Sunday, February 22, 2015

Week 7: Ace of Clubs

Traveling is probably one of my favorite things.  I've been so fortunate to check out amazing places across the globe thanks to family trips throughout the years.  Something I have not done as much as I'd like to is travel on my own.  Time and money are usually the biggest roadblocks... but this year, no matter what, I decided that I would go... somewhere.  Of course, I had great visions of traveling abroad and experiencing something I hadn't before.  Realistic, responsible Erin took charge though (who is she?) and determined that a trip like that would have to wait until I have a 'real' job again.  That being said, I am excited to announce that I have made a plan for 2015!  The trip has not been booked as in plane tickets, but it's been booked in my brain and I'm looking forward to seeing one of my near and dear buddies... Dr. Azin Q. Azma!  The last time I saw her was in Rhode Island when she generously hosted me while I attended a wedding in Connecticut.  Now she's living the good life in Las Vegas and while the heat isn't one of my favorite things, she is... so I'll make the sacrifice!  Looking forward to a dedicated trip to see her and palling around again with Zinny after this semester is through!

2007... a long time ago

Week 6: Ace of Diamonds

One time, in elementary school, I won 2nd place in a poetry contest for the following:

"Lombard Street"

Lombard Street is a twisty street and it is very hilly.
I get sick when I go down it and my stomach feels full of butterflies.
People say to move away but I say, "No! I love this street!"
You can see so many views - Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.
So don't say move away.  I'm going to stay.


Then, in college, I collected extra credit in my fishing class for penning the following:

"Fishy Fishy"

Fishy, fishy, swim this way.
Fishy, fishy, make my day.
The lure is lurking, take a look!
Have a nibble, get caught by the hook.

Fishy, fishy, please don't cry.
Your fate is not to the skillet to fry.
I'll comfort you with gentle hands,
then toss you back to the water and sands.

Fishy, fishy, thanks for taking part
In this sport I call luck, and others call art.


I also performed "Fishy Fishy" at a coffee shop in my college town, Athens.  It was a funny moment.  People were getting up and reading really deep, dark, poems - and then I hopped on stage and did little motions as I recited.  It was not well received and I remember the owner of the shop saying something to the effect of: Well, not everything has to be meaningful I suppose.

Anyway, I may not be so great at it, but I enjoy writing and don't do it nearly enough.  So I made a card that forced me to get the creative juices flowing.  I think I had extra pressure to do a good job since I knew I'd be posting it... and things didn't really come together.  Did you all catch the article about the cartoonist who The New Yorker rejected 610 times?  In case you missed it: http://www.npr.org/2015/01/25/379787274/howd-a-cartoonist-sell-his-first-drawing-it-only-took-610-tries

I decided that I'd send my latest creation to The New Yorker in hopes of finding out exactly what  "...two of the most elegantly phrased sentences," in their rejection letter are. I'll keep you posted.

P.S. - I'm bound to be rejected.  I wrote a haiku about living without gluten.  It was written while at lunch with my family - watching them enjoy onion straws and seeing people at the bar downing beers.  Two things I miss a lot
.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Week 5: Eight of Clubs

You know, as I left my house on Monday morning, I couldn't help but smile.  Chicago had just been gifted over 19 inches of snow and the streets were a winter wonderland.  Cars were buried under mounds of the white stuff and a few poor car-owners were hacking away with shovels and sand trying to dig out.  Not this girl though!  Nope, I am carless and was feeling carefree in my new-for-Chicago warm (and stylish) Sorel boots thinking how lucky I was to be a pedestrian with quality public transportation at my fingertips!  I could hear the L rumbling down the tracks a few streets away and it just made me... happy... that I could go almost anywhere I'd like to in spite of the record snowfall!

Now, the euphoria didn't last long.  I think the CTA had a record number of riders because the folks who usually biked or drove to work couldn't.  In fact, the train was so crowded I had to wait for three to pass by before I was finally able to find a spot to squeeze in to.  The studying I'd hoped to do on my long commute definitely wasn't happening.  I was safe though, and able to get to work, so I wasn't complaining too much.

On to the business of this week's goal card.  Our blizzard actually began on Sunday - which is my day for church and Starbucks with the fam (in that order).  It's become a little tradition for us to pull the card together and this week, Wyatt shuffled and selected.  You probably won't believe it, but it's true I swear, I was hoping this card would be pulled this week!  (And so I'm glad Wyatt picked otherwise deck-stacking may be suspected!)  As I trudged the half mile to Mass in the cold and swirling snow, I was thinking about the bus drivers and L operators... the postal workers and trash collectors... everyone who continues to make my life easy and 'normal' no matter what the weather may bring.  I thought this would be the perfect week to thank them for their services - and my wish came true!

On Wednesday I delivered some Dunkin Donuts gift cards to the people who get me to and from work (yay for the new job!) and school safely every week.  I also left one for my mailwoman.  I see her pulling her three-wheeled cart all over creation to deliver our mail and it looks like hard, cold work.  The amount wasn't much, but I hope it was enough to let them know I appreciate what they do!

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Week Four: Nine of Diamonds

This week, I said, "YES!"

I'm not sure where I saw or heard of it, but somewhere out there this "Say Yes" philosophy is floating around and when I heard it, I thought it would be something interesting to try.

On Sunday, the Nine of Diamonds was pulled and I began my week eager to see what occasions I would have to say yes to.

Things started off slowly... I said yes to accepting a jar of pickled beets from my neighbor, for example.  One day, I lost my Ventra card and said yes to my lab partner when he offered me his for the commute home and back to school the next day.  Accepting help isn't always easy for me and typically I would have just politely declined and gone and purchased another one.  (By the way, the Ventra system is awesome... because I had registered my card, when I called them they were able to immediately cancel it and transfer my balance to a new card which was then mailed out to me!)  My lab partner looks super sketchy on his card - he told me not to be afraid of his photo - but he is not scary at all and is obviously very nice!

Then on Thursday I had a pretty significant 'say yes' opportunity.  I was contacted by a family for a home health care position.  They live 'way out' in Hyde Park which is about an hour and 30 minute commute for me... each way... Normally I would have passed given the long commute, but since I was saying yes I agreed to an interview. 

This wasn't just any interview.  The family contacted me Thursday evening around 5p.m.  I had just gotten out of my Anatomy and Physiology course and was on my way to a volunteer orientation at Lakeview Pantry.  The woman told me she had my address from my resume and wanted to come over (to my house!!) to meet - that evening!  I wasn't going to cancel my Lakeview Pantry orientation so I told her I had a volunteer commitment that evening.  She asked how late it went and when I told her she said she'd just come over then.  ACK!  I'm not a dirty person or a slob by any stretch... but my apartment definitely needed some straightening up if a potential employer was going to be stopping by to assess me - and my home!  She agreed to meet me the following morning...

... at which point I was hired!  This tardy post is a testament to life with work, school, and a 3 hour commute making things busy!   I trekked out in the middle of the blizzard we just had to Hyde Park on Sunday and again yesterday, so I guess you could say I've officially started!  So far, the commute has not been ideal for studying (the phrase 'packed in like sardines' comes to mind) but I'm glad to be employed and it's interesting work.

I was hoping I'd also be able to 'Say yes!" to an offer on my house... alas, I am still waiting on that phone call.  Maybe this week... :)