Work was easy today because Trent was the only manager on duty. I'm pretty sure that he would let anything short of fire, flood or blood slide. I got a text message at 3:00 from Lauren that said, your BFF, Natay wants to know when you are coming home. Do I detect a little resentment? I hope not. Natay is her little sister, and I pick and choose when I want to hang out with them. That little girl better remember where her bread is buttered. At the same time, I like talking to her, she can be funny when she is not being shy.
I remember how my mom would be so good with kids, she especially liked the precocious and curious children. The crazy part is that she had no tolerance for bad behavior and would scold any child in her vicinity who was not acting properly. I used to ask her why she thought kids flocked to her when she was mean to them. She said she didn't know, but adults were the same way. I think that it boils down to kids loving attention, and if they behaved she could bring herself to their level in the form of playing pretend, coloring or making jokes, she was a big kid herself.
I think that kids like me for the most part, I just haven't mastered the "not letting them run all over me" part. I talked to Natay for a little bit and then Lauren had to take her home. I walked to the grocery store with plans to get ingridients for clam chowder, but I couldn't find any reasonably priced chicken broth, so I settled on some ground beef and pretzel rolls for some homemade hamburgers. My meal was delicious, and Lauren went to play tennis, so I had the house to myself again. He's just not that into you, was on so I would call it a good night.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Friday, 30 September 2011
Day 74 - Spock Ears and Long Lunches
Today was a very nice day, filled with a new beginning and not surprising but sad nonetheless ending.
Starting with the bad news, Zach has been fired. All of his tardiness and dodging of responsibility caught up with him, and Saturday is his last day. I thought that he handled it very well, he told me that if he was a manager he would have fired himself too. The fact that he worked there at all was ridiculous. He doesn't have a car, and lives outside of the city, so he had to travel 4 miles to a train stop, ride the train for 45 minutes and then walk a mile to the bookstore. All for a minimum wage part time job. I think that it would have been hard for anyone to sustain. He has ears like Spock, he is charismatic, and he was funny, I'm going to miss him. This is one instance when facebook can be used for good instead of evil.
On a positive note, my lunch with Teresa was very nice. We went to a local cafe and the club sandwhich that I ordered was amazing. I told her about my quasi-disastrous interview at The University of Chicago, and she completely understood. She currently works for the university and has observed how snotty the faculty can be to anyone who is not working in an academic field. She plans to work in her current position for a few years and then transition to something that is closer to her interests. I have been thinking that if I don't get that position, I would be dodging a bullet, and if they offered it to me, I might decline. I would be struggling to prove myself all the time and constantly battling a negative perception. I don't really know what I'm going to do, but I was glad to get her perspective on it. The conversation flowed to the contrast between how people act in Arizona versus the behaviors out here. We have had some similar experiences and it was good to reflect, share and laugh about it.
Since I took an extra long lunch, I stayed later at work. By the time I got home, watched a couple episodes of Mad Men on the Roku, twisted up my hair, talked on my phone, had a few dance breaks courtesy of Beyonce and Drake, I was not feeling too bad about my Friday night at home.
Starting with the bad news, Zach has been fired. All of his tardiness and dodging of responsibility caught up with him, and Saturday is his last day. I thought that he handled it very well, he told me that if he was a manager he would have fired himself too. The fact that he worked there at all was ridiculous. He doesn't have a car, and lives outside of the city, so he had to travel 4 miles to a train stop, ride the train for 45 minutes and then walk a mile to the bookstore. All for a minimum wage part time job. I think that it would have been hard for anyone to sustain. He has ears like Spock, he is charismatic, and he was funny, I'm going to miss him. This is one instance when facebook can be used for good instead of evil.
