair.
Thanks for reading. More tomorrow.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Los Angeles, or lost angles
A quick post, here in Lakewood, suburb of LA, on Saturday, on a day that was actually summer. 85 degrees in mid-January. How odd, and if that ain't LA, nothing is. Spending a little time with one of my cadre of brothers, reading, walking the dog, cooking for John, chatting, playing Scrabble, drinking really good wine...... you know, all the things that make life worthwhile. If it wasn't for the weather, one might actually like it here.
Back on the road tomorrow. I'll be with you then.
Back on the road tomorrow. I'll be with you then.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
On the Road: Barstow to Mojave to Palm Springs
Here is what I have to say about Barstow: it makes Bakersfield look really, really nice and safe and lovely and we all know that Bakersfield is rather depressed and lonely. Barstow is very scary and sad. But as Tom pointed out, it isn't Barstow's fault. All the services and businesses that would have benefited the city are gone. What is left is the corporatization of a freeway town. From my crappy room last night I counted 11 fast food places and 4 other crappy motels. The money is going to big corporations because they are the ones who are doing business there, exploiting the fact that the city is on a major freeway and negating the fact that people need to have a place to work, eat, shop that does not rely on huge mega businesses. So the people are forced to work for all the motels and fast food places or get out of town. Or rob and steal.
OK, I stop the diatribe here.
We have had a great time in the new Jeep, dirt roads, paved roads, pockmarked roads, and we have seen amazing lands in Mojave National Desert, and really sad lands outside of that. But here we are now, in Palm Springs, neither of us have been here before, and it is a lovely setting. Tall mountains and lots of palm trees, can't beat it. Great rooms on the close fringe of the really ritzy part of town, dogs are happy and so are we.
Over and out for now.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
On the Road: Bridgeport, Bishop, Barstow
Out in the country, internet and phone connection not always great but here we are now. From SF over 50 on Sunday, beautiful, traffic flowing the other way, none on our side. Down to Bridgeport and friggin cold, found the only motel open, morning the temp was 14. That is 14, 18 degrees below freezing. We walked the dogs, very quickly and got into the car and drove down 395, the sun was out and the snow covered landscape glittered. The small amount of snow falling also glittered. It was still 14 degrees but it was so beautiful.
When I was a kid, the road up 395 from LA to Tom's Place, Lake Crowley, June Lake was our vacation. If Dad came up with enough cash we would hit the road. If not, we wouldn't. I got really good at holding up the envelopes to the light and reading the amount through the paper and thus figuring out if we could go or not. Sometimes it took two or three or five or ten days for the check my Dad was waiting for, but once it arrived, we were on the road. Six kids, two parents, an old Chevy, we were off. But that was then.
We are here now. Tom and I took a couple of side roads, drove to Independence and realized that Bishop was the place to stay for the night, so back through Big Pine, back to Bishop. Fine. Left this morning and drove south 395 to 190, over up and down into Death Valley, my ears killing me (head cold) and through the valley, south on 190 to 127. More than amazing, the desert is full of color and life and land formations that are unreal and surreal. I realize that many people think Death Valley is, well, boring, but it is anything but that. Gorgeous, multicolored and layered and incredibly textured.
But our plans to spend the night in Baker, on the edge of Mohave Desert National Park, were dashed because there is nothing in Baker. Well, there is the Bun Boy Motel (I am so not kidding) and it looked as sleazy as it sounds. Tom and I both said to each other "and why wouldn't you just sleep in your car" if that was the only option. And you would.
So, on to Barstow. Even here the motels are creepy. We are at Ramada Inn, must be at least 300 rooms, corridor is carpeted but stained and creepy. Rooms are OK, at least clean.
So, Bridgeport-Bishop-Barstow. That was our route for the last couple of days. Tomorrow, Mojave Desert, perhaps. You will be the first to know. Thanks for following.
I said to Tom today that I really didn't care about getting a job. I simply want to get some money so I can go see things. So much to see, so little money, such a small window of opportunity. Really, it's the truth: send me out on the road, give me a tank of gas, let me drive and I will write about it and I will be happy.
