An Opportunity to Help Out Donors Choose

Hey! Long time no see!

A lot to talk about, soon, I hope (like, after a year in hotels I'm back to being a lawyer). But for now, something that urgently needs your attention, if you have an American Express card of any stripe (e.g., Blue).

My favorite charity, Donors Choose is a finalist in the American Express Members Project. They could get $5 million to distribute to schoolteachers throughout the country to fund "extras" for the classroom that aren't covered in school budgets. (Like Ladybug Kits.) It would be so cool if they won, and there are four other worthy causes up for the money as well.

So, head on over to the Members Project and vote for "Teachers Ask. You Choose. Students Learn.

Goodness....

It's amazing what working all the time at a job you actually enjoy does to your ability to screw around on the internet.....at work.

So, after a long absense, I have only one thing to post:

VOTE on Tuesday! Vote like your life depends on it! Vote vote VOTE!

That is all for now...

The past three weeks....

I have been very remiss in my updating of late. This is primarily because I'm no longer working at a dull-as-dirt legal temping assignment all day where messing around on the internet was the only way to stay sane!

Yes, I'm about to enter my fourth week in The Hospitality Industry. I am happy to say that this seems to be a great fit for me...it's the first time is six years that I've looked forward to going to work.

The people I work with are great, and there's none of the cynicism and self-interest that was so pervasive in every legal practice situation I found myself in. People seem genuinely enthusiastic about what they're doing, and everyone's on the same page as far as the goals of the organization.

It's also a lot of fun....we get all sorts of celebrities in the hotel. Sadly, I'm sworn to secrecy, but it just adds to the variety.

The one down side would have to be getting up at 5AM when I have an "early" shift (7-3). It's interesting, however, that 5AM is something I could have never done for a legal gig, no matter how good my intentions, but for this I was able to do it. I consider that a very good sign.

Fortunately not on a 7am shift this week, so I can stay up and finally update this thing! It's good to be happy at work again!

Tomorrow!

Because I forgot to update everyone on what’s going on in this quarter: I got the hotel job! I start tomorrow!

I’ll be a guest service agent at one of New York’s most swanky hotels, owned by one of the world’s premier luxury hotel companies. If I do well, it could lead to opportunities at other hotels in their company, both in the US and abroad.

So happy I’ve taken this step. It’s a huge financial risk, but I need to find something that I’m happy doing and hope that the money follows from that.

I’ll let you know how it works out . . . .

See more progress on: find work I'm passionate about

Pushed Out of the Nest

Well, when God closes a door, sometimes He throws you out the window for good measure. Just to see what you’ll do.

My “just surviving” job (that is soul-crushing and going nowhere, but pays well) abruptly ended on Thursday night. It was pretty surreal…they let go a whole bunch of people. I guess the project is “entering a new phase” to use their terminology.

ANYWAY, this little event occured just after I had had my second of what will hopefully be only THREE (gawd!) interviews with a top New York City hotel. (The next one is Monday…hoping that’s it). The problem was going to be the money….it would be a big step down from what I was doing (which was making me miserable and going nowhere), and it was going to be quite the dilemma to decide whether to give up security or happiness. (Of course, my operating theory is that the thing that makes me happy will also be, in the long run, something I’ll be successful at and eventually be able to make money doing.)

Fortunately, and I do mean fortunately, the choice has now been taken out of my hands! So now, assuming that this thing at the hotel pans out, I am basically forced to try my hand at this. It’s scary as Hell, but I’m irrationally happy about it.

Here…we….go!

See more progress on: find work I'm passionate about

The stomach flu diet! Get it at a store near you!

I take my victories where I find them.

Inertia is Easy, Action is Hard

Big Pharma money makes it very easy to just sit here complacent and continue to have my life chipped away, day by day, by the drip drip dripping of resentment and boredom. Yesterday I just got so FED UP that I promised my officemate that I’d do something or she’d know the reason why. So, last night I finally pulled together all the course stuff, filed the paperwork for the certificate, and actually began following up on the contacts I made during my class (which ended nearly 2 months ago!).

Today: 2 resumes to 2 top-flight hotels going out in the mail.

See more progress on: find work I'm passionate about

This Month's Cause

Getting started early this month, trying to fund an incubator so some North Carolina school kids can watch chicks hatch.

Won’t you join me ?

See more progress on: Give something every month to Donors Choose.

Donors Choose

My participation in the Donors Choose Bloggers Challenge continues!

Please help!

Progress

Well, it looks like walking 3.5 miles in today's Parade paid off:





And, from the sticker I and many of my fellow St. Luke's Parishioners were wearing: My manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.