In Between
So, there won’t be a SoundByte for a couple of days, but I wanted to do a shout out and let people know we’re alive. We’ve officially moved, but it’s been one hell of a process.
We started off yesterday with Nate working a half-day at work, and then flying to IKEA for the mega-shop for furniture and stuff for the apartment. We were there, in our rented moving van, for a while, and spent a shed-load of money on stuff for the apartment. We managed to get a very nice bed, with mattress and box spring, as well as a really nice bureau for our clothes (the first new pieces we’ve ever bought as a couple!), which is great. The thing about IKEA, which I don’t mind normally, is that everything pretty much needs assembly. Tonight, however, after moving SO MUCH STUFF into our apartment, the last thing I really wanted to do was put together an 8-drawer bureau. Well, 6 hours later, I finally got it together. Granted, Nate and I had to share the screwdriver, as he built the bed and was working on putting up the blinds, but still, it took me FOREVER.
We also discovered that the shut-off valve for our toilet is broken. This means, in a nutshell, that there is no water going into the tank of the toilet, and we’ve had to already put a call into the maintenance guy to get a plumber out here. When that will be, we have no idea, but for now, we’re flushing with a bucket of water from the tub…oh joy.
The place is nice, but really needs a thorough cleaning, which neither Nate or I can manage tonight. Right now, it’s all boxes, bags, and trying to keep our heads on straight, as we plow through the endless things we need to get done.
Right now, Nate’s changing out the locks. He told me to take a break and I suggested putting up a post, so here I am. The coffee he made us was fab, so I’ve got a few more bits of go-juice in my battery, but I have a feeling I’m going to be feeling all this hustle and bustle tomorrow.
The saving grace in all of this is that I don’t have to ride the stinkin’ train in the morning. It’s a twenty minute stroll to work, which lets me leave the house around 8am. That’s so late for me, but at this rate, it will probably come too soon.
Anyway, I need to get going, but I wanted to say we’re finally home, in our own place, in the city, and even though it’s starting off a bit rough (as is normal I guess), we’re going to be okay here. I can feel it in my tired, worn-out bones.
Ciao for now!
-Thom
In Between
So, there won’t be a SoundByte for a couple of days, but I wanted to do a shout out and let people know we’re alive. We’ve officially moved, but it’s been one hell of a process.
We started off yesterday with Nate working a half-day at work, and then flying to IKEA for the mega-shop for furniture and stuff for the apartment. We were there, in our rented moving van, for a while, and spent a shed-load of money on stuff for the apartment. We managed to get a very nice bed, with mattress and box spring, as well as a really nice bureau for our clothes (the first new pieces we’ve ever bought as a couple!), which is great. The thing about IKEA, which I don’t mind normally, is that everything pretty much needs assembly. Tonight, however, after moving SO MUCH STUFF into our apartment, the last thing I really wanted to do was put together an 8-drawer bureau. Well, 6 hours later, I finally got it together. Granted, Nate and I had to share the screwdriver, as he built the bed and was working on putting up the blinds, but still, it took me FOREVER.
We also discovered that the shut-off valve for our toilet is broken. This means, in a nutshell, that there is no water going into the tank of the toilet, and we’ve had to already put a call into the maintenance guy to get a plumber out here. When that will be, we have no idea, but for now, we’re flushing with a bucket of water from the tub…oh joy.
The place is nice, but really needs a thorough cleaning, which neither Nate or I can manage tonight. Right now, it’s all boxes, bags, and trying to keep our heads on straight, as we plow through the endless things we need to get done.
Right now, Nate’s changing out the locks. He told me to take a break and I suggested putting up a post, so here I am. The coffee he made us was fab, so I’ve got a few more bits of go-juice in my battery, but I have a feeling I’m going to be feeling all this hustle and bustle tomorrow.
The saving grace in all of this is that I don’t have to ride the stinkin’ train in the morning. It’s a twenty minute stroll to work, which lets me leave the house around 8am. That’s so late for me, but at this rate, it will probably come too soon.
Anyway, I need to get going, but I wanted to say we’re finally home, in our own place, in the city, and even though it’s starting off a bit rough (as is normal I guess), we’re going to be okay here. I can feel it in my tired, worn-out bones.
