Snowy After-Christmas!

Christmas in New York!
I had a great Christmas. I spent Christmas Eve with friends and had a delicious feast of creamed corn, green beans & potatoes, yams, baked ham, dressing, and pies galore! (There were so many pies!) We finished the night by playing the Kinect on Wii...and let's just say, I'm pretty sure I ended up working off ALL the calories I had just consumed. It's hard work playing that thing!
I spent the night at my friends and went to work the next morning, Christmas day. I worked until 2pm, then went home and got the house ready. Jeremy came over later and we watched a movie, some tv and had some pizza and cheesecake.

Unfortunatly it did not snow on Christmas, but luckily for me we had a blizzard warning...and it has been snowing ALL DAY today! we are expected to get 10-16 inches of snow. I LOVE SNOW!!!
Tomorrow it's off to work again. I work Starbucks from 5:15am-10:30am, then the gym from 2:30pm-9:30pm...and I pretty much have the same schedule Tuesday...so it's a little crazy.
But all is good! I love you guys and I hope you are getting lots of snow!

SBUX & FDA

Wow, if New York City is not the greatest place in the entire world, then it has me completely fooled!

I love this place, seriously! I know a lot of people make fun of it and say it's dirty and there is a lot of trash and there are rats in the subway...but I get so happy EVERY TIME I see a rat.

I'm serious.

I started my job at Starbucks yesterday and it was great...kind of slow and boring because I was training, but I know that I am going to love the job! I have always wanted to work for  Starbucks, but I guess the Starbucks in Oregon are not interested in hiring an outgoing man who is full of passion and loves to interact with people.
At least the NYC Starbucks saw me and understood me. It's nice to be understood. Ha.

I also got a second job as an FDA with Equinox Gym. For those of you who don't know what an FDA is, it's a Front Desk Associate. It sounds more official than it really is. I answer phones, greet gym members, and pretty much help out in anyway possible. (Once again, another job that is PERFECT for me!)

I love people.
Really.
I love them a lot!
I am so glad that for both of my jobs, I get to interact with people and make them feel so loved. I mean, seriously, what an amazing job to say that I just spread the love all around!?

I love you.

Trouble On The Tracks?

I am in New York.
And it is beautiful.
Yesterday my friend Jeremy and I walked from the top of Central Park to the bottom...which, if you didn't know, is approximately 50 blocks. Then, we did a whole lot more walking around ChinaTown and other parts of the city. In all, I probably walked more than 100 blocks. (Yes, my feet were sore.)

Today has already proven to be an interesting day. I went to Target in the Bronx because I needed to get some groceries. I hopped on the 1 train at 181 Street and started riding it, only to find out that it was running express ALL the way to the end of the line!
I ended up on 242 Street in the Bronx. Then I transferred to the downtown train and literally sat there for about fifteen minutes.
I guess what had happened was there was a train on 158th Street that had it's emergency brake pulled...this, in turn, backed up all trains behind it.

When I finally walked through the doors of Target, about an hour had gone by...
It should have only taken me about ten minutes.

Ha!

Let the games begin!!

Oh Wow.

Oh my gosh!
Can you believe that I just completely forgot to blog!? I, honest to God, FORGOT to blog!

Well, it is now eight days away. I will be moving to the wonderful city of New York! Do you understand? This is a dream come true for me!
Yesterday I went to church, and, woah! Hold me back, Jesus...or, rather, DON'T hold me back! I am ready for anything! God is so good and I know He has everything ready!

Another thing, GodSong's first cd, "Pour It Out" has now come out!! I was so lucky to have been asked to do the background vocals on the cd, and I can tell you, it turned out so well. I have been listening to it and worshipping to it for hours and hours.

Gah!! Life is so good. I really hope that all of you guys are doing well. I hope you are finding your dreams and running towards them!
Keep the dreams alive!

Hey everyone! I went to Starbucks this morning and I made the first official count:

23 Days until I move to the BigApple!

Life has been going good and I have been trying to get a little more organized with stuff. I am in the process of writing out a few lists. (1) Phone numbers. (2) Email addresses. (3) Previous work history. (4) Previous addresses.
Did you guys know that I haved lived in SIXTEEN different houses in my 22 years of life!?! What is up with that!?
I figure it would be a good idea to have a hard copy of all that information in case something ever happens to the computer...which, by the way, BOTH of my parents PCs broke down! Yes, I am typing this blog on my iPod... Ha.
I am going to head out for now, but I do have some good news!
I got an interview with Equinox Gym in NYC! They want to speak with me when I move there in 23 days! I am super stooped about it cause I would get a free gym membership!
Alright, love ya!

TOSF

Well, Hello Hello!

As you have already been informed, I am not working for Netflix. I turned the job down because I am moving to NYC next month.
I was able to keep the job with the temp company and I was sent out to Milwaukie, Oregon today to work for The Old Spaghetti Factory!(TOSF)

I was working at the factory that creates all the furnishings for TOSF. It was actually a pretty cool place. They had tons of chandeliers and Tiffany stained glass lamps hanging from the rafters.

