I really made a decision this time
I start on Monday. My dad is really pumped about my 401(k).

Since being freed from my apartment, I've ...
- gone on an interview for the Time Inc temp program. The HR woman told me to take the job because she couldn't give me anything better.
- watched Pirates of the Caribbean. It was a fun movie. I especially enjoyed Johnny Depp's character. I did not enjoy the part before the movie when this 14-year-old brat step on my foot an burst one of the larget blisters I've ever had. This was so painful and so disgusting (there was blister juice on my flip flop, and I live in New York so I know where the bottom of his shoe had been) that I almost passed out. You know that feeling when you start to get nauseated and really hot all over and your head really hurts and your vision starts to blur. Yeah, all I needed to do was sit down, and I was stuck standing in a stupid line.
- gone to a concert to see Audio Ficition perform. The drummer and one of the guitarists are both from Ireland. The drummer is from Bray, and the guitarist bought me a drink before the show.
- spent six hours (three there and three back) on a train to spend five hours in Philadelphia. It was worth it. I went to the zoo and got to see a friend from high school who I barely get to see (not to mention monkeys, tigers and elephants).
-drunk too much wine at a dinner party at Mary Kay's.

Some things really take talent
Such as locking yourself inside your own apartment. Yes, I managed to do that this afternoon while carrying in my groceries. I was inside. My keys were outside. The door was locked and would not unlock because the key was in the way. My super was not home. I don't know my neighbors. My roommate was probably not going to be back until Sunday. I had to call in a favor from Julie Seabaugh to come and take my keys out of the door. She couldn't get there for about three hours, so I got to catch up on my daytime television. (Okay, okay I probably would have been doing that anyways because I have redeveloped my unhealthy obsession with General Hospital). Theoretically, I could have called a locksmith, but I couldn't bring myself to pay money to have some one unlock my door from the outside with my own keys.

So I made a decision ... sort of
I accepted the production job this morning. I have an interview for Time Inc's temp program on Friday. Argh. Decisions suck.

Border War
Yesterday I was walking down 84th St. and passed a guy guarding a bunch of boxes (in a moving in kind of way, not a crazy-homeless-man kind of way). It is important to note that I was wearing a Mizzou Journalism shirt at the time.

Box Guy: Did you really go to Mizzou?
Me: Yeah.
BG: How would you feel about a Jay Hawk?
Me: You went to KU?
BG: Yeah, what do you think about that?
Me: It's tragic, really. I feel sorry for you.

Plan my life. Please.
When I left work on Friday, I had a message from HR at the trade mag. People don't usually reject you over the phone, right? So I think I'm going to get a job offer, but I don't know if I should take it. Will I get permanently stuck in trade magazines or copyediting? Should I take it because it's a job or should I keep temping it and hope to find a real editorial assistant position? I know no one else can make this decision for me, but your opinions would really help.

Adventures in Temping
I had my first two temp jobs this week. First, I worked at a doctor's office. His name was Dr. Rodeo, but unfortunately I didn't get to meet him. The other unfortunate part of this temp job was that the office didn't actually need a temp. They hadn't called for one. I'm still not sure what miracle in miscommunication convinced the temp agency that I was supposed to be there for a week. I got to stay and file stuff for a while and then read a book and guard the phones while the two secretaries and the nurse took a two hour lunch. Then at 2:45 I went home.

I started a real temp job on Thursday. Real in the sense that they were expecting me and had work for me to do. I'm doing data entry at a financial company. In the past two days I've typed over 500 names and addresses. Woo. I sit between two of the slimiest men in the world. On my left is Jason. He's about my age, winks at me a lot and was dressed like a milk man on Friday (or perhaps as if he was going to go yachting). On my right is Gary. He's middle-aged and yells into the phone a lot and on Thursday kept using my computer to message some one about a golf match.

Press Pass
Wednesday night I went to an Ani DiFranco concert in Central Park. I probably should have gone to the Ed2010 Happy Hour instead, but the concert sounded like more fun and it was free. Julie Seabaugh had an extra press pass, so I got in for free and got to sit in the VIP section. When we were leaving, we walked past Chris Katan from Saturday Night Live. He's a very tiny man. He looked about 15.

Things I've learned about myself in the past week
1. I look hot in a toilet paper wedding gown.
2. Apparently, I could pass for Jewish.

