Fleur de Lis NOLA RENT SALE!
It’s been a little more than a week since we moved into our NOLA abode and I still have a nervousness that has kept my stomach unsettled. I think the main reason is because the jobs that seemed so promising and a sure thing only a few weeks ago, vanished at the same time we unloaded our boxes into 3600 Saint Claude Ave. We spent nearly everything we had (and even got a generous donation from my wife’s grandmother) to make it here with the expectation that work would begin pronto. But I really shouldn’t be surprised since most of the job prospects were gotten on craigslist. Craig can provide so much, but more often than not, he serves up sheer disappointment. The first call back I got on my craigslist applications was from Orient Expressed a store which produces embroidered clothing and from the name seems to be proud that most of their garments are manufactured overseas. They wanted someone to run a computerized embroidery machine in Nola, which seemed not all that dissimilar to Silkscreening garments in a weird way, so I applied. Soon after I spoke to the owner, Bee Fitzpatrick and she seemed enthusiastic about me working with her all woman crew. We made plans to interview during the week of our arrival. Last Wednesday I gave her a call, and her tone had changed. They had filled the position. I was so angry and frustrated. Mainly because I had put off replying to another job offer with the Green Project (a very cool place that I now regret not working for) to interview with her. As soon as she blew me off, I made a desperate call to the Green Project, but it was too late because as they told me a week prior, they were filling the position on the day we arrived.
Since then, I’ve applied to everything under the sun, from Barback at the Republic to Framer/salesman at the Fleur de Lis Gift and Frame Shop which had every imaginable personal item formed in the shape of this city’s beloved symbol. Today I did temp work for a concrete company. Last night the guy from the temp agency was giving me a pep talk about how to be a hard worker. “You know, while you’re working if someone asks you something personal, just say ‘we can talk about that during break, right now I gotta work’. This is a really great opportunity for you. You’ll start out as a helper and then we’ll get you a TWIC card (now you will have to be with the company for ninety days or you’ll have to pay for that.) And then, AND THEN you can be a concrete finisher. Concrete is an excellent field to be in right now!” I know the contrary, because of the woes of the construction industry via family in Charleston. But I certainly didn’t chime in. I need the job. So I crawled out of bed at 5am, made my way to work by 6 and got to grinding concrete for only four hours. Then they let us off early. “Excellent field to be in right now!” Yeah right….. Whether I go back tomorrow is still up in the air. I’m waiting for a phone call. I will get a bit of mental relief when my part time job at Loyola University starts next month. But there’s still rent for THIS month! The whole point of all this is to show how totally stressed out I am, and to celebrate I’m slashing prices for one week only! I’m calling it the Nola Rent Sale, and for this week only you can get any of our designs for only $20! Help us make our second month’s rent by buying wallets! If you buy two or more, I will also send you a very special secret drawing surprise! This sale will only last until 8/29, so act now! Also this week (on Monday August 23 to be exact) our much delayed crouching tiger, knitting dragon wallet will be released… on sale too!
1 year ago