And, yes, we did go to Seattle a couple of weeks ago.
And, yes, it was a great time.
And, yes, it felt like home.
And, yes, the mountain is ridiculous and huge and frightening and thrilling.
And, yes, I loved the Seattle DDS office.
And, yes, it is expensive as all hell to live out there.
And, yes, it would be worth it.
And, yes, I am even more addicted to Starbucks then I have ever been in the past.
And, yes, we saw the original Starbucks.
And, yes, we saw people smoking crack in public.
And, yes, we were stared at for dressing in business attire during the workweek (the layered casual look 24-7 is my dream come true)
And, yes, we didn't hear a single bad song at all during the entire trip.
But, no, we have not made a decision yet.
However, if I could spend every day of the rest of my life catching a glimpse of Mt. Rainier, I need not ask for anything more.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
eastern ohio is done
i spent thanksgiving weekend traveling throughout eastern ohio, hitting up all sorts of family events. i saw family i haven't seen in at least 10 years, i was able to get some of my baby pictures and old family photos (a hot commodity after the divorce), even things with my mother were relatively calm, though she hardly talked to me and left my aunt's early.
today joe and i organized our living room and set up a christmas tree. somehow our house looks larger. i really like how everything is arranged. maybe i'll be in the christmas spirit this year, we'll see. no promises, though.
today joe and i organized our living room and set up a christmas tree. somehow our house looks larger. i really like how everything is arranged. maybe i'll be in the christmas spirit this year, we'll see. no promises, though.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
a hard day of workin' the polls
Robin inspired me, on our trip to Milwaukee, to earn a little extra income by working the polls.
The Election Polls, perverts.
In Franklin County, you don't get much money. It averages out to be around $7.50/hr between your two hour training class and a 15 hour work day. You get a $10 bonus if you show for a practice session. I signed up because I get free Poll Worker leave from work, so I really rake in the cash. ooh.
I was selected to be a provisional judge. That means I am the democrat that oversees the provisional ballots (my opinion on those is a whole different story). After a bunch of confusing trainings, I feel relatively un-confident in my ability to handle it.
But, 4:15 AM today rolls around. I get up, shower, make a delicious breakfast, pack some snacks, and head to my precinct. I arrive to find a overly friendly man trying to figure out how to set up his equipment. He turns out to be the Presiding Judge (a.k.a. my boss). He's with a high school girl who is part of the special vote team program they have going on for kids that are about to graduate. I know nothing about anything, so I just try to set up my stuff. A couple arrives (the republicans) and I find that the only people who have an idea of what is going on are me and the high school girl. Everyone is freaking out and trying to do things how they were done last election, which have changed quite a bit. No wonder there's always drama at important elections, like that whole 'hanging chad' debacle.
We finally get set up and are ready. Too bad voter turn out was pathetic. I spent 15 hours sitting on my ass actually wishing I was at work.
or did I?
First of all, we were to report at 5:30 AM to our precinct. If you don't show, you can be charged with a misdemeanor. One of our workers didn't even show until 8:30 AM. She claimed that she was out of town on a family emergency (in my line of work, that's the oldest excuse in the book.) She then later talked about how she cooked turkey for dinner at her home the other night. She was the Presiding Judge last year - the boss - how does this woman not show for her one day job on time???
It turns out that our new Presiding Judge happened to be an author. He has just published a book. It is one of those motivational books. I'm not one for identifying the culprit, so I'll just say this - he was like a joyologist with a prostate problem. He primarily spent the day performing magic. and performing more magic. And doing some origami. And more magic. He ran around talking about his theories on his favorite subject and encouraging everyone to go on amazon.com to buy his book. I wondered if, after providing me a long explanation on his beliefs in the "A's" and "R's" of joy, I should pay him. Don't get me wrong, though, ee was very nice and brought us homemade treats to munch on during the long, painful, godawful day.
Where do they find these people? Or where do these people find them?
I'm not sure I'll do this pollworker thing again. I know the next election is the Primary, so it will have a larger turn out and the busy-ness should make the day go by faster. But, I don't know that $7.50 is worth what I went through today.
The Election Polls, perverts.
In Franklin County, you don't get much money. It averages out to be around $7.50/hr between your two hour training class and a 15 hour work day. You get a $10 bonus if you show for a practice session. I signed up because I get free Poll Worker leave from work, so I really rake in the cash. ooh.
I was selected to be a provisional judge. That means I am the democrat that oversees the provisional ballots (my opinion on those is a whole different story). After a bunch of confusing trainings, I feel relatively un-confident in my ability to handle it.
