Tuesday, December 16, 2008

My 7 year-old roommate

Alright, I know I've been horrible at keeping this thing up to date. And I have no excuse being that I live in a city where there are multiple computers and internet available to me. I mean, its not like I'm in the middle of the Mexican desert or anything. I'll try to keep more current in my entries. So far I've been writing like I was writing for chapters in a book. I realize that people are probably less interested in sitting at a computer to read a book a chapter every two to three months than they are to just read a short blog post update. Plus, we tend to seek instant gratification from technology these days, as is the intent. However, I know I still appreciate having a book in my hands to read at my leisure. So for now I'll give a brief update of what has happened since my last post.

Another guy moved into KC's house, one of her son's friends from culinary school in the city for his internship. He was paying KC $300 each month for rent. KC hadn't been charging me rent up to that point, she told me I could stay with them for a month for no charge, but the month was quickly coming to an end . In the past two months of searching I had yet to find work. I couldn't afford to pay that so I asked the HPs if I could move back in with them and the boys. Although Riley had taken the room downstairs where I had been staying, they of course welcomed me back in. I wasn't paying rent but I also had a seven year-old roommate. It wasn't one of the best arrangements in my life but it worked.

I spent my time riding around, playing WiiFit until I was sick of it, meditating at Kanzeon, watching full seasons of Six Feet Under, playing around with the kids, and job searching. At one point I even took a tour of the UPS facility to be a package handler but didn't take the job. During this time Halloween came upon us. I had been planing a costume for the past month or so. I had bought the most 70s looking clothes I could find at the thrift store, I wore a blonde afro borrowed from Robin, and painted my face to look like a skull. I had transformed into the Death Of Disco. I attended a couple of parties and had a blast at them. A week later my friend Patrick from the Zen Center offered me a room in his two-bedroom apartment for rent. He even said I could stay for a reduced rent until I found a job so I took him up on his offer. I moved in with Patrick as soon as I could. He lives a block and a half from the TRAX line and about six blocks from Kanzeon so it is a great location.

The week after I moved in with him I volunteered at Kanzeon to be the assistant cook for the sesshin. Making meal after meal for 60 people is a difficult task and it takes a whole kitchen staff to get it done. Halfway through the week I received a phone call from Snowbird Ski School offering me a job as a ski/snowboard instructor. I accepted the job and prepared to spend a season on the slopes. About two hours after I accepted the job I received a phone call from the Head Start preschool offering me a classroom assistant position I had interviewed for. Now, I had a decision to make but was prepared to make it. I decided to go with the Head Start job. I called Snowbird back and renounced the instructor position.

Now, I know many of you would say, "Why the hell would you give up a snowboard instructing position to be a preschool teacher?" Not only was the money better in being a preschool teacher, not to mention the excellent benifits, I was looking forward to the idea of teaching young children in a community that is of the lowest socioeconomic class in Salt Lake City. The area is composed of many Hispanic families as well as several immigrants. This gives me the opportunity to help in an area where I can do a lot of good. A free pass to a resort didn't seem to be worth that.

I went home to Colorado for Thanksgiving and when I returned I started my new job. More on that later. I worked for two weeks and then school ended for winter break. Not a bad schedule, I thought, two weeks of work followed by three weeks off. I could handle this.

This is just a picture of the Mormon temple and Headquarters I took while waiting for the tram. I thought the sunset had some pretty colors.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!