I mentioned a few days ago that I would be changing my focus regarding model railroading. I think I’ll discuss that for the next few posts.
First, take it as a given that me and trains: we be mates. I have had a fascination with trains for as long as I can remember – literally! I have an essay in the works on my history with trains that I am preparing for posting on my planned StillPlaysWithTrains website. So reviewing my experience with toy or model trains, I recall I had a Marx O gauge steam engine freight train when I was very small – not sure if it was mine or someone else in the family, nor do I know what happened to it. Christmas of ’59 when I was eight years old, I got an America Flyer S gauge steam engine freight train that I had for several years and was destroyed in our attic fire when I was in high school. When I was in junior high I saved my money and (with Dad’s help) bought my first HO train set – a Sante Fe diesel streamlined passenger train and an oval of track. I then stayed with HO for years after that. While in junior high, my Dad put together a real nice train board for me – a 4’x 8’ sheet of plywood on a 1x2 frame with a wheel, chain, & pulley arrangement that allowed it to be stored flat against the basement wall, then lowered for playing. It was very cool!
Now, financial reversals and poor choices on my part in the late 1980’s made it necessary for me to generate money so I sold my HO trains. I went to several regional train meets, rented a seller table, and sold off a collection of twenty year’s building that took five good sized boxes to store. Now that is a key point: stored. I had not had a layout since high school. I had always planned to have one but we never had a place that had room for such, so while I slowly added to my collection of engines, cars, and structures, I had to keep them in storage, getting them out every year or so to admire and dream. I should mention that the collection took a big hit in the early 80s when we moved from Tennessee to Arizona. The trailer was too small to hold everything so one group of boxes we left in my wife’s sister’s basement included the trains. A couple years later when we could finally afford to have them shipped to us it was evident that their kids had gotten into the boxes at some point: there was a lot of damage and a lot of items were just missing. I never said anything – they were kind enough to store the stuff for all that time – I just cleaned up what I could and continued growing the collection when I could.
Then came Christmas of 2005. The Tom Hanks movie The Polar Express had just come out, and the Lionel company had issued a top quality entry-level set of the Polar Express in O gauge. My sweet wife got me one for Christmas! It’s beautiful. It was my first Lionel – ever! The engine is a Berkshire (2-8-4), is highly detailed and weighs a ton! The three passenger cars are lighted and have silhouettes in the windows depicting characters from the movie. Very cool!! Makes smoke and the whistle blows. Looks fabulous under the tree. The following year Sears came out with a Dept 56 series of buildings from the movie A Christmas Story whose scale matched the train! I built a little village under the tree with the Express chugging through town. It was great. See it here. I was hooked. I got the latest Lionel catalog, bought some issues of Classic Toy Trains magazine, and began to dream about my big O gauge layout. Whee!
Here’s the kicker: for my next birthday – about a year after getting the Polar Express – my Dad made me a present of an HO gauge train set! He knew I hadn’t been doing trains for a while and thought I’d like to get back into it. He was right! [Oh, the irony! See the following posts!] However, I was committed to O gauge now, so I called him and explained to him that I was thrilled with the gift and the thought behind it, but that I wanted to exchange it and why. He was fine with it – always has been an understanding fellow – so I sent the HO set back to the internet seller and exchanged it for the two add-on cars that had just come out for the Polar Express. Very cool! The train now had five passenger cars – a respectable looking outfit. And I am a proud three-railer!! To be continued…
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Monday, November 02, 2009
The Freedom of Blogging
140 characters. What can you say that has any meaning in 140 characters? Not much, I find. I kinda like Twitter for the friendly banter it engenders with the people I have discovered online – mostly at MegaTokyo – and that I seem to be connected with them in some small way. The problem I have is the restrictions of the medium. 140 characters seems to be designed for communication through texting on a phone, so it’s limited and very limiting. If someone has more to say, I find we type to the 140, then post, then type to the next 140, then post, and so on. This morning I opened Twitter and found a friend had made six posts in a row just so he could say three sentences! I mean, I was glad to hear what he had to say, it just seemed so cumbersome.
How do people handle this limitation? For the most part, the posts I see on Twitter are just shorthand streams of consciousness; and, I’m sorry, but the state of your gastric tract or what you ate for lunch are just not that interesting. It’s as if people respond to this limitation by limiting what they dare say and rarely attempt anything too involved or thoughtful. It’s become a waste of time.
