Oh, Inverted World

The only reason I put that as a title is because I'm currently burning The Shins' to the IPod.

Well, I wanted 2006 to be a year of action. I just didn't realize it was going to be this soon. After working at the same company for more than three years, I handed my resignation letter in today. No more seeing the Ten Commandments posted on the vice president's wall. No more dealing with the programmer bragging about all the Saturday's she's sacrificed for this company. No more head-trauma-inducing blatherings of suicide drama technical support specialists. Nope, I'm done. Audi 5000 there.

... but it does come with mixed feelings. I leave with more than 2,000 pages of user manuals written. I take pride in that s**t. I also realize that this job was my first job out of college. They took a risk with me. They could have hired any of the 15-20 other applicants that applied for this position in 2002 (way into a recession, by the way). But no, they banked on me. And for that, I feel a certain gratitude toward them.

So, what does this do for my relocation plans. Well, obviously they are put on indefinite hiatus. Just as I slugged it out with 20 applicants for my first job, I beat out 20 applicants who despised their jobs with as much vigor (even more for some) than me. It seems like a really, really good crew. I'll be working with fellow geeks, writers and all-in-all intense people.

It still hasn't set in though. I have the feeling like tomorrow, I'll still have the same stack of manuals that need updating. The same documentation that needs to be created for another software product that was just released. The same bad coffee and bad jokes. But only for another two weeks.

on hitting '31'

Well, I turned 31 today. The day passed fairly painlessly, although this past year, I've definitely felt the age factor creeping in. Be it a majorly pulled muscle in my back, surviving a layoff that ridded my office of 40 percent of the staff to breaking up with someone primarily because of the dreaded 'age' factor - he was a cute, naive 23-year-old - me a slightly world-weary 30-year-old.

Here's a list of stuff I need to get done before I turn 32:
Move out of Omaha and get established in another city
Serious consider graduate school
Finish reading the Harry Potter books
Do another triathalon or a biathalon

32...
Here's coming a better version of me -

Bric by bric

Since I'm on a Bloc Party kick, I thought I would honor the band by not including a 'k' within the words of my subject line.

Tucson update -
I'm getting exhausted by the searches on Career Builder, Monster and HotJobs. I know the people who are on these sites tend to carpetbomb companies with resumes and cover letters for any jobs that are posted, regardless of their qualifications. A mentor who works for MISYS said I should get a list of the top companies in the city I want to live in - and try to find an 'in' by posting my resume directly on their Web site or checking back routinely for openings. So last night, I posted my resume and cover letter on AO-Hell's job site.

So far, I'm registered on AOL, University Medical Center, MISYS and in general at BestJobs in Tucson.com.

Weekend will probably be spent sharpening my Web developing skills. One guy in Omaha said I had what it took to work at his company, but I was slightly lacking in Web publishing. Still, I definitely want to fit a bike ride in, load some more tunes on my IPod and catch the '24' premiere on Sunday.

That's the problem with fixed time. As a job seeker, you want to use those fleeting two hours a night to sharpen your skills by either learning new skills or finding new words for 'spearheaded' in your resume. The writer in you wants to use that time to either get inspired by reading or looking for freelance gigs. The human being inside wants to use that time to veg after working out and read Harry Potter or play Burnout 3 on the XBox.

Priorities - I guess...

Preemptive strike
Companies that post job openings on the board that are already filled because someone internally will get this position, but the companies are required to post the job. I think I've spent enough to afford an XBox 360 on these jobs, from the time I spent at Kinkos printing out clips, resume paper and computer time - not to mention the cash I spent to clean my suit and take off work. It's like going out on a great date with someone who is in a relationship or married, only you don't know that person is committed.

176

Well, New Year's is not getting off to the start I want. True, I hate it when people talk about wanting to cut carbs out of their diet, but they consider a piece of whole grain bread as bad as a Krispe Kreme doughnut. But I admit that I've fallen off the bandwagon and have engaged in a share of carb loading over the weekend. A beer here. A pancake at the Radial Cafe there. A slice of pizza and cheese bread at Zio's there. And all of a sudden, I feel lethargic, frustrated and altogether depressed as I was denied another job (even though I'm thankfully employed full-time right now).

Aimee Mann is in heavy circulation right now...
Tell me why I feel so bad, honey
TV's flat and nothing is funny
I get sad and stuck in a cone of silence
Like a big balloon with nothing for ballast
Labeled like a bottle for Alice
Drink me down or I'll drown in a sea of giants

Like a building that's been slated for blasting
I'm the proof that nothing is lasting
Counting to eleven as it collapses - Video

I am currently looking at Albuquerque, NM and Tucson, AZ. I got a call from Albuquerque today and I felt a pull in my stomach. I've wanted to move out of Omaha so bad, but when the prospect of Albuquerque came, I automatically dismissed it and pined for the place I have yet to get a job offer: Tucson. I know I'm being foolish - geography can't make you happy. But still, I'm getting restless.

In these demon days
It's so cold inside
So hard for a good soul to survive
You can't even trust the air you breathe
'cause mother Earth wants us all to leave
When lies become reality
You numb yourself with drugs and T.V>
Lift yourself up it's a brand new day
So turn yourself 'round
Don't burn yourself, turn yourself
Turn yourself around
Into the sun

To the sun, to the sun
To the sun, to the sun - Gorillaz - Demon Days


Preemptive strike
Straight guys who refuse to see Brokeback Mountain on the SOLE reason is that they're afraid they'll look 'gay.'
No, not going to a movie because you're that insecure about your sexuality is gay.