The Day I Heard From Aly And Spent Four Hours At Sac Press For A Food-Writing Workshop After Finishing My Madeleine Albright Piece And I Also Ate At Zocalos For Lunch

I will just say that Aly and I have shared interest in hanging out sometime soon, although she said she'll be out of town for a week and so as of now we're aiming for Monday. I will also say that Sean thinks this will put me head-to-head with Dexter, who may like Aly. Although it was Dexter who sent me a facebook message insisting that I should meet Aly because, and I quote, "She just moved back to Sac and I think you'd really like her!" Anyhow, we had a short talk on the phone that put me in a good mood because this is what it feels like to make a new friend, and it feels comforting.

Up until today, the internship didn't involve a whole lot of intern-like responsibilities, like making coffee or making copies. Mostly I've just been able to write stuff and meet people. But today, and in no way am I complaining, the interns had to move the tables and set up the chairs and greet the guests for tonight's Food-Writing Workshop. Sac Press hosts stuff like this a few times each month, with different themes. This was my first. I didn't mind the bitch-work so much because I got the chance to bond with fellow-intern Mariel Tagg. And the food wasn't half-bad, either. 

Finished and published my Coverage Piece about the Madeleine Albright presentation. I think it's one of my best, to be honest. Maybe because it didn't feel like a press release, but an actual story about an event, and with more organization than my Mex 200 article. Also I feel like I learned a lot of shit. 

Five Other Things About The Day:

1. Ran out of Nag Champa today.
2. Ate free chips and bean dip, seven-dollar guacamole, a ten-dollar chicken avocado salad and the nine-dollar Hemingway daiquiri at Zocalos. 
3. Paid for it with the thirty bucks I got for selling my Zune to Shawn.
4. Felt like a local when I gave directions to a woman looking for the freeway.
5. Took these pictures in the parking garage:

I took these before leaving Sac Press. This is what the office looks like, and the ceiling:

This is where the interns sit

- Left to Fry

The Day Of My Second Sacramento Walkabout That Resulted In The Following Photos Before Going To The Mondavi Center To Listen To Madeleine Albright

Wrote a rough draft for my Save The Salmon story. 

Had my interview with Larry Scholl about the Ghost Train, too. Nice guy. He did the storyboard for this. 

Tonight I'm going to the Mondavi Center at UC Davis for Madeleine Albright's presentation. I have no idea what it's supposed to be about. I only just found out who she was today when I did a little research. She seems like a nice lady. Likes to talk about her heroism in Kosovo. Probably still a little upset that Hilary Clinton didn't win. Colleen wants me to get buddy-buddy with at least two other guests and get some before and after interviews. Should be fun. I even get to dress up. 

That said, here is the result of my second Sacramento walkabout. 

my window on the right, my favorite place to be

 - Left to Fry

The Day I Finished A Four-Morning Streak Of Opening Shifts And Didn't Get A Whole Lot Done Afterward Other Than Making It To The Intern Meeting On Time

Here are the four things that made today unique:

1. Orange-haired Crystal came in to get the keys she left overnight at Old Soul.

2. Published the Oktoberfest preview piece.

3. Couldn't get a hold of Larry Scholl.

4. Found a tiny crack in my windshield. 

I was wondering today when I would start to feel lonely. I wondered if I'd felt it yet, already. Sometimes I think I feel lonely. It only comes up when I don't know what to do next, when I'm not on some task. Thankfully, those moments don't come very often anymore. And I know I fill some of that time with writing in this blog, just to make sure those feelings don't come around. My day almost feels incomplete if I don't write something in here. Not only because it fights away the lonely thoughts, but because it's started to feel important. It feels like a historical time for myself that I want to look back on with fondness. I don't know when I'll stop writing in this blog... Part of me thinks a girlfriend will be the reason, but not for a while. I don't think. Until then, this is my time to figure myself out and see what independence will bring me in the city of Sacramento.

