My time as a carny is officially coming to an end. I'm extremely happy to be leaving spokane and our ghetto motel. It's located on Sprague Street and I recently found out that it is the second most well-known street for prostitutes in the nation! We actually did see a real-live one the other night, walking in front of our motel. It was pretty awesome, in a very funny way!
I am sad, however, for the experience to end. I definitely stepped out of my safe zone and I'm glad that I can do it successfully. I met a whole lot of wonderful people and had some really good times.
I will always remember the crazy cow kid who tried to jump off the stage in vancouver. I will remember partying it up with renee in downtown portland and driving to The Sand Bar in Moses Lake with 10 people in a van with no seats. I will always remember playing 'your team-my team' and telling crazy janitor pat to leave people alone. Never will I forget crazy anthony who tried to fight joe and rachel and said the famous "I know how to play pool. My grandpa plays for money!" And then there was spokane-hanging out with marmentrout, perfecting my juggling skills, meeting marissa (who is my twin, only younger, and my new bfff!), watching SuperBad for the 12th time with HOT Ben, and guarding all our valuables from stupid spokanites (they stole rachel's wallet, marissa's lunchable, and marbles, poppers, and magnetic wheels.
We are packing up tonight (say a little prayer for my feet, since I'm wearing flip flops!), and then I will drive to Boise tomorrow. It will be weird to have to make my own bed, but good to be home just the same!
Spokane...
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I do believe the last time I updated this thing in terms of fair life, it was when I was in Walla Walla. I also thing I promised a picture of an onion. Unfortunately, that never happened. Working 10 hour days does not leave much extra time for picture taking. But, have no fear, I have other pictures to share!
I am now in Spokane for the Interstate fair. It's a 10-day'er, which is LONG, but it is definitely the busiest one yet, which makes the day go so much faster. Supposedly, we are supposed to have crowds of 200+ people! YIKES! Here's hoping it goes well. I'm working with Rachel and Tammie's daughter Marisa. We are staying at the Park Lane Motel. Let's just say it's on the sketchy side. My room smells like 10-year old smoke and my sheets and pillow sheets don't match. For some reason, that bothers me the most! It's clean though, which I guess is the most important thing!
Tomorrow, I will take pictures of the exhibit (and me being awesome, of course!) so you all will know exactly what my job entails. For now, here are some from the past month.
These are pictures I took of the amazing flowers at the Clark County fair. This is still when I was working with Hailey.
Rachel and I decided to take a day trip to Coeur D'Alene! It was the perfect fall day.
This is me taking over the job as lifeguard of the lake. Good thing there was no one swimming!
Miss Megan Armentrout currently resides in the Spokane area and I'm so excited I got to see her. We went to dinner at this amazing Italian restaurant called Tomato Street. It was delicioso! Especially the house dressing. I even had to buy some to take home! 
Don't you just love the angel/cherub man posing on the ledge behind us? My favorite part of the picture!
Rachel and I decided to take a day trip to Coeur D'Alene! It was the perfect fall day.
This is me taking over the job as lifeguard of the lake. Good thing there was no one swimming!
Miss Megan Armentrout currently resides in the Spokane area and I'm so excited I got to see her. We went to dinner at this amazing Italian restaurant called Tomato Street. It was delicioso! Especially the house dressing. I even had to buy some to take home! Don't you just love the angel/cherub man posing on the ledge behind us? My favorite part of the picture!As for my life plan, I plan on moving back to Idaho Falls for the holiday season (October through December) and then moving to Portland in January. At this point, I'm worried about getting into PSU and then paying for it, but I'm taking it one day at a time. The less stress, the better!
The Journey continues...
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I am now in Walla Walla, WA. Apparently, it is the home of the best sweet onions. Ever. Too bad I don't like onions. There are even onion statues on the corners. I will post a picture of me and an onion very soon.
