Those Darn Mountains

When I first moved here, I was encouraged to write about the things I thought were peculiar about Reno before I stopped noticing them. Reno isn't another country, and it's hardly another culture. I feel there aren't too many differences between here and home. (Besides the lack of turn signaling, which is a[whole]nother story!) The biggest difference is that Kansas is known for its flatness, and the name of this state came from a word that means "snow-capped mountains." I haven't written about it, but thats because I spend a lot of time trying to think of how to word my thoughts on the mountains.

I never wished to live in the mountains when I lived in Kansas. Even when I was little I decided that living in Kansas was great for vacations. When I went to the mountains or the forest or the ocean, I wouldn't take them for granted.

Although my newfound freedom has started me painting again, I haven't included the new scenery in my list of subject matter. First, because mountains in art seem to be a cliche. They either seem desktop-backgroundy or very generalized like an amateur's painting in a second hand store. It's not that I feel above this; I just am not sure I want to waste my time painting mountains if I can't get it right.

The second reason I haven't tried painting mountains is that I'm not sure quite how to get them right. Often, the part of the scenery that intrigues me isn't the vastness of the California mountains (with typical mountainy stuff like pine trees, jutting rock forms and snowy peaks) but the bareness of the desert mountains on the other side of the valley. I sometimes worry that I would simplify the details too much, and they wouldn't look real, but mostly I worry that I would cover the canvas with cookie-cutter trees and rocks, and ignore the true shape of the mountains that interest me most.

It is too dry for trees, and there are few rocks or houses on these hills. There is only dull yellow grass, which make the hills stand in a striking contrast to the bright blue sky. (exact opposites, to be exact) When the hills are covered in snow, and the sky gray, color gives way to the sheer form of things. These mountains have no distractions; only color, or only shape.

Sometimes I try to take pictures. Usually they're of the clouds on the mountains. Sometimes it's just as one would expect with the mountains rising up to disappear in the cloudy sky like a radio tower would back home on an exceptionally cloudy day.

Usually, though, we have very different weather down in the valley than they do up in the mountains. Once, the clouds almost sat on top of the mountains like whipped topping. They were definitely background, providing the kind of positive/negative space ambiguity that Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon is famous for. Another time the mountains had their own background. It was as if someone had cut a picture of hills with inclement weather from a magazine and pasted it on the horizon of our sunny day. It really reminds me of those intricate decorated eggs with a scene inside.

I take pictures when I can, but mostly I just look, and wonder what it is about mountains that's hard to get right.

Interview #2

As you may have heard, I had my second interview yesterday.

I have been applying like crazy this past month. I have been checking craigslist daily, getting into the Washoe County School district's application program, and walking into countless retail stores asking for an application.

One day, I walked down a row of stores to apply in any store that told me they were currently hiring. I made it to the cash register of one place before I realized it was a women's plus size store. I shrugged in my mind and figured it was worth a shot. The girl at the front was really friendly and gave me an application. I had ran out of resume copies and had to spend a while filling out all the blanks. The whole time I was thinking to myself, "It doesn't matter to me that this store's plus size. I want a job, not an outfit. But would they really hire me? This is kind of awkward! It shouldn't matter what size I am. ...What if a requirement is to wear their line? I'll have to get online later and see their sizes IF I'm hired. haha, like they'd really hire me."

Most stores I applied at only check for past retail experience. None called up my references or really took the time to interview. I had one interview that went alright, but like I said, they picked the guy with retail experience over me. I really have been waiting for a school job, though, so it didn't matter too much.

Two days ago, I received a phone call. She asked if I shopped in their store, a name I didn't even recognize. (That's what I get for going door to door!) "To be honest, I don't really shop there. I am just looking for a job." I said. We set up a time for an interview the next day, and I hung up. Tim joked that I should've told them I shop there all the time. I was glad I didn't, because when I looked up the store, it was the plus-size one. I checked online the kind of clothes they had. The clothes were really nice, but nothing was my size.

The next day I was nervous. Over lunch, I talked to Tim about it. "I don't know if I even want to go." She doesn't know what I look like now, but it's going to be so awkward."

"Father, just help this to be an okay experience for me." I prayed as I headed in. They weren't very busy, but there was a shy-looking girl waiting for her interview. I introduced myself and talked with her for a bit, hoping to take away the nervousness she probably had.

My interview was first. The manager and I went to the back office, and I saw a girl organizing clothes and attaching security devises to sweaters. "That's something I could do!" I thought. The lady had me sit down, and she asked me about Kansas and the weather. Then our interview went something like this:

Lady: "You were a para educator. What's that?"

