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It happened like clockwork after the daylight savings time change earlier this month. My mood dropped, it was an effort to get motivated, and I noted an increasing reluctance to go out. The temperature changes didn’t help either, but I’m aware of these mood changes this time of year and work to recognize these mood changes. I do things to go against these urges like work out, ride my bike, and make sure I get out to socialize. These things help a lot.

This has always been a challenge for me in DC. I often explain to others that our winters are like the scenes from the Sleepy Hollow animated feature and movie. It’s worth noting I didn’t feel this way this time of year in Portland. I was warned that their winters were miserable in a different way. Granted, I wasn’t working and was able to go out in the day to get some amount of UV through the cloud cover. But Portland was somewhat warmer despite being drippier with all the rain. I think the tipping point for me is the colder temperatures in DC.

The other thing comparing winters between the two cities was that I noticed that not everyone in Portland did proactive things to combat the winter blahs. Not everyone in DC does either, but considering the reputation of the winters in the Pacific Northwest, you would think more people would do things to actively combat the blahs. Anyway my conclusion from all of this is that DC doesn’t have the reputation for having horrid winter blahs, but should. It is just as bad here as in the Pacific Northwest, but not as rainy. Just cold and dark.

The other way DC is much like Sleepy Hollow is that we have a lot of headless torsos running around. I mean like people not showing their faces on mobile apps like Scruff. We have far more headless horsemen in DC than in Portland. I attribute this to some sort of cultural thing having to do with remnants of Puritanism or Southern propriety. And despite being recently hailed by the New York Times as one of the gayest places in America, there are still a lot of closet cases – or maybe people who think being seen on an app is indicative of their whorishness. This wasn’t the case in Portland, where people didn’t give a shit and showed their faces.

I think there were just as many open relationships in Portland as there are in DC. But again they were simply honest about their open status in Portland, which was very refreshing. In DC relationship statuses in online profiles are often left blank, where I simply assume they are in a relationship, open, and they think they are being sneaky about it. I much prefer to be fully disclosed on someone’s relationship status, then we can both go from there with all cards on the table. I don’t care if you’re an online whore or in an open relationship, I just want to be informed that you have a boyfriend. It helps interactions go much smoother. And believe me gurl, if you think I won’t find out you have a boyfriend at home, think again. My agents are everywhere.

Good news: while things are still rolling for a permanent job, I secured a short-term contracting gig that could possibly turn into a very lucrative long-term gig. It’s helping to write a proposal to assist as a contractor with the agency I formerly worked for. It’s the next best thing to actually getting right back with my former workplace. So right now it’s just helping to write a proposal as a “subject matter expert.” It’s nice to be recognized for my expertise after a year and a month of esteem-crushing joblessness. The irony is that they found me and actively recruited me without me having contacted them at all. This is after applying to 100+ jobs and networking my ass off for a year. I can’t complain, I guess this is how things work out. Now to turn on my UV lamp and get my happy self to work on Monday.

I have mixed feelings about Movember. On the one hand it’s great that people are raising awareness and funds to fight prostate cancer. On the other hand, the “rules” for the event encourage men to start growing a ’stache from scratch. Unless you are Turkish or a Wookiee, a month’s growth of ’stache will only result in something cheesy-looking. And ultimately many shave their caterpillars off by the end of the month, which makes me sad. You get much better results shaving down from a fully-grown beard – AND KEEPING THE ‘STACHE FOREVER. Now that’s dedication to a cause.

So I was tickled to see U.S. rugger Seamus Kelly (left) sporting a ’stache this weekend at the U.S. Eagles vs. New Zealand Māori All Blacks match in Philadelphia. It was a good game – I was expecting the Americans to get crushed but the final score was very close. It was good to go see some live rugby with the Renegades.

STILL LOOKING FOR WORK. Granted it’s only been a month since I got here, and the job application and networking machine is just getting started. But it would be nice to get back to work. Government jobs are not plentiful due to the sequester and, well, simply no budget set, so agencies aren’t willing or even able to open new positions. And from what I’ve been hearing from my former coworkers, the cuts have taken a toll on productivity and morale. They’ve been cutting back for years, despite what you’ve heard in the news, and could use some new blood. Hello, I’m here!

So I’ve been focusing more on contracting firms and nonprofits, who are hiring. I actually had a soft offer for a job that was inaccessible by public transit, so I had to turn it down. There have been opportunities here and there but I’m discovering I’m at an ambiguous point in my career. I’m too experienced for more junior-level communications positions, but don’t feel I have the management experience for senior level jobs in my field either. Shoot low and I have to settle for a low salary. Shoot too high and risk applying for a job I’m underqualified for.