More tomorrow. We might end up in Palm Springs. But maybe not. If so, you will hear about it.
When I was a kid, the road up 395 from LA to Tom's Place, Lake Crowley, June Lake was our vacation. If Dad came up with enough cash we would hit the road. If not, we wouldn't. I got really good at holding up the envelopes to the light and reading the amount through the paper and thus figuring out if we could go or not. Sometimes it took two or three or five or ten days for the check my Dad was waiting for, but once it arrived, we were on the road. Six kids, two parents, an old Chevy, we were off. But that was then.
We are here now. Tom and I took a couple of side roads, drove to Independence and realized that Bishop was the place to stay for the night, so back through Big Pine, back to Bishop. Fine. Left this morning and drove south 395 to 190, over up and down into Death Valley, my ears killing me (head cold) and through the valley, south on 190 to 127. More than amazing, the desert is full of color and life and land formations that are unreal and surreal. I realize that many people think Death Valley is, well, boring, but it is anything but that. Gorgeous, multicolored and layered and incredibly textured.
But our plans to spend the night in Baker, on the edge of Mohave Desert National Park, were dashed because there is nothing in Baker. Well, there is the Bun Boy Motel (I am so not kidding) and it looked as sleazy as it sounds. Tom and I both said to each other "and why wouldn't you just sleep in your car" if that was the only option. And you would.
So, on to Barstow. Even here the motels are creepy. We are at Ramada Inn, must be at least 300 rooms, corridor is carpeted but stained and creepy. Rooms are OK, at least clean.
So, Bridgeport-Bishop-Barstow. That was our route for the last couple of days. Tomorrow, Mojave Desert, perhaps. You will be the first to know. Thanks for following.
I said to Tom today that I really didn't care about getting a job. I simply want to get some money so I can go see things. So much to see, so little money, such a small window of opportunity. Really, it's the truth: send me out on the road, give me a tank of gas, let me drive and I will write about it and I will be happy.
More tomorrow. We might end up in Palm Springs. But maybe not. If so, you will hear about it.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Resumes, rejection, retreat
OK, this is rather sad. I have sent out, via email, over 25 resumes and cover letters in the last three days and do I get many responses? No! I received one response, ten seconds after I submitted a six page application, telling me I wasn't qualified. I received three other responses telling me that due to the high volume of responses I shouldn't expect a reply unless I fit the profile perfectly. In other words, don't call us, we'll call you. Actually, many of the sites that list the name of the employer do say that: Do Not Contact Us Directly.
Should I be dismayed? Am I dismayed? I am not sure. I want a job and I need a job. Hmmm, to tell you the truth I don't really WANT a job. I want the paycheck. I don't mind living the life of slothfulness and not answering to a boss, but the lack of funds is a serious issue. I wake up in the middle of the night, or I often am struck with panic in the middle of the day, thinking: what will I do if I don't have a job by the end of May?
Additionally, I am in a state of mind where I cannot for the love of anything make a decision. It comes down to this: I do not know what I should be doing right now. I honestly don't know how I should be living my life, what steps I should take to further my job search, where I should go, when I should simply hit the road. I almost feel as if I am in a state of suspended animation but I know that is not the case because I am animated. Not suspended, but actually living and breathing. I sort of wish I was suspended, in a block of clear acrylic, like a wasp from the Mesolithic Era. At least then I wouldn't have this sense of ennui and indecision.
But I took one positive step today, maybe a foolish one (so some will say) for an unemployed person. I ordered a French language course through Rosetta Stone, one of the best at-home language courses you can buy. Why? Because I want to learn some French, of course. Why? Because I want to go to France, of course. Why? Because it is not here and they have really good bread and wine and cheese there.
I don't have an answer, I did it because I wanted to.
I may be back on the road in the next couple of days, stay tuned for upcoming events.
Should I be dismayed? Am I dismayed? I am not sure. I want a job and I need a job. Hmmm, to tell you the truth I don't really WANT a job. I want the paycheck. I don't mind living the life of slothfulness and not answering to a boss, but the lack of funds is a serious issue. I wake up in the middle of the night, or I often am struck with panic in the middle of the day, thinking: what will I do if I don't have a job by the end of May?
