Where are we now?

So it's no secret that Jess and I have a sudden urge to remove ourselves from Brooklyn only to visit occasionally in the future. I think something has happened in the last twenty years. New York is not the rough and tumble place it was when I was growing up. The Bronx aren't even scary anymore. Everyone wants to live here now and everyone is working so hard to stay here that the quality of life is severely diminished. Why should I be working overtime... without getting paid for overtime? If everyone else is doing it, it doesn't mean I have to and if I do have to it doesn't mean I am going to stay. There is a better life out there. I feel like I am in a sequel to Kafka's The Castle. I feel like I gained entrance into the regal dwelling but keeping this post is compromising my life, my health, my whole being. I feel like I got in and have learned that it's not worth the effort to stay. I can't complain about my time here, if nothing else, I met Jessica and that is worth enduring far worse. I am only glad that she wants to leave as well and that we should be gone by summer.

Holidays, 2008

Well, I'm glad that's over. Had a rough season. It started out well-enough, when I got engaged to Jessica. Her step-father, unfortunately, passed away less than a week later. On December 23, my great-uncle, whom I was very close to, passed away as well. They will be missed.

So the holiday season was a whirlwind of work (everyone wants to post programs by December 31 in my industry) travel, funeral pereparations, future nephews stayinhg with us in Brooklyn, a funeral, Christmas parties, another funeral, Wii and no running.

It was good to wash away 2008 with cocktails provided by Death and Company and begin to think again about the future.

I must say that I am happy with my Shea Stadium project, my semi-usual running schedule and the number of books I read in 2008. Perhaps in 2009 I will finish a marathon or write a novel. I expect to do both in my lifetime. I wonder which will happen first.

Fun Jobs in New York City?

Okay, I decided a long time ago that I would work to live, not live to work. It's cliche but its true. I used to take creative positions where I could design and photo edit all day. The problem was that I never wanted to work on my own creative endeavors when the day was over. I made a conscious decision to take boring jobs that pay well in order to buy art and photo supplies, pay the bills, save for a family, an apartment, probably a minivan and retirement.

Well, that's not working out either. While I am by no means a slacker at work, I am by no means an overachiever. I just go, do my job well and leave.

This leads me to my next question: Where are the fun jobs in New York City? A search on Google turned up nothing but Craigslist positions for the first five or so hits. I eventually found my way onto a site promising fun positions. Click on the link: Sales jobs, accounting positions, office managers. What's worse? The were everywhere but New York City: NJ, Long Island, Westchester.

So is it this bad? Is the greatest city in the world, the top destination for fun, completely devoid of fun jobs? Do I need to become a fun sales person or a fun accountant or a fun office manager and NJ Transit it or LI Railroad it or Metro North it?

I'll do anything, I just want to work in a fun place or in a fun industry and have a fun time. It must be in New York City.

Seriously, contact me if you have anything.

Thank you, Dick!

Thank you, Dick Cheney! Your tireless xenophobia and might-makes-right philosophy have made it possible for a minority to become President in my lifetime. I shudder to think that, had your divisive tactics in the 2004 election not worked to divide this nation, John Kerry would have won and we would have had to choose between him and John McCain. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, we owe them so much. Gay Rights ballots, thank you, thank you. Losing the 2004 election was the greatest blessing this country has seen in my lifetime. It's just too bad for all the innocent people who died because of eight years of your policy.

Brooklyn Dances in the Streets for Obama

Brooklyn Dances in the Streets for Obama
Originally uploaded by TommyKirchmeier

Most of the big moments I remember are negatives moments: The Challenger Disaster, the Tsunami, September 11. Tonight was a positive one: The election of the first minority to the Presidency of the United States. We went crazy in my boro tonight, literally dancing in the streets. I have no doubt that the long nightmare is not over, but I do hope that we have turned the page and are moving toward something better.

Wow. Just... Wow...

Count me as an elitist. A proud, proud, elitist.