I forget who was telling me I should do this, but a friend of a friend told me to try this out, and I figured this wouldn't hurt, at the rate things are going for me right now: Does anyone know ANYONE who is hiring? I am willing to do anything that I am even remotely qualified for. And hell, if I'm not qualified for it, I'm a hard worker and a fast learner. Please please please holler at a sister.
And you know what, location is (almost) not a big factor. I'll go anywhere. Chicago feels too empty to be home right now.
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Just so you know that there are things in my life other than job searching and knowing the whereabouts/happenings of Erin Johnson and Angela Bizzarri *Sarah voice*, I thought I'd give you a lil' update on how yours truly is doing.
Y'know how the life of the unemployed person goes. I get up every morning, check my Blackberry for any sign of interest from employers, and then I search for jobs and apply all day. When I'm not doing that, I'm being sent around the city of Chicago running errands for my family. I have logged some miles, let me tell ya! In the time I've been back in Chicago, I've been able to see most of my old friends, practically my entire family, and I've even gotten to go back to Champaign with the "Original Gang" (please someone get this reference) for the wedding of one Kim Dyar (write up coming soon, I swearsies, Kim!) I'm also officially not a Champaign resident anymore, so there's that. This means I need to finally get my ass to all the restaurants I keep saying I want to go to, so if you're in Chicago and want to hit up some good food, holler at your friend.
After about a month of making up for sleep debt and not waking up until 1pm every day, I've been getting up around "class time" for the past couple weeks. I had a 9:30am this past semester (my earliest class ... 1pm on M, 9:30 on T/TR, and 11am on W -- so joyous), so I was in the habit of waking up around 7 or 8am. I'm back in that habit, albeit this time around I don't have a gym to go work out in before class, and no class to go to afterwards even if I did have a gym. I'm working on that joining a gym part, not so much the class part. I do have to say I miss academia though, which is why I get up so early at home (and yes, 7am is early to me, so suck it all of you who are employed and have to get up early for realsies), so I can read and write and keep my brain sharp. Surprisingly, I did really well in my last semester, save for that Holocaust class (Curse you, B+. Couldn't have thrown me a damn bone, Fritzsche? Eh well, that whole optional final thing was good enough I suppose), but I was usually too busy admiring the seething anger of my super cute TA, Dave Bates *swoon*. Oh, and in case any of you are wondering, I got an A on my senior honors thesis. Scoresville. I am POSITIVE that Paul Diehl is sitting there, reading "China's Wild Wild West", wondering how ANYONE could a. finish and b. get an 'A' on a thesis that they barely even read books or articles for. (This is obviously an exaggeration ... I actually read somewhere in the neighborhood of 60+ books and articles so uhhhhhhhh ...) If you want a hilarious read, check out the University of Illinois' undergrad library in about two months and check out my BOUND thesis. Pretty freaking cool.
I've also been drinking a lot of coffee, reading A LOT (and not textbooks, for once!), and trying my hardest to offset the headaches of being at home with the great benefits of being here. First and foremost, no rent. Secondly, great food. Third, my parents just bought a new 55" HD flat screen to supplement our DirecTV. I'm talking, this shit is awesome. My parents have no idea what they've done. I asked if they knew that they got the premium sports package, and they said no. We get all the ESPNs (including ESPNU!!1! *geeking myself*), NBA TV, CBS College Sports, Big Ten Network, and a shit ton of other sports channels. I have been going crazy watching classic college basketball games, track & field championships, World Cup games, baseball, and a ton of other shit in HD. It's like I'm freaking there! Come football and basketball season, games will be at my house, you bring the beer. I'm SO AMPED.
Being home also means I'm digging up old CDs and whatnot. So far, I've unearthed all the CDs I listened to when I was in elementary and middle school. I'm talking Millencolin, Smashing Pumpkins, Midtown, Bad Religion, and so much other old stuff. I'm loving it. I've also watched the entire "Sex and the City" series (for the second time what up, I would), and am currently working my way through the entire "Family Guy" series for the second time. Of course, it's also my summer tradition to rewatch "The O.C.", and I've got a lot of summer left to go ...
