OK, well, maybe not entirely. But the truth is, Whole Foods has gotten really difficult. I love my store dearly and I love the food and my team, my job and my coworkers...
...but times have been tough. Hours are short (very) and wages are good-- or would be, I should say, if I weren't driving an hour to work. Gas prices are rising and it isn't quite worth it in the same way that it used to be.
However...
...I have long been waiting for a certain position, one that would allow a creative outlet as well as higher pay and supplemental hours...
and it has come. The position of Backup Graphic Artist is going to be posted by the end of the month. Since this store's first day, I have been badgering the Graphic Artist and the Store Team Leader to hire me on as backup graphic artist, but unfortunately the position is going to be a regional posting. There are so many people going for it just within the store itself (who knows about elsewhere in the region) and I am spectacularly outclassed. I am, however, trying my very hardest to get this job. It would mean:
A) I help my team. Instead of struggling to get my hours fit into our labor budget (which we are, cough, not doing anyway) part of my hours would be supplemented by this position, which is...
B) Admin. As an 'admin' position, a pay raise is (ohgodihope) definitely in order. This means for me that I will feel like I'm struggling to 'keep up' less-- I'll be working my hours, but have a little bit more easy of a time achieving a ...uh... workable... paycheck.
C) I can draw. I sincerely hope that this does not 'burn me out' of something that is a part of my soul, as drawing is... but as of right now, the idea of doing chalkboards around the store just makes my heart as warm as Chai. Most of the job wouldn't be chalking-- it'd be printing sale signs and the like-- but still. I'm not exactly presented with many opportunities to draw behind the cheese counter right now.
So, that's it. Lets go for it.
- And now... the moment I've been waiting for...
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captainshen- March 23rd, 2011
- (no subject)
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- captainshen
- January 30th, 2011
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
I watched the leather wristband on my right arm emerge from the frothy basin and flash its origin in silent pride: Sundance Film Festival 2011. The bracelet was a gift from my director, when he went to represent his film that I shot for. As in, I shot for a film that was pre-screened at Sundance.
Sundance Film Festival.
And here I was, frothing about in a basin to get the cheese slicer real real clean, eight minutes from closing, and still with the responsibility of closing and cleaning the coffee bar, beer and wine, coffee and tea, and the rest of the cheese counter.
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Some great job I did, on some high pedestal-- cinematographer for two capstone films at University of North Texas. I can change a 16mm film mag on an Arri SR2 in a minute flat. I can get you that t-stop, I can pull emotion from a script and paint it before a lens, and I can light a room like nobody's business. Apparently, I can also clean a cheese slicer.
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
So what is this? Is this fallen from grace? Is it not having reached grace yet? Am I in the process of getting out of practice? Of losing what I had? Maybe its not something you ever achieve or ever don't, but an ongoing climb. I don't want to work anymore. I want to play. I don't even know if I want to film anymore. I just want to play. I want to paint, to build, to cook, to work out, to ride my bike. I want to breathe and be free. I want to travel the world.
I'll always remember you like a child, girl
I feel that I am, at least from the eyes of others, flitting past, skirting real development of any further relationships or friendships. I do that. I'm some flighty creature, maybe. I want to be left alone, for the most part. I am, I guess, naive... in a sad and trusting sort of way-- and yet, somehow, entirely skeptical and defensive in another. I frustrate myself. Perhaps I am child-like-- but not childish.
Another mix, you know-- there is another strange juxtaposition. Though I am often lonely, I also go to great lengths to stay in and be alone. I think it is the urge to want to spend time with only those closest to me-- and when they don't come, I don't want anyone else. Its cruel! Its foolish. Its me.
And this posting thing-- I imagine my words and plot them out and then don't get to it. But when I do, it does feel good. An emotional shower.
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
And it's breakin' my heart in two
Because I never wanna see you a sad girl
Don't be a bad girl
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware
Baby, I love you
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad and beware
- Happy Hannukah
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- captainshen
- December 6th, 2010
Consumerism bothers me. Big sigh. Been shopping for people all day-- though I'm really enjoying the possibility of getting people things they really love and need. Perhaps I'm a participant.
Mostly, this upcoming Wednesday, I'm looking forward to cooking for my family when they visit for the last night of Hannukah. I'll be making tzatziki cinnamon salmon, chicken-endive scoops, israeli salad, and a spinach salad.
Caz txt messaged me today about McDonalds and Oprah. It sure is cute how the rest of the world tries to be as 'fancy' as the good ole USA, attempting to frequent our high-end cuisine hot-spots. ;)
- I moved! Out, that is.
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- captainshen
- August 20th, 2009
As Cazzy mentioned online to me the other day, I've been absent from LJland. Yeah, big stuff. I definately moved. As flashbacks to the traumatic end to last semester began to flood my mind with the school year nearing, I decided that it was time. This, paired with my absolute need to have my own space and my own kitchen got me thinking but it was coming back from Hawaii-- and working at Whole Foods-- that got me moving. There was something pogniant to me about the amount of money that I saved up and how little I spent on the islands. It was an amazing trip... life changing, actually. Pictures, sometime soon... there are 3 gigs of them.
Anyway, about this place-- its an effeciency, and as I've described it (probably too many times): The room is bright and airy and has wooden floors, and the bathroom and kitchen are huge and dark and old. Hah! But its all fixable/livable/MINE. I moved in yesterday. I haven't stopped tingling since I signed the lease last week-- this all (the idea, finding the place, the meeting, the signing, the moving...) happened very fast.
