It has been a rather eventful few days for Georgia Gen X. Weekend in PN with a day trip to NYC and newness for everybody. Jake has now met the immediate family; seems delayed, but circumstance is circumstance. We look forward to future weekends as well. For me the weekend was over shadowed by need to make decisions; with a few job offers on the table and negotiations starting it was a good time to seek some advice and reassurance. There are a couple new jobs, which will lead to an interesting and likely challanging next month.

Election Day Election Day. How will things change? How will they stay the same? Should we be afraid, relieved, or leave? A radio station in Atlanta will pack up and drive to the boarder anybody who is serious about leaving the country if their candidate does not win. I thought that would help our move to Alaska, and we could say we will move if Bob Barr doesn't win. Too bad now is not the time. I have voted, but I still don't know who I would prefer to win. Thus far in my voting experience nobody for whom I have voted has won, so perhaps I voted opposite this time. Perhaps I really do agree with the policy of one party over the other.

Bloggin: I guess it does not have to take more than five minutes, I see that many people are interested in what someone they care about has to say, even if that person thinks it's not interesting, and I have neglected it. I was reading through some old e-mails today, mostly responses to things I wrote while in Thailand, and people were interested. Now I may not be in a foreign country (though Georgia can feel very foreign at times), but I certainly have monumental things happening. Marriage, living with a boy, searching relentlessly for a job, tutoring a girl from Liberia who has trouble focusing in math, and experiencing the south. Surely I can spare five minutes every day to record some thoughts! Here are the thoughts for today, and they are BLEAK.

No way in hell am I stading in line for 3-5 hours to vote for candidates that I don't like or respect, and if I were to vote the way I'd like to vote, independantly, it would make ZERO impact anyhow. Nobody votes for the third party in this close of a race, but it's not really that close of a race. One is ahead in every battleground state and significantly ahead in states where the most educated are, sorry Alabama. So much for third party politics.

It's Halloween, a girl dressed as a Coca Cola (fitting for ATL) can just walked out the door and I saw a bunch a grapes walking down the street. Probably my number two favortie holiday becuase people's creativity shines and there is an air of goofiness; so much more fun. I'd love to go out dressed as something outrageous, but my date is at work.

i'm becoming a girl! two weekends in a row, i have met with a girlfriend to do some shopping and have a meal. both are most enjoyable and excellent shopping buddies; giving the right advice and discouraging a purchase when needed. Dolly and i have excellent conversation about a great many things and laugh at the plight of life. she has educated me on the history of her culture and i hope she has found in me a person who is truly interested. Marni and i also have excellent conversation and laughter again at the plight of life. we do spend many minutes hopelessly trying to understand others. i will be sad to be distanced in geography from these two. they have taught me an important lesson; be less picky. neither of them would ever go hiking or camping with me, but Dolly and i have played volleyball and Marni and her family snowboard. all interests don't have to be the same, just enough to keep the conversation flowing and to have a few laughs. yes it's fun to have somebody to do things with, but there are different people with which to do those things. i think, with friends, at the end of the day, it's not about doing things, it's the conversation. finding common ground, an understanding, the empathy that an everlasting friend provides. i have found this to be a rare. in fact, thus far i believe i have found it once, nay twice. i am working on three through six. it will be effort to keep up on five and six as the distance grows, but it is worth the effort. this has turned into something a lot more philosophical and sappy then how i have had fun shopping! i guess the major point is that in spite of the horror that is the workplace, good has come out of it.

53 days. 53 days and i can walk out of the building for the last time and look ahead. i will never have to look back. i will never have to grit my teeth, hold my tongue, and bear the wrath of an insecure, scatterbrained, control freak. how many people in this country and in the world drag themselves through misery every day? how many complain about their boss to their significant other? how many arrive home feeling belittled and helpless. i would use the word harassment, but that seems a touch strong. however according to dictionary.com 'harassment' is defined 'to disturb persistently'; that's precisely the feeling. there is a disturbance in my being and it will persist until that being is removed from the source. it's like a tick. they suck your blood, filling their needs with your pain. when you try to flush the tick, it will not die, it will simply flow on finding the next victim.

