...if only to remember...

Friday, February 18, 2011

When I'm not job applicating:

My how the time flies when one is trying to figure out one's life. Which, by the way, is impossible to do while trying to find employment, well, anywhere. Thankfully, my unemployment and homelessness started with the fall, and flowed rather naturally into the holiday season. As difficult as it is wondering what I'm supposed to do each day beyond the never ending searching for jobs and writing of cover letters, I'm still so very lucky as to have a very loving family, blood or not.

The catchup:

September flowed into October, and I was done with Philly. Working at the cafe was giving me heartburn, I still can't drink large amounts of water without trying to breath fire. /sigh, very sad. My aunt found time to drive up and grab my cat and I around the weekend of Oct. 9th. Miss Priss herself went to live with the grandparents. The new rule is when she's not my cat, she's their cat (or is it, when I'm not her human, they're her humans?). I'm beyond grateful that she's been able to live with so much love.

After dropping the kitty off, took a trip to the Apple Butter Festival, this festival takes place annually in West Virginia, which was much of an afternoon's drive to get to. The campground was odd to say the least, with a "lake" that was nothing more than a hole dug and filled with water (which was quickly making its escape), and walking trails made up of atv trails going on for miles. The festival itself was predictably filled with crafts and...you guessed it...apple butter. Good thing I have a great love for the jarred stuff myself, and yes, I did of course stock up a bit myself (the best part was the free samples: EVERYWHERE).

The drive to civilization found that I couldn't get through to the person I was supposed to be crashing with in NYC the next week, during my start of job interviews, but after a minor panic attack and some quick last minute fumbling to try and line up other options, everything worked out and soon I found myself in the big city going to my first interview. Which turned out to be shit. Oh well. Not really shit. Just kidding. Ultimately, what had described itself as a solid, full time position, was really a line up to possibly find a position through a recruitment firm. I signed up for their services, got the highest score in history on the Excel test, did a substandard typing test at 77wpm, which they were shocked to find out I wanted to redo, because I was dying of hunger and a migraine was kicking in at that point.

Following: a weekend in upstate CT helped prove that small towns are just as creepy as ever. Then ended up moving in with cousins in the CT valley. Stayed in the valley from mid-Oct till around Thanksgiving when holiday travel kicked in and I found myself dragged all over the east coast nearly every weekend. During this time was also a visit to Philly for Penn Homecoming and PEX Halloween, both lots of fun, but combined caused a weekend that left me in bed recovering for a week and started what would become the two month sore throat.

Thanksgiving in Maine, back to Philly for my birthday weekend, which J and A made absolutely amazing, making sure there was always something going on or at minimum that I was always with friends. I don't think I've ever had a better birthday proper. This whole celebrating for a week thing though, definitely becoming a quick tradition after 09's Lady Gaga and DJ party festing. It definitely meant a lot that everyone came out and helped me celebrate. :-) Also fell in love with the following things: Kraftwork's truffled spanish goat cheese, Capagiro's walnut liquor, and sewing with faux fur.

Next weekend was SantaCon. Crazy bizarre insane, those are the words that describe it best. The night before was Gratitude, which I hadn't planned on going to, but ended up in where I had a job interview lined up for Friday, so had to be in the city anyways. Interview got moved to the following week, when it ended up that I had two back to back practically, filling up the month for a total of 5 solid interviews. :-) SantaCon was fun, didn't drink as much as everyone else, after wearing myself out going to Gratitude the night before, the faux decomp party running a couple months late and not officially backed by BM proper, and crashing at BUS for the Rise party, I'm pretty sure I slept through that entire party...oops. Happens. Thankfully BUS is one of those places one can totally sleep through a party. Post SantaCon was a difficult few days, what with interviews, crashing in NYC, stress beyond belief, and an insane explosion which totally blew my mind for a couple weeks. Also, it snowed, bad timing. I persevered.

Got back to CT with enough time to grab my stuff and jump the train for VA, where I had planned to spend Christmas the 2nd a week early (and before Christmas the 1st against the usual holiday travel line-up). Packed in time with the kitty, time with the cousins, then found out Christmas in Maine was cancelled, so...only one Christmas this year. All the traditions got screwed up for 2010, but I still managed to make my holiday apple pie (holiday apple pie is made for every holiday where there is a sit down dinner).

