Okay, maybe I'll talk to you.
I've missed this place. Quite a bit has happened since I last wrote in here, so let me refresh everyone's memory.
I left Davis for Santa Barbara in June. It was the first time I drove by myself, learning that the drive is not only long, but lonely as well. I managed to stay awake by slapping myself in the face (true story).
For the first month or so of Summer, I sat around the house, occasionally picking up the stray hour at the La Cumbre Country Club Tennis Shop, my high school job of preference. Unfortunately, that job is geared more towards high school kids, so I think they phased me out. That meant I needed to start looking for another form of payment. My father so graciously helped me find the Biltmore, where I started my long journey of interviewing for a waiting position. I think that's about as hopeful as I can make that sound. I made it through two of the total five interviews for the questionable summer job. They required five interviews for a person whose primary purpose is to move food from one place to another. Fortunately, I told them I couldn't really work Sundays, so they gave me a call kindly informing me that they went with someone else while I was on my lunch break for training at Nordstrom. Yes, that's right. In the time it took for them to get back to me regarding my third interview, I had two interviews from Nordstrom and was offered two positions.
Working for Nordstrom is great. The interview was terribly easy. It was the first time he ever interviewed anyone so he had no idea what he was doing. But he's a really good assistant manager.
Finally, a job where I can wear a suit and bow tie. That became my trademark, I guess. Just like the lab coat was my Physics trademark, the bow tie does that for me at work. It was also fortunate that I finally found my bow tie benefactor.
As many (all) of you may or may not know, I've worn bow ties on and off. It was always my goal to befriend a bow tie collector just as he was dying. Fortune struck early on, when the slightly unpleased grandchild of a bow tie collector was handed all 70 something bow ties well after his death. Willing and wearing bow ties, I graciously accepted the lot. Because of this, I have worn a different bow tie to work everyday and have still yet to repeat.
Working at Nordstrom has really broadened my fashion conscience. Having to dress nicely everyday has definitely helped me stretch my idea of "color coordination." What used to be dismissed as unthinkable now gets dismissed as "pushing the envelope." However, fashion (not the word Jayna would use to describe it...) comes at a price. It's also a downside that I work in a mall, so that's where my hours are consumed. I suddenly find reasons why I need yet another french cuff shirt (I don't have a solid one. Well, now I do). And at the end of the month, I watch my paycheck suddenly disappear.
I've made some great friends working there though. Even just in my department. Men's Shoes, by the way. If you're in the market, let me know. We do work on commission. Friends, right. I'd have to say that our department was more like a family. Corey, my manager, and Jason, the assistant manager, are like the father and mother. Corey has to be the weirdest person I've ever met, not unlike my own father. Jason is on the floor more, so he gets to deal with all the whining. Vince is a big brother, always looking out for everyone. Uncle Larry is deemed the uncle, mainly because that's what everyone calls him. He's like the bad seed that will take his neices and nephews out back and teach them to smoke. I seriously think he's trying to die faster. Sabino is the quiet one, but always thinking. Derek is hilarious, but always a bit slow on the uptake. Then just as I was leaving, we hired two new ones. Alex is a naive little brother, wide eyed and ready to learn. And Felicia is the rotten sister who everyone hates. Well, that's just me, but I'm pretty sure nobody else likes her either.
Outside the department, I really like Evelyn, Corey's wife. We've gone out to lunch together many times. The conversations are of endless fun. "Corey, I'm going to take lunch at 1 because I have a hot date with your wife." Working with Evelyn was Barton, our friendly gay skin care specialist. The two of them are hilarious. Also, somehow Barton convinced me that I need to take care of my skin, so I'm seeing how that all goes.
Right across from Men's Shoes is the entire cosmetics department, so there were lots of fun interactions. Fragrances is right next to us, so we always got to know those people well. My favorite was Corey, probably the sweetest person that works in the store. Also, she always smells remarkably like Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue.
I should stop just listing names because that's boring. Jayna told me that I need to stop being boring.
Summer has apparently ended. I'm now no longer working at Nordstom, but living in Davis. Perhaps you might ask, "Where in Davis?" Well, my reply would be "Hallmark Inn, 110 F Street." Right next to the train tracks, on which trains, such as the one that is currently tooting, like to ride. This will be my home for the next month, in which school will effectively begin. Have no fear though, I'm not paying for it. I probably should explain.
When we signed our lease back the many months ago it was, we signed a contract saying that we would live in the housing they would provide. One minor problem was that they actually didn't have any housing for us. All they had was a big pile of dirt that they promised would be quite habitable by our move in date, September 23rd. Well, today is September 23rd and it is not at all habitable. To accommodate their apathetic college student tenants, they offered to put us up in hotels for the month that it would take for the builders to finish. Fine by me. Not only that, but the hotel comes with a free hot breakfast and is closer to campus than our apartment. Also, they're giving us $70 a week per person for food since we can't cook, paying for storage units since we don't have a place to put stuff, and paying for movers when we actually do move in. On top of all that, we don't have to pay rent until January 15th. Not a bad deal, especially since we don't really care that our apartment doesn't exist.
So that's what I'm doing right now, plus what I did this summer. Oh right. Jayna and Shane got married. It was a beautiful wedding that took up their entire summer. I was supposed to slave away writing music, which I did to some extent. It was just really fun to see Jayna stress out even more.
Well, it's been a while since I've written here, and I know. But that should be enough for today. I need to start getting back in the groove. This quarter should be killer. I think I'm signed up for 17 units as well as work. Same work, different place. I'll talk about that when it actually happens though. I should get to bed, as it's a big day tomorrow. Oh, it's always a big day in my life.
