Sunday, September 30, 2007

Salmon, Bananas, and Sushi...Oh My & About that Job Thing...

With rain on the horizon, Andy and I trekked out to into the sea of people that were "ready to rumble..." or, er, whatever you do at a Soap Box Derby.

Red Bull is hosting a series of Soap Box Derbies, it seems, and didn't realize where they were; that is the only way to explain it when the announcer was getting the crowd ready for the races, pumping them up to cheer for anything and everything. Only, well, this is Fremont, and so when he asked if there were any NASCAR fans in the crowd? I'll not say you could hear a pin drop, but the roars and the hollerings and the cheers of the previous minutes were, um, missing. Hadn't he just been going on and on and on about how soap box derbies were all about people and gravity power? Hadn't he realized how excited the crowd of PNWers were to be a part of a NON-dinosaur burning exercise?

Then they started the actual NASCAR race car and people were even quieter. Of course that may have something to do with the tremendous roaring of the car itself. The car powered down the course and did it's thing, as fast as a NASCAR race car will; pretty much making any of the "human/gravity" contestants look slow and sloppy in comparison. WAY TO GO RED BULL...

Does "know your audience" ring a bell?

But you all want pictures, so here are the few shots, in no particular order, that we got in before running away as the water started falling out of the sky. "Sugar melts, honey!"

There was a very decent-sized crowd there, this really and truly is only the "starting line" crowd. The course ran for .5 mile down the hill and the place was packed. Yet another reason for me to leave earlier than later. People in that quantity make me nervous.
What you see, way back there is the starting ramp. The first test of the soap box machines was to TURN A CORNER. It was quite a way to weed out a number of vehicles.

Speaking of such:
"Captain Running Man" lost his soap box on said turn. That didn't deter him from finishing the course. The problem I have with this purple-wonder is that all I can hear in my head is "Captain Caaaave Maaaaan!" The powers of television, people, are stronger than anyone ever imagined.

Speaking of TV, or maybe just my twisted childhood...each team had to do a "skit" and take off to their own theme music...case in point, there was an A-Team, and yes, they shook their money-makers to the A-Team theme. These guys? I totally thought they would do something to that "Abba Dabba Dabba" song a la "Laverne and Shirley." Alas, they did not:Monkey Power!

Here's where you could tell that the sponsors were a little out of touch with the PNW. They actually thought it was above and beyond weird that someone should make their vehicle look like a Salmon. In fact, this guy got the lowest score of the day! I wish I was kidding...A bit odd that the Salmon is going down hill as it's that time of year when they're desperately trying to go upstream...ah well, we all have some odd balls in every community.

What derby with a Salmon vehicle not be complete with a Salmon Roe vehicle?
YUM!


And that's all she wrote for me. I was hungry, tired, cold, and then the skies started opening up. Umbrella-less like a good Seattle-ite, I was ready to go get lunch somewhere warm and dry. I know! How silly I am!

So this was a great way for me to start my last unemployed weekend.

Yep. I took it.

I already gave my reasons to a number of individuals, but now I'll tell the world, cuz yeah, I know you're all interested in my boring life...

It came down to that whole "changing careers"/experience/ability/coolness problem/wall I've been running into since I hung up my teaching hat. If I was in it for the money, I probably wouldn't have gone into teaching in the first place, duh!

So the more I interviewed and spoke with people, the more I resolved that whatever I want to do with my life right now should pay the bills and not make my neck and back ache or turn my hair gray. That kind of job is not going to have me rolling in money.

The goal is to be in a business that doesn't make me cringe at the way it is negatively affecting the world, as well as doesn't make me want to cry cuz I have to go and deal with my coworkers that don't think I'm cool enough to be in their presence every day. (You get to see and experience a whole lot as a temp, lemme tell ya.)

I was kinda shocked that I found both of the positives in one place. I'm literally starting at the bottom of the totem pole again, but the beauty of that is, of course there is nowhere to go but up. (Which is why this position was actually more attractive than the higher paying one...why go from one pigeon-hole career to another???)

I start Monday, but will be transitioning out of my department and into the current one over a two week time period. I actually get to train the new temp! Yes, I am weirded out, but hello benefits and vacation time...sure, I won't actually be able to afford to go anywhere, but that's not really the point, or something. My mom said it in a way I was happy hearing, but um, it gets lost in translation.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on making a decision and on having your job! It will be really great for you to have benefits. I've been concerned about that and am glad you're covered now.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your new job! I hope you get out of it what you need and want. As for the Red Bull Derby Race Thingy - that is stinking hilarious.

Bezzie said...

No one ever tells you that being a grownup is full of sucky choices you have to make. But yet I remember being in such a hurry to grow up. Man, what an idiot I was!

But it sounds like you've got it figured out for now.

I dig that Salmon Roe one. Did the Salmon one chase that one? Hee hee...fish sex. It doesn't get better than that.

Rick Andreoli said...

Congrats on your new journey! I'm very excited to hear where it's going.

Birdsong said...

I love the salmon AND the roe... great post! I hope the job is a good fit and will be thinking of you as you adjust.

more cowbell said...

Oh I can't believe I missed the RB soapbox derby! I went to Portland to see the RB Flugtag a couple of years back -- same deal but people build flying machines and launch off a ramp into the water. Points for far flights and unique costumes and machines. It was a blast, plus it was over 90 degrees and sunny sunny sunny. That salmon roe was too good. Good luck with the job deal ...