The Holidays Approach!

The hustle and bustle of the holidays, a move across town, and laziness are my reasons for not writing lately. Since my last entry I got my 1st ever real X-Mas tree, I've gone ice skating, and celebrated my first Thanksgiving away from Maine.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holiday's not only for what it represents but because I have a lot of good memories associated with the holiday. Delivering extra huge newspapers with my dad and brother in the neighborhood, going to the Portland-Deering game at the Fitz, and eating my weight in Turkey, veggies, and rolls are experiences I'll always think of fondly. This year we cooked multiple dishes in our brand new kitchen, watched a little football, and went for a walk around our section of town. Not very traditional but still a lot of fun.

This past Saturday Candace and I brought home our very first real Chrismas tree. We scurried to the Home Depot, wrestled with a tree or two, selected a special one and carried it through the parking lot where we tied it to the roof of my car and hit the freeway hoping it wouldn't slip off onto the road. We made it home, set up the tree, decorated it and now I have to water it everyday while Candace works in Bakersfield. Meanwhile at least our recently murdered conifer is not a fire hazard.

Ice skating in nearly 50 degree temperatures was a trip. The guy who handed me my rental skates gave me a "how to tie them" tutorial and I was one of the best skaters on the ice by virtue of me not falling on my fanny every 5 seconds. I also managed not to take out any kids the entire session which is more than I can say for most of the San Franciscans taking part in the 2 o'clock session at the Embarcadero Rink!

Brian 30.0

As Grammy Award winning recording artist Seal once proclaimed "time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin, into the future". Birthdays are a strange thing. Every year you take stock of what you've accomplished over the previous year. The years that end in 0 have an added importance because you look back at the last 5, and 10 years and think about what you would have, could have, or should have done differently and some of the major things you wouldn't change even if you could turn back time.

I think a lot of people that just had the year I had would chalk it up as a loss. Economically it was a disaster, the first year since I started working (paperboy at 12) that I've made less money than the previous year. The economy killed the job that I loved, one that was tailor made for someone with a great sense of adventure and an even better sense for time management. Living so darn far from Maine is tough. I miss my friends and family and so many great traditions that come with the Holidays at home. Wild Turkey shots with the boys on Thanksgiving Eve, my dad's peanut butter fudge and chocolate covered peanut butter balls, The Portland-Deering Thanksgiving Day game, going to the movies with my brother on Christmas Day, and all the tomfoolery that is New Years Eve in Portland.

For all the thoughts of what I lost this year, I feel like I've gained so much more. Its great not to spend 2-3 hours a day on the phone and to come home and have a big hug waiting for me every night. I now live in one of the most wonderful cities in the world. There is always so much to see and do, no snow, no windshield scraping, and palm trees. When I visit home I get a hero's welcome (no parades yet, but next time perhaps). I have a job that covers my bills and I've even broken down the door that leads to the realm of broadcasting. Not bad for someone who has spent only 6 months in a state with a grotesque unemployment percentage. It gives me strong hope that 30 will be even better than 29!

All Things Maine

My trip back to Maine was both tiring and reinvigorating. My father decided it would be a terrific idea to run me around errands on my very first day back following my red eye flight to Boston, a 2 hour wait at the airport, and 2 more hours on a bus back to Portland. I fell over in exhaustion when we finally arrived home. The next 2 days were dedicated to getting the Spooktacular off and running. We had to figure out a way to get our pulley operated flying dragon to work, decorate, find last minute costume stuff, and hammer out other details. The following days were loaded up with visits with friends and family, making sure I got and Amato's Italian Sandwich, a Pats Pizza, a chance to sample some of Maine's fine microbrews, as well as Len Libby's delicious chocolate.

I also made my return to the Maine airwaves to cover Maine's Gay Marriage issue on election night. I was honored and thrilled to be put on the issue garnering national attention, especially since I haven't been covering news in my home state since March. WGAN has a great news team and I was glad to be part of it again. Its been hard breaking into the news biz in California. I was talking about that over dinner with my friend Sarah (a career councilor) the night before the election. She told me I should do whatever puts me in my "zone". I told her that I haven't felt that level of zen in quite a few months. Early Wednesday morning I slid under the covers of the small single bed that occupies the guest bedroom at my dad's house. I had a big smile on my face. I had found it again.