Ciao for now!
-Thom
Lunchtime Quick-Post
So, today’s been one of the coldest days of the season here in Boston. Frigid wind, cold air, the whole deal. On my way to the office, I was struck by something I saw, and if I could have a micro-cam installed on my glasses, I could show you just what I’m going to talk about…but since I’m a wordsmith (kinda) I’ll just describe it. You’ll get my drift…
I was approaching the street my office is on, when I happened to notice a young man walking my way. He was nearly dressed appropriately for the weather. I say nearly because he was very aware of his appearances, and did not have on a hat so as to mess up his perfectly set coif. His skin was a shade of “I just got back from Aruba” and he was walking with the wind up his nose, clearly paying attention to what was going on over the rest of us as we hustled and crawled to work in the cold. He was young-ish looking, and by all accounts, clearly trying to impress someone or something.
My question to the ether is WHY? On such a cold day, when you’re clearly suffering from the elements like the rest of humanity, do you really need to worry about messing up your looks? Do you? Really??
And please, the next time we cross paths, at least have the graciousness to allow me by if there’s a charge of people and I’m clearly trying to maneuver my way through them.
It’s not much that I’m asking, but I refuse to feel like I’m beneath you. At least I was warm on the way in.
Change on a Plate!
[SinglePic not found]October 26 SoundByte
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More talk about sub-teaching, the job hunt, and a few shout-outs and thank-yous!
-Thom
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
London from above, at night – The Big Picture – Boston.com
London from above, at night – The Big Picture – Boston.com
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Good Grief!
Stolen from http://www.gawker.com
I don’t know how much attention you all are paying to the economic news, but my eyes are plugged to CNBC quite a bit lately. It’s not looking good, and the more I watch, the moodier I get. Today, I just shut it off all day so I could focus on my job hunt. I updated/refreshed my resume and cover letters, and sent a couple more off. Still, part of me was curious when I kept getting little feeds into my RSS feeder that indicated that something was going down on Wall Street. Boy, did it ever.
Here’s a link to the NYTimes article, dated today.
Nate and I are expanding our options for my job hunt at the moment – extending beyond Boston (for now). Of course, I’ll keep you all informed here, but at the end of the day, I NEED WORK, even in a dumpy economy.
-Thom
In case you didn’t notice…
Yesterday, after getting a really nice card from Nate’s Aunt Terry for my birthday, I took a lovely walk around the neighborhood and took some pictures of the foliage.
As always, you can get to these pics, and more, by going to the upper right corner of this page and mousing over the Photo Gallery link. Also, make sure you check back there often, as I post pics there and sometimes forget to link it here.
Today’s my birthday, and I’ll write more about that later, but for now, the weather is kinda gloomy. I’m hoping for a bit more sun, at least a little bit, just to get back outside and snap some more pics.
-Thom
My Idea, but Better
America Needs A New New Deal – WSJ.com
I had a brain-zap while just in the shower.
What if the US Government took the $700 billion it was going to spend on a fiscal bailout for Wall Street and turned it into a New Deal 2.0 for the 21st Century? It would be fitting, 75 years after the first New Deal, and given the current state of affairs in this country, that the government step up and take the country in a better direction.
Of course, great minds think alike, and when I went to do some research on the New Deal, I came across this Letter to the Editor of the Wall Street Journal by Katrina Vanden Heuvel and Eric Schlosser, dated 27 September 2008 – yes, three damn days ago. This letter also goes into detail about specifics, and what really caught my eye, and lent me to wanting to blog this, was that the country could really spend the money on the table for so many things – namely, new jobs, improved infrastructure, and education – all areas where we are desperately falling behind.
So, although I didn’t write the article, I was thinking along the same lines, and hope you take a few minutes to read, and give it a thought.
-Thom
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Yesterday, Looking Towards The Future
I had a bit of a meltdown yesterday. Okay, it was a lot of a meltdown. I have never been unemployed for this long in the whole time I’ve been working. That’s right…15..erm…16 years (well, 16 as of tomorrow). It’s far more than frustrating. It’s far more than aggravating. What it is is demoralizing. It is gut-wrenching. It makes me feel like I threw away money on a college and post-college education.
