Recent Blog Entries
I'm considering Retiring my sole Editorship status.
9-02-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch (can't remember) - Catch Up
I'm still at my current workplace. Things have been rough lately. I certainly hope that I can get that CA job soon. There are two potential spots that I'm in contention for, one was the one I mentioned on my last post, but I haven't heard anything new in a few weeks. As for the other (the one I've been trying to get since late June), several accounts were added, and as of late last week, only a few more required for me to be hired. I'm certainly not going to give up. I've never been this close -- ever!
I hope you folks are doing all right. I'm kinda down, but not out. Anyway, Auf Wiedersehen!!
8-10-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 16 - I Need to Update More Often
Hey, gang. I've been absent from blogging lately. I do apologize for that and for not responding to other blogs. What's new? Well, it's been a frustrating two weeks for the most part. I don't look forward to the move to another neighborhood in town (no Internet for at least 1-2 weeks, from what I've read, and it could pause my job searching). Also, the workplace is still crazy. We have a new manager, and I'm not exactly confident in the person.
There is some light, though. I did see two new employment opportunities on my email box (those you that aren't yet posted on Monster or any other place) -- one position is located in PA (which isn't where I'm looking for work), and the other is in CA (it's a two-week project, however). Still, things may be brightening up. Also, a friend from CA wants me to submit a resume to him for a position (they seriously need someone). Slowly but surely, it looks like a turnaround is in progress.
7-30-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 15 - Trip #2 Over, But Still Crazy
Hey, everyone. Trip #2 ended officially Friday morning at 12:15 AM. There were many things I liked, and a few I didn't like. I thought that the entire San Diego Comic-Con International was awesome. Also, I enjoyed visiting the city (which is now my favorite city with at least 1 million in population). I did increase my network of contacts for any career opportunities that may pop up in the near future. We saw "Monster House", and I thought that was a fun film to watch. Of course, I got to meet the Foster's gang -- YAY!!!
What I didn't like -- two potential job interviews never happened. One of the interviews were cancelled, and the other one wasn't for the position I wanted (it wasn't even an IT position). I'd be lying, if I said I wasn't crushed. And of course, it was over. Goodbyes are tough. I nearly got teary when I had to get ready to depart. The 1 hour, 35 minute delay in Houston's Bush Intercontinental wasn't fun, either. Bad weather forced many delays in flights, and at least one cancellation.
Trip #2 may be done, but not my job search. I'm gonna keep fighting until I've done it.
The craziness does not end there. I may be moving soon. Good, right? It's not the move I wanted, because my folks simply want to move to another house. The home itself isn't bad, but what about the neighborhood? The other side of my city is usually worse (not to say that my current neighborhood is great -- it isn't), and I'm not exactly cool with that. Plus, I'd be without Internet access for some time, and that does not bode well for me for job searching.
So, yeah, I MAY be moving, but it isn't the move I wanted. 1,600+ miles west, please!! I miss CA and my friends, already!
Also, the workplace isn't going well. We're getting a new manager soon, and I hope it isn't me.
07-26-06 - The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. "I Forgot" -- Comic-Con Done
Hey, gang -- ORD here. Well, I'm almost done with the California visit. I'm in job hunt mode. No interviews, yet -- though I did increase my network a little. I hope later today, things will be more interesting.
Anyway, San Diego Comic-Con was fantastic. I'll go even as far and say that this was better than AX. I pretty much did everything I wanted to do -- mainly meet the crew from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. The crew was great. I even met a few other folks, including Chris Sanders (from Lilo & Stitch fame), Rob Paulsen, and Maurice La Marche. I also saw Seth Green walk by at the Con. Yes, I got to meet Sparky -- YAY!!
Great city - loved San Diego. I hope to be back in 2007. More to come later. Right now, though, some more hunting to do.
7-16-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 13 - Final Post Prior to Trip #2
I may reply here before I leave tomorrow (if there are any replies). I'll catch you folks later, and I hope to bring excellent news back with me.
7-16-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 12 - Two Days 'Till Trip Number Deuce
After that, employment hunting time! I hope to make significant progress for trip #2. Not much else to say. Can't wait!!
7-10-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 11 - Ready to Leave, Already.
It's been a fairly unpleasant return back from California. As I mentioned before, my vehicle is really messed up right now (it overheats after a few miles of driving). Mom yells for me to get up. I replied, "I am!" She gets all pissed at me for no reason at all, and she brought up what happened the other night. I was telling mother how I'm angry at my older brother for not getting himself a computer, so I can focus on other things. She wanted me to be up, because I was going to go with my older cousin to pick up something for the vehicle. She was all up in my face telling me how I should be grateful that I'm not having to pay for this stuff. I was going to bring up how mom should be grateful that I'm not charging her for the help I give her on the computer.