The Walla Walla fair starts tomorrow. It's definitely a bigger fair than Goldendale, and it should be a good time. Rachel will be in Ellensburg with Tammie and I will be with Erika. Good thing I love Erika. We will have an awesome time. I finally met Tammie. She's crazy and amazing. Basically just how I pictured her! I admire her for working hard to promote her business. It could be a pain in the ass and I am glad I'm not the one who has to do it.
On a completely unrelated note, my new TV obsession is Greek. I will have to buy the 2nd season in order to catch up with the 3rd season that just started tonight. Hopefully, this will be the only show I watch regularly.
And now, it is time for sleep. Busy day tomorrow! Here's hoping I don't dream about onions...
The Walla Walla fair starts tomorrow. It's definitely a bigger fair than Goldendale, and it should be a good time. Rachel will be in Ellensburg with Tammie and I will be with Erika. Good thing I love Erika. We will have an awesome time. I finally met Tammie. She's crazy and amazing. Basically just how I pictured her! I admire her for working hard to promote her business. It could be a pain in the ass and I am glad I'm not the one who has to do it.
On a completely unrelated note, my new TV obsession is Greek. I will have to buy the 2nd season in order to catch up with the 3rd season that just started tonight. Hopefully, this will be the only show I watch regularly.
And now, it is time for sleep. Busy day tomorrow! Here's hoping I don't dream about onions...
The here and now...
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"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
-Mary Oliver
I am currently living the life of a white collar carny. Hailey (my friend from college) needed a back-stage hand for two weeks while she traveled to state and county fairs with a children's theatre company. Diane (my wonderful and amazing life coach) told her I was unemployed, and so I found myself on a plane to Portland. That was two weeks ago. Since then, I took a job with another company that travels around to fairs (the owners of the 2 companies are great friends, hence the connection). Instead of theatre, however, I get to teach kids all about physics using cool mind-bogglers and puzzles. Today was my first day, so I will keep you updated, but so far, so good!
Current location: Goldendale, WA
Pretty much located in the middle of nowhere. The fair is 4-H central and we're basically the only entertainment. At least it will keep us busy. The people are a crazy, random mix. Half are hardcore cowboys, half are hardcore construction workers, and the ones in between like to wear baggy gym shorts.
I'm working with Rachel and she's awesome. Definitely on top of things, and I don't think she's used to working with someone who doesn't need to be supervised. Ah, if only all employees could be as amazing as I am (just don't look at my last two jobs as examples).
Our hotel is nicer than I thought. First impression was that I was going to have to put the dresser against the door and use my own blanket. Little did I know there was a brand-new addition, complete with flat-screen tv! One woman owns/runs the hotel and apparently, she does a good job. Kudos to her.
We're here until Sunday and then off to Walla Walla!
Life update: Big changes are coming soon. My new career plan is to become a teacher (high school economics or science), I'm moving to Portland in the next six months (with Mike and Brittany! and to go to school), and I hope everything works out the way I want and need it to. It's definitely about time.
-Mary Oliver
I am currently living the life of a white collar carny. Hailey (my friend from college) needed a back-stage hand for two weeks while she traveled to state and county fairs with a children's theatre company. Diane (my wonderful and amazing life coach) told her I was unemployed, and so I found myself on a plane to Portland. That was two weeks ago. Since then, I took a job with another company that travels around to fairs (the owners of the 2 companies are great friends, hence the connection). Instead of theatre, however, I get to teach kids all about physics using cool mind-bogglers and puzzles. Today was my first day, so I will keep you updated, but so far, so good!
Current location: Goldendale, WA
Pretty much located in the middle of nowhere. The fair is 4-H central and we're basically the only entertainment. At least it will keep us busy. The people are a crazy, random mix. Half are hardcore cowboys, half are hardcore construction workers, and the ones in between like to wear baggy gym shorts.
