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Fall 2003
Thursday, August 21st, 2003
It's been a week since I've had a job. This is the longest I've gone without work in quite some time. I'm still listed as "seasonal" at the theater (which means I can go back without having to be "rehired") so I can tell myself I'm not truly unemployed, although it seems that way.
I worked two jobs this summer: KB Toys and another for my brother 18 hours a week. The latter hasn't been mentioned until now because it wasn't terribly note worthy. I sold people videos, pictures and picture CDs of stuff and was paid in cash under the table. The whole cash thing was my downfall as it was easy to spend (and have stolen) and I barely managed to save more than five hundred bucks this summer even with working every single day at one or both of my jobs and pulling in 38-50 hours a week. On top of this, I have nothing to show for my financial losses. I find it amazing how quickly money can disappear.
To get myself through this period of unemployment I need to reevaluate my expenditures and develop a careful budge plan. I've also accepted more financial backing from my parents than I would like, but then again, "They are my parents and that's what parents do."
If work becomes absolutely necessary and won't adversely effect my studies, then I'll get a job. Seeking such at a local Regal cinema should be less than difficult and there's always the option of weekends at the old theater.
What it comes down to is that this joblessness was voluntary to afford me more study time and it shouldn't be a problem unless I go crazy with my savings or have the rest stolen. I need to realize this is a good thing, a break.
Thursday, September 4th, 2003
Tomorrow, September 5th, 2003, will mark one year since the closing of Ridge. One Year .
It was a year ago tomorrow that I went to Ridge to... take... what I could as mementos. I got away with a banner (now gone), some mylars, other various postings and the letter "X" from the marquee. While taking the letter, my boss drove up and was like, "What are you doing?" and I was like, "Oh god! I'm not stealing!" But I was. Then I walked around the building a little. There were a few others there just to walk around for the last time. One was the local movie reviewer that did all his movie reviews at Ridge. We talked for a while, I can't remember what about. I wonder what it was like for the boss to turn off the projectors for the last time that night. Who knows...
The thought has finally occurred to me that my life now could be starkly different if Ridge would not have closed. A year ago, a promotion was coming my way. Had this come to be, I probably wouldn't have switched Universities (because as a manager I wouldn't leave my job) and I wouldn't have gone to Florida this summer. I wouldn't have met all of the people at West Tower and I wouldn't have met the people in Florida. But I would still be in Richmond, at VCU, where I want to be, friends with the people I never get to see, and I would be making decent money. Still, it was obvious the place was going to close sooner or later. So maybe I would have stuck with it, and stuck with Richmond, and then lost my job, or been transferred to West Tower as a manager. Or maybe there are too many possibilities and I should just stick with what I got.
As it is, I'm not entirely sure I'm going back to West Tower, ever. Any break from school I ever get would be gladly spent in Florida. I have two ready-at-will jobs there, and friends and people I care a lot about. If I was not so tied to this fucking land-of-opportunities-university then I would be in Florida right now. Right this very second. As it is, I'm here, in Charlottesville Virginia, plugging away at my studies, following the pipe dream of having a "real" job when I graduate. Although everything I'm doing now seems horrible and utterly pointless, I need to remember that I don't have an objective prospective on things at the moment, so I need to sit tight until everything reveals itself.
(For the random reader that has no idea what I'm talking about: I transferred to a new University this year (my second year) because it is supposed to be better, the best in fact. So, I gave up my friends, my established home and my job to pack up and move here, and thus far I don't like it. But I'm optimistic. I also left my movie theater job at the beginning of the summer to live in Florida for a couple of months and work for my brother. I loved FL and had a really hard time leaving at the end of the summer, knowing I was coming back to three years of difficult schooling at a place I knew nothing about)
Still, if I don't go back to West Tower, I'll miss it. I'll miss the people. At Ridge I worked with two twin brothers and they transferred to WT when I did, so we've worked together for two years. This is their senior year of high school and I'll miss seeing what they decide to do when they graduate. There's also my old boss from Ridge that became the Head boss at WT who just had a baby. I wonder how that's going to go. And all of the employees I had classes with. I'll miss that. And the whole group of employees who are new freshman at that university. I'll miss reliving my freshman year through them. And the oldies. God forbid any of them leave us for good. And the customers. I'll miss the regulars and the ones that always said, "Hi." Yeah, there are things to be missed at WT.
So that's me a year after the closing of Ridge. Unemployed and plugging along (At the number one public university... yadda yadda...)
Wednesday, September 10th, 2003
I've seen two people lately out of the blue who I used to work with at Ridge. This past weekend at a new mall that just opened I saw one of my old favorites. He was on an escalator headed down and I was on the opposite headed up. I saw him as we crossed, but so shocked was I that I couldn't remember his name until he passed. I then remembered but it was too late. He had disappeared amidst the thousands of people. I was surprised to see he still lives in this town and looked as miserable as ever.
A few days ago I saw another guy I worked with for a summer. He walked up to me and was like, “Do you still work at Ridge?" And I was just like, "Wha...?" It was cool, he's a frat guy here so now I have the hookup at one of the biggest Greek societies on campus... whoop-de-doo...
Thinking about it more, I realize how totally screwed over I was by the closing of Ridge.
Saturday, September 13th, 2003
The Ambiguity of History
A year ago today, I started working at West Tower. Nine months later I left.
What if Ridge would have never closed? I would have become a manager about a year ago. I would have kept going to VCU. I'd be sharing an apartment with my friends. I would be having a good time. I would be making decent money. I would have power. I'd be a manager. At Ridge.
The what if's make up the Ambiguity of History. The possibilities. The things that didn't happen.
Thursday, October 16th, 2003
I don't think I'm going back to my movie theater job. It was fun while it lasted and I liked a lot, but I like living and working in Florida more. I can't see myself staying in Virginia for my breaks just to work at the theater. I was finally getting somewhere with this job, so it's only natural that it ended. I'll miss it and I'll miss everything else I gave up in that city (A school I loved, people I loved and a job I liked a lot). Oh well. Now I have Florida for a few months each year. There I have a job that's ok, another optional job that sucks (KB) and a bunch of people I really like a lot (not to mention the clubs, the beach and SkyVenture).
I suppose there's always a small chance I'll end up back at the theater at some point... That will be weird. (And kind of sad, too, because it will remind me of everything I gave up when I moved to this new university. What a fucking mistake.)
On a side note, next week I will be putting in 20 hours at the local movie theater. I'm volunteering for the Virginia Film Festival. Not sure what I'll be doing or what to expect, but it should be... interesting... (See KillBill)
Sunday, November 2nd, 2003
Things with the film festival went ok. I was by far the youngest person volunteering, but that's ok. I ended up seeing a lot of free movies and didn't have to do much.
I've discovered Ridge #2. It's right here down the street from me in Charlottesville. Like Ridge it's kinda old and doesn't get very good movies. The interior design is also a lot like Ridge, so much so that it was creepy. If I get a job in Charlottesville, it will definitely be at this theater.
Yea, I really need a job. I don't really have time for a job, but I still need one. I've nearly spent my life's savings and I'm feeling a bit poor. I'm so disparate for some green, in fact, that I've volunteered for a medical study here at the University. I'll find out this week if I qualify. Qualifying will be like winning the lottery. All I have to do is take some herbs for a few weeks to strength my immune system and then be locked in a hotel room for six days and exposed to a cold bug to see if I get sick. That's it, and it pays pretty well. Yea, like winning the lottery.
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