Job Hunting in Chicago or “Maybe I’m Getting Somewhere”

This morning, I got up earlier than I had in a long time in order to be on a 7:24 AM train to downtown Chicago. Why? To register with a temp agency that finally seemed excited to have someone on board with my skill set. YAY!

I knew going in that they wouldn’t immediately recommend me for a job (but I could hope!), yet I went there excited to finally be doing something—because sitting at home, staring at my computer and applying for jobs online sometimes makes me want to kick and scream in frustration.

So when I responded to a call from Kelley Services, I did think, that maybe, just maybe, this job search would finally produce fruit. In other words, I hoped that perhaps the temp-to-hire option would lead to something both equally permanent and interesting.

When I got there, Susan, my representative showed me the ropes. I took some tests (which basically told me that I was kick-ass at Word and PowerPoint and less so at Excel and typing), signed some forms and voilà!—technically I am an employed person. (I will not feel that way, however, until I am the recipient of steady paychecks.) But the experience was positive, beneficial and hope-giving (why yes, I did just make up an adjective). At the end of the day, I am just really excited to feel like I’m: A) valuable as an employee and B) making progress on my job search.

And while I will still be searching LinkedIn® and Monster® every day for job opportunities, I’m hoping that I can one day refer someone to Kelley Services and say, “Oh, yeah, you should go there! That’s where I got that wonderful job at [insert name of awesome company here]."

Two Things... Well Three Things Really

Numero Uno:
I have some fun ideas for the next couple of blog posts, one of them being the actual completion of at least one show synopsis in my FtLoTV (For the Love of TV) series. YAY!! Another one is a poem I've been working on when I can't sleep at night (like now). And last but not least, it is definitely time for another hotnessincelebrityform entry. I'm going to do a few of those since there's a LOT of hott guys on TV in the summer :)

So watch out for those entries!

Numero Dos:
Another entry is going to be a little more personal---- think love life, people! But to do this, I need to have a more accurate list of who I've dated/crushed on in the many years I've been alive. SO, I need your HELP. Call/text/email/facebook/carve it in stone/write in the comment section (only if you feel I won't be TOO embarrassed) the NAMES of the random people I've crushed on SINCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Yeah, that's right. I'm going ALL THE WAY BACK.

I've crushed on a lot of people so I need you guys to rack your brain and sus out some names, especially some obscure ones you think I may have forgotten :)

Numero Tres:
I've decided to do a little honest Q & A. So here's your chance to ask me anything. And as long as it's within sight distance of reasonable, I'll answer it in a blog post. This is for all those people who've been wondering about the intricacies of my life (i.e. thedeepstuff) but haven't had the nerve to ask me any questions. You know, because my life is SO interesting. Right. LOL. But seriously, ask away (in the comment section)!

So there you have it. Expect some updates soon. Now do your homework and leave me some comments people!

Love :)

Should I or Should I Not...

...get Twitter?

I have to admit that I am a creepy stalker and love to find out what people are thinking through facebook statuses, wall posts and such. And isn't Twitter like the same thing?

I'm really asking this question because I went to twitter-stalk somebody and I couldn't because their tweets were protected :( SAD. So I kinda wanted to sign-up and send a request just so I could see what they were tweeting about. But then I though, yeah, I don't care THAT much.

Also too, as of right now, I do not have a smart phone which is 1) sad and 2) really the best way to tweet right?

So I think, until I can get one of those fancy new phones from T-Mob, that I will go with

NO.

Have an opinion? Sound off below.

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On another note, I shall be in E-town tomorrow and Saturday hanging with the family. My cousin Diamon is having her open house and I am super excited for her! Yay! She is so beautiful and smart and I am so proud of her :)

SO,

if anyone wants to hang out for a bit, call/text me and I will see what I can do. My sister's the one that's driving, but I will do my best!

My Golden Birthday & ComicCon 2011! (see comment section too!)

I'm not sure how many of you keep up with my birthday, but August 23, 2011 is the date I've been waiting a long time for. MY GOLDEN BIRTHDAY! I am so excited! I've been trying to figure out what I want to do that week and I have finally decided. If all goes well, I'm going to Las Vegas!

If you would like to go with me (and you do, you really do) let me know. The goal is for at least three people to come with moi and have a blast August 22 - August 25.

Here's the breakdown (per person, except for hotel - based on 4 people):

Plane: $380 - From Chicago O' Hare (ORD)
Hotel: Anywhere from $700 - $1500 - This estimate covers all the extra fees, taxes and such. I know this is a lot of money, but I wanna celebrate my birthday in style! The goal is for me to pay at least half the hotel cost myself as an incentive for people to join me, and more obviously, if I go with the more expensive option.
Food/Entertainment/Incidentals: $200 - $500 - This larger end of the estimate includes every expense you could possibly imagine, from transportation to and from the airport, food in the airport (and during the trip!) to souvenirs to a $100 show--- Cirque du Soleil, anyone? Again, I know this seems steep, but these estimates are for the MAX amount you would spend, NOT the lowest or even the average. Please keep that in mind when deciding!

