urbpan: (Default)
urbpan ([personal profile] urbpan) wrote2009-03-01 06:47 pm

Applying myself

For some reason I didn't notice until just now that the Portland Zoo insect keeper job is a temporary (May-September) position only. It would be idiotic to leave my wife for a year for a temporary job (considering that it would be pretty hard to get another one at the end of it) so I'm going to let my anxiety about writing a cover letter go. That feels pretty good. Plus, if they hire a new insect keeper every year, I can try again next year, right?

The predictions for tomorrow's snow keep going up. Apparently Boston Public Schools are already canceled for the day. We have a Big Deal thing happening in my department at work, but it involves bringing in outside people, who probably won't want to drive in a foot of snow to get to the zoo. I should figure out which things are causing the most anxiety and do what I can to alleviate them. I think it's the Pest Control Class, followed by the emcee gig. The class involves modifying the existing powerpoint, which isn't something I've done before. I know it's a pretty easy program to use, I just have to take a whack at it, and do some run-throughs to see how it looks.

The emcee thing, well, what can I do? Write jokes? The zookeepers are getting excited about their group outfits; I find the enthusiasm a little intimidating. Will my role fit in with the zeitgeist of the night? Good lord, the things I find to get anxious about.

[identity profile] cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com 2009-03-02 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
dude. i would be apoplectic about the mc gig, but then i would never accept such a thing!

[identity profile] urbpan.livejournal.com 2009-03-02 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
How different can it be from speaking at my mom's memorial?

[identity profile] cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com 2009-03-02 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
it will be similar, but for 2 hours.

[identity profile] urb-banal.livejournal.com 2009-03-02 01:03 pm (UTC)(link)
wow, you spoke at your mom's funneral... that would have me apoplectic

I am super shy and the only thing I ever had to do was a 30 min presentation of my art... i rehearsed my a** off, till i could do it unconscious, my three yr old at the time also had it memorized!

[identity profile] elainetyger.livejournal.com 2009-03-02 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
The Portland job sounds as though it is perfect for someone in academia.

You could probably find someone else to do the Power Point changes, or even better, teach you how to do it yourself.

For the MC gig, I can only suggest making it about the other people in the show instead of about yourself... talk to them, make sure you pronounce their names clearly and correctly... also to be certain that you are the correct distance from the microphone so that you can be heard.

[identity profile] urbpan.livejournal.com 2009-03-02 11:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Good tips! I already got a start on pronouncing some of the hard ones: Mascianica = "Massy Ann-icka." One of the films is called "Scala naturae." I need to ask Alexis' Latin scholar friend for some guidance there.

[identity profile] cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com 2009-03-03 03:33 pm (UTC)(link)
i know how to use powerpoint, you know.

[identity profile] cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com 2009-03-03 04:00 pm (UTC)(link)
scah-lah nah-tyoo-rye

that's what i got from her.

[identity profile] urbpan.livejournal.com 2009-03-03 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
It occurs to me that we'll see the films probably before I have to say their names, so maybe I'll hear how they say it.

[identity profile] cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com 2009-03-03 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
but maybe they'll say it wrong!

[identity profile] ndozo.livejournal.com 2009-03-03 04:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Tulane University is looking for animal enrichment people and some other stuff, but it's probably for the animal testing department.