Hello 2008

The first Mail Art in 2008 from Carroll, in the mail slot today. Thank you!

One of my readers informed me just now via text messaging that I hadn't written anything and I was shocked to realize that I hadn't blogged all year!

[insert various "shocked" noises like "gach!" "shee-it"]

As it is my practice to never apologize or make excuses here, I am just going to have to end with that.

::

The City is breaking me in like a new pair of shoes.

I am realizing that my attitude towards things like "large crowds," long lines, stinky buses, urine-drenched sidewalks and congealed traffic are going to have to change, otherwise I am going to find myself walking around with a permanent scowl on my face. Did I mention how annoying those people are with the permanent scowls on their faces are? I have to tell myself that I could trade all that in for miles of featureless tract homes and a 40 mile freeway commute, then it doesn't seem so bad.

The People Watching is Stunning

The drunk teens stumbling on the late-night bus with the cans of beer clutched like a teddy-bear to their chests. The old women with the thinning hair, waiting like brittle twigs for their stops. The hoards of zombie-tired commuters in the evenings staring like refugees out the window. The delirious tourists with their maps and three-day passes in the hands and their funny, not-from-around-here hair. The wild men, the crazies muttering loudly to themselves, the dirt-crusted wanderers. The young mothers with toddlers swaddled in miniature parkas waddling across the street like so many giant quail.

I miss My Car

It would make getting groceries easier and traveling across town to my assignments, but having to be creative with my transportation is forcing me to be present on the streets. It has also inspired me to do lots of research on getting around on my lowly bicycles. I have been eating like a pig, but none of the weight is sticking, could it be that huge hill I live on top of?

The proverbial urban economic opportunities

On Thursday something happened that hasn't happened before in my "career" as an art teacher. A District administrator called me up and offered me a full-time job. It was so surreal that the significance didn't hit me until later. My nine years of professional working has been entirely populated with temporary jobs, part times gigs, job-shares, contract work, long periods of unemployment and various other random things. I can now take the quotations off the word "career." I accepted it, and the realization that they are going to actually going to expect me to work is hitting home, too. This is one of the major reasons I haven't wanted a real job. I like being a slacker, but being a poor slacker without the money for a bed is getting really old.

A few months ago the same Administrator called me up and offered me a 20% teaching position, I told him politely, no, and not to call again until he could offer me a full-time job. I had never heard those words coming out of my mouth before. The floor was getting hard.