But, 4:15 AM today rolls around. I get up, shower, make a delicious breakfast, pack some snacks, and head to my precinct. I arrive to find a overly friendly man trying to figure out how to set up his equipment. He turns out to be the Presiding Judge (a.k.a. my boss). He's with a high school girl who is part of the special vote team program they have going on for kids that are about to graduate. I know nothing about anything, so I just try to set up my stuff. A couple arrives (the republicans) and I find that the only people who have an idea of what is going on are me and the high school girl. Everyone is freaking out and trying to do things how they were done last election, which have changed quite a bit. No wonder there's always drama at important elections, like that whole 'hanging chad' debacle.
We finally get set up and are ready. Too bad voter turn out was pathetic. I spent 15 hours sitting on my ass actually wishing I was at work.
or did I?
First of all, we were to report at 5:30 AM to our precinct. If you don't show, you can be charged with a misdemeanor. One of our workers didn't even show until 8:30 AM. She claimed that she was out of town on a family emergency (in my line of work, that's the oldest excuse in the book.) She then later talked about how she cooked turkey for dinner at her home the other night. She was the Presiding Judge last year - the boss - how does this woman not show for her one day job on time???
It turns out that our new Presiding Judge happened to be an author. He has just published a book. It is one of those motivational books. I'm not one for identifying the culprit, so I'll just say this - he was like a joyologist with a prostate problem. He primarily spent the day performing magic. and performing more magic. And doing some origami. And more magic. He ran around talking about his theories on his favorite subject and encouraging everyone to go on amazon.com to buy his book. I wondered if, after providing me a long explanation on his beliefs in the "A's" and "R's" of joy, I should pay him. Don't get me wrong, though, ee was very nice and brought us homemade treats to munch on during the long, painful, godawful day.
Where do they find these people? Or where do these people find them?
I'm not sure I'll do this pollworker thing again. I know the next election is the Primary, so it will have a larger turn out and the busy-ness should make the day go by faster. But, I don't know that $7.50 is worth what I went through today.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Another one bites the dust
This weekend was crazy. It starts with Friday. I'm running tons of errands, getting ready for a Halloween Party on Saturday up in Northfield at Alex and Mike's place. Joe has spent days researching and accumulating the various aspects of his costume (I'll keep it a secret because I have a feeling we will reuse the idea next year). At 5 o'clock, Kristen picks us up to grab Mexican with Liz and Greg and friends, then on to Lakewood High School (in Central Ohio, not Lakewood City) for Rob's Marching Band Highlights Show.
In the middle of the show, just after I notice that this guy we went to college with that Alex used to be in love with is at the show...(perhaps a teacher at the school?), I think of her, and get a voicemail from her. Since I'm at a concert, I can't exactly answer, so I wait until the show is done. On the way back to Columbus, I listen to my voicemail.
"Hi Jess, it's Alex. We're kinda worried about you and hope you're still on your way."
I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The party was tonight (Friday). I'm such a dumbass. I call her and apologize profusely and think about what a moron I am. I then apologize to Joe for spending so much time working on his costume for it to be worthless. What is funny is that we just saw an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in which they try to get out of a party by showing up a day late. But, the hosts invite them inside anyway, since they took the trouble to come. We surely weren't doing that, but I felt pretty lame.
Saturday starts with me waking up and remembering that I am an idiot and we don't have to drive to Northfield. We then do some cleaning and around 6 o'clock, we shower and head out to Gallery Hop. We wine and dine at our favorite bars, Joe bumps into Mayor Michael Coleman (literally), and we get prime window seats at R.J. Snapper's. We finish the night with the best ice cream in town - UDF. I get my usual, Blue Moon, smothered in hot chocolate. (Un)fortunately, my punk rock buddy isn't there to attempt to sell me drugs. I don't remember much else, except stupid neighbor girl was blasting her crappy ambiance music all night to a party of screaming frat boys until past 4:30 AM.
Sunday, Cloak dies. He was our second fish to kick it. Go figure. I go to Goodale to earn an extra $10 at Poll Worker training, then dinner at Johnny Rocket's. E. Gordon Gee wandered in, bow tie and all, as we were paying our check. Our second brush with Columbusite fame in the same weekend!
After dinner, we went to see "Across the Universe." It was pretty good. It was in the same vein of many of my '60's era favorites - Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Forrest Gump.
Today, back to work. I'm thoroughly tired and thoroughly sick of the office. They announce the supervisor selections, so I have to deal with people going "oh, I thought you were a shoe-in." Finally, 3:30 rolls around.