In other news, in the month I’ve been here I’ve set up the house, cleaned up the jungle that was the back deck, got wireless Internets set up and finally got a roommate. It took a while to find one, which is surprising. The last time I looked for the same address I had five people come look at the place in a week, where one offered up two month’s rent up front. This time it was a mere trickle, and many were only marginally interested. The guy I ended up with is a good fit – he’s a long-time resident of the neighborhood who is merely moving from across the street. He’s mellow, likes birding and is a global traveller. He does not have a mustache, which is disappointing.

I’m mostly settled in to my new place and have started the job search in earnest. There are already a wealth of job opportunities to apply to, sometimes one each day that I’m genuinely interested in and qualified for. And networking has been off the hook as well, although the shutdown had slowed things down a bit. We’re also approaching the period where not a lot of government work gets done (late November though early January) which concerns me. So I’m focusing more on the nonprofit sector rather than federal employment, even though the latter is what I’d like to return to.

The neighborhood has changed radically in the year I’ve been away. Some blocks are completely unrecognizable. Tons of new restaurants and office buildings with more construction on the way. The crane is the state bird of the District of Columbia.

Between running around getting stuff for the house and meeting up with people to reacquaint and network, I haven’t had a minute to get on my bike for a good ride. I did manage to get out to the Shenandoah National Park to hike Old Rag Mountain with a group of new and old friends. It was a gloomy grey day but the fall colors were in full effect, and the hike was challenging with good views all around:



I have a temp gig with an old blogger friend in Baltimore on Friday and Monday. The pay is pretty good and the boss is a hoot.

I hit the ground running when I got to DC. Watch this video, and replace the drag queen’s rollerbag with a moving truck and you’ll get the idea:

I moved in fairly easily, unloaded the truck with the help of a few friends, and returned the thing the next day. It was good to be free of it. I’ve been running around the past couple of days buying housewares at IKEA and hardware stores and such, and am mostly settled in. Now to find a roommate (still looking!) and explore temp jobs. I was schmoozing for jobs before I got here, but the shutdown has frozen a lot of opportunities. My timing couldn’t have been worse.

I know a lot of government workers who are exploring the idea of temp work right now to make ends meet. DC is an expensive city and many of them are in a little bit of trouble not being paid for a few pay periods. I feel for them and hope things clear up soon. The whole shutdown is ridiculous on a lot of levels.

But that means the temp job scene is now flooded, making things challenging. I haven’t been worrying about it much due to getting things settled, but hopefully I will be able to score something in the short term, and a better paying job in the long term. Until then I’ve been networking and all that.

Hello from Holmen, Wisconsin! This time it only took three days to get here from Portland because I was a cruel slave driver, waking up at 7 every day and covering far more than I did on the way to Portland. We didn’t stop much for anything, and drove like the devil was at our backs. Well, that storm in Portland was behind us and turns out it was pretty bad. Anyway, here are some travel pics in no particular order:

The prairie dogs near the Badlands were unaffected by the government shutdown. Begging for handouts like the entitled Americans they are.

When we crossed the continental divide, it had already snowed quite a bit. Winter Is Coming:

These black angus cattle near Sheridan, Wyoming were lowing in the fields:

Here’s me being an anti-Obama, deregulatin’, rootin’-tootin’ Ummerican Live Free Or Die Tebagger near the Black Hills around Sturgis, South Dakota the day the government shut down on October 1st:

The windmills of southern Minnesota are a socialist plot to take away your freedoms and put you in FEMA death camps:

My landlord in DC tells me my place is ready. I’m eager to get there.

Weather was crazy here today, making the truck loading a wet business. Seems like some sort of tropical storm remnant that knocked out the power for a few hours today. But the truck is ready:

All the nasty blobs on the radar are right along my route. Fortunately it’s kind of a warm rain, and I don’t see any icy conditions on the way over the mountains:

That’s about all I got to say. It’s gonna be a long drive. A couple days in Wisconsin with the family if we get there in good time. To keep you busy, here’s woofy Ben Cohen dancing. He’s a little stiff in the waist but can jump and I’m sure he can lift:

Considering the volume of Nike-related SPAM I clean up in the comments section every day, you would think they could have hired me. I have been managing their frikkin’ content for years now.

Moving truck is secured, although I may get another honkin’ 16′ truck, which I learned I don’t need. I had plenty of space on the last trip. This time I opted for a 12′ truck which would be much easier to manage when I get to DC (and driving across country). I emphasized that with the fleet manager on the phone, but may end up with another huge truck. Maybe I’ll pick up pronghorn antelope roadkill to bring in for all the foodies in DC.

It’s already snowing in the Rockies, and I’m a bit concerned about the drive over the pass in Idaho. On my last trip the weather was nearly perfect, although I was driving a few weeks earlier in September. Birds are migrating though, which should make the drive through the ecologically significant prairie pothole region of South Dakota and southern Minnesota more interesting. I hope I don’t get distracted trying to identify all the swans and geese along the way.