I'm working with Rachel and she's awesome. Definitely on top of things, and I don't think she's used to working with someone who doesn't need to be supervised. Ah, if only all employees could be as amazing as I am (just don't look at my last two jobs as examples).
Our hotel is nicer than I thought. First impression was that I was going to have to put the dresser against the door and use my own blanket. Little did I know there was a brand-new addition, complete with flat-screen tv! One woman owns/runs the hotel and apparently, she does a good job. Kudos to her.
We're here until Sunday and then off to Walla Walla!
Life update: Big changes are coming soon. My new career plan is to become a teacher (high school economics or science), I'm moving to Portland in the next six months (with Mike and Brittany! and to go to school), and I hope everything works out the way I want and need it to. It's definitely about time.
My first blog ever...
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Original posting date: May 09, 2007
I graduated from college exactly one year from this coming Saturday. If you had asked me on that day what I would be doing a year from now, I would have said that I would be getting ready to go to graduate school in Boston. I most definitely would not have told you that I would still be working at the job I've had for the last seven years. I would not have told you that I would be living with my uncle still to avoid paying rent so I could save money for grad. school (so much for that. The money I should have saved has pretty much paid for the four trips I went on this past year, in addition to my horrible fascination with eating out. Damn delicious food. I'm currently trying to be better. It's rough...).
If you had asked me six months ago what I would be doing today, I still would have told you that I would be getting ready to go to grad. school and start the newest chapter of my life. Let me tell you, things can change so much in six months. Hell, things can change so much in six days!
I am the type of person who always makes a wish when the numbers on the clock are all the same. I am the type of person who always hopes that things will turn out for the best. I am an eternal optimist. The clock currently says 11:11 pm. I was born on December 30, 1983 at 11:11 am. I, therefore, consider 11:11 (am or pm) to be my luckiest times of the day and I will religiously make a wish. The wishes I make at this time are never trivial. I wish for happiness. I wish for health. I wish that my mom figures out what she wants to achieve for herself and I hope she achieves it. I wish that my dad will one day quit smoking and I wish that he will be there to walk both me and my sister down the aisle. I wish nothing but good things on all the people who have come into my life and made it that much better.
Tonight I wished for clarity.
One of the most frustrating things about my current job is the lack of respect I get from certain people when they find out I'm still working there (I know I'm jumping around, but this is a process and who am I to interrupt the process?). I realize that working retail is not a glamorous job. Once again, it's not where I thought I would be today. When I graduated from high school, I told myself that by the time I was 25, I would be well on my way to being the vice-president of some Fortune 500 company. I told myself that I would be wearing the expensive suits and living in the high rise apartment and ordering the fancy, pricey drinks from the coffee shop on the corner or in the basement of the 50-floor building I worked in. I feel that I almost had the chance when I interviewed for the Gap internship in San Francisco. I wanted the corporate life. I wanted the money. I even wanted the stress.
Today, I don't think I want any of that.
Today what I want is for people to realize how much my crappy retail job has given me. It's given me the chance to develop leadership skills. It's given me the chance to break out of the shell of shyness I once had. It's given me some of the best friends, best experiences, and best memories I could EVER ask for. And, ultimately, it's given me the chance to realize what I truly want out of life.
I want freedom. I want the flexibility to be able to take a week off whenever I want and fly to Idaho Falls or fly to Las Vegas. I want the ability to be able to sleep until noon two or three days a week and not just on the weekends. I want the chance to meet new people every day and form lasting relationships with them that I know will last forever. I want to do something that makes me happy.
Right now, my job gives me everything I ask for. And while I may have days where I want to throw a stapler at a customer or where I have to eat two pieces of chocolate cake just to not think about what dumb fucks I work with, I also have days where we sit in the office waiting to call for radio station contests. I have days where I actually look forward to coming in at 6:00 am just because of the people who will be there with me. I have security in the fact that I know there will always be someone who will give me a high five.
Right now, I have the urge to tell everyone who ever questioned the fact that I STILL work at the same place to just fuck off! And I never tell people that.
