Funny how time flies...

The title to this blog is in respect to Janet (Miss Jackson, if your nasty) who recently kicked off her 'Rock Witchu Tour' (yes, I spelled that correctly). She is only playing at limited venues this tour and Chicago is one of the stops. *sigh* If only I had the time and money. But, to give you all a little taste...



Yes, her hair is in a mohawk. And yes, these are the 3 singles (Young Love, Say You Do, Don't Stand Another Chance) off of her first two albums (Janet Jackson, Dream Street)... People hardly know those albums exist because they did fairly poor on the charts and it was before she released Control - the album that really launched her career. Anyway, she has never done these songs on a tour... I died when I saw that she was performing them. Thank God for youtube - it makes it easier to swallow that I won't be going to the concert myself. (Can you tell I love me some Janet?! You all got trivia you never knew you wanted!!)

Anyway, time for an update. I am currently in a transition with my career here in Chicago. After failing to get the hours I needed at Zed451, I went on the hunt for other positions (either full-time or part-time, to make ends meet) I got a call back for a pastry cook position at the Westin Hotel at O'Hare and after staging for them, I was offered the full-time position.

(Side note: In my line of work, the interview process is in two parts. The first is the actual interview that you and I are all used to - with the same lame questions that you get asked in every other interview. The second part is called staging, where the candidate spends about 4 hours in the kitchen with everyone else... basically proving themselves in skill and seeing if they mesh well with everyone else. It's actually a great process because it gives both parties time to feel each other out and see if it feels right.)

Anyway, the stage went well and I felt very comfortable there. Plus, I was offered a bit more money and benefits (for me and Scott - hotels rock with benefits for gay and lesbian couples) so needless to say I jumped at the chance. I gave my notice at Zed last week, so I'm finishing out my final week. I can honestly say that even though the experience was fine there and I did learn a lot, I don't think I'll ever work in a restaurant again. It's just not for me.

My new position at the Westin starts on September 22. Beside the fact that the shift begins at 5:00 a.m., I'm really looking forward to it!

But wait. There's more...

Both Scott and I applied at the Marriott Downtown (on Michigan Avenue) - him for a reservations agent part-time and me for a pastry position. Scott got a call for an interview and during that process, Scott mentioned that I applied as well. The guy giving the interview gave Scott the name and number of the Executive Pastry Chef for the hotel and told me to call to ask about my resume. So I did - and it turns out that the position has already been filled. But the pastry chef was incredibly nice and offered to have me come in and tour the property and meet people. So I went in and met her and she gave me a fantastic tour of the hotel and introduced me to people, had me sample products, and sat down to talk with me. It was totally unexpected for me, but I figured it's great to have connections and the pastry chef was so great the entire time. So she said to keep in touch and said I was welcome to swing by to hang out and help out if I ever wanted to. I'm always down for learning new things and getting more experience, so I promised her I would keep in touch. I e-mailed her and thanked her for being so amazing and told her that I'd be keeping in touch. Well, I got an e-mail back asking me if I would be interested in working part-time and if I'd consider coming in to stage. I was so excited and set something up for the next week.
Long story short, I rocked the stage, got along with the bakery really well, and she offered me a part-time position there. I'll probably be starting that in the next few weeks... I'm thinking of working there about 8-10 hours a week.

Things just seem to be falling into place... It's a great feeling.

Also, I've been spending my days off getting to know the city a little bit better. I decided every week, I am going to go somewhere or do something that is unique to the city - just to expand my horizons a bit. This past week I went to an art exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center where they were displaying art from inmates (who were or are being held in various Illinois prisons.) It was so moving. Many of the pieces had descriptions of what the inmates made and what it meant to them - and although many of the pieces were stunning and looked near professional, there were some pieces that came from maximum security prisons. I guess at certain prisons, art supplies aren't allowed, so inmates improvised by drawing on the backs of envelopes and folders and using ink from pens and colors from food dye (like M&M's) to create stunning images. Others made miniature sculptures from wrappers of candy bars or paper mache from old papers. It was so amazing to see these works of art from people who have little to no contact with the outside world who rely on art as a form of peace, therapy and contentment. It was very moving...
And if it couldn't get better than that, one level up, there was an entire floor that was carrying an exhibit of art work inspired by Marilyn Monroe. It was such an eclectic display of art and photographs... the classics from Bert Stern and Andy Warhol to movie stills and dramatic displays. I loved it so much...



I must say I'm a fan of the Chicago Cultural Center...

To end this blog, I must give all of y'all another taste of my girl. These ones I know you'll recognize...



(P.S. Thanks to those of you who responded to my last post regarding your favorite books - They are definitely on my 'to-read' list.)