![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I had a pretty fun weekend, all things considered. On Saturday, I visited nearby friends to work on my resume and all the advice I've heard from other folks and websites *finally* sunk in because I was able to put it into practice. One of my friends is an organizational psychologist who works in Human Resources, so he was able to focus the resume to make sure each bullet point had a specific purpose and contributed to the 'story' that's being told by each position. It was really eye-opening, and I can't tell you how much I appreciated it.
Then we had lunch with Ian and Sean, which was a really fun time. The two pitchers of margarita helped, but also the company was just great. :) Sean is a wonderful, low-key person who's comfortable with himself and what he wants. Ian is frighteningly smart, but tremendously kind and silly in a way that really grounds him, if that makes sense. Afterward, we adjourned to Sean's place and watched the "Jerry Springer" opera...which was an experience.
The first act is an episode of the Jerry Springer Show, only operatic. The chants, the catchphrases, the really base name-calling...it all works here. What's fascinating is that the medium doesn't elevate the Jerry Springer Show; it recontextualizes opera so that you realize this is...just what opera is in a lot of ways. At the end of the first act, Springer is accidentally shot by a person of color wearing a diaper who actually meant to shoot members of the Ku Klux Klan on stage. The second act sees him reckoning with the consequences his panelists face after being on the show and then going to Hell. Only, it doesn't turn out the way you'd expect.
Satan tells him that there's going to be a very special episode of his show where he brings God and/or Jesus on to bury the hatchet...once Jesus apologizes. Even though Jerry is quite uncomfortable with the idea of mediating a millennia old religious conflict, he hates the idea of being punished for all eternity even more, so he gives it a shot. What ends up happening is this weird, vulgar celebration of the differences of opinion that need to happen in a vital, healthy society -- while also not letting Springer off the hook for how he exploits the worst people in their most vulnerable moments. It's quite something. My favorite opera, hands-down.
Between the first and second act I ducked out to participate in a Pokemon Go community day in downtown Mountain View, which was quite fun (and quite exhausting). I made my first-ever random Pokemon Go friend, and got the hang of how catching Pokemon works in the game. I'm quite pleased to say that I have a very 'special' Gardevoir with an attack that only folks who've fully evolved him during the community day get to have. Wow! I even have a 'shiny' version. :D
On Sunday, I helped Arnab move in his new boyfriend and their mutual friend. There were about seven of us, and we were able to empty out two box trucks in about an hour. It was good work, better company, all topped off with beer and pizza for lunch. I think it's really important to go out and help our friends and neighbors whenever we can, and it felt good to put that ethos into action. Learning how to reorient my focus to how much I can give is going to take a minute, but I really do think it's more aligned with the best version of myself.
Now, the sixth week of unemployment begins. I'm feeling pretty good about my chances for finding a new job, though! I really like the look of my resume, and my network is starting to activate in ways that get me through the door and into interviews. I'm moving forward with my online training, becoming more disciplined with my time management, and learning how to prioritize the things that are most important to me.
In under an hour I'll have my second phone interview with Udacity, who's looking to fill the position they've earmarked me for quite fast. The recruiter screening phone call wasn't quite as smooth as the one I had for Coursera, but I have greater reservations about Udacity as well. It looks like I'll be taking a bit of a pay cut if I get an offer, but I honestly don't mind that. Right now it's most important to land somewhere and really push myself towards learning how to be a better employee. This time off has allowed me enough time to reflect on my worst behaviors and tendencies; I'm looking forward to applying those lessons.
In addition to moving ahead with the job hunt, I'll be putting a lot more focus on writing this week. I've fallen a bit behind with various projects and putting my nose to the grindstone there will help put me more in a writer's frame of mind. I'm still burning away the method of procrastination slowly but steadily, but it's going to take more diligent effort to get to where I want to be.
I won't deny that I'm also just really nervous about my writing. I want to make sure I'm having the best effect I can, but I also need to remind myself that the act is more important than the result. Finding a way to pour myself into my words and put across the passion and hope I have within me is more important than making sure people are interested. I have control over how I write and what I'm putting in to it; I have no control over how people take it. While I can always take feedback and shift my writing to make sure it's closer to what folks need to hear, at the end of the day the act of writing, and falling in love with that, is most important.
