War In San Francisco

Another quick update here. First and foremost, I’ve come to realize how quickly the start date for my school is coming up and that I still haven’t been really approved for any of the money to attend. In fact, I’ve been denied on two separate occasions. However, I have been approved for the “merit loan”, which the name alone sounds like something extraordinary and remarkable. Quite the contrary actually. This “merit loan” is, in essence, just like any other loan you would take out for a car or a house. Which means that you have to start paying it back immediately. Now don't think that I am, for one second, not grateful for being approved for the "merit loan". Apparently this particular loan is only awarded to one person each session. Quite the honor really.

Well, this is bad news to a student that would be using that loan money to attend school full time for a solid year. With being at school full time, it would prove to be rather difficult to work as many hours as he does already, barely make ends meet, and take on another loan payment....? Like any other loan, the “merit loan” requires a down payment. General rule of thumb for down payments is 10% of your total loan should be your down payment. If you do the math for that, 10% of $30,000.00 is $3,000.00.

If you are clutching at your throat right now, gasping for air at the thought of slamming down $3,000.00, then you and I are in the same boat. That, to me, is a lot of money.

The beauty of student loans is that you apply for the money to attend school, the loaners understand that you will be bettering yourself with an education and give you time to actually go to school. They don’t expect you to pay back the loan until you have graduated. Now that makes sense to me in so many more ways than the “merit loan” that expects payments immediately plus a hefty down payment.

I have high hopes. I also, thanks to my mother, have a good sense of reality and know when to stop mindlessly chasing your dreams. At least until your dreams are a little bit more attainable.

And speaking of dreams, pillows are usually where they take place. Which brings me to something a little lighter and not so depressing also the reason for the title of this post. Kendra over heard a couple of ladies talking about a huge pillow fight happening in downtown San Francisco. So naturally she Googled it and found out that it has been running for a few years now and is an annual thing every Valentines Day. Apparently thousands of people meet in the Justin Herman Plaza and when the big clock on the Ferry building stikes 6pm, the feathers begin to fly. I nabbed a video from YouTube (below) of previous years and ones in different cities, so you can get an idea of how big this thing really is.

If I can weasel my way out of work early I am going to pack my bag with my weapon and try to make it down there to, at the very least capture some video or photos. 

You can see more information for the craziness that is the Great San Francisco Pillow Fight right HERE

 

In regards to my P.S.

So that was interesting. While posting the last blog post, I happened to notice this dude who walked in and kinda didn’t look like he was interested in buying coffee from the cafe I was at. He walked back and forth in the lobby a couple of times and then left.

About 10 minutes later he happened to show up right in front of me and I payed him no mind. I just assumed that he was waiting for a ride or someone else to show up.

WRONG!

That ballsy asshole walked over to a gentleman who was sitting to my left and snatched his laptop and bolted out the door. Without thinking I reached for him as he ran past me but only barely even touched the back of his shirt. The gentleman then ran out the door chasing him and I wasn’t really sure what to do. I have had enough of my personal things stolen to where I wasn’t about to help run down this jerk off and leave my own computer laying there for anyone to snatch up for themselves. So I just gathered up the victims laptop power cord and wrapped it up for him and put it with the rest of his stuff.

I hadn’t noticed but the manager of the cafe had bolted out the back to try and head off the thief. She came back through the front door and asked if anyone could I.D. the thief and everyone around nodded. Just so happens that a police officer from the Oakland Police Department later came over to me and asked me if I would go with him in his car and I.D. the thief and give a statement. Hence the picture. The cop had a ton of stuff in his front passenger seat and asked if I minded sitting in the back and I of course replied “Heck no I don’t mind.” I mean who doesn’t want to have the chance to sit in the back of a cop car and not actually be in trouble. Makes you feel like a bad ass.... right?

So we drove over to the makeshift line up and I I.D.’d the thief and gave my statement from the back of the cop car. It was basically rad and just the excitement that I needed in my life to take my mind off of my own stress.

And yes mom, the cops in Oakland have AR-15’s in their cars too. I told him how excited you were to get yours up at EPD.

I know that last post was terribly dreadful but in all honesty, that’s how things have been going here. During the day I’ve been searching for jobs and places to live but it seems that the weekends when Kendra is home is when the fun happens. So don’t think that I’m slipping into this downward spiral of depression. Things are tough for everybody and I realize that now and am willing to do what it takes to make it through this crappy economy.

Ah Crap!

Much to my dismay, I have been denied the opportunity to work in the great state of California thus far. As I have said before, I have been relentless in my search for gainful employment and it seems that it was mostly in vain.

I say mostly because everywhere that I have had the opportunity to have an interview, I have, not to sound boastful, blown them out of the water. I have no problem telling you that I am an amazing worker and I am really good at selling myself to an employer. So it seems that every interview that I have been a part of ends in, "We really want to hire you but we can't right now. We'll give you a call in January." This failing economy has finally materialized itself in front of me and I am unfortunately on the receiving end of it.

With that said, Kendra and I have found it clear that we have no known scheduling conflicts with a trip back up north for a much needed visit with friends and family. We are both so excited and really stressed about it too. Stressed because we have been denied once again in our search for a new place to live. Not only was the dude we had to deal with a old burnt out hippie that thought he owned the whole city of Oakland but it took him the better part of a week and 6 phone calls from me to finally give us an answer.

The best part was that while we were looking at the apartment the dude was telling us of the previous tenants and how the “younger COUPLE” had been there for 8 years. His reason for denying us the apartment was only because he and his “partner” felt more comfortable giving the apartment to a single person rather than a couple.

Anyway, with our trip north I am going to try and make a few calls and work while I am home. If any of my old Dutchies are reading this, put in the word that I’ll be in Eugene in the need of some work.

On a lighter note, I can’t wait to see you guys and hope everyone is driving safe in all that snow that’s been dumping on you up there.

P.S.

Something absolutely insane just happened while I was posting this. I'll repost something in a couple of hours. I gotta go talk to the cops right now.