discrimination is another word. there is racial, sexual, age, etc. but what about discrimination against intelligence? perhaps it's jealousy, perhaps it's anger against the new generation and the fear of being made redundant. PERHAPS i should cease to ponder on such things because at the end of the day, it's entirely not worth my energy. a company that treats it's employees as though they are dispensable. aye, there's the point! i do not wish to be dispensable, i am worth much more than that, and should not be employed by such a company.

winter in the city that never wakes; the wind howls through the cracked window left open in hopes of replenishing a room devoid of moisture. on the walk to work the wind penetrates layers as localized cyclones swirl trash and forlorn leaves into dizziness. on the pitch black walk home the wind's fierce bite nips at my heels. faces are a picture of chill and detachment. dark drab pea coats shield tired tower troops returning to their inverted trenches; another day defending the battlements. expressions depict lackluster and disinterest in the cold. as suburbanites hasten to their warmed desks and their brewed coffee, i wonder what has happened to colour and smile. as the ground freezes, so do the people. faces frozen into displeased expressions; the brightness of the summer lost in trendy acceptable hues.

as a keeper of information, especially paper information, when i am struck with something that i don't even know how to classify; i'm thrown into a bit of a conundrum. when the information is within my own head and i still fumble with the filing, it becomes increasingly frustrating. recently i gained a bit of information, knowledge if you will regarding a coworker. this tidbit floated around in the unkempt space with all of those other random facts for some weeks. i couldn't get it to settle down and find it's place. do i put it in the 'i feel sorry for her category', the 'she should have known better and i should just get over it category', or the 'what am i doing not helping people like that because they have bad role models and don't know any better so i'd better get out there and make something of myself right now' category. after awhile another coworker discovered this information as well, she knew where to file it right away. she said 'i feel sorry for the outcome'. my confused system found a folder for the file quickly. she was right, why was i beating myself up over the action when it's the consequence that will suffer, and instead of changing an already determined factor, why not make an attempt on the innocent and defenseless? if an untainted mind and soul can be spared from a lifetime of poor examples, then that's where my heart should lay. i should have few qualms about letting the determined demise themselves. this is all i have to say about it. it disgusts me, yet it inspires me to be more. tomorrow; the wind!

<------ the UT marching band, PHEnomenal. i don't know what they played, but they could sure march!

ok. the scoop. as many of you know, there were rocky beginnings here in Minneapolis. i was working with one temping agency, and that didn't work out as their clients were less than savory and boneheads for the most part. i began working for dolphin staffing in march. i am still working there as the Human Resources Assistant. if it's paper or needs a procedure, it's probably mine. it took some time for me to get comfortable and start to get to know people. but little by little things happened, and there was need to talk. i identify very well with Emily. she was working in HR, but right around the time i was hired she was promoted to a staffing consultant for the medical staffing company within dolphin family group. (it's a very confusing company, and all of that paperwork........bleck). anyhow, we still worked very closely together, in terms of physical distance; her office was a mere ten feet from the desk where i sit. so we got to know each other more and more. she decided to return to wisconsin and take advantage of parental rent rates (by which i mean zero, we are very privileged children) in order to pursue her true passion; Opera. she has a master's degree in operatic performance and wants to give it the mature try. she's moving along since she left. well, she comes from a large family, six children to be exact, and she is the second youngest. the youngest is a boy. he lives in Atlanta, GA. he works in the oil industry. he came to wisconsin for a week to help their parents move and ended up coming up to Mpls to help Emily move. i also helped Emily move. i ended up going to Potosi, WI for the weekend to help move some more. we hit it off right away. according to Cingular i spent more than 6000 minutes on the phone in the month of september, thank the satellites for unlimited mobile to mobile calling. this past weekend, Emily and i both traveled to GA to visit and to venture to the University of Tennessee to watch a less than impressive team win on a missed field goal; giving the Vols a shot at bowling. but the highlight of the weekend of course was not the crowd's eruption when the pigskin veered left, but the simplicity of sitting on the coach next to him and not having to talk. after 6000+ minutes, frankly, i was running out of things to say! his name is Jake. he says the right thing at the right time, he will take me to a Shakespeare play on Saturday and throw the frisbee with me on Sunday.

now. i know that some of you are wondering about this mystery man that i have been talking to since i left Thailand. we have agreed to be friends. when i told him that i have met somebody else and he shouldn't wait for me anymore, he said 'i only want you to be happy'. the perfect gentleman as always.

