So like…whoa! Almost an entire month has gone by without a post. Shame on me. There’s been a lot going on in my life, but at the same time…not. Sorry for lack of updates, but I promise to keep everyone posted more often now.

I had my graduation party as planned on January 16. It was an incredible time. My mom is amazing. She knows how to throw some of the best parties ever. And all of my graduation parties have been fun and eventful thanks to her. I know most people have graduation parties where hardly anyone attends. But mine have always been packed with people. A lot of people have been generous and gave me a lot of money so that has helped me survive for a while.

2 days after my graduation party, I pack up my necessities and make the big move to Las Vegas. The original plan was to stay here for a few days while Joel accommodated his mom while she came to visit him in Los Angeles. Then when she had left, I was to go and interview with E! Networks in Los Angeles. I had to do a lot of soul searching. Had I got the job with E!, I would’ve had a very tough time making ends meet getting paid only $10 an hour. That means I’d have to pay for an apartment, transportation (because I have no car), feed myself, and pay off loans and bills, and keep in mind that’s AFTER I pay the good ol’ government their taxes. If I decided to stay in Vegas, Jenny would offer me her place to stay free of rent and sharing her car. The scary thing about giving up the chance with E! was security. I mean, considering all things would have went the way they should’ve, I probably could’ve secured that job quite easily. Staying in Vegas means that I would have to do all the legwork myself in finding a job to hold me over until grad school in 06. I was also giving up a lot of things by not going to Los Angeles, too. Being exposed to all those auditions and everything.

The final decision came down to this: I decided to stay in Las Vegas. I had to keep the big picture in mind and really look back at things from realistic point of view. Staying here, I could not worry about rent and transportation so much and really focus on securing a job. Once that’s been accomplished, I could save up a lot of money rather quickly here in Las Vegas, especially considering there’s no state tax here. That’s saving up money to pay off loans and bills, saving up for a car, and just saving up money in general for grad school. My goal is to get into grad school by the Fall of 2006. My big targets are USC and NYU. If I don’t get accepted to either of those, then I will have to scale back, but I would most certainly choose a school here in the West. I can’t be bepopping all around the country so much.

Ok so back to my current situation here. For the past 2 weeks, I’ve been applying to a bunch of jobs here. Special events coordinator at the Bellagio, Business representative at the new Wynn Hotel that’s opening up in April, and a bunch of production positions at production firms and broadcast stations. So far? Nothing. It’s one big waiting. One big scary waiting game. To alleviate the fear and the general lack of money, I signed up with the temp agencies here to get some temporary work while I secure a more steady job. That, too, is a waiting game. So what I do is just apply for more positions. I know it’s been only like…almost 3 weeks, but turning my back on the position at E! is already starting to give me the shivers. I have a pretty good set of credentials, though. So I’m confident I’ll find something soon. If nothing still, I’ll just have to get even more aggressive.

In the meantime, I’ve been working on some design work for Bill Hamilton back in PA. I guess you could call this post-grad work, haha. It’s a module being used by the Chief Development Officers at IUP, a presentation they are showing to donor clients in $40 million endeavor. My progress can be seen at www.howster.com/presentation.

In other news, I’ve also been published on Wired.com in the Cult of Mac section! Back in undergrad, I was assigned to a group and to make an original product, complete with advertising and the like. So I conceived the BlockDock. As the rest of the group helped me with development, I focused more on selling it with some innovative advertising. I produced a set of commercials that are, needless to say, packed with sexual innuendo, but the message is sent across and it certainly draws attention. Enough attention, apparently, to get Wired to write about it, thanks to Leander Khaney. The commercials can be seen at www.howster.com/apple

That’s about all that’s been going on. Now that I look back, I really do have a ton to write about. But I will definitely keep everyone posted as to my progress here in Las Vegas. With that, here are a few fun pictures to gander at until my next update.

Wish me luck and prayers, everyone!

A tiger, an island, a monologue.

Fun at the Mirage.

I don’t know how anyone would be able to take this home! Could you imagine me walking out with that thing?

Did someone say food!?!

So I tried to slide across the piano like Homer Simpson. I ended up with a bloody ankle. Stupid cartoons.

Guess who I’m pretending to be!

The new show at Treasure Island also has a lot of sexual innuendo. Hot hot hot.

I took this siren home.