On a positive note, my lunch with Teresa was very nice. We went to a local cafe and the club sandwhich that I ordered was amazing. I told her about my quasi-disastrous interview at The University of Chicago, and she completely understood. She currently works for the university and has observed how snotty the faculty can be to anyone who is not working in an academic field. She plans to work in her current position for a few years and then transition to something that is closer to her interests. I have been thinking that if I don't get that position, I would be dodging a bullet, and if they offered it to me, I might decline. I would be struggling to prove myself all the time and constantly battling a negative perception. I don't really know what I'm going to do, but I was glad to get her perspective on it. The conversation flowed to the contrast between how people act in Arizona versus the behaviors out here. We have had some similar experiences and it was good to reflect, share and laugh about it.
Since I took an extra long lunch, I stayed later at work. By the time I got home, watched a couple episodes of Mad Men on the Roku, twisted up my hair, talked on my phone, had a few dance breaks courtesy of Beyonce and Drake, I was not feeling too bad about my Friday night at home.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Day 73 - It's Cathartic
After careful thinking and a tweaking of the privacy settings, I have decided to continue with my blog. It is cathartic for me. There are still very personal elements of my life that will not be published on here, when I look back on the things that I have written I don't think it is too incriminating. Even if no one ever read it, it is important to me that it exists. This speaks to why I love archives so much, they reflect the authenticity of a moment, before our memories omit data and fill in the blanks with details imagined. If this blog was ever released to all the people that are mentioned in it, they would know how they impacted me. When I read it, I can remember my experiences clearly and try not to repeat the same mistakes. I still keep a written journal, which is completely out of control compared to the content of this blog. Also, in this digital format, I can sort and organize ideas and search for particular instances, much easier than a traditional journal. It also gives me something to commit to every night while I am in this state of flux.
I had my interview at Johnson Publishing Company this morning. I drove down there and arrived extra early and spent time in the 70's inspired lobby of this building. The walls had wood paneling, there was a giant geometrically patterned rug on the floor, and very sleek low to the ground red leather sectional couches. A very modern and abstract blob shaped sculpture protruded from the wall and the elevator doors stayed open on the first floor until someone called them up. I met with Mindy and Leigh who have been contracted to quickly process the 3600 linear feet of photographs and ephemera in the company's collection. They explained that they were targeting students and recent grads for this project because they can't offer alot of benefits, but it is good trench work experience for people in my position. I agreed, I also learned how they came to their position, and it was cool to see how they arrived at archives, one from a history background, the other from an art background.
Between the three of us, there was a training in content, in format, and in process. It does go to show that there are many ways to arrive at a chosen career path. My quick walk through the filing cabinets and opening random drawers revealed photographs of random celebrities like Robin Williams and Nelson Mandela. It was fascinating to me, but they stressed that the people they hire will need to be very focused and quickly, yet accurately get through as much of the files as possible. The interview was quick and informal, and I am very optimistic that they will be giving me an offer.
From there, I went to spend my Target gift card and finally buy a big winter coat at Burlington Coat Factory. Shopping was fun, I found all kinds of good deals. It was raining, but that was okay. By the time I got back to Hyde Park, found something to eat and returned my materials to the library, I was ready for a nap. I have to work on Friday and Saturday, so I didn't feel bad for making the most of my day off. After the nap, I decided to re-structure my closet. Now the jackets are all lined up from light to heavy. Next comes the sweaters and cardigans, then the button up shirt, finally the skirts and dressy tops. I folded up all the summer dresses and placed them in the hanging shelves, below the scarves, purses and belts. All the jeans and pants are folded in another set of hanging shelves. I put more items in the chest of drawers and I am content with the re-newed sense of order.
I wrote thank you letters to the interview committee from University of Chicago, watched X-Factor and Grey's Anatomy, and cooked my last pita pizza tonight. Tomorrow is an early day, maybe I will get through a few pages of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell before I go to bed tonight, I'm determined to finish it even if I haven't picked it up in weeks, what a shame...