I cannot wait for my family to come visit-- my mom came up yesterday and helped, my little sister came and visited, but my dad hasn't seen it yet-- and I seriously can't wait. Vego, Amanda, and Krystal havent yet seen it either, but my friend Rachel (who's family's garage I was graciously allowed to stay in at the hellish end of last semester during the Making/editing/ruination/remaking of my film and all of the rest of the load. I call them my 'host family') and her family have been right there with me, helping me move in and checking on me. I couldn't have done this without them, surely. Rachel is a great 'little sister' and she'll be joining me in 3rd year Japanese with the rest of my friends (she's super smart. Only 17).
Anyway, visit, write, or send fruit to:
815 W. Mulberry St., #4
Denton TX 76201
...and please, wish me the best! It's a big giant super-leap and I need you guys. Seriously, visit any time.
OH YEAH! And my birthday is in just a couple days!
- I'm BACK
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- captainshen
- August 3rd, 2009
I'm back from Hawaii! It was epic. Amazing. Too much to tell. Yet, I want to...
Also, birthday coming up. HOORAY!
(P.S.! Kehehehe)
- I'm home, and Twitter issue 2.0
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- captainshen
- June 15th, 2009
Hey guys. I went on a spontaneous trip to Oklahoma but I'm back now. A concise update, you ask? The Hangover is hilarious, dogs rock, convertibles fill with water quite easily at 4:13 AM in thunderstorms, restaurants named Eggberts do exist, fireflies are magical and mystical, a kids burger is plenty large enough for me, there is truly no avoiding Dallas traffic, I reluctantly admit to being addicted to some kind of sugarfree off-brand Crystal Light crap, Crossfit is the best, it sure feels good to eat paleo once in a while, smoked salmon and local kine lemon plums are the best of breakfasts, and I may just be able to disarm you in a knife fight.
ALSO: I love you all very, very much. You have to know this. I cherish you. I do. But these LJ Twitter feeds have GOT to stop. Please!?
- Tokyo 2009/6/6 UE
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- captainshen
- June 12th, 2009
Another of Ue's performances! So professional :) show him some love!
- It's so bizzare?!
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- captainshen
- June 7th, 2009
Life has a bright way of being cyclic sometimes. I do believe with all my heart that everything happens for a reason; I have met far too many 'coincidences' in my life to invest in any other belief. I also think that everything connects in one way or another-- as is laid out in the rest of this post! Early on in the day, after a morning interview at Whole Foods (it went well and I sincerely hope I got it), I got a txt message from my parents telling me about the Mansfield Arts Festival. Not only that, but the festival was being held in front of none other than Steven's Garden and Grill, a delicious family favorite which I'll try and mention later. It sounded perfect-- free and fun and something to do that would break the ordinary. I imagined a perfect summer day-- an arts festival with delicious foods after a swim at the public pool on opening day. I had to execute this vision!
My partner in crime, I soon discovered, was to be Amanda. We were soon on our way to a crowded day at my old work (Bad Kongishoffen Aquatic Center) (where I, no joke, had to save two little kids who were under water in the deep end, while the ""lifeguard"" fooled around in his own little wonderland on the stand). We could hardly wait to get to the festival, and after an all-too-leisurely drying-off, we were on the road.
The festival was small and cute. I expected something Denton or Ft. Worth scale, but it was more small-town and way more overpriced. To our dismay, Steven's was closed for the festival-- I had wanted to take Amanda on her first trip there-- and the only foods being offered just didn't strike with us too much. Around the back of a field near a big music stage was a tent with a promising sign-- offering wraps, gyros, fruit popsicles, and the food that got me happily jumping up and down and pointing while "OO-OOH"ing, Chicken On A Stick. This delectable, cudgel-based, grilled treasure was no standard 'festival' fare, no no-- it was comprised of thick cuts of tender white meat with a delicious dusting of herbs. From there, we decided we'd start aiming for dinner.
Wanting someplace local, as always, I began asking around. Nothing sounded all that great at the time. A nice guy pointed us toward a Chinese place on Broad St that we figured we'd give a go. As we meandered down 157 toward Broad, we both whipped our heads to the left as something caught our eye at the exact same time. Pirate Coffee Company! A coffee house?! A pirate-titled coffee house?! Well ahoy and here we come! We parked, and as we walked in, found ourselves amazed. We talked to the owners for a long time and decided to carry on, but I ran back in and asked them about a dinner place. I told them my criteria: Interesting, local, healthy, and affordable. They looked at each other.
"Oliver's."
They told me out to get there and our journey continued. Pulling up, it looked like a regular store-front, but this shell simply concealed the mecca that was within. Walking in, I was amazed-- it was bright, spacious, and instantly friendly. I recognized the logo-- the tent that we bought our Chicken Stick from was an Oliver's tent! I dropped my mouth open and flapped my arms before running around the store screaming like a macaque. I was thrilled (apparently)! So thrilled, in fact, that I called my parents then and there and told them that if they would come, we would wait. My mom knows the area better than my dad, so I told him, "tell mom it's right across the street from the hospital." He paused.
"We ate there today for lunch..."
Surely he was wrong! Not this place! "Olivers?!" I asked.
They had! It turns out that after all that, the way that they had originally heard about the festival was from the people here at Oliver's themselves. And to make things even more interesting, the man at the festival in the tent was the owner, who I found was named Todd. And do you remember that interview I had at Whole Foods that morning? My interviewer was, amazingly, also a nice dude named Todd.
More food-based specifics to follow :).
- Holy Crap
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- captainshen
- May 31st, 2009
Look at this cast list!!!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1320253/
This is gonna be EPIC. or RETARDED. But AWESOME. and RIDICULOUS.
but Danny Trejo, Hooray!
- Because It'd be odd not to...
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- captainshen
- May 27th, 2009
Happy Birthday to my best friend. <3
Continue to pursue your ultimate self, forever.