We grab salad bar at Sunflower, then turn on Grey's Anatomy to dream about Seattle. A knock at the door - it's the postman. He's carrying two heavy boxes. One has my new zebra striped Converse. The other? Seattle tourism materials and a recruitment letter from the DDS Chief.
This really may happen...
In the middle of the show, just after I notice that this guy we went to college with that Alex used to be in love with is at the show...(perhaps a teacher at the school?), I think of her, and get a voicemail from her. Since I'm at a concert, I can't exactly answer, so I wait until the show is done. On the way back to Columbus, I listen to my voicemail.
"Hi Jess, it's Alex. We're kinda worried about you and hope you're still on your way."
I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The party was tonight (Friday). I'm such a dumbass. I call her and apologize profusely and think about what a moron I am. I then apologize to Joe for spending so much time working on his costume for it to be worthless. What is funny is that we just saw an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in which they try to get out of a party by showing up a day late. But, the hosts invite them inside anyway, since they took the trouble to come. We surely weren't doing that, but I felt pretty lame.
Saturday starts with me waking up and remembering that I am an idiot and we don't have to drive to Northfield. We then do some cleaning and around 6 o'clock, we shower and head out to Gallery Hop. We wine and dine at our favorite bars, Joe bumps into Mayor Michael Coleman (literally), and we get prime window seats at R.J. Snapper's. We finish the night with the best ice cream in town - UDF. I get my usual, Blue Moon, smothered in hot chocolate. (Un)fortunately, my punk rock buddy isn't there to attempt to sell me drugs. I don't remember much else, except stupid neighbor girl was blasting her crappy ambiance music all night to a party of screaming frat boys until past 4:30 AM.
Sunday, Cloak dies. He was our second fish to kick it. Go figure. I go to Goodale to earn an extra $10 at Poll Worker training, then dinner at Johnny Rocket's. E. Gordon Gee wandered in, bow tie and all, as we were paying our check. Our second brush with Columbusite fame in the same weekend!
After dinner, we went to see "Across the Universe." It was pretty good. It was in the same vein of many of my '60's era favorites - Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Forrest Gump.
Today, back to work. I'm thoroughly tired and thoroughly sick of the office. They announce the supervisor selections, so I have to deal with people going "oh, I thought you were a shoe-in." Finally, 3:30 rolls around.
We grab salad bar at Sunflower, then turn on Grey's Anatomy to dream about Seattle. A knock at the door - it's the postman. He's carrying two heavy boxes. One has my new zebra striped Converse. The other? Seattle tourism materials and a recruitment letter from the DDS Chief.
This really may happen...
Sunday, November 4, 2007
So, back to that Seattle thing...
Events have been rather crazy lately. I'm sick of my job and sick of Columbus. I feel as if I'm going nowhere and after having lived in the Short North/Victorian Village neighborhood of Columbus for over a year, I'm starting to feel like I've seen it all.
Joe has been feeling this way too. The problem is that two people with a Bachelor's in Psychology can't go many places. We're lucky with the job we have -- it pays enough to live comfortably, it's secure, and it's flexible. But, it is a state job. Meaning, if you "moved around within the company" you'd just move around within the state. Ohio. I've lived here for 26 years of my life and I have 26 years to go until retirement. That is my entire life I've already lived! That leaves me feeling hopeless.
Joe found the silver lining in August, when he came across a job announcement for what we do, but for the State of Washington. I did some research and found that there were three offices -- Spokane, Olympia, and Seattle. If we were to leave, we'd have to do it now. No house. No kids. No responsibilities. We latched on halfheartedly to the idea of moving to Spokane. The cost of living is ridiculously cheap. Beautiful wilderness. But the more research we did, the more we realized that it was out in the middle of nowhere. The idea of no concerts (besides the promise of Ted Nugent at the Indian Reservation Casino), no nearby "big cities," and other sources of entertainment was severely disappointing. But, I applied anyway. And, I put in for Seattle and Olympia for good measure. What the hell, it wasn't like I lost anything in applying.
Weeks went by and I never heard anything. Oh well, it gave me hope for a moment. But a relocation to somewhere over 2500 miles away was a little drastic and crazy, right?
Suddenly, I get a call from the Seattle DDS Chief. He didn't realize I was on their certification list, but he's interested. He had another person applying, so I told him to give that person a job, but keep me in mind for future endeavors. Still, I wasn't thinking anything would come of it.
