Soaring Gas Prices with No End in Sight

Last week, for the first time in my life, I was obliged to pay over $4.00 a gallon for gasoline. Not a happy milestone, to be sure, but since so much has been made about that $4.00 mark, I thought I'd been fairly fortunate to hold off paying that much for so long. (It helped that I drive a reasonably sized car that doesn't require the highest grade gasoline.) I grudgingly forked over $50 to fill up my tank and naively thought, "Well, it can't get much worse than this." I mean, all we've been hearing about with regards to gas is this dreaded $4.00 per gallon average. Perhaps I've been out of it (I admittedly don't follow the news very closely), but I haven't heard anything about hitting the $5.00 mark.

To my consternation, the price of gas has ballooned over 30 cents a gallon in the past week. Hitting the $5.00 mark looms quite near for people whose cars require premium gasoline (not to mention those who live in the Bay Area). Why oh why aren't alternate-fuel vehicles already an everyday reality? I wonder when electric and hydrogen-cell cars will become viable in terms of economics and practicality... A more extended and efficient public transportation system would be nice too... I mean, LA must be one of the few major metropolises without an extensive metro/subway system. Sigh.

Chalk Festival

One of the perks of freelancing for a creative giant is the exposure to amazing artistic talent. A week or so ago, there was a chalk festival held at the offices. Despite the scorching heat, employees and their children happily created ephemeral art on the concrete ground. It helped that the company provided Baskin Robbins ice cream to participants and browsers alike. (The only downside was that I got pulled into an impromptu meeting as I was finishing the last of my Mint Chip ice cream, and sat there blissfully unaware of the melted chocolate at the corner of my mouth until a team member kindly gave me a napkin. Rather embarrassing, but I digress.)

Much of the art was so beautifully crafted and awe-inspiring that I was moved to share some images with you. Hopefully, none of the artists will take offense at my posting their work on my humble blog. (Click on images to see them larger.)

Two different but equally lovely takes on the dreamy Alice (of Wonderland fame)...

Two wonderfully rendered Disney villains...

This Narnia homage was created by professional chalk artists hired for the event. You can get a sense of the 3-D effect in the first image. And check out the detail of the lion. Quite amazing.

I just loved this classic illustration of the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

Cuteness, close up...

With the movie opening in June, several people portrayed Wall-E. I found this one particularly adorable.

I just found this image hilarious. Hey Kool-Aid!

Okay, I never really liked the Popeye cartoons, but this image is so brilliantly subversive that I had to include it. Disney folk will understand why it's subversive. ;)

With blasting winds and a couple days of unexpected showers, the chalk art has become mere smudges of color on concrete. I am so glad I took pictures before they faded into memory.

Very Busy... But Happy

I have neglected this blog shamefully. Work has been taking up most of my time, as many of you know. But, despite the long hours, I can't remember when I've ever felt so fulfilled by my career life. I still marvel at this feeling. I mean, I am glad to be driving to the client's office (on the sometimes nightmarish 101, no less), and I am still in good spirits when I drive home at night. I enjoy the creative editorial work, and I like and respect the people I work with/for. It feels rather odd to be one of those rare breeds of people who actually like their jobs, but I am certainly not complaining!

The only grey cloud in the past few weeks actually came in the form of a Factorie ghost. Last week, I came home to a message from the local Factorie HR rep requesting that I call and answer some additional questions. Considering that I'd been happily free from that former place of drudgery, er, employment for 2 months, I wasn't sure I'd wanted to return the call. Still, my curiosity was piqued. None of my other Factorie alumni friends had received such a call. A tiny, tiny part of me wondered if the organization was actually investigating improper business practices, given the massive turnover numbers... It was a silly and vain hope, but I suppose I ought to be glad that this ability to hope hadn't been quashed by my many years at the Factorie.

