"comes down like a storm, then drizzles, then dies"-- Ode to Tauri

My car finally got appraised after the accident I was in about a month ago. I got more money than I expected from that jalopy, so I guess I shouldn't be too bitter towards ole Tauri (my pet name for the Ford Taurus). That car and I have been through some interesting times together--some good and some bad.

As I listen to "River" by Red House Painters, I will reminisce over the last summer I had with Tauri... RIP.

In the beginning of summer '09, probably around May or June, I decided that this was going to be Tauri's last summer alive. I was gonna live it up with her-- go to beaches, parks, and have some great adventures. Above is a picture of Tauri on our first adventure--we went to some "haunted" cemetery in Avenel, New Jersey. I can't really recall the name of the place, but it was really old, and really creepy. Most of the pictures I took had little orbs in them (some people say that's a sign of paranormal activity, but it might've just been the quality of my camera). Ah.. memories.

Tauri was never the center of attention. But for a long while I pretty much lived out of that car. She was a space filled with my things, my friends, my family-- she contained me. And I hated her. Maybe it was bitterness because she broke down on me so soon after I bought her. Maybe it was because I felt pressured into buying her in the first place and then realized that I could've gotten a 'prettier' car for the same price or less. Maybe it was because the car's constant overheating problems, or maybe it's because in the 3 years that I had that car, the heat never, ever worked. That last reason was definitely a source of anger and frustration.

But that car took me places. I felt like it had a mind, like it had feelings, and that all it really wanted to do was please me. Because in all honesty... I did NOT treat that car right. I took it to the car wash once in 3 years. I drove it on almost no oil for like.. 2-3 months. It never got premium gas--regular for you, ugly Tauri. I never even attempted to fix its cosmetic problems, and I loathed the idea of spending any more money on it after it broke down on me in Roseland and I had to pay up the wazoo for a tow to a shop in Caldwell to replace the starter.

Even so, Tauri held on. That last picture was taken in a parking lot at Cheesequake State Park in New Jersey. That was a good day. I have lots of fond memories from that day, and it wouldn't have been possible without that car. I drove and drove and did very little maintenance, and still, she lived on to please (I'm guessing).

In order to prepare for our Florida chronicle, I had to put some fluid in the tank and drive it off to ready the fuel injectors for the long trip. I decided to make an adventure of it, so we all left in the afternoon to drive down the shore and hang out at the beach. It was a beautiful sunset. Maybe I'll upload more pictures of my Tauri-trips in future posts, but for now, I'm just trying to bunch together all the memories I have of Tauri. She drove well down there... actually, she was running better than I had ever heard her run. I think she liked the attention. That car lived to be lived in, and didn't ask much in return. I guess I can see why everyone thought I was crazy and ungrateful for hating her.

After my short Jersey Shore beach trip, the next big trip was to South Florida. It was supposed to be Tauri's last hurrah... damn she's resilient. For the first time in almost 3 years, I actually took care of Tauri. I prepared her as best as I could for the long, trying trip down south. I looked at her and said, "Tauri, this is gonna be the best trip of your life, and it will be your last. I won't blame you for dying." I made all the preparations for her death... I actually expected her to die. Still, we made it to North Carolina problem-free. To the right is a sample of our sleeping arrangements on the ride down--mostly in rest stops on state lines. It's actually pretty spacious in a Ford Taurus, so the 3 of us had no real issues finding comfortable positions to sleep in.

However, the real problems started in South Carolina. I was sure this would be the death of her. I have no pictures of that part of our Florida chronicle because it was the worst 6 hours of our lives. Stuck in an overheating, ac-less Tauri in South Carolina in the middle of July for 6 hours (6 of the hottest hours of the day, btw)-- Tauri had an epic fail. I really just wanted to get out of South Carolina, so despite the fact that she was spewing coolant like a drunkard blows chunks, I drove her speedily towards Georgia.

Low and Behold! When we crossed the state line and make our way into Savannah, the overheating problem subsides! Don't ask me why, but she was quite determined to make it to Florida. And made it she did... against all odds, she made it there and back. Everyone tells me she just didn't want to let me down. That may be, or maybe she was just living out of spite. I don't know, but either way, she did me proud in the end by going out with a bang. Now I have a nice check on account of her demise, and I can get another car--hopefully one that I don't hate. Anyway, I hope to remember her with fond memories of good times, and finally let go of the hate. :)

--Sledbetter

sweet vibes

Did you ever turn the sound all the way down on your television, play a song on your computer/radio/mp3 player or what-have-you, and continue to watch the television? I do this a lot... at first not on purpose--I lost the remote for my television and some days I'm just too lazy to get up and turn the sound up. Coincidentally, Nine Inch Nails goes pretty well with True Blood, and strangely enough, Zephyr by RHCP goes pretty well with some Family Guy episodes (beats me).