I had my interview at Johnson Publishing Company this morning. I drove down there and arrived extra early and spent time in the 70's inspired lobby of this building. The walls had wood paneling, there was a giant geometrically patterned rug on the floor, and very sleek low to the ground red leather sectional couches. A very modern and abstract blob shaped sculpture protruded from the wall and the elevator doors stayed open on the first floor until someone called them up. I met with Mindy and Leigh who have been contracted to quickly process the 3600 linear feet of photographs and ephemera in the company's collection. They explained that they were targeting students and recent grads for this project because they can't offer alot of benefits, but it is good trench work experience for people in my position. I agreed, I also learned how they came to their position, and it was cool to see how they arrived at archives, one from a history background, the other from an art background.
Between the three of us, there was a training in content, in format, and in process. It does go to show that there are many ways to arrive at a chosen career path. My quick walk through the filing cabinets and opening random drawers revealed photographs of random celebrities like Robin Williams and Nelson Mandela. It was fascinating to me, but they stressed that the people they hire will need to be very focused and quickly, yet accurately get through as much of the files as possible. The interview was quick and informal, and I am very optimistic that they will be giving me an offer.
From there, I went to spend my Target gift card and finally buy a big winter coat at Burlington Coat Factory. Shopping was fun, I found all kinds of good deals. It was raining, but that was okay. By the time I got back to Hyde Park, found something to eat and returned my materials to the library, I was ready for a nap. I have to work on Friday and Saturday, so I didn't feel bad for making the most of my day off. After the nap, I decided to re-structure my closet. Now the jackets are all lined up from light to heavy. Next comes the sweaters and cardigans, then the button up shirt, finally the skirts and dressy tops. I folded up all the summer dresses and placed them in the hanging shelves, below the scarves, purses and belts. All the jeans and pants are folded in another set of hanging shelves. I put more items in the chest of drawers and I am content with the re-newed sense of order.
I wrote thank you letters to the interview committee from University of Chicago, watched X-Factor and Grey's Anatomy, and cooked my last pita pizza tonight. Tomorrow is an early day, maybe I will get through a few pages of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell before I go to bed tonight, I'm determined to finish it even if I haven't picked it up in weeks, what a shame...
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Day 72 - Censor Face
A woman that I admire a great deal asked me to reconsider the posting of any thought that I have in a given day. Perhaps I will re-consider the format. To be continued...
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Day 71 - Interview Blur
I made it to work this morning, and did not stop working until 3:15. The store was consistently full of people. It worked for me because I had all kinds of butterflies about this interview. I changed my shoes, put on some makeup and made it across the street to the hospital at 3:30. I met Coleman and Rebecca, they let me put my stuff down and gave me an agenda for the afternoon. I was to meet with Gavin, Ellie and Kathy in separate 15-20 minutes intervals.
Gavin was definitely the worst. The more I reflect on our discussion, the more frustrated I am. I wish that I would have said more in defense of myself. He had taken all kinds of notes on my resume and asked me why I thought I would be a good fit for this position. I was explaining my skills with communication, coordinating programs, working with faculty and event planning, and he took a few notes. He says we are weighing pros and cons, and my lack of experience in a health science discipline and my degree in library science were cons, he didn't mention a pro. He said that there wasn't a wrong answer, but could I explain what a residency is. How long do they last? What happens afterwards? He asked if I would leave if some library offered me a position. If I was looking at other positions right now, more tailored to my archives goals. He also asked if the bookstore would mind if I quit after such a short time? I was honest and in retrospect, he will probably use my answers to argue that I wasn't a good fit, and won't be devastated if they don't pick me. He wasn't outwardly mean, but I felt like I was slipping away from consideration throughout the entire discussion, not a good feeling on the first pitch.
