Sometimes the most marginal of ailments can send one reeling into disarray. A couple days ago, I had some time after work to kill before I was scheduled to be somewhere else in town so I decided to prepare my car for the impending island hop. This involved giving my car an oil change, but without a proper spill bucket for the oil, I decided to improvise one versus buying one, and well, an unused plastic dresser drawer would make for a good spill bucket I thought. I took this drawer and used an exacto knife to cut a divot in the drawer to allow it to slide under my oil pan. My first vertical cut went well, but when i went to cut the divot horizontally, the exacto blade broke and unfortunately I was not cutting away from my body, but towards it. I stuck myself two inches below my knee cap and began to slowly gush blood. So much for being somewhere in town later. I continued to finish up my car maintenance before driving home to where I could properly address my wound. Only then, a few hours later upon cleaning and dressing the wound, did it stop bleeding.
The puncture wound was no bigger than half an inch wide and I didn't think anything of it. The next morning however, as I attempted to go to work did the pain begin. I tried to work limping around with a vacuum cleaner but I eventually got sent home, and now, I am bedridden. Right now, day two of missing work is coming to a close, and all I have to show for it really is a few more videos to add to the "watched" section of my Youtube account and the completion of a few mindless Newgrounds games. All while limping around the house to use the bathroom or scrounge some non-existent food up from the refrigerator.
This isn't the first time I've been in this situation or one similar, but whenever I am bedridden or confined, I always think of the sake scene from The Last Samurai. Colonel Algren as played by Tom Cruise is taken in/hostage/prisoner after suffering combat wounds from the Katsumoto forces. During his recovery he begs for sake undoubtedly to sooth his injuries, "time travel" (when one drinks in excess to kill specific spans of time) and in addition to this character, "silence" his demons. The scene is short but it feels like a lot of time transpires during this scene and the cinematography reminds me a lot of how it's like to be crippled, if not for a moment.
In a weird way however, having some unexpected time off where you can't do anything really can be kind of a semi-productive reflective and humbling period. There are instances where I actually plan for the impromptu shut out times from the world to get some non-technological pen & paper type things done. In this case, the neglected blogs are getting some attention. But another example includes the many hour trans-Pacific flights as a wondrous opportunity to draw, write, read and reflect. Thankfully today it's becoming a lot easier to distract oneself with the delights and wonders of technology (internet) in the room in which you recover it's not quite as mind-numbingly boring/small. Even so, I still can't help but scheme like a convict with "what imma gon do when I get out" plans.
I hope to return to work soon though. I am generally not one to miss work. And I was counting on the cash grab during the holidays to help bolster my bank accounts before the move. All this from a little puncture wound.
So the plans have been laid, and the first stages of action have been completed. Operation Oahu 2.0. in its preliminary stages are underway. The ticket has been purchased, the cargo shipping dates have been saved, I am completely out of debt and am in good financial standing with everyone and everything, I have enough money to get me there and back if all goes to hell, and my employers... well, they have no idea.
I've always wondered how much notice is courteous or adequate to good-standing employers, but everyone always defaults to "two weeks." Two weeks to me always seemed so abrupt and insufficient to employ a suitable replacement, but in a way, it's the only way to truly secure your employment up until the time of the resignation notification. Otherwise, it could be the longest x+2 weeks notice amount of time until your leaving date. I hope to leave my employers in good standing so that when I make my eventual return home next holiday season, I will be welcomed open armed and immediately start making some income. That's the hope at least, but in my experience with that, reemployment/employment A) doesn't always to go to plan and B) usually isn't that easy. But one can try, remain hopeful and optimistic right? Or naive...