yes, our eyes are black, i find it more spooky than the red. but he insisted that i 'am so beautiful' you won't notice. so stop staring and look at how happy i am! (and relieved, all those minutes to find out it wouldn't work would have been most uh...disappointing, depressing, devastating.)

so, here i sit in a very different place than the setting for writing all of this blog. in the last year i have written very little, blog and otherwise. it is sad i think, but i feel there is less to see, hear, and smell here in Minneapolis. except for one corner where one can make out the stench of the sewer below, but it's not that good tropical odor. one can identify remnants of chilis and fish sauce, but also the sweetness of twenty different fruits. on the corner of Nicollet Mall and 2nd street, at the south east side of the library, where the non-blue collar workers of the city wait for the rumbling buses, i cover my nose and mouth as it reeks of American diet waste. the colours are more dull, clothing less vibrant and hardly individualized, and everything is so controlled by the unforgiving culture in which we live. everybody is moving; ALL the time. when do people slow down and smell things? i stop and smell flowers at the Thursday farmers' market here and people glare at me; in Pattaya they smiled. am i over sensitive? or do i just miss the laid back, take it as it comes atmosphere of Thailand? hmm.

well a little catch up in where things stand in my life. the van is still running well, she is quite a trooper; made it through a visit to hilly southern Wisconsin. i was camping with a friend that i met at work, who has since moved. we had a campfire and went for a morning walk around the family land. then is was back to work. work has been moving along. every day is a new day at Dolphin Staffing. there is always something to change, something to update, or a new procedure to write. some days it is busy, some days i twiddle. today was busy. tomorrow will be busy. Thursday i will be waiting. we will talk about the weekend later. it is fall, the leaves are changing, and the future seems closer then ever before.

just testing to see if this works, as i haven't tried for some time. :) perhaps i will get back into writing if it does work....

So again it has bee some time since I have written here. I am hoping that all who have read this in the past know that I have decided upon Minneapolis to make a new life and home. The past month and a half have been full of new things and changes. I have done this all before and somehow this time it seems more permanent and a bit scary. The car mended and an apartment to live in, and a job to make things work. I haven't lived in the same place for more than nine months in five years and signing a year lease was quite an accomplishment. The key was finding a place that I adore. I look forward to going home, no matter where I've been. It is quiet, peaceful, has a fantastic view, and nobody else lives there! The laundry facilities are excellent, there's a small gym in the basement, and a coffee shop on the first floor. Everything I need really. And leaving in the morning I have noticed people my age, so perhaps friendships. We shall see there. I find it increasingly difficult to find positive thinking people who are honest and interested in new people. It seems that everyone I have come across thus far is stuck in a rut and unwilling to make a change. It makes me wonder if frequent moves and no long term jobs have been the easy road out for me for all these years. My thoughts are quite scattered today.

This afternoon I took a walk along the Minnehaha Creek south east of the city. There's a path along a winding creek that runs nearly parallel to the Mississippi. Others were out with kids and dogs; one group was having a barbecue in a valley. The smell reminded me of tailgating. It was a nice walk, snow still on the ground in some places, the creek gurgling, and plenty of stones for skipping. I forget about skipping stones when there are no stones and no water on which to skip them. Such a simple pleasure when we come across the opportunity. I wonder if there are stone skipping contests anywhere. I think Grandma Irish would win though! The ducks were not happy as I interrupted their eating to skim the stones down stream. I even managed a few "chugs". It's difficult when the area of the water is so small!

Bad news for the weekend is that State lost in the second round last night, but it was to UNC ranked #1. Perhaps they go on and win, and then State will be fine. My hero Drew Neitzel carried the team with about thirty points, assists all over the place, and MVP for the season to State. He's really carried the team for this year and the last few years as well. He's got another year and then hopefully the NBA will take him. Aimee thinks I'm nuts.

So again it has bee some time since I have written here. I am hoping that all who have read this in the past know that I have decided upon Minneapolis to make a new life and home. The past month and a half have been full of new things and changes. I have done this all before and somehow this time it seems more permanent and a bit scary. The car mended and an apartment to live in, and a job to make things work. I haven't lived in the same place for more than nine months in five years and signing a year lease was quite an accomplishment. The key was finding a place that I adore. I look forward to going home, no matter where I've been. It is quiet, peaceful, has a fantastic view, and nobody else lives there! The laundry facilities are excellent, there's a small gym in the basement, and a coffee shop on the first floor. Everything I need really. And leaving in the morning I have noticed people my age, so perhaps friendships. We shall see there. I find it increasingly difficult to find positive thinking people who are honest and interested in new people. It seems that everyone I have come across thus far is stuck in a rut and unwilling to make a change. It makes me wonder if frequent moves and no long term jobs have been the easy road out for me for all these years. My thoughts are quite scattered today.