TOTAL COST PER PERSON: $ 800 - $1000 or $200 - $250/day

So while the goal isn't to spend as little as possible, I will promise to find a less expensive option for everything we do. And remember, if the trip costs $800 in the end, HALF of that is getting there and getting back, so I think we're doing good. Also, if we book the flight and hotel together, that also reduces the cost!

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Now, onto ComicCon 2011!

Happening in San Diego California, JULY 21-24! (Travel Dates: July 20-25)

Guys this is all I can think about right now. Seriously. I think I might becoming addicted to planning this trip in my head. Definitely expect more posts on this here topic :)

I'm an über nerd so, essentially going to this convention would be like giving giving a seventeen pound chocolate bar to a chocoholic. Or if you can think about it this way: It's like finally taking me to Disney Land (Which incidentally is also only an hour and a half from San Diego, if we wanted to go there too!).

So here's the plan (per person, even the hotel - based on four people):

ComicCon: $105
Plane: $430 - From Chicago O' Hare (ORD)
Hotel: $ 150 - It's not like my birthday, lol. I just need a place to sleep! ALSO, I found MUCH CHEAPER hotels a little further out than downtown. Even with taxi fare, this will probably significantly reduce the total cost. It's the difference of $270 and $130 per night!
Food/Entertainment/Incidentals: $200- $300 Again, this larger end of the estimate includes every expense you could possibly imagine, from transportation to and from the airport, food in the airport (and during the trip!) to souvenirs. These estimates are for the MAX amount you would spend, NOT the lowest or even the average. Please keep that in mind when deciding!

TOTAL COST PER PERSON: $ 885 - $1100 or $221 - $275/day

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I'm only slightly amused that the trip to Vegas turned out to be cheaper.

NOW, if push comes to shove (read, if my ambition is greater than my wallet!), I'll have to decide between ComicCon and Vegas. This might be a real possibility since my mother and I also want to go on a cruise the week before ComicCon (LOL), and my 5th year Hotchkiss Reunion is in June. Basically, I have to be BALLIN' for all this to work out.

SO, if you're a praying person, PRAY that I get a great job to cover all the expenses... so much so that I can even help pay for some of the stuff for the people going with me :)

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Lastly, I will leave you with just a few things I want to see/do in each place!

Las Vegas

FOOD! - Wolfgang Puck's Trattoria del Lupo, Sushi/Seafood Buffet




Nightlife - Drinks and Dancing, Cirque du Soleil!

ComicCon

TV: Eureka, Merlin, Haven... pretty much any TV show on SyFy, Dexter
Books: Oh, too many to name... L.J. Smith, anyone?


Movies: Iron Man, The Avengers, Twilight, The Green Lantern, (Isn't Ryan so hott?!)












Fellow Nerds and Cute Celebrities :)



Nuff Said!

So (Again) It's Been Awhile... (Funny Jokes)

In addition to my desire/kick to become more productive, I'm hoping to change the regularity with which I update my blog, starting right now. This one will be a short; I'm just reposting some Comedy Central Joke of the Day's, I found rather funny. But I will tell you what you can expect from me in the next couple of days:

--- Goals/Plans for this year, including FUN trips (Trying really hard to make the FUN Trips part come true, lol) --- San Diego ComicCon, anyone?

--- Cool Things I've Seen Online (I have a ridiculous amount of free time right now): Deco Umbrella, Ridiculously Expensive but Beautiful Hotels

--- People: Did you know who California's Attorney General is? This SUPER COOL lady named...

--- Reviews of Recent Books I've Red and/or Movies I've Seen: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Death at a Funeral, The Hunter, The Chase, the Kill (A Trilogy), etc.

--- Stuff I've wanted to blog about for a while and just haven't yet: Love, Religion, Race, Life and Apple Pie

And of Course,

--- Guys. As there isn't anyone special in my life at the moment, I usually just stick to celebrities and such. This year's newbie: Bradley James. 100 points to the person who knows/finds out who this is. Interesting to note: He's my second blond celebrity crush :)

That's all for tonight folks! Enjoy the jokes!

* J/K: Last note: I'm also trying to make this blog a little more interactive. So COMMENT. Even if it's something little, or critical. I want your opinions since you take the time to read mine.

LOVE IT! Okay, now on to the jokes!

