Blog of Josh Hall

Dear Propel Pittsburgh Applicant:

            I would like to thank you for your interest in the Propel Pittsburgh Commission. Your application materials and resume were reviewed and at this time we are unable to select you as a commissioned member of the Propel Pittsburgh Commission.  We received over 450 applications from excellent candidates and it made the selection process difficult because of the great talent that exists in the City of Pittsburgh. Even though you weren’t selected, your resume and application will remain active until May 1, 2008 and you could be considered for other vacancies on other boards, commissions, or authorities or Propel Pittsburgh if vacancies occur throughout the year. 

            I want to encourage you to continue to check the current openings on boards, commissions, or authorities that can be viewed on the City’s website. The Propel Pittsburgh Commission will consist of several sub-committees and focus groups upon its establishment and we will be extending the opportunity for non-commissioned members to be involved. If you showed interest in another commission, your application and resume were forwarded for consideration.

New category!  sometimes weird memories pop into my head that are usually pretty funny or very truth telling of what really happened.  I’ve had 2 of these recently, but for the life of me I can’t remember what they were.  I’ll try to keep this category geared towards entertaining stories.  I can see how I could really open up a can of worms with some of the truth-telling stories, but it’s all in the past, so everyone should have moved on by now…right? …right…

When I was 14-16, I ran away from my dad’s house to my mom’s house at least twice.  The two houses are about 5 miles or so away from eachother.  One of the times, I think the second time, I took off walking while no one was paying attention to me after my dad had accused me of purposefully breaking a push mower so that I didnt have to cut grass.  About 30 minutes into my walk, my dad caught on and got into his big red 12 passenger van in search of me.  Dude was manic.  He pulled up next to me with this Jack Nicholson look straight out of "The Shining" saying, "Get in the van, Josh, get in."  It was a very narrow road with no shoulder, and as cars would come up behind him, he’d have to drive ahead and turn around somewhere and come back in the other direction in pursuit of me.  At some points, I was sure he was going to come up behind me and hit me with the van.  After the 2nd time of him turning around, and see how much time that bought me, I ended up crossing to the other side of the road while he was turning around, forcing him to do his little turn around bit every time.  He probably made 4 or 5 passes before I got smart and ducked into a family friend’s house.  The Sanders house.  They were perplexed to see me show up at their house at all, let alone in grass stained shoes and jeans, as if I was just mowing their lawn…I was a little out of breath from the sprint into their house so that my dad didn’t see where i went.  I came up with a story that I was just out for a run, and since it looked like it was going to ran soon (Thank God) I said that I was wondering if i could use their phone to call my mother to pick me up.  Thank God again that she was home.  That ~10-15 minutes spent in their house was mind-racking.  Mr. Sanders was a pastor, and not one of those pastors that like to drink beer and watch football and do marathons while listening to the latest foo fighters album….and I just lied to his face.  And his whole family.  He had 2 daughters that I think had crushes on me, and I actually got along pretty well as friends with the older one, but making small talk there, with all of their family just standing around me, knowing my dad could kick in the door at any second screaming "GET BACK TO WORK" was messed up.  Mommy to the rescue!

posted some videos of me playing songs on youtube.  thought it might be fun to see what kind of reaction, if any, I get.  Think i’ll play out a little more since i had fun the last time i did it.  if these get good responses, i may make more.  enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/user/sixf00t4

dryer broke.  got it free from jaime last year and cost me ~$120 to get installed and working.  Now it will cost me $40 to get a used one off craigslist and another $50 probably to have someone hook it up since it’s gas.  After this new one goes though, i’ll hopefully be able to afford a new one.

1 of my classes was totally online this semester, except this sunday I have to drive to the moon campus and take the final in person at 1am.  That’s a bunch of crap. 

started my new job downtown.  I’m wondering how people get crap done when they work 9-5.  things like doctor appts, going to the post office, meeting with laywers, meeting dryer repair guys, I’m not going to be able to do anymore.  That’s lame, i really enjoyed having day time to do that stuff.  job itself is starting out really slowly, hopefully i’ll get some more work here soon.  this is the last week of class so i’m been keeping busy with that stuff in balance.

registered for the 4 classes i need to graduate in the fall.  assuming i pass classes this semester and in the fall, i should be able to graditate.

still have to get my truck fixed.  but since i dont drive much at all now, i might just wait until i’m stuck on the side of the road to delay having to pay for it just yet…money’s tight fool!

I wan to take cross country road trips with my family every so often.  just like how we did in the 80s for caleb’s make-a-wish trip and again in the mid 90s as a 10th year anniversary.  perhaps a 25 year?  i’d like to take interstate 70 or route 40 around the country.  ofcourse you have to do it in style with a large motorhome.