Pencils ... notebooks ... new backpack ...

(My first day of kindergarten - 1972)

So, tomorrow I start my new job. At 9:00 a.m. I'll be let into The Building (it's a secure entry) and see exactly what it is I'm in for. And honestly - I'm not completely sure. I know it's a new position, to help absorb overflow work from the accounting manager and others. I also know that they are a little unorganized right now, and part of my job will be to pull together an idea of just how unorganized and start getting things in order, including writing policies and procedures and recommending possible changes in the department structure. I also know that they are scrambling to even have a desk and a computer ready for me. So ... this could be fascinating, or it could be a test of my ability to stay calm in the face of chaos.



I vividly remember the feeling when I was a kid as the first day of school was approaching each year; not exactly panic, but an increasing sense of unease. I've always been a big worrier and have spent my whole life working at controlling my habit of obsessing about upcoming changes and "what ifs". I TOTALLY have that feeling today - the nervousness, the queasiness. The only way for me to work with that is to stay busy and make sure that there's nothing for me to forget or be rushed through in the morning. I'm getting all the housecleaning and laundry done today so that nothing has to be done during the week, picking out my "first day of school" outfit and getting it ironed, getting something ready for my lunch, packing some things into my shoulder bag. I feel like I should be looking through an assortment of brand new, multi-colored folders and notebooks and pencils, loading them into a brand new backpack, and putting it next to my brand-new overly-bright new Nikes by the front door, just like I did before starting 5th grade. It's amazing how well I remember that feeling, and that I'm feeling that as a middle-aged (!) man. Silly, isn't it ...

"Until I die, there's only you"

If you've read anything about me on this blog, you know that my background and education is in classical music. Many of my friends in college and in graduate school were singers - and in academia, especially in a well-known music school, that means "opera singers". There are a lot of stigmas that can be applied there - and many, I admit, are quite true.

Being a gay man (oh stop, you did so know), I also have a weakness for musical theater. Yeah, a lot of it is meant to blatantly tug at the emotions - but the good musicals do that so well.

Now, if you combine an operatic voice with musical theater - well, sometimes moisture occurs.

This is from a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Weber, I think for his 50th birthday (it's about 9 years old). The singer is Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - she is a renowned soprano from New Zealand (part Maori). What is amazing is that no matter how dramatic - and high - the music gets, she almost looks as if she's simply speaking. Whether you like classical music or not, just imagining producing this sound from the human body is nothing short of incredible. Honestly - try to create the sounds that she does, in what seems like an effortless way (trust me - it AIN'T effortless!).

Anyway - here is an amazing performance of Dame Te Kanawa in 1998 (just under 5 minutes - and worth it). I could listen to her over and over and over ...

The lyrics, if you would like:

The heart is slow to learn,
the heart is slow to learn.
These feelings that I feel
are foolish but they're real.
I'm wise enough to see this love will never be;
and each day's like the last when living in the past.

I know it's mad, and you won't return,
but then, as I have said -
the heart is slow to learn.

I've never loved as I have loved you;
Why is love cruel? I wish I knew.
Say what you will - it doesn't matter.
Until I die, there's only you -
until I die, there's only you.

The heart is slow to learn,
the heart is slow to learn.
You'd think there'd be a way
to shut out yesterday.
Perhaps if I just thought
of all the times we fought,
I'd try to let us know there's still no letting go.

I know it's mad, and you won't return;
but then as I have said - the heart is slow to learn.

Why is love cruel? I wish I knew ...

Say what you will - it doesn't matter.
Until I die, there's only you;
until I die, there's only you.

Why is love cruel? I wish I knew.

Say what you will - it doesn't matter.

Until I die, there's only you ...

Until I die, there's only you.

The heart is slow to learn.

Who sez I ain't employable???

So I mentioned the other day that I interviewed for a job at a nursery. Well, I got a voice mail this morning offering me the job.

Now, I've also been working with a variety of recruiting firms for the past month or two, which hasn't panned out very well just yet. But, yesterday I got a call from one of them about a temp-to-hire position with a big medical clinic not far from my house. Honestly, it seemed like a long shot from what the recruiter told me of the position - but I said, what the hell, go ahead and present me to them.

Well, they want me, too.

So - two job offers this morning. I certainly wasn't expecting that. I accepted the temp-to-hire position and am starting Monday morning. It's in my field, it's about a mile from my house (read: walk to work!), it pays more than my last two jobs did (and almost three times what the nursery job would have), and it could lead to a permanent position if they like me and I want to continue on there.

I am still in the running for a job with a company that I really want to work for - I should have an interview coming up in the next week or two. And honestly, I felt horrible telling the nursery that I couldn't accept their offer. But, I got a hugely-needed ego boost (more like scraping-my-ego-off-the-road) and something new to look forward to.

*whew*

I won't tell what I know of the new job just yet ... because I think I may have a lot to post about next week. :)

February 12 of 12

I'm a little late with my 12 of 12 entry, but I've been having big problems with Blogger. I've just upgraded to the newer version - I hope it helps ...

These pictures were all taken February 12, 2007 in Seattle and Medina, Washington, U.S.A.

9:38 a.m.

Me dressed and ready for a job interview. I decided to apply for a job at a plant nursery for something to do while I'm looking for my still-elusive dream job:

11:13 a.m.

The Nursery. It's in Medina, Washington, just across Lake Washington from Seattle, on the Eastside. Bill Gates' house is nearby:

12:47 p.m.

The Space Needle seen from I-5. We're sitting in traffic heading to Chinatown for lunch (Scott had the day off and came with me to Medina):

1:04 p.m.

A group of school children on an outing. You can't really see it, but they are all tethered together:

1:26 p.m.

Lunch at Kau Kau in Chinatown (actually, in Seattle it's called the "International District"):

1:50 p.m.

The doorway of a very old, scary pet fish store off of an alley. Scott loves this place and bought a fish for one of the aquariums:

2:12 p.m.

Cherry trees blooming:

2:13 p.m.

Looking towards downtown at some different types of architecture:

2:42 p.m.

This roll was sitting on this bike stand when we parked the car. It was still there an hour and a half later:

3:06 p.m.

Back home. Some forsythia branches I had brought inside are in bloom:

3:22 p.m.

This man in the tow truck had been sitting around when we got home. Then, he sprang into action! Apparently he was repossessing a neighbor's car:

3:47 p.m.

It's warm enough to spend some time in the yard with the dogs. Some snowdrops are already up and blooming:

My 12 of 12 day ends there; the later pictures didn't turn out very well, and I had a hard time paring down all the day's pictures to these! Hopefully they'll get more interesting each month ...

I SWEAR I'm not making this up ...

A theater in Florida received a complaint from a passing motorist because of the title of an upcoming play that was displayed on a marquee out front. The woman was embarrassed because her young neice was in the car and had asked her what an unfamiliar (to her) word meant in the title. Apparently the woman was "offended [she] had to answer the question".



The offensive play is "The Vagina Monologues".




So, the theater changed the wording on the marquee to this:

(I can only imagine the way this woman's conversations with her OB/GYN would go ... )