It's been a long time since I last blogged. Lots of stuff to catch up on. But before I do, I'd just like to say that until now, I had made the decision to write this blog in all lower case letters. I've decided to ditch that idea because it took way more effort than it was worth and I'm just tired of it. Item #1 dealt with, so let's move on.
Since my last entry, Cory and I have moved out of NYC and back to San Francisco. This move was prompted by a few things. First and foremost, I was at the end of my rope. My issues with my job, our tiny-ass apartment, and just the overall negative feelings of being in New York had really gotten to me and I was desperate for a change. Our lease on the shoebox was ending on August 31st and we were going to have to make a decision about what to do. I broke down one day and completely unloaded on Cory about everything that I had been feeling and I think that really resonated with him. He told me that his company had an office in SF and that maybe he could see about transferring. Obviously, I was all for this idea. He put in the request on a Monday and they approved it that Friday. That was the second week of August. So we were able to pack up our entire life and send it off with the movers by the end of the month.
The plan was that I would go out on September 1st to try and find a place to live and Cory would follow two weeks later. My old roommate Deborah was kind enough to take me in during my temporary homelessness. I arrived on the 1st and started looking for a place the very next day. I looked at 3 apartments that day and the third was the one we ended up taking. It was pretty much perfect- more than double the size of the shoebox, huge kitchen, bay window, clawfoot tub. The bedroom could be a little bigger and more closet space would be nice, but the price is right and the location is fantastic. So I signed the lease a few days later and the cat and I moved in. We weren't sure how quickly the movers would be able to get our stuff out; they were hanging onto it in storage until we gave them a destination address. But I called them the day I signed the lease and our stuff arrived 5 days later. So from start to finish, I came out to California, found a place, and had our stuff delivered all within 9 days. Excellent timing.
Cory arrived on September 14th and started working the following week. I then began to send out my resume in an effort to fill the last piece of the puzzle. Naturally, I was looking for hotel jobs, as my experience the last 5 years has been in hospitality. It was slim pickin's on that front. Then I saw a post on Craigslist for a sales job with the San Francisco Bay Guardian, which is a free weekly paper here in the Bay. My eyes lit up as soon as I saw it. I've been wanting to get into publishing for a long time because of my love for writing. The whole food journalist idea has stuck with me for years. Plus, I've always said that my ideal job would incorporate my four passions: writing, photography, travel and food. Publishing always seemed like the right avenue to find that niche. So I sent my resume off to them and waited.
It was about a week before I heard anything. I wasn't actually expecting to hear from them at all since I don't have any experience in the field. Applying was just a shot in the dark. But they did get back to me and asked me to come in for an interview. I was so excited. The fact that they were still interested in me despite my lack of experience in publishing boosted my confidence and made me think that I had a real chance at getting this job. So I went in for the interview and nailed it. And it wasn't the type of thing where I was giving them the answers I thought they were looking for, everything I said was genuine and from the heart. It seemed like from the beginning, the things I said to them were all reiterated back to me when they were explaining their thoughts and feelings about the job. I really felt like I was right on about everything. Once the interview was over, they said that they would like me to come back and meet with their HR manager, as they have all final candidates do that. So I gave them some references and set up a second interview.
My meeting with the HR manager went great as well. Again, everything I said seemed to be so right on, plus she is a food writer and I told her I thought that was fantastic (which I do). She said they would let me know within a week; 4 days later, I got a call saying they wanted to offer me the job. I start Wednesday.
Amidst all of this, I was still able to run this little marathon thingee that I had been talking about in my last couple of blogs. I had decided a few months ago that running the full marathon was a stretch for me and committed to doing the half, which I did. Despite a lack of training from August until October, I was still able to run almost all of the 13.1 miles. But I wouldn't have been able to do it without Amy. At first I thought I would walk most of it, but once we started running the race together, I didn't want to stop. I wanted to run as far as I could with her, and we did for about 11 miles. Amy went on to run the entire 26.2 and I am so incredibly proud of her. She wasn't sure if she was going to make it pacing wise, but she did. I waited for her at the finish line for about 3 hours after I finished, but she made it. I ran through the finish with her and we cried and held each other. We were both exhausted but so proud of each other and ourselves. It was an amazing accomplishment and we both feel so great after having done it.
