the hills are alive...

With the sounds of all kinds of shit. I sincerely apologize for practically being on a milk carton for about the last 5 months. There's really no specific reason or excuse for it other than I just never felt like it. I'm an adult, that's reason enough - I don't have to answer to anyone - YOU'RE NOT MY REAL DAD!

I don't even know where to begin....to start boring you to tears. I have to say the last 5 months or so have been pretty good to me with only a few hiccups, which have since been resolved - well...all except one. That being the job situation - yes ladies and germs I'm still flopping like a fish out of water who's gills have then dried up. To top it all off no one's found me lying motionless on the carpet to rescue me and put me where I belong. My creativity's all dried up and I'm suffocating in a world I was not made to live in.

With all that being said, things actually be on the upswing as there may be a chance I'm scraped off the carpet next Wednesday. Keep all of your extremities crossed. Please and thank you.

The end of July and August brought me nothing that I should write home about - although it could just be the glorious 4 weeks in September/October spent with 2 of my favorite people in the world that fogs up those end-of-summer memories. My cousin Nina and her husband Achim arrived on September 15th and stayed with me until October 10th. While the massive chunk of time off put a huge mack-truck-sized dent in my bank account, it was definitely well worth it. We visited my almost permanently intoxicated, shotgun wielding family in da U.P eh for my cousin Erin's wedding. Nina was thrilled to experience an 'American' wedding and I was thrilled there was something other than Miller Lite on tap for the reception.

We flew to New York at the very beginning of October and quickly realized I was far more excited than they. We covered a lot in 3 days and by the end I had felt like I walked to the ends of the earth. Our hotel was marvelous and in the center of everything which allowed us to experience a lot with little effort. I finally got to see a bit of the 'Today' show - as corny as it sounds it was a little surreal seeing Al Roker and Matt Lauer within feet of myself. Then as luck would have it I caught a glimpse of LL Cool J reading 'Corduroy' to some unruly children. We took a bus tour with various odd tour guides and learned where Mariah Carey and Leonardo DiCaprio live, where Paul Simon and Joan Baez first got their start, that people like to stick their heads up the bull's ass on Wall street and finally that you shouldn't be surprised when an older, military-esque black man in fact speaks German. Though had you been there you would have known it seemed EVERYONE in NYC speaks German. I had to frequently look up at the Empire State Building to make sure I was in fact in NYC and not looking at the tv tower in Alexanderplatz, Berlin. We used the tour bus as our personal taxi and visited the sobering ground zero site (which looks a lot different than 2 years ago), walked the south street seaport to get a better view of the Brooklyn Bridge and took a jaunt on the Staten Island Ferry to get a good look at ol' Lady Liberty. We held on for dear life atop the very chilly and very windy Empire State Building at night where I took at least 100 pictures. We dined at Justin Timberlake's restaurant where I inhaled the most glorious mac 'n cheese with bacon. But the one thing at the top of my list was to visit The Dakota, the apartment building where John Lennon's life was taken by a coward, and Strawberry Fields. It was a little bizarre, standing in the place he last stood.



















I had been there before - but I can't begin to express to you how much I love New York City. While I'm not sure I could live there without feeling like I was living in some sort of modern day, whirlwind fairytale - I am absolutely sure I'd like to be in the city at least another 93485673498576 times before I kick the bucket. Maybe it's because I always feel like I'm apart of something when I'm there, even as I'm walking briskly down 5th Ave, alone in a sea of strangers. It's invigorating and I always feel a sense of sorrow when I have to leave.

I was once again filled with a sense of sadness, that's sometimes overwhelming, when my family had to leave. No matter how elated I am at the first sight of them, there's always this tiny speck of pessimism in knowing that it will be short-lived. It's a difficult thing, having people that close to you live so far away. But I suppose I should think of the glass half-full (of some sort of dark german lager) - I have something wonderful to look forward to for the next year when I hop aboard a plane once again - and get to meet my new little cousin. I wonder if deutsch baby googoos and gagas are different?

I'm not going to indulge in a certain other aspect of my life as it seems whenever I do, it's the kiss of death. I'll just say the universe opened up and dropped in my lap something pretty promising.

I'm going to TRY and keep this thing updated more frequently than once every score - but no promises, because as Dru Hill says "I never make a promise, I can't keep."

Til next time friends - I'm off to brave weather the eskimos, or Sarah Palin, should be jealous of.

holy hot tuna fart

I apologize to everyone who doesn't read this...I've been missing for 2 months. Get over it - oh you already are? Ok good.

It's summer - I'm SO not in the blogging mood, like...ever. Plus it probably helps that I haven't got too much to say. One thing that IS new and exciting and wondermous and fabtastic is that I did in fact find a great place and am now living in a pretty-close-to-perfect 2 bedroom apartment in the bay view area. I'm in love with it - and this one minor plus in my black hole of a life has saved me from possibly jumping from a very high ledge...so to speak.

I've been quite busy what with work (which is also coming to an end soon, back to square one), and summerly activities. Concerts galore - Robert Plant/Alison Krauss, John Mayer, Gavin Degraw - Reba McIntyre tomorrow, The Police on Friday, Celine Dion in September and NKOTfreakinB in October. You heard me, I'm making up for the fact that I never got to see the 'Kids' in their hay-day - and I realize they're in their 40s now but so what, I'm no spring chicken these days either, though I'll probably scream like one. DON'T JUDGE ME.

So, with all that being said, I bid you adieu and it very well may be another 2 months before I post again, so don't get your crease all greased.

