So we went to see the Decemberists yesterday at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. It was a great show. Interestingly, I have had their most recent album, The Crane Wife, for months now, but didn't really care for it on first listening, but after seeing several songs performed last night, I really, really like it. The thing is, these guys represent something familiar to me, and something really inspirational. They are total middle-aged nerds, and not the cool-nerdy type, but real nerdy types. I mean, just look at their drummer John Moen, or their keyboard girl Jenny Conlee ... not exactly pop-icon stereotypes. The thing that was so inspiring is that such normal looking people found each other and created such rich, amazing music. Now I admittedly know little about music, but I do know quite a bit about literature, and their music is extremely literary in the sense of the complexity of their stories. Those amazing stories, put together with such amazing sounds, really kind of blow my mind. If you haven't listened to them, give them a try. Or, you can simply check out some lyrics.
OK, enough about them. Yesterday, before the show while I was at work, our Spanish teacher came up to our table at lunch and congratulated the another teacher on being selected for an exchange program to Switzerland this summer. Now, I had applied for this same program, and I also was the 1st to apply, 1st to interview, and had seniority over all the other applicants.
Since I had heard no word, my mind went wandering, as it has had a tendency to do in the last several months, towards quitting my job. I'll spare you the details, but I've been feeling quite marginalized lately, and this was close to the straw that broke the camel's back. I was trying to spend the rest of my day focused on work, and on the concert that evening, but it was not easy.
I wrote an email to the director when I got back to my room, just asking for a heads-up. She then replied that yes, it was true, the others were going, but that I was going too! She'd apparently been trying to contact me for a few days. It's amazing how a person's attitude can do such a huge 180 as mine did at 2:00 on Friday afternoon.
So, I am going to be spending about a month in Switzerland this summer. If I don't return, look for me to be operating ski-lifts somewhere in the Alps in Warren Miller's next film!
I must note here that my wife is the coolest wife in the world for not putting up a fuss about my going. I just had to promise not to visit Italy while in Europe, as she want to do that with me some day. I love you Erin!
6 comments:
Wow! That is really cool, Tyson. How wonderful for you. I'll bet you are on cloud one hundred and nine. So what will you be doing in Switzerland, job related?
Hardly anything!
Hehe... Actually, I will be doing some variation of the Science Club I run here after school, but it will only be a few hours a day, which will be nice because I'll have time for checking out the environs.
I am so excited for you, Tyson! How exciting -- once in a lifetime opportunity.
Well done, Teacher-Man.
O.K. I have done the nice, supportive response just as I should. Now I get to say this:
You suck! I am so jealous I am positively green. I think my school decided to buy me some glue for the project based instruction they want so the students don't have to staple their work to the poster board next year.
Good job, really, I am happy for you.
I get the impression your getting paid for this. Thats unbelievable.
Ok, dammit, I'm so fucking jealous, too. The unemployed secretary without a college degree is jealous.
Elaine, I wish someone would hire me and buy me some glue. Then I could paste pictures of Switzerland onto some poster board and hang it above my desk. God, I hope I actually have a desk...
...although I would happily sit indian-style on the floor at the moment if someone would just give me a job that doesn't involve asking if you want fries with that or shaking my ass. Not that I begrudge a little ass-shaking, mind you.
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