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| the downhome skinnythis story starts with a bit of a backstory, so let me rewind the clock for a moment and take you backwards timewise.
tock tick tock tick
(the sound of a clock spinning backwards)
three weeks ago, a local community college offered me an interview to be a college geology professor, which seemed the ultimate of ultimate opportunities for a goofy, just-back-from-africa bumbler like me. so, i spent many an hour preparing a bomb presentation about my graduate research and hashing out my thoughts on my teaching philosophy and style and so forth.
the morning of the interview, i donned my professional pants, rehearsed my presentation for the umpteenth time, folded up my googlemap directions, and caught the train out to the university. i knew i needed to jump off the train and walk 1.5 miles to the interview, so i left more than enough time to get there.
well, wouldn't ya know, i walked 1.5 miles in the wrong direction ...then kept going. i guess my nervous energy clouded my sense of time because, glancing down at my watch, i thought, "hells bells! it's twenty minutes to my interview! i should BE there already!"
panicking slightly, i called my ever-gracious mom and asked her to googlemap me (from her office in cleveland, god bless her.)
"cynthia, ah..., you're 3.5 miles from your interview."
holy mother of bleeper.
seeing no cabs or busses, hyperventilating slightly, my mom encouraged zen breathing.
"can you run to your interview? 3.5 miles in 20 minutes?," she asked.
well, hell, even if i COULD, i'd arrive smelling like wild oxen hiene on a swampy african day. not exactly the impression i intended to make.
"well, then, cimmy," my mom soothed, "there's only one thing to do if you want to get to this interview on time."
shittaki mushrooms. seriously? seriously? i mean, catching a lifti to my tanzanian village was one thing, but this? refusing to pass up the opportunity of a lifetime, i swallowed a deep breath, swallowed my pride, and ...
ten minutes later, i bade farwell to ricardo, my new portuguese friend, sighed the biggest sigh of exhale kingdom, and walked into the university's front entrance. thank god for the kindness of strangers. thank god, thank god, thank god.
i absolutely fell in love with the university--the people, the community, and the feel of it. i felt so good about the interview, until a week later when the department head called and informed me that, while the decision was tough, they decided to go with another, more experienced candidate.
well, shoot.
i spent the bulk of last week wrapping my head around the idea of being a nanny. i began working and started visiting apartments in the city, meeting roommates, and checking out various neighborhoods.
"i can do this," i thought. "so what if i'm a nanny with a masters degree? i'll take some time for myself, relax into life, and settle into san francisco. maybe this is just what i need after the peace corps."
i sustained that feeling until thursday morning, when i hopped over to my ring-ringing phone and got a call from the university's department chair. she said they'd been so impressed with my personality that they reallocated funds to create a brand new position with me in mind.
huzzah!
i repeat, with exuberance, HUZZAH!
officially, i am the "director of the extreme science program," working with high school students and teachers through the university to get students excited about science (so they'll eventually pursue science in college). this is *exactly* the kind of position i've wanted for a really long time, and i'm really really excited to begin. i feel a bit dazed and incredibly blessed. ...but mostly really excited.
here's to ricardo!
i start in a week, and i've spent the last couple of days finding a reliable car and a fantastic cozy cottage, both which i found with relative ease.
can anyone say camping trip?
i didn't exactly intend on ending up with an s.u.v. (particularly not after i'd been dreaming of smart cars), but the used car market is flooded with 'em (wonder why in this economy), and i got my new ride for a really good price.
plus, just to top of this happy cake with a cheery cherry (that was a horrible line) i finished another hat:
katherine calls this one the "frasta" since its part french and part rasta. i think its a good bad-hair day hat, made for the nugget of a good girlfriend. unfortunately, i imagine my hat production'll decrease with my upcoming employment, but... who knows?
anywoot, just wanted to share the goods! im a career gal!
hugs to all,
cynthia
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| things i've learned in my recent unemployment:
there are alot (ALOT) of unemployed people out there. in ohio, about 700 HUNDRED people applied for ONE janitorial position. we unemployed could start a small, frustrated army, shaking our empty clenched fists at the proverbial man. thankfully, i find myself in good company, and i have several friends with whom i can spend endless hours hashing out interview strategies and retooling resumes.
if i were to scan through my sent mail and count the number of resumes and cover letters sent to prospective employers, i would reach the number (counting...) (holy cow, still counting...) 217. EGADS. after flurrying my resume through the universe, i landed several very promising interviews, donned my most respectable looking pants, and set forth to impress my potential employers with my intelligence and professionalism. unfortunately some didn't impress me back. in fact, one high school principal actually said, "i understand why my students learn mandarin, but spanish? i mean, what? are we supposed to be able to talk to our housecleaners?". i've never been one to hide my feelings well, and i'm still not quite sure how i left that interview without throwing a paper weight at his head. finding myself in the rather difficult situation of having to choose unemployment over a job i knew i'd hate, i held forth, stinking to my standards and paychecklessness.
thankfully, the fates had my back, the stars aligned, and my prancing employment dance proved fruitful, and ive found a great job working as a nanny in san francisco.
