Business trip!

I don't think Phoenix is for me. I find myself back in Los Angeles after spending a week in Phoenix training with my new job, learning the computer system and bookings with airlines and hotels. The training was very useful and I'm glad they send us somewhere for intensive work because I think it would take me a very long time just trying to pick things up in the office. What really sticks out in my mind about the whole trip though is how hot and miserable Phoenix is. Phoenix is supposedly the fastest growing city in America and I would say that it meets the definition of urban sprawl. It has nice looking views but everything is so spread out and there are tons of empty lots everywhere. Oh ya, it's also 110 degrees every day. For reference it is hotter in the month of September in Phoenix than it is in Baghdad. As someone who grew up in a part of the country where it was noteworthy to have one day hit 95, steady 110 in the desert is too much. I love my company and met some great people but if they offered me a promotion in Phoenix I would have to seriously consider it.

That said I did have a lot of fun at training. I trained with 5 other people who were all in their 20's and we all got along really well. Actually judging from everyone else I was meeting that the office, they don't appear to hire any jerks in the entire company. They put us up in a nice hotel and paid for our food, I got paid all week, not a bad gig. In fact the worst thing about the whole experience was having to go our separate ways and not hang out with these people any more. I am looking forward to actually contributing to the office back here in LA, but part of me wishes I was still in training.

Anyway, this weekend looks to be pretty lazy since I am absolutely pooped from waking up way too early and going to bed way to late all week. I'll probably hang out with some friends and watch lots of football. The biggest problem will be finding the Patriots on TV. Life is full of small challenges.

First week of work

On Wednesday I started work at STA Travel in Westwood and I really think that I will enjoy working there. My manager Aeron is wonderful and supportive and very laid back, the other agents who work there are all very chill and relaxed and very friendly. The work has some great benefits and perks and I should probably get the chance to travel a little bit after I've worked there for a bit. Aside from oversleeping today, my first few days have gone very well. Heck, the worst thing about the job is having to get to Westwood every day. It takes me about 30 minutes each way there and back, but as is the case with LA traffic, that could go up to an hour every day. UCLA doesn't start for two more weeks so it could get much worse. Needless to say however it does feel good to be working again, though I won't be able to start really putting away much of the money I make to save for a few weeks.

On Sunday I'm flying to Phoenix to do some more training for STA, they're feeding me and putting me up in a hotel so aside from having to stay in Phoenix for a week it's a pretty sweet deal. When I get back I should be a full working member with the branch in Westwood so I can help out the other agents. There have been times these past few days where we've had a backup of customers in the store and I've only been able to go over some packages and tours because I'm unable to look up prices or sell anything, which is frustrating. Besides that though it has thus far been a good experience. The one thing that kind of worries me is that I haven't been able to do stand up for a while, and since I dropped Groundlings classes for a few weeks I've been feeling pretty stuffed up and unaccomplished. I just want to get back to performing so I'm sure I'll miss being in the improv competition Monday night. Given the choice I would obviously much rather be working, but it will be good to get my brain working some more.

Anyway, I'll probably update once I'm in Phoenix, but in the meantime everyone should be watching UNH play Pitt tomorrow (ya that should be a close one...). I know I'll be waiting to see how I do in a family football picking competition my Mom started this week. I'm supremely confident of my picking abilities, so that money should be mine. I'll let you know.

And so it ends.

Well tonight was my last night in the Improv X-ecution. Since next Monday I will be doing training in Phoenix and I've already missed one night of the competition I knew I would be out anyway. So tonight I met with the organizer before the show started and told him what was up and told him that if I had my way I would rather not have anyway get eliminated tonight since I would be leaving next week anyway. So we had the show like normal and of course I get put on the chopping block. But at the end the host announced that I would be leaving and the other three people left would be in next week. But in true cutthroat fashion, the judges still told everyone who would have been going home, and of course it wasn't me. I found out later that only one person wanted to vote me out in the whole audience. It's really a shame that I have to go out like this because I think I would have been one of the people to beat, but that's life. I'll just have to tryout for the next round of the competition.

Other than that my life has been pretty boring all week. I'm really glad I'm starting work in two days just because it gives me something to do. Last night I met a few friends I knew from UNH at their apartment in Culver City and we hung out and tomorrow I'm meeting some Groundlings friends for coffee, but truly my life has been really boring. Due to this and the ear infection that I finally seem to have beaten I have been sleeping absolutely terribly. I can't seem to fall asleep until four am and since I've got nothing to do I just sleep until noon everyday. That's not particularly healthy. I'm hoping that once I start work it will be easier to get a bit of a routine and I'll start sleeping better.

Anyway, that's life, and it won't get anymore exciting once work starts. Yay adulthood!

Success!

So this morning I got a call from STA Travel and after two months of looking I finally have a job! I start work next week and then in two weeks I get to go to Phoenix to do some training. Unfortunately this means I will probably have to drop out of the improv competition, but I think this is probably a pretty good reason. Either way there's not much I can do about it, I'm not gonna turn down a great opportunity like this so I can maybe possibly win a competition and try to be an actor. It also means I have to drop out of my day classes with the Groundlings, which is not as big of a deal. I get credited for the classes I will miss so next session that starts in a month I only have to pay for the two classes I've already taken.