To make a long story short, I made the call, and it was a terrible waste of time. The rep basically read me a survey to answer over the phone. After the 20-minute conversation, I actually felt rather upset and angry. Many of the negative feelings and memories that I'd started to put behind me came rushing back. It was particularly aggravating that the phone survey was intended to influence my answers and that the rep actually defended the inequities and poor managerial decisions rampant at the Factorie. I felt like I had to detox all over again! It certainly reaffirmed how glad I am to be out of there and to be working at a much, much healthier place!

Anyway, I am going to ride out my current gig for as long as I can and see where it takes me. Hopefully, it will lead to a more permanent position, and even if it doesn't, it is a great experience and stepping stone. And perhaps it won't always be this busy, so I will have more time for personal writing, including my humble blog posts. ;)

Garfield Minus Garfield

Rockhopper sent me this link, and I found it hilarious, so I thought I'd share. Who knew that the Garfield comic strip could still stand on its own even when its orange tabby star is digitally removed? Enjoy!

http://garfieldminusgarfield.tumblr.com/

Look What I Won!

During an interactive presentation/training session last week, I somehow emerged as the winner! The prize was this adorable Mickey plush toy. When you press his palm, his pointing finger lights up (à la ET). Oh yes, and the presentation was very informative, inspiring, and loads of fun. Even as a freelance editor, I feel very much a part of the team. I know it's early and perhaps a bit premature to make this declaration, but I'm going to do it anyway: I love my new career! I feel engaged and challenged and happy; I don't even mind the inevitable bumps and growing pains along the way. Here's to new chapters and brighter days. =)

My Infamous Quote Board

I've been meaning to post this photo of my Factorie office quote board in its final state prior to erasure. Caught up in the busy whirl of my new career as a freelancer, I kept forgetting to upload the image. So, here, at long last, it is. (Click on the photo to see it larger.) Ah, fun times! ;P

Other Recent Reads

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett (January book club): My first foray into authentic detective fiction by a giant of the genre. No doubt such novels heavily influenced contemporary mysteries and novels of suspense. In fact, I wondered if Dan Brown's rapidly paced, super-short chapters are a nod to Hammett's style. The Thin Man brought the era of prohibition to life, and many of the characters were reminiscent of the wealthy, careless, and laconic individuals that people F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels. It was an enjoyable read, and I appreciated the world it brought to life, but I did not find it particularly compelling in character, style, or plot. Perhaps it is too soon to draw this conclusion, but I don't think this genre really resonates with my literary tastes. One of these days, I'll read The Maltese Falcon and something by Chandler to confirm (or overturn) my impression.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (February book club selection): Utterly engrossing. The nested narratives are beautifully woven, and the levels of storytelling that unfold are gripping. The characters--many damaged and some downright disturbing--and their atmospheric world sink into you as you lose yourself in the skillfully crafted passages. The novel manages to be both Gothic and contemporary, outlandish and real. The powerful tale grapples with the themes of identity, loss, violence, healing, origins, madness, life, death, and the spectral realm in between. It explores a plethora of relationships: between parents and children, siblings (in particular twins), writers and their work, readers and books, storytellers and their audience, doctors and patients, guardians and their charges, strangers and friends. At the core of the novel is the conflict between people's internal imperative to search out elusive truths and the necessity of storytelling (which some see as lies) to make sense of our personal histories. There is a beautiful symmetry in the narrative, but it is a complex symmetry that is multiplied, reflected, and refracted a dozen times. This is a novel that moved me, made me think, and left me with a profound respect for the author. Upon finishing the last page, my thought was that I'd like to reread the book again because knowing what happens at the end will surely provide a lens that will throw into relief many details and subtleties missed during the initial read.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. I picked up this book while perusing the writing section at my library. In the flotsam and jetsam of my memory, a glow of recognition emerged when I saw the title. I think an undergraduate classmate had mentioned the book to me years ago. Since I'd been planning on writing more, it seemed like a good way to start getting in that frame of mind. The book is an easy, enjoyable read. I like its conversational and humorous approach, and it feels good to be reading about writing... it's like I'm slowly finding my way back to membership in a long-neglected club that's always been hovering in my mind and heart...