"What was the name of the temp agency you used?" Leesa asked, "Shawna wants to kno..." her voice trailed off as her attention was drawn to the voice on the other end of the phone who had apparently started talking before getting an answer to the question she had called to ask. In this instant, he had one of those moments that seem to have been happening all too often lately. It was a feeling that would not be all that unfamiliar to most people, but was much more regular to him since living a lifestyle focused on family rather than career.
"Excel" he said as he felt the rush of adrenaline flow up through his chest and neck to his head which he was pretty sure had turned a nice, bright shade of red. He decided last week to go ahead and register with the temp agency that he had a really good experience with when they first moved back to California in 2006. He drives by all the time and sees the building that they are in, but has never really looked for them in the past couple of years since he wasn't in the market for an office job. Times have been very tough lately, though, and push is coming to shove so he figured, "why not?"
"Spell it" Leesa says in the same manner that she has for the past 12 years that they have been together. He has thought that maybe he should just spell every word that he knows is going to be questionable in her mind. Kind of like a spelling bee contestant. "Excel. E-X-C-E-L" he says as he pulls his phone out of his pocket to see if he still has their contact information. It is possible that he deleted the contact from his address book, but that would not be like Dallas. The phone is unsheathed and in an instant his left thumb has hit the E, X, and C buttons which brings up two contacts. He was right about himself. It was not like him to delete a contact like that. One that could be of service to him or someone else in the future. The first contact simply read "Excel" and the second one read "Rhonda at Excel."
He remembered Rhonda as being a very pleasant, rotund woman in her late 30's to early 40's, with dark hair and a tan skintone. It was possible that she could have been of latin ancestry, but she did not necessarily look Mexican as do many of the residents of this area. He remembered that her daughter had been over to his house, playing with his niece whom she coincidentally knew from school, when he was first working with the agency. That little girl wrote with crayon on the back of his son's desk, "I'm a redneck woman." He had even given her a ride home once and always remembered that they had lived in a house on the same street as his friend, Ryan. That was really the extent of his memory of this woman whose name and work contact info was in his phone's address book.
Should he call this woman directly? Probably not, who knows if she even works there any more? If she does, she probably doesn't have time to look up an old case that wants to come back in the time when there are more people looking for work than ever before in his lifetime...probably hers too. He decided to call the main contact number. His right thumb scrolls the little white ball to select the chosen number to call and quickly shifts left to hit the green "connect" button. He raises the phone to his ear wondering if he is going to have a long conversation or simply confirm their location and ask for their business hours.
Before he can even finish the thought of what his conversation might entail, three tones chime in on the other end and a pre-recorded message that he listens to just to make sure that it says what he thinks it will say. "The number you have dialed," a female "operator's" voice says, "is no longer in service."
"Of course," he thinks to himself. There are so many people that need work right now, and so many businesses that need to save money, nobody would need another temp agency. He noticed a Labor Ready the other day and thought of how tough it was for his friend Kyle to find work through them last summer in Los Angeles. "Oh, well." he thought to himself. "I guess I could have deleted that contact anyway." A quick online search brings up the service, but it appears that they have downsized and tried to make most of their business online. This office is not open anymore, but the service is still around. Now he will have to see if the competition is too much our there for them to be effective for him.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Social services
"Now serving number ninety two," the computerized voice said, "at window number one." Dallas looked down at his number, which was A099, and decided that he needed to move seats in the waiting room. The smell of body odor from the family of migrant workers next to him was starting to turn his stomach a little and he needed a place where he could stretch out his long legs.
"Now serving number ninety three" the voice said as a muffin-topped young mother of two grabbed her ninos and took them up to the window, leaving some open seats against the window where he could stretch out and not worry about blocking the aisle with his long limbs. Dallas stood up with confidence and moved to the open seats with authority as if to say, "this is where I belong."
This was not his first journey to the wellfare office and most likely will not be his last. He is always interested to see the face of "poverty" in this country. Being a 6'1" good looking white man, he did not fit into many people's idea of a recipient of their tax dollars, but what he found was that there was not one face of poverty because in this economy, it affects all kinds.
He notices an older Phillipino man with a new application and his wife. The man has let his grey roots grow out for a few months now as evidence by the appearance of spats on his hairline. Dallas has a funny thought that maybe his hair color just started coming in grey when things started to really get bad for them financially.
The couple look like they are not used to asking for anything and they definitely do not know their way around this office. They stay close to each other for comfort.
Runnin' with Dante
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
News & Coffee
Dallas looked in the utensil drawer for a spoon to scoop the coffee into the coffee maker. It was later in his morning than the usual time that he would be getting his fix of caffeine. The slot in the drawer for the spoon that he normally would use for this is empty. With a slight shrug, and a faint thought of the clean dishes behind him in the dishwasher, he reached for the larger version of the same spoon in the slot next to the vacant one.