We were helping to load a truck with furnishings for a new TOSF in Chandler, Arizona. (Which I guess is near Phoenix.)

Yes, Chandler, you are welcome...even though you didn't ask me.

I did enjoy myself today. I woke up and was expecting the traffic to be bad, so I left real early and, low and behold, was 1/2 an hour early. I stopped at Starbucks and sipped a wonderful cup of freshly brewed coffee. It wasn't until AFTER Starbucks that I got lost...but I still made it on time.

Then I got lost on my way home also.

Ha.

It's all good, though.

I love you.

P.S: The Old Spaghetti FACTORY is not related to The Old Spaghetti WAREHOUSE. The WAREHOUSE is actually a knockoff of the FACTORY. Crazy, huh!?

Doubt?

It's kind if intimidating when you decided to step out.
If I were to lose sight of what God has for me, I honestly would have stress hives all over my body.

This whole move to NYC.

Every once in a while I find myself worrying about it. I start to wonder how everything is going to pan out.

Where am I going to live?
How am I going to get a job?
How will I afford food?
How will I afford public transportation?

The questions come at me fast and they come at me hard. Before I know it, my mind is engulfed in this war.

Take today.
I have made the decision not to do the Netflix job. As much as I WANT to do the job, I know it would be wrong to take it. It would be wrong for me to go into this job knowing that two weeks after they are done training me, I will be getting on a plane to move to NYC.
Yet, I don't know where I am going to be working for the next month now! I can talk to the temp place I was working at and see if they will let me work for the next month.
But nothing is guaranteed.

Do you see how easily I could stress about this?

But I cannot let this stress me out. I know that everything is going to work out. I know that I will have a place to work and live and that my food and transportation and laundry and basic needs will be taken care of.

I also know that I have NO idea HOW it will come to be. But, it will. I know that the decisions I have made have been through faith and that is, literally, all I can believe in at this point.

Faith.

The Move

Ok.
So.
Time for some news.

As you probably know, my heart is in NYC and my body wants to be with it.
I moved away from the Dream Center and came home to work for a little bit so I could move to the wonderful city of New York.

And.

I bought a plane ticket.

Yes. It's true. I'm not joking with you.
I can list all the reasons for why it is NOT a good idea for me to have bought this ticket. I can tell you why it would be smarter for me to stay home longer and work more. I could tell you why I know some people are not going to be supportive of me with this decision...

but...to be honest, all of that is moot.
I know that this is part of my destiny and I am stepping out in faith.

I cannot believe that I am doing this. Sometimes it seems SO crazy, but I am so excited for all that God has for me.

With that said, I cannot wait to fly to New York City on November 16th.
Gallelukai!

The Hives

I am DONE! (Said with exclamation in voice.)
Ha.
I decided to take the next week off and enjoy life before starting my job at Netflix...a job that I am very excited to start!

I went into the beer-bottle place the other day and made a ghastly discovery on my right bicep:

A STRESS HIVE

Now, fear not. I have had stress hives before and this is a TINY one compared to my other "outbreak". I know what to do now when I get them. Instead of thinking they are bedbug bites and freaking out, I start to understand and pay attention to the little things.
I stop to take little "breather" breaks every once in a while.
I turn off the music in the car, roll down the windows and listen to the world.
I make plans with friends that I look forward to.
I realize...there is no point to stressing!

Of course, I didn't react fast enough because I have found a few more since then, but they are starting to go down and soon they will be no more.

Gallelukai! (That's for Tarvoris.)

I also decided to watch a National Geographic documentary on Stress. (Yes, Titus, I did watch a documentary!) It was ok. I did realize something, though. It was talking about how if you are on the "lower rung" of the social ladder or the corporate ladder, you are more susceptible to stress. Because of the demands on your life you get more stressed.

Now you may be saying, "Duh, Tyler!"
What I realized, though, is that as a child of God...I already have everything I need. There really is no point for me to stress because, when I don't get the pay raise or the recognition from the boss...I have other priorities in my life that trump my job and social status.

So, cheers to a long and stress free life!

Just Go.

Guys.
Is my life just going crazy?
I am so ready for a little change. I have two weeks left at the Beer-Bottle-Labeling-Factory. Yes. I actually gave my two week notice yesterday and I start at Netflix on October 11th.
Sometimes it feels like Oct. 11th is 2,000 years away.

I am trying to take each day and enjoy it...even if all I am doing is flipping cases of beer bottles.
I have made up imaginary friends that I talk to sometimes. (Danitra is funny cause she, "don't care what no one say." She does what she wants.)


I love the weekends, and the good thing about this job is that my weekend consists of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (I only work Mon-Thurs.)
On the weekends I have been going to GodSong church in Newberg, OR and I have been L-O-V-I-N-G it. I've made many new friends and I feel like a part of the Thomason family. They are so loving.

I love feeling encouraged.
I love encouraging.
I hope you feel encouraged.