Well, lately I've been listening to a lot of Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon, anything Mark Kozelek, and nothing goes with it. The only way I can describe his voice is soothing, kind of on the romantic side but not mushy; just full of heart and airy. But it seems as though nothing on TV is like that. Nothing can be redhousepainterized... and I think that's a real travesty.

For those reading this that don't know anything about Red House Painters, I just want you to do one thing. Download "Moments" by Red House Painters, go to a quiet, clean, comfortable space, get in a comfortable position, hit play, close your eyes and let your mind wander. Because it will.

I remember the first time I heard that song. It was sent to me by my long time friend and present boyfriend. I remember playing it and watching the leaves on the trees sway to the rhythm of that song. I think that song had a lot to do with why I fell for my boyfriend. I knew that someone who liked this kind of music was someone who felt deeply.

That's how I can describe it: feeling.

His voice is saturated with feeling. And I really don't think it's an 'acquired taste' like some other bands. Everyone who I've referred to this band always loves it from the start, and I always recommend "Moments" first.

So yea... my music recommendation for the day is "Moments" by Red House Painters. It's really good relaxing/romancing/sleepy-time music... perfect for the hour. Check the song out here on Youtube.

The Job Hunt

I had a chance meeting with a young guy who referred me to his company. I told him I was graduating soon and he said I would be a good fit for the position, so he gave me his name and number and told me to call up his business in the city.

Everything seemed to check out, I Googled the company and found their website, read about their company and the job description, and decided to call in to see if I could set up an interview. Earlier today I set up an interview for tomorrow at lunch--smooth sailing.

I am pretty thorough when it comes to job interviews--I like to know exactly what a company does so I can plan exactly what I'm going to say. I especially like testimonials of people who've interviewed with the same company so I can get a heads-up on the types of interview questions they use. What I found instead were very alarming warnings of how the company sucks in desperate college graduates and people who have been out of work for a long time and scams them out of time and money.

I always take everything with a grain of salt at first, so I continued researching. What I found was that the site I was looking at (ripoffreport.com) actually has a lot of complaints from business owners who stated that the company posts fradulent complaints about their businesses and then tries to extort them for money to have the fradulent claims removed.

Naturally, I was horrified. How many freaking scams are on the internet?? Why isn't anyone regulating these things? Because really, I'm pretty sure that a good deal of people have actually fallen prey to these scams. I really do think that more should be done to combat this outbreak.

I did some more research on the company and determined that it really is a scam. This isn't the first run-in with job scams that I've had. I am generally wary of jobs I apply for on the internet, especially Craigslist. However, I was very surprised that this guy that I met in person, who seemed to be a stand-up, congenial, honest person, actually looked me in the eye and offered me this kind of job. Ha... you can hardly trust anyone these days.

So I was thinking about going to this interview anyway, and writing a little expose' of their interview process. I'm not so sure I want to get involved with this though. I could be spending my time doing much more lucrative and creative things. I'm just glad I found out about this scam before I took off of work and bought a new suit jacket just to interview with these fools. I feel compelled to mention the name of the company on here, just to warn others about this horrible scam, but, alas, not until I decide whether I want to go to that interview and observe this scam further.

--SLedbetter

"read these leaves in the open air..."

Now that I've graduated from college, I've decided to open a new chapter in my life. The job market is slow, but I'm not too worried that I won't be able to afford to pay off my substantial student loans--I have a few things lined up for now that should hold up until I land my dream job. So instead of doing what I usually do (which is log onto my ancient Deadjournal account and rant my a$$ off) I am trying a new method by starting up this blog.

Seeing as how this blog is pretty much an experiment, the topics presented here are not going to be very specific. If this bothers you, ehhh.. sorry. My posts will span across a broad variety of topics, from pop culture, to job hunting, to music, to yoga, to literature, to dieting, to photography, to parties, to TV and movies, to current events, to business news, to astrology.......... you get the picture. Nonspecific. I'll try to be interesting, but this blog is mainly for my amusement. You can tune in if you'd like!

I'll probably create another post later tonight, but for now, I've gotta go eat something, I'm starved.

--SLedbetter