Taking over the east coast

Welp, the summer´s coming to an end. 2 and a half weeks from now I will be on a flight back from Oregon. I'm super excited. But even more exciting than that, is all the family is on the same side of the United States for once.

With Blake coming back late august from the mission, I'll be seeing him for the first time in 4 years. Darlene is getting a house 20 minutes away from where I'm studying, so basically we are taking over the east coast.

Work is going somewhat well, but I would be lying to say I'm not super distracted thinking about how awesome it is going to be when I am done. Sales is most definitely not for me, but I'm glad I was able to have the experience out here. If I was EVER to return to sales I would pick this company any day though. Out of all of the horror stories I've heard with door to door salesmen jobs, not a single one of them did I really see that much of here. I mean obviously it's a hard job, but I didn't really see any of the corruption in upper management that is much talked about. I guess it helps that it's a local company, and the best in the industry, at the cheapest price, making it very easy to get behind as a salesmen.

To finish up...one of my co-workers recently got me hooked on french rap, I just wish I understood what was being said, but... in any case....

Enjoy 

Papaoutai by Stromae

Things I would like to say to the general population of Oregon

Firstly, train your dog! I'm tired of talking over them as they bark incessantly behind the door. And I'm tired of them charging at me, as if to bite, when they are outside and not on a leash.

If you want me to not solicit, put your sign out in the driveway. Enough with the whole "putting it next to the doorbell on a front porch hidden by bushes and trees, so that someone would have to actually get to the door in order to see it" thing.

If you fall into the last category of people, stop getting mad at me for knocking on the door anyway. I've already made it to the door... I'm knocking

To all those people who have obnoxiously large houses, so much to the point that I can't distinguish between the front door back door and garage door. Stop it! Being that rich is unnecessary.

It's one thing to say "I'm not interested" but stop saying "I haven't been seeing anything" when there's a line of ants at the base of your door.

and lastly (for now)...

Ignoring a salesman, is not what respectable human beings do. If you're not interested, tell me, so that I don't waste several minutes wondering if you're going to come to the door. Or at least stay quiet so I can think you're not home. When you make eye contact with me through the window, and then speak obnoxiously loud with those in the room acknowledging my presence, but then continue to converse as if I had never come, you officially become some of the worst people ever to have existed.

That is all.

Thank you

-Paco Stoddard

p.s. I forgot to mention... Answering the door while you're on the phone, is rude to me, AND rude to the person you're on the phone with.

Don't do it.

Sales, and classes, and church. Oh my!

Week two of sales has come and gone, and it was sooooooo discouraging, it will most definitely go on record as my worst week sales-wise, unless of course I go a week with absolutely no sales, but working 7 hours a day 6 days a week I HOPE that doesn't happen. Anywho, this week was very close, as I only got one sale during the whole week. This week it's only wednesday and I already have 2 sales under my belt after yesterday, so once again, I'm hoping that can be deemed my worst week of the summer, because a worse one would be aggravating.

Classes started this week, and by classes, I mean class, because I'm only taking one. But it will sure prove to be a filler of free time (which I don't have a LOT of anyway). I also got assigned to speak in sacrament meeting last sunday, so this sunday in addition to class I'm just all over the place trying to make deadlines.

Sales have been interesting, it's starting to become something I can enjoy, but it's not yet something I want to do again next summer, especially considering the whole "getting close to graduation and need to actually find a job related to my major" thing. But, in any case, It feels good to be doing something out of the ordinary, getting experience in not fast food, or the food industry in general.

I've decided the only remaining food industry adventure I would want to pursue is my own restaurant called "Paco's Portable Peruvian Palace in Portland." It would be a moving restaurant, on a bus that drives around sightseeing in downtown Portland. Kind of like the carriage ride in wilmington but with Peruvian food served. It would drive around picking up customers at well established stops along the route and it would be awesome and a half.

Of course this idea came from a place called "grilled cheese grill" that we went to as an office. They serve hamburgers and whatnaught with grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns. Awesomeness! But the tables are on a broken down bus, so that's where the bus idea came from.