And that's about it. Like I said, lots of stuff to catch up on. But it's all exciting stuff. This whole move out to San Francisco really seemed like it was 100% the right thing to do at the right time. Everything has fallen into place and I couldn't be happier.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
second day
i'll make this short since i'm tired and a bit achy.
today was my second gts in the park and it went pretty well. the goal was to run from bethesda terrace up to 90th st, then do a lap around the reservoir, then back down to bethesda. this was about 3.6 miles total. i'd say i ran about half of it, running for about the first mile before slowing to a walk, then running intermittently in between until the finish. i bought a new pair of shoes, since my other pair weren't going to cut it, and they definitely felt better. but what i've noticed is that my legs are really tight and that's what keeps me from running longer. the weird thing is that the tnt folks recommend stretching after the run but not before, but i think i'm just going to have to do both. the stretch after the run was excellent, it really loosened me up a lot, but i am feeling the aftermath now. it's all good stuff, though. i'm feeling really good about it all.
on a somewhat unrelated note, my friend becky from san francisco bought me a ticket to see her this weekend. we were chatting on facebook and she said "if i buy you a ticket do you think you could come out here this weekend?" and i said "sure!". so i leave friday. this is my first visit back since i moved two and a half years ago and it is way overdue. it just so happens that this visit coincides with bay to breakers, which is super awesome and exciting, as it's one of my favorite events of all time. and because it's a race, i can get some exercise in while i'm away (it's almost 8 miles and i'll walk instead of run, but it's better than nothing).
that's all for now. i'm working out with tara tomorrow, which i am also jazzed about. i've had a membership to new york sports club since january and haven't gone once, so i'm glad to finally pop that cherry. plus it feels good to be doing my part to further my training.
today was my second gts in the park and it went pretty well. the goal was to run from bethesda terrace up to 90th st, then do a lap around the reservoir, then back down to bethesda. this was about 3.6 miles total. i'd say i ran about half of it, running for about the first mile before slowing to a walk, then running intermittently in between until the finish. i bought a new pair of shoes, since my other pair weren't going to cut it, and they definitely felt better. but what i've noticed is that my legs are really tight and that's what keeps me from running longer. the weird thing is that the tnt folks recommend stretching after the run but not before, but i think i'm just going to have to do both. the stretch after the run was excellent, it really loosened me up a lot, but i am feeling the aftermath now. it's all good stuff, though. i'm feeling really good about it all.
on a somewhat unrelated note, my friend becky from san francisco bought me a ticket to see her this weekend. we were chatting on facebook and she said "if i buy you a ticket do you think you could come out here this weekend?" and i said "sure!". so i leave friday. this is my first visit back since i moved two and a half years ago and it is way overdue. it just so happens that this visit coincides with bay to breakers, which is super awesome and exciting, as it's one of my favorite events of all time. and because it's a race, i can get some exercise in while i'm away (it's almost 8 miles and i'll walk instead of run, but it's better than nothing).
that's all for now. i'm working out with tara tomorrow, which i am also jazzed about. i've had a membership to new york sports club since january and haven't gone once, so i'm glad to finally pop that cherry. plus it feels good to be doing my part to further my training.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
first day
i was up at 8:30 this morning in preparation for my gts at 10. it took place in the park, about 8 blocks from my apartment, so the walk over would only take about 15 minutes. but i wanted to give myself enough time to eat some breakfast, shower and get there a little early. we don't have much around here in the way of breakfast food, so i put some peanut butter on a rice cake and figured that would suffice. i showered, got dressed and headed to the park.
i met up with my mentor, rose, right outside the park. a few of her other mentees met up with us and we ventured in to the tnt meeting place. there were probably about a hundred people there, all runners for various events. some announcements were made and then we broke up into our different running groups. all of my fellow mentees seemed to be beginners too, so we all stuck together with rose and ran our course. we were supposed to do a loop and a half, but we all seemed to be struggling a bit, so we only did a loop and a little bit (the equivalent of about 2 miles). my biggest problem was that my legs were bothering me because i don't think i have the proper shoes. i'm seeing a podiatrist on monday, so that should help point me in the right direction of choosing the right pair.
