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06:48pm 22/06/2009
  Here's me, hoping none of my friends are trapped on the derailed metro trains... I wager at least a few folks I know are going to have a crappy trek home tonight, but my thoughts go out to the injured and the families of the lost.

How exactly does this kind of thing happen?
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Metro-Trains-Collide-Between-Takoma-Fort-Totten.html
 
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No more interviews!   
12:22pm 15/06/2009
  So, I finally got the phone call that was a job offer instead of yet another interview request.

I'll be the master carpenter for the Walnut Hill School first as part of their summer program (starting next week) and then continuing as full time in the fall.

I've already given my one week's notice to Home Depot and everyone there's been happy for me (well, except my department head who is also sad to lose me. I told him if he could triple my hourly rate and make me full-time I'd consider sticking around... and he laughed)

Now I'll need to get used to working regular hours in a shop again. That will be lovely.

And now Jeff and I can finally figure out what we want to do about our housing situation. I'll be talking to the school about the possibility/ requirements for campus housing... That option would involve us being dorm parents (which basically means some responsibilities for keeping an eye on the students both during the week and trading off weekend duties with other "parents", but would provide a free apartment plus a small additional stipend payment). We're also going to have a better sense now of what our long-term finances will be so we can possibly think about buying a house (while it is still very much a buyers market). Many plans and details to iron out, but nothing that has to be decided right away.
 
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Odd Phone Call at midnight   
11:45pm 07/06/2009
 
mood: confused
So... apparently I'm selling a horse. in Auburn, WA. Um... except I'm not.

I got a phone call from a very nice guy trying to buy my horse. The one listed in the craigslist ad. With my phone number.

Adding to the immense confusion on my end of this conversation was that he was looking for "Taylor" which happens to be the last name of my old roommate in Seattle.

I did a quick search of Seattle area cragislist using my phone number and sure enough there's an ad:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/grd/1200811400.html

And sure enough it has my phone number as the contact. I can only assume that the guy's number is very close to mine and he just typoed a digit somewhere. And I've emailed him to ask him to correct the ad so that hopefully the folks trying to buy his horse will call HIM instead of me. I'll give it about 24 hours then figure out how to contact craigslist folks to ask that they please pull the ad.

And I'm turning my phone off for the night since that three-hour time difference means folks might think it's still a decent hour to call when really... it isn't.

EDIT: As I suspected, the horse's rightful owner transposed two numbers in the ad's phone listing. So he apologized and it has been corrected and I can expect to no longer receive odd calls about his horse.
 
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looking for good luck   
08:14am 06/05/2009
  I've got my in-person interview with Walnut Hill School this morning and I can use as many well wishes and as much good luck as I can get.

The job is Master Carpenter for their theater department and would be awesome and full-time with benefits starting in the fall which would be such a lovely thing. They tell me I'm one of the top five final candidates so I think I've got a pretty good shot.

But still, if you've got any positive mojo to spare, send it my way! I want to knock this one outta the park.

*crossing fingers and hoping for the best*
 
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I so rarely pay attention to the news   
11:02am 30/04/2009
  So really... I get almost all of my news from the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me podcasts, and I'm waaay behind on listening to them. But the break room at work is usually scattered with newspapers so I sometimes catch a few tidbits of things as they're happening instead of the weekend after they've happened.

I'm very pleased with New Hampshire and Maine's recent tackling of gay marriage bills and hope they continue forward positively.

And also, I have to ask, am I the only one who's been giggling that since Arlen Specter has defected from the GOP folks like Mitch Mcconnell have been sounding a bit like Chicken Little saying that the party in power having almost complete fillibuster-proof control of congress is a Huge Threat to America (tm) and the World Will Fall Apart! Must be awful hard having the shoe on the other foot.

Although really, the thing that amuses me most lately is... (show of hands please:) How many people thought that the great future of the US Senate and all Obama's hopes and dreams would come down to just one man... And that man would be AL FRANKEN. I'm absolutely desperate to have him do a stand-up routine from the Senate floor at his swearing in. You know it would be bloody brilliant.

Okay. Back to my media-lite life now. I like it there in the quiet darkness.
 