I just found out (by e-mail) that I didn't get the Family Circle job. No, Nancy, you're right, it didn't make me feel any better to know that I was one of the very top candidates. I also just came from a not so thrilling second interview at the trade magazine. After interviewing with HR, the managing editor and the executive editor last week, I just didn't have any questions left about real estate news for the editor-in-chief. I should go. Crying in a large impersonal Internet cafe just isn't fun.

Baffling
I really have no idea how my Family Circle interview went. It was very brief, but the editor told me flat out that I was well qualified for the job. Was it bad? Was it good? I spent the rest of the day Thursday trying to figure it out.

Sometimes I hate New York City
Thursday I was verbally accosted by a man waiting behind me at a pay phone. He acted as if I was hogging the only pay phone in all of Manhattan. There were other pay phones one block in every direction, but he had to have this phone. Perhaps it had something to do with the mysterious package he was carrying. Whatever it was, I didn't want to argue too much with the crazy man wearing brown cut-off jeans. But in true New York style, I did flip him off as I walked away.

It finally feels like summer
I'm back in Belvidere for the weekend to go to a bridal shower, and tonight I had my first moment that truly felt like summer. It was just starting to get dark out, and I was walking around the corner to Melissa's house. The air was just cool enough, and it smelled like summer. Someone was setting off fireworks in their backyard even though the Fourth of July was a week ago, and I could hear a little country music coming from a few doors down. I even saw a few fireflies. It was lovely.

Boring on the Fourth of July
I went to a free Ryan Adams concert in Battery Park, and it was only so-so. Perhaps I was too far away. Then I walked through the street fair near the seaport, but apparently it was just ending because everyone was closing up shop. Watching a street fair be dismantled is depressing. Then I spent three hours sitting on the FDR and waiting for the fireworks. It passed very slowly because I didn't have the foresight to bring a magazine or anything to read. The fireworks were pretty bitchin' though.

Because some of you are more into politics than I am
My brother started a web site supporting Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards. Check it out and get involved.

Babies are cute, and their older siblings are even more entertaining
I went to Boston for my cousin Bridget's christening this weekend. There were two other babies getting baptized at the same service. All of the families had at least one other child under the age of three. While the babies and parents and godparents were up at the altar, all of these kids (especially my cousin Caitlin) kept running back and forth between the pews and their parents and playing in the baptismal fount. Plus there were about four cameras for every baby. Overall, it felt more like some sort of bizarre sporting event than a religious service.

Three interviews for the price of one
I went to a big b2b publisher today for an interview with an HR person about a production editor position. My appointment was at 11. I didn't leave the building until 2. First I interviewed with the HR lady and discovered I was interviewing for a position at a real estate magazine. Then I interviewed with the managing editor, who actually started as the production editor back in December. Then I took an editing test and a Quark test (sans computer if that makes any sense). Then the managing editor asked me if I had time to talk with Neil. Okay. (But who is the hell is he?) He's the executive editor there looking for a new assistant editor/reporter. They figured while I was there I should interview for both. Neil asked me questions such as "Why are you interested in real estate?" and "What business publications do you read?" Umm ... I'm not, and ... ah ... none. The more Neil told me about the job, the more it sounded like the Missourian but about real estate, the more I felt like vomiting.

Something else that makes me feel like vomiting
My Family Circle interview is tomorrow. I'm nervous.

Sad news from across the pond
David Beckham of Manchester United will now be playing for a team in Madrid. If they weren't fictional characters, those girls in Bend It Like Beckham would be really upset.

The other day I was walking through Grand Central Station and found myself wondering whatever happened to Mickey Joe Hart in the Eurovision Song Contest. Tragically, he only came in eleventh. This means I will probably never hear "We've Got the World" again. Although if I had a Nokia phone, I could download it as a ring tone from the Eurovision web site.

Depressing
During the month of June, I spent more money on my job search (Kinko's, Internet time, postage, etc.) than I did on food.

Huzzah!
I have a job interview at Family Circle on Wednesday.

Curb-side Treasures
I enjoy the end of the month because it means everyone moving out leaves all the crap they don't want on the curb, anything from sofas that look like brand new to lots of broken pieces of crap that maybe used to be shelves or something. Highlights on my block include a bathtub and a white desk identical to the one I used to have in F-32. If my room had space for a desk, I might have gone back for it.

Censored
I watched the Wedding Singer on cable tonight, and they edited out the word ding-dong. Come on, TBS, lighten up.