I'll always want to remember the window of my room that looked down onto 17th street. The sidewalks on either side, often speckled with pedestrians of all shapes and sizes, sometimes drunk. Passing cars, never so much that there would be traffic, but enough to keep the commuter buzz a consistent presence. And the recent construction in the alley: the piles of dirt, the tractors, the water outages. The trees that give just enough privacy, plus close-ups to wildlife, and the rustle of branches and leaves. It's a rather peaceful window. I've never had such a view of the world before, and it's my new favorite place to be, especially for smoking. 

I'll never forget Sac Press, but I'm glad to be keeping a journal about it. It will be an event that will change the direction of my life completely, regardless of what happens at the internship's end, and like the end of my relationship with AJ, it will be interesting to read this again a few years from now. I know, now, how plausible it is that I might steer toward journalism. And why not? It was pretty much the second most reasonable route to take after becoming a teacher. That said, I've actually got an article to write that I should start now. 

- Left to Fry

The Day I Visited Turn Verein And We Lost Water (Again) At Old Soul Where I Worked With Hank For The First Time And Bought A Six Pack Of Black Star Beer

My Top Five Lines From Five Mumford and Sons Songs:

5. From "Sigh No More"

Love, it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, it will set you free / Be more like the man you were made to be

Went to the Sacramento Turn Verein today. Took these pictures.

I don't know if I'll get to go to their Oktoberfest. I'm only doing the Preview Piece. Interviewed Heinz Ludke today, the Secretary of Turn Verein (ver-ine), which means Gymnastics Club in German. Then the President, Robert Krieger, called to tell me the phone numbers of the bands. I wrote my rough draft. It's up for editing.

4. From "Awake My Soul" 

How fickle my heart, and how woozy my eyes / I struggle to find any truth in your lies / Now my heart stumbles over things I don't know / My weakness I feel I must finally show

After trying to get inside the Turn Verein building and finding the doors locked, I took this photo through the window and then left. 

Oktoberfest, before. 

3. From "The Cave"

Cause I need freedom now / And I need to know how / To live my life as it's meant to be

Then I fell victim to a ceaseless belief that I can calm and pet any animal in the world, simply by kneeling down and making a ticking sound with my tongue. What the hell is that sound, anyway? I think it only works for squirrels, really, but cats seem to notice it sometimes, too. Never your cat, but other cats, like this one: 

2. From "Roll Away Your Stone"

Stars, hide your fires / These are my desires

I had a rather peculiar and disoriented shift at Old Soul this morning. The details of it lose meaning almost as soon as I leave that warehouse, though, because tomorrow is a new day and tomorrow will be completely different. We had broken ovens. We had the water shut-off from 7:30 to 10:30 and a total lack of espresso. Not to mention an inability to do dishes or wash hands or flush toilets. It was subdued chaos, with everything always about to crumble like a playing-card tower. We endured, somehow. Coffee was still served, by God! I got to work with Hank for the first time. Found him to be pleasantly straight-faced about everything. We made good tips, considering.

Also have to thank John Hannon for getting back to me. Got that interview about the gravel restoration project he was in charge of. Always fascinates me to talk to people who love nature this much. The command they have over the topic. The big words they know that haven't even entered my vocabulary. I guess I feel that way about anyone speaking passionately about their trade, but these kinds--the people who are trying to save the world--they really impress me. 

1. From "After the Storm"

And I took you by the hand / And we stood tall / And remembered our own land / What we lived for 

- Left to Fry

The Day I Took Advantage Of What Felt Like The First Moment Of Peaceful Solitude That I've Had In Forever And Then Ruined It With A Nap

"Incense on the window-sill. The quiet afternoon of a mid-day street. Construction cones. Bustling leaves of curious trees. A distant car alarm, muted at the press of a button. A car passes, black, a blur, then it's gone. A silent Sacramento. The incense all the while aromatic."