Eight days and counting until trip #2 begins, and it will not be entirely for leisure. After Comic-Con, it'll be time to attempt to make my dream/goal a reality. It's not going to be easy, and some doubt that it can be done, but it's what I want to do. I can't let other people's views deter me from making my dreams come true. I'm the reason that I haven't succeeded, yet. I'm not happy with my life, and I've gotta do better. I want to be near my friends. I've sacrificed so much to be where I'm at today and where I'll be next week.
Back to Comic-Con -- I was going to go to last year's convention, only to back down a month before the start of Anime Expo 2005. Since last year, I thought, "man, wouldn't it be awesome if I could meet the people behind the hit animated series, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends?" I thought about that for a while. For Comic-Con 2006, I learned last week that this fantasy of mine will become a reality. There will be a panel for the series. I am mega-excited, and I look forward to seeing them soon.
7-08-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 10 - Nice Trip, Unpleasant Return.
First thing's first -- the first day went smoothly. No flight problems or anything. I got to hang out with one of my good friends. The second day was a day that I would be tested. I had to rent a vehicle for 48 hours, because of the wedding. My first impression -- 'heart attack', anyone? Prior to Day Two, I had never driven on California freeways before. Things got easier for me as I gained experience. I DID do a ton of driving that day, as I left Enterprise, then to Carl's Jr., then to the grocery store, then to my friends' house (where I picked up the Bloo costume -- YAY!!), then to Walgreens, to my hotel room to leave Bloo there, then to the Brea Mall to get a shirt, then to get a haircut, then I went to meet a new friend and hanged out with him for several hours, and I headed back to the hotel room for the evening. Day Three -- Getting prepared for the wedding, let's see -- went to Ross to get socks and a tie, back to the hotel and changed, and then I headed for the site of the wedding. Wedding was fantastic. The newlyweds looked awesome. Regretfully, the gift -- I didn't buy it, yet. I will when trip #2 begins. Day Four -- I returned the Chevy Aveo (the vehicle I rented), but I did some picture taking first. Later on, it was pre-reg time for Anime Expo. The line -- what line?? It was non-existent (though over 41,000 attended the event). I finally got to show off the Bloo costume on Day Five. It was definitely hot in there (needed many breaks). Days six and seven, a little more time with Bloo and went to some panels. I sure did receive a lot of attention. Day eight -- Independence Day, wonderful cookout, played the Gamecube with two friends, saw the new Superman film, had pizza, saw distant fireworks, and headed back to my room. The last day -- long and at times sad (even though my return home won't be long). All is well, right? Not really. My luggage was absent (as well as many others), and I had to file a claim. I received my luggage two days later. Next, my desktop's video card died. Fortunately, a friend let me borrow an older one. Also, my car overheated -- ugh.
So -- let's talk about the next trip, shall we? Next Tuesday (the 18th), I head back to Orange County, CA. My bids on Priceline weren't good enough, so I chose to book another flight on Continental Airlines's website. Mileage will hit 20,000 after this one, and a travel reward, too. I'm going to San Diego one day later, and will be there through the 23rd. As for the rest of trip #2, I plan to meet potential employers (if they are interested). I have until the 27th to build my network (if not find the golden opportunity).
Looong month.
06-26-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 9 - The Time is Near.
What else -- I turned 25 on June 18th. I will be getting an iPod pretty soon, thanks to mother winning a contest. I've been working a lot lately, as well, so not nearly as much time here as usual. Also, the commission for a costume for AX 2006 is done, and I will get to see it this week -- hopefully, it will be worth the money spent and the wait.
Anyway, bye for now!
6-13-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 8 - Going Twice!!
So, I've made hotel plans and purchased airline tickets for trip #1. It will be pretty much on preparing for the wedding and Anime Expo 2006. The second one, of course, will be Comic-Con International and hopefully, searching for career opportunities.
I am so relieved to get the first part finished.
6-10-2006: The Life & Times of ORD: Ch. 7 - Getting Closer.
As for the keyboard, I joined DHL and scheduled to pick up the item on Monday, and it arrived on Thursday to the destination. I paid $32.61, instead of the amount I could've paid with USPS (over $80). On Wednesday, I got this "Welcoming Kit" from DHL that included a few bags, small boxes, and so on. Kinda neat.
Anyway, I need to start doing more stuff for TV.com. It's been a while since I've contributed.
6-02-2006: The Life & Times of ORD: Ch. 6 - We're Almost There...
Friday wasn't a good day because I wasn't able to ship the keyboard (the last eBay item) via USPS. I was surprised to learn that they wanted $80+ for shipment costs (and not just over $30) -- the darn thing was a few inches over. I'm doing it through either FedEx, UPS, or DHL.