Additionally, I am in a state of mind where I cannot for the love of anything make a decision. It comes down to this: I do not know what I should be doing right now. I honestly don't know how I should be living my life, what steps I should take to further my job search, where I should go, when I should simply hit the road. I almost feel as if I am in a state of suspended animation but I know that is not the case because I am animated. Not suspended, but actually living and breathing. I sort of wish I was suspended, in a block of clear acrylic, like a wasp from the Mesolithic Era. At least then I wouldn't have this sense of ennui and indecision.
But I took one positive step today, maybe a foolish one (so some will say) for an unemployed person. I ordered a French language course through Rosetta Stone, one of the best at-home language courses you can buy. Why? Because I want to learn some French, of course. Why? Because I want to go to France, of course. Why? Because it is not here and they have really good bread and wine and cheese there.
I don't have an answer, I did it because I wanted to.
I may be back on the road in the next couple of days, stay tuned for upcoming events.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Job Apps
Just so you don't think I am sitting around all day collecting my unemployment check, watching soap operas and eating bon-bons, I am reporting in on my day. After walking the dogs earlly this morning and then venturing out to buy a new calendar for this new year, I spent all afternoon on the computer answering job postings. Hours and hours of composing snappy cover letters, editing my resume to fit the job profile, visiting web sites to see what sort of company I was applying to. Often the job posting would make me go directly to the company web site and fill out a very lengthy (and boring) application, listing each and every job I have ever had since I was twelve years old. I often got half-way through the process and decided that if the company really wanted to hire me, I really would never want to work for them. I mean, come on. A job I had forty years ago? How pertinent can that be at this point?
I am quite hopeful that tomorrow there will be dozens of email responses and my cell phone will be chirping off the hook, potential employers clamoring for me, willing to engage in a wage war just to be the lucky one to hire me! I can hardly wait.
But seriously folks, it would be nice if at least one of them responded. Oh, I take that back, one of them did respond within 30 seconds of my submitting my 5 page job application. They responded negatively, informing me that I did not have the qualifications they were looking for at this time. I love that part: at this time. As if they will be looking for the qualifications I have at some other time. Ha!
If I was a believer, I would pray. Since I'm not, I will just hope.
I am quite hopeful that tomorrow there will be dozens of email responses and my cell phone will be chirping off the hook, potential employers clamoring for me, willing to engage in a wage war just to be the lucky one to hire me! I can hardly wait.
But seriously folks, it would be nice if at least one of them responded. Oh, I take that back, one of them did respond within 30 seconds of my submitting my 5 page job application. They responded negatively, informing me that I did not have the qualifications they were looking for at this time. I love that part: at this time. As if they will be looking for the qualifications I have at some other time. Ha!
If I was a believer, I would pray. Since I'm not, I will just hope.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
New Year?
Oddly, this new year looks a lot like the last old one. But it's early yet, and we have lots of time before our new hopes get dashed on the hard, cold stones of reality. Gosh, that sounds so cynical. It seems too early in the year for such an attitude, I must get mine adjusted somewhere. What I need is a chiropractor for the psyche. Someone who can gently crack my mental spine and realign it for the future. Someone who knows where the psychological pressure points are and how much pressure to apply. Otherwise I might spend the next year in a state of maladjusted, overwrought unhappiness.
Could be worse. I could have a job I hated and couldn't quit and therefore be living in a time-hellish-continuum. At least I don't have that to deal with. And hey, it is the beginning of a new year. While I cannot find a truly pithy thing to say about the new year, I can at least admit that we have all made it this far, and 2012 is the Armageddon of years, according to some, so let's all try to get through this one and see what we find along the way.
As always, thanks for reading and more to follow.
Could be worse. I could have a job I hated and couldn't quit and therefore be living in a time-hellish-continuum. At least I don't have that to deal with. And hey, it is the beginning of a new year. While I cannot find a truly pithy thing to say about the new year, I can at least admit that we have all made it this far, and 2012 is the Armageddon of years, according to some, so let's all try to get through this one and see what we find along the way.
As always, thanks for reading and more to follow.
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