Holiday Doldrums

Well, it’s certainly been a long time since my last post. What have I been doing? There has been no change in my unemployment status. I’m still unemployed. The job search in December stalled slightly, partly because of the holidays, partly because new postings for job openings also slowed. I noticed a significant decrease on my Idealist, Media Bistro, and NYS SMT Work Force Center emails in job openings. But I theorized that would be the case anyway, so it hasn’t dampened my spirits.

My official GRE results came in the mail earlier this week. I’m a little disappointed. I was hoping for higher numbers all across the board, but finished below my expectations. I’m debating signing back up for it again to see if I can slightly improve my results. I would have liked to get into the 80% percentile on my verbal and writing skills, but missed both by slight margins. I am concerned about my ability to concentrate though. It’s really bugging me. I’d like to get in to see a doctor and experiment with some ADHD medication, or something. I’m just finding it difficult to concentrate and remember the things I’m reading and writing. I can’t believe it’s just me. I feel there is something else going on with my physiology that can help explain this.

And I was also back in New York City last week. I went down for the New Year’s holiday and stayed several days. I finished my J School App, handed in all my paperwork, and now am playing the waiting game. They’ll be sending me some information and I think I’ll be doing an interview here at some point. They also have a written exam that I need to take, so I’ll be working on grammar, writing, and editing review. The job search is also going to be in earnest from here on out. I’m hoping to land an internship. I applied for this one at Melcher Media that would be simply fantastic since it is all digital publishing production and is paid. And being only an internship, I don’t think it’s full-time (the job posting did not specify) and I could potentially look around for something else as well.

Upstate Sort of Mind (For A While)

Well, I made it back to Brooklyn last night in one piece. Traffic wasn’t terrible, except for the construction work on the Tappan Zee Bridge. It was late anyway, and a Wednesday night, so I was not anticipating heavy traffic on the drive back to the city. Now, I’m on the bus. Pretty tired and will likely fall asleep very soon. I had to drop the rental car off early this morning again. That was quick and painless. Then I ate some food, showered, helped my roommate organize some stuff so that the landlord could start the paint job. I had a nice relaxing breakfast in Starbucks (I only went because I had a $10 gift card to use up; I’m not sure if there are any Starbucks locations close to Angelica outside of Rochester or Buffalo.). And now I’m on the bus and will be back home about 5 o’clock. After this post, I’ll be getting back to the “unemployment” part of this blog. That’s the whole purpose. Need to refigure all my unemployment stuff now that I’m moved and cannot attend workshops in Brooklyn. I also need to get my Grad School Apps taken care of. Much to do in the life of a prospective graduate student while unemployed, despite what you might think.

Moving Day, Kill Me

I stayed out way too long last night. Hopefully, in the long run, it was worth it. I lived for five years in Greenpoint and always wanted to befriend a pretty Polish girl. Of course, the last night I’m in the city, a night when I shouldn’t have stayed out late, I befriend a pretty Polish girl. It better have been worth it.

Luckily I was essentially all packed up before I went out last night. Good thing, because loading the rental car would have been ten-times worse if I had had more packing to do before filling up the car. Even through the hangover (though I nearly puked twice), I was still able to load the Tahoe (Chevy; it is really nice) in about 45 minutes. I hope I didn’t offend the Enterprise rental guys with the boozy waft that I’m sure emanated from me in the store. The people on the subway were giving me that look this morning (that’s right, this morning!) as I rode it home from the night out before, as if my presence with the lingering effervescence of vodka and beer was enough to send them into inebriated convulsions. Even when I started driving, after a shower and forcing a little oatmeal into my system, I could still feel the exigency of rebellion in my stomach. Steadfast I was though. Now, finally, I’m home and getting some real food. I subsisted on a box of Special K Cereal Bars through the trip to make sure I saved on money and so I didn’t have to stop for food. I wanted to be out of the apartment in Brooklyn by 10. It was closer to 11 when I left and nearly 12:30 when I was finally cruising I-87. New York traffic, gotta love it.

But I’m home now in Angelica. The easiest part of the day is over. After loading this morning and driving for 6 hours, I now have to unload, pack a quick overnight bag, and drive back to New York. I hope to be back by midnight. Considering I’m on about 2 ½ hours sleep, this ought to be interesting. I did find a cool all-Elvis station on XM Satellite Radio. I’ll be listening to more of that on the way back, as well as the holiday music station, and the indie station they have on there. Not too shabby. But I’m going to finish my chili and crackers, have a few cookies my mom baked today, and relax for a bit. Hopefully I post tomorrow or Friday meaning that I have not fallen asleep at the wheel.

Bye Bye Brooklyn

Well, it’s the last day when I’ll call Jewel Street my home. At least for this time around. I doubt I’d ever be able to live back on this street again. The chances of finding something when I move back here and ready to look for my own place will be slim. I don’t know why I’m so bummed about it. I wanted to move anyway and find something new. I was getting a tired of the same things all the time; the same walk to and from work; the same people I see every day. But again, it’s not like I was the one who made the decision to leave. Forced on me this time by circumstances out of my control. That’s why it’s so frustrating. There is this sense that I am no longer in control. It’s like I’ve been veering off course and unable to correct the momentum. My life is being dictated to me.