I left Davis for Santa Barbara in June. It was the first time I drove by myself, learning that the drive is not only long, but lonely as well. I managed to stay awake by slapping myself in the face (true story).
For the first month or so of Summer, I sat around the house, occasionally picking up the stray hour at the La Cumbre Country Club Tennis Shop, my high school job of preference. Unfortunately, that job is geared more towards high school kids, so I think they phased me out. That meant I needed to start looking for another form of payment. My father so graciously helped me find the Biltmore, where I started my long journey of interviewing for a waiting position. I think that's about as hopeful as I can make that sound. I made it through two of the total five interviews for the questionable summer job. They required five interviews for a person whose primary purpose is to move food from one place to another. Fortunately, I told them I couldn't really work Sundays, so they gave me a call kindly informing me that they went with someone else while I was on my lunch break for training at Nordstrom. Yes, that's right. In the time it took for them to get back to me regarding my third interview, I had two interviews from Nordstrom and was offered two positions.
Working for Nordstrom is great. The interview was terribly easy. It was the first time he ever interviewed anyone so he had no idea what he was doing. But he's a really good assistant manager.
Finally, a job where I can wear a suit and bow tie. That became my trademark, I guess. Just like the lab coat was my Physics trademark, the bow tie does that for me at work. It was also fortunate that I finally found my bow tie benefactor.
As many (all) of you may or may not know, I've worn bow ties on and off. It was always my goal to befriend a bow tie collector just as he was dying. Fortune struck early on, when the slightly unpleased grandchild of a bow tie collector was handed all 70 something bow ties well after his death. Willing and wearing bow ties, I graciously accepted the lot. Because of this, I have worn a different bow tie to work everyday and have still yet to repeat.
Working at Nordstrom has really broadened my fashion conscience. Having to dress nicely everyday has definitely helped me stretch my idea of "color coordination." What used to be dismissed as unthinkable now gets dismissed as "pushing the envelope." However, fashion (not the word Jayna would use to describe it...) comes at a price. It's also a downside that I work in a mall, so that's where my hours are consumed. I suddenly find reasons why I need yet another french cuff shirt (I don't have a solid one. Well, now I do). And at the end of the month, I watch my paycheck suddenly disappear.
I've made some great friends working there though. Even just in my department. Men's Shoes, by the way. If you're in the market, let me know. We do work on commission. Friends, right. I'd have to say that our department was more like a family. Corey, my manager, and Jason, the assistant manager, are like the father and mother. Corey has to be the weirdest person I've ever met, not unlike my own father. Jason is on the floor more, so he gets to deal with all the whining. Vince is a big brother, always looking out for everyone. Uncle Larry is deemed the uncle, mainly because that's what everyone calls him. He's like the bad seed that will take his neices and nephews out back and teach them to smoke. I seriously think he's trying to die faster. Sabino is the quiet one, but always thinking. Derek is hilarious, but always a bit slow on the uptake. Then just as I was leaving, we hired two new ones. Alex is a naive little brother, wide eyed and ready to learn. And Felicia is the rotten sister who everyone hates. Well, that's just me, but I'm pretty sure nobody else likes her either.
Outside the department, I really like Evelyn, Corey's wife. We've gone out to lunch together many times. The conversations are of endless fun. "Corey, I'm going to take lunch at 1 because I have a hot date with your wife." Working with Evelyn was Barton, our friendly gay skin care specialist. The two of them are hilarious. Also, somehow Barton convinced me that I need to take care of my skin, so I'm seeing how that all goes.
Right across from Men's Shoes is the entire cosmetics department, so there were lots of fun interactions. Fragrances is right next to us, so we always got to know those people well. My favorite was Corey, probably the sweetest person that works in the store. Also, she always smells remarkably like Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue.
I should stop just listing names because that's boring. Jayna told me that I need to stop being boring.
Summer has apparently ended. I'm now no longer working at Nordstom, but living in Davis. Perhaps you might ask, "Where in Davis?" Well, my reply would be "Hallmark Inn, 110 F Street." Right next to the train tracks, on which trains, such as the one that is currently tooting, like to ride. This will be my home for the next month, in which school will effectively begin. Have no fear though, I'm not paying for it. I probably should explain.
When we signed our lease back the many months ago it was, we signed a contract saying that we would live in the housing they would provide. One minor problem was that they actually didn't have any housing for us. All they had was a big pile of dirt that they promised would be quite habitable by our move in date, September 23rd. Well, today is September 23rd and it is not at all habitable. To accommodate their apathetic college student tenants, they offered to put us up in hotels for the month that it would take for the builders to finish. Fine by me. Not only that, but the hotel comes with a free hot breakfast and is closer to campus than our apartment. Also, they're giving us $70 a week per person for food since we can't cook, paying for storage units since we don't have a place to put stuff, and paying for movers when we actually do move in. On top of all that, we don't have to pay rent until January 15th. Not a bad deal, especially since we don't really care that our apartment doesn't exist.
So that's what I'm doing right now, plus what I did this summer. Oh right. Jayna and Shane got married. It was a beautiful wedding that took up their entire summer. I was supposed to slave away writing music, which I did to some extent. It was just really fun to see Jayna stress out even more.
Well, it's been a while since I've written here, and I know. But that should be enough for today. I need to start getting back in the groove. This quarter should be killer. I think I'm signed up for 17 units as well as work. Same work, different place. I'll talk about that when it actually happens though. I should get to bed, as it's a big day tomorrow. Oh, it's always a big day in my life.
Alright! He's BACK! That blog was entirely too long, especially since i already knew half of it! ah well. =)