The Mariner's Revenge

I got to see a free concert at Millennium Park last night. The Decemberists along with the Grant Park Orchestra! Aww yeah. It was nice. I got there late and so didn't have a good view behind the thousands of others ahead of me, but they were still fun. Afterwards it began to rain and my friends and I decided to go and play in Crown Fountain, which consists of two small towers that pour water down over their sides while also displaying people's faces. It's a lot of fun even though the faces are slightly jarring. Look.


It was tons of fun. Then it started raining and then we realized we were really cold. And soaking wet. But what fun.

Eric, and anyone who loves Civilization games, you should read this article about the history of the game.

I'll see all you peeps later. Harry Potter comes out this weekend and I don't think I'll have time for lesser things. But after the dust settles we can discuss.

My Brightest Diamond Is

I find the new Google/Blogger fusion distracting. While it is nice to know that there is a single entity in charge of the internet, putting speed bumps in my way does not help me. I had an old blogger account, so when I signed in, they prompted me to create a google account and use my existing google email. I did so, I thought I was fine. But then when I tried to sign in and somehow used the wrong username or password or both, I inadvertantly created a new blogger with my alternate email! Oh my stars!

That's boring.

So, even if she didn't realize it, both Talya and I saw The Decemberists, and it was a great show. Their music is... eclectic, as if to write songs they simply pick up a book of world history, open a page, and decide to sing about it. Gypsies, Legionnaires, Crane wives, I mean, just look at their website. It is not your pop-rock. But it is enjoyable and it is worth listening to, which is what we're after, right?

The opening band was called My Brightest Diamond and if you like PJ Harvey, Tori Amos, Over the Rhine, Bjork, then you might want to take a moment and check them out. Use that Google thing everyone talks about. We were trying to figure out where the lead singer was from because her accent was delicious, but we couldn't decide. We both suggested Norwegian.

That interview for my job went really well. It was really nice to sit down and talk to someone (who would be my boss) about what we'd like to do with the training program we have and how to improve it. And on more than one occasion I said the exact thing she was looking for, which feels really nice. The average salary of a Customer Service Trainer is between 40 and 54K for Chicago, according to Salary.com , but i doubt they'd even believe me if I suggested it. I don't know what they're suggesting yet, but I'm willing to bet it's under the 10th percentile. The good news though, is that it's not about the money, it's about a new job, a new boss, and a chance to do something I enjoy. I should have one or two more interviews in the next week or two. I'll let you know.

Turn the Page to Tomorrow

This Virginia Tech thing is getting worse. I guess. I mean, how do you get worse at this point? You don't. You're just grateful it's over.
It's like, we focus so much on this kid, this messed up kid who loses his way and that sucks, and we don't get to look into the lives of the victims, remember who they were, their aspirations, who they would have become. All we get is their faces, their ages, their majors. We get just a hint of what could have been, and maybe that's the most heartbreaking part. The dream deferred? If only.

Talya and I are thinking of going to see The Decemberists play here in Chicago tonight. It's $26. And I also have an interview for an assistant training coordinator position, which could be really cool and a nice promotion if I get it. And maybe some big bucks! Big as in more than I'm making now. So, not that big.

Whatever. If I don't leave my current job, I will most definitely quit. It is too much of a headache dealing with my superior. I know, what kind of job could I have that would be so stressful? I'm a frickin barista! But I promise, this guy is terrible, and I say that after several months. Ok ok, enough. So, definitely moving on. I feel stuck in a way I haven't experienced before. Stuck not that I can't go forward, but that I can't go upward. Or outward.

I am an egg and you are the hammer.