Ciao.

sweet beans I've been MIA....

This will not be a long post as I don't really feel like writing. But I've been buuuuusaaayy.

Shortly after my last post I was preparing myself for my trip to Germany to visit family AND just before I left I landed a job. Before you start leaping for joy (because I know you all would) it's just a temp job until August, but it will pay the bills in the meantime. It's also with a group of people I used to work with that I really enjoyed, and doing a large variety of design work which is a huge plus and much needed change from my last job.

I've also been busy searching craigslist every 5 seconds to find a new place to live. I'm pretty over living in OC, sure it's nice - but I need a change...and I'm not to happy with these apartments. So I'm looking at two duplex's this week, one in SM right around Grant Park and one in Cudahy by the lake. I'm also movin' on up to a 2 bedroom, I figured it'd be nice to have the extra space to do my freelance work and keep all my equipment and also have a nice space for any visitors - especially when my favorite people in the world (fam from Germany) come to visit.

Speaking of, my vacation in Deutschland was amazing, as it always is, but oh so hard to leave my cousins....as it always is. And the older I get the more my emotions run rampant and I was blubbering like a big fat baby in the airport. Thankfully they are planning on coming here in September and I am planning on heading back there next May.

Well I'm going to run, I have some shows on my DVR to watch, I'm getting sleepy and my new tattoo is itchy and needing it's salve.

Auf Wiedersehen!!!

It's been a long time....

Been a long time, been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.....

Little Zep for you.

But yes, I haven't been around. I've been in sort of a funk which is the result of a multitude of things. The main one being that I'm still without a job. I was THISCLOSE to getting a job I was actually pretty excited about - it's a really long story, but in short it was down to me and another person (out of 300!) and the person they chose was actually a friend of mine...who actually had a job and just decided to find something else. This was an 'only me' situation folks.

I've also been becoming increasingly frustrated with my equipment situation. Since being thrown back out into the pits of unemployment I've learned that things have changed a bit in the last three years. Web design is becoming more and more prevalent in graphic design positions to the point where it seems like they're basically merging. Obviously the web is everywhere and a major part of communications/marketing so that's understandable - but while in college and starting my career, they were still two separate positions. I haven't had much opportunity to learn web as it wasn't needed, but now while searching for jobs day in and day out I'm realizing that needs to change. Here's the issue, my computer is old, rather ancient in computer years. Yes, it still works, but in it's old age has become sluggish. Up until recently I was three operating systems behind (now I believe I'm one or two behind) which causes mannnny incompatibility problems with hardware and software, I'm 3 versions behind in design software which consistently causes roadblocks in trying to improve my portfolio and do freelance work and there's no way I'm learning web without web software. The problem is the catch 22 - with no job, I definitely have no money for a well deserved upgrade, and without the necessary tools to improve my knowledge and body of work it's going to be a little more difficult to get that job. It's a vicious circle. Obviously it's do-able since I was recently very close to a job, but it'd be nice to be able to utilize the best tools in my field - otherwise why would there even be upgrades? It's like telling a photographer, oh well for the next 3 weeks you're gonna need to oil paint your subjects - worked for the Mona Lisa didn't it? Or tell a carpenter, we're cutting off your electricity for an unknown period of time, there's a handsaw right over there for your major projects....or a mechanic - well we don't have any wrenches, your hands work just fine - use those!

This wasn't meant to be a 'woe is me' post - but it's annoying having a creative urge stifled by less than stellar creative conditions.

So if I can find 2000 people that would like to donate a dollar to my cause, that'd be great. You'll get an I.O.U in return and that dollar's all yours once I land that killer job! Haha.

because, I have to

Well, hello there!

Fancy meeting you here! I'm doing well, yourself? Wonderful.

Yes, I'm still Johnnie McUnemployed. I haven't allowed myself to get TOO lazy however. Did a little grocery shopping, made some home-made creamy tomato soup, made mucho progress on a little freelance project, scrubbed the bathtub, read a book and started another. I also stayed true to my promise of Living Single marathons (but only on Thursday's, WTF Oxygen Network!) and glorious naps. If they could pay me for being a professional napper, I'd be a millionaire, I'm that good at it.

I did have an interview about a week and a half ago with no results yet, and I'm also meeting with another agency this week. I know all your fingers and toes and legs are losing blood flow and becoming cramped and deformed - but please keep them crossed. Pretty please with a cherry on top!?

Along with the rest of Wisconsin I'm sure, I am so glad we've escaped February and have entered March. I'm counting on March to lift my spirits - slightly warmer weather, daylight savings time in about a week, Chicago: The Musical starring my lovely Dan :) and the fact that I can now say I leave for Germany NEXT MONTH! It's been 4 years since I've seen my long lost sister (cousin) and I am counting down the days until I see her! My other sister from another mister, Kelly, and I are ecstatic. Whilst shopping this weekend I picked up some seriously discounted, albeit fabulous, new luggage and I am so excited to use it I could probably start packing tomorrow. Nerd.

Well I'm off to do one of 3 things:

1) Read some more of my book The Invisible Wall
2) Lay on the couch and watch some Will & Grace
3) Lay on the couch and....nap.....

Wish me luck on this life-changing decision.

i drink your MILKSHAKE

I haven't even seen There Will Be Blood and this makes me laugh hysterically. Maybe it's because the next episode will take place in "Kenosha, Wesh...uh, Wisconsin".

I DRINK IT UP!