Maybe I can change that tonight. One last hurrah in the city that never sleeps. I need to get some sleep tonight though. Rental car at 8 in the morning. Pack. Drive upstate. Unload. Eat. Pack an overnight bag. Drive back. Sleep. Then up early Thursday to return the car and jump on a bus back upstate. Good god. So just a couple drinks with the old Potential crew and then back to the apartment here.

Days Are Going To Fly

I signed up for the GRE standard test today. I take it Dec. 13, 2011 at 12:30pm. I’m excited. Now that I’m signed up for it, there’s that added thrust of urgency to get to studying. I need to kill this test, not only for graduate school applications, for my own sense of accomplishment and worth.

I’ve been packing a lot already. I don’t move upstate for another 5 days, but it’s good to start assessing how much stuff I have and how many additional boxes I’m going to need. I’ll definitely need a few extra. I have amassed a decent collection of books, particularly the ones I’m reading from the TIME Magazine 100 Greatest Novels from 1923-Present list. Out of the 55 that I have read, I think I own close to 40 of them. Anyway, I’m digressing. I need some more boxes to pack up my junk and get it back upstate. I’ve been getting rid of a bunch of stuff as well. A bag of clothes went outside to the curb today. I hope someone in far dire needs than I took it. I also managed to sell my bed, dresser, and air-conditioner to the new roommate who will be replacing me when I move out. That was great to be able to unload that stuff instead of sending it to the curb. It helps right now to get that extra bit of cash back into the bank account.

There’s still a ton to do though. I have to change my address on all my accounts and everything. That’s always a bummer and time-consumer. Plus, if all goes how I would like, I’ll be back down in New York City within a few months so I’ll get to do it all over again. Yeah! (Sarcasm.) And I’ve got to get rolling on the other pieces of my graduate school applications, plus get the George Bennett Fellowship writing done, as well as keep up on the blogs, reading, and everything else. The rest of my days are going to fly by here.

Graduate School Research

I was looking at the CUNY J School application info again last night. I wanted to check out the different tracks that they offer to which one would be the best fit. The International track is the best one. On top of the program lasting only 3 semesters, CUNY has a fully functional studio, where I would undoubtedly gain some experience in mass media and other media formats. An internship is required, where they place you either at the United Nations, down in Washington as a foreign correspondent, or an internship abroad. I’ve actually already been looking for job opportunities at the United Nations, so that, I think, would be ideal. Of course, getting paid to travel abroad by the school is not too shabby. But I’ve got to get into the program first. So, need to kick some GRE butt next month.

I also did some research into Hunter College’s MFA program in English. This also seems like a good fit. They do not require a GRE, which actually hurts my chances a little bit, I think. My grades coming out of undergrad were not exceptional. I’m hoping to use a high GRE score to strengthen my case for acceptance into graduate programs. I know I screwed up in undergrad. I shouldn’t have worked full-time. I should never have bought my truck and immured myself to labor rather than studies. I was working, and when I wasn’t working, I didn’t want to study. I needed some free time to enjoy myself. That was stupid. I didn’t make the necessary sacrifices to better my education first, to pursue my natural inclinations of what I wanted to do. So, I’m paying for it a little bit here. Clearly, not all is lost. I have some pretty extensive works that I can offer as part of my application to the school. They require 20-25 pages of material. I have well beyond that. I just need to make sure it’s bloody brilliant to gain acceptance.

Also, last Wednesday I made my first claim to New York for unemployment. It’s incredibly easy. It took me no more than 5 minutes. They ask the basic questions of did I work more than 30 hours the previous week, did I make more than $405.00 last week, am I actively pursuing job openings, applying, etc. You click a few buttons, apply, verify, and you’re done. Super easy. Thanks to New York for making it not stressful. Being unemployed is taxing enough.

Craigslist Ad

I posted a spot on Craigslist.org for a room/share for my roommate. I was gauging the responses I would receive if I posted an opening for a December 1^st move-in should I move back home at the end of the month. It’s so late in the month that I thought most people looking for a Dec. 1 move-in might already have found their next place to live. I was wrong. I’ve received 16 responses since posting the ad late Friday afternoon. I think it’s been about 18 hours since the post. That was much more than I anticipated. Is this the sign that’s saying, “Hey, get out of New York for a while. Regroup. Reenergize.” I thought maybe I’d receive 3-4 responses and maybe 1 or 2 of the people would sound normal. But almost everyone single one of them sounds great. If I was looking for a roommate, I’d want to meet every single person who emailed. They all sounded awesome. I told my roommate, “Well, if we get a lot of people to respond, that might be the thing I need to make me make that decision.” And a lot of people have responded…

But I did apply for another job yesterday and it seemed like it would be a good fit. It was for this Program Assistant with The City University of New York. (Hey! That’s where I want to go to school!) I easily met all their requirements. I’d take a slight pay hit, but that’s okay right now since I’ve now deferred my student loans and will not have to worry about them for 6 months at least. The problem is that I need to make a decision on moving probably before Thanksgiving. I can’t say if I’d be able to get an interview before the holiday though with the short work week. Shitty, shitty timing.

I think my biggest fear about going home is that I do not get into any of the schools in New York City, or any schools in general. Then, the longer I am unemployed, the harder it will be to find a new job. I can’t imagine I would not be able to get into at least one school. But I have to keep that in mind. It would really be difficult trying to come back after 6 to 9 months away from the city and again looking for a job, having to go entry level, and probably working for absolutely terrible money. I don’t want to be in that position when I’m 30 years old.