I am also on Facebook, but not very often. I usually find it more frustrating than Twitter. I don’t have that many friends or relatives on my account, but some of them post all the time, all kinds of crap – by crap I mean cute pictures or videos they want to share, or level-ups and milestones they’ve reached in all the games they play. I like the pics and videos sometimes, but I don’t really care if they offed some mythical godfather in Mafia wars! Please people, don’t post that kind of stuff. Anyway, I’ll post something on Facebook and 10 minutes later it’s off the page because all these other posts just keep the front page flowing downward – it’s like a text & video simulacrum of the Matrix screens! Perhaps I just don’t use it right. I hear of people who spend all their time on Facebook, but I don’t understand what they’re doing that is so compelling. I also find the constant advertising there most irritating. Still, I guess it fills a need.
So I like the freedom blogging gives you. I can write at length on whatever topic is on my mind. I see blogs used for information sources and repositories too. It’s a valuable tool. On the other hand, I do like the conversational quality that Twitter provides – I post a comment, and one of my followers can respond in real-time. It’s nice. Feels like we’re doing something together, and we are!
Looking at these three community streams, I think we need a compromise. I think the next big app for the web will be a Twitter on steroids. We need a Twitter-type utility that allows you to post full sentences and paragraphs, say 500 or 1000 characters. No pictures or videos displayed – that would just recreate Facebook – the method of loading URLs in Twitter with the shorthand code is a good thing. Then we could have real conversations. I guess the best solution would be to leave the Twitter layout just as it is, but with more characters available for use. Also, maybe they could set it up like AOL used to be where if you were in a conversation with someone and wanted to continue but not in the public forum, you could split off into a separate chat room. That would be a nice enhancement to Twitter.
Meanwhile, I’ll keep blogging.
How do people handle this limitation? For the most part, the posts I see on Twitter are just shorthand streams of consciousness; and, I’m sorry, but the state of your gastric tract or what you ate for lunch are just not that interesting. It’s as if people respond to this limitation by limiting what they dare say and rarely attempt anything too involved or thoughtful. It’s become a waste of time.
I am also on Facebook, but not very often. I usually find it more frustrating than Twitter. I don’t have that many friends or relatives on my account, but some of them post all the time, all kinds of crap – by crap I mean cute pictures or videos they want to share, or level-ups and milestones they’ve reached in all the games they play. I like the pics and videos sometimes, but I don’t really care if they offed some mythical godfather in Mafia wars! Please people, don’t post that kind of stuff. Anyway, I’ll post something on Facebook and 10 minutes later it’s off the page because all these other posts just keep the front page flowing downward – it’s like a text & video simulacrum of the Matrix screens! Perhaps I just don’t use it right. I hear of people who spend all their time on Facebook, but I don’t understand what they’re doing that is so compelling. I also find the constant advertising there most irritating. Still, I guess it fills a need.
So I like the freedom blogging gives you. I can write at length on whatever topic is on my mind. I see blogs used for information sources and repositories too. It’s a valuable tool. On the other hand, I do like the conversational quality that Twitter provides – I post a comment, and one of my followers can respond in real-time. It’s nice. Feels like we’re doing something together, and we are!
Looking at these three community streams, I think we need a compromise. I think the next big app for the web will be a Twitter on steroids. We need a Twitter-type utility that allows you to post full sentences and paragraphs, say 500 or 1000 characters. No pictures or videos displayed – that would just recreate Facebook – the method of loading URLs in Twitter with the shorthand code is a good thing. Then we could have real conversations. I guess the best solution would be to leave the Twitter layout just as it is, but with more characters available for use. Also, maybe they could set it up like AOL used to be where if you were in a conversation with someone and wanted to continue but not in the public forum, you could split off into a separate chat room. That would be a nice enhancement to Twitter.
Meanwhile, I’ll keep blogging.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Daily Blogging for a Month? Good Idea!
So I saw on Kelly's blog about this initiative for blogging every day for the month of November -- see nablopomo National Blog Posting Month. For a sporadic blogger like me this sounded like a good idea and a way to get back into the habit. I’ve never blogged that consistently, even though I find when I do I tend to be more focused with the rest of my life. I went to the website and signed up and here we go!
I think to kick this off it might be a good idea to re-post the poem from Kipling I posted a few years ago that I first saw quoted in Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. It says pretty much what I need to think about right now as far as focusing on things go:
The young recruit is silly – 'e thinks o' suicide.
'E's lost 'is gutter-devil; 'e 'asn't got 'is pride;
But day by day they kicks 'im, which 'elps 'im on a bit,
Till 'e finds 'isself one mornin' with a full an' proper kit.
Gettin' clear o' dirtiness, gettin' done with mess,
Gettin' shut o' doin' things rather-more-or-less.
