Working Class Hero

ell hello there, children. I think I finally have some time to write out a nice big blog to bring you up to speed with my life. Because you’re all so patient and curious. Manna manna.

First off, the party was a semi-success. Only half the people that RSVP’d actually showed up. We still had a good 10-15 people though. Scott & Johanna brought me rum cake and some homemade rum balls. Mmmm, tasty! Thank you. Jeff brought me some White Zinfindel. I may have spelled that wrong and I don’t care. I haven’t opened it yet because he says it’s a chick-magnet, so I am thinking I should wait until I have a “chick” over here. That’s funny. I’m totally joking.

We cleaned non-stop for the whole day up until the first guests started arriving. We got the bathroom all in order as well as hooked up a huge aquarium for Dan’s fish. A few other minor changes as well. Time didn’t permit us to wait for the water temperature to warm up so the fishies were all poured in the aquarium while it was still cold. The next day, they were all floaters. It’s ok. They were some creepy-ass fish. Now we can get a couple of those huge fish and watch them swim around endlessly like mindless republicans. That’s funny, too. So anyway, here’s some pictures of what the house looks like: Boom.

Tally Hall played Philly. Pictures HERE. They put on a great show, of course. I was one of a few people there to see them. The rest were there to see SPIN, a metal band, whose fans started to actually kinda dig the Tally sound. It’s hard not to… especially when you see them live. Such infectious tunes. But anyway, I went there all alone and got to chat a bunch with the guys. They have some great things ahead of them that may or may not come true. If they do, they’ll be playing larger venues next time they’re in Philly, to say the least.

I have been working at my new job for almost 2 weeks. [Proof] I was already sunken in by the 2nd day. By today’s end, I felt like I’d been doing it for years. I have, really. I must say I think I really like it. I was beginning to get nervous about pursuing this career. I thought the whole design thing would lose it’s magic for me. It may still, but the thing is… I lucked out on where I was hired. It’s a low-pressure position and such a relaxed atmosphere. I really feel like I’m sitting at home just coming up with little designs. I put my headphones on and listen to half my CD collection (of which I’ve already burned on the computer) and just drift away. I think the other guys think I’m shy or uncomfortable because I barely say anything and they’re all pretty chatty amongst themselves. It’s not that at all. I like them and I couldn’t have picked a better group to be around, but I just like to focus on what I need to do. I’d be doing this at home. I really feel like I’m at home when I’m there. All I would need is an ashtray on the desk. It’s so great! Here’s my workstation. Still very bare, but check out the 19″ monitor, eh?

Think of it as a newspaper. I work for a newspaper. They publish a paper for those in the construction industry. This paper has issues in the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West. Each issue is filled with industry-related news, advertisements, and equipment listings for many of our clients. We help them buy and sell used equipment by publishing this. Now, because the web is such a prominent force in the world, the paper is beginning to digitalize. For now, we are sending out a daily newsletter via email. It will feature one news article, with a link to all the others on our website. One piece of equipment that someone’s selling, as well as one piece of equipment from each of our biggest clients around the country. What I do is compile this data on a daily basis and send it out to all those who subscribe to it (approx. 13,000 addresses). When you get it in your inbox, it looks just like THIS. Yup. that’s one thing I did today. I am using a template that they’ve used for I don’t know how long, but I change the content on a daily basis after I go through the printed ads they’ve given us and randomly take one of their listings into the webpage.

That’s my one main responsibility. Make sure it goes out daily… the earlier, the better. I’m usually done it by noon. The rest of the day, I am helping them catch up on a list of clients that have paid to have us make an “email blast.” Basically, they look like spam emails, but those who receive them actually did sign up to receive them. I get an ad they ran in print most recently and basically re-make the whole thing for the web, make it pretty, and send it out in an email. This also goes to over 10,000 people if my memory serves me correctly. Some have pictures. Some don’t. I basically copy the content from the print ad and design a page around it.

Example #1
Example #2
Example #3

Those are a few of mine that I’ve done over these past 9 days.

And that’s about it. For now. I understand it won’t always be quite this “easy” but I’m OK with that. I’ll be properly paced into it.

Also, before they get too accustomed to calling me Carl, some have begun calling me Coz. (Some know about this site and will undoubtedly be reading it within the next few days… and here I am, talking about them like they’re not listening.) This is a little weird for me, though, because I’ve never been called Coz at a place of employment before. Just another example of how cool the place is. So now you know… and knowing is half the battle.

Tomorrow is band practice with (NO NAME). I haven’t been as productive with the lyrics as I would like to be. All in due time, I suppose. I’ve only gotten about 1 and a half songs pretty well established.

On the more humorous side of things, I began walking during my lunch breaks. I figure it will help get the blood going and perhaps help me lose a bit of the extra baggage I’ve put on over the past year. It’s a little embarrassing, actually. I have never gotten this heavy. So we’ll see how long I can keep up the walking bit. I hope I do. I’d like to be in better shape than I am. Cigarettes are next. Maybe.