after finishing our run, we met up with the rest of the group and stretched. i was so tight at this point, the stretching felt amazing. tnt had brought some bagels and juice for everyone, so i grabbed a bite and then headed home.
overall, i feel good about things. it's a bit disappointing that i couldn't finish the designated route, but in the end, what's important is that i did the best i could given my level of fitness. i am really out of shape right now and i totally understand that this is a process and i will improve as time goes by. i just have to be diligent about keeping to the training schedule and about having the proper equipment to optimize my training. today was tough, but not too bad.
being that today is the first day, i have weighed myself at 168 lbs (ugh). i think i will track this weekly for progress. in the meantime, i'll continue to blog about my training days to track my progress there as well.
i met up with my mentor, rose, right outside the park. a few of her other mentees met up with us and we ventured in to the tnt meeting place. there were probably about a hundred people there, all runners for various events. some announcements were made and then we broke up into our different running groups. all of my fellow mentees seemed to be beginners too, so we all stuck together with rose and ran our course. we were supposed to do a loop and a half, but we all seemed to be struggling a bit, so we only did a loop and a little bit (the equivalent of about 2 miles). my biggest problem was that my legs were bothering me because i don't think i have the proper shoes. i'm seeing a podiatrist on monday, so that should help point me in the right direction of choosing the right pair.
after finishing our run, we met up with the rest of the group and stretched. i was so tight at this point, the stretching felt amazing. tnt had brought some bagels and juice for everyone, so i grabbed a bite and then headed home.
overall, i feel good about things. it's a bit disappointing that i couldn't finish the designated route, but in the end, what's important is that i did the best i could given my level of fitness. i am really out of shape right now and i totally understand that this is a process and i will improve as time goes by. i just have to be diligent about keeping to the training schedule and about having the proper equipment to optimize my training. today was tough, but not too bad.
being that today is the first day, i have weighed myself at 168 lbs (ugh). i think i will track this weekly for progress. in the meantime, i'll continue to blog about my training days to track my progress there as well.
Friday, May 08, 2009
okay, i know it's been a while
...and a ton has happened in the last 9 months. we moved out of our hometown and into nyc- the upper east side to be exact. while this was exactly what we wanted, the place we took is a shoebox. it's literally half the size of our old place. our justification is that we're in the city and in a neighborhood that we love, that our lifestyle will be different and we won't spend as much time at home. while this is somewhat true, we have found that living in a 315 square foot apartment is very trying. but living in the city does have its advantages.
i also got the job i was previously complaining about not having heard from. this has been a mass improvement from my last one, although it's not ideal. it's a bit of a regression, but i guess that's okay since it's a job and it's with a company that i really love. so the life that i was pining for 9 months ago has come to fruition. i made it happen.
but what i'm really writing about tonight, what i felt compelled to blog about, is the newest undertaking in my life. a few weeks ago amy called me to share that she signed up for the nike women's marathon in san francisco in october through a nonprofit organization called team in training (tnt). they are the largest organization in support of the leukemia and lymphoma society (lls). you join their "team", choose an event, and raise a certain amount of money depending on where you are in relation to where the event is. 74% of the money goes to lls and the other 26% goes to your training, airfare, and accommodations for the event. the training is extensive (they have trained hundreds of thousands of people) and their support system is strong (they have helped participants raise many millions of dollars). so, given all of this, amy signed up and asked me if i wanted to do it with her.