Despite what it sounds like, I'm really not sitting in front of my TV/computer all day. But just so you know my entire life doesn't revolve around my television, my life *actually* revolves around sports, obviously.
While it's "phasing out" of my life, I'm actually still playing ultimate about four days out of the week. Two days of practice with Spicy Tuna and two nights of summer league with Matthews and 4-Play. I'm struggling with club, not gonna lie. After the beating my body took this season, I told myself I'd stay away, but I just wanna play with Big Foster, not gonna lie. Summer league is hell of fun. We're not winning many games, but it's just fun to fuck around and actually *laugh* playing ultimate again. Other than that I'm pretty detached from the ultimate scene. Surprisingly I have a number of friends playing at Worlds, including a couple Illinois alum (Chan with China, obviously, and Shawn with CLX). I haven't been following super closely, but I really appreciate Ultiorganizer and the stats, although I wish they'd also compiled D stats.
Of course, I'm watching a lot of World Cup. I don't know too much about the US team but of course you gotta cheer for the Born Free Boys, as my dad would say. Even when they were still in the tournament, I just liked watching exciting games in general. I first got into soccer as an elementary school student, because this boy I liked was obsessed with Zvonimir Boban and Davor Suker, and then I got obsessed with it because I discovered David Beckham (still have two of his jerseys in my closet and his poster on my wall whaaattt uppp?). I got really into watching Premier League and all that jazz, but when I started to get really serious about basketball in high school I kinda fell out of it. That said, I don't have a favorite World Cup team, but I do want Spain to win it all, just to spite this one kid I know who thinks the Netherlands shit gold. Needless to say, I want to punch this kid in the face. He recently became a New Orleans Saints fan, and I bet he's a Miami Heat fan right now. Bandwagon fans make me sick.
So. The Decision. I'm sure you're all dying to know what I think about it. (read: you're not, but I'm going to tell you anyway.) First off, Dwayne Wade broke my heart. I'm not totally sure he was ever genuinely interested in joining Chicago. I've loved him since his Marquette days, and I have always said he is the best out of that 2003 draft class (suck it, LeBron ... although LAWL doesn't Luke Freaking Walton have the most rings out of anyone in that class? Baha). I have always wanted to see him back home -- that would have been an amazing backcourt, Derrick Rose and Dwayne Wade. *sigh* While I'm still a big D-Wade fan, I have to admit that I'm a little hurt. Chris Bosh would have been a great addition to our line-up, too. I actually really wanted to see him here; I think he would have complemented the rest of our front court really well. Think about it -- we would have had the defensive center in Joakim Noah, the offensive prowess of Chris Bosh at the 4, and Luol Deng being all funny-looking at the 3. Throw in Dwayne Wade at the 2 and Rose distributing, and we would have been SICK.
So. LBJ. The self-proclaimed "King". I have always disliked LeBron James. So unbelievably full of himself, right from the start. I never wanted him to come to the Bulls. I hate that we dumped Kirk Hinrich, who used to be my favorite Bull (before BRAD MILLER and his Scrappy Doo tattoo came back to the team, obviously) to try and get him to come. He's a good player, and I respect that. But do I like him? Hell no, and I probably never will. He doesn't come close to Michael Jordan, not as a player and not as a man. Do you think Michael Jordan ever would have made a media spectacle out of this the way LeBron has? I mean, a one-hour special on ESPN? Really? I can't believe he did Cleveland that way. I am by no means a Cleveland fan, but I wanted him to stay there because I'm a hometown fan, and I know I'd be heartbroken if my hometown hero left. How in the world could you break a whole city's heart like that, on national television nonetheless? That is cold. While I don't think Dan Gilbert can back this up right away, I'm right there with him. Hey Evan Turner, wanna loan your nickname to LeBron? *snicker*
And before all you Kobe fans start on me, don't go comparing Black Mamba to MJ either. Ya'll saw the graphic during the NBA Finals, right? Kobe has played in more Finals games than MJ, but Michael is undefeated in Finals series, has more MVPs, and averaged more PPG. No comparison. And for the record, I like Kobe a lot more than I like LeBron, which might truly reveal my feelings about "the King". I don't think I'm a Kobe hater, actually. I like that he has such a huge chip on his shoulder, and I really respect him as a player. Like that one season when he injured one of his fingers on his shooting hand and had to adjust the way he shot just to keep playing -- mad respect for that. So I don't hate Kobe, it just so happens that I like a lot of other players more than I like Kobe. As my friend Doc, probably one of the biggest Laker fans I know, said about the Lakers after they won: "2000 on the pinkie, 01 on the thumb, 02 on the ring, 09 on the index and 10 ON THE MIDDLE FOR ALL THE HATERS!!!!" Baha, well put, Doc.
