Forget the Cavatelli; Just Tell Me Where I Can Find a JOB!

Yes, as much as I've been in pursuit of cavatelli here in Nashville, I'm putting that on the back burner for now and making the pursuit of employment my primary quest! I've passed out about 500 fliers for teaching private piano lessons, sent out about 500 resumes and cover letters, contacted employment agencies, applied to retail stores, answered ads about childcare or housecleaning (or a combination thereof), am on all sorts of employment websites every day...zilch. Nada. Zip. Zero. I'm about to take the coffee mug I received for Christmas and head downtown. I'll just stick it out and point it at passers-by and hope for the best. Or I could become one of the scam artists downtown, like the guy who parks himself on a sidewalk bench right in front of a public parking lot. He approaches people who pull into the lot and pretends to be the parking attendant. You can just pay him directly instead of the machine -- he'll even give you a discount out of the kindness of his heart -- then he'll hand you this bogus little white cardboard square to stick in your windshield. It's supposed to be your parking 'ticket'. Of course, he just pockets your money and disappears, because he has no affiliation with the parking lot whatsoever. But gotta give him credit for coming up with a pretty bold scheme.

Speaking of downtown, one of my favorite spots there is the pedestrian bridge. I love to walk it at night, when it's all lit up and reflecting its lights below on the Cumberland. It's just that if you venture the walk at night, you sort of have to walk a bit gingerly around the many bodies that are littered along the walkway. Make sure to keep your eyes on the path and not get distracted by admiring the view of the river at night, lest you stumble over a sleeping bag packed with an indigent. I have to say, it really is a choice spot for spending the night in Nashville; you have the beautiful night sky overhead, the peaceful river below...maybe a gentle breeze in the warmer weather...in fact, I just might ask one of those sleeping bags to move over some night. Actually, if this unemployment streak continues for much longer, I may not have a choice! Several of them have guitars by their sides, so maybe we could all gather 'round in a circle, hold hands, and sing a bluegrass version of "I've Got Peace Like a River".

I have to tell you about an entrepreneur I really admire. Have you heard of the guy who balances his pets in a pile and walks them down the city streets? If you haven't seen him, here's a video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1u4wBoErL0&feature=related He's been so successful that he had to upgrade from a coffee cup to an entire coffee pot for his tips! Apparently, he even travels now to different large cities with his little sideshow. I wish he'd come to Nashville. Now that's creativity...and a lot of patience and perseverance. Sometimes, he even uses two rats. It's simply amazing. He's now one of my all-time favorite people. I thought of trying this, but I only have two cats, and they don't get along well enough to do something like that. Also, there's no way they wouldn't eat the rat. Guess it's back to the drawing board for me.

A year or so ago, there was a news documentary about a NYC street vendor who became a millionaire over the years with his entrepreneurial skills. He actually lives on Park Avenue and wears custom-made Italian designer suits, and he still sets up his stand every day on the streets. He taught his daughter everything he knows and she has followed in his footsteps and is also living quite high on the hog. I wonder if he has internet. Maybe I could become his chat buddy and he could teach me a thing or two.

I guess I better get back to my quest. Once I find a job, though, I'm returning to my pursuit of cavatelli!