Then we had lunch with Ian and Sean, which was a really fun time. The two pitchers of margarita helped, but also the company was just great. :) Sean is a wonderful, low-key person who's comfortable with himself and what he wants. Ian is frighteningly smart, but tremendously kind and silly in a way that really grounds him, if that makes sense. Afterward, we adjourned to Sean's place and watched the "Jerry Springer" opera...which was an experience.
The first act is an episode of the Jerry Springer Show, only operatic. The chants, the catchphrases, the really base name-calling...it all works here. What's fascinating is that the medium doesn't elevate the Jerry Springer Show; it recontextualizes opera so that you realize this is...just what opera is in a lot of ways. At the end of the first act, Springer is accidentally shot by a person of color wearing a diaper who actually meant to shoot members of the Ku Klux Klan on stage. The second act sees him reckoning with the consequences his panelists face after being on the show and then going to Hell. Only, it doesn't turn out the way you'd expect.
Satan tells him that there's going to be a very special episode of his show where he brings God and/or Jesus on to bury the hatchet...once Jesus apologizes. Even though Jerry is quite uncomfortable with the idea of mediating a millennia old religious conflict, he hates the idea of being punished for all eternity even more, so he gives it a shot. What ends up happening is this weird, vulgar celebration of the differences of opinion that need to happen in a vital, healthy society -- while also not letting Springer off the hook for how he exploits the worst people in their most vulnerable moments. It's quite something. My favorite opera, hands-down.
Between the first and second act I ducked out to participate in a Pokemon Go community day in downtown Mountain View, which was quite fun (and quite exhausting). I made my first-ever random Pokemon Go friend, and got the hang of how catching Pokemon works in the game. I'm quite pleased to say that I have a very 'special' Gardevoir with an attack that only folks who've fully evolved him during the community day get to have. Wow! I even have a 'shiny' version. :D
On Sunday, I helped Arnab move in his new boyfriend and their mutual friend. There were about seven of us, and we were able to empty out two box trucks in about an hour. It was good work, better company, all topped off with beer and pizza for lunch. I think it's really important to go out and help our friends and neighbors whenever we can, and it felt good to put that ethos into action. Learning how to reorient my focus to how much I can give is going to take a minute, but I really do think it's more aligned with the best version of myself.
Now, the sixth week of unemployment begins. I'm feeling pretty good about my chances for finding a new job, though! I really like the look of my resume, and my network is starting to activate in ways that get me through the door and into interviews. I'm moving forward with my online training, becoming more disciplined with my time management, and learning how to prioritize the things that are most important to me.
In under an hour I'll have my second phone interview with Udacity, who's looking to fill the position they've earmarked me for quite fast. The recruiter screening phone call wasn't quite as smooth as the one I had for Coursera, but I have greater reservations about Udacity as well. It looks like I'll be taking a bit of a pay cut if I get an offer, but I honestly don't mind that. Right now it's most important to land somewhere and really push myself towards learning how to be a better employee. This time off has allowed me enough time to reflect on my worst behaviors and tendencies; I'm looking forward to applying those lessons.
In addition to moving ahead with the job hunt, I'll be putting a lot more focus on writing this week. I've fallen a bit behind with various projects and putting my nose to the grindstone there will help put me more in a writer's frame of mind. I'm still burning away the method of procrastination slowly but steadily, but it's going to take more diligent effort to get to where I want to be.
I won't deny that I'm also just really nervous about my writing. I want to make sure I'm having the best effect I can, but I also need to remind myself that the act is more important than the result. Finding a way to pour myself into my words and put across the passion and hope I have within me is more important than making sure people are interested. I have control over how I write and what I'm putting in to it; I have no control over how people take it. While I can always take feedback and shift my writing to make sure it's closer to what folks need to hear, at the end of the day the act of writing, and falling in love with that, is most important.
