jellyfish dreaming of land
So I'm going to try a bullet-type method to get all of the mundane things out of the way, but of course, when I say "mundane," it refers to all of the weird day-to-day stuff that, when they add to together, actually construct a fairly larger picture towards my recent goings-on. There won't necessarily be an order, mostly because I can't really keep track of what came first and at what interval they began to take precedence. So here we go:
1. I'm in a relationship for the first time in about four years. It's... interesting to say the least. I will go in more detail about the fellow in question, but I will mention that we've been seeing one another for about a month and why I haven't really mentioned anything until now is because nothing really solidified until the Halloween weekend and, inadvertently, he's been helping keep me sane during the turbulent work/school counterbalance. I will mention that contrary to what the psychic claimed, we did not meet at work, we don't share any other languages beyond English, and he's not a foreigner. Oh yeah. We got along very well and I like him a lot.
2. Efforts are being made to have a trip planned to the Czech Republic in mid-to-late March. I have the money for the ticket, I just need to the time approved by work. There's a 10-day window of Spring Break that corresponds between PCC and PSU (thank the gods) and I have every intention of taking advantage of it. My new boss has already approved, my current boss has not... yet. And I'm prepared to get very persuasive about this too.
3. fallenfromashes will hopefully be planning a trip up here in Portland once I get back from the Czech Rep. and will presumably be staying until my birthday in mid-April. I'm excited about this as we've not seen each other in a few years.
4. I've decided that unless very specific opportunities present themselves (that is, if I'm asked directly), I'm not going to concentrate or concern myself music-wise with anyone else's but my own and I'll be working solo until I'm in a position where I can actively look for other players. The exceptions to this will be whatever Ms. Jinx recommends I do, provided the time is available, and, of course, whatever collaboration Matt and I are able to do. The impression in town is that I'm apparently on my own even if people are keen on what it is I do. I've decided not to waste my energy on them and my revenge will be having them hear about me from other places.
5. Matt has sent me an e-mail stating that a small label with international distribution has invited him (as in, his group, Modes of Resuscitation) to play for a music festival in Sept. of next year. He's requested I come along, though for what for has yet to be determined (since Didi, his girlfriend, will be taking up most of the keyboard duties and they're looking for a bassist). I've put in the requests for that time off already though I'm having my doubts as to whether or not I'll still be a part of that department for the requests to matter.
6. Matt has gone ahead and sent a demo of my stuff on my behalf to this label, mostly out of the request of the label-head that he's really interested in Matt's music and whatever other projects he's been involved with. I don't know what this means, but we'll see, I suppose. The copyright stuff has been taken care of granted there's a bit of paperwork (publishing info, etc.) I need to follow up with shortly.
7. I start PSU in the spring though it looks like I'll only be taking PSY 321 (Experimental Design and Research Methods) while finishing up my Second Year Russian at PCC. My main concern with this is whether or not I'll have to cut my hours (by switching over to the new department I've been hired into completely for 20-25 hours). This means a good $150 out of my paycheque if I decide to go that route, which I may have to simply I expect that the upper division classes to be far more demanding and it's a been a hassle keeping up with simpler assignments as it is for the current classes. I'm also tempted to take a break for the summer.
8. I need to plan a trip to Pittsburgh at some point next year, but I'm not sure when. It HAS to happen and there's still some unfinished stuff that needs to be taken care of, especially if my parents decide to move back there (which is looking more and more likely).
9. I haven't started butting heads with my current boss, but we're starting too. I don't take well to having my superiors balk at direct confrontation, especially when it concerns how I should be going about my tasks. The new bosses are great, however, the time I'm supposed to be switching over the new department has been pushed back for December.
10. NaNoWriMo is simply not going to happen this year. If I write again, it's going to be something serious and I don't see myself being able to do that until I have one job again.