Anyway, just because three of the most desired free agents (what, you don't call Kyle Korver desirable?) all landed in Miami doesn't make them an automatic championship contender. As much as I am the very opposite of a Lakers fan, I don't think the Heat could beat the Lakers. The Lake have Kobe, who is not only a great player but is also the clear leader of the team and is someone who knows how to win. They also have the veteran wiles of Derek Fisher, which the Heat lack. Ron Artest, that old crazy, can play defense on either Dwayne Wade or LeBron. I also think the Lakers have a MUCH better front court than the Heat, who only have Chris Bosh. I'd like to see Bosh try to bang against Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom is pretty good too. Then of course there is my favorite Laker, Pau Gasol. I LOVE that guy's game. Did ya'll see the way he played in that Finals series? Big time, my friends.
Of course, the Heat have to get out of the East, first, which I'm not totally convinced they could do. First of all, they're not the only team down there in Florida. The Magic are gonna be a tough matchup for them. Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, and Rashard Lewis are all ballers, but let's be 4srs here -- Dwight Howard. Do the Heat have anyone who could remotely play against this guy? Nope. Then there's the Celtics. Now, ya'll know I'm not a Celtics fan. In fact, I actually cheered against the Celtics, for the freaking Lakers in the Finals. Tells you how I feel about them. But the C's are also a tough matchup for the Heat. As much as I hate to admit it, Rajon Rondo is good. The Heat don't have a point like Rondo. Again, I keep exposing the Heat's front court -- the Celts have KG, Scowlin' Kendrick Perkins, Big Baby, Paul Pierce ... BRIAN SCALABRINE (possibly another ginger in Luke Harangody). Try to match that shit, Miami. Also, gotta plug for my UConn guy, Jesus Shuttlesworth.
Oh, and I don't care how many rings Miami Thrice could potentially win -- they will NEVER come close to being the Bulls Dynasty. That 1995-1996 team? I was only eight at the time but shit I knew those boys could ball! Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Luc Longley, Toni Kukoc, Randy Brown, Steve Kerr ... but more importantly Dickie Simpkins, John Salley, Jason Caffey, James Edwards, Bill Wennington, and my personal favorite and possibly most important Jud Buechler (!!!) -- eat your hearts out LBJ, D-Wade, and Avatar!
(Hey, anyone wanna shoot the shit about 1990s NBA basketball? *sigh* I miss those days.)
Speaking of the Bulls, we're gonna be just fine. Carlos Boozer gives us a big boost on the inside. He's a great scoring option in the post, something we've really lacked in recent years, and he's been averaging double-double for the last four years, which I really like. Joakim Noah is on the rise (and also kind of hilariously crazy), and I've always liked LOL DANG, despite his Dukie background. I am loving Derrick Rose at the point. I was kind of a doubter at first, but after watching him this season, I'm really, really growing to like him. I hope we can pick up a shooter, hell I'll take Mike Miller or Kyle Korver (holler, Creighton), and I'd really like it if we picked up Richard Jefferson. Guess we'll just have to wait and see who else we pick up. But I think that if we can avoid injuries, we could be a pretty good team, and we'll make the playoffs.
All of that said, I can't wait for college basketball. The Illini are gonna be good this year. I was never a big Illini fan until this year, mostly because I really like Tyler Griffey, but I think they're gonna be good. I've been reading a ton of good things about Jereme Richmond, and Tizzy has apparently put on tons of weight. I like this team a lot, and I'm expecting a run into the NCAA tournament. I cannot wait for college basketball to start! Eek my favorite season of the entire year!
Posts not about my hilariously uneventful life coming up soon, after The Most Eventful Weekend of All-Time.
See some of ya'll at Sandblast.
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