The way I see it, I'm currently standing in the middle. To the right of me is the edge of inspiration (this is for Diane. We have such good conversations!!). To the left of me is the edge of frustration. Until something pushes me over either edge, I am happy where I am. I have a feeling I will get pushed over the edge of inspiration. Let's hope I'm right...
I graduated from college exactly one year from this coming Saturday. If you had asked me on that day what I would be doing a year from now, I would have said that I would be getting ready to go to graduate school in Boston. I most definitely would not have told you that I would still be working at the job I've had for the last seven years. I would not have told you that I would be living with my uncle still to avoid paying rent so I could save money for grad. school (so much for that. The money I should have saved has pretty much paid for the four trips I went on this past year, in addition to my horrible fascination with eating out. Damn delicious food. I'm currently trying to be better. It's rough...).
If you had asked me six months ago what I would be doing today, I still would have told you that I would be getting ready to go to grad. school and start the newest chapter of my life. Let me tell you, things can change so much in six months. Hell, things can change so much in six days!
I am the type of person who always makes a wish when the numbers on the clock are all the same. I am the type of person who always hopes that things will turn out for the best. I am an eternal optimist. The clock currently says 11:11 pm. I was born on December 30, 1983 at 11:11 am. I, therefore, consider 11:11 (am or pm) to be my luckiest times of the day and I will religiously make a wish. The wishes I make at this time are never trivial. I wish for happiness. I wish for health. I wish that my mom figures out what she wants to achieve for herself and I hope she achieves it. I wish that my dad will one day quit smoking and I wish that he will be there to walk both me and my sister down the aisle. I wish nothing but good things on all the people who have come into my life and made it that much better.
Tonight I wished for clarity.
One of the most frustrating things about my current job is the lack of respect I get from certain people when they find out I'm still working there (I know I'm jumping around, but this is a process and who am I to interrupt the process?). I realize that working retail is not a glamorous job. Once again, it's not where I thought I would be today. When I graduated from high school, I told myself that by the time I was 25, I would be well on my way to being the vice-president of some Fortune 500 company. I told myself that I would be wearing the expensive suits and living in the high rise apartment and ordering the fancy, pricey drinks from the coffee shop on the corner or in the basement of the 50-floor building I worked in. I feel that I almost had the chance when I interviewed for the Gap internship in San Francisco. I wanted the corporate life. I wanted the money. I even wanted the stress.
Today, I don't think I want any of that.
Today what I want is for people to realize how much my crappy retail job has given me. It's given me the chance to develop leadership skills. It's given me the chance to break out of the shell of shyness I once had. It's given me some of the best friends, best experiences, and best memories I could EVER ask for. And, ultimately, it's given me the chance to realize what I truly want out of life.
I want freedom. I want the flexibility to be able to take a week off whenever I want and fly to Idaho Falls or fly to Las Vegas. I want the ability to be able to sleep until noon two or three days a week and not just on the weekends. I want the chance to meet new people every day and form lasting relationships with them that I know will last forever. I want to do something that makes me happy.
Right now, my job gives me everything I ask for. And while I may have days where I want to throw a stapler at a customer or where I have to eat two pieces of chocolate cake just to not think about what dumb fucks I work with, I also have days where we sit in the office waiting to call for radio station contests. I have days where I actually look forward to coming in at 6:00 am just because of the people who will be there with me. I have security in the fact that I know there will always be someone who will give me a high five.
Right now, I have the urge to tell everyone who ever questioned the fact that I STILL work at the same place to just fuck off! And I never tell people that.
The way I see it, I'm currently standing in the middle. To the right of me is the edge of inspiration (this is for Diane. We have such good conversations!!). To the left of me is the edge of frustration. Until something pushes me over either edge, I am happy where I am. I have a feeling I will get pushed over the edge of inspiration. Let's hope I'm right...
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