Phillip Redux: Unemployed/Undeterred

Ladies and gentlemen, your trusty neighborhood blogger has fallen into a funk. Thanks to a nagging headache that has persisted for a good 3 days now, and a general sense of malaise, I’ve found myself perfectly content this week with curling up in front of the TV with a box of Ritz Crackers and a jar of peanut butter (so amazing by the way) and saying,  “to hell with the outside world!”  Okay, well it’s not that intense, but I have been feeling a loss of interest as of late.

I used to work out nightly with all the vigilance and determination of an Olympic athlete in training, but suffice it to say that I haven’t so much as broken a sweat in over 14 days. The comfort of watching  30 Rock DVD’s in my pajamas has been far more appealing.

I’m assuming this is somewhat of a natural phase one must work through when one isn’t, well, working. So my question for today is: If you’ve ever been out of work, how do you combat the primal urge to simply wrap yourself up in a big comforter and watch TV all day long?

I’m not sure if this statement rings true outside of Southern California, but why does it seem like every public facility — from DMV’s to libraries to schools — was built in the late 1960’s and no further projects were taken on after that? My journey in search of a local library the other day, and a few select titles, ended up with me visiting no less than three different branches. Each location was older and dustier than the first — I think one of them seriously had computers running Windows 95.

It’s just kind of sad to me that these are supposedly some of the only places harboring intelligence and fostering self-education in the community, and it seems like the city hasn’t paid any attention to them in over 40 years. But, I digress.

The first library I visited had less actual books in it than one of those Borders Express locations at airports and subway stations, and instead was overrun with pimply adolescents playing some form of card game with wizards and elves that seemed to get them very excited. I asked the librarian where the classics section was and she pointed me to a pathetic single shelf in the corner. To my surprise, I managed to find the two books I was looking for, On the Road and Breakfast of Champions (which I know isn’t on my list, but I’ve always wanted to read it). I proceeded to the check-out desk only to find out that this was a city library and I possessed a county library card. FAIL. The librarian was nice enough to give me directions to the closest county library, which was about 15 minutes away.

DOUBLE FAIL. The library I was directed to was closed for remodeling — which, despite my frustration for having driven across the city for nothing, gave me hope that maybe some city funds were being funneled into our crippled public library system after all. Posted on the door were directions to the next closest branch, which was another 10 minutes away.

By now, all the traveling and searching had left me weak and disheartened. Actually, no I was fine, just a little peeved at all the hunting around. I reached the third library, which was by far the smallest of them all — literally no larger than the GAP at your local mall. As I walked through the doors, a voice came on the public address system announcing that the branch would be closing in 5 minutes and to bring all materials to the check out desk. Funny, the sign on the door said the hours were “9-8” and it was 5:55, but whatever. I managed to frantically find On the Road but Breakfast of Champions was nowhere in sight. The librarian said they didn’t have a copy at that branch. Sad face. Anyways, after all that wild-goose-chasing I was happy to at least leave with one book.

I did hope for adventures this summer, didn’t I?

So, I just went to get a bite to eat at a nearby Mexican restaurant. It’s a small place, the kind of authentic mom-and-pop establishment that doesn’t look so hot from the outside but you know serves fantastic food — and I loves me some great greasy Mexican food. Well, I had a less than ideal exchange with the guy taking orders at the counter. Actually, that’s an understatement. The dude was just plain rude. I’ll spare all the details, but we got into a ridiculous debate over what exactly a “raw onion” is. I love all food; cooked onions are fine but raw onions are the one thing I can’t stand. 

Here’s an abbreviated transcript, but picture it with a really rude tone.

Me: Can I please get an XYZ burrito?

Guy: Ok.

Me: Does it have onions?

Guy: Of course, haven’t you had one before? That’s what it is.

Me: Oh, um. Are they raw or are they cooked?

Guy: Of course they’re raw. But then we throw it on the grill.

Me: So they’re not raw onions, they’re grilled?

Guy: They’re raw but then we grill it. That’s what I said. That’s what the XYZ burrito is.

I went ahead and ordered it anyway, and lo and behold it had grilled onions and the burrito itself was a-mazing. So, my question is: Do you dismiss bad service in light of great food? Or is rude service a deal breaker when going out to eat?

I woke up extremely early today, 7:30am to be exact — which may be the norm for some but for me, it’s ridiculously early. Perhaps it’s because I have a new sense of focus, or maybe it’s just because I’ve been sleeping so much lately that my body had to say “enough is enough.” Who knows? Whatever the case, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing this morning thing I’ve heard so many people talk about.

I gotta say, it’s not that bad. Although, as I was flipping channels on TV, I had the misfortune of catching Kathie Lee and Hoda on the 11th hour of the Today Show and their incoherent ramblings are reason enough to sleep in. The SNL skits spoofing them are pretty much spot on. It’s that crazy/awkward, seriously.

Anyways, so what’s on the agenda for today? The library to start, then it’s wherever the day takes me.

The first project I’ve decided to give myself this summer is to take the TIME magazine list of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century and see just how many entries I can read between now and Labor Day. I’ve always cited “not having enough time” as an excuse for never reading books for pleasure, but now seems to be the perfect opportunity to quit procrastinating and catch up. 

Now, I know Top “whatever” lists are completely subjective. For each praised inclusion, there are a hundred gripes about all the exclusions. I’m just using this list as a guide, and if I come across others with interesting titles I’ll cheat. So, with public library card in hand, I’m fully prepared (and excited) to set out on the literary adventure of a lifetime.

First up: On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Some background information:

My favorite novel of all-time is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I’m fully aware that many of us had this book forced down our throats in high school, and thus have an instinctive aversion to it - I fortunately did not. Therefore, picking up Catcher as a adult, with fresh eyes, allowed me to fully appreciate the work for all its worth - especially the way Salinger captures the pain and confusion of the loss of childhood innocence so brilliantly.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a close second favorite for me. Ironically, this is one book I was forced to read in high school - and as a snotty little 15 year old I couldn’t stand it. I decided to give Gatsby a second chance last year and I was completely blown away by Fitzgerald’s eloquence and mastery in storytelling.

Here is a link to the TIME list:

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1951793,00.html

Any suggestions??

So here’s the deal - I’m 27 years old and, like so many others right now, recently unemployed. Once upon a time, I was a part time/substitute teacher for preschool and elementary school kids. It was a job a truly loved. Getting paid to play duck duck goose and eat string cheese all day long? Fuggheddaboutit! However, when the economy took a giant nose dive, the education field became a very inhospitable place. Suffice it to say, I found myself without a job and without any work experience that didn’t involve circle time games or sitting in chairs that were way to small for a grown man. I sent a quadrillion resumes out into oblivion with not a single reply, not a single interview to be had. So, I decided to head back to school and re-educate myself, get a degree, and hopefully even find my passion and purpose in life. Ambitious? Sure. Impossible? No way.

Given that I’m poised to inherit oodles of free time this summer, I figured why not start a blog and chronicle the trials and tribulations of someone in my situation?

Apart from constantly looking for work, I’m planning on giving myself projects (this endeavor being one of them), and I’m attempting to have adventures every step of the way. So what craziness does Summer 2010 have in store? Stay tuned and find out.