Anne Goes to Church

I really don't know if I am in the right town. There is so much natural beauty in this area - the mountains, Lake Tahoe, etc. But it is all so spread out. The town of Reno is kinda depressing. Or maybe it just seems that way to me because I have yet to find my place.

Stop the presses: I started attending the local Center for Spiritual Living church. I am not a regular church-goer. Ask anybody who knows me. I went to Seattle's CSL several times, though, to see my sister, Lisa sing. And, I always felt the message was OK. They are a non-denominational congregation that honors everyone's path to God. I like that idea. I have found that the sermons in both Seattle and Reno seem almost like therapy. Last Sunday, for example, the Reverend Liesa talked about self respect. That topic hit home for me. I like the music in the services, for the most part. And, some of the songs are familiar to me. I'm trying to find a community of like-minded people. The church offers twice-weekly t'ai chi sessions and has a once-a-month "vibrational healing with sacred gong" event.

But...I am not a "joiner". To me, spirituality is a personal thing. I have never felt comfortable talking to people about God. I have written about it a couple of times in this blog but for the most part, I keep it to myself. I am not a misanthrope. I like people. I like hearing their stories. I can understand people's need for community. Being part of a larger whole gives one a sense of place. I'm still sorting this out, obviously

I Gotta Ask - Why Did You Move to Reno?

Yes, those were the first words the job counselor at the Nevada State job center said to me this afternoon. That sure doesn't give me much confidence.

After waiting nearly three hours for my intake interview into the Nevada "system", I was immediately told how bad the employment outlook is here. The next thing the guy said to me was "You graduated Magna Cum Laude? There's not much we can do for you here." Just what I wanted to hear. After a few very constructive critiques about my resume, I found out that my job counselor is retiring in 3 weeks. I think he mentally left the job in April. Because then, he started talking....and talking....and talking some more. I found out that he had one of the original gas lamps from the dining car on The Oriental Express. He had ridden the train three or four times and he got it as a gift from a porter. He was born in Greece and has traveled all over the world. His sister actually owns a patent on a genetically modified species of crab that is resistant to toxins in the Chesapeake Bay. I learned that this man can repair watches and then he showed me a silver ring he crafted. When he was a teenager, he traveled aboard the "Haunted" Queen Mary cruise ship and when I asked him if it was, indeed, haunted he told me about hearing the cries of a little girl near the ship's empty swimming pool. A couple of hours later, I found out that he has college degrees in biology and geology and a master's degree in education. The guy passed on his philosophy of living for today instead of dreaming of retirement. He was not shy when he complained about elderly couples who save their whole lives to buy a fancy motor home and cruise the country once they have rid themselves of their careers.

Did he ask me about my last job? Did I get a chance to explain to him why I loved producing Coast so much? Did he even bother to ask me why I was fired from 2 jobs in 2 months? NO. He could not have cared less, it seemed. Yet, he LOVED talking to me. He said what a pleasure it was to have an intelligent person sit in the chair next to his desk. I found out that he is 67 years old, single and lives with a dog. He pulled out his new Droid telephone and showed me how to scan a bar code and do comparison shopping - yes, they have an "app" for that. He also taught me how to encrypt my voice on his phone so that the CIA can't listen in on my calls. I learned about his visit to a monastery in Greece where he once held a scroll from St. John the Baptist in his hands. He described his trips to catacombs and funerarys in Rome.

He did ask me how much I got paid on my last 3 jobs. And then, he told me to expect at least $5 less an hour, here. And, oh yes, I can expect to pay close to the same amount for rent as I did in Seattle.

After my nearly five-hour stay in that office, I was exhausted, hungry and thirsty, so I went downstairs to the grocery store to get some beans and rice for lunch. That's where I encountered the former accountant who is now a deli-clerk. I mentioned that I had been up at the job center. She shared (to the point of exhaustion) that she has been unable to find work in her field for several years. She detailed how she was downsized at her government-run dream job and asked to work only an 18-hour week. She finally found another job but was micromanaged to tears within 2 days and quit. And now, she has become a barista and cashier.

Everybody has a story and it seems everybody is dying to tell it to me. Maybe it is not just me. Maybe people are desperate for a sympathetic ear because times are so tough. I figure these folks have been put in my path for some reason. I'm just not sure what that reason is.

It is Official

I've made it official. I have alerted the post office of my address change. I am begrudgingly becoming a Nevada resident (for now, at any rate). I have found a lot of scenic beauty here in Reno. A different kind of beauty. Drier - much drier. I have also found a hell of a lot of strip malls. Seems the best way to navigate around these parts is to 'turn right at the Target' or 'go straight past the Win-Co and then you'll see it on your left'. Perhaps it is that way in most areas. Maybe once I familiarize myself with this town I'll see more than the casinos and big box stores. I can be an elitist, I guess. The Sierra Nevada's are beautiful and Lake Tahoe took my breath away. I'll focus on that.

I have applied for about 20 jobs, most of them online. So far not even a nibble. I have only met a few people since I've been here - part of the problem was that I threw out my back and barely left the house for about 3 weeks. When Steve signed me up for Match.com, I thought I might meet an acquaintance, at least, to help show me the ropes. Nope - didn't find a single "real" man there. Only Nigerian scammers. Sorry he wasted his money. I appreciate the sentiment behind his gift, however.

Haven't heard a peep out of my friend, Verna. But, I'm not surprised. I have never met anyone else who has as many jobs and works as hard as she does. Seven days a week she is a fitness instructor, personal trainer, community-college instructor and Pier One clerk and cashier. She needs all of those jobs in order to make her house payment and eat. And, oh yes, she's taking 2 college courses to complete her exercise physiologist certification. I saw that she was leading a fitness hike in Virginia City last weekend. Her objective is to make people have so much fun, they forget that they are working out. Great idea.

I have walked through 6 or 7 casinos in town. You know what job I want? Carpet designer for casinos. Have you ever looked at that stuff? Amazing array of colors and shapes and flowers. Wonder what kind of psychological research goes into floor covering decisions? Perhaps its purpose is to not only hide stains but elevate the mood of patrons, so that they feel 'lucky' and pump more dollars into the slot machines.

The casinos have been pretty empty, though, when I've strolled through. Maybe it is because I usually walk through during the afternoon. But, I bet business is way down from a few years ago. The cocktail waitresses I've seen look like the most senior members of the staff. They have been teetering on those 3 inch heels for many, many years and make it look easy. They still have smiles on their tired faces, though.

Never in all of my days did I think I'd wind up in this town. Perhaps the ghost of my father had something to do with it?

As if Nothing Happened

I just got back from a great walk. A "walk for coffee" as I used to call it. I moved with ease and had ample breath for the hills. There was no discomfort in my chest. Not even the slightest bit of congestion. While my right hip still has a twinge of stiffness, my back felt fine.

I sat on a stool and drank a frozen latte granita from the deli about 12 blocks away. Didn't even give the high chair a second thought. There was no pain.

Yesterday, I drove almost the entire circumference around Lake Tahoe. My 12 year-old Nissan's bucket seats were not a problem. Nothing distracted me from that mesmerizing view. Once I got to South Lake Tahoe near the casinos, I decided to park in the Mount Bleu's lot and repeat the walk Verna and I took last August. Back then, I had to beg Verna to stop or slow down, several times, as I was gasping for breath. This time, I couldn't believe how quickly I walked the route. In fact, I extended it about a half of a mile.

The swelling has finally left my legs. I can actually see my calf muscles again. My body feels like it is finally returning to normal. Not the almost-normal of last fall. The "normal" of 2009.

It is almost as if nothing happened at all.