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Chris Rock: Natural Causes

When you die at 72, no matter what you die of, it's natural causes. Even if you get hit by a truck, its natural causes. Cuz’ if you was younger, you'd got out of the way.

Royale Watkins: My Wife's Age

My wife had this whole gay military policy with her age: if I didn't ask, she wouldn't tell. And when I did ask, she would get offended. I'd be like, 'Let me ask you something -- how old are you?' 'Excuse me? Listen, let me tell you something -- I'm a woman, and a real man would not ask a woman her age. It's not about how old I am. It's about how young I make you feel. Now go in there and brush your teeth and put on your pajamas, get ready for bed.'

Godfrey: Regular Black

My black friends in America don't believe me. I said, 'Dude, I'm Nigerian American.' 'Word? We thought you were, like, regular black.' What the hell is 'regular black'? Crayola coming out with colors I don't know about?

Greer Barnes: Chasing a White Guy

I was in the park last night, chasing this white guy. He got away from me. I didn't know cops could walk that fast with all that stuff on.

Alex Thomas: Ask a Stupid Question

My mother always told me, 'Boy, if somebody asks you a stupid question, you give them a stupid answer.' The cops walked up to my car, 'Would you like to step out of the car?' I said, 'Hell no, it's hot! I got the air conditioner on. How about you hop your ass in here with me?'

Arj Barker: Walking Shoes

Can you imagine if you had a pair of shoes that you could only walk in? That could be kind of limiting under certain circumstances. 'Everybody get outta here! There's a swarm of bees coming!' What? Oh great, I got my walking shoes on today. I guess I better stroll the hell out of here at a moderate pace.

Wayne Federman: Discriminating Carpool Lane

The carpool lane discriminates against the lonely. These peoples -- through no fault of their own -- don't have the social skills to make friends. OK, that's unfortunate, but what do we do as a society? We push them off to the right in this vehicular apartheid, while they sit isolated in their loser mobiles, forced to watch the popular people whiz by them.

Jessi Klein: You Look A Lot Like...

This co-worker of mine, who I don't know well at all, comes up to me and goes, 'Hey Jessi, I don't know if anyone's ever told you this before, but you look a lot like Anne Frank.' I didn't really know where to put that as a remark. But the worst thing is that my first thought was, 'Was Anne Frank hot?'

Brian Regan: Microwaving Pop Tarts

You can microwave a Pop Tart. That just blew me away that you could do that. How long does it take to toast a Pop Tart? A minute and a half if you want it dark? People don't have that kind of time? Listen, if you need to zap-fry your Pop Tarts before you head out the door, you might want to loosen up your schedule.

Jordan Rubin: Walk the Line

I got pulled over for drunk driving the other day. The cops had me walk that line. I said the one thing you shouldn't say. I was like, 'Stop wiggling it.' 'Cause that gives you away.

Graduation!

More to come, but here's a short video for those who couldn't come, and for those who just want to relive it for a sec :)

Congratulations, Graduates! from Northwestern News!

Yes, I Know I Haven't Written in 4 Months

I am procrastinating. I am sitting in bed with more than a slight headache. I just watched the season finale of Heroes (I want to have Sylar's babies!) and my cat is trying to eat my hand. I'd have to say that minus my headache, today has been a pretty good day.

Until, I went to Facebook. I now know the reason why I avoid facebook other than a status update, or a "like" every now and then. Everybody on there seems to be having a more interesting life than mine. They look happier, better, more satisfied than I do. I know I am being silly, that these people are no happier than I am, but for a second, I believe it.

Now this post is not meant to be depressing, indeed I am not depressed or even close to it. In fact, I think my avoidance of Facebook for said reasons are helpful to my person. Whenever I see pictures/people, I want to reinvent myself. Not to be more like them, but to be more like me. In other words, I want my ideal self to match my actual self.

I do this in a variety of ways. I change my hair, I dress differently, I try new things, I concentrate on school, I concentrate on family/friends/life. What I have learned is that I cannot be all that I want to be, all the time. It would result in cognitive dissonance overload. I can, however, be parts of myself at any given time.

Therefore, I'm cutting my hair again, and I am going to write a short story/novella (whichever one I can finish and be proud of). I miss my playful, creative, adventurous side. Maybe these things will help me get a part of that "me" back.

Ahhh! This will be short.

So right now, my life is going slightly insane. And to be honest, I'm more than a little stressed.
Thoughts of rent, apartment and future moving plans, finishing classes, future plans, budgets, and laundry are all jumbled in my head. I don't know how God is going to work all of this out, but he will. And I'm kind of excited to see how he's gonna do just that.

I've already put my faith in Him, and now I'm just waiting for the blessings. And more importantly, the PEACE.

Pray for me, ya'll.