:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: Saturday, September 17, 2005 ::

:: So. What's next? ::

I watched today's Marlins vs. Phillies game and witnessed a teamwide meltdown rivaled only Mariah Carey's famous implosion on TRL. Seriously, they were up 2 runs and needed only three more outs. And what happens? FOUR errors? Even before there's an out recorded? Closer Todd Jones, who's been unyielding most of this season (and has a mustache that ensures him a career in porn once he retires from baseball. That or a replacement for the biker guy in The Village People), gave up four earned runs without recording an out. The end result? They gave up TEN runs in the ninth. Seriously, that sucked donkey nuts.

Oh yeah, the Dodgers lost too. Giants pitcher and supposed ace Jason Schmidt lasted only five innings and gave up a run whereas our guy Jeff Weaver went eight innings and gave up only two. You're telling me we couldn't scratch together two more runs against that sorry ass bullpen? Weaver, your team owes you an apology. Owner Frank McCourt owes you and the fans an apology. And not only does he needs a severe beating but he needs to sell the team to an owner that cares about, you know, WINNING. Go back to writing your depressing novels you big-haired asswipe. (I'm kidding. Different guy.)

Oddly enough those results got me to thinking (no, I'm serious): I'm almost done with school and the question everyone's been asking me "so what now?" Or "where do you want to work?" I have a pretty good idea where I want to end up but the question of whether I actually will is an entirely different matter.

I'd love to stay in Miami (though I'd definitely have to move off the Beach) but there's only one agency here that I'd want to work for and they tend to be rather selective about hiring. Not to say I don't have the ability to work at Crispin (I've met a couple guys employed there and how they even got hired is far beyond the frog scene in "Magnolia" on the "explain THAT to me" scale) I've heard anecdotes that lead me to believe that whether or not I get hired will be predicated on my what my favorite color is and whether or not I can function on ten hours of sleep per week.

There's a little advertising place out in San Diego that does some great work and their client list seems like a lot of fun to work with. Seattle sounds nice. If those don't work out, I'm pretty much open to whatever.

Two places I don't want to work right now: Los Angeles and New York City. I grew up is L.A. I love the place and I'll always be a SoCal beach boy at heart. But as of right now I'm (relatively) young and unattached so why not take this time to live in another city? There's nothing tying me down other than a few close friends (couple of whom also moved to the East Coast). I mean, I'll miss going to In 'n Out for my Double Double (with grilled onions and fries well done, animal style) but I tend to overindulge in that guilty pleasure anyway so a little distance is probably a good thing. The other guilty pleasure I tend to overindulge being... umm... actually never mind.

(That reminds me, I don't know if it's because White Castle has more national recognition but that movie might have done better if they called it "Harold and Kumar go to In 'n Out." I haven't seen it but I just have a gut feeling about this. Come to think of it, that's gonna be the sequel. Give a year or so and we're gonna be seeing the trailer in front of a movie starring Will Ferrell. You heard it here first.)

New York City? I'd love a chance at living in NYC actually. Just, not on an entry-level salary. While agencies there do tend to pay a little higher, it still isn't a commensurate increase to cover the astronomical cost of living and when taking into account rent, living expenses, and paying off my student loans, I'm not gonna be able eat. Maybe in ten years or so when I'm creative director or something but not now.

I should probably also mention that San Francisco is another city I'd try to avoid. Not that I hate it or anything (maybe a little. Or a lot). It's a city that I don't mind visiting but living there would be a little, wearisome. It amuses me how Frisco is trying to pass itself off as the NYC of the West Coast and honestly, I don't see it. Sure there's plenty of public transportation, restaurants, and culture but you know what? Bacteria is a type of culture and as much as NYC may have that you don't see them bragging about it. Frisco is to NYC and other big cities what Kenny G is to jazz, ok? (Apologies to my Frisco readers. Not really.) Other than the 49ers anyway.

Honestly, my immediate and long term future are up in the air right now and there's something simultaneously exciting and terrifying about that.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 11:43 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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