my first ever

I know what you're thinking: That is the most massive photograph that has e'er been posted on this blog. You're right. I didn't want it to be all pixel-y, and this was the only way I could do it. This is a very serious post and I wanted it to be perfect.

Thursday, January 25, 2007 will mark a milestone in my young life: I'm going to be sized up for my first ever bra!

I really hope I'm able to fit in a Patagonia bra, because they are obviously the coolest ones that we sell at REI.

Just kidding. The truth of the matter is that I'll be interviewed for my first ever full-time job! As it is right now, I work anywhere from 25 to 40 hours a week and get paid by the hour. Tomorrow I'll sit down and try and sell myself into a position that would guarantee me 40 hours a week, as well as improved benefits and I'm sure some other bells and whistles.

So why'd I open with a giant picture of a bra and a taboo statement about my getting one? Well that's because the specific position that I'm applying for is none other than full-time women's wear. That's right; you're boy D.O. could very well be holding it down 40 hours a week in the women's section at REI Dallas. Now I must make it known that women's wear was never my first choice of positions to go full-time in, but it's the best option at this particular point in time, and I'm not scared of it. You see, there are many things I like about working in the women's section:

- I get to see clothes that I think would be cool for girls to wear, and I'm not tempted to buy them because, as you all know, I'm not a girl! In other words, protection from materialistic lies being shouted at me from the clothing racks.
- I get to tell 30 people a day that we don't have the North Face Denali in their size.
- The customers I help tend to be prettier when working in the women's department.
- I'll get to start wearing my ever-popular "Let me know if you think you might be interested in being my friend" button on my vest.

There is one downside, in my opinion, to working in the women's section. That's right, I'm sure you've guessed it (and if you haven't, go ahead and scroll on up to see the big ol' green thing up there at the top) -- bras! I'm not crazy about helping ladies with their bra questions. I'd like to think that they're not crazy about asking me their questions, but sometimes I'm not too sure.

I hope my interview doesn't start out with three hard, in-your-face, trivia questions about bras. If that's the case then I surely won't get the job. Hopefully I'll be asked about skirts or capri's... those questions I can handle.

I'm so employed!

Sometimes in life, you just gotta do what you gotta do to make ends meet. That's why I've recently taken another job (other than the beautiful one at REI). That's right. I'm now officially Chief Jiffy News Correstpondent -- something I will certainly add to my existing resume. For my debut news update, click here. (Or right there where it says Jiffy News ---->)

the verdict: part two

So there I was, sitting on the patio at Taco Cabana, sharing a meal and some biblical fellowship with my good friend Brad Smith, when my phone rings. Ignoring the impulse to be polite to Brad by not answering the phone, I picked it up and my new good friend Julie was on the other line.

Why is she our new good friend? Because of what she had to say following our greeting.

She told me that she thought I'd be a good fit for the REI team, and that she'd like to offer me a position.

I told her to go right on ahead, offer away.

She said I'd be holding it down upstairs in the apparel and footwear section. Do you understand the magnitude of that statement? The only material possession in which I place any value (Chacos) are the very items I will be selling to the American population! Praise the Lord, no?

Lucky for you and me, Brad was ready with my camera and was able to photo-document this glorious occasion.

Now I'm off to update my "work" status on facebook. Goodbye unemployment, hello REI!

the verdict: part one

For those of you who won't be able to sleep tonight until you find out which pair of shoes I chose to wear to my interview, well wait no longer: I wore the Chacos (as if there was ever any real chance that I wouldn't). I wore the Chacos and went up to that REI, and had the first real job interview I've had since my first job ever, which was Six Flags Over Texas.

Needless to say, this interview was far more enjoyable than was the one I had eight years ago in North Arlington. I feel like it went about as well as it could have gone, and now I'm back to praying that the Lord'll hook me up with that job if He's ok with it. I'm supposed to hear back on October 7th, hence this verdict only being part one... part two will be the real party... or lamenting.