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IMPACT and other news   
09:41am 30/03/2009
  So, I spent this whole weekend at a very intensive women's self-defense class that was amazing and terrifying and totally worthwhile. I cannot recommend it highly enough to everyone. The company is IMPACT Boston and this chapter does work all over New England, but there are also chapters in other states so if you're elsewhere you should check them out. I am lucky enough to have a close friend from Carnegie who works as one of the suited instructors (the guys in armor that we learn to defend ourselves against and kick the crap out of) and that's how I became aware of the program. He was quite insistent that all his friends should take this course and I completely agree with him now. I won't say it was fun, because it was absolutely not. (Although there were certainly fun moments and a great deal of humor and high spirits to temper the fear and adrenaline) But it was amazing and empowering. Without telling anyone else's story, I think it was best summed up by this... there was a 15-year-old in our class. At the start she was only there because her mother insisted she should take the course and she was unhappy about losing her whole weekend and having to get up early and so on. But at the closing circle she said she felt that nothing that she could have done with her weekend could have been nearly as important as this class.

The company does offer classes specifically aimed at teens so if you're a teacher or staff member you should request information about bringing them in to your school and the variety of programs they offer. Having worked at a high school recently and seeing how sheltered those kids were, I can't think of a better way to give them some important skills before sending them off into college where they'll be responsible for their own safety in a way most of them have never had to even think about before.

In other news... Boston is treating me well. Now that I'm mostly unpacked (well, with the stuff I really need anyways) and am getting settled in I need to find time to catch up with all my cool friends in the area. So if I've talked/emailed/im-ed with you about hanging out sometime after the move calms down, I think now is going to be the start of my "making plans" phase.

As far as work... I've had an interview at Home Depot to do seasonal temp stuff (their garden department has the busiest time of year starting now apparently). A second interview is set for tomorrow afternoon and I expect it will go well. That may or may not become something more after the initial 90-days as temporary worker. I hope to find something better before it needs to, but it will be nice to at least have a little money coming in while I'm looking around. I've made a fabulous contact in the IATSE film local out here who gave me phone numbers to call and hopefully get on overhire scenic artist lists as well and find out the process for transferring my card out here. This afternoon will be all about making some of those calls and trying to get info on what I need to do to get some work on the numerous films being shot in the Boston area this summer.
 
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Boston   
09:55pm 21/03/2009
  It appears I now live in Boston.

Drive here was long, but not too painful. I've still got most of my stuff in the truck outside, that will be remedied tomorrow. If any of you local folks (I'm looking at you Ben) aren't busy I'd love any extra hands in unloading. I really don't have that much stuff, and I won't make folks carry anything up all the stairs to the attic. :)

Okay. Time to let my papa know I made it in safe and then head to bed.
 
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Day365-february27 - THE END   
07:35pm 28/02/2009
 

Day365-february27, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

The universe wants me to only do 365 days of my 366Day project.

I know it's impossible to read so I'll transcribe.
That screen reads "Lens error, restart camera".

Here's the story: I took a few photos of the middle school choir rehearsal I was working and when I hit the power button to turn the camera off, instead of retracting the lens as it normally would, tit somehow sent the lens forward slightly and then jammed and shut down with the lens still extended. When I power it on again it makes a horrible high-pitched whine then beeps and gives me this error message. What else could I do but take a photo of it with my crappy camera phone and call it over. If my camera gives up the ghost with no provocation the day before I'm supposed to be finished with my daily project I call that a sign. So I'm done. It's over. No more self portraits required.

And just as a follow-up... This morning I trundled off to a camera store (thankfully there's a high-end place really close to campus) and they looked at it. And are sending it back to Canon for warranty service. I paid a small amount ($35) for insured postage and away it goes. That means I'm without a camera for a month to six weeks, and at that point my roommate will have to pick it up and send it to me anyways because in better news:

I'm moving to Boston. In about three weeks! I haven't found a job there yet, but it will be easier to find one when I'm local anyways. If need be I'll find a day job while I'm breaking into the area's freelance scene.

I made the decision to just go ahead and move because my current school job just isn't offering me enough hours after our spring break for me to really survive on, so if I'm going to be broke I'm bloody well going to do it while living with my sweetie.

