skruffie

[skruffie]

a good nighht's sleep.. a REALLY good night's sleep... that's what i require

[skruffie]

Alice, Kaz and I went to the Burke Museum... technically yesterday (the 23rd, it's super duper past midnight right now) since the 24th is my 35th (!) birthday but the museum is closed Mondays. I took Monday off, because historically I rarely actually take my birthday off but decided that I didn't want to spend my first day 35 doing one of my usual solo monday workdays lmao

THE MUSEUM THOUGH

It was recommended we go up to the third level and work our way down, so that's how we started. Third level is archaeology and paleontology, second is natural world (flora and fauna) and ground level was arts and culture. Doing it in this way was fantastic. When the elevator doors opened to the third level, we were immediately face to face with a wall of woven baskets that kinda made my heart stop for a moment. I was really struck by how some of the Salish basket designs were remarkably similar to the ones down in Yurok country, and as we were continuing through I fully cried after seeing a canoe that was excavated. The sign talking about it said "An old friend unearthed" and that was the breaking point for me WHOOPS

To be fair, Alice cried seeing the Triceratops when we went to go see the paleontology exhibit and there were so many cool bones and fossils. Some of them are casts obviously, but the Burke Museum has actual skeletons of a mammoth and ice-age sabre-tooth and giant sloth.

The second level was interesting with some of the animal specimens and had a nice quiet place on one side of the building talking about birds and insects, but this area was a lot more like a gallery since most of the work were ink and gouache illustrations of the subjects.

Arts and culture was a good way to finish it all off (and I cried a second time down here because like. come on). They had a linguistics section that Kaz--then the rest of us--got engrossed in. The trip was finished off with some food at Off The Rez cafe and the braised bison was SO FUCKING GOOD

[skruffie]

oh no my pornography is turning into an angst-filled character study

[skruffie]

i think i got the major ones

[skruffie]

wait how the hell didn't I post about this yet

I am moving on to the next phase of my optical career and making the jump to private practice after this month. I applied kinda on a whim after seeing their starting rate and benefits and it wasn't long before the manager called to schedule an interview. It went well, I got to meet the doctor, and then the manager was like "we're doing interviews through next Tuesday"

Last Wednesday morning at 8:30, before the practice was even open, I got the job offer.

My boss took it pretty well since she knew I had this interview coming up, as did the others. Doc kinda went into denial and was like "you don't want to give [territory director] a chance to match the wage??" but like... he won't. I was offered now 2 dollars above what I'm at now with another dollar per hour if it goes well after 90 days. They also offer our preferred health insurance and, professional development wise, trying private practice is not a bad thing.

I'm nervous because I've gotten so comfortable here but it's too good of an opportunity to pass up.

[skruffie]

Im thinking about how i was really deeply upset needing to drop back out of college because I had a lot more confidence in myself but no money to get through. I had a clear plan: finish AA, transfer to online BA in History program, maybe from there seek out museum or archival work or perhaps use the skills from the degree to do genealogy professionally...

looking at if that had gone to plan I'd probably have the BA this year. I'd also have it when this presidential administration is slashing the federal funding for museums and archives.

[skruffie]

take me to snurch (snail church)

[skruffie]

more progress

I saw a call for artists in Seattle recently for a future show they're doing for pride, and it's specifically the intersection of Indigenous and Queer identity. Whenever I've seen calls like this for participants I usually don't submit because I'm still constantly grappling with if I'm "allowed", or if my presence would be invasive. The hard part is you have to put yourself out there to reconnect. So, I emailed the gallery and was like "hey is this for people who are enrolled or can people who are unenrolled allowed and do you vet to make sure people are legit bc i totally understand if you want this space to be for more connected folks"

and they're like "nope! we look forward to seeing your submission :)"

which means I have to come up with something by March 15th. The theme directly addresses a What If about colonialism which is a tough one to grapple with, so this painting is a multi-faceted challenge for me: I am directly dealing with the problems of reconnecting, ethnicity, privilege (mine specifically) and my art block. On the artistic side of things I am realizing that maybe part of my problem is that I don't feel as connected to how I usually make art (drawing), because I started this and locked in pretty focused until it was time to start our TTRPG.

fingers crossed I can finish this in time!!

[skruffie]

funniest possible tag in the reblogs

????

????????

