Sunday Night Vent

It's Sunday night in Chicago - I can hear the neighbors through the wall laughing at their television, there is the sound of sirens in the distant and someone just took out their trash singing an unfamiliar tune to themselves... Perfect night for a blog.

There are a few things on my mind tonight. One of which is the fact that I found out earlier that I got the position at Zed451 as a pastry cook. While I was ecstatic to get the news, I was just as quickly crushed to know the pay for the position is substantially less than I expected (and need). Since this is the first position I've been offered after more than two weeks of being here, I took it with open arms - because let's be honest, something coming in is better than nothing coming in. But I've been kind of upset at the job scene in Chicago... Initially, I assumed there would be plenty of opportunity and that I'd come here and be swooped up by the fabulousness of the Chicago scene and fall into a great position and begin my career right away. But the reality of it is that I've been applying for jobs for months and since I've been here have been applying for just about everything that I am qualified for - with bare results. The job opportunities are there, but I'm just not getting them. It's frustrating.
And there are two things I would love more than anything. To start my career - not just have a job - and to be able to support Scott while he's in school. The later is due to the idea that he is in his graduate program and the last thing he needs to worry about is making ends meet with money - I would love to be able to have him work because he needs an outlet from school and home or because he wants a discount to a great store or something like that - not because he has to, to pay for bills or groceries. I really thought that I'd come to Chicago and those two things I want would just happen. But what I've been faced with is a lot of waiting and getting to know my apartment very well. Granted, it had been nice to simply be home with Scott and make 3 meals a day in our amazing kitchen - I just thought I'd already be involved in the beginning my career here and making my dreams reality. Maybe I just need to give it more time...

In other ideas that have been swimming around my mind, is the idea of my 'odd shelf'. One of Scott's best friends (and a very dear friend to me as well) Peter wrote a post a while back about an odd shelf - a collection of books in your personal library that don't just mesh with the other literary books on the shelf. But more further, it's your hidden interest that no one else really knows about you. After I read his blog a few months ago, the idea stuck with me and it wasn't until recently that I realized that my odd shelf is primarily centered around religious/spiritual/metaphysical studies. The other day, for instance, I got very involved online researching the missing years of Jesus Christ before his ministry account in the New Testament. There are accounts that say he traveled through India and Asia and studied with the great masters/teachers of those times before he started his ministry. I love researching things like that - so since I've come to refine (and reveal to you) what exactly my hidden interest is, I'm extending the idea along to you all to look at your life (and your bookshelf) to see what exactly is on your odd shelf and share it with someone.

I also wanted to share a link to Scott's blog for you all to check out our apartment in Chicago - odds are you have already seen it because most of you who read my blog, read his as well... but for the sake of reposting something he has already done so well, follow the link here.

Until next time...