May 16, 2011

Show Some Adaptability

Six years ago, I started this blog. Originally, I was going to take on the college education system ... but soon realized I was simply too emotional over my ordeal as a college instructor to do that. So I wrote about a lot of different things over the years. I wrote about growing up with racist parents and my own determination to NOT be that way. I wrote about a lot of the goofy things I did as a kid ... and then as time went on, I started getting further away from teaching and moving deeper and deeper not only into web design, but into design in general. I began drawing again.

This blog has only had two looks. The first was how I taught myself CSS. It hardly seems possible that I only started working in CSS 6 years ago. I learned the same way I learned HTML - your friend, View Source. By the time I was ready to adjust the look, I'd been working as a web designer for quite some time and had recently been to New Mexico - the art came from that trip.

Today I'm living in New Mexico, a dream I was never sure if it would happen or not. Things are still in flux. Other half is talking to a realtor this week and getting ready to put the house on the market. We're both hoping that despite the market and the economy, it will sell quickly so we can be back together and get a house here. Things feel very unsettled since we're 1400 miles apart and I'm living in a hotel and she's living in a mostly empty house.

It's interesting to watch how something evolves / changes / adapts over time.

And it'll be interesting to see how the blog changes over the next few years as well.

Meanwhile ... this is how it all started: The Story of the Red Monkey.

Posted by Red Monkey at 6:07 AM | Comments (2) | Blog | Stumble

May 13, 2011

Where I Need to Be

It's been a long few weeks. First there was the frantic throwing of everything into boxes, attempting minor home improvements, fixing a couple of broken ceiling tiles, laying new flooring in the kitchen and hauling things off as rummage. Some things which I really didn't want to haul off. Like giving my very beloved electric guitar to a co-worker. I don't play much any more because it kills my wrist - but I couldn't bear to give up the acoustic or the banjo.

Sunday at church folks had a wonderful send-off for me as well as celebrating someone else's college graduation. They made a huge banner for me ... and then people signed it. Was very sweet and meant a lot to me.

Sunday our minister came over and helped me finish up a couple of home improvement tasks - and she even did the dishes!!! That was a huge and unexpected help. Monday morning, I loaded up the car with a packed solid trunk and a full backseat as well. Tieg's kennel was strapped into the passenger seat and off we went. Drove through Chicago and down to Springfield, Missouri, that first day. The hotel I'd staked out as pet friendly was REALLY sketchy. So, I drove around a little at that exit and found a nice Quality Inn that took pets. I backed the car up to the door and Tieg and I attempted sleep. Monday's drive had been about 12 hours on the road, including all the stops to let the pup out a bit and all the dithering about where to finally stay the night.

Tuesday's drive was planned to be about 2 hours shorter ... but with fewer stops, I think it was closer to three hours shorter. I got into Amarillo early-ish and snagged another Quality Inn room. I was pulling the necessary stuff out of the car (backed up to my door again) when Murphy struck for the first time.

The damned hotel apparently decided to cut costs by putting a parking curb for every two parking spots. In other words, instead of every spot having a parking curb in the middle of it, this one had a curb in the middle of the yellow parking line. I'd gotten Tieg and most of the important bits in the room and went back for my toiletries bag. I turned around ... and the next thing I knew I had a skinned right knee, bruised and skinned right elbow and probably jammed or sprained either the left elbow or wrist. (Or both) And knocked my right shoe off. At this point, I have bruising on my left forearm from elbow to wrist (from various incidents), a huge bruise and scrape on the right elbow/forearm, a skinned right knee and bruise, multiple bruises on my torso and upper arms and legs. Sheesh.

So, I get ice and then find a Schlotzskys right around the block for dinner. Score!

That night, Tieg and I finally get some sleep ... and then around 2 a.m., the wind begins whistling like mad around the door. Lightning flashes. Then the rains start ... and the winds! My word. It was pretty intense and it took until 4 for me to calm Tieg back down so we could get to sleep.

Wednesday's drive was supposed to be about 6 hours. Things were going well until just after I crossed over into New Mexico. I pulled over to take a little pit stop and when I got back to the car ... nothing. Wouldn't start. And the guys at the truck stop did not speak English. I was pretty sure it was the battery - the original battery of the car which is 6 years old - and I just sat there for a minute. Finally went inside and asked if since they did some truck service, maybe they did cars???

One of the guys came out to the car with me. I dutifully popped the hood. The language barrier was great, but he got someone over to jump the car ... and then pointed to the contacts and said, "dirty." He cleaned them off, greased them up and said that was it.

(BTW, the guys were not latino. Or native American. They were Arabic. And they refused to take any money for helping me.)

I drove to the next actual town and had a mechanic check the battery. He said it was perfectly fine and that the contacts had just gotten too dusty/dirty. WHEW!