SPOOKTACULAR

Ladies and gents it is time again for the Halloween Party where legends are made. I love costume parties, and the Spooktacular is well worth the trip back to Maine to prepare and partake in. I always have a bit of trouble deciding what to be as way to many ideas fly around my brain to just pick one. Over the past several years I've been Sonny Bono, the Verizon Guy, a Blueman, Clark Kent and Superman, and Super Mario. My goal each year is to be something really simple and leave others kicking themselves for not thinking of it. I've ever spent more than $20 on a Halloween costume and this year I didn't pull a penny out of my pocket. It is great when you can pull things out of your closet or borrow something from a friend to complete your look. Besides boxed costumes are LAME!

I'm really looking forward to going back to Maine and reconnecting with my friends. It'll be the last time for a while as Candace and I plan on moving soon. Plus let's face it leaving California for ice and snow of Maine during the winter months is the definition of masochism. Even I'm not that sick!

Yosemite and Radio Work

I went to Yosemite for the first time last weekend and to say the place is beautiful is a drastic understatement. Mountains, waterfalls, art, bears, deer, snakes, hawks, camping, and hikes, Yosemite Valley something for everybody. I can think of no other spot in the world where giant redwood trees are dwarfed by enormous glacier carved granite cliffs. In fact, the view from just about anywhere is spectacular valley floor all the way up to the top of Nevada Falls or Glacier Point which are the highest points we reached during our visit. Often when I leave a place I immediately think about going back. A return trip to Yosemite will certainly be a reality.

On the job front, I had a phone interview with KALW, a San Francisco public radio station. It went well and I am going in to meet part of the news team tomorrow. I'm excited to finally meet some radio news folks on the west coast and possibly get my hands on recording and editing equipment again. Plus as I have learned since being out here, there is no substitute for big market experience.

Happy Columbus Day

I know not everyone is exactly thrilled with celebrating the accomplishments of Christopher Columbus. By most accounts he wasn't the world's greatest guy. There is strong evidence that he wasn't the first European to make the voyage to the "New World". But today is a great chance for Americans to embrace something we have way too few of in my opinion, a day off.

I was reading an article today about how a labor union representing California State workers told the today was a holiday, while the state doesn't recognize Columbus Day as a true public holiday. We have too few real public holidays. It seems like the only days most people have off are Thanksgiving and Christmas. And for folks who are in the retail business, you better be at the store the day after. I think its a slap in the face to the American worker that more stores aren't shuttered on other public holidays. There aren't many of them if you think about it. New Years' Day, Martin Luther King Jr., President's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, The 4th, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veteran's Day. Certainly most companies can afford to close down and give their employees a little extra paid time with their families on these days. I know this to be true because in most other countries it is the case.

A CNNmoney analysis of countries shows paid time off for full time workers in America equals that of Taiwan...

http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/12/pf/vacation_days_worldwide/

We're in the same league as Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the fore mentioned Taiwan, while countries like Lithuania, Slovakia, and Israel enjoy 15 more days off than we do every year. Maybe I'm just grumpy because I have to work today and for the first time in my life I will not be spending the Holidays at home. What individual wouldn't enjoy a few extra days off though?

The Importance of Pants

I recently lost more than 35 lbs which is great, clothes that I haven't felt comfortable wearing in months fit very nicely. When I go back to Maine my friends and family tell me that I look skinny, and even people at work remark on my new found svelteness on occasion. Aside from the hours of sweat and toil in the gym, the hardest part of dealing with the whole inflation deflation thing for me is finding a good pair of pants.

Pants are the first things to go when I gain weight. It was hard to bend and get stuff out of my pockets when I was filling my trousers a little too much. In fact, I gaged when to get rid of my pants by when I felt my wallet and cell phone protrusions needed an explanation. The embarrassment was magnified when I came to this realization in the field as I was interviewing Senators Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins or even Governor Baldacci.

Spring is the time of year I usually take stock of how much weight I packed on over the winter. That's when my wallet cell phone migrate from the inner pocket of my coat to my pants. The past couple years I've needed butter and a jack hammer to force them into their summer home. My brother is one of those people who can eat just about anything and keep his rail thin physique. Needless to say he has become the beneficiary of many of my hand-me-down slacks. The ones that were too big for him or that I wore out either went to good will or into the trash.