At this point in the sequence of relocation events, it is to simply put my head down and grind. Pocket as much money as I possibly can before I make my preemptive return to O'ahu. The more money I secure at home, the more BOWERFUL I will be there. There isn't really much else to do other than peek at the market from the internet afar but many of the ads are at best 1 month ahead of scheduled fulfillment time. Meaning that if I am looking for a place/job/band in January, I'm wasting a lot of time resources looking for them in November, because many of the November ads are relevant to November and December, not January. Anyway, a lot of the interviews, unit showings, lease signings, auditions etc. all require you to be there physically too (duh). Because of which, I have nothing lined up really. Not a job, nor a place, and with only desiring to live there [on O'ahu] until the end of May at this time, not very many places are willing to accept a full 4 month lease with a prorated 5th month. This will be my first time in the forays of subletting, and at this moment, it sounds kind of exciting. We'll see how that goes!
Made it to Oahu for Halloween successfully. Had a blast! Unexpectedly attempted to win a costume contest held at the Hard Rock Cafe. I unfortunately lost to a trio of scantily clad hooters girls. If I won I would of turned around and blew my gift card at the bar. Shots for everyone! Everyone's loss... I watched a band costumed as Star Wars and they weren't bad. I would later realize I was jealous.
7 days ago I participated in a live reddit.com discussion with David Choe. It was completely unplanned, I saw a Facebook post that he was on, and unsurprisingly it was a lot of fun. I think I stayed up way~~~ past my bedtime spamming refresh as much as I could to see any new insights. Pretty funny stuff!
But in all seriousness, I spent the last few days debating my purpose here on Kaua'i. My plan was to get back into the U.H. [University of Hawai'i] system by going to Kaua'i C.C. for the Spring 2013 semester. I would have to pay out-of-state tuition however, and lessen my availabilty at work, experiencing a pretty substantial cost-opportunity to go to school. I had way too much on O'ahu these past few weeks, and have been given interesting propositions if I so choose to live there. So, after a lot of speculation and encouragement from loved ones, I have decided to give O'ahu a second chance, and plan to move there in January. It basically came down to a money issue, and for me, that shouldn't be an obstacle, so... Fuck it!
I present to you HIBRIv2.0. I have joined the revolution ladies and gentlemen. I am now one of the smart phone many. Technology, is an incredible thing. I am one step closer to becoming a cyborg and honestly, I am looking forward to adjusting my thinking and organization to be able to incorporate what I jokingly will be referring to as my brain's external hard drive (aka smart phone).
This week has been pretty jam-packed and diverse between my two jobs and varied extra curricular Biggest highlight was my successful impulsive decision to visit Oahu and celebrate a good friends birthday without any planning what-so-ever in defiance to an impending tsunami warning.
Got to have some spontaneous quality gun range therapy time long overdue. Sponsored by Ishiki-Ute-Ryu.
Getting ready for Oahu Halloween 2012 baby. Already did a beta test run at the Oasis by the Beach costume party. Do you feel lucky, punk?
On Monday the 15th I fasted. Not for any religious reason, or outside challenge. I believe that people are designed for feast and famine so every once in a while I like to fast. I was surprised at how well I could resist eating this time. I suppose when I made the decision that I wasn't going to eat on that day, I knew I wasn't going to eat so I didn't get hunger pains. Plus, I promised I'd treat myself to a nice breakfast the next day. I did drink a lot of water however, 9 liters in fact, and remained steadfast in my activities. I found myself becoming more focused and acute as the day progressed. Perhaps that's an evolutionary mechanism that engages to enable the person to more-easily find food? Who knows.
I also decided to strip down my public persona and online presence as far as personal information goes. I am still on the fence as far as whether or not to create an alias or not. The all-or-nothing mentality for me at this point is something that I have researching and attributing many people's success to having no choice but to succeed. I guess I fear what the public (a.k.a. future employers) might consider/research when "googling" me. Thankfully however, there are many Brian Roberts' out there, so I think I am in the clear. Either way, I took down much of the information aspects on many of the websites I am active on as well as adopting a fake birthday as well and making sure everything is as private as can be.
This year has been the year of Neo-Rennaisance (spell check). I am trying to draw every day as well, and work on digital modification projects.
After five years, I find myself attempting to return to the prestigious K.C.C. The irony of it all however is that I am now going to have to pay out-of-state tuition for an educational establishment that I am an alumni to! I was also sent on a quest to retrieve records of my MMR immunizations which took me to three different locations and through labyrinths of medical facilities. I am now awaiting not only a list of medical records via mail, but a new cell phone!
