Swiftly falls the rain

Attention, please. We interrupt this job-search blog to bring you our experience at last night's Taylor Swift concert.

Ever since Taylor's blonde curls bounced onto the music scene, my husband has been an unabashed fan. So in celebration of his recent birthday, our daughter gifted him with a pair of tickets to the pop star's concert last night at Cowboys Stadium. One ticket for him, and one for me.

Saturday afternoon, our inner 13-year-olds set out for Jerry's shiny, big gridiron palace. Fortunately the rest of us, which is 13 several times over, knows how to drive. We left in plenty of time, our anxiety buttons pushed a bit by media reports of predicted heavy traffic near Arlington's two mega-stadiums, where Taylor would be singing at the same time that the Texas Rangers played Detroit.

We were so early that the nightmare traffic had yet to materialize, and slid easily into Lot 12, waving our $35 parking pass. And because stadium food is pretty much a no-can-do for me and my gluten-free diet, we packed a cooler with a modest spread for our own Taylorgate party.

We watched the parade of fans as we munched. Have there ever been so many girls and young women in short, flirty skirts and cowboy boots?  It's the Taylor fashion look, and most of the citizens of TaylorNation got the memo on what to wear.

Once inside Cowboys Stadium, we joined a line at one of the many souvenir stands. None of the Taylor Swift concert T-shirts had a design appealing to the mid-life male fan, so my husband passed on the shirts but opted for a  "Speak Now" worldwide tour 2012 calendar ($10) and a souvenir program ($20).

Our seats on the top level must have been in section "V", for Vertigo. Once we found them, my husband plopped his center of gravity into the seat and announced that he wouldn't be moving again. That anchored center of gravity proved useful when he extended a hand to help a couple of slender, coltish fans who vaulted up over a couple of rows of seats to ascend to their perch in the seats beside us.

Demographically speaking, there are more slender, coltish female fans at a Taylor Swift concert than you'd ever see at a Cowboys game, or anywhere else. The menfolk, except for a smattering of husbands, boyfriends and granddads, must have been across the street at the Rangers game.

We did the wave along with everybody else while waiting for Taylor's opening acts, and finally, the big show. Taylor's fans went nuts when she appeared in her gold flapper-style dress, singing "Sparks Fly," and the singer looked genuinely wonderstruck at the size and scope of Cowboys Stadium filled with screaming, glowstick-waving fans.

From our seats in the aerie, the figures on stage were tiny, even when I used my opera glasses. But I'm sold on the Jumbotron, which brings every detail of a performer's face into high-definition focus. It is difficult, however, to keep track of the action on stage, where Taylor's band and dancers are putting on a great show, and keep an eye on the Jumbotron at the same time.  So when Taylor comes to town for her next tour, we'll spring for pricier seats with a better view of the stage.

Meanwhile, the video of "Sparks Fly," which you can view at http://www.taylorswift.com/videos does a great job of capturing the essence of the "Speak Now" world tour experience in just a few minutes.

After the show, we spiraled our way down a long ramp to the ground floor, and through the massive wall of glass we saw that the promised traffic jam had indeed materialized, along with some welcome rain. We arrived home just before 2:00 a.m.

Returning for a moment to the original premise of this blog -- job searching --  there is news to report! I have a job offer, and when the details are all signed, sealed and delivered, I'll blog about it in an upcoming post.

Come September

I was afraid it wouldn't happen this year.

Every Texas summer is a scorcher, by the standards of someone who grew up in the upper Midwest. But during all of my years in Texas, a slight, but noticeable cooling trend has been ushered in shortly after the Labor Day holiday.

Mercifully, it did cool down in Dallas/Fort Worth right on schedule, even with the three months of triple-digit temperatures we've endured.

I also think I see a slight, but noticeable upward trend in the number of open positions of the kind I'm looking for -- advertising copywriters, editors, public relations writers and the like.

I know, it goes against the flat, dismal government job statistics that have Wall Street in a tizzy.

But it makes sense, in my world. Summers were always times to catch your breath, for a moment at least, in the newspaper business. And you needed to take that break when you could, because things always sped up in a big, fat hurry come September.

So even if the economy is wretched, it's still back-to-school time, back-to-serious-business time. And that's why I think I'm seeing more appropriate jobs to apply for, even if some of them are freelance or temporary assignments. I'm open to those as well as "real" work. I found that my last freelance assignment (which was also my first) gave me a certain sense of validation, and satisfaction in flexing my professional chops.

In addition to finding more job openings than usual this week, I also attended a weekly networking event called "Social Media Lab."

Held at a North Richland Hills coffeeshop called "Roots," this group is an ongoing, informal and hands-on-the-laptop discussion on honing your social media skills not only for the job search, but for on-the-job purposes as well. 

It's a small, friendly gathering run by volunteer coaches who ask only that attendees pay it forward by sharing what they've learned with others. Oh, and one more thing...if you go, make sure you thank the folks at Roots by purchasing a latte and something tempting from the bakery case. Go ahead, "Like" them on Facebook. They are awesome to host this event each week.

I'll tell you more about Social Media Lab in a future post. Meanwhile, if you're interested, it is held every Friday from 10 a.m. to noon at Roots coffeehouse on Hwy. 26 in North Richland Hills, just east of NRH2O. Bring a laptop if you have one, but no worries if you don't. Just sit next to someone who has one and look on. It's part of the deal.

Becoming a foodie, of sorts

Throughout this not-yet-too-terribly-long journey of job searching, I've received one constant word of advice in all of the workshops, outplacement classes and networking events that I have attended.

Job hunting is be hard work, probably the hardest you'll ever have, say the experts...but in your spare time, while you still have some, do spend a little of it volunteering in your community.

And so I am.

Next week, I'm scheduled to work my first session as a volunteer for the Tarrant Area Food Bank. The marketing and public relations staffers there have been kind enough to take a look at their to-do lists to see if there are some projects where my own professional experience can be useful. And while I'm there, I also want to help box up donated food in their quality control area.

As I drove away from the Food Bank today, I felt a definite uptick in my attitude. Now I've got something on my calendar that puts me back working with people on something that's not all about me, getting a job.

And I have to admit, it feels good to get a "Yes" response from an organization for a change.

Visit the Tarrant Area Food Bank, which serves 13 counties, at www.tafb.org.