So now I have 1 pair of comfortable dockers, a nice pair of jeans, and a single pair of dressier pants. Some of my bigger britches that I've kept resemble parachutes. leaving me a single stain away from being way too dressy, abnormally casual, or Hammer Time! Good thing I work at a department store.

Developing an Online Persona

I went to a meetup yesterday dedicated to the idea of building your brand online. The list of things you can do to boost your online presence is enormous. Luckily I'm not starting from scratch. I already have my blog, twitter (http://twitter.com/brianpelletier1), linkedin (http://www.linkedin.com/in/brianpelletier), and facebook (http://www.facebook.com/brianpelletier) accounts. I'm working on linking things together in an effort to create a united front for networking, meeting new friends, and eventually finding interesting and fulfilling work. This proves my theory that working on finding work is more difficult than actual work.

On a side note BRAVO to the Ken Burns National Parks' Series on PBS. A very well done 6 part series which you can still check out here...(http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/about/)

I'm really excited to go camp in Yosemite next weekend!

Small Town thinking in the Big City

The SF Examiner had an article today about the City and the 49ers trying to figure out their transportation issues as the team decides whether to move to Santa Clara (about an hour away from the city and off the peninsula) or stay on Candlestick Point. According to the article, the city doesn't want to make the effort to secure federal funds for roadway and public transportation improvements if the team already has one foot out the door. The 49ers, on the other hand, want the improvements promised before they decide to stay.

I say why not move the stadium from Candlestick Point to the Northern Portion of Bay View? The neighborhood is already home to UCSF, and AT&T park. Its close to Cal Train, as well as Muni bus and light rail lines. The neighborhood is closer to downtown and undergoing a serious face lift. A new stadium there could share existing parking facilities with AT&T Park and possibly UCSF creating less of a need to build your own parking facilities. The better location would promote alternative uses to the stadium on non game days, concerts, fairs, and festivals, maybe even college and high school sporting events. If Dallas can put together the financing for a titanic sized stadium for the Cowboys, SF should do the same for the 49ers. Besides teams with stadiums in cities they are not named after are sooo lame!

Beep, Beep, Beep...

That's the sound of the Red Sox backing into the playoffs, like a trash filled dump truck that's about to burst into flames. An Angels win and the Sox are in after five consecutive losses! Its a very strange concept to come to grips with since the playoffs are supposed to consist of winners. Its the team's inconsistency this year that has me less excited about their playoff fortunes than in recent years. Their best baseball seems to be well behind them. Following an 11 game winning streak in April, this year's team has failed to find the proper pitching prowess, offensive balance, and defense to duplicate the feat. Since the all star break in July, the team has the worst record of any other team to make the playoffs. Another problem that doesn't exactly bolster my confidence in this year's team is its abhorrent record in nationally televised games. If it wasn't for the internet and Sportscenter, I would group this year's team together with the Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles from what I've seen on T-V. Has this team even beaten the Yankees or Rays since May? Its interesting that a Los Angeles Angels win put the '09' edition of the Red Sox into the playoffs, because I believe it'll be that exact scenario that knocks them out.

In the last 12 months I thought I had done it all. After all I have done a lot of amazing things, from interviewing the Vice President, to going to the Inauguration, I even left my life long home in Portland, Maine, to live 3-thousand miles away in San Francisco. I've seen Niagara Falls, the Rock and Roll H.O.F., the Gateway to the West, the Oklahoma City Memorial, The Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, Vegas, a good part of the California coastline, and much of the Bay Area. I've spent countless hours at the gym and have lost 35lbs! One thing I did not see in all my travels is what David Rowe did in London last week. He donned a sign offering his services for free for 1 month to any company that would consider hiring him. A simple search for "sandwich sign job seeker" will show you that Rowe's idea is not exactly original. Half a dozen or more stories pop up showcasing such talent as an MIT grad in New York, to a construction manager in Dubai, even a laid off airplane mechanic from Oregon. In most cases the sign wearer at least got an interview out of his adventure.

As for my job search I've ramped up my efforts online and have started to make connections in the real world by volunteering for things. Last week I helped out with the KQED public radio pledge drive for a couple of days. This week I'm hoping to volunteer for a Blue Grass Festival in Golden Gate Park and just today I offered my radio expertise to the news department of Stanford University's radio station. If I don't find at least part time work that I enjoy in 6 weeks it'll be sammy board time.