Letters from the Inside, Sarah Pender, #21

Dear Kelly,

I received a postcard & card yesterday and a letter today. The holiday delayed things, as well as our facility move. My new address is: [redacted].

It's a bigger facility, but I'm still stuck in a room, this one colder, smaller, more isolated, and with a rash of not-so-gracious staff.

My mind is slipping away.

And in the meantime, I write away.

I called mom today and she said everything was worked out on the blog. Thanks, Kelly. She still has problems posting. I guess she only has a notepad on her computer and it wouldn't copy and paste correctly. If it's not one thing, it's another. We just keep trudging along.

I liked the vintage postcard. We got that pressed turkey load, matching ham, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and biscuit, stuffing and pumpkin dessert for lunch and bologna for dinner. :) That's how the holidays go here. Nice lunch, bagged dinner to let the kitchen workers off 1/2 day.

You are stressed because you are losing clients and can't find work in NY. You cannot find new clients nor a regular permanent job. What about the Teaching Fellow job? And none of your friends have any leads for you? I understand you are worried, facing a serious deficit between what you'll be earning vs. your basic expenses. That would be depressing. In the meantime, aren't there plenty of seasonal jobs? Every year, companies hire people for a few months through the holidays. Even a month-long job could help toward the loss of your one clients until you 1) find another and b) get where you are permanently employed.

You could also make $120/day as a housekeeper. I hear New Yorkers pay well for white English-speaking women.

I'm sorry if that somehow offended you. I am really just trying to help. When I worked and needed extra money, I went to a local restaurant and worked P/T as a salad girl. I stayed so busy with 2 jobs that I didn't have time to spend money. I saved up for what I needed and did fine. In 3 months, I'd quit with them knowing I could come back whenever I needed cash. Perhaps that is beneath you, or not acceptable as a quality of life, but my Dad taught me 2 things: you do what you must when shit gets hard and anyone can find a job in a day if you want one badly enough. Even as America's Most Wanted Woman, I managed to get 2 respectable jobs in less than 30 days. Maybe you need to move to the Midwest to make that happen? Ever consider working for the government?

Just an idea.

I hope you are able to enjoy your trip to Japan, even with this stress. As beautiful as it is, packed with a wholly different culture, you can visit lots of places and experiences without paying out the ass.

Maybe you need a roommate.

Maybe you'll meet a wealthy, intriguing, neat guy in Tokyo who would love to treat and you Stef to a few days of extraordinary events. Maybe you'll fall in love. Maybe he'll be a knight in shining armor!

A girl can dream.

Wil you do a traditional Japanese tea? See geisha girls? Wear a kimono? Sit on the floor to eat? go to a temple? What modern attractions do you want to see? When will you leave to go?
Pictures, pictures, pictures!

Perhaps you can go se the flamboyant gay Cuban seer guy and he can tell you waht to do. I hope it doesn't include fresh pig blood or lives chickens. Take your RAID and secretly spray the protective roaches when he isn't looking. :)

I hope you have good news.

Sarah