now, i have never in my life been a runner. if you had asked me a month ago if i'd ever run a marathon, i would have laughed in your face. but after careful consideration, i decided that i would take on this challenge, and for a few reasons. the first obvious one is that it will get me in shape. i've gained quite a bit of weight over the last few years and have been really unhappy about it (though have not had the motivation to do anything about it). this would give me the opportunity to train with competent professionals who would assist me in getting into good enough shape to run a marathon (which, i imagine, is pretty fucking fit). another reason was the opportunity to raise money for such a worthy cause. last year, we found out that our friend kelli was diagnosed with non-hogkins lymphoma and she has been doing all she can to get on top of the cancer. she is so strong and motivated, but the fact is she still has cancer, and the money raised through tnt really benefits people in kelli's position. so the fact that this cause directly affects someone near and dear to me made my decision that much easier. and the last real factor in my decision to do this was the idea that amy and i could do this together. she's like me in the regard that she's never run before, and she has always been such a significant source of strength for me in my life (and vice versa), so i think if we were to do this together, we are sure to succeed. the icing on the cake is the idea of conquering this amazing obstacle which, previously, seemed like an impossibility. but it's really starting to seem achievable.
tomorrow morning is my first group training session (gts) with my team. we will meet in central park and run for 30 - 40 minutes (not too bad). then there's a picnic afterwards to get to know our team, mentors and coaches. even though i have not exercised in about a year, i am confident that i will get through this first gts relatively unscathed. it will hurt, i'm sure, but i know i will be proud of myself when i'm done and it will give me the motivation to keep doing it.
this is a new reason for me to blog, so stay tuned for updates on my training. it's going to be interesting.
i also got the job i was previously complaining about not having heard from. this has been a mass improvement from my last one, although it's not ideal. it's a bit of a regression, but i guess that's okay since it's a job and it's with a company that i really love. so the life that i was pining for 9 months ago has come to fruition. i made it happen.
but what i'm really writing about tonight, what i felt compelled to blog about, is the newest undertaking in my life. a few weeks ago amy called me to share that she signed up for the nike women's marathon in san francisco in october through a nonprofit organization called team in training (tnt). they are the largest organization in support of the leukemia and lymphoma society (lls). you join their "team", choose an event, and raise a certain amount of money depending on where you are in relation to where the event is. 74% of the money goes to lls and the other 26% goes to your training, airfare, and accommodations for the event. the training is extensive (they have trained hundreds of thousands of people) and their support system is strong (they have helped participants raise many millions of dollars). so, given all of this, amy signed up and asked me if i wanted to do it with her.
now, i have never in my life been a runner. if you had asked me a month ago if i'd ever run a marathon, i would have laughed in your face. but after careful consideration, i decided that i would take on this challenge, and for a few reasons. the first obvious one is that it will get me in shape. i've gained quite a bit of weight over the last few years and have been really unhappy about it (though have not had the motivation to do anything about it). this would give me the opportunity to train with competent professionals who would assist me in getting into good enough shape to run a marathon (which, i imagine, is pretty fucking fit). another reason was the opportunity to raise money for such a worthy cause. last year, we found out that our friend kelli was diagnosed with non-hogkins lymphoma and she has been doing all she can to get on top of the cancer. she is so strong and motivated, but the fact is she still has cancer, and the money raised through tnt really benefits people in kelli's position. so the fact that this cause directly affects someone near and dear to me made my decision that much easier. and the last real factor in my decision to do this was the idea that amy and i could do this together. she's like me in the regard that she's never run before, and she has always been such a significant source of strength for me in my life (and vice versa), so i think if we were to do this together, we are sure to succeed. the icing on the cake is the idea of conquering this amazing obstacle which, previously, seemed like an impossibility. but it's really starting to seem achievable.
tomorrow morning is my first group training session (gts) with my team. we will meet in central park and run for 30 - 40 minutes (not too bad). then there's a picnic afterwards to get to know our team, mentors and coaches. even though i have not exercised in about a year, i am confident that i will get through this first gts relatively unscathed. it will hurt, i'm sure, but i know i will be proud of myself when i'm done and it will give me the motivation to keep doing it.
this is a new reason for me to blog, so stay tuned for updates on my training. it's going to be interesting.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
still waiting
i've been 28 for 12 days now and nothing has yet changed. my interview was two weeks ago this past tuesday and they said they would take one to two weeks to make a decision. i'm being patient; i actually wasn't expecting an answer until tomorrow at the earliest, if not more like next week. the real issue is that i am so ready to leave my job (big surprise). i still put in the necessary effort to do a "good job", but i really could give two shits. the only reason that i maintain this level of effort is because of my own integrity. i could tell my boss to kiss my ass and walk out the door, but i'm not that type of person. no matter how much a person or place has done me injustice, i can't bring myself below a certain level of behavior. it's all about how i choose to conduct myself, and there are some things i just won't do. but, then again, i have been known to defy convention before. this is not my point.