I had a short break and then I met with Ellie, who Rebbecca told me was chosen to give me more of an idea of the office culture there. Ellie was the most welcome contrast from Gavin. She was about my age, dressed casually and just asked me to tell her more about myself. She explained that the position I was applying for was entry level, and her interaction with the incumbent was minimal. Since they share the space and similar objectives, it is good to have some rapport. She emphasized personality and attitude over content specialization, citing that after her master's degree in social work, she didn't expect to be managing budgets, but she is happy working on the administrative side of social services. We talked about our my preferred management styles and my preferences toward autonomy seemed to match how they work in this office. It was more of a conversation than a question and answer session.
Lastly, I was introduced to the executive director, Kathy. She did the best job of explaining what the nature of the position and the unit within the Biological Sciences Division. When faculty members get grant funding they drop it off with the CCTS, and we help them spend it on curriculum development. There are high stakes with making sure that the faculty are happy and continue to work with us, and that all of the grant objectives were met. She actually said from one sociologist to another, I haven't identified my profession with my undergraduate degree in awhile. She wanted to know more about my strengths. The most poignant question that she asked which seemed to be in line with what Rebbecca had mentioned were the various nuances that come with working with faculty. They are busy people and I would have to not take things personally when I don't get the results with my first attempt. She talked about relationship building and resilience. I liked her alot, she seemed engaged when I was talking and although she was serious, she didn't hesitate to crack a smile every once in awhile. She is going to Colombia in a few weeks, but she would be communicating remotely when they moved forward with the new hire.
There you have it, the ghosts of Career Doom, Career Rapport, and Career Potential. After all of that I sat down with Rebbecca and Coleman and de-briefed. I asked them again about that health science background and explained my concerns from Gavin's comments. Once again they were very encouraging about me having a competitive skill set, and that there was much for all of them to learn along the way. They also said that Gavin was relatively new and might not have a strong grasp of the nature of this position. I thanked them for being so patient about my recurring concern, and they said it was fine. I finally asked about salary and they didn't know, so Rebbecca is supposed to follow up with me this week, as soon as she hears from HR. I asked few additional questions and then we wrapped up, just under two hours after I arrived for the interview.
One thing that Coleman said that stuck with me is that the current staff dynamic is evident of people coming from diverse backgrounds, and growing within their roles in the Center. Essentially, it doesn't matter if I can't check off every box in the job description, I am bringing enough. With that being said, I think that I have a chance. They said that it would take at the most two weeks to get back to me. I will try to stall anything else until I hear from them.
In other news, my straight hair is no more and I found some tall rubber rain boots. I'm ready to step in some puddles!
Gavin was definitely the worst. The more I reflect on our discussion, the more frustrated I am. I wish that I would have said more in defense of myself. He had taken all kinds of notes on my resume and asked me why I thought I would be a good fit for this position. I was explaining my skills with communication, coordinating programs, working with faculty and event planning, and he took a few notes. He says we are weighing pros and cons, and my lack of experience in a health science discipline and my degree in library science were cons, he didn't mention a pro. He said that there wasn't a wrong answer, but could I explain what a residency is. How long do they last? What happens afterwards? He asked if I would leave if some library offered me a position. If I was looking at other positions right now, more tailored to my archives goals. He also asked if the bookstore would mind if I quit after such a short time? I was honest and in retrospect, he will probably use my answers to argue that I wasn't a good fit, and won't be devastated if they don't pick me. He wasn't outwardly mean, but I felt like I was slipping away from consideration throughout the entire discussion, not a good feeling on the first pitch.
I had a short break and then I met with Ellie, who Rebbecca told me was chosen to give me more of an idea of the office culture there. Ellie was the most welcome contrast from Gavin. She was about my age, dressed casually and just asked me to tell her more about myself. She explained that the position I was applying for was entry level, and her interaction with the incumbent was minimal. Since they share the space and similar objectives, it is good to have some rapport. She emphasized personality and attitude over content specialization, citing that after her master's degree in social work, she didn't expect to be managing budgets, but she is happy working on the administrative side of social services. We talked about our my preferred management styles and my preferences toward autonomy seemed to match how they work in this office. It was more of a conversation than a question and answer session.