I learned lots of stuff about REI the past few days that I really like, one of which is pictured above. This is one of their two Green Buildings they have built. This one is in Portland. That's in Oregon. That's north of California and south of Washington. You can read all about the Green Buildings here... maybe someday I'll have my pic on the REI site.

what to wear??

Every day we affluent Weserterners are faced with a whole lot of decisions that most of the rest of the world needn't worry about making.

Which bathroom to use?

Which specific meal to eat?

Which specialist doctor to go see?

Which company to pursue getting a job with?

Well tomorrow, Tuesday the 26th, at 4:00pm, I will be making a choice I wouldn't have thought twice about had my father not called me today. You see, I have a job interview at REI tomorrow (praise Jesus!) and was told, regarding the attire, "... and it's casual, you don't have to show up in a suit or anything" - after which I laughed, told her I didn't own a suit, and she answered back with laughter.

The real issue at hand here, as you may have guessed, is not what outfit to wear to said interview at one of the nation's largest outdoor gear retailers, but what pair of shoes?

I had full intentions of wearing my beloved Chaco's, but my dad politely recommended that I do otherwise. I followed up with a well-thought out rebuttal, but I'll save you from reading that. Given the facts you've received already, including the quote from the interviewer, knowledge of what kind of store REI is, and the picture of my entire shoe collection (save climbing shoes, which aren't an option), what pair ought I wear?

Stay tuned for a picture of the entire outfit I end up picking in the next post tentatively titled: Fashion Universe.

"the sub that hacks"

Being the college graduate that I am, I've been thrown from putting all my expenditures on my parents tab, and have been forced to generate some cash flow of my own. Knowing that I would be reaching this point, I started substitute teaching a few months ago. That's "temping" for you School of Rock fans (one day I actually temped for an elementary school music class...). Though I have subbed for children of all ages (save junior high), I seem to have found my home at Bryan High School.

My first day ever on Bryan High's campus I was plenty early, and as I was passing between the two campuses, a small circle of students caught my eye. They were taking part in one of my favorite past times: hacky sacking. Some of you may recall my being on the cover of the Battallion back in college when the photographer caught me hacky-ing it up between classes. That headline read "Eye on the Sack" which remains in the Batt's top ten worst headlines of all time - but I digress.

I approached the hacking students and their leader said, "You wanna hack?" as if to challenge me.

I meekly accepted and the next thing those students knew, they were watching the magic of hacky sack unfold before their very eyes. There were stalls, sidekicks, jesters, the whole bit. As I ran out of tricks (unbeknownst to the students) I kicked the hacky sack to one of them, who soon lost control of it and watched it lay on the concrete.

I politely withdrew from the circle and closed with, "When you guys learn to hack, let me know and I'll come play with y'all."

Very similar incidents unfolded with the two other hacky sack circles at Bryan High within my first two weeks there. Now when I walk in between the two campuses, without fail I hear a student say, "Look, there's that sub that hacks."

Say all that to say, thank you Carol Cune, BHS Principal (pictured above) for allowing me the opportunity to impact your students' lives. It is truly my pleasure.

Bryan ISD - conquered

As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, the Bryan Independent School District has a new Viking on their staff: me. That's right, those foolish people have given me the opportunity to be control of a classroom, and get paid for it! My job until May is that of a temp (or a substitute teacher for those of you who have yet to see School of Rock)! This picture was taken back when I first invaded Bryan High School at See You At The Pole. Immediately after the final "amen" was said, I had one of the plebeian students take it.

Ok, really, I'm extreme thankful to have this job, because I really need to start making some money. Notice I used the word making and not earning. If future jobs on campus share characteristics with today's, using the word earning could hardly be justified. Don't get me wrong, I greatly enjoyed administering a crossword puzzle over the first chapter of Of Mice and Men, it just wasn't exactly a laborious task. I do hope that somehow I can be a good model of Christ's love to these kids... I really don't know how that's going to play itself out, but I know it's the goal. So maybe instead of trying to take over the entire school district I should just submit to my authorities...