Dallas has a very specific way of making coffee to suit his taste. It didn't come from anywhere except his own experiences and a trial and error process. Even though there is nothing exact about the way he measures his coffee, he is very specific about the amount of coffee grounds to coffee that he uses to make his warm, comforting, morning drink. There is a ratio of 3:4. That's 3 heaping spoonfuls of the coffee grounds that he is using this day to 4 cups of water. Today there were 6 cups of water due to the fact that he had been making 8 cups of coffee for the last few days and there always seemed to be a couple cups left the next morning that had to be cleaned out of the glass coffee pot.
Being that it was a monday and the beginning of a new week of not having to be anywhere in exchange for income, and because the once clear glass had a slight amber tint, Dallas had cleaned the coffee pot. Not that anyone else in the house cared or would pay any attention to the cleanliness level of the coffee pot or coffee maker in general. Not in any bad way at all, but simply because the coffee maker in this house was simply a tool for Dallas to satiate his addiction to colombia's number 2 export in the cheapest fashion possible.
Gone were the days when he used to live the high life and order a "Triple Grande Soy No Whip White Mocha," at the highest end espresso bar and whip out his huge wad of cash, always leaving a generous amount for the barista! These days it's even become too lean to hit up the local drive-through 24 hour fast food joint for a fix more than a couple times a month and as much as he is on the road lately, those have to be chosen carefully. There are very few items that he keeps at his best friend's place in LA where he stays while doing business in the southland, but a coffee maker and coffee are definitely among them. In his world at this point, a device to provide an economical way to deliver what he needs to reach a mode of stasis ranks over a toothbrush on the critical items list!
Times are tough, but they are tough all over. This has been the mantra of Dallas' life lately. The best way to stay away from the despair that so many Americans are feeling in these uncertain times. At times, he is struck by how fortunate he is to have so much support behind him. From the amazing friends-who-are-more-like-family that have given him a roof over his head to his parents who took on his financial responsibilities and allowed him to keep his vehicles from being reposessed. There have been plenty of stories on the news about people that have been out of work longer than ever before and now they don't know what to do.
"What do we do?" Dallas thought to himself, noticing a news report about a man in DC with a family, who can't find work. The entrepreneurial side of Dallas' mind had thought of a lot of ways out of this rut but there is always a big problem. NOBODY HAS ANY MONEY!!! Lately, his thoughts have been drawn to living a completely sustainable life out away from society. A way to avoid being so affected by the greedy consumerism that has gotten the American and world economy into so much trouble. He wonders how many other people have had these same thoughts. He longs for the time before the industrial revolution when small farms existed and people could live on what was locally produced.
Dallas has been talking a lot lately about starting an artist's commune somewhere in the Santa Ynez valley. This is not the first time he had the idea for this commune, it has been an occasional flight of fantasy for him since a magical experience he and Leesa had getting a Lomi-Lomi massage in Kauai, Hawaii in 2003. After coming back from that trip, the idea was conceived. However, it has been a topic of Dallas' conversation much more lately. Probably a way of coping with the feeling of being a slave to the system that we are stuck in. Just like Jamie Foxx's character in Collateral takes his little mental vacations by looking at the picture of his island on his sun visor. Dallas' imagination is waaaay better than any pictures could ever be. This artist's commune that he wants to start is his Utopia.
The coffee continued to percolate as Dallas found his attention drawn in to the story of the destitute and how the congress did not feel the need to extend unemployment benefits before their July 4th recess, but with Senator Bird's replacement, the Dems believe they will be able to get an extension passed. His thoughts were drawn to the idea of how many people were in similar situations as his. Come to think of it, he never saw stories on the news about people that were supported by their friends and family and were being a drain on them and not on the government. He felt that the problem in our country is much worse than what people realize because of the people like him that don't show up on many reports.
Although, how will it be for the people that have been supporting others in their families, like the people in his life? If everything works out the way he imagines, there will be a sudden change in the amount of support that his family will be giving out. For them, that may be like a sudden cash boon! However, his father did let him know that he would like to stop working his "retirement job" next May, so they will not really have any more than they have had, but hopefully his parents' lifestyles will improve dramatically and they can finally, really enjoy retirement. I guess we will have to wait and see if that really happens or not.
Drip, drip, drip... the coffee is just finishing up the brewing process and so is the report on unemployment and the attention shifts to some of the more sensational stories of the day. The stories that must be a great escape for some of the people that have nowhere to be today in exchange for income, but for Dallas just represent everything that is wrong with our media and our citizenry. He reaches into the fridge and grabs a breakfast supplement shake, grabs his favorite mug which reads, "Hello sunshine," on one side, and "Life is good," on the other. Pours a hot cup of locally roasted, Mocha Java, and heads into the garage to start another day.
