Don't Worry, Be AWESOME!

...And now, coming around the last turn, it's Two Weeks Between Posts! He and his rider, Slackingoff, have had an amazing racing season so far, and as they barrel down the home stretch, it looks like they're poised to win another one...But wait, what's this? Charging up hard and fast, it's Last-Minute Update and his rider, Martinez! This scruffy pair hasn't done very well this year, but now they're coming out of nowhere! I can't believe it; it's Two Weeks and Last-Minute! They're neck-and-neck! The finish line is right there...and Last-Minute Update beats Two Weeks Between Posts by a nose! Inconceivable!...

Word on the street is that the Biola registrar had some administrative stuff come up. As a result, they haven't made a decision about whether to offer me a job yet. The idea of taking the train is looking less and less feasible; there's a station quite close to campus, but the arrival closest to when I'd start work is at 1:30pm, half an hour after work would start. The first arrival before that is at 7:30am, five and half hours before work would start. That arrangement could be fine once classes start; I could choose morning classes, work in the afternoon, ride the bus, and save lots of money on my car insurance by switching...I mean, save lots of money by living at home.

In the meantime, I've begun the process of being able to volunteer at my local schools, with the idea of preparing to be a substitute teacher after I take the CBEST in mid-April. But really, things are still up in the air, two doors seem to close for each that opens, and I'm in danger of feeling somewhat disheartened.

At times like these, I find it very reassuring to be a Christian. It's absolutely impossible for anyone to be in full control of his or her life, and being able to surrender to God's will and leave things up to Him is both liberating and soothing.

In the spirit of positive thinking, I was going to close with a link to a music video of "Don't Worry, Be Happy," a delightful little song by Bobby McFerrin. But my brother directed me to a different clip of Mr. McFerrin, one that is much more impressive. Watch for the parts where he hums two different notes at the same time.



If I could do that, job offers would be pouring in faster than I could handle, let me tell you this.

(Incidentally, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" can be seen here. I thoroughly recommend it.)

On the Opening and Closing of Doors

Once again, the siren song of the Void has lured me away from my blog (you're all crushed, I'm sure). But this past week saw a few notable events, so it must be time for an update.

On Monday, I had an interview for a part-time, minimum-wage position as a "bookseller" at my local Barnes & Noble. Just what is a "bookseller"? A bookseller, I learned, is a jack-of-all-trades who is responsible for just about everything short of running the store at some point or another. The position I was considering, for instance, would see my schedule shift weekly, so that one week I might work the morning shift stocking shelves and working the register, while the next week I might work the customer service desk during the afternoon shift.

The B&N job had two things going for it: First, as I've noted before, B&N offers benefits to part-time workers. Second, part-time work could leave me free to pursue another idea I've had: substitute teaching. The school district pretty much always needs subs, and it pays $100/day (which is even more than I made at RTB). However, in order to be registered as a sub in California, one must pass the CBEST (that's "See Best"; California Basic Educational Skills Test). And while passing the test would most likely not be a problem, the earliest I could take it is in April.

However, that may be a moot point. It turns out the B&N is looking for a more permanent employee; since I'm likely to leave in August when school starts, that shot down that particular idea.

But all is not lost, for on Thursday I had an interview at Biola for a part-time job as a clerk in the office of the registrar. While this job offers no benefits, starting pay is $12/hour. It also offers the stability of regular hours (1pm-5pm Monday-Friday) and the convenience of being at Biola. The commute from home, however, would be a royal pain in the posterior, so I'm looking into public transportation. I'm thinking the train is the way to go; the price is comparable to that of putting gas in my car, and it turns 3 hours of wasted driving time into 3 hours I can use for reading, studying, napping, or other productive activities.

I should hear back from Biola early next week. If the news is good, I'll probably post fairly soon. If it's not, it may take longer for me to work up the motivation.