The past couple of weeks have been a blur of events, so to summarize a bit, I'm posting a letter I wrote to the employees at the Washtenaw County Health Department as an update on James and I (by the way, the title is in reference to a role-play situation I was in during our training at Communicare--I was a disgruntled client complaining about a roommate's cat that was "shitting on my shit"--sound familiar??):

Earlier this year, I had been pestering James about adding a kitty to our family, despite his reservations about the responsibilities that having a cat would include. I was not very good with the fish we had (James ended up being the only one that remembered to feed them daily and clean the fish tank) so you can understand why he was reluctant to move on to a newer beast. I reassured him that cats can cuddle with you, remind you they need to be fed, etc. So he made a deal with me--when we get jobs we can get a kitty.

Our fervent job searching may finally be over. Linsey had a premonition last weekend that the week ahead would be a fruitful one, and it definitely was. Linsey managed to land some freelance graphic design work at a few of the local screen printing shops and has been commuting to St. Petersburg for the past two weeks to fill in at a small design shop. We were also both called in for an interview at a place called Communicare, a group home type setting for rehabilitating people with acquired brain injuries. Our jobs would be to assist a group of residents with relearning life skills, such as cooking, making their beds, socializing, etc. We interviewed last week and have a second interview lined up for tomorrow afternoon.

I also had two interviews at Best Buy here in Clearwater this past week. They both went very well and I was  expecting to find out if I got the job some time this week, but haven't heard from them yet. I would be working in the home theater department. Not exactly the kind of job I'm looking for with my fresh bachelors degree, but a job is a job when the student loans start to dry up.

Last Saturday was a little sunnier than it has been the past week. We've been getting quite a few rain storms, which are refreshing, but make traveling about outside slightly difficult since you never know when the sky is going to open up. We used the break in the rain to go for a bike ride on Pinellas Trail that runs pretty much the entire length of Pinellas County. It was a great leisure ride, quite a few cross roads but not much traffic.

On the return leg of the trip, Linsey found a giant locust sitting out in the middle of the pathway. It resembled a grasshopper that had made its way into some sort of radioactive substance that caused it to grow to almost four inches long. The bugs are definitely bigger down here.

I've been doing a lot of biking lately. usually get in anywhere between 20-25 miles at least every other day. I've found that heading over the causeway to the islands on the other side is one of the best places to ride. Most of the roadways heading north or south have bike lanes on the side or the speed limit is only 20-25mph so it makes it pretty safe. I just started getting back into running yesterday. The biking has been a lot easier on my foot, which I believe may have a stress fracture from upping my running mileage a little too much a month ago. It still bothers me but not as bad as a few weeks ago, so I think a slow start back into running will be best. 

I went out for a run yesterday morning for the first time in more than two weeks. It was 10:00am and 82 degrees. For some reason, the sun seems extra strong here in the morning. You start to sweat almost as soon as you leave the house. I only did 2.5 miles and was completely soaked. When I go out for a run, I'll usually set my gps out on the sidewalk in the front yard to zero in on the satellites while I sit down on the steps to put my shoes on. The little lizards are always out there every morning and scamper into the shrubbery when I approach. I think it's usually the same lizards I see out there everyday. There's usually a big one that's somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 inches including its tail and a baby one that is only about 3 inches long that usually likes to stay close to the stairway to our apartment. They are extremely fast runners, almost seem like little darts being shot out of an invisible gun every time I see one fly by. I'm always scared I'm going to step on one or run one over when I'm biking.

To take a break from job searching and to have myself a little fun, I decided to teach myself how to use flash. Mike Johnson, since it's your birthday, you're the lucky first person I get to make fun of.

Okay, maybe it's not a contest. But gosh darn it--I wanna win enough votes for my design! Check it out here:Score this design: "Get Fit or Die Tri-ing," to help it get printed on Threadless!



(the design is still pending approval--but it should be approved in the next couple of days so keep checking back! I could win $2000 plus $500 in Threadless gift certificates!)

I had my first ever ocean experience yesterday. Linsey and I had been cramped up in the house for the past few days sorting through our boxes and looking for jobs so we decided to take a break and head to the beach. The beach in Clearwater is amazing. The sand is so fine that it feels as if your walking on baby powder, not to mention that it is probably the whitest sand I've ever seen. The waves were quite calm while we were there, only averaging a foot or two high with an occasional rogue wave that plowed into us unexpectedly. I was amazed at how warm the water was. I'm used to the great lakes where you have to run up to the waters edge and dip your toes in to see if it's feasible for the rest of your body to enter. The water here is even warmer than any lap pool I have ever swam in and the view down the beach is spectacular. It's littered with brightly colored high rise hotels and condos with carefully manicured lawns. Dozens of small shops ranging from surf shops to small tropical themed restaurants line the beach and many of the inland roads. We stayed in the water near pier 60 for roughly a half hour before heading back home for dinner.