Lastly, I was introduced to the executive director, Kathy. She did the best job of explaining what the nature of the position and the unit within the Biological Sciences Division. When faculty members get grant funding they drop it off with the CCTS, and we help them spend it on curriculum development. There are high stakes with making sure that the faculty are happy and continue to work with us, and that all of the grant objectives were met. She actually said from one sociologist to another, I haven't identified my profession with my undergraduate degree in awhile. She wanted to know more about my strengths. The most poignant question that she asked which seemed to be in line with what Rebbecca had mentioned were the various nuances that come with working with faculty. They are busy people and I would have to not take things personally when I don't get the results with my first attempt. She talked about relationship building and resilience. I liked her alot, she seemed engaged when I was talking and although she was serious, she didn't hesitate to crack a smile every once in awhile. She is going to Colombia in a few weeks, but she would be communicating remotely when they moved forward with the new hire.
There you have it, the ghosts of Career Doom, Career Rapport, and Career Potential. After all of that I sat down with Rebbecca and Coleman and de-briefed. I asked them again about that health science background and explained my concerns from Gavin's comments. Once again they were very encouraging about me having a competitive skill set, and that there was much for all of them to learn along the way. They also said that Gavin was relatively new and might not have a strong grasp of the nature of this position. I thanked them for being so patient about my recurring concern, and they said it was fine. I finally asked about salary and they didn't know, so Rebbecca is supposed to follow up with me this week, as soon as she hears from HR. I asked few additional questions and then we wrapped up, just under two hours after I arrived for the interview.
One thing that Coleman said that stuck with me is that the current staff dynamic is evident of people coming from diverse backgrounds, and growing within their roles in the Center. Essentially, it doesn't matter if I can't check off every box in the job description, I am bringing enough. With that being said, I think that I have a chance. They said that it would take at the most two weeks to get back to me. I will try to stall anything else until I hear from them.
In other news, my straight hair is no more and I found some tall rubber rain boots. I'm ready to step in some puddles!
Monday, 26 September 2011
Day 70 - It's the little things
Since I didn't have to go to work until noon, I made the most of the morning and ran some errands. I went to the library, the post office and the bank. The nice thing about Hyde Park is that everything is in the neighborhood, I might have traveled a mile round trip. I would have ridden my bike but I had that bulky computer box to take to the post office. To reward my productivity, I stopped at Treasure Island (America's most European Grocer (real slogan)) and found a fresh apple turnover. When I ate it, I found that it could use a little less apples and a lot more pastry. Perhaps the way I got it was for the best. When I got home, I talked to Lauren for a little bit and then headed to work.
Once again the store was crowded with students trying to get their textbooks. At this point much of our inventory is depleted, so it kind of frustrating to send students to our competitors in order for them to get their books on time. I do my best and try not to let my co-workers or our customers stress me out. The bookstore is in an antiquated building, the elevator access to the second floor is behind a locked door. Whenever a customer with a disability uses the elevator, they have to knock, then we have to unlock the door and let them in.
Today a nice young woman with a seeing eye dog came up through the elevator and I let her in. I couldn't tell how sight impaired she was, but when I was explaining where she could find her books, she asked if she could hold my arm and lead her to them. I said sure, I found her books, narrated all of my movements, and walked with her through the elevator and back downstairs to the cash register. I couldn't believe how insensitive our store was to the needs of people with disabilities. The aisles are narrow, and the placement of materials is very convoluted. I don't know how she could have done it without assistance, which is not fair. I was glad that I could help. It is interesting to realize how the majority of the buildings that I am used to in Arizona are more sensitive because they were built when the ADA existed, trying to fix old buildings is probably a lot like pulling teeth.
