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| I don't prioritize writing like I used do, and I feel like I've reached a point where it no longer seems meaningful to write things down on a published website. When it comes down to "what I gain" (writing practice, shits and giggles) and "what kind of shit I could get into" (a whole can of worms), that tradeoff is often not advantageous. Life seems to matter more now than before -- I remember how, when I was looking for work, I turned off a lot of the entries that described my previous day to day life in my summer jobs. Those were some of the better ones, I thought, and I'd hate to have censorship rob this journal of the flippant cynicism and honesty that has characterised a lot of what I have to say. I thought about it some more, though, and it might still be a generally good way to keep in touch with people (or at least let people passively keep in touch with me). Then again, this is probably just a fallacy of a Sunday morning somewhat bored mindset, because who knows whether I'm going to put forth the effort to pen regular updates.
Anyway, enough with the rhetoric.
I had sushi buffet last night and I am still full.
The most notable and recent development in my life has been the start of Allergy Season. This means itchy throats and violent sneezing in the morning, and, while I have not had occasion to lose much sleep at night yet, that prospect seems not too distant. In spite of this I plan to make the most of my spring.
I know my rather bleak preamble really kills the credibility of what I have to say here, but work has remained surprisingly pleasant. Though the same might not be said for "waking up at 7 in the morning" or "not having summer vacation," the actual work that I do has not been hard to get used to, and as I build more friendships throughout the company, I feel much less stranded out here. Work is enough of "work" so that it isn't a hobby and I wouldn't do it for free, but is not the extent of "work" that it becomes a daily pain in the ass, if that makes any sort of sense.
Work has also led to a number of agreeable self improvements. As I get more proficient at what I do, and as I get to better understand the company, its goals and philosophies, I've felt a corresponding growth in confidence. I have gotten pretty decent at keeping track of a lot of stuff at once, though often some things will still slip through the cracks until my manager reminds me. I've managed to develop extraordinary multitasking skills. For example, while brushing my teeth, I am also able to put on my socks.
It's a strange sensation, though, when it's no longer possible to pretend you're a kid anymore. Soon, and I can feel it, I will start to think about what I shouldn't be eating. Where I might buy a home. What kind of father I'll turn out to be. Man, that's kind of messed up. | | |
| Hey everyone,
I know, it's been a while and a half since I've even touched this
site. I put up that last posting without really caring if people
were going to read it. Seems like I missed a lot of well wishes,
and I hope I didn't come across as rude or ungrateful. It's not even so much
that I never find time on my hands. The desire to write my
thoughts just never really coincides with any ideas for what I would
care to write about.
Well, anyway, I'll give this another shot.
Talking about my life right now inevitably brings me to the subject of
work. Unfortunately, it's one of those subjects that aren't wise
to write much about on weblogs, especially when you care about it and
it's important that you keep it for a while. Don't get me wrong,
I really don't have anything negative to say. But I think you'll
agree that it's just completely unentertaining to hear that I'm rather
enjoying my job. I have no annoying bosses, loud neighbors, or
shitty hardware. The climate is moderate, the people are friendly, and
the hours are fair. I'm a little surprised that "real" work turned out
to be so unoffensive -- sometimes, I feel like I'm still waiting for a
catch.
Aside from the daily effort to be a contributing employee, photography
is really most of what keeps me busy. At least, it's the stuff
that I can either actually remember spending my time on or not
be embarrassed to tell other people about. Without trying to
shamelessly self-promote too much, I would encourage you to check out
my photojournal. I've gotten a brand new camera and a
more than reasonable share of new equipment since then, and while that's not indicate
of better photography, I do think I've improved since the time of last
writing.
Man, I'm amazed sometimes at the shit that manages to hide in your
pores. I'm pretty sure somewhere on my body there's part of a
ship stowed away. ...Haha, I guess that's pretty gross.
There's a lot more to say, but I'm not going to say it all this
time. I'm doing pretty well here, I think, finally getting
acclimated and all. Chicago and the area has been a pretty easy
place to get used to, and living alone has finally become more living
and less alone. Right now, I haven't got many complaints.
Kind of a sobering fact, though, is that when you're in the middle of
nowhere by yourself, there isn't much you can count on when things go
from bad to worse. There's really no better time to be living in
the present.
Hope everything is going as well as I hope with you all. If you
leave some words, I promise I'll check it this time. Miss you
guys.
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| So I am now established (in little more than the purely physical sense)
in the Chicago area, and have started my job. Things have been
hectic as I try to find time to read over stuff that independent,
responsible people are supposed to read over, buy stuff for my
apartment, and set up everything from bank accounts to car
insurance. I feel like saying that will more or less excuse the
fact that I haven't really been in Chicago proper aside from a quick
drive-by swing around the shore and an afternoon in Chinatown. I
do hope to make weekly visits though, once I have the public
transportation system here figured out, especially if I decide to buy
my new camera soon.
Work has been interesting, if still a bit confusing after the first
week. Despite the early mornings, the apparent lack of weekday
free time, and the fact that it's "work," I still find myself very
enthusiastic about being there, and am looking forward to the day when
I'll have the stuff I need to know figured out, and begin making real
contributions. It's a friendly, rewarding company with some great
philosophies, and I'm glad I made the choice to come here.
My apartment is nice too. It's a generously sized studio with a
dedicated "bedroom," a fantastic view, and in a location that seems
pretty close to just about everything you'd want it to be close
to. There is a great cheap grocer about 10 minutes away that
stocks all sorts of vegetables (even Asian) for extremely reasonable
prices without being overly shady. Another 5 minutes from that is
a large Asian store that differs from its Chinatown counterparts in
that it's just a bit more expensive at the benefit of being much
closer. Right next to that lies the "International Mall," where
you'll find, among other places, a great Chinese eatery that serves a
particularly authentic breakfast meal on weekends, in that the food is
cheap and delicious, and they don't accept credit cards.
Lastly, a minor, but very appreciated, nicety about the Chicagoland
area is that there seems to be a good assortment of fast food places
that don't exist in a lot of places. Yes, I am talking about White Castle and Chipotle.
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| It is with great pleasure that I come back from my weblogging sabbatical and present to you my latest project: .halcyon.
It's a "photoblog," essentially, set up using the decidedly kick
ass Movable Type publishing platform. I am hoping to be able to post
one picture that I'm happy with every day, in an effort to finally take
a serious approach to getting better at photography. I hope you'll all
go check it out.
Other than that, I am rather pleased to say that I have a job next year
halfway across the U.S. in Chicago. While it might be
far from home, friends, and really, everything I've come to know and
love, maybe it'll be a pleasant change of pace, and at the very least,
another experience to be appreciated. We shall hope for the best!
So, uh, anyone else gonna be in the midwest next year?
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| It has only been two weeks into this semester, and I already find
myself to be as drained as I was towards the end of last
semester. Having by now completely given up hope of ever really,
thoroughly enjoying any of my classes, I feel a little jaded about the
past few years of college, when more often than not I felt like I was
choking in a choleric tub of aimless pedagogy instead of pursuing an
interest that really stirs me. Before, I almost took it for
granted that school was pretty much supposed to suck, but now, I am
ever growing more convinced that that's not how it should be.
The previous paragraph, aside from being a testament to the worsening
sense of pessimism that has been haunting my recent thoughts, serves as
a fine reminder that I simply don't have anything worth writing about
these days. Though I've been doing a good job of it anyway, I'm
probably going to stay away from this until things change.
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