Yesterday
I snuck out of work for a couple hours and traveled up to New Hampshire to check out the job
opportunity I wrote about a couple days ago.I met up with my cousin who runs the facility and she took me on a
fascinating tour of the place. I was
incredibly drawn to the location and the prospect of working there.There is a big family connection through the
family of my father’s oldest sister but more so would be the chance to finally
get back to New Hampshire.I grew up in the shadow of MountMonadnock
which is in full glorious view from this place.On a very clear day I can see the tip of Monadnock from my house seventy
miles to the south and its almost mockingly calling me home.I still haven’t decided whether to apply, I’m
going to let it stew for a couple of days.If it was just me I’d already be sleeping on their doorstep pleading for
the job but it’s not only me.I talked
it over with my wife who had some serious reservations and not just because of
the 33% pay cut I would have to take.I’ve never worked for a non-profit organization (the Army doesn’t count)
and there would be a lot of fund raising required which can get decidedly
political.My wife pointed out that I’ve
never been good at politics.In the Army
I refused to play politics as I got higher in rank and this probably cost me professionally.I refused to curry favor at social gatherings
from higher ranking officers such as many of my contemporaries did.My wife witnessed this so she has
reservations about me taking a job where politics might play a big part.I look at it differently, just because I
didn’t choose to play politics doesn’t mean I can’t.There’s a part of me that wants to take the
job just to prove I could be successful at schmoozing (and of course proving my
wife wrong).The biggest draw of the job
though is the location and the mission of the organization which I find
compelling – something that’s hard to explain to my wife, but I am very drawn
to this. I'm getting way ahead of myself of course because I haven't even applied much less been selected for this position. I’m sure the firmament of
heaven is quaking just a little bit at the thought of me in charge of a
location with a chapel though.When I
got home after work I finished watching the last episode of Season 4 of The
Wire.I’m watching this at the
suggestion of my son as I’ve said before.There is incredible acting but the message is so bleak and uncompromising
that it really hasn’t connected with me yet, one season to go.Last night I repaid my wife for seeing Total Recall
the night before by seeing HopeSprings with her.This was a chick flick to its very core – you
could have cut middle age estrogen with a knife.There were two other males in the audience of
fifty and I sat down expecting to see the evil male pummeled on screen for two
hours.The funny thing was that I kind
of sneaky liked the movie because of the absolutely incredible actors
involved.Most of the screen time was held
by Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones and they were electric in a very
understated way (is that even possible).They play a middle aged couple trying to re-energize their marriage through
intensive counseling with Carrell (who holds his own in this august
company).Both actors can display
complex messages and feelings with a mere gesture and they were both fantastic
in this movie.The first three quarters
of the movie were so funny, my wife was laughing out loud to an almost
uncomfortable level.Sadly the movie
fails to bring it home in the last quarter and this rests squarely with the
writers.The characters reach a culminating
scene with heartrending consequences that is never resolved or explained since
the movie ends in a completely different direction.This could have been something very special
but this script failure really tarnishes the effort.Despite this go see HopeSprings
to witness two of our greatest actors at the top of their game.I had a very funny moment this morning (not
fully appreciated by my wife).When I
got up and walked out of the bedroom, Buddy AKA “Pendejo the Escape Artist”
walked out of the guest room where he apparently had been snoozing after once
again escaping over night from his cage.He greeted me like, “Hey Dad, ready to start the day?” as if this was a
normal thing.I couldn’t stop laughing
while my wife thought this was decidedly less hilarious. There were no thunderstorms or fireworks last
night so I think he’s just decided he likes sleeping in the guest room bed more
than his cage.If he does this again I
think my wife will provide him with all the fireworks he could possibly
imagine.
Dad - the fifth season of The Wire is my favorite because it has a whole journalism angle, which of course I appreciate. The creator of the series worked at The Baltimore Sun for a few years.
Dad - the fifth season of The Wire is my favorite because it has a whole journalism angle, which of course I appreciate. The creator of the series worked at The Baltimore Sun for a few years.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can't believe Buddy!!!!