I need to get out of coffee. 

I need to make journalism my full-time job, somehow. Maybe this internship will lead to that. My fingers are crossed. It's hard to stay consistently excited about the new responsibilities of the internship when I have a full-time job to balance it with. And a full-time job that isn't exactly the most stimulating, and is rather draining. I want to be interviewing and researching more. Focusing on each article, taking them seriously. I can't even imagine getting paid for working at Sac Press. I wonder how I can make that happen...

Craigslist's jobs offerings are depressing. 

I'm having a good time just sitting by my open window. It's not a busy street, but it's well-used by passing cars and pedestrians, which make for a constant background noise. I can hear car doors closing around the corner. The busier traffic on 16th. A train horn, like an elephant's trumpet, then again, closer. I hear the dull roll of interstate commuters, the bump and lyrics from a car stereo, the occasional buzz of a bug flying among the rustling leaves of the nearby trees. Snippets of conversation. The churning of bicycle gears as eco-friendly couples peddle past. Someone pushing an empty shopping cart. Someone talking on their phone.

I am avoiding but seriously contemplating a nap. Part of me wants to consciously enjoy every moment of this rather lazy Sunday evening. Smoke a little pot. Play a couple videogames. Watch a funny movie. I have stuff to do this week that adds a lot of weight to my shoulders that I feel like I'm allowed to ignore for at least one afternoon. Yesterday was fun with Sean at the lake and everything, but sometimes having a solid chunk of time completely to yourself is the best medicine you can ask for. I'm worried a nap will just cut into my enjoyment time, not that naps aren't inherently enjoyable... You see my dilemma. 

- Left to Fry

Update: Fell victim to nap. Overslept. Angry. Oh well....

I also stumbled onto this, and it deserves to be shared.

The Day I Wore Pants To Nimbus Dam And Took Some Pictures Of The Lake And Stuff

- Left to Fry

The Day The Checks Were Late And I Drew Blueprints For A Thing I'm Gonna Make And I Watched My First Vincent Price Movie After I Ate Watermelon At Work

Just back from watching House On Haunted Hill with Drew and his gang. It was nice. I would've stayed to watch Van Helsing but I really outta get to bed. That said, here's me staying up to write anyway.

For better or for worse, this blog is now encouraging me to do at least one exciting or memorable thing each day. And why not? I like writing short-stories from the memorable, pivotal moments of my life. Isn't this just one of those stories, but stretched out for a lifetime? Kind of hard to do exciting things when the closing shift at Old Soul is about as exciting as a paint-drying party. Still, I pay attention to the little things. Have little conversations. Make little connections. Because, as Tom Cruise says in Vanilla Sky, "The little things... There's nothing bigger, is there?"

Here are the rough plans of something I'm working on: 

Today I ate watermelon in the first time in forever. When's the last time you had watermelon? And this was good watermelon, too. Or maybe I just forgot how good it was. Can there be bad watermelon? I wasn't even scared of eating the seeds because Chuckie did that in Rugrats, and he turned out fine. It's not like I'm about to go out and just eat nothing but watermelon now. It was more like smelling a nice flower you hadn't smelled in a while, but you're okay with a long-distance relationship. It's not like I'm gonna go out and start a watermelon garden. Although I could. And that would be a fun project.

Maybe.

Everyone was freaking out today when I got to work because the paychecks hadn't shown up and Tim was out of town and no one could get a hold of Jill. By "no one" I mean Tammie. She was almost in tears because she had obligations to attend and without her check, said obligations would be rendered impossible. Anyhow, you always know it's pay day when you see six employees huddled together in one group. Otherwise we're rather solitary. I plugged in the computer and played Barret Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" to put on a couple smiles and it worked. Because of that I think I had a good day, even though Old Soul only made 103 dollars tonight. I managed to have a few good positive interactions with people. Sometimes that's easier to do when you only get one person each hour to focus 100% of your attention on. 