11. After December, I'll be able to dedicate one day out of the week for music again. Me and the guy are supposed to plan a trip to IKEA at some point and figure out how to make a workspace in my room. Vocals, however, will need to be done elsewhere and I haven't figured out where just yet. Also, I'm going to need a new bass if I wind up taking bass duties for Matt if that ends up being the case for next year.
12. I can expect to graduate at the end of 2011.
13. How many queer couples do you ever see go to a strip-club (with dancing girls)?
14. The noughties are almost over, thank the gods.
15. I'm beginning to get the distinct impression that life begins after 30. Not that I'm there yet but that's what it's starting to feel like.
16. I agree with Jonathan Safran Foer; Americans should eat more dogs. No, I'm quite serious and so is he and the fact that we're both strict vegetarians should say something. I didn't care too much for "Everything Is Illuminated" (other then that infamous scene of trying to explain the concept of not eating meat to Ukrainian peasants) but his recent book "Eating Animals" is pretty much saying things I've been saying for the past ten years (if someone can actually get me to talk about the various reasons I don't care for meat since it's more complicated than mere animal ethics). I will state for the record that I don't have problems with people eating meat, per se, rather, it's that selectiveness (beyond taste and preparation) that pisses me off as well as the idea that we ought to take for granted where the meat comes from and never think about that (or what that entails and what its repercussions are).
17. I was personally asked to attend a wedding reception for one of my Chinese co-workers. The other co-workers present were balking at the idea of eating things like roast duck and poached fish. Apparently, meat is only proper when you don't "recognize" where it came from. For whatever reasons, that notion really, really pisses me off.
18. This resulted in my taking chopsticks (me being one of three foreigners who knew how to eat with them) and puppetting the poached fish, reciting the first paragraph of Kafka's "Metamorphosis" (with one of my new bosses recognizing that the entire spectacle was a reference to a Throwing Muses song) while another co-worker happily dined on the eye that popped out in the middle of my puppet-show. Apparently, according to them, a vegetarian should not be so amused by the spectacle as I was let alone have the nerve to poke at their squeamishness for cooked fish.
19. This has gone on long enough.
20. I'm going to meet with the guy now for today and dedicate tomorrow to finishing up the rest of my assignments.
1. I'm in a relationship for the first time in about four years. It's... interesting to say the least. I will go in more detail about the fellow in question, but I will mention that we've been seeing one another for about a month and why I haven't really mentioned anything until now is because nothing really solidified until the Halloween weekend and, inadvertently, he's been helping keep me sane during the turbulent work/school counterbalance. I will mention that contrary to what the psychic claimed, we did not meet at work, we don't share any other languages beyond English, and he's not a foreigner. Oh yeah. We got along very well and I like him a lot.
2. Efforts are being made to have a trip planned to the Czech Republic in mid-to-late March. I have the money for the ticket, I just need to the time approved by work. There's a 10-day window of Spring Break that corresponds between PCC and PSU (thank the gods) and I have every intention of taking advantage of it. My new boss has already approved, my current boss has not... yet. And I'm prepared to get very persuasive about this too.
3. fallenfromashes will hopefully be planning a trip up here in Portland once I get back from the Czech Rep. and will presumably be staying until my birthday in mid-April. I'm excited about this as we've not seen each other in a few years.
4. I've decided that unless very specific opportunities present themselves (that is, if I'm asked directly), I'm not going to concentrate or concern myself music-wise with anyone else's but my own and I'll be working solo until I'm in a position where I can actively look for other players. The exceptions to this will be whatever Ms. Jinx recommends I do, provided the time is available, and, of course, whatever collaboration Matt and I are able to do. The impression in town is that I'm apparently on my own even if people are keen on what it is I do. I've decided not to waste my energy on them and my revenge will be having them hear about me from other places.