It turns out that a fellow TV.com member/friend of mine is heading for San Diego for the week, and she's even going to Comic-Con. We may actually get to meet for the first time. That would be awesome-riffic! How cool would that be?
5-27-06: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 5 - eBay Items Sold.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend, everyone (for those that don't observe the holiday -- have a great weekend)!
5-26-06: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 4 - More Unpleasant News.
Anyway, I'm done for now. I'll post any additional updates ASAP.
5-24-06: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 3, Part 2 - More Drama -- Not involving me
Hey, gang. I have more drama to pass along, this time -- it involved a friend of mine. I have more information on the car accident that one of my friends was involved in, which occurred on Friday night. She was heading for her destination, until she encountered an imbecilic driver. This driver drove right in front of her, and he slammed the breaks right in the middle of the highway. Going nearly 65 mph, she did not have a whole lot of time to brake, herself.
The result -- a totalled vehicle. My friend's status -- she was not injured. She didn't appear to be traumatized, either. Here's the freaky part -- she ended up driving her brother's Ford Explorer, instead of her own Toyota Corolla (which is not a large vehicle), because she could not locate the Corolla's keys. Once she returned home, however, she found them next to the door. If there was a moment to thank God, this definitely was one of them.
Fortunately, she still has a wedding to look forward to.
5-24-06: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 3, Part 1 - More Drama
To make matters worse -- my friend's car got wrecked by his sister, and I tried to contact him through IM. I hope to get a word with him later. Hopefully, this will not crash and burn our summer.
5-21-2006: The Life & Times of ORD, Ch. 2: An End to a Bad Week
Anyway, I haven't done much else, as far as plans for June/July go. I'm now leaning towards staying a month in California. At the same time, it could mean that I may have to give up my current job. This could be a great opportunity for me to look for career opportunities out there. At the same time, however, it could mean that I'll be back in Arkansas having to look for work (if I'm unsuccessful at job hunting in the Golden State). Decisions, decisions.
Speaking of decisions, I'm attempting to sell some of my items off on eBay -- a Stitch ornament, my Shonen Jump magazines from 2003 and most of 2004, and the most expensive item -- my Casio keyboard (even though I didn't use it very much, I'll miss the item, because it sounded great). I have never attempted to sell this many items at once before. I have a score of 30 (100% positive), most of it came from being a bidder.
At least for Friday and Saturday of the new week, I'm getting a small break (except for Saturday morning). I'll be attending a local annual event held every Memorial Day weekend for the music, food, and more. After that, it's pretty much all business. Well, folks -- I could use all the support in the world. There's a rocky road ahead.
See you later, gang.
5-14-2006: The Life &Times of ORD, Ch 1. Bad, Baaad Sunday.
Much of the day was extremely busy. I had worked eight hours, and for the most part, I never really got a chance to sit down or take a break. Once I was done, I went to Wal-Mart to buy two things. Then, I went to another convenience store and bought a soda for my mother. All is well, right? Well, this is when things went downhill rapidly -- when I got on the road, I immediately noticed that I didn't have my lights on, so I quickly turned them on. A second later, a police car was right behind me (for a minute, no lights were flashing, but I knew that would change -- once the traffic signals hit green). Once we moved forward, I knew it -- the officer turned on the lights, and I kinda slammed my fist on the steering wheel, and I had no choice but to pull over.
First of all, we got along quite well. Second, he asked me questions (license, car insurance, etc.). Then, he searched throughout my vehicle. He discovered something that was NOT mine (it was my older brother's) -- some form of weapon (probably a nightstick or something). He asked me about it, and I replied that it did not belong to me, and I would get rid of it. I could have been charged for that. I explained to him that I had an extremely long week and a very long day (seven days of work, including an eight-hour sunday) -- and I did. He said that he understood, and that was it. No ticket, no handcuffs, no nothing. This could posssibly have been a summer-busting event, or could have left a mark on my own records. Thank God that I was able to leave.
So much pressure to get ready for this summer -- I have such high expectations. I hope that this was the last hurdle between now and the start of my visit to California.
5-13-2006: June 24th? Still thinking about the rest of the visit.
Right now, June 24 appears to be the starting date for heading to California. I can't wait to get away. I do plan to see if I can find any leads or any potential job opportunites in between events, if I get the time to do so. I'm still undecided on whether to stay through the San Diego portion or to make two separate trips (the latter appears to be more likely).
For those that are close to their mothers, I hope that they all have a great Mothers' Day. I had planned on taking my mother for a dinner, but that may be difficult (she hasn't been feeling well lately). We'll soon find out.