It's been 11 days since my phone died of battery power and was no longer able to recharge itself. It died in it's sleep. Goodbye Sony Ericson. No longer will your impromptu boombox music fill our unorganized lives, and now, this year, my Man Without a Name costume won't be as good as it would of been without your accompany of music. Anyway, it's been a strange peace living without a phone, but there's always this feeling of residual disconnect at any given time. I saw the dying of my phone as a sign to finally switch providers to a cheaper provider and join the smart phone revolution. In just a few days my Samsung Galaxy S2 will arrive and I will now be Brian2.0. Upgrade, complete...
Why is it that the harder it is to get the job, the easier the job is? I never really understood that. My experience with employment has been this: if the pay is menial, the labor is intensive, the benefits are mediocre, the management is always in your business and by the time you leave the work place you're worse off than when you arrived. But somehow the higher the pay, the easier the job is, the more lax it is, the less effort is needed, the benefits are usually better. It's a capitalistic oxymoron. Logically, to me, at the entry-level it would seem like the harder/less-desirable the job, the higher the pay to compensate you for your bravery, and the easier the job, the lesser the pay. But that's not how it works. It's so strange.
Today I've been phone-less for 5 days. My phone died and how I wonder who has tried to contact me in the past few days, probably not many. The spiritual thing about this instance is that I will not be able to recover any of the new phone numbers or contacts when my new phone arrives. It will be an unpredicted purging of contacts, and I will emerge stripped down, renewed and technologically advanced with a smartphone. I have joined the revolution.
Newly dual-employed and immediately working double shifts, I hope that these new changes will enable me to stockpile the money I have desperately attempted to claim in vain to finance my dreams without compromising my new hobbies. Balancing the progression of many facets.
Surfing is an indescribable experience. There have been many scientific analyses on the activity but you can lecture me with all the science you want, to me, it still doesn't make any sense. Big or small, from the moment you begin catching the wave and feel it start to push you, to the time you powerlessly return to the humble surface of the mighty ocean, it truly feels like there is something unexplained and supernatural at work. I was never really good at surfing and mediocre at best and I only got into the activity as a late teen. Everyone's experience and purpose with surfing is different. For me I look to it as a healthy form of exercise and a sort of meditative alone time in the peaceful serenity floating along the water.
I bought this board on Monday October 1st for $125 from a guy who seemed desperately excited to have sold the board to me. I had the opportunity to finally get the board out on the water in which I described it being "the most epic small wave session." The board is perfect for where I am at in life and my diminished surfer physique and ability.
I also performed with Shar Carillo at the 16th Annual Coconut Festival. Overall I'm happy with our/her performance, and glad to have worked along side her. Hopefully this will lead to something else. That's all for now I think.
For the majority of this past week, I spent most of my time relearning and plunking away -- character, by character -- HTML coding for my website. The last time I came this close to a complete website was back in 2005 when I was web mastering for my band at the time.
I'm the kind of person when working on a task that I care about, I must complete what I set out to do. What this means is that unless I can leave what I've done in presentable form, I will spend any given moment to refine what it is I'm working on until it's complete or I can comfortably keep it in a presentable dormancy. I'm happy to say however, that I am nearly complete with the bulk of the website and that the harder parts are most likely over. Phew.
On another note, I have decided that I will try to do these blogs once a week, probably on Sundays. As to what exactly I will be blogging about, that's to be determined. I am hoping I can blog about all the thing's I am interested and knowledgeable about and touch on many different topics. This may be difficult however, if I aim to keep a relatively captive audience that can appreciate my insights on the many different facets of myself and my own forays into the unknown.
All I do know is that everything from here and beyond will be musings from A Haole Hawaiian.
How's it everyone? Not really sure what to do or say. I'm pretty much just trying to get more and more organized before I head back to Seattle. I've bee creating plenty of different accounts for everything. So, we'll see how this all works out. Here we go. First blog ACTIVATE!
