First Day of Pedo, Started & Finished

I'm waiting at the Starbucks around the corner from my new place of employment. At 6:30pm I meet with 2 dudes to see if I'd like to live in their house. There's a third dude, and I'm confused because the ad said I'd live with 2 dudes and another lady for $424 a month plus $50-60 in utilities. This place would knock around an hour off my commute to worky jerk. This morning it took an hour and 20 minutes from fuckin Thornton because Denver has only one major highway running north and south. Ok so the streets and by-passes aren't perfect like I thought when I had not yet driven to & from work, 8am & 5pm. Whoa. I've never driven in such traffic. The road has never been such a character-driven story. One of the drivers that honked at me this morning sported a bumper sticker that read 'Slap the Stupid People', and she didn't look like she was on her way to work. People with faces and moods drive with me in this traffic. I know, I watch them for a long time.

I'm not really thinking about anything in this picture. Not even about the day I just had at my new job. It's not that time of evening yet. I did just now think of how I'm really glad I don't have to work tomorrow.

One more sign of maturity- I wore a watch to work today for the first time ever. It was a good first day. Really, I don't think I fucked up anything. I was slow and I couldn't find anything, but I honestly think I didn't make any mistakes. No, wrong. I did put the foam fluoride on the paper to be placed under a stack of papers that is to remain dry in order to be presentable for the dentist. All & all, I did well. My patients are not kids, they're zombies, once we turn on the movie and hand over the head phones. Can't decide if it makes them more or less cooperative. Next work day isn't for a week. I love working part-time :)

Real Time

I interrupt this nostalgia for Summer 2010 to bring you Aun Clark in Real Time...turmoil. By the way, lets hear it for 'Real Time with Bill Mahr'. Love It.

OK, so I had two interviews today that didn't go so hot. The first one was cut not-short-enough when I found out the office is looking for a full time hygienist. I'm looking for part-time. See, it says so right here at the top of my resume underneath my address, next to OBJECTIVE:. But not a complete waste, because it was after all good practice. I will only get better at describing everything it took to clean the Appalachia off of mountain teeth.

The last time I looked for a job I was hired by the second office that interviewed me, the Appalachia office. I guarantee that will not be the case this time. My second interview today will probably be just as fruitless as the first, yet still good practice (my father's condolences ringing in my ears). The worst possible thing to be told while you are being stupefied and shaken by your nervous during a job interview is that their ideal hygienist is laid back and relaxing. So I tried to appear laid back and my circuits over loaded. Or, I don't know, it coulda been my mascara irritating my eyes. Anyhow, I twitched and then I gave up. I could think of only two lame questions when the dentist asked me if I had any questions for her. "Do you use lasers?" Ok, I'm being hard on myself, that's a relevant question. And I really was curious. It felt like an out of body experience, like being on stage. Very uncomfortable. But who knows, maybe I looked like Princess Diana in their eyes.

Anyway, I came home tonight, ate steak & veggie soup, then bought the cutest 'Thank You' cards at Kmart. I will send one tomorrow.

Two more interviews tomorrow...wish me luck.

Even More from the Summer of 2010

The coug drove me to Indiana and back for Miranda's wedding. Exceptional '89 cougar no doubt. She drove me all over NC for 7 years. God Bless her wherever she is. I sold her in October to an older man who gave it to his wife. I hope it didn't kill her.

More from the Summer of 2010

I spent a few days on Emerald Isle in July with a few friends I made through Brian, here Jacob, Donelle & Iz. Good People. It was a kind of strange few days. Bri & I had been broken up for a few months and it was a little more awkward for me than I had predicted, no fault of these lovely people. The chapter had long been read, enjoyed, and over.

Liv & I at the Laff festival, Asheville, NC.

This is the dress she helped me make.

I paid $5 to draw a nude at a studio in Asheville a few times.

Not Quite a Year Gap

So, since last May a lot has happened. I quit my job at the Dental Center, moved all my stuff into mom & dad's in Roanoke, IN, stayed with them for 6 months, during two of those months I studied at a Spanish language school in Boquete, Panama, spent a week on the beach in Bocas Del Toro and worked for three weeks on a tree house development near the Oso Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica. And now, on this gray mid-May 2011 day, I'm writing from my sloped bed in my small rented bedroom in the back of a bungalow in a neighborhood called Wheat Ridge in Denver, CO.

Not a bad place to pick up another new routine. Denver is gorgeous, very clean, and the streets are a masterful work of art. They're wide, and the many by-passes make it easier than easy to get around, except for maybe 25, and a few other thoroughfares, between 3-6pm. The mountains are still a mystery to me, along with cutie restaurants, cafes, dance classes, etc. I'm waiting until I have income before I full-out explore because I make exploration a priority. It's a big reason why I chose this mobile, high paying skill set, which I plan to use just 2-3 days a week to make room for all the fun stuff I wanna do out here.

I've also looked into art studio space. It was very encouraging to find a ceramic-friendly space for $125/month. It's in a basement and it's only about 8 X 11'. So, I'm still looking and wanting to find a more industrial space for wielding metal & wood. But maybe I would rather concentrate on clay work, I do love it... decisions, decisions. I love having options. Last week I went to the first First Friday of the year in the Santa Fe St. art district, where the $125 space is located- very encouraging. Hundreds showed up. The sidewalks were frustrating, and a few food trucks and tents served corn on sticks, tacos, burgers, etc. Acoustic string bands and a corner lot dj dance party lifted the streets of the 4-5 block art opening.

I'll write more about my 2.5 weeks in Denver and the trip out here in later blogs...

The following photos are highlights of last summer, last summer in Appalachia & North Carolina. NC, I do love you and will return...

After Olivia broke her ankle bouldering in July she healed up in Lee Walker's studio apartment in downtown Marshall for 3-4 months. This made it easy for visitors to check on her daily and for her to get out and not have the lamest summer on record. I spent many hours with her here, especially while she was helping me make a dress for myself for the first time. While I worked on my project she made aprons and baby bibs to sell at the Laff festival in August or September, I forget. I think September. I helped her set up that day...more pictures of that later...

Once Mark talked me into trimming our tiny front yard.

Kelly, a friend from high school, & her boyfriend Shawn visited in September, I think, while touring college campuses in the south. They just had a baby girl this spring- Congrats Youts!

Here's Livy asleep, doped up and waiting for surgery to put in a plate and a few screws into her precious resilient ankle bones.

Close up of the cage. This happened while she was Indoor bouldering. So take care always, kids! I haven't bouldered since. It freaked me out.