ive also found that unemployment is a fantastic time to try new things, such as learning how to rock climb or exploring wine country. on sunday, my gracious californian hosts and i explored the livermore wineries with our picnic basket in tow, and i had a wonderful introduction to bay area wine country. apparently this coming weekend is barrel tasting in sonoma, and i'm really excited to, ah, drink in a little more california culture. :P
when not soaking up the great outdoors, i'm most often found curled up on the sofa, knitting and purling to my heart's content. i dunno WHY i love knitting as much as i do. actually, i do. a nurse in new orleans explained that the brain waves produced whilst knitting mimic those produced by a yogi meditating. something about the constant rhythm of the needles' movement symmetrically aligned in front of one's face produce "alpha brain waves," which prove enormously calming for people with high-stung, type-a personalities. hem, hem. now, i haven't actually googled this to gain any factual support, but i'm trusting this nurse to know her stuff. well... hmm... (pause while googling). yup, turns out she was spot on. http://www.knitmagic.com/5.html apparently knitting staves off dementia, calms ADHD, improves cancer recovery, and alleviates stress. ...Plus you get cute hats out of it.
i finished a blue daisy mae hat for my friend katherine, with little pink stitches running across the brim. ah yes, breaking the mold, one meaningless yet adorable addition at a time! :P
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| im currently reading "fast food nation," which is quite a change from my recent david sedaris quippy delight kick. i have a sneaky feeling ill think twice before ordering 99 cent double cheeseburgers again, which is not to say that i WONT order them, just that ill take longer at the drive-up window. ...maybe ill feel differently after ive read more than 7 pages, though. :P
yesterday, i enjoyed the great outdoors with several friends, old and new. we drove up to the summit of mt. diablo, located a bit north and a bit east of the san francisco bay. reaching the summit, we savored a fantastic picnic lunch (turkey, havarti, sprout sandwiches YUM), then picked a moderate trail and set forth. we hiked from the summit of mt. diablo to the nearest peak, absorbing an absolutely gorgeous view of the entire bay area along the way.
after our hike, we ventured back home and enjoyed the most delicious meal i've had in weeks -- swordfish, ribeye, asparagus, sweet corn, and strawberries. after our meal, we sat around the fireplace, clutching coffee mugs against our satisfied bellies, and listening to aaron read poetry. the entire day felt decadently rich, devoid of mindless technological distractions, and shared with delightful company.
this morning, ive officially sprung forward, along with (most) of the rest of the country, and im personally looking forward to a little warm weather. ...not that i really ought to be complaining from california, huh, mom? :)
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| these boots are made for walking ...and walking and walking and walking
that's just what they'll do.
lemme take a brief pause and say sumpthin. i love my cowboy boots. love my boots. they're my lucky boots. they're my bad day boots. they're my first date / concert on the lawn / dancing at a bar / lasso a bull boots. hell, they're my job interview boots.
they've been to paris, amsterdam, orlando, cape cod, austin, philadelphia, iowa city, new orleans, las vegas, and san francisco. they didn't go to africa with me because i loved them too much. i protected them from tapeworm. they'll thank me one day.
they've seen me through unbelievable late nights and horrible morning afters. they've molded and morphed to my sole, and i feel a kinship with their sweet butter yellow leather.
they're fryes, which (for those not in the know) are the same boots teddy roosevelt used to outfit his rough riders back in the late 1800's. they're historic, they're noteworthy, and goddamn, they look good.
they're also the most expensive shoes i own. actually, second to my computer, they're the most expensive thing i own, period. (im not sure how i feel about that, other than to say that i don't own alot.)
so, you might imagine my major tristesse when last week, hiking through noe valley from yet another job interview, i literally lost my sole. my boot's bottom flapped up and down with every plod, giving the eery impression that my shoe was desperately, yet silently trying to speak.
what was one to do? thankfully, i found myself mere blocks from the gorgeous katerina's home, and i stumbled my way to her door and squeezed my size nines into her size sevens. it wasn't the most comfortable of solutions, but it worked.
with one swift google, i found the "instant shoe stop shoe repair shop" (a mouthful of a name), and i dropped my beloved babies off for some tender loving care.
the swarthy looking cobbler asked if i wanted a leather or rubber replacement sole, and, trying to stay true to my boot's nature, i requested leather. then, i paused and asked him which sole would last longer.
"ah, the rubber one, definitely. it'll see you about 50,000 miles more."
50,000 miles! good god, mister! give me the rubber one!
i don't know if i've even walked 50,000 miles in my lifetime. it's debatable. in any event, my new best friend was promising my boots a long and sturdy life, and i felt more than happy handing over my tired debit card.
40 bucks later and my boots look like they just emerged from their box, newborn cowboy babies ready to rodeo the world. hell, the cobbler even buffed and polished them. 40 bucks well spent. plus, in our throw-away consumer society, i feel like cobbling shoes is a very ecofriendly step. (haha, step.) two points for me.
~cynth | | |
| hats are funi am a hat making genius! ...and a huge dweeb. :)
i just finished this one tonight. i also did this one on circular needles, although i saved myself a lot of headache and got double pointed needles to finish off the top.
i made a brim on it with a garter stitch, then, just to amp up the girlishness (cause i am, in fact, a girl) i sewed on a cluster of knit daisies. i found a really cool tutorial on you tube here: felted flower tutorial
im debating if i want to felt it or not. ...i think i do. opinions?
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