5. Matt has sent me an e-mail stating that a small label with international distribution has invited him (as in, his group, Modes of Resuscitation) to play for a music festival in Sept. of next year. He's requested I come along, though for what for has yet to be determined (since Didi, his girlfriend, will be taking up most of the keyboard duties and they're looking for a bassist). I've put in the requests for that time off already though I'm having my doubts as to whether or not I'll still be a part of that department for the requests to matter.
6. Matt has gone ahead and sent a demo of my stuff on my behalf to this label, mostly out of the request of the label-head that he's really interested in Matt's music and whatever other projects he's been involved with. I don't know what this means, but we'll see, I suppose. The copyright stuff has been taken care of granted there's a bit of paperwork (publishing info, etc.) I need to follow up with shortly.
7. I start PSU in the spring though it looks like I'll only be taking PSY 321 (Experimental Design and Research Methods) while finishing up my Second Year Russian at PCC. My main concern with this is whether or not I'll have to cut my hours (by switching over to the new department I've been hired into completely for 20-25 hours). This means a good $150 out of my paycheque if I decide to go that route, which I may have to simply I expect that the upper division classes to be far more demanding and it's a been a hassle keeping up with simpler assignments as it is for the current classes. I'm also tempted to take a break for the summer.
8. I need to plan a trip to Pittsburgh at some point next year, but I'm not sure when. It HAS to happen and there's still some unfinished stuff that needs to be taken care of, especially if my parents decide to move back there (which is looking more and more likely).
9. I haven't started butting heads with my current boss, but we're starting too. I don't take well to having my superiors balk at direct confrontation, especially when it concerns how I should be going about my tasks. The new bosses are great, however, the time I'm supposed to be switching over the new department has been pushed back for December.
10. NaNoWriMo is simply not going to happen this year. If I write again, it's going to be something serious and I don't see myself being able to do that until I have one job again.
11. After December, I'll be able to dedicate one day out of the week for music again. Me and the guy are supposed to plan a trip to IKEA at some point and figure out how to make a workspace in my room. Vocals, however, will need to be done elsewhere and I haven't figured out where just yet. Also, I'm going to need a new bass if I wind up taking bass duties for Matt if that ends up being the case for next year.
12. I can expect to graduate at the end of 2011.
13. How many queer couples do you ever see go to a strip-club (with dancing girls)?
14. The noughties are almost over, thank the gods.
15. I'm beginning to get the distinct impression that life begins after 30. Not that I'm there yet but that's what it's starting to feel like.
16. I agree with Jonathan Safran Foer; Americans should eat more dogs. No, I'm quite serious and so is he and the fact that we're both strict vegetarians should say something. I didn't care too much for "Everything Is Illuminated" (other then that infamous scene of trying to explain the concept of not eating meat to Ukrainian peasants) but his recent book "Eating Animals" is pretty much saying things I've been saying for the past ten years (if someone can actually get me to talk about the various reasons I don't care for meat since it's more complicated than mere animal ethics). I will state for the record that I don't have problems with people eating meat, per se, rather, it's that selectiveness (beyond taste and preparation) that pisses me off as well as the idea that we ought to take for granted where the meat comes from and never think about that (or what that entails and what its repercussions are).
17. I was personally asked to attend a wedding reception for one of my Chinese co-workers. The other co-workers present were balking at the idea of eating things like roast duck and poached fish. Apparently, meat is only proper when you don't "recognize" where it came from. For whatever reasons, that notion really, really pisses me off.
18. This resulted in my taking chopsticks (me being one of three foreigners who knew how to eat with them) and puppetting the poached fish, reciting the first paragraph of Kafka's "Metamorphosis" (with one of my new bosses recognizing that the entire spectacle was a reference to a Throwing Muses song) while another co-worker happily dined on the eye that popped out in the middle of my puppet-show. Apparently, according to them, a vegetarian should not be so amused by the spectacle as I was let alone have the nerve to poke at their squeamishness for cooked fish.
19. This has gone on long enough.
20. I'm going to meet with the guy now for today and dedicate tomorrow to finishing up the rest of my assignments.