it's all just very annoying. i'm annoyed that i am still working in this ridiculous job. i'm annoyed that i am still living in my home town. i'm annoyed at seemingly every stranger i come into contact with. and i realize that's all negative thinking that doesn't do me any good, so i try to take it all in stride. i'm mostly good at taking it in stride, but then something happens that triggers the feelings of disdain, and i find myself back in that negative spot. i guess if i'm cognisant of it i can try to overcome it.
whatever, this is all the same shit i've been spouting about for months and nothing has yet been remedied. hopefully the next time i feel compelled to blog i will have something worthwhile to write about rather than the same old news and weather.
it's all just very annoying. i'm annoyed that i am still working in this ridiculous job. i'm annoyed that i am still living in my home town. i'm annoyed at seemingly every stranger i come into contact with. and i realize that's all negative thinking that doesn't do me any good, so i try to take it all in stride. i'm mostly good at taking it in stride, but then something happens that triggers the feelings of disdain, and i find myself back in that negative spot. i guess if i'm cognisant of it i can try to overcome it.
whatever, this is all the same shit i've been spouting about for months and nothing has yet been remedied. hopefully the next time i feel compelled to blog i will have something worthwhile to write about rather than the same old news and weather.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
3 days left
i've been maintaining that I feel things will turn around after my birthday, which is almost upon us. my prophecy is seeming to play out as i'd hoped, due to recent turns of events. i had completely blown off the one job that i'd interviewed for a few weeks ago (the one where i forgot the girls' names) and was vocalizing it to those friends who happened to ask me about it. then, much to my surprise, i got a call from them asking me to come in for a second interview. this was on top of a different company responding to my resume and asking me to come in as well. so, i took off from work early yesterday to "look at apartments" and went on both interviews- the new one first and the follow-up one second. the first went well, though the position is more entry-level and therefore not offering enough money. the second one went swimmingly. unlike the first interview, where i was a bit nervous and not entirely on my game, i was on it in the second one. i felt comfortable and relaxed and actually came off as charming (at least i thought so). the two people i met with asked great questions, to which i tried to answer in kind. i just left there with a very good feeling about it.
before the second interview, i stopped at this little park across the street and sat on a bench for a few minutes, as i was running early (again). i made sure to absorb my surroundings on the way there to see what my would-be work neighborhood had to offer. i was impressed by the amount of restaurants and shops there were in this pocket of the financial district and decided i liked it. the whole situation felt right to me. i'm hoping that my intuitions aren't throwing me for a loop, because i really don't think i could take that right now. i went through that four months ago with a different job that i was convinced i had in the bag and i turned out to be wrong. it was pretty devastating.
this job prospect coupled with a possible breakthrough in the apartment search have me feeling much more confident that, in fact, i may just be right about the light at the end of the tunnel shining through at the commencement of my twenty seventh year. these last twelve months really have been a tumultuous hell and i think i'm due for some good fortune. if i get this job, i think it will attract a title wave of more positive things, which will ultimately lead me back to the happy place that i've been trying to find for so long.
before the second interview, i stopped at this little park across the street and sat on a bench for a few minutes, as i was running early (again). i made sure to absorb my surroundings on the way there to see what my would-be work neighborhood had to offer. i was impressed by the amount of restaurants and shops there were in this pocket of the financial district and decided i liked it. the whole situation felt right to me. i'm hoping that my intuitions aren't throwing me for a loop, because i really don't think i could take that right now. i went through that four months ago with a different job that i was convinced i had in the bag and i turned out to be wrong. it was pretty devastating.