For now I'll be moving in with him at his parents' place and then once I get working and set up in the area a little more we'll find our own place. (it's a buyers market at the moment so we might start looking at houses if all goes well, but at the very least we'll want an apartment so as to have our own space sometime in the not too distant future. But I'm grateful to Jeff's mom for being so willing to make room for me to stay in her home.)

 
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Day364-february26   
07:32pm 28/02/2009
 

Day364-february26, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

At work running the lights for the second grade play. it was super cute.

 
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Day363-february25   
07:28pm 28/02/2009
 

Day363-february25, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

hiding behind sheer curtains

 
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Day362-february24   
06:37am 26/02/2009
 

Day362-february24, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

Getting so close to the end and I'm still totally uninspired to spend the time setting up really artistic shots or anything. Took this photo as I was going to bed because I forgot to take one until then. Making it black and white and cropping it to bits is my attempt at making it less of a poorly-lit mess. *shrug*

 
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Day361-february23   
06:37am 25/02/2009
 

Day361-february23, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

When I returned to Baltimore from this latest Boston trip I had a box waiting for me in the mailroom. My old roommate in Seattle sent a package full of stuff that I apparently left behind at the old place. And he included these two hilarious little notes in the box.

I miss Rob. He was the best roommate ever.

 
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Day360-february22   
06:36am 25/02/2009
 

Day360-february22, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

So, the hotel we stayed at has a "wild side" kinda theme going on. I was too amused by the leopard print robes (and carpet too) and the fake fur throw blanket not to take at least one photo with them.

 
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Day359-february21   
06:35am 25/02/2009
 

Day359-february21, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

What better to do when staying in a hotel in a city you're not really a tourist in than to hang out at the bar and drink silly things.

Jeff is working on a "hot & dirty martini" here which was a dirty martini but with tobasco sauce added. We both agreed it was a wonderful and evil little drink that we'll need to have again in the future.

 
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Day358-february20   
06:34am 25/02/2009
 

Day358-february20, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

Went to Boston again. This time for a theater job fair event as well as to see my Jeff. And (because this was the only actually pre-planned trip of the last few weekends where I just randomly drove up) we had booked a room at a nice hotel for the weekend instead of staying with Jeff's parents. It was a lovely thing to have our own space for a few days and much more relaxing this way.

 
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Day357-february19   
05:22am 20/02/2009
 

Day357-february19, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

time for a touch up, and a trim.

I do my own hair lately. both the color and the cut. I'm low maintenance like that. And seeing as how this weekend I'm heading to Boston for a jobs fair event (as well as to see my sweetie) I thought it was wise to look my best. Or at least my most-put-together. Might not help, but it can't hurt.

 
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Day356-february18   
05:21am 20/02/2009
 

Day356-february18, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

Danny is a good dog. We walked around the pond and looked at the overabundance of canadian geese hanging out there this morning.

 
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Day355-february17   
05:21am 20/02/2009
 

Day355-february17, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

Some days I have even less inspiration for photos than usual. This is the only shot I took, while sitting in the office near the end of a rather long day.

 
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Day354-february16   
08:36pm 19/02/2009
 

Day354-february16, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

This is my friend Scott. The photo on the left is the last time I saw him before today... about 15 years ago! (It was during my sophomore year in college on a brief thanksgiving trip to NYC).

Scott and I met the summer between junior and senior year of high school at a pre-college program at Carnegie Mellon where we all spent six crazy weeks being immersed in the university's theater program. I returned to get my degree there while he went off to do other things. We kept in touch via email for a while during college, but then basically lost touch. That's the way life sometimes goes.

But now thanks to the magic of facebook we've reconnected again. And he lives in New Jersey, not too far outta my way on the drive between Boston and Baltimore. So I stopped in to have lunch. And we ended up spending several lovely hours talking and catching up before I continued on my journey. I look forward to heading his way again and getting to meet his wife and their adorable munchkin.

 
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Day353-february15   
08:36pm 19/02/2009
 

Day353-february15, originally uploaded by mickeysacks.

As usual, while visiting Jeff I got to go to the range and shoot. This time I played a lot with one of his rifles. And also as usual I don't remember all the details of what this gun is. I know it's an AR. but Jeff will have to comment with the rest of the details.

p.s. Jeff says: It's a Knights Armament SR-15 M4. In 5.56 Nato. The scope is an Aimpoint Comp M2.

 
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