Dallas has a very specific way of making coffee to suit his taste. It didn't come from anywhere except his own experiences and a trial and error process. Even though there is nothing exact about the way he measures his coffee, he is very specific about the amount of coffee grounds to coffee that he uses to make his warm, comforting, morning drink. There is a ratio of 3:4. That's 3 heaping spoonfuls of the coffee grounds that he is using this day to 4 cups of water. Today there were 6 cups of water due to the fact that he had been making 8 cups of coffee for the last few days and there always seemed to be a couple cups left the next morning that had to be cleaned out of the glass coffee pot.
Being that it was a monday and the beginning of a new week of not having to be anywhere in exchange for income, and because the once clear glass had a slight amber tint, Dallas had cleaned the coffee pot. Not that anyone else in the house cared or would pay any attention to the cleanliness level of the coffee pot or coffee maker in general. Not in any bad way at all, but simply because the coffee maker in this house was simply a tool for Dallas to satiate his addiction to colombia's number 2 export in the cheapest fashion possible.
Gone were the days when he used to live the high life and order a "Triple Grande Soy No Whip White Mocha," at the highest end espresso bar and whip out his huge wad of cash, always leaving a generous amount for the barista! These days it's even become too lean to hit up the local drive-through 24 hour fast food joint for a fix more than a couple times a month and as much as he is on the road lately, those have to be chosen carefully. There are very few items that he keeps at his best friend's place in LA where he stays while doing business in the southland, but a coffee maker and coffee are definitely among them. In his world at this point, a device to provide an economical way to deliver what he needs to reach a mode of stasis ranks over a toothbrush on the critical items list!
Times are tough, but they are tough all over. This has been the mantra of Dallas' life lately. The best way to stay away from the despair that so many Americans are feeling in these uncertain times. At times, he is struck by how fortunate he is to have so much support behind him. From the amazing friends-who-are-more-like-family that have given him a roof over his head to his parents who took on his financial responsibilities and allowed him to keep his vehicles from being reposessed. There have been plenty of stories on the news about people that have been out of work longer than ever before and now they don't know what to do.
"What do we do?" Dallas thought to himself, noticing a news report about a man in DC with a family, who can't find work. The entrepreneurial side of Dallas' mind had thought of a lot of ways out of this rut but there is always a big problem. NOBODY HAS ANY MONEY!!! Lately, his thoughts have been drawn to living a completely sustainable life out away from society. A way to avoid being so affected by the greedy consumerism that has gotten the American and world economy into so much trouble. He wonders how many other people have had these same thoughts. He longs for the time before the industrial revolution when small farms existed and people could live on what was locally produced.
Dallas has been talking a lot lately about starting an artist's commune somewhere in the Santa Ynez valley. This is not the first time he had the idea for this commune, it has been an occasional flight of fantasy for him since a magical experience he and Leesa had getting a Lomi-Lomi massage in Kauai, Hawaii in 2003. After coming back from that trip, the idea was conceived. However, it has been a topic of Dallas' conversation much more lately. Probably a way of coping with the feeling of being a slave to the system that we are stuck in. Just like Jamie Foxx's character in Collateral takes his little mental vacations by looking at the picture of his island on his sun visor. Dallas' imagination is waaaay better than any pictures could ever be. This artist's commune that he wants to start is his Utopia.
The coffee continued to percolate as Dallas found his attention drawn in to the story of the destitute and how the congress did not feel the need to extend unemployment benefits before their July 4th recess, but with Senator Bird's replacement, the Dems believe they will be able to get an extension passed. His thoughts were drawn to the idea of how many people were in similar situations as his. Come to think of it, he never saw stories on the news about people that were supported by their friends and family and were being a drain on them and not on the government. He felt that the problem in our country is much worse than what people realize because of the people like him that don't show up on many reports.
Although, how will it be for the people that have been supporting others in their families, like the people in his life? If everything works out the way he imagines, there will be a sudden change in the amount of support that his family will be giving out. For them, that may be like a sudden cash boon! However, his father did let him know that he would like to stop working his "retirement job" next May, so they will not really have any more than they have had, but hopefully his parents' lifestyles will improve dramatically and they can finally, really enjoy retirement. I guess we will have to wait and see if that really happens or not.
Drip, drip, drip... the coffee is just finishing up the brewing process and so is the report on unemployment and the attention shifts to some of the more sensational stories of the day. The stories that must be a great escape for some of the people that have nowhere to be today in exchange for income, but for Dallas just represent everything that is wrong with our media and our citizenry. He reaches into the fridge and grabs a breakfast supplement shake, grabs his favorite mug which reads, "Hello sunshine," on one side, and "Life is good," on the other. Pours a hot cup of locally roasted, Mocha Java, and heads into the garage to start another day.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
I wanna be a "Bad Guy"
I think I realized recently that I need to try to get more roles as the bad guy. I just seem to do that very well.
Starting a blog
This is a great time in my life to start a blog. I have plenty of time on my hands and I have the chance to write my take on some of the crazy things that are going on in the world. Whether it be about the horrible things that the corporations that are running this country are doing or about the state of the entertainment in Hollywood or throughout the country. I have a lot of opinions about many things.
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