Long Overdue Update

Holy Jebus, it's been a long time since I have jabbered pointlessly into the internet. Though that should say a little something about what I have been up in the intervening six months.

Relevant facts:
-found a job at Bashas' through glorious, glorious nepotism
-worked that job
-got a job at Citi as a phone jockey
-was Charlie Brown-ish on whether or not I should take the job
-took the job, which I start on Tuesday
-still live with the folks but don't feel as lame about it anymore

I've reached a point where I am seriously taking stock of my life and where I want it to go, something that has all the excitement and allure to an outside observer as snail racing, I am sure. But I feel better about where I am now than I have in a long time. It's been a year since I graduated, and it is only now that I feel like I know where my life might head. I'd reference some cheesy song at this point, but my brain is too clogged with snot. Mmmm, snot.

Pics of Shoes

I like taking pictures of my shoes with other people's cameras. Most people who have known me for any considerable amount of time know this and very likely had it demonstrated to them.

For maximum amusement for me, this is best done in secret, but it has, unintentionally, become a "thing" about me. To illustrate this, I supply an anecdote: At my sister's wedding in Wisconsin, I was hunted down by her friend and college roommate at the reception, so that I could take a picture with her camera of my shoes (boring, black tux ones since I was in the wedding party) before the night was over. I obliged, but it felt weird being asked to do it. It's a bothersome, little brother thing that I do, and it didn't feel right what with it being requested and all. The fun of pestering is that it is not entirely welcome.

Weddings are a great time for this activity. There is a lot of commotion and/or hubbub, so it is easy to swipe and snap. It is also a time of dress-up, so I'm not wearing my usual Chucks or whatnots. Until just tonight, I thought it was at a wedding that this started. I had given a disposable at my step-sister's marriage and told to take some supplemental shots of the pre-wedding pictures. In the middle of all the pictures of Craig and Olivia, I included (most graciously, I thought) a shot of the front of my thrift store dress pants and solid black All Stars. (I was less fancy then)

Ryan Trivial Pursuit Update:
It actually began prior to that, end-of-junior-year-ish of high school. It is difficult to tell based on the photo. While the orange Converse are indicative of that time, it is tough to say because the date in the file info is not present. I include it here for the record.


The floor is the floor of my then-bestie, Ren's, bedroom.

I will end here my harrowing tale of self-revelation.

PS: Those pants I am wearing are from Hollister. Before you judge me, remember that we've all had questionable preferences in the past. I used to shop at American Eagle and Hollister as well as listen to Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit. We can all grow as people.

What to Do? What to Do?

Having three months of job-free downtime has the tendency to lead to a lot of thinking. Musing, if you will. I constantly joke about the uselessness of my degree and how advisers and the career center attempted to convince us that English is major open to numerous career opportunities. The trouble? Even if what they say is true, when I look over the list, there is nothing that I actually want to do. Nothing. Even writing itself doesn't feel quite there for me.

What's a liberal arts fellow to do? Any job I manage to land will be completely unrelated and only for financial support, so I still find myself wondering what in Loki's name I want to do with my life.

Recently, in an attempt to stir up some material for a story, I made a list of things that mattered to me the most. It wasn't helpful in its intended regard, but it did reveal something to me. Social justice is far more important to me than anything else. This is why I am so upset about the outcome of many of the ballot measures in this election cycle.

The question I now must ask myself: How does one become an activist? Secondarily: Can I make a living doing it?

I'd like to do work for a nonprofit, but I don't know how to find them. As I understand it, Tucson is actually a hotbed for nonprofits, but they seem to be hiding.

For now I have to go back to looking for a job with ever-lowering standards. Forgive me if I don't pump my fist in the air with enthusiasm.

We Are Not the Enemy

Please send work-safe photos with "We are not the enemy" somewhere in the image to wearenottheenemy@gmail.com. LGBT pals and groups are welcome; couple status is not required.

For a hearty dose of awesomeness, check it out. I think this is an awesome idea. I'd like to see billboards with similar pictures and message all over the country.

Institutionalized discrimination is not cool, mmkay? Stay classy Arizona and vote No on Prop 102. It's already illegal here for same sex couples to marry; do we really want anti-gay discrimination written directly into our state constitution?

You know those silly Amendments to the US Constitution: Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Nineteen, Twenty-Four, and Twenty-Six? Amendments are for righting wrongs, not compounding them.

Set the Field "Ryan" to the Value of "Failure"

I got an email today from Arizona Lithographers. I include the email here:

Ryan,

Thank you so very much for your time in interviewing with us for our CSR position. We did choose another candidate. You interview well and certainly come across as an intelligent and thoughtful person.

We wish you the very best in your search for a career. Thank you for your interest in Arizona Lithographers.

Sincerely,
Renda

So, I am an intelligent, thoughtful person who is still unemployed. This is for the suck. Can a brother get a break? I feel more and more like Princeton from Avenue Q as days go by. It can't be that hard to find a job. Perhaps I am being too picky. I am about two steps away from applying at the Walmart by my house. This is a sad state of affairs.

And this unemployment thing is making me a serious wet blanket. It's become the dominating force of my existence, and I declare that lame. It is duck with lamesauce.

Bollocks.

Wuh tuh eff? Snake?!

I found this snake while I was cleaning about my room today. I would like to echo my title and say again, "Wuh tuh eff?"

I already have an anxiety about having my feet on the floor; I don't like thinking about what might be down there outside my range of vision. I do not appreciate your invasion, Señor Serpiente.

I commend myself on my wilderness/survival skills at catching this bad mammajamma. You may now refer to me as Jeremiah Johnson. My wardrobe shall consist of nothing but leathers and furs (all of which I killed myself), and I shall smell strongly of musk, the scent of Man.

I'll own that I am afraid of snakes. They creep me out. There is not enough to them. A spine and organs does not an animal make. I tried to figure out what kind of snake it was but to no avail. Any herpetologists out there?

But on an impulse I don't understand, I don't want to just let this snake go outside. In a weird way I want to tame it and teach it the ways of humankind. It could be my friend and ambassador to the Animal Kingdom.

I can do that without touching it, right?

New Library

I went to the grand opening of the new library that's within walking distance of the house I grew up in. I would have loved to have that there when I was a young chitlin. I loves me some library, so I anxiously awaited the announcement of its opening. The grand opening was finally announced for September 13th, so I made a point of going. It was nice, if a little dry. I did find myself disappointed by three things in particular, which I ranked in order of irksomeness.

1) The library itself is very small. Very few shelves and too much space given over to computers.

2) A prayer was said during the ceremony. I found this inappropriate at the opening of a government building. This is a clear violation of the separation of church and state. The sentiments expressed were nice enough, but the shrouding in religious language left a bad taste in my mouth.

3) The grand "opening" was held nearly two months after the library actually opened, which was at the end of July. I'd been watching the library website since June to see when it would open, but it was never posted. I'd been waiting for all that time for nothing. That is what upsets me the most.

Other than that, it is nice to have a library so close, even though I will probably not frequent it much at all. There are very few chairs or tables that are not for the computers. The whole place is essentially shelves and computer workstations, which disappoints me and leaves me nowhere to do any writing.

Phooey.