Ok, I'm in a full scale Joy Division wallow right now. This weekend I purchased the DVDs for Control and a documentary on the band. I watched the documentary last night. Mesmerizing. On my docket of books to read: Piece by Piece: Writing about Joy Division. I'll probably get their two albums at some point this summer, when finances allow. I'll write more about them at some point as I want to digest and analyze. But here's a video of their 1979 performance of She's Lost Control on Granada Television. Lead singer Ian Curtis has such an charismatic, eerrie presence.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Peace and quiet
For the first time since I started at the Guild, my obnoxious co worker MA wasn't there. What a difference. I could relax. Though most everyone in the office seems to like her, I think she's a black hole of negativity and stupidity. Friday she asked me how "Tear-rin" was spelled. I had never heard of such a word and asked her to repeat it to me twice. She was appalled that I had never heard of "Tear-rin"--she told it's the capital of Iran. I informed her of the correct pronunciation and spelling. She was embarrassed that she had mispronounced the word and she became passive aggressive and demanded to know where I might have heard such a pronunciation. I replied "NPR".
Blank look.
I hope she's out for a couple more days.
Tomorrow is my official first day at the Guild. I'm permanently employeed again.
Blank look.
I hope she's out for a couple more days.
Tomorrow is my official first day at the Guild. I'm permanently employeed again.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
I got hired
The Guild offered me the position today. I accepted. Monday will be my last day temping as I will be signing my hiring papers. Tuesday I'm come on to the Guild as an official employee. It's going to be difficult to make ends meet and save a few dollars to boot for a while, but I'll figure it out. I survived being fired just fine, so I can pull this off as well. And people throughout history have gone through far, far, far worst things than what I've experienced the past year so I should stop whining and buckle down.
I'm rewarding myself this weekend. I bought Control and a documentary on Joy Division. Tomorrow off to Skylight Books to get a book on Joy Division. And finally I'm going to buy a fedora. That's what I promised msyelf if I got the job from the Guild. Once I complete my little shopping spree, back to austerity. Good thing I have a high tolerance for Tina Burritos, lol.
I'm rewarding myself this weekend. I bought Control and a documentary on Joy Division. Tomorrow off to Skylight Books to get a book on Joy Division. And finally I'm going to buy a fedora. That's what I promised msyelf if I got the job from the Guild. Once I complete my little shopping spree, back to austerity. Good thing I have a high tolerance for Tina Burritos, lol.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Bad case of Homesickness this morning
I woke up around 5AM this morning and couldn't really get back to sleep. I was feeling quite homesick for NYC and I was wondering what the hell am I doing in LA? Obviously a reaction to my talk with Guild HR about the job I'm applying for. In addition I had a nice little chat with a New Yorker in my office about Penn Station and Grand Central Station.
After I got up to make my breakfast, I checked my email. My former boss in NYC emailed me to inform me that the head of the HSS IRB had contacted her about me. Earlier this week I had applied for an IRB job at HSS. My boss told me that I could easily walk into the position. I felt elated and in my reply I thanked her profusely. I then went on to inform my two other references in NYC that I had applied for the job at HSS. I think I needed to feel wanted and my boss' email fulfilled that need. I was a bit cranky and out of sorts my first hour at the office as I compared what would likely be a decently compensated position in NYC to what i would be doing at the Guild. Fortunately I got out of my funk by heading upstairs to take my very unchallenging tests. I did well. Now they have to contact my references. I'm feeling better about the Guild position and what I'll need to do to survive the next 6 months if I'm offered the position. But I'm still feeling quite ambivalent about my future here in LA. Perhaps if I can just get settled and make a few more friends or have some more outlets besides office, apartment and internet, I won't long so much for NYC. Anyway, if I get the Guild offer, I'll accept and carry on, but with an eye out for something better that may come up in New York.
Comfort and Thayne got the boot on So You Think You Can Dance. Big shock! I so hope judges pet Will gets the axe next week.
After I got up to make my breakfast, I checked my email. My former boss in NYC emailed me to inform me that the head of the HSS IRB had contacted her about me. Earlier this week I had applied for an IRB job at HSS. My boss told me that I could easily walk into the position. I felt elated and in my reply I thanked her profusely. I then went on to inform my two other references in NYC that I had applied for the job at HSS. I think I needed to feel wanted and my boss' email fulfilled that need. I was a bit cranky and out of sorts my first hour at the office as I compared what would likely be a decently compensated position in NYC to what i would be doing at the Guild. Fortunately I got out of my funk by heading upstairs to take my very unchallenging tests. I did well. Now they have to contact my references. I'm feeling better about the Guild position and what I'll need to do to survive the next 6 months if I'm offered the position. But I'm still feeling quite ambivalent about my future here in LA. Perhaps if I can just get settled and make a few more friends or have some more outlets besides office, apartment and internet, I won't long so much for NYC. Anyway, if I get the Guild offer, I'll accept and carry on, but with an eye out for something better that may come up in New York.
Comfort and Thayne got the boot on So You Think You Can Dance. Big shock! I so hope judges pet Will gets the axe next week.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
So You Think You Can Dance Top 12
Rankings: 1. Mark/Chelsie 2. Gev/Courtney 3. Joshua/Katee 4. Will/Jessica 5 (tie) Thayne/Comfort and Twitchington
Thayne looked hot tonight I thought, but he's toast, though I think Twitch deserves to got, but he's been pimped and probably won't make bottom 3.