At a welcome lull in the flow of customers, I was approached by a woman who said she found me. What? It took me a second to realize it was my godmother's friend Teresa! We had talked a few times since I moved here, but she was really busy looking for a new house, nesting with her new husband, and trying to get her mother into a nursing home. She works for The University of Chicago, and she took some time out to come visit me. We decided to do lunch on Friday to really catch up. The rest of the work day flew by and even though I raced home, I still missed the first half of Dancing with the Stars. Oh well, after the show went off, I spent an hour on my hair and my eyebrows for tomorrow's interview. I still need to figure out how I am going go from bookstore comfy to interview chic in 15 minutes, but where there is a will there is a way.
Once again the store was crowded with students trying to get their textbooks. At this point much of our inventory is depleted, so it kind of frustrating to send students to our competitors in order for them to get their books on time. I do my best and try not to let my co-workers or our customers stress me out. The bookstore is in an antiquated building, the elevator access to the second floor is behind a locked door. Whenever a customer with a disability uses the elevator, they have to knock, then we have to unlock the door and let them in.
Today a nice young woman with a seeing eye dog came up through the elevator and I let her in. I couldn't tell how sight impaired she was, but when I was explaining where she could find her books, she asked if she could hold my arm and lead her to them. I said sure, I found her books, narrated all of my movements, and walked with her through the elevator and back downstairs to the cash register. I couldn't believe how insensitive our store was to the needs of people with disabilities. The aisles are narrow, and the placement of materials is very convoluted. I don't know how she could have done it without assistance, which is not fair. I was glad that I could help. It is interesting to realize how the majority of the buildings that I am used to in Arizona are more sensitive because they were built when the ADA existed, trying to fix old buildings is probably a lot like pulling teeth.
At a welcome lull in the flow of customers, I was approached by a woman who said she found me. What? It took me a second to realize it was my godmother's friend Teresa! We had talked a few times since I moved here, but she was really busy looking for a new house, nesting with her new husband, and trying to get her mother into a nursing home. She works for The University of Chicago, and she took some time out to come visit me. We decided to do lunch on Friday to really catch up. The rest of the work day flew by and even though I raced home, I still missed the first half of Dancing with the Stars. Oh well, after the show went off, I spent an hour on my hair and my eyebrows for tomorrow's interview. I still need to figure out how I am going go from bookstore comfy to interview chic in 15 minutes, but where there is a will there is a way.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Day 69 - Just let your SOUL glow!
I woke up this morning to a messy house and hungry pets, the lovely lady that I live with decided to go out last night and not come home until 11:30 this morning. I'm not judging, I'm just saying, your little animals can't feed and walk themselves. I cleaned up and I fed the animals, but I stopped short of walking the dog. When Lauren did get home, she got ready really fast and we went to pick up Natay for the circus.
Can I just say that the UniverSoul Circus is one of the best hybrid performances that I have ever seen. It is part concert, a little bit of comedy, part circus and a whole lot of house party. As we are walking up, I hear DMX's "ya'll gon make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here"...then the music flips to a Drake track. I get in the tent and it looks like a circus, three men are walking and riding bikes across the tightrope. All the seats are good seats, and the ringmaster was hilarious. Throughout the show, we sang if you're happy and you know it, we did the hokey pokey and we sang television theme songs from Spongebob Squarepants to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The acts included some Asian women who did all kinds of tricks on bikes, there were folks from Trinidad and Tobago who danced on stilts and did extreme limbo. One man from France twisted his body up and down some rope to some Luther Vandross record. He was built like a male gymnast who specializes on the rings. There were Russian guys who flipped off of some swings (really high), it was actually pretty exciting. There were young men from South America who rode motorcycles in a cage, there were four bikers in this cage going 50 mph, I don't know how they managed to not run into each other. The second half of the show included the tigers and elephants. I have mixed feelings about animals in captivity. On one hand, the animals can't be happy doing tricks for people but on the other, how does a person get an animal to jump through a flaming hoop consistently, that is kind of amazing.
