obligatory end-of-the-year post

(note: Writing entries on Blogger's web interface using an iPod touch sucks, because I can't scroll through text while editing. So things will look weird.)

O hai again. Not much has changed since the last post, save for me steadily getting poorer with each unemployed day. That, and my mom has been on vacation the past few weeks as she transitions into her new job in Newark next week. Which has kinda put me out of the loop: she is home during the day, which unconsciously puts my brain into weekend/vacation mode, meaning that I have done absolutely NOTHING to help matters the past few weeks, except get me off my ass enough to put my student loans into temporary forbearance because I don't have the money to spend at all yet.

In other news, yeah, Christmas was nice. A real tree. More fraternal awkwardness when my brother gave me a gift (he works at a dept store). Singing at the local church's midnight mass, or at least as much as my phleghmy throat allowed between coughs. A small cameo appearance at a small chapel concert back on campus. Making friends with older local folks.

Looking back, I know that there is a whole hell of a lot I would have done differently. Like dealing with money better. Actually giving enough of a crap about my last semester of classes to keep my GPA above a 3.0 (yes, it finally happened, and pretty epically at that). Kicking myself in the ass early on to get a job, and not sinking into complacency and procrastination, thinly disguised as a post-graduation "vacation." Not allowing my CCNP to expire (yes, it happened, too!). And so on.

But the biggest thing that happened: I finally left RPI, forcing me to think about and plan my next move. At one point I was really serious about enlisting into the Navy; my weight and general lack of fitness kept me from pursuing that further, at least until I get more fit. At another point I was dead set on applying for the Peace Corps, but I needed to at least get my financial situation stabilised before even considering it, which means working for a couple of years first; so that fell to the wayside as well, but I'll definitely revisit it later. At yet another point I was set on the road to becoming a county Master Gardener, but the classes were on Friday mornings (srsly WTF?), and I really needed a job more, so there that went; I'll definitely be picking it back up later in life, if not professionally.

My main priority (or at least it should be, sadly) right now is employment in the form of a full-time job, preferably with benefits. Over the past month or so, however, my old church choir director has been enouraging me to apply and audition for professional choir gigs in the city, which sound promising and fun, but I'm frequently daunted by the fact that I'm grossly underqualifed compared to my competition: seasoned soloists with music degrees, big voices, bigger references, and ponderous repertoires. For now, a part-time job at the supermarket sounds the most feasible; at least I'll have some cash flowing in.



Most of all, I'm still musically active: I joined two choirs in the area, a small friendly Catholic church choir and a medium-size volunteer chamber chorus.