Pump Up The Cake

What a wonderful day, huh!?
I woke up, had some quiche for breakfast, went to work, threw beer bottles onto a production line, came home...and GOT A NEW JOB!

Yes, it is quite true. I found out today that I got the position with Netflix. I am going to be one of their customer service representatives. (So, if you ever have a problem with your Netflix account, you have a one in five hundred chance of getting me when you call into the Call Center.)

That's exciting!

I am thrilled about this because I feel like I will enjoy this SO much more than the beer bottle job, plus, it's much better pay. (Thank you, Netflix!)

Unfortunately, I won't be starting until around October...so I will be doing awe-inspiring things until then.

What kind of awe-inspiring things, you ask?

Such awe-inspiring things as baking little cakes that look like Pumpkins and Leaves and filling them with delicious frosting!

A Love Day

Good Evening and Good Day to you.

It has been a few days since we last communicated, but fear not, I think about you all the time. It was Labor Day weekend and I had Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon off. It was so nice to relax, hang out with friends, visit with family, chill at Starbucks.
(By the way: Pumpkin Spice Lattes are already back! Amen to that!)

After work today I was driving around and I got this weird feeling. The only thing is, it's not TOO weird, because I have been having this feeling a lot lately. It's that feeling where you know you are meant for more.
Do you feel me on this one?

Please don't get me wrong when I say this, but it is not my forte in life to flip beer bottles onto a conveyor belt. It really isn't. I am SO completely thankful that, in this economy I was able to get a job! However, I know that God has other things planned for me.

Even though I don't technically enjoy flipping beer bottles, I can do it with a smile on my face...and, I do. I smile and even sometimes giggle to myself as I am flipping those bottles because I know the truth.

Do you ever feel that way?

I love you. I really do love. Sometimes I want to love so much that I can't possibly figure out a way to express it. But, simply put:
            I love.

Bottle Jugglin'

I just want everyone to know that because of my help, there are now approximately 66,000 more beautiful beer bottles in this world.

Yes, that is correct. I have spent these past four days flipping cases of boring and drab beer bottles onto a conveyor belt where a machine magically paints wonderful images of bicycles, men with their fists pumped into the air, and salmon fish swimming through leaves on them.
It was actually kind of cool because this machine is the ONLY one in America. It can process thousands of bottles an hour...and it can print a label 360 degrees onto the bottle.
Now, as fun and cool as that may be, I was not really doing anything fun. I started my ten hour days at 5:00 am and was simply flipping cases of beer bottles onto a conveyor belt the whole time. I started out only being able to flip one case at a time. However, as the hours flew by and the skills came about, I switched to flipping two boxes at once.
By the morning of the third day, I officially became a three-box-flipper. I know. I know. You are all so jealous...but not everyone has the skills to flip three cases of empty beer bottles onto a conveyor belt.

It is the weekend for me now, though. And a long one at that! I have Friday, Saturday, Sunday AND Monday (Labor Day) off. What am I going to do with myself?

Tomorrow I get my first real paycheck in THREE YEARS!
NO JOKE! I am going to buy everyone a pony. (Hopefully I worked enough for that!)
You.
Are.
Fantastic.
And I love your smile.

TEMPting

This past week I started my job as a temp. Of course the first thing I think about when I hear the word "temp" is Aly Larter in the movie "Obsessed." Unfortunately I am not a sex crazed psychopathic husband stealer...but we will see what this job does to me.
My first temp job was as a window delivery man. I showed up at the factory, sat in the break room for an hour, then went out to the truck for eleven hours as we drove around and delivered windows. My first day I was with a man named Terry. He was a great guy and when he realized I was a Christian he turned on the radio and we both rocked out to a spectacular rendition of 'Amazing Grace' by Amy Grant.
I have since decided that if I ever build a house...I will be ordering the smallest windows possible. One square foot. I'll order like 70 of them and just put them all together to create one huge window!
I say that because...well...windows are HEAVY!!! Who knew!?!

I felt like I was living someone else's life. It was the strangest feeling. I've never really done physical work like this before. I am used to cafes and McDonalds...so it's going to be really interesting when I start my new temp job tomorrow!

I will be putting beer bottles on a conveyor belt so that they can be labeled.

More to come on that one!! Bet you can't wait! Ha!

It Begins

Ok, so here I go. I am starting this blog to give people a chance to know me better. I graduated high school three years ago and went down to Los Angeles to volunteer at a non-profit organization.

Three years later...here I am.

I am back home.
I have yet to find a job.
I have really big dreams.
And, my bank account is a sad amount.

However, I am completely satisfied with what I have done and where I have been. I would not change these past three years of my life for anything. It's definitely been an emotional roller coaster, but I survived. And even though volunteering for three years did not gain me much in the material sense...I have grown in inspiration and drive.

That I can be sure of.

I love people. I love life. I love dreams.

So, cheers! I hope that when life throws a baseball right at your head, you duck, pick it up and chuck it right back!