September rolls around, and with that comes the NADE Conference (Blue Elf Shoe trip). Joe and I chatted up the Washington delegates. We met a woman who transferred to Seattle from the Utah DDS. She gave us the lowdown from the view of someone coming from another state. She told us she was glad she made the choice.
The Monday after we get back from South Dakota, they've posted for supervisor in our office. I'm eligible, and my chances were high. Despite my reservations and my sincere desire to possibly pursue the Washington gig, I applied. I put all of my soul (and stress) into the process. I decided that if I don't get the supervisor gig, Washington is meant to happen. If I do, I'm meant to stay in Ohio.
A month goes by.
The week of the test, the Seattle DDS Chief calls me. "I can hire you," he says. I can't believe it. There goes my belief in "fate," or so I think. On the spur of the moment, Joe and I find a cheap flight and hotel in Seattle for Veteran's Day Weekend. I figure, we can see the city, that way we'd know what we were saying no to if need be. If anything, it's just a nice vacation over a long weekend.
Friday, I got my rejection letter. I did not get the supervisor position. The second that letter was handed to me, I was the happiest I had been in months and months. This was it! It was now or never. The signs all pointed to it - a cheap flight to see Seattle, the DDS Chief's weirdly timed call, the fact that I did not get the position. Joe jumped in and called the Chief to let him know he too, would be coming with me.
We are meeting him this Friday, a week after I was dealt my fate. Who knows what will happen?
P.s. If you or anyone you know is interested in subletting a really awesome 2BR duplex in Victorian Village, let me know ;)
Joe has been feeling this way too. The problem is that two people with a Bachelor's in Psychology can't go many places. We're lucky with the job we have -- it pays enough to live comfortably, it's secure, and it's flexible. But, it is a state job. Meaning, if you "moved around within the company" you'd just move around within the state. Ohio. I've lived here for 26 years of my life and I have 26 years to go until retirement. That is my entire life I've already lived! That leaves me feeling hopeless.
Joe found the silver lining in August, when he came across a job announcement for what we do, but for the State of Washington. I did some research and found that there were three offices -- Spokane, Olympia, and Seattle. If we were to leave, we'd have to do it now. No house. No kids. No responsibilities. We latched on halfheartedly to the idea of moving to Spokane. The cost of living is ridiculously cheap. Beautiful wilderness. But the more research we did, the more we realized that it was out in the middle of nowhere. The idea of no concerts (besides the promise of Ted Nugent at the Indian Reservation Casino), no nearby "big cities," and other sources of entertainment was severely disappointing. But, I applied anyway. And, I put in for Seattle and Olympia for good measure. What the hell, it wasn't like I lost anything in applying.
Weeks went by and I never heard anything. Oh well, it gave me hope for a moment. But a relocation to somewhere over 2500 miles away was a little drastic and crazy, right?
Suddenly, I get a call from the Seattle DDS Chief. He didn't realize I was on their certification list, but he's interested. He had another person applying, so I told him to give that person a job, but keep me in mind for future endeavors. Still, I wasn't thinking anything would come of it.
September rolls around, and with that comes the NADE Conference (Blue Elf Shoe trip). Joe and I chatted up the Washington delegates. We met a woman who transferred to Seattle from the Utah DDS. She gave us the lowdown from the view of someone coming from another state. She told us she was glad she made the choice.
The Monday after we get back from South Dakota, they've posted for supervisor in our office. I'm eligible, and my chances were high. Despite my reservations and my sincere desire to possibly pursue the Washington gig, I applied. I put all of my soul (and stress) into the process. I decided that if I don't get the supervisor gig, Washington is meant to happen. If I do, I'm meant to stay in Ohio.
A month goes by.
The week of the test, the Seattle DDS Chief calls me. "I can hire you," he says. I can't believe it. There goes my belief in "fate," or so I think. On the spur of the moment, Joe and I find a cheap flight and hotel in Seattle for Veteran's Day Weekend. I figure, we can see the city, that way we'd know what we were saying no to if need be. If anything, it's just a nice vacation over a long weekend.
Friday, I got my rejection letter. I did not get the supervisor position. The second that letter was handed to me, I was the happiest I had been in months and months. This was it! It was now or never. The signs all pointed to it - a cheap flight to see Seattle, the DDS Chief's weirdly timed call, the fact that I did not get the position. Joe jumped in and called the Chief to let him know he too, would be coming with me.
We are meeting him this Friday, a week after I was dealt my fate. Who knows what will happen?
P.s. If you or anyone you know is interested in subletting a really awesome 2BR duplex in Victorian Village, let me know ;)
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