Me: "Well, I don't have my bachelor's yet, so I can only be hired to help at schools."

Lady:"So you're a teacher. Why aren't you subbing? I know someone who is and she says you make good money. And if you're really good, you get hired for pregnancies and stuff."

Me: "Well, I did apply at the school district, but they haven't contacted me yet."

Lady: "Here's the deal. You seem really qualified. I feel bad because you should be out there in the schools, not here. Hey! It says you live close to me! Are you sure you want to drive all this way?"

Me: "Well, I need something productive to do while I'm here."

Lady: "Oh, well, I don't even want to waste my time asking you questions. I'll probably just call your references and get back to you."

Me: "I'm just glad you're contacting them! Most stores just see that I have no retail experience and..."

Lady: "Oh, you don't need experience really. You just have to be smart and friendly and able to work fast. The rest I can teach you. I have to decide how many managers I'm going to hire before I hire any employees. What kind of position are you looking for?"

Me: "Well, wherever I'm needed most, I guess." (thinking of the girl working in the back)

Lady: "Okay, then! I'd hire you as a manger. I just need to determine whether I need a full time or two part times. And what if the school hires you after you take this job?"

Me: "It would only be during the day, so I could still work evenings."

Lady: "Alright! oh, and one last thing: girls will be asking you why you're here. They might be rude to you when you first start. You're just going to have to think of a good way to answer without offending anyone. I've hired little skinnies like you before. You'll just have to win them over with your personality."

So that's how it went! I'm not hired yet, but I probably will be. Even if it's not the best-paying job, it will be a great experience and I will have it on my resume when I move back to Kansas!

Puppy shall not live on dog food alone but on the very Bible it chewed on today.

First, to finish up the last post:

The faces on the casino billboard with dollar amounts are really two things: Average customers who win large sums of money, and celebrities with the price of their shows. That's why the average people have bigger amounts than the doctored-up photos!

Having a puppy is not like having a kid.

Yeah, it's pretty obvious, but at first, people overlook that.

"Having a dog will be good practice for when you have kids!"

After a pause, though, someone always realizes how silly that sounds and it's followed by some joke about leaving your kid at home locked in a kennel, or taking them outside to poop.

One aspect about humans that I wish I could apply to dogs is communication. Sure, dogs are pretty smart. But a human child can be punished for delaying his obedience. He obeyed, but not right away, and that's why he got punished. He knows what's expected of him and doesn't need to be rewarded for merely doing what's normal.

When training a dog, one has to consistently reward good behavior and punish bad behavior. It can be tough to figure out when the lines blur.

Say, for example, your dog is chewing on a shoe. "Bad dog!" you shout. As soon as the dog hears this, she drops the shoe and comes to sit next to you instead. I feel hesitant to reward her good behavior when it happens so soon after the bad, but I know it will help her learn.

Another example would be, "Come on! Come over here!" (hand clap) "C'mon, girl!"

After a few minutes the dog finally comes. I would want to punish the dog for the delay, but it's necessary to reward it for coming, if I want it to come quicker in the future.

Reno isn't too hard to get around in. Tim suggested buying me a gps, but I didn't think I would actually use them. And when we thought of how distracted I would be trying to mess with a gadget while driving, we didn't get one.

Wichita is pretty simple. There are four main highways that divide the city into a giant tic-tac-toe grid. Then you have to know the main street exits.

Reno is about the same size as Wichita, but with only two main highways that form four quadrants. (We live in the first, or the northeast quadrant.) Unfortunately, there's a lot of construction where those two highways meet. Wichita has prepared me well for this, so I know the times to avoid traveling north.

The two cities may be similar in size, but it definitely seems different. Reno is full of all sorts of casinos, and most people live just outside of the city. In fact, it seems like the area is mostly suburbs.

There's a casino I always drive past with a big, digital billboard. It always flashes a picture of a person, and then a dollar amount. The normal people have a lot of money, and the pretty people have a small amount flashing next to their mugs. Do you know why?!

Doings as of Late

Lately, I have been waiting for a job interview (should happen next week) and I have taken a small break from a large painting.

While Tim works in our office, I often wish I had a chair in there too, so I could work on my own things, and we could still be together. This week I fixed that problem!

First, I found our local Goodwill, and bought a rocking chair. Then, I sanded it down. I painted it a flat black, and then Tim suggested racing stripes. Last night, I finished it!

I'm going to have to get a better card reader, but I just thought I'd share this picture... I think Tim looks like a little kid here!