Portland

So I made it to Oregon.

Packing was really difficult, especially considering I wasn't 100% unpacked from getting home from College. But I'm finally here as of a week ago, all settled and ready to work.

This first week has definitely been hard, and I can tell therefore that the rest of the summer will be, but even one sale goes a long way so I'm not INCREDIBLY worried. I've already gotten 3 sales in the first week, which isn't great, but at least it proves that I can in fact do this, so it won't be a huge waste of time, nor do I see myself owing more than I made when it's all said and done.

The last two days have been pretty hard though, it's hard making 3 sales over the course of two days followed by two days of absolutely nothing. Especially since a work day is so long, so I've just been practicing not getting discouraged. The sales will come, in time, maybe I just need a better area, with people who need it more, maybe I need more practice (more like definitely, but in any case...) but we're selling a great service, probably one of the best deals one can get in terms of pest control, so I don't think the quality of the product is ever going to be a problem.

John is really cool, I already knew that of course, having spent time with him on the mission, but we've been having a great time working together, and living in the same apartment, trying to introduce the other one to good music only to see that we have almost the exact same itunes playlist. I almost feel like we could have been childhood friends in a different dimension.

Class online is to start next week, so that should add a bit of excitement to the already busy schedule I have. I was supposed to buy a book for it, but never realized until I was already out here. Luckily, I thought to look for it in the apple store, and I was able to buy the textbook in ebook form for ipad. Basically, awesomeness.

I'm super excited for Blake to be coming home in August, just thought I would get that in writing so that when he comes back he'll know that it was true :p But forreal, 4 years worth of time apart is...kinda ridiculous. It will be surreal.

Mother's day has passed, it was good, got to call the Mumsley, but now after the fact I just wanted to make a quick shout out. Not even sure if you read this Mom, but you're the best, and I'm so very thankful for everything you've done to help me grow into who I am. You're the best!, even if you make mistakes, we all do, but what you've done for me these past 23 years has been worth more than anything I can think of. Your encouragement and guidance have helped me climb over mountains and I'm sure they will continue to help me become the person that I'm meant to become.

Anyway, that's the update for now, I have a few stories I will post when convenient, right now though, it's sellin' time.

Au revoir!
-Paco Stoddard

Argh

Dugnubbit, I am the worst at blogging.

Welp, the semester is coming to an end which means, life is about to become a whole lot different.

I decided to take a leap of faith and go out to Oregon with some mission buddies to try out this whole "pest control sales" thing. It will take up about all the summer, but depending on how well I do it could possibly be the most money I've ever made in one summer, or one 3 month period for that matter. On the other hand, if I do very poorly, at least I tried. I'm so sick of the food industry (not having had a job out of it), that really, any experience is a good experience at this point.

The spanish is going well, except the first class in a set of three that are prerequisites of each other was full with no wait list by the very instance that I was allowed to enroll (stupied seniors and juniors who were allowed to enroll before me!!!!!). That's significant because well,.....my four years of college ends in three semesters, so...dang it. But in any case things are going well, just trying to fight through the last month, where I have SOMEthing due like every single day, which is getting really annoying. I have no time to work on something more than a day in advance because I'm too busy working on something due before it, resulting in what would seem like extreme procrastination to the outside eye, but I assure you, it's just too much work. period.

I was surprised as I looked in my e-mail the other day, to find that apparently I'm going to be recognized by the department for my studies in Russian. That was awesome. I learned the next day that it is actually being awarded to multiple students in my class, so it's not TOO personal, but I mean, an award is an award, so I'm still happy about it.

The dorm maintenance guy is spreading rumors apparently about how bad our room smells, which is awesome because, well....it doesn't. And if it does, it's because of the dorm itself, and not anything we're doing, but he opts to tell everyone about it, and how we don't take out the trash (which I did just today actually) and we don't do our laundry (which I did just yesterday actually) and how our room is messy (which I clean on a weekly basis actually) and etc... Basically, I'm so tired of this dorm, and can't wait to get into an apartment next semester. Seriously,....so.....aggravating. And made even worse by the fact that he doesn't even confront us about it, he just tells the whole world about it. Man, people are the worst.