My oldest brother, who lives up the Columbia Gorge outside of Portland, is driving with me as far as Wisconsin to visit family. This should be good if I want to extend driving beyond nightfall. Last time I quit driving at sunset for safety purposes since I was alone and was worried about falling asleep at the wheel. On the down side there may be some sibling bickering along the way.
>; )
I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Voice on NBC, but it was always nice to stop by to ogle Adam Levine for a few minutes. But this season he is fully bearded. I may be watching more often:

Well this quote from a 10 Most Overrated Cities in America article made me feel a little better:

Whether you’re playing semi-pro tag, food-truck hopping, forming (yet another) artsy folk band, or meditating on new ways to recycle, there are all sorts of things to distract you from the fact that there is no meaningful employment. Those of us who live in more fast-paced cities lose a few friends to Portland every month, only to hear them glumly report back that the city is “BYOJ” (Bring Your Own Job).

Considering the shooting incident at Navy Yard this week, I’m sure mom isn’t too happy about the move. Then again, there was that shooting in a nearby Clackamas mall last December in the Portland area. Nowhere is safe from crazy people with guns.

I’ve been thinking back on the things I’ve accomplished in the past year, trying to look on the bright side. Travel and adventure are certainly on top of the list, having visited Hawaii, Los Angeles and Seattle (both twice!) and an attempt at crossing the border to Canada. That was a mess of a trip but certainly memorable. And of course tons of hiking and camping. I’ve certainly covered a lot of the trails around Portland. Here are a few more:

• Streamlined my job application materials. Duh. Not sure if it’s the best example of an “accomplishment” but my LinkedIn profile is pretty sweet nowadays. Let’s hope it works better in DC. LinkedIn seems to be a new reality in the job hunt. Sometimes I find it convenient, more often I find it to be an annoying professional version of Facebook.
• Submitted article pitches for Dungeons & Dragons magazines. They didn’t get accepted, but it was something I always wanted to do and will probably try again some time.
• Made a lot of new friends in Portland. I’m bummed I have to go for this reason, but I’ve got to eat.
• Conquered a toenail fungus infection. This victory was short-lived when the recent brutal hiking trip killed the formerly fungal toenail. No toenail means no place for fungus to live.
• Learned precisely how much storage space and what size moving truck I need to put all my stuff. Let’s hope we can find a place to unpack it all and be rid of those boxes for a long time.

Last outdoor hurrah in the Pacific Northwest, a trip to Silver Falls State Park and a nearby Oktoberfest with friends:

The park had many more waterfalls to view, but my legs were still a mess after my hike earlier in the week. I was fine just seeing the one shown above. It also appears that I can no longer sleep soundly in a tent, despite having recently purchased a deluxe inflatable sleeping pad. I keep waking up all through the night and can’t get back to sleep. I’m chalking it up to being older. I will have to review my approach to the outdoors it seems now that I have upgraded all my gear.

The two-week countdown to leaving Portland begins. I’m filled with many conflicting emotions, regret being the least of them. A friend texted to me, “Look back on all you were able to do in this year and then move forward. It all happens for a reason; it just wasn’t Portland’s time.” That’s a good one to live by and I will try to remember those words. But returning to DC will mean immediately having to start working, with a liveable wage to cover rent. Playtime is over and couchsurfing is no longer an option. Plus I have been craving normalcy for quite some time now and want to get the show back on the road. I’m exploring temp work options remotely already – I will have to land on my feet and start sprinting right away.

I reached out to my former landlord and the unit below the one I used to live in may be available. He liked me and even offered a lower rent because I “take care of the place.” That would be wonderful for many reasons. It’s Metro-accessible, it’s a familiar address, it’s near all the spots I love, and it would be great to not have to run around looking for places to live when I get there. I haven’t gotten a solid confirmation back from him yet but it’s looking positive. I will need a roommate, but that should be easy to do once I get settled.

Oh, and JOB LEADS. Temp, contract, full-time, long-term, whatever. Preferably Metro-accessible. Send ‘em to me if you have them. Communications and public affairs stuff and of course blogging and social media. But hell I’ll dust your office if I have to.
>; )

By the time I got close to my hiking destination, I was seeing Smurfs walking around these amanita mushrooms:

I should have paid closer attention to the “difficult” rating of the Cool Creek trail. As it was I didn’t even make it to the lookout tower at Devil’s peak even though the trail was a mere 3+ miles. I quit hiking out of sheer exhaustion about 400m before the endpoint:

I took the above photo of the Devil’s Peak fire lookout the next day when I was able to hike a little bit more without a backpack. The incline never quit, and it worked muscles I haven’t used in a long time both going up and going down. I’m still sore as hell today but glad I quit a day early, as it got very hot the next couple of days. But the view the morning I left was unbeatable (click to embiggen):

If you look closely you can see (from left to right) Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams and the big one is Mt. Hood.

Today three of my toenails are purple, and expected to die in a few days. Next time I will make sure upcoming hikes are rated “easy” or “moderate.”