Homeless

صبح بخير زند گي/Subuh Bakhair Zindagi
Originally uploaded by *abro*

Just got a note from our landlord saying that despite the crashing housing market and slumping economy he's thinking about selling the apartment that we live in.

This is very bad news. For us anyway. Mainly because we're looking to leave Ann Arbor in about 8 months. And 8 month leases anywhere are really hard to come by. Especially if you have a dog. And cats. Plus it's about $1500 to move all of our stuff. And more hassle than you can think.

Yesterday's "I'm so zen" mood has been replaced by a "holy Ker-jezuz wha-now?" mood

Still possession is 9/10th of the law,,,,

Do Squatters have legal protection in Michigan?

Whatever happened to the good old days

Ford Capri 2.8 Injection Special @ Duchy Capri Club Classic Car Show 2006
Originally uploaded by Tristan P Barratt

I've spent much of the day today thinking about the best way to position cars.

In days of old I'd have spent my time thinking about the best way to position bikini clad models on the hood of the cars.

That's how much times have changed. You still get models at autoshows - but now they're Spokesmodels... given a microphone and talking points from which they cannot stray (a lot like Sarah Palin)

The future, of course, is to employ drop dead gorgeous engineers. Those guys (and gals of course) really know their stuff. The only issue is the fact that they're about as attractive and intriguing as Joe Everyman --- and nobody stands in line to hear people who know what they're talking about waffle on for hours (a lot like Joe Biden)

Looking at the pic above - it's a shame that Ford dropped the Capri in Europe. It was bonkers. It was also the first car (at age 3) that I ever envied someone for owning. Massive (by UK standards) engine, big (by the rules of the time) performance and cops n robbers street cred. What more could you want.

I blame the Capri for the fact that I now own a Mustang rather than the Pious that everyone else in Ann Arbor seems to love so.

Oh to

Brrrrrrr

Somebody just turned the heat off outside.
Yesterday morning it was minus 3c
This morning isn't much warmer
And there's snow forecast for halloween
Which is when Jude's mom is flying in (cue "On her broomstick?" jokes)
Did I really sign up for this?

At dinner tonight

Originally uploaded by Any Syler

we were talking about American spelling.

Two theories that I liked

First Webster's name was Miriam - and she hand embroidered the first dictionary, dropping vowels as a way to save time and her eyesight.

The second was that the American's traded the letter 'U' for the statue f liberty. Basically they amassed a large "U mountain" somewhere in Nevada which they then gave to the French (a nation way over quota on use of the letter) in return for a sturdy torch carrier of unusual height.

It was that kind of dinner.

My Etch A Sketch client presented his Urinal ad "Wouldn't you rather be playing with your Etch A Sketch?"

My boss told stories of the Ohio militia

And I tried to explain just why I'd spent two hours this morning stuffing small pictures into balloons (twas a pop the balloon, have an idea exercise)

Good day then

resume in progress

resume in progress
Originally uploaded by Robotconscience

I'm trying to dust off my resume...

... and to make it interesting

That's interesting in a way that has some depth and integrity - rather than in a way that's all "flash and gash" (to quote my latest meeting 'he's gone too far' faux pas)

In the past I've done... 'things I most regret', 'ideas I wish I'd sold', 'Ideas that made the most money', 'Ideas I've had that you've probably heard of' and 'what I'd do with everything'

Truth is I'm pretty good at what I do.
I'm really good given a room and a brief
I do speeches really well
I'm fearless without being overly reckless
I get cultural diversity
I tend to view most things through a different lens
I'm generous with praise in success and selfish with blame in failure
And I know my way around numbers

but

I dress poorly
I can get bored if a process takes 'too long'
I have less time than you sometimes need for the slowest person in the room
I'm too quick to grab the reigns
I can be high energy and low gravitas on my bad days

I think that that balances positive.

Clients like me
Agencies like what I represent
I tend not to lose pieces of business
I have a great new business record
And I've never lost a member of my staff

But how do you turn that into a resume

Mixed bag

So the market sucked - all bad leather and poor quality novelties
Ferndale had shrunk to 3 interesting stores
Royal Oak was better - a small strip of cool stores manned by giant trannies
The Whitney was posh - food was good
We were late for Kathy Griffin (my fault) but she was gossipy and the theatre (pictured) was spectacular
Finally got back in time for the SNL Palin / Fey

Sub zero today.... brrrrr