Anyway, that's the update for today :D

Hello World!

Welp, it's been a while, so I figured I should probably like....update this or something.

Classes are going somewhat well, except this week, when everyone decided to pile up everything into the same week, I have two papers due, various quizzes, and just general being tooooo busy, this of course is all part of the snowpocalypse. Most of all of this was due last week but due to the snow, it all got pushed to this week, along with whatever else we had planned for this week. The snow here got pretty bad, I wish I had taken pictures but unfortunately that is one of my flaws as a person, I rarely remember to take pictures. But to paint a picture in your mind, it kept fluctuating between rain and snow. The road was literally covered by a good thick layer of ice, and people were still trying to drive on it, which....personally, I don't understand, they were pretty asking for a car crash.

Here's a picture that has gone viral on the internet - Brought to you courtesy of Raleigh. Apparently someone's car was working so hard to drive up the snow covered road, that it burst into flames and causes mass mayhem.

So since I couldn't go to work, or any classes, I decided over the mini winter break to go ahead and get my oral exam out of the way. It was interesting. I feel like I could have done better had I been talking to a real person, but talking to a computerized voice on a computer I was able to get placed as an advanced mid spanish speaker, which is still pretty good and definitely enough to graduate without having to pay the $65 to take it again. (if you get less than intermediate high you have to take it again).

I've been writing some music, hopefully going to get that out into the world in the nearish future, only problem is the snowpocalypse has also taken a toll on my immune system, so I have to get over the scratchy sore throat before recording anything. But rest assured it will be the best album you've ever heard in your entire existence.

I went to see the lego movie, which, I must say, is so much better than I imagined it being, they did such a great job, and in the end the movie becomes a lot deeper than you thought it would be, with all the....metaphors and dualism and uplifting messages and what-naught. I especially liked the main theme song "Everything is awesommmmmmmmmmmme"

Anyway, best be off to like, not fail at life with these assignments this week, hopefully everyone is doing well, I love you all!

Holy Bijeebers.

Apparently I'm really bad at this whole...updating the blog thing.

Hmmmm where to start.

Welp, Christmas break was awesome. Especially because I started it with the knowledge that I hadn't failed anything fall semester. I got a C but everything else was B A and A+. Woohoo!

Christmas break was mostly spent in Atlanta Georgia with the Sarahmeister.

I got mom some awesome Peruvian earrings based on the lines of nazca (google it), I got Sarah and Micah some hats, Sarah's being homemade by me. And Natalie got some Dr. Seuss books.

I went back to State soon after New Years, and so far classes are going well. I officially changed my major to Spanish, with a minor in Mathematics and possibly russian. It might be seem a little eclectic but don't judge me, I will find a job that likes it. 

My classes this semester are two spanish classes, one russian class, a religion class, and a math class to complete the minor. and other than that just been working on various projects, getting back into music. Didn't get to finish my christmas album, but I'm hoping to finish it long in advance for next Christmas.

The religion class has been fun, it's interesting being in a religion class that is not predominantly mormon, or based on mormon ideology at all. The other day the professor asked the class about the churches they go to, mainly to highlight how different churches are compared to in the bible. We then started reading in Acts of the Apostles and he told us to pay attention to the organization. He then asked if anyone belonged to a church that had apostles and prophets like in the bible. Of course, I raised my hand, it was tough though, being the only one. But it was a cool stand alone moment, Thomas S. Monson would be proud. It also just made me really appreciate the church a little more. Pretty cool that I am one of few in the general world that can say there is a real prophet on earth and that he talks with God to lead his saints. 

Anyway, it definitely seems it will be an interesting experience. As will all of my other classes. I'm now finally in a spanish class that focuses mostly on the topic more than actually learning spanish. It's comparable to an english literature class but spoken in spanish. The professor doesn't even really speak english that well, which makes it funny when he tries. He's born and raised in Venezuela.