The paychecks did eventually arrive. This story has a happy ending.

On the 27th, this will be my One Month landmark at the house on 17th. 

I just ranted for a while about MTV and I have no idea why, so I erased it and wrote this sentence instead.

John Hannon didn't answer when I called him this morning, this "Fisheries Biologist" from the Bureau of Reclamation. I got the impression from our first conversation that we're off on a bad foot. He said he was going to be "at the site" today, anyhow, which makes sense because the crews working on the project I'm writing an article about (this big gravel restoration thing that's helping the fish spawn). At first I was under the impression that people think reporters are pests, but really I'm feeling like most people are thrilled to have themselves talked about. Not this guy. 

Going to Nimbus Dam with Sean after work tomorrow, after stopping for a stash refill in Carmichael, after I try and get a hold of Hannon again. There's a fish hatchery out there. 

Oh, and I am totally in for getting some VIP treatment at this Vampire Ball, if I play this reporter bit right, and I think that makes me nervous because I think that'll get me laid by a creepy vampire chick. Someone's going to spike my cup of strawberry-flavored blood and I'm not going to know what's real. I'm concerned how to take the responsibility of reporting seriously in a swarm of techno-raving vampires. This is what I imagine. But then again it could end up like a Junior High dance, with awkward dudes in make-up on one side of the room and WOW-addicted socially-awkward high school girls on the other, staring at each other, flashing their fangs. Or whatever. I don't know. I'm going, and whatever happens, I'll make it sound like a scene out of Underworld before Kate Beckinsale started killing everyone.

Time for bed. I really hate waking up early, but at least I'll make more tips, and it's really not that bad. 

- Left to Fry

The Day I Found Out That Aly Knows Dexter And Sean Wants Us To Become Musicians And The Construction Crew Busts A Water Line In The Alley

So I did see Aly again, after all. She was there when I showed up around 1:20, with ten minutes to spare for sitting and catching up with her. I like her. Not sure what that means, precisely, but there's something comforting about meeting someone from your past. It's like finding family in a strange land. So I hope she keeps coming around. I can't believe she knows Dexter (my high school friend). She'd actually gotten a call from him earlier this morning. Thus Aly and I bonded.

Makes me realize how small my world is. The world, itself, is not small. That's bullshit. Anyone who's walked an hour to get to work through two miles of city streets knows that the world is not small. But my world, the one I'm creating, is small. I haven't left Northern California. A lot of my peers haven't. Most of them, actually. So of course I'd have to bump into a few of them along the way.

I once saw Cassie from junior high at Aroma Roasters in Santa Rosa. She didn't seem too thrilled to be recognized as "that girl who rode my bus at Churchill."

Here's what I had in my pockets when I came home:

My Lantern Tours article was published. Thought I was gonna get fired for being seen on my computer so much, but business was slow at Old Soul, so Tim didn't say anything. Anyway, I like the pictures I ended up choosing. Makes me bummed that Colleen already has someone attending the tour for coverage. I hope I'll get to go to Folsom Ghost Train, which is what I'm writing about next, after the salmon thing.

Then there's the Vampire Ball.

Didn't have water at Old Soul for about an hour after good old Biondi busted the water line in the alley. They weren't lying about the water being turned off. I accidentally flushed the toilet this morning and the old beast made an angry growling noise at me. I haven't bothered to check if it's back on.

I kinda want to take a picture of my toilet. It's different.

Here we go. I took some other photos, too.

No handle, just a knob on the tank that you pull up.

  

 

That's it for today. I'm still watching Abre Los Ojos, but it's blowing my mind how much of a near-exact remake Vanilla Sky was. I think I like that. It's pretty trippy. I'm watching the Spanish version without subtitles and yet I know everything that they're saying. 

- Left to Fry

The Day I Found Out That My Water Is About To Be Turned Off For Eight Hours Of Each Day For The Next Five Days

- Left to Fry