Thursday, March 09, 2006
Transitioning Along with DC
Spring is only 11 days away, but the city seems to be in transition for it. I love the first hints or taste of spring. The mornings may start off with a chill in the air and a bit crisp as if it were fall, but by midday the mercury slowly rises and holds steady in the 60's, sometimes the 70's. The season isn't fully there, but just the feel of it makes me drool and anxious to want more of it.
It's funny, I'm a winter baby, born in February in the midst of a snow storm, but I truly can't stand cold weather. I live for warmth, ice cold wine coolers, a slight breeze wisping against the nape of my neck, bare legs, sarongs, tank tops and my open toed heels. However, the heat in DC sometimes goes a bit too far, since the city is built on a man made marsh/swamp-like land. It can get quite sticky here...literally.
Speaking of DC, with all the social ills that may loom within the city, I still love it here. Even though there are times when I want to fly away and claim residence elsewhere for a while, I know my heart belongs here in DC. I've been here all my life. I'm so comfortable here, even though I long to explore other places for a short stint.
This week actually proved it even more. Since quitting my Federal government job, I've been scouring every job search site there is looking for a better job that will help me maintain a livable status and focus more on my writing. In the meantime, I've been temping or perhaps being more of a consultant of some sort to different associations or non-profit organizations that are mainly based in the neighboring Alexandria, Virginia. (Just right across the Potomac River) Some writing and editing has been involved along with some data entry projects and administrative assistance. A couple of the situations looked as if they would turn into something permanent, but for whatever reason, it just wasn't meant to be.
The latest incident occurred earlier this week, where I was offered a temp to perm job with a company that was looking for a staff assistant that would serve as a floater performing a few low level administrative duties and then double back to be a writer for the the newsletter. Monday didn't go so well for me, as I was a little dismayed by the administrative duties. I don't mind doing administrative stuff. As I told the lady that was hiring, I am flexible, especially since my background does include administrative work. However, I got bored quickly. Mainly because all she had me do was little menial stuff; unload the dishwasher in the kitchen area, open and close out the mail meter system and of course answer the phones and distribute faxes and the mail. I tried to tell myself to suck it up and that it wasn't all the bad. The pay that was being offered was in the range I need, but even hyping myself up for the pay didn't work.
The only contentment I found working that job came on Tuesday. I was asked to write three articles for the newsletter. Two were nothing but short write ups on the topic at hand and the other was a bit longer as it was about a proposed California legislative bill. I took my time and worked on the articles all day Tuesday and finished it up by Wednesday morning. By Wednesday afternoon I became bored again and realized I would feel trapped again as I had in my government job. I think the hiring lady sensed it, because by the day's end she caught a curt attitude with me. Along with that "tude" came and issue about the hours I worked. She didn't like the fact that I was staying until 5:30 instead of 5:00 as she told the temp agency that the designated hours were 9 - 5. Well excuse me for trying to make sure I work eight hours, since the agency does subject the time you take for lunch from your working hours. Obviously she had no sympathy for me as she changed the hours on my timesheet and proceeded to "suggest" that I leave at the moment. It was obviously she wasn't going to put out the money to the temp agency to keep me those last few minutes of the work day. Needless to say, I changed my hours back and when I told my contact at the temp agency what went down, she told me not to worry about it and accepted my original hours.
I will say, that during the course the day on Wednesday, my contact at the temp agency was working with me diligently in placing me in another permanent position and I appreciate her for that. An opportunity has come up for me to work with a law firm in downtown DC as an editor/proofreader. I start that gig on Monday and it seems that this is ongoing until...whenever. I grinned from ear to ear at the news. I didn't realize how much I miss working in the city.
Then the wildest thing happened. Last night I dreamt that I was in Africa. I was working on a story on Nelson Mandela and the odd thing was, he was dying. I was in some room with him while he laid in a hospital bed. A guard or a guy that appeared to be a guard was in the room with me. He proceeded to tell me Mandela's life story while Mandela laid in front of me dying. It was the most tripped out and scary thing ever. I woke up from the dream puzzled trying to understand why in the hell would I dream about Mandela dying.
When I reported to the temp agency this morning, I was hit with an assignment that will carry over into tomorrow. I was sent back to DC to work with
Africare, a non-profit organization that provides various aide or assistance to African nations. Immediately, I was embraced within the environment and vice versa. They are actually housed in a historic school building that they converted into their own space. It partly looks like a museum with all the displays of African artifacts that hang around and are in enclosed cases around the building. Again, I was called upon to do a some writing.. in restructuring a few letters. I'll be doing some of that tomorrow as well as redoing the donor list.
As I drove into the city, I felt this unexplainable giddiness. Later on as I walked through the city blocks, familiar territory, I walked with my usual stride instead of a slump like I noticed I had been doing lately. I smiled at my flirting Latino brothers that were working nearby at a construction site. I was able to pick up a few of their words and started to laugh. What really caught me off guard was how I burst out laughing and said.. "My Gawd I miss this!" I miss the action of the city!!!!
Working in Alexandria has been a nice experience. I know the city a little bit more, especially Old Town Alexandria which is like the small downtown area. Yet, it just didn't feel like home to me. I acquired a fondness to a few places in Alexandria; a pizzeria on Duke Street, a deluxe car wash place off of Route 1, the Academy of Otolaryngology on the water front- one of the places I worked in and an ice cream parlor on King Street by the water front.
After it's all said and done, I think eventually I will be called home....DC...
Posted by KomplexPhemale ::
9:37 PM ::
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