I, unfortunately, took this out on Nate a little bit last night. I told him, rather strongly, that I was sick and tired of accepting help from him, from his family, and from mine. It all stemmed from a discussion about his mom and dad wanting to take me out for dinner on my birthday. A very nice, very simple way of recognizing that I, in fact, have been alive for 31 years. I don’t know what snapped inside me, but I lashed out, saying it was the last thing I wanted, and that I had no stomach to put a good face on for the sake of a stupid birthday. All I wanted was a GD job (I’ll let you figure out what GD stands for).
I really lost my cool last night, and I felt terrible after I had done it. He, and his family, and my family, have done so much for me since coming back here. There is nothing I want more than to make it up to all of them, and to be able to give back for everything that they’ve done. Of course I’m totally flattered that they want to do something for my birthday. I am totally bowled over by the outpouring of support, of giving, and of love, that the entire Brown/Centola/Palmer family group has given me.
Today, I write here as a form of a public apology to both Nate, and a way to vent my rage and frustration over being out of work. I really need to look towards the future with a bit more optimism. And that, my dear reader, is the next part of this post.
I had applied to the Apple Store in Boston for a couple of positions I had seen listed on their website. Well, I didn’t expect to hear anything back, but in fact, I did get an invite to attend a hiring seminar at the Apple Store in Braintree, MA. If any of you have been to an actual Apple Store, you know it’s far more than computers. It’s an experience. You get to see and try out all sorts of technology, all of which I’m a big fan of. You also get to talk with Apple Geniuses in case you have any issues/questions. They also offer classes on how to best use the software that comes with your computer (which is what I would love to do, if I get a job there). In short, it’s a good company with stuff on sale that I love, and I could really enjoy working there.
So, I have replied to the e-mail that the managers in charge of hiring had sent me, and later today, I’m going to call the Store just to make sure I have the date/time/place right in my book. I know it’s not teaching in a classroom, but it is a job. Rather, it could be…I’m not going to count my chickens too soon – not until the job offer is made. I could really use the employment. I really could use the boost to my self-esteem. After last night, I don’t want to get that enraged, that frustrated, ever again.
I never knew having no job was this difficult. I had no idea how demoralizing it is to be without income. Well, consider this life-lesson learned.
Oh, and thanks for reading!
-Thom
Sunday Afternoon
The weather outside is absolutely gorgeous. So nice, in fact, that yours truly (the lazy one…not Nate), decided to take a really nice walk at a spot I had noticed the other day when I was out for a jog. It’s a recreation area called Pequitside. There were some really nice trails around the place, and I with my camera, took some shots which you can see here. It was very peaceful, and the only person I ran into was the lady working on the gardens where I took some nice photos of sunflowers.
I hate to say it, though, but summer is drawing to a close here in New England. The trees are starting to lose their vibrant green colors, and are starting to turn the colors of autumn. Personally, I can’t wait to see some foliage, as it’s been ages since I’ve been able to hear the dry leaves rustle in an autumn wind. I also can’t wait for Halloween (my FAVORITE holiday), and of course, celebrating Nate’s birthday on the 13th of October. I don’t know what we’re going to do, but hopefully we’ll find something to keep us occupied.
Anyway, I don’t want to spend too much time inside today, and neither should you! Enjoy summer while it’s still here!!
-T
Barbecues and Summertime
Yesterday, Nate’s brother Ben, and his wife Torrance, hosted a fabulous barbecue at their house in Dedham. The pictures are, you guessed it, under the Photo Gallery tab in the upper right corner. Go ahead and browse through them…I’ll wait.
…
You back yet?
Good! 
Today’s turning out to be a fabulous summer day, however, Nate, unfortunately, has come down with something akin to a cold – though we’re not quite sure that’s it. Stuffy nose, plugged sinuses, headache, you name it. He had to go to work today, as it is a Sunday, and in Massachusetts, you earn time and a half on Sundays (gotta love those old Blue Laws). Nate being Nate, he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to earn some extra cash, went in, but now he’s home, taking it easy, and hopefully will get better soon. Keep him in your thoughts, just the same.
