Another work week has come and gone. Received two job rejection letters. That’s not always a fun experience, but it certainly shakes you around a little bit, let’s you know who’s boss. With that, my search will continue for the ideal job that capitalizes on my writing abilities and talents in media and communication, plus compensates me for what I’m worth. I know that my seven years of hard work since my freshman year in college will pay off — financially and otherwise — in the future. I just know it.

I finished “How to Be Alone” last week and started “Underworld” by Don DeLilo. It’s a dense read at 800-plus pages. But a new book is always exciting. A new adventure. I love it.

Matthew and I are planning a picnic this evening in Memorial Park. I’m so excited!

http://fox.com/oc/video/promo2/promo2_hi.asx?mswmext=

I’m a 25-year-old homeowner with a college degree, a full-time job and I can’t wait for Nov. 4. Jeez.

(If you’re in to writing.)

http://www.thingsmagazine.net/

Here’s a photo from Saturday night’s game at Coors Field. Dave (my dad) and I, a few hours before the first pitch.

It’s more than coincidental that “This American Life” airs Tuesday morning, the only morning I’m able to tune in to NPR post-8 a.m.

It appears I’ve slipped in updating my blog. My apologies. My weekend in Denver was busy beyond belief, albeit without an Internet connection. The highlight of my trip — besides seeing my family — was the Colorado Rockies game Saturday night at Coors Field. The Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-4 in a fantastic game. I managed to try almost every food sold at the field, not to mention a 16-ounce bottle of Budweiser. Yum.

We shopped Sunday, at which time I picked up some cute clothes for work and a copy of “Underworld” by Don DeLilo. I’ve never read anything by DeLilo, but Jonathan Franzen refers to him extensively in “How to be Alone,” which I’m almost finished reading. My copy of “The Twenty-Seventh City” also arrived. What to read next?

Leaving for Denver tomorrow afternoon and will be there through Sunday night. Not only will I get to visit my dad, but my sister, Katie, is flying in from L.A. What fun!

Friday night it’ll be grilling out and boozing it up. Saturday, we’ll lay by the pool and catch the Colorado Rockies play the Arizona Diamondbacks in the evening at Coors Field. (Plus more booze, I’m sure.) Sunday, we’ll hit the Cherry Creek Shopping Center and the Tattered Cover, my favorite bookstore in Denver.

It’ll be a quick trip and probably just fly by, but it’s worth a weekend sans Nu-Trend.

Special thanks to Matthew and Jason for carting my happy ass to and from the airport :-)

Chatting with my friend, Scott, online about my search for a new job. A nice compliment, albeit misspelled:

Scott Blake: you are alive
Wendy Townley: Barely. I’ve been looking for a new job. That has taken up the majority of my time.
Scott Blake: thats what chris says
Scott Blake: i cant see you getting a job that fits your tallents in this state

Maybe Scott is right, but Omaha is home for me right now. I don’t want to move. Maybe someday, but today isn’t the day. Tomorrow won’t be, either.

For whatever reason, my once-quiet corner of the world is exploding with audible pollution this evening: two motorcyclists who decide to gun their engines and speed down my street at 40 mph. Then there’s the man next door mowing his lawn for what seems like two hours. I long for the summer evenings where I only hear children laughing, birds chirping and the leaves ruffled ever-so-gently by the wind.

Not tonight, though. I had a massive headache earlier today and am glad I took a few Advil, just in time.

I’m hungry.

July 26, 2004: One of the most professionally frustrating and slow moving days of my newspaper career thus far. I’ll spare you the details of how production literally moved at a snail’s pace, and how I didn’t leave the office until 8 last night.

Thank goodness it Tuesday, and the day is mine. A haircut at 2:30 p.m., for certain. The rest remains unknown, and I like that :-)