On the path

I'm on a tiny out-of-the-way bicycle path. I'm sitting in the grass. It's stiff dead grass, and I'm using my backpack as a barrier to keep the backs of my legs from getting poked up too much. I have a beer with me. I'm reading Life of Pi. This is still a really great book. I'm mostly killing time until the sun goes down. I plan to go to the movies later.

Eugene is still lonely for me. Naturally. I forgot what it's like to move to a new place and not know one other person. There's a lot of time to kill. I'm still working on getting The Job. It's like a slow game of chess. You can't just show up and yell "Hire me NOW!" It's slightly excruciating. I "just happened" to be in the area of The Job, and stopped in yesterday to introduce myself. It went reasonably well. I was asked to build a complicated little toy helicopter to make sure I know what bolts are and that I can follow instructions. I do, I can. It was a timed test, and my time wasn't particularly impressive. I had sweaty nervous shaking coffee hands, and I was sitting alone in a conference room. We'll see where that helicopter gets me.

I got drunk and went to the movies. I watched "The Fall." That was an exceptionally good movie. I loved it. I'm very happy to have found a theater right in the downtown area that is similar to my beloved Tropic Cinema of Key West. A place that shows movies other than the big blockbuster hits. This is another place that I can trust for great movies. I bet I'll be seeing French films with subtitles in no time.

Now I just need to meet people. What a slow process. It's just like Key West over again - I don't know anyone and the days feel long and strange.