I had a really good time yesterday, and I realised that Barbecues were something I really missed while in the UK. I mean, they have barbecues over there, don’t get me wrong. Still, there’s something quintessentially American about the barbecue, something that made me feel a bit homesick everytime I had one while overseas. In any case, barbecues and summertime in New England make me feel good. I love the two of them together.
Hope all is well where you are, and I’ll post again soon!
-T
Going Home
Today, I’m off to see my family for a brief visit. It’s a shame I can’t stay a week up there, but I need to be down here, in MA, looking for work instead of lazing about up in Maine. I’m kind of anxious, kind of nervous, and actually very tired, as I stayed up last night watching the Opening Ceremonies to the Olympics.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to put up a post and some pics while I’m up there!
Till later!
-Thom
Pictures of Nate’s Food Skills
So, yesterday, Nate took me to a local Middle Eastern market, where he bought the most amazing ingredients he was going to use in dinner last night. Me, being oblivious to all things food-prep related, had no idea what he had in store, but as you can see in these pictures, I was in for a feast.
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| Nate's Cooking |
All I have to say is YUMMY.
-T
And that went okay…
Just getting back from my interview, and it has to be said, I was nervous as hell, but I do think I delivered a good impression of myself. The gentleman, Mr. Meadows, seemed very calm, cool, and collected, and my first take was that he would be a person I’d be happy to work with as my Principal/Headmaster.
There were seven questions he asked me, ranging from my Philosophy of Teaching, to how I would deliver a 60-minute lesson, to what sort of food I’d bring in on Friday’s to the teacher’s breakfast. I think I answered the questions well, and he said, if I make it through to the next round of interviews, I will be hearing from him soon. Given there are only a few more weeks till the start of school, I’d like to know sooner rather than later.
Anyway, I resume my normal pattern of breathing. Of course, if I hear anything, you’ll be the first to hear from me
XX Thom
ANXIOUS
It’s 1:30pm…interview’s in 1.5 hrs.
I’m soooo nervous.
Watch this space for updates.
XX
Thom
From the Daily Kos
This is from the Cheers and Jeers section on Daily Kos:
When a Republican candidate makes a verbal gaffe, it’s a “misstatement” and nothing to get upset about. When a Democratic candidate makes a verbal gaffe, it’s a “serious blunder that has jeopardized the campaign by alienating independents.”
We wouldn’t be having this argument about tire pressure if all our wheels were made out of wood.
John McCain is one teleprompter glitch away from losing the election.
Just for fun I’m going to exercise my second amendment right by strapping on a revolver, boarding a packed metro bus, and asking the first passenger I see, “Excuse me…are you sure your seat’s taken?”
John Edwards gets hammered for owning one expensive house and getting a $400 haircut. John McCain gets a free pass for owning eight-to-ten expensive houses and wearing $520 loafers.
When people say, “Well, I hope you managed to get through X without too much trouble…”, they’re saying they hope you did, in fact, have a little trouble getting through it.
Cindy McCain would not have won the Miss Buffalo Chip pageant. But she might’ve come in second if her alleged tassel-twirling abilities came through for her.
The vast majority of children entering sixth grade in the fall will have no recollection of the attacks of 9/11 because they were too young to remember them.
If dreams are a preview of the afterlife, I’m going to be spending a lot of time falling off cliffs, missing tests and forgetting my lines onstage.
No matter how many speeches future presidents give, they will never quote George W. Bush to reinforce a point unless it’s about dishonesty or failure.
I will not comment about whether I’ll accept the nomination for vice president because I don’t deal in hypotheticals.
Now that gas prices are under four bucks a gallon again, consumers will rush to trade in their hybrids for SUVs. Next week, when gas rises above four bucks a gallon again, they’ll trade in their SUVs for hybrids, after which several auto industry executives will shoot themselves in the head.
If Barack Obama had shown Charlton Heston in a campaign ad, he would’ve been accused by Republicans of playing the Alzheimer’s card.
Someone needs to invent a TV where cable news pundits feel it when you throw your shoe at the screen.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
