If books are bombs, I'm working in a war zone.

Hurray! Time for another meandering post about what's been on my mind.

Summers have been a little strange for me for the past three years. I'm still not used to working during summer. What makes it even harder is Summer Reading Program summers are terrible. As a shelver, it quickly becomes disheartening when it never seems like your work is good enough to make a dent in the mess. I'm not going to start complaining about my job(s)....but about looking for more.

It's been frustrating. I clearly love being a shelver. If I was paid just $1 more, I'd be good for another couple of years. But this is not the case. Being a clerk at Caltech is great experience too. I was fortunate to get bumped up from occasional to part-time. But either way, it's temporary work and I'm gone by December.

I'm starting grad school in August. I don't know how excited I am about it anymore. It's a lot of money. And I was never one for structured learning anyway. But what else can I do? Work is hard to find when you don't have experience. Work is hard to find period. Especially full time library work for those without advanced degrees.

I was forwarded an opening for a full-time library job at an a m a z i n g institution. What are they looking for? Me. Library experience, accounting-type knowledge, art/culture related degree, ability to read 1-2 western European languages. I've applied. I want it so bad. I will be heartbroken if I don't get a call. Just the call will do. This is special. It hurts, this anxiety. I keep going over all the ways my resume and cover letter could have been better. I may not have the most experience, but I make up for it in other ways.

I feel like I have so much to give. I have the potential to do great things. I do great work because I work with my heart. I still firmly believe that if you do what you love, you'll be fine. But I feel like I'm not getting the chances I need, to show people how good I am. I'm not a networker. Nor am I very showy. I work quietly, unassumingly in the shadows. Efficiently and silently. And always overlooked.

I'm not bitter. There are many people like this. We share the same everyday struggles. Quiet disappointments. I'm just wondering how we are supposed to shine...

Sometime soon, I may post my resume - in doodle form. Stay tuned, but don't get your hopes up.

Adventures in Closing - Children's Room

 

 

I've started a new blog, a collaborative one, filled with everyday doodles, found objects, and misc. art-type "things." When it starts living up to its name, I'll add a link to it here. Until then, look at this little guy! He's so nice, I post him twice.

sometimes i'm not a nice person to talk to

when you show me your diamond ring,

and i respond with, "oh wow, is this a conflict diamond?"

and you give me a blank stare and uneasy smile,

and i just look off to the side and mumble, "i wonder how old the kid who dug this diamond up was when he was stolen from his family and sold into slavery..."

and you don't know how to take it because i'm kind of smiling too...

just walk away.

leave me in my mental fortress of solitude.

i am in a mood. can i blame the weather again?

Cats at Work (WARNING: This post is image heavy)

It all began with a simple cat doodle at the bottom of a whiteboard. I had some extra time on my break. And who can resist so much empty space on a whiteboard? Not me.



Within the next few days, I noticed more cats keeping mine company. Like this cat with chicken feet, later dubbed "Chicken Cat"



And this one, with front legs that are attached to its neck.



I knew who drew this one right away. It was the "mew~" that did it.



This cat is a testament to the saying, "everything is a self portrait."



The first one with no body. But it's got extra hair on its head!



Best use of color (and accessories).



I think this one is part dinosaur. See how it's about to attack the other one?



Of course, Hello Kitty had to make an appearance.



By the end of December, we had a row of cats at the bottom of the board.



And I received an email with this cat drawing attached:



The best part is how each cat reflects the person who drew it. Sadly, they were all erased the week of Christmas. Fortunately, it's a new month...with a new animal. Stay tuned for...SQUIRRELS!

Busy

Hi! I have two jobs and I still work/volunteer at the Armory (at least for this month). I try my best to use my free time wisely, but mostly just end up playing Cafe World on Facebook and accumulating library books that I don't end up reading.

So that this doesn't get too boring, here's a drawing I did in high school:



Here's a picture of a hamster I drew three weeks ago:



Now, would you call the difference in the drawings "regression in skills" or "progression in character?"

Also, I've been looking into g r a d u a t e school..... . . . .just one actually. And mostly because I want to be an Archives intern at the Art Center College of Design. Can't I just have that internship without being in grad school? Please? I'm already used to working for free anyway.

Learning to Cherish my Free Time Like a Normal Person

I had a chance to go to the Walt Disney Concert Hall last year, but got sick at the last minute. That better not happen again. I'm excited about this.

I have two fun Saturdays coming up. First Paquiao vs. Cotto (this is gonna be a tough fight), then the opening of West Coast Left Coast (probably followed by a thousand taco trucks).

...I like living in L.A. :)

Oh, and speaking of Walt Disney Concert Hall, Gustavo Dudamel's got some righteous curls!

Quickly !

Book:
I'm finally reading The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Childhood Among Ghosts. It's haunting and beautiful. I wish I could write the way Maxine Hong Kingston does.


Question:
Does the bird of paradise plant really contain arsenic in the red parts?


Two of the best last names:
1. Youngblood
2. Mankiller


Work:
I like my other job, despite the fact that the Library of Congress Classification system is a HUGE JERK. I'll warm up to it eventually. Also, since starting, I think I've become slightly more efficient at APL, especially during closing. Yay?


Things I like:
Power naps
Eating fruits grown in our yard
Waking up early (surprisingly)
Stairs over elevators - because you never have to wait for them.


goodbye