I pulled into Albuquerque around noon. Drove to my new workplace just to wave, then hunted down the storage facility and figured out where that was. Finally, I hopped back on the road and pretty much couldn't find my hotel. Something got screwed up in the Google directions and had me going north instead of south. By the time I finally got to the hotel, Tieg and I were both exhausted.

I got everything pulled inside ... and hung up the banner from church:

Thursday morning, I talked to the front desk to make sure they called me if Tieg made too much noise BEFORE it got to the point they wanted to throw us out and then left for work. I'm such a worrywort, I was sure the poor little guy was going to get us in trouble, but I've not heard from the front desk, so I take it he quiets down or at least that there's no complaints. There are a LOT of dogs here.

The new job is incredible. I don't disclose where I work for a multitude of reasons ... but I'll just say this. I had a phone interview at Zappos earlier this year and I was so excited. I'd read so much about the Zappos culture and it sounded like a great fit for me. Unfortunately, the interviewer didn't seem to really be into the interview. First, the call was about 10-15 minutes late. Then, it was conducted whilst driving on the strip rather late in the day (even for the mountain time zone) and really seemed disinterested. I was crushed.

Today, I'm incredibly grateful for that. I really feel that I'm exactly where I want and need to be. I love New Mexico. I love Albuquerque. And this company! Oh man, oh man. The entire company culture is just ... well, it's exactly how I would set up a company were I to ever do such a thing. It's intense ... but I think this is just going to be an incredible experience. I am so very grateful.

Now ... if the house will just sell real damn fast so other half can get down here and we can set up a more permanent shop, I'll be really, really happy.

Posted by Red Monkey at 9:59 PM | Comments (3) | Blog | Stumble

May 1, 2011

Clearing Out

The packing is going well. My happy hobby desk that I built a few years ago is now gone to a new home:

Like most of my stuff, it was hard to let go of it. I put a lot of time and effort into building it, but I just don't know if I'll have the space for it out in New Mexico. So, it's gone to a friend locally who will put it to good use and appreciate it. That's all I can ask for.

Posted by Red Monkey at 7:48 PM | Comments (1) | Blog | hobbies | Stumble

April 25, 2011

Books

So far I've found another 3 boxes of books to donate to Better World Books.

Have gone through 13 copy boxes of materials from when I was a teacher. I'm trying to keep only cards and grade list sheets (so I can remember students' names when they become famous). (What? One of them already got nominated for an Oscar for a documentary she and her husband did.)

I have another 16 boxes of materials to go through. Plus there's a few more boxes still up in the attic. We kind of took a break getting them down after someone (not me) put their leg through the ceiling and created a lot of mess to clean up. Plus now we have to find some of these ceiling tiles and repair the living room ceiling.

I am exhausted. And we're still waiting on one moving company's quote.

I'm going to be so glad when this move is completely done. But right now? I'm just exhausted and terrified that we're not going to get everything done in time. That we've bitten off more than we can chew.

The what-ifs are stacking up in my brain. What if I don't get everything packed in time? What if the bids are too high and they decide not to pay for the movers? (Paranoid much?) What if we can't sell the house and I have to pay rent out there in some cheap-ass, dingy apartment on the wrong side of the tracks AND pay the mortgage out here? What if my stuff is stolen, lost or ruined?

At this point ... what if I just have a nervous breakdown?

*sigh*

I'm very excited about the move. I'm ecstatic over the new opportunity out west.

I'm THRILLED to be moving to New Mexico.

But right now? I'm a wee bit overwhelmed.

I need to borrow Calvin's duplicator. (Except mine goes "ZOIDS!")

Posted by Red Monkey at 8:26 PM | Comments (2) | Blog | Stumble

April 23, 2011

Packing

I have gotten rid of probably 8 boxes of books in the last couple of weeks. And as I started packing the Fisher Price stuff, I realize, I. Am. Screwed.

I need at least five or six more 2-drawer filing cabinet packing boxes JUST to get the Fisher Price packed.

And I can't stop sneezing and blowing my nose. And my allergist didn't want to do anything because I'm moving (and thus no longer a long-term custom, I mean, patient.)

Am becoming frantic now.

Send boxes.

Posted by Red Monkey at 12:14 PM | Comments (1) | Blog | Stumble

April 13, 2011

New Mexico

Finally, I'm able to post my big news, but it will likely be the last post for a month or two.

I am moving to New Mexico.

I've accepted a wonderful design position with a company in central New Mexico and am currently busily frantically packing and preparing for a cross-country move, so it'll likely be a communication blackout here for a while longer. But look forward to a lot of new posts after the move settles in. New Mexico excites my story-telling bone as well as my sense of design.

Posted by Red Monkey at 6:19 PM | Comments (4) | Blog | Stumble