This afternoon I took a walk along the Minnehaha Creek south east of the city. There's a path along a winding creek that runs nearly parallel to the Mississippi. Others were out with kids and dogs; one group was having a barbecue in a valley. The smell reminded me of tailgating. It was a nice walk, snow still on the ground in some places, the creek gurgling, and plenty of stones for skipping. I forget about skipping stones when there are no stones and no water on which to skip them. Such a simple pleasure when we come across the opportunity. I wonder if there are stone skipping contests anywhere. I think Grandma Irish would win though! The ducks were not happy as I interrupted their eating to skim the stones down stream. I even managed a few "chugs". It's difficult when the area of the water is so small!

Bad news for the weekend is that State lost in the second round last night, but it was to UNC ranked #1. Perhaps they go on and win, and then State will be fine. My hero Drew Neitzel carried the team with about thirty points, assists all over the place, and MVP for the season to State. He's really carried the team for this year and the last few years as well. He's got another year and then hopefully the NBA will take him. Aimee thinks I'm nuts.

well, according to Mark, I am 'bad' at this updating thing, though not as 'bad' as Scott. yipee. it simply seems that my life is boring, why would anybody want to read about it?!

Alas I am wrong, and things at the moment are not terribly boring. I am currently at Sandy and Mark's 'you need a place to stay? we got beds!' Inn. Thanks to them for being helpful when we are in need. Anyhow I am here in order to have an official interview (scary) at a company in Northbrook, near Evanston, that does cross cultural training for people who move overseas. It just so happens that Sandy did some training with this company when they made the move to Singapore and found it pricelessly helpful. I am interviewing for a position as 'Administrative Assistant' to the sales team (five people), the marketing team (one person), and the Senior Vice President. I would do lots of presentation prep for the sales team, research and data analysis for the marketing person, and day to day needs for the SVP. I am super excited about the positino and the company because I think it's a great fit for me, my background, and my desire to get started in the industry. I would learn loads and loads about a billion different things. So that's tomorrow. We have the celebratory beers all picked out. Firday I am meeting with an HR person at a Target store just to chat about the HR field. And the store is in Evanston, a suggested place to live. So perhaps I'll have a little look see at apartments, etc. It's all most exciting. Not quite the smelly doldrum of painting the interior at the Maywood house, or waiting around last week until the day I was able to call the company back and set up the interview.

Christmas was good, New Year's a blur until the greasy pizza at four AM with the infamous Larry and Suedy. Ice skating at the marina has been the upper of a snowless UP. What is it about gliding across the ice, but only ice formed atop several feet of freezing cold water which in seconds could plunge one's body into shock? magic I am concerned about the UP's economy this winter. What are businesses going to do without skiers and snowmobilers?

OK. Sore back and the daily show. They took me out for a most fabulous Thai dinner. I ate too much and impressed with my intsy vocabulary. Fabulous. (if only i could write Thai and this keyboard had Thai script...)

the trip. Some of you will know that I spent last week visiting various people. I started off from Escanaba last Friday, drove to Ann Arbor where I stopped for dinner with Corey, Jenelle, and Anthony. It was a nice dinner and a great break for the driver. My jaw was on the floor the entire time because of all the young people all over the streets in AA. It's just not like that here in cold, elderly inhabited Escanaba. Back in the car I headed towards Cleveland. Aimee (my college room mate) lives on the Southeast side of the city, right next to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and works at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. We talked a lot, spend a day at the zoo, went to a play, went on a seven mile hike, and watched baseball. We also went to Starbucks twice. No, it's not only about the coffee. Need a nice place to sit with decent atmosphere, newspapers, and internet? Starbucks, where great coffee is a bonus. :) I picked up a brochure about emplyment there. I have looked at their website already. I'm thinking international market research; send me to Timbuck Two and I'll feel out the locals with my ethnorgraphic research methods. What's the local variation of 'Pumpkin Spice'? Do they have speacial holiday flavours like eggnog? It could happen!