This morning I went out for a bike ride around 10am when the sun wasn't at its hottest. It was 85 degrees and I'm still not acclimated to the heat so it was a rough ride. I headed southwest from our apartment and met up with a bike trail that runs almost the entire length of Pinellas County, from the southern tip of St Petersburg up to the north side of Tarpon Springs spanning a total distance of roughly 40 miles. I took the trail south about 6-7 miles and then took a small causeway over to the islands that line the west coast of Pinellas County. The picture from the left is on the island.
While I was heading south on the bike trail, I came upon a road crossing where a man driving what looked like an old Volkswagon had stopped to let me cross. The man had a huge grin on his face and excitedly waved me across the roadway. The man looked exactly like Michael Jackson, pale white skin, nose and all. I waved back to thank him and continued on my way wishing I would have had the sense to request a photo with him. The rest of the day I had Man in the Mirror stuck in my head.

If you are living in Michigan (and I'm sure you are given we only have three followers and they are all from Michigan) and you want to be transported to a land much different from the Great Lakes, look no further than Florida. We've been here a week and I have had a lot to reflect on here.

Study A: Flora
You've seen the pictures; palm trees, Birds-of-Paradise against the warm colors of the Gulf sunset. Well, it's sort of like that. There's palm trees everywhere--there are load of different types: hairy ones, stout ones, tall, Dr. Suess-looking ones. It's lush, wild, and green here. Unfortunately that green scenery you've just imagined is competing with the overload of vacant, 1960s-reminiscent, pastel-colored buildings here in Clearwater. There's ivy growing everywhere and these huge trees with what looks like moss hanging from them in almost every back yard. But I will say, it is beautiful here. The Hibiscus flowers on every corner just make you smile.

Study B: Fauna
If you love reptiles, this is the place to be. There are lizards everywhere! I have never seen so many of them in my whole life. Much like the flora here, there is a very dense population of animals that live here with us. That includes the laundry list of insects that make my skin crawl incessantly. Despite the insect population, the animals here are so interesting. When we went swimming in the Gulf yesterday, there were majestic Brown Pelicans floating and flying near us. They were so cool! Just the other day, we were driving around and we saw parrots perched on a telephone pole chatting away. I would definitely take that over Kill-Deer any day.

Study C: Climate & Its Effects
Looking for a quick way to lose weight? Try sweating 23 hours a day in 93 degree heat. That really melts the extra pounds off from all that horrible eating you did while making your way down 1400 miles of American highway. Yep, I can safely say that I have lost five pounds since moving here (although that may also be due to unemployment-stress too but I am sort of an emotional eater, so the cause is unknown). James and I have never taken this many showers either. You know it's hot when you set your air conditioning to 84 degrees and that feels cool. As far as weather goes, it's been really nice. We've had some rain but only at night. That same storm produced some crazy lightning! James really wants to experience a hurricane, but I can wait until we have some renter's insurance.

Study D: Environment
Okay, Uncle Mark. I'll admit it. Florida is one big strip mall. It seems like since the 1960s, when this land was really being developed, the city "planners" said "to heck with zoning and planning--let's make this a business party." Well, I think the party ended in the 1980s and what's left is mess of vacant buildings, too many of the same business on every street corner, and no local identity. Imagine, living in wonderful place like Ann Arbor, a city with a unique urban identity, with lots of progressive ideas being put in place, and urban planning. Now imagine moving from this liberal, crunchy, hippie-loving mecca to a city where everything is a pastel color, 85% of the population is over the age of 60 and you have to knock on your neighbor's door to make sure they are not beating their kid (yes, that really happened). It's been quite a change. But despite Clearwater's misgivings, the downtown has some character and I bet the more we get to know the city and the landscape, the less we'll compare it to lovely Ann Arbor.

Other Observations
James and I have come to the conclusion that parts of Clearwater are food deserts. We have Publix, but they are only in certain areas of town. Today we were trying to find other grocery stores around town and ended up in a slightly frightening part of town in place where we stuck out like sore thumbs. We bought some Faygo and left for Publix after that.

The job search has been a strenuous one. If I had a nursing degree, I'd be all set. But I chose public health because, well, I liked it and felt I was good at it. I still believe those things, but I'm coming to the realization that there aren't a lot of jobs out there that allow me to utilize my newly obtained degree and that is challenging. The skills that have served me well so far are my graphic design skills which I obtained in high school and working at a screen printing shop (skills I didn't have to pay for). Nonetheless, I am trying to find positions where I can utilize either or both degrees and even my minor in family studies. I might be given some freelance graphic design work from a print shop here in Clearwater so that's good news. I also just applied to a WIC clinic in Largo, a women's health clinic in St. Pete, and a brain trauma center here in Clearwater where I would be helping brain trauma patients regain life skills. I'm hopeful that something will pan out. Plan B involves me just starting my own freelance business and finding random work that way. I'm trying to keep my options open.

I know that this blog post has been a little cynical and, at times, negative about my experience so far but my visit to the beach yesterday trumped all of that. Talk about a prescription for SANITY. Feeling that soft, white sand between my toes and the warm waters of the Gulf made all my piss and vinegar dissolve. James and I floated, jumped with the waves, and just enjoyed being alive in those waters. That feeling of calm, beauty, and natural connectedness is what makes people flock to live here. The beach is my happy place. Along with our beautiful, little apartment. It's cute isn't it?