this job prospect coupled with a possible breakthrough in the apartment search have me feeling much more confident that, in fact, i may just be right about the light at the end of the tunnel shining through at the commencement of my twenty seventh year. these last twelve months really have been a tumultuous hell and i think i'm due for some good fortune. if i get this job, i think it will attract a title wave of more positive things, which will ultimately lead me back to the happy place that i've been trying to find for so long.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
ps
the tickets for the billy joel show that we'd purchased for an obscene amount of money on stubhub arrived today (the show's tomorrow). the tickets we'd purchased were in the mezzanine but the tickets i received today are on the field level. score one for us!!
reviewing things
i'm sitting here with a very stiff margarita i made with the leftover drinks from cory's party (thank you flynn and andrea) trying to make some sense of the floating thoughts from today. july is annual review time at work, and today i had my first one ever. for some reason, all of the corporate jobs i've ever had i've started in february and i've somehow made it this long without ever having a formal review. they are meant as an opportunity to sit with your manager and go over all of your redeeming qualities and those other qualities that need work. fortunately for me, the only qualities my manager could think of for me to improve upon were those few times when i'm talking to agents and i'm not "warm and fuzzy". the real reason i have those moments are due to the fact that i'd rather climb through the phone and strangle these people than be "warm and fuzzy", but, since that's not yet possible (nor would it be deemed reasonable), i will have to settle for trying to improve my behavior in those instances. overall, my rating was "exceeds expectations", which is basically what i already knew. it was nice, however, to have that reiterated to me by someone that rarely - if ever - gives me any unsolicited positive feedback.
last week when karen gave me the "heads up" about the review, she made sure to mention that she didn't "know anything about money", meaning raises. during my review, i made sure to bring it up, as i am planning on using it as leverage. when i asked her whether there had been any decisions made, she said she didn't know. i asked if this was a "don't ask/don't tell" type of situation and, again, she said she didn't know. how convenient. i then said that it was an important issue for me and went on to share with her my steady decline in contentment with where i currently live. i actually used the word "miserable" to make sure it resonated. since i'm not quite at the point to break down to her how i'm truly feeling over all (i.e. the job), i made it seem like moving into the city was the main reason i needed a raise. i didn't mention any figures, as i believe it would be premature, but i definitely got my point across. i have groomed her for our next conversation on the matter, where i will be armed with a budget that requires a certain amount of salary boost, which they could not possibly meet. then i will have no choice but to tell her i will have to look for another job.
i'm really not like this in other aspects of my life, i promise. yes, it's all very premeditated and even a bit conniving, but it's complicated being in the position i'm in. if joann hadn't left, there would be less pressure on me if i quit for another job. but now that she's gone, i'm being depended on a lot more (and not being compensated, mind you) and would leave the department in not-so-good shape if i were to leave without "good reason". i think this is a much better way to handle the whole thing, as manipulating the situation allows for a process that my boss is involved in rather than just pulling the rug out from under her.
last week when karen gave me the "heads up" about the review, she made sure to mention that she didn't "know anything about money", meaning raises. during my review, i made sure to bring it up, as i am planning on using it as leverage. when i asked her whether there had been any decisions made, she said she didn't know. i asked if this was a "don't ask/don't tell" type of situation and, again, she said she didn't know. how convenient. i then said that it was an important issue for me and went on to share with her my steady decline in contentment with where i currently live. i actually used the word "miserable" to make sure it resonated. since i'm not quite at the point to break down to her how i'm truly feeling over all (i.e. the job), i made it seem like moving into the city was the main reason i needed a raise. i didn't mention any figures, as i believe it would be premature, but i definitely got my point across. i have groomed her for our next conversation on the matter, where i will be armed with a budget that requires a certain amount of salary boost, which they could not possibly meet. then i will have no choice but to tell her i will have to look for another job.
i'm really not like this in other aspects of my life, i promise. yes, it's all very premeditated and even a bit conniving, but it's complicated being in the position i'm in. if joann hadn't left, there would be less pressure on me if i quit for another job. but now that she's gone, i'm being depended on a lot more (and not being compensated, mind you) and would leave the department in not-so-good shape if i were to leave without "good reason". i think this is a much better way to handle the whole thing, as manipulating the situation allows for a process that my boss is involved in rather than just pulling the rug out from under her.
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