A couple days before New Years found me on my way to Philly, ready to spend New Years Eve in NYC for also the now traditional NYE blow-out of insane partying. J, who should now be labeled Saint J. took me in indefinitely, and we party-bussed it to Winkle & Baltic's airline themed NYE party. EZ of course drove and dj-ed the trip. Hilarity of course ensued, and we all welcomed in the new year drinking champaign in the line to get into the party. Partied till around 4, then headed out for Disorient's NYE 12-hour after party.

Back to Philly for the renewed job search, a bit more Philly focus than before, and working on setting up the Enchanted Forest party to raise funds for the Grimy Goblin Grotto art collective (made up of four awesome friends of mine). Crafting parties, event meetings, and volunteering for doorshift of course meant staying in Philly. I made a white fur skirt and hand sewed black and white panels based around shaped coat hangers. I will admit, I was working on these things even twenty minutes into the party (which is why they aren't as laced as planned). Also, sewed up some faux fur pants for J that are easily describable as pelts. Due to some last minute tacking, they need a bit more work before they're playa ready, however, they are pretty kickass if i do say so myself. The party itself was fantastic, of course, those Grotto kids sure know what they're doing. Also got some good productive flirt time in and saw a friend I hadn't seen in almost exactly a year. Worked door, was glad to be doing that kind of thing again, hadn't even done a doorshift in my late pilam days.

A weekend off for some laziness (was that weekend really lazy? I can't remember, I feel like no weekend is lazy) and starting the packing of J's apartment, then off to NYC for the weekend for Idiotarad. Also, side note, the mushroomtown pizza, has 3 kinds of mushrooms, not 4, but the bartender will totally get your back. Helped represent Kostume Kult in Idiotarad as the Techno Vikings, brining my white fur skirt out for round two, but skipping the rest of the party ware, save a viking hat, in favor of super warm gear against the winter (and the winter storm that had happened only two days before). Crazy day, covered so much distance in crazy costumes, cold snow, running through streets pushing a grocery cart rather convincingly decked out as a viking ship. There were several real press people around and I definitely got a few side and back pics in random nyc online publications.

Rushed back to Philly Sunday to pack up the kitchen and make the move to Port Royale happen the next day. Two days of sleep and almost functioning. The following weekend was the Gold & Glitter party in NYC, which I heard was an awesome blast, but did not make it up. Instead stayed in Philly, hit up Ruckus Mansion for Z's going away party. The turn out was fantastic and making it for the pirate toast, you could just see the love. Probably one of the best things I've been too for a while, not counting the Enchanted Forest wrap up party also at Ruckus, which included the best nerf battle I've ever been in. Dining room tables totally make awesome forts.

Then came PEX's Heartburn V last weekend, which dragged down a few NYers. Hung out with D, did a mini tour of Philly's awesome bar fries (and amazing dips). Finally saw the Barnes Foundation exhibit in it's original location before they move sometime this spring. The Native American collection is closed for conservation, however, the Impressionist collection is up for the world to see. Barnes definitely had a ton of Renoir portraits. The Cezanne paintings and Descarte dancers were fantastic. As always, enjoyed the Metise and Monet, still don't like Manet, oh well, we like what we like. Picasso and Van Gogh were enjoyable as well. What I found most interesting however, was the layout of the collection, seemingly with no organization, bits and pieces could be found with the paintings from eras prior to Cezanne's works, but overall, the complete symmetry of the main gallery was insane, but intriguing. I have yet to fully pass judgement on it. Good hang out weekend overall. Heartburn was fantastically decorated, same space as halloween, allergy medicine a must. The best time I've had at a party for a while, got some dance on, some laze chill out time on, and of course needed food by the end, as always. Something about staying up all night causes the stomach to need more attention than usual.

A few days later finds me back down in VA, house sitting for the aunt and fam. 70 degree weather and a nice deck to chill out on has me writing to you from out of doors. More in next post, which should come up in the next few days, hopefully I'll better focus on applying for jobs and the experiences I've been facing lately.

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