Time for Comfort to go, but if Jessica ends up bottom 3, Comfort may last another week.
I really hope Will gets the boot next week. He's talented, but the judges have given him a free pass all season, it would serve them right to see Will get axed once all power switches to the voters.
Mary was great tonight--kept the volume under control for the most part and had some great comments. I like Mia Michaels, though she can be obnoxious. I wish Nigel would step down and Dan could take his place as a permanent judge.
Great to see Pasha tonight. I hope he gets to do another number this season. Rather see him than Benji.
Who'd thought that Tyce would create two of the best numbers tonight?
Going home? Easy, Thayne and Comfort.
Thayne looked hot tonight I thought, but he's toast, though I think Twitch deserves to got, but he's been pimped and probably won't make bottom 3.
Time for Comfort to go, but if Jessica ends up bottom 3, Comfort may last another week.
I really hope Will gets the boot next week. He's talented, but the judges have given him a free pass all season, it would serve them right to see Will get axed once all power switches to the voters.
Mary was great tonight--kept the volume under control for the most part and had some great comments. I like Mia Michaels, though she can be obnoxious. I wish Nigel would step down and Dan could take his place as a permanent judge.
Great to see Pasha tonight. I hope he gets to do another number this season. Rather see him than Benji.
Who'd thought that Tyce would create two of the best numbers tonight?
Going home? Easy, Thayne and Comfort.
Second thoughts and mixed emotions
Today I submitted my application for the entry level position at the Guild. The HR person gave me a brief overview of the position. It served as a reality check. I already knew that the pay was low and that benefits would not kick in immediately, but I learned that I would have to join an office workers Union and have dues remove each month as well as pay an initiation fee. And I was informed of what my yearly income would be starting out. It's lower than what I made my first year in New York.
Well, I did say I was willing to start all over again. So time to weigh the pros and cons:
Pros:
-I would be starting a job and hopefully a new career in a field I've always wanted to be in.
-AFter 6 months I can apply for internal positions, both in LA and NYC. The Guild prefers to promote from within. And the Guild has departments that especially interest me such as Awards, Research and Film Society.
-My commute will be a 15 minute walk to work.
Cons:
-The pay and union dues
-A number of the people who work there are, quite frankly, dead enders. They're there until retirment. I fear it could happen to me and I won't get out of that particular department--don't know if there's a prejudice against this department. On the other hand, I've heard of people who have left there and moved on to better positions within the Guild. So I guess I just have to pay those dues as well.
Tomorrow I take my tests--typing, filing, math, grammar. Hopefully I'll pass.
By the end of the work day, I've decided that if offered the position I'll take it. But if there are interesting jobs that open in NYC, I'll apply. And to supplement my income, I'll look for a part time weekend job--perhaps in a bookstore or maybe my current temp agency can find me some data entry jobs to do on saturdays at some office. Also, perhaps the Obama campaign needs some part time paid data entry people? Probably not, given the enthusiasm for him, I'm sure there are plenty of people who are willing to work for him for free.
Anyway, it was a bit of a shock when I heard about the Union dues and piddly wage I'll be making. For a while this morning I was considering accepting any decent offer that might come from Michigan, but I'm at peace that I'm going to be basically poverty bound for the next 6-12 months.
Well, I did say I was willing to start all over again. So time to weigh the pros and cons:
Pros:
-I would be starting a job and hopefully a new career in a field I've always wanted to be in.
-AFter 6 months I can apply for internal positions, both in LA and NYC. The Guild prefers to promote from within. And the Guild has departments that especially interest me such as Awards, Research and Film Society.
-My commute will be a 15 minute walk to work.
Cons:
-The pay and union dues
-A number of the people who work there are, quite frankly, dead enders. They're there until retirment. I fear it could happen to me and I won't get out of that particular department--don't know if there's a prejudice against this department. On the other hand, I've heard of people who have left there and moved on to better positions within the Guild. So I guess I just have to pay those dues as well.
Tomorrow I take my tests--typing, filing, math, grammar. Hopefully I'll pass.
By the end of the work day, I've decided that if offered the position I'll take it. But if there are interesting jobs that open in NYC, I'll apply. And to supplement my income, I'll look for a part time weekend job--perhaps in a bookstore or maybe my current temp agency can find me some data entry jobs to do on saturdays at some office. Also, perhaps the Obama campaign needs some part time paid data entry people? Probably not, given the enthusiasm for him, I'm sure there are plenty of people who are willing to work for him for free.
Anyway, it was a bit of a shock when I heard about the Union dues and piddly wage I'll be making. For a while this morning I was considering accepting any decent offer that might come from Michigan, but I'm at peace that I'm going to be basically poverty bound for the next 6-12 months.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Apathetic day
Today was pretty much a crawl as I went from home to work to lunch to work and home today without much thought or enthusiasm. Routine can make one a sleepwalker. I think my state of apathy had two root causes--one: I'm waiting for Wednesday to come around to find out if I'll be able to apply for the job at the Guild and two: Alas, I didn't leave the square this weekend, which I aim to do. Nothing like locking myself in my boundaries. I'm going to make sure that if nothing else, I get on a downtown bus saturday and visit the main branch of the public library.
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