I'm still waiting for the start date of my new job. It's been 3 weeks since I signed the acceptance letters. Three weeks of sitting around, collecting unemployment checks, watching tv, getting annoyed by Barry and trying to find ways to occupy my time with minimum expense. To do that, I've been reading... a lot.

I bought a new book Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities, and I can't put it down. I find the stories jaw-dropping. Some out of utter ridiculousness and some out of complete rememberence. I am an Alpha Xi Delta, graduating class of 1995. I have been chapter president, house manager and served on the alumnae advisory board for three years. Even now my closest friends are my sorority sisters. While I wouldn't have traded my time in the sorority for anything, I realized that my entire college career revolved around the Greek system. I wonder how college would have differed for me had I remainded an independant.

Reading this book, I'm reminded of the activities of sorority life. Sure there were the parties, the hook ups, the cattiness of 40 girls living in the same house and the stuff that you hear about in bad made-for-tv movies, but there were also those nights where we hung out watching movies, or snacking in the dining room talking about nothing but having the best time.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Road Trip

I have begun compiling this mental list of Things To Do Before I Die. It's mainly places around the world to visit or obscure acts of non-conformity to experience. I came across this book (1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz)and as I flipped through it, I smiled proudly to myself when I saw that I could already check off items that I have already been to: The Alahambra in Spain, Stonehenge in England and Niagara Falls in Canada.

I was severely been bitten by the Travel Bug 4 years ago with by first trip to London, but I know that was only a matter of time. I was baptized in the Road Trip Religion by my parents when I was a baby. There are photographs of me as a 5 year old twerp sitting on the back of a donkey, both of us wearing a Mexican straw sombrero with Tiajuana on it, another of me holding on to my father's leg, terrified on the edge of the Grand Canyon and another of me squinting into the camera at the base of Lombard Street in San Francisco. I had arrived to all of these places in the back of a 1960-something Volkswagon Beetle from New Jersey with my parents and aunt and uncle. Apparantly my brother's early beginnings joined us, but I don't know how far along my mother was in her pregnancy.

In other trips, I remember walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with my mother's hand over my eyes shielding me from the exposed flesh. I saw the Jungle Room in Graceland and floated in the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile, Alamaba. I have been camping with my family in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and have spent hours on the beaches of Rincon, Puerto Rico with sand in my bathing suit. It would go against my inner fibers to stay grounded in one place for too long. Each road trip my parents had taken me on was like a mother eagle throwing her chick out of the nest to practice flying. Soon those test flights would give way to trans-atlantic journeys.

Demolition Man

Demolition Man, originally uploaded by bearclau.

The house is full of bangs and shatters, whirring of motors and the occastional, "Shit" coming from upstairs. I sit at the family computer, while my parents are renovating bathrooms and shampooing carpet. My only accomplishment today was brushing my teeth. My hair is still a mess.

Even Barry, my dog, is happily exploring the boundaries of my parents' backyard, pissing on every vertical object and piercing every round object with his sharp teeth.

It's not that I don't *want* to help, but I tell myself that I'd only get in the way. The bathroom is only so large, and I wouldn't fit with my dad in there hauling away at the tiles. My mom gets into Cleaning Mode where things have to be done Her way or no way. Since I don't often adhere to Her way, it's in both of our self interests for me to stay away.

Who Me??

Barry cracks me up.

Just now, he was watching me put stuff away when he let a squeaker fart loose. To his utter confusion, he perked up his ears and looked back at his butt as if to say, "What the hell was that?? Was that me?"

Yes, I can confirm by the smell that it definately was you.

 

Feeling Guilty

Mystery Dog, originally uploaded by bearclau.

For being so bored this morning that I put a sock over Barry's head. When I got up, he came to follow me and walked head first into the wall and my first reaction was to fall on the floor laughing in hysterics.

Waiting Game

I've accepted a contracting job. Not really the one that I want, but it was the one that was offered to me after one interview. I've done contracting work at this company before, so it will be a pretty smooth transition. According to my recruiter, the hiring manager said that the decision to select me was a "no brainer".

I still have hopes for the other company, though. I interviewed well with them and when I flat out asked James, the recruiter there what the interest was in me, he said that my name has been thrown around many times in staffing meetings and they were just looking to see where I could fit in. Except, I couldn't afford - both financially and mentally - to be out of work, so I reluctancy said yes to the contracting gig.

Now that I know that I'll be starting a new job next week, this week is going by very slowly. I've spent the afternoon browsing in Barnes & Noble (again) and tomorrow I'm going into NYC to meet my cousins for lunch. Maybe I'll go in early morning to see a museum or something. I jut hope that the weather warms up.

Safety Net

It's been just over two weeks since I've been laid off. That's about as long as I can go staying in one spot, doing very little to not waste my reserve finances. I don't know how long I'll be this way and now the looming responsibility of mortgate payments are hiding in the back of my mind. But I do have to drag myself out of the house for lunch dates with friends, roaming in the bookstore isles and matinee movies. I've started singing nonsensical songs to Barry just to hear my own voice. I have to start working again - either that, or go on another vacation. But I know I really can't afford that right now.

Some good news might be in sight. In those two weeks, I've been on multiple interviews for four different positions. Yesterday I was given an offer. I feel much better now knowing that an income will be coming in very soon. It is for a company where I have contracted before, so I feel pretty confident about it. But I have another interview tomorrow afternoon that I figure I'll still go on to see what happens. They already know that I have an offer, so I'm hoping that they'll be in a position to make a decision quickly. There is also a third company where I have already had 2 interviews. I contacted the recruiter there to see if they were still interested in me. When I told him that I already had an offer and needed to make a decision by Thursday, he was going to see if he can schedule the last interview for me in time.

My hope would be to have a choice. It's all about choices.