[skruffie]

wheezes

I saw a call for artists in Seattle recently for a future show they're doing for pride, and it's specifically the intersection of Indigenous and Queer identity. Whenever I've seen calls like this for participants I usually don't submit because I'm still constantly grappling with if I'm "allowed", or if my presence would be invasive. The hard part is you have to put yourself out there to reconnect. So, I emailed the gallery and was like "hey is this for people who are enrolled or can people who are unenrolled allowed and do you vet to make sure people are legit bc i totally understand if you want this space to be for more connected folks"

and they're like "nope! we look forward to seeing your submission :)"

which means I have to come up with something by March 15th. The theme directly addresses a What If about colonialism which is a tough one to grapple with, so this painting is a multi-faceted challenge for me: I am directly dealing with the problems of reconnecting, ethnicity, privilege (mine specifically) and my art block. On the artistic side of things I am realizing that maybe part of my problem is that I don't feel as connected to how I usually make art (drawing), because I started this and locked in pretty focused until it was time to start our TTRPG.

fingers crossed I can finish this in time!!

[skruffie]

Found my 53yo very-much-not-online father in the kitchen today meticulously arranging cutlery on the countertop and i was like 'what are you doing' and he looked up at me with the world's most shit-eating grin and said "Your mother told me this is how you rick-roll the Youth" and i looked over and it was fucking. Loss.jpg.

[skruffie]

he knocked a roast chicken off the kitchen counter so as punishment I put him in a frilly little collar but.. he just seems perfectly content with it 

[skruffie]

I saw a call for artists in Seattle recently for a future show they're doing for pride, and it's specifically the intersection of Indigenous and Queer identity. Whenever I've seen calls like this for participants I usually don't submit because I'm still constantly grappling with if I'm "allowed", or if my presence would be invasive. The hard part is you have to put yourself out there to reconnect. So, I emailed the gallery and was like "hey is this for people who are enrolled or can people who are unenrolled allowed and do you vet to make sure people are legit bc i totally understand if you want this space to be for more connected folks"

and they're like "nope! we look forward to seeing your submission :)"

which means I have to come up with something by March 15th. The theme directly addresses a What If about colonialism which is a tough one to grapple with, so this painting is a multi-faceted challenge for me: I am directly dealing with the problems of reconnecting, ethnicity, privilege (mine specifically) and my art block. On the artistic side of things I am realizing that maybe part of my problem is that I don't feel as connected to how I usually make art (drawing), because I started this and locked in pretty focused until it was time to start our TTRPG.

fingers crossed I can finish this in time!!

[skruffie]

[skruffie]

????

????????

[skruffie]

kinda funny day today

I had a job interview at a private practice that's like, 10-15 mins from where I live. I also unfortunately scheduled it an hour before my own eye exam at where I currently work and because I'm me, I also got slightly lost on the way to the private office and didn't have time to text my coworkers that I'd need to reschedule...

so the interview went well! There were a couple things the manager said that has me like 👀 good signs

Afterward I had two (2) separate texts from my manager and the doctor being like "are you no-showing to your appointment??" LMAAAOOO and I guess they'd been joking that I should know better, which I DO, so I rescheduled it to 3 pm instead. I took a little detour to the local queer cafe to drop off a sign and catch up + grab a bite to eat and then went off to my appointment

there the doctor and I were mostly chatting because my vision hasn't changed at all in the last year, but she was legitimately shocked to hear that I'm making under $19/hr. She was talking about how she was putting in a good word for our assistant manager to take over my boss' position because she's leaving at the end of the month and I think she'll put in a good word for me if I stay with this company to get a raise. Other stores have associates starting at higher than what I make currently after two years, and especially after the store I covered at had their best sales ever on Dec 31st, I think a raise is reasonable to ask for. The place I interviewed at might be starting me at $21 though I did ask if possible to start at $22.

Interviews are still ongoing through next tuesday. Ideally, and I did let the manager know this, I'm not sure if I'm ready to start in exactly two weeks because of my manager leaving but we'll see how it all goes. The majority of my loved ones are like "ok but you owe this company nothing and it is not your fault or responsibility they keep the stores understaffed" which is true. I'm not worried about the company. It's more a reflection of how much I do love the coworkers I have right now that's really the big hurdle, but also looking at the reality that I am underpaid and feel almost professionally stunted being in retail optical.

[skruffie]

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