Anyway, that's all I've got to say, but I figured it was news enough to not wait until I could pad the rest of the update. Till then!

Moving on...

Tonight was the first night of the "merge" in the Improv X-ecution. The show started with two nights with 10-12 contestants each, and tonight was essentially the half-way mark and we merged the two nights into one show, which is why this update is on a Monday night and not Sunday. Anyway, I once again have made it through to another week, and tonight I didn't even need to go to the elimination round! I managed to get a group of four people to come to the show, two of whom I knew. But I'm not complaining, afterward I got to hang out and make some friends and had a great time.

Unfortunately however I may be put in a position where I have to voluntarily drop out of the competition. I had an interview today with what would be called a dream job, working at a travel agency near UCLA. I think the interview went really well, I sat and chatted with the lady for an hour just swapping stories and being friendly. I think it went well but there is only one spot available. Anyway I won't have to wonder that long since she said she would be calling tomorrow. The problem this job would present is the mandatory couple days of training in Phoenix, which would mean I would miss another night of the X-ecution and would have to drop out since I already missed a night to do the showcase at the Ice House. In hindsight I wish I hadn't missed the other night but I don't think I had even applied to this job by then. But if this is the way things have to be then this is what will happen. Everything happens for a reason. I'm still waiting on Victoria's Secret who said they had to check on our references and would be making a decision this week. Everything happens for a reason. If I don't get this great job then I can still do the X-ecution. If I do get this job then I will have my first "big boy job" with full-time hours and benefits and some semblance of financial independence. I'll know tomorrow.

Any job where one of the departments is called "intimates" is a place I want to work

This week has been a week of progress on the job front. I have had three (yes three) whole interviews so far, and another on Monday. One of my friends Stephanie knew that I was looking for work and she suggested I check Victoria's Secret where she works. Now I know what you're thinking, there are no guys working at Victoria's Secret. Oh how wrong you are. All those bras and perfume have to come from somewhere and that where is the stock room, which is where I applied. You can't expect all those princesses to carry boxes full of bras can you? So a few days ago I interviewed for the stock room position, which I'm pretty sure is as good as mine, I mean, he gave me a tour of the stock room after the interview was over and then talked about scheduling. That's usually a good sign.

This morning I also had an interview with this local cafe that serves sandwiches, frozen yogurts, and crepes. This sounds like a chill place to work, but upon meeting the manager I realized that it would probably suck. You start at minimum wage, and there are times when you might be out at markets or festivals cooking for a lot of the day for a flat rate. That flat rate? Less than minimum wage. Plus the owner was just sketch, I wasn't sure how he felt about me and I have no idea if I even made an impression. I asked when I might know if I got the job and he said he would just call. I was like, Ok, will I have a set schedule? He said, probably not at first, just whenever I need you I'll call you. Oh no that's total fine Russian dude, I don't really have a life of my own, I'm just going to drop everything I'm doing so I can sell frozen yogurt to yuppies.

But then later I got a call from Victoria's Secret and I'm thinking, "Good news!" In reality it was another manager and they wanted to interview me for a position on the registers. I'm thinking that's good, because now I double my chances of getting offered at least one of the spots. The interview though was odd. One of the managers sat down with me and five other people! It was a mass interview and a very odd experience. The one good thing was I got to see how other people were answering the questions and it re-affirmed my belief that a BA was a good thing to have, because there were apparently only two of us who had ever heard of a complete sentence before. I think I did well in our group interview, I'm willing to bet that I'll be offered a job selling underwear, so I got that going for me. Which is nice.

Of course the interview for the job I really want is on Monday, which I'm excited for. Monday is also the new day of the improv competition and the second class in the Groundlings. I think it might be Labor Day too, or is that next week? Anyway, I don't have much planned for this weekend, possibly hanging out with some people who live in the Valley. Other than that, it's ear drops and tea to fight back an ear infection I developed early this week.

Anyway, if you haven't checked out my Youtube videos please do, and otherwise I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Yourminuteman

Progress!

Wow I guess what it rains it pours. I'm finally getting some interviews for jobs, in fact, this week I have four! Alright technically one is for an unpaid intern position, but the other three are actually pretty good jobs. Today I got an e-mail from a travel agency that caters to college students. I could not be more excited. Alright, first of all it's perfect for me; it combines one thing I love (travel) with something I'm really good at (sales). Second, they've got locations all over the world, and you get travel discounts as part of benefits. That would be awesome. I've also got an interview to help write a non-fiction history book, which believe it or not, is something my degree actually qualifies me for over other people. Take that engineers!

Of course, there's no guarantee that I'll get any of the jobs I'm interviewing for, but at least the next session of Groundlings starts tomorrow so even if I don't have a job offer in a week at least I'll still be a little busy. I'll say this though, it's much easier to be hopeful about living here when you've got opportunities coming your way.

And check this out, my Youtube channel is apparently the 89th most subscribed to comedy channel for the past two weeks. So if you haven't caught the fever yet, check out some of my videos.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Yourminuteman