oh bla di, oh bla dah

hey, so i'm 33 now.

kind of scratching my head over how that happened. didn't i just leave for college? that was 15 years ago. some parts of those years were like walking through molasses. and others like tumbling down a sand dune. i'd like to think i'm wiser. at least i can tell that some things that would have crushed me years ago, i can now turn aside with a shrug of my shoulders. all part of becoming more comfortable in this peculiar skin that i am in.

stories like this keep me from going totally crazy. so far life in the thirties have brought more of the same limbo and life questioning that the twenties did (i was hoping for a change of pace). only now i don't care as much about what other people think of me. this past stint of unemployment (would you believe i've spent more time unemployed than employed in my 30s?) may have forever ruined me for a regular schedule or office environment, and i'm not terribly disappointed with that prospect.

so who knows what this year will hold? certainly not i. although i do hope that it might involve raising a pint and sharing a laugh with some of you readers out there. cheers!

rage against the machine

blerg. it's a good thing to know a God that cares about your humanity and have friends that affirm that, along with things that remind you that there's a lot more to life that what you can see. all this metaphysical thinking comes after a somewhat irritating conversation with a woman at a temp agency. it was the kind of phone call that had me feeling like i had no transferable skills from any of the jobs i have ever had. such is the kind of thinking when you don't have a job. i recovered however, and am going in tomorrow to take the software tests and such - mostly i am motivated by wanting to spite this lady. is that so wrong? anyway, i've recovered my sense of humor about the whole thing, so that's good. plus, there are some other good opportunities on the horizon. i think that will keep me from ending up like that michael bolton guy from "office space."

if you are looking for some good podcasts, lately i have really been enjoying "speaking of faith with krista tippet" and "stuff you should know". it's come to the point now where i barely listen to music. i'm getting to be a nerdy geezer. i turn 33 in a week. that's weird.

god bless the rest of the world, too.

check this... american patriot's bible. makes me feel ill.

hmmmm

either the guys in the car next to me in traffic today were checking me out because they thought i was hot, or they were amused that i had spaced out and was listening to MMMMbop while my ipod was on shuffle.

yes. i have mmmbop on my ipod. you're jealous.

out for a spin

trying out this new blog title. saw it on the marquee of a liquor store in berkeley, and i just liked the sound of it, even though i'm not totally sure what it means. classy days, seedy nights perhaps. yeah, that is SO ME. usually i am just kicking back in a recliner and watching tv while dorking around on my computer. i'm so edgy. anyway, not sure if i'll keep it, but i thought i'd try the name out. thoughts?

the warm temperatures continue. like i said, i escape to cooler climes. though today i tried to even out my farmer's tan - i couldn't handle the heat in the backyard. on monday, i headed into sf for my regular volunteering gig. some city employees were cleaning the front of the abandoned bank on the corner that looks a historic building. as i crossed the street, i saw a woman walking towards me, pause and lift up her raggedy jean pant legs to step over the streams of water runoff from the building. it was an oddly dainty gesture for the tough neighborhood. she smiled a greeting to the custodian guy and asked him a question. grinning, he turned his hose on to her feet in old pink flip flops to wash off the grime. she had chipped red toe nail polish. i strolled past quickly, and felt like i was intruding on an intimate moment. just another day surviving in the tenderloin.

i mentioned the people's grocery in a previous post about fresh, the documentary. i volunteered in one of their gardens on wednesday, clipping the dried blossoms off a chamomile plant. the plant grows wild around here, and help attract butterflies and bees to the garden. the plants would usually be composted when thinned out, but the gardner thought people might like the option to have fresh herbs for tea. we passed an agreeable afternoon, chatting as we clipped flowers. it was cool to learn more about the organization and the garden. looks like they are going to be expanding with a few more new locations in west oakland. here's hoping i can overcome my black thumb.

the job hunt thickens. that's all you get for now.