Back from that tangent. The trip continued back through Ann Arbor. Corey and I shopped for Mom's b-day, had lunch, fudge, and what may come to be a tradition, CHOCOLATE COVERED MARSHMELLOWS ON A STICK. They now come three at a time with white, milk, and dark chocolate. It doesn't get much better than that. At his apartment, I got some much needed and much appreciated interview advice; in the nick of time! I'm ready with my hose (panty, not garden) and new mid heal shoes and of course intelligent answers to any question. Too much Indian dinner put me back in the car on the short drive to Lansing. Jacqueline and I talked a lot, I did some needed shopping in a real town, we had dinner with and I visited Grandma Bruno, and I had several appointments at State. I talked with a career counsellor at James Madison College. He was great and had a gozillion ideas about international careers because he's lived and worked overseas for many years. I also met with my favorite prof, Beth Drexler, caught up, and got some more ideas. It's awesome to have met and gotten to know such a person in the melee that is State. I guess it helps that I took a class with her nearly every other semester.

Now comes the exciting part. I had a phone interview. It went really well. I don't have the academic qualifications (statistics), but I do have the international experience, understanding, and a drive to break into the 'International Assignment Services' industry. So we'll see.

I'm back in Frieghterville using the internet and preparing for the next term of employment. Maywood's innards need paint. And I'm out. Lot's to research and do.

so...it has been an incredibly slow weekend preceeded by a decent week last week. it snowed, the marina officially closed, i had an excellent conversation with a woman who does what i want to do. yada yada. !

this woman is awesome. she's crazy busy, yet took at least a half an hour to talk with me about different avenues to get into the 'international assignment services' field. she has great ideas and some great contacts at various places. i should have a phone interview with her company, D&T sometime soon. so things are going, though slowly, but moving along in the job hunt. i hate the thought that it could take awhile to land a job that i really could love, but i guess everything that leads to it is something.

the marina is closed for services, but we are still working everyday because there is winterizing up the wazoo to do. today we pulled about forty steel ladders off the docks and carted them to the storage area. we have another forty to go tomorrow. there are bouys to remove, docks to fix, power stands to lock, and any number of other things. it's cold work outside with a bunch of guys, but it's entertaining and good most days.

the exciting news is that Friday i depart on a week long trip to visit people. i will drive to Cleveland and spend four days with Aimee. hopefully she'll take me to the zoo and i imagine i'll be hoarse from the non-stop talking. then perhaps i'll see Corey for a day and then Jacqueline and Grandma B in lansing. it looks to be a great trip. :)

ok. onwards to more reading of websites of companies recommended.

ok, so i am the baddest blogger ever. i move back and think it doens't matter anymore. though i know everybody and their brothers are curious because every body asks! WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? well, other than working at the marina, occassional work at Maywood, and spending time on the internet researching jobs, companies, etc; nothing. yes i run, eat, sleep, and mow the lawn typically once a week, but other than that things are pretty slow. this is fine with me because i really need the time to plan and make sure i don't make a false step towards a career that i don't want. the 'global relocations' or 'international assignment services' industry is huge and full of people willing to talk about stuff. i haven't had any offers or interviews yet, but these things take time. it will happen. meanwhile, i know everything about everything at the marina and if i'm not offered something by early to mid november, i'll be moving to an actual city to find something else to tide me overuntil that dream job comes along. cities in consideration are Minneapolis and just today, Cleveland. my best friend/roommate from college, Aimee the relief keeper lives there and just moved into a huge condo; to live with her again for awhile would be heaven! (i have to talk to her first, so don't go getting too excited about the idea.)

anyhow. Non, the mysterious Thai boyfriend of mine is in Singapore with i guess his best friend. the friend got a free ticket and decided they should go. it was meant to be only for two days, but that was four days ago, so i don't know. for me, this is awesome. it is a huge step in the right direction for a Thai person to spend time outside of Thailand. they are a very faithful, don't leave home for too long or go too far away from the parents type of people. i asked quite a few Thais if they would ever live outside the country and nine out of ten times the answer was no. so for Non to be exploring and exploring the idea of living and working in Singapore is awesome! it's nothing like the windy city during winter, but it's a start.

well i'm sure that many have given up hope of me writing; so those that haven't thanks. my life seems so much less interesting to me, that i don't want to bore other people also!