Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Lincoln Turns


Day 4: Snowboarding doesn't hurt as much when you're LINCOLN turns!
[written and visual pun (thank you photoshop) intended.]

Yesterday was the first day it snowed since Sundance ravaged through Park City's streets. I like to think that it was mother nature saying "good riddance" - covering the ground with a blanket anew, filling the cinematically-inclined wanderer's tracks.

In honor of the much anticipated snowfall, Drew and I spent the day at The Canyons. He was able to find some beautiful powder fields far away from the run I consistently ride/tumble. He was happy. Then he spent some time with me, helping me to link turns, which towards the end, I was doing a bit more confidently. He relayed some advice he recieved from a Park City snowboarding instructor, "Pretend like you are driving a bus, with a big steering wheel." Making that motion or at least thinking about it makes you turn your body a bit more naturally, and before I reached the bottom of the hill I had linked a few hesitant turns. Whether it was because I was pretending to drive a bus or because I am finally getting the hang of it, I don't know. It's still really hard to do what I want to do, but I find myself improving everytime I go out there...
"Your instructor should have had you doing this day 1," Drew said after he applauded my progress with turning and stuff. Yeah...she probably should've, but she didn't. So day 4, I have begun to actually snowboard. Wahoo.
While Drew finished up his last run or so, I made my way down the gondolas to Betty. With the extra hour or so I made a few phone calls, then drove to the liquor store and picked up a tasty selection of West Coast beers for the drinkin'. I then picked Drew up and we headed home to our fabulous apartment complex's outdoor jacuzzi to soak our tired muscles. After wading in the luke-warm tub under a banner of snowflakes, I made some Boca burgers for dinner complete with Lost, Jeopardy, and Rachel Maddow.

A lovely day off.

In other more career motivated news, I am in the running for an assistant manager job at the artist driven boutique/yarn shop called Fawn located just a few doors down from my gallery on Main Street. Drew came across the listing on craigslist and passed it on to me last week. Upon this news, I printed out my resume, I walked into the shop, handed it alongside an ingenious cover letter to one of the owners, and exchanged a few words with one of the owners. Overwhelmed by the fact that I could both speak english and knit, she said, "Oh you're good. This is good." First positive exchange.

I called the other owner today to schedule an interview and she said that the other owner had told her that a good candidate had stopped by the other day and she presumed it to be me. The phonecall went well; I told her that I was truly interested in the position and she said that was good because she was truly interested in meeting with me in person. Wahoo, second positive exchange.

I am to meet with her in the coming days. Though, not before I brush up on my knitting termz, as my most recent yarn endeavours have been with the crochet hook. I think I know enough to do what they want me to do...however, it seemed as though I might be tested at my interview, so a quick glance at knitty.com or knittinghelp.com can't hurt. I also mentioned my background in art and my recent craft-fair adventures, so that was good too. She said that I will be given total creative freedom at the shop, if hired, so a background in art also scores some points.

I am willing to quit J.Crew and work for this place if they can keep me (and pay me well) through the off-season. Again...we will see. Update shortly.

Finally, without seeking pity, I would like to note that I was recently sucked into a state of mucus filled incoherency, suffering fits of uncontrollable coughing, and feverishly couch-ridden by a nasty cold bug. Wednesday morning it befell me and lasted through the weekend with only scattered symptoms lingering today. Though I would probably be advised to knock on wood, I am feeling better and hope to be symptom free ASAP. As both of my current jobs require me to interact closely with customers, there are certain aspects of being sick that tend to turn people away... as you might imagine yourself slowly backing away from a J.Crew saleswoman with blooshot eyes and a red nose coughing uncontrollably into her sleeve. I know I would've walked the opposite direction of myself. I end this post with a genuine compliment to Drew and his nurse-skillz. Zonked on Friday night, I was welcomed back to this realm of consciousness by certain lovable boyfriend named Drew coming home from work with pockets full of remedies - Sucrets and the key ingredient for his family's hot tottie recipe - Bourbon. He catered the evening around Miss Sicky - so instead of trying to catch a Sundance film he really wanted to see, we watched WALL-E and ate soup. This is why I love him.