Oh, and in the middle of the circus, the ringmaster makes all the kids stand up and take the ringmaster pledge. They have to raise their right hand and swear to say no to drugs, learn, pray, love their families, and remember that they are all winners, then the beat drops to DJ Khaled's "All I do is Win", so much fun. The crowd participation was on another level. Men and women were invited to the stage to form a soul train line, and later two couples were chosen to do a dance off with each other. Natay kept looking around and asking to see my iPhone and I was trying to tell her to focus and get excited, how often does the circus come to town? Afterwards she said that her favorite part was the tigers.
We took Natay back home after the circus, but we sat in the car with her for about 30 minutes. She's so quiet in the beginning but once she got comfortable, she wanted to braid my hair and talk about her favorite music artists. She eventually spent her energy and consented to go inside and we will go out again next weekend. From there Lauren and I went to Target, I got away with just spending 10 dollars, Lauren went in another directions, it started with dog treats and ballooned into full blown grocery shopping. When we got home, I called my Uncle Jimmy. He had been on my mind and I found out that he had no idea that I had moved to Chicago. We spent about 45 minutes catching up and he said that he was really happy for me, it was good to hear.
Then I settled in to letter writing, scrap booking and watching CBS. 60 minutes and The Amazing Race were on point tonight. I'm feeling very comfortable and relaxed from the weekend's activities. Big things are going to be happening this week, and I'm ready to put my best foot forward.
Can I just say that the UniverSoul Circus is one of the best hybrid performances that I have ever seen. It is part concert, a little bit of comedy, part circus and a whole lot of house party. As we are walking up, I hear DMX's "ya'll gon make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here"...then the music flips to a Drake track. I get in the tent and it looks like a circus, three men are walking and riding bikes across the tightrope. All the seats are good seats, and the ringmaster was hilarious. Throughout the show, we sang if you're happy and you know it, we did the hokey pokey and we sang television theme songs from Spongebob Squarepants to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The acts included some Asian women who did all kinds of tricks on bikes, there were folks from Trinidad and Tobago who danced on stilts and did extreme limbo. One man from France twisted his body up and down some rope to some Luther Vandross record. He was built like a male gymnast who specializes on the rings. There were Russian guys who flipped off of some swings (really high), it was actually pretty exciting. There were young men from South America who rode motorcycles in a cage, there were four bikers in this cage going 50 mph, I don't know how they managed to not run into each other. The second half of the show included the tigers and elephants. I have mixed feelings about animals in captivity. On one hand, the animals can't be happy doing tricks for people but on the other, how does a person get an animal to jump through a flaming hoop consistently, that is kind of amazing.
Oh, and in the middle of the circus, the ringmaster makes all the kids stand up and take the ringmaster pledge. They have to raise their right hand and swear to say no to drugs, learn, pray, love their families, and remember that they are all winners, then the beat drops to DJ Khaled's "All I do is Win", so much fun. The crowd participation was on another level. Men and women were invited to the stage to form a soul train line, and later two couples were chosen to do a dance off with each other. Natay kept looking around and asking to see my iPhone and I was trying to tell her to focus and get excited, how often does the circus come to town? Afterwards she said that her favorite part was the tigers.
We took Natay back home after the circus, but we sat in the car with her for about 30 minutes. She's so quiet in the beginning but once she got comfortable, she wanted to braid my hair and talk about her favorite music artists. She eventually spent her energy and consented to go inside and we will go out again next weekend. From there Lauren and I went to Target, I got away with just spending 10 dollars, Lauren went in another directions, it started with dog treats and ballooned into full blown grocery shopping. When we got home, I called my Uncle Jimmy. He had been on my mind and I found out that he had no idea that I had moved to Chicago. We spent about 45 minutes catching up and he said that he was really happy for me, it was good to hear.
Then I settled in to letter writing, scrap booking and watching CBS. 60 minutes and The Amazing Race were on point tonight. I'm feeling very comfortable and relaxed from the weekend's activities. Big things are going to be happening this week, and I'm ready to put my best foot forward.