From The ‘eathen by Rudyard Kipling
Nicely put, don’t you think? Where I’m at right now requires a good deal of focus on my part. I am out of work again, so let’s taken it as written that I spend at least a couple hours each day searching the job boards, applying at likely-looking companies, and following leads from friends and former co-workers. I do that daily so I won’t mention it again; it’s just there, it has to be done, and I’m doing the footwork.
As I mentioned before, MLM is scheduled for her first shoulder replacement surgery on December 2nd. She is getting ready for that with help from a cohort of home care nurses and physical therapists that we are lucky enough to have coming in several times a week. She is getting some good exercise and still losing weight which really helps her pain level. It’s so good to see things finally moving forward for her surgery. I look forward to taking her back to Disney World! Her Mom was coming for Thanksgiving but has extended her stay to be here after the operation and help with getting her settled in afterwards – much appreciated! We have a hospital bed loaned to us by a family in the church so we are almost set. I just have to finish tidying up the living room and office, get rid of our old entertainment center on Craig’s list, and set up the bed in our bedroom. The fun never ends!
In order to move forward in my ‘career’ (such as it is), I need to get additional certifications or an advanced college degree (just another form of certification wouldn’t you say?). To that end, I am studying SQL for two reasons – just having a cert in SQL should improve my chances of employment, and it’s a big step toward an MCSE (super-valuable cert from Microsoft). Alternatively, as I’ve mentioned previously, I.T. hasn’t been berry, berry good to me lately. There are fewer jobs, more techs competing for them, and the pay has dropped considerably because of this – market forces at work; supply and demand; etc. So if I get back into college for a master’s program it seems prudent to focus on a different, but complimentary field. My first inclination was the Medical Informatics program at Northwestern – it seems a good direction to go that builds on my past experience but moves me into the medical admin field which is definitely not going anywhere and pays well, generally. There are also masters programs in HR that build on my undergrad degree in Organization Behavior – MLM even found a MS program in Org Behavior, so that’s another possibility. Third, is teaching. MLM and many others have always said that I would make a good teacher. Now I have taught adult classes in PC skills before, and I enjoyed that. Not sure how I’d do with kids though. On the other hand, I have taught Sunday school as well and enjoyed that a lot and was pretty good at it. Anyway, MLM found an online teaching master of arts program at USC and put me in for that. I am getting e-mails and phone calls from them now so I guess they’re anxious to get some business. It’s intriguing to say the least. Of course, before I can do any of those things I need to get employed, at a living wage, with a short commute, etc. etc. etc.
That’s enough for today. Feels good. Let’s keep it flowing.
I think to kick this off it might be a good idea to re-post the poem from Kipling I posted a few years ago that I first saw quoted in Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. It says pretty much what I need to think about right now as far as focusing on things go:
The young recruit is silly – 'e thinks o' suicide.
'E's lost 'is gutter-devil; 'e 'asn't got 'is pride;
But day by day they kicks 'im, which 'elps 'im on a bit,
Till 'e finds 'isself one mornin' with a full an' proper kit.
Gettin' clear o' dirtiness, gettin' done with mess,
Gettin' shut o' doin' things rather-more-or-less.
From The ‘eathen by Rudyard Kipling
Nicely put, don’t you think? Where I’m at right now requires a good deal of focus on my part. I am out of work again, so let’s taken it as written that I spend at least a couple hours each day searching the job boards, applying at likely-looking companies, and following leads from friends and former co-workers. I do that daily so I won’t mention it again; it’s just there, it has to be done, and I’m doing the footwork.
As I mentioned before, MLM is scheduled for her first shoulder replacement surgery on December 2nd. She is getting ready for that with help from a cohort of home care nurses and physical therapists that we are lucky enough to have coming in several times a week. She is getting some good exercise and still losing weight which really helps her pain level. It’s so good to see things finally moving forward for her surgery. I look forward to taking her back to Disney World! Her Mom was coming for Thanksgiving but has extended her stay to be here after the operation and help with getting her settled in afterwards – much appreciated! We have a hospital bed loaned to us by a family in the church so we are almost set. I just have to finish tidying up the living room and office, get rid of our old entertainment center on Craig’s list, and set up the bed in our bedroom. The fun never ends!
In order to move forward in my ‘career’ (such as it is), I need to get additional certifications or an advanced college degree (just another form of certification wouldn’t you say?). To that end, I am studying SQL for two reasons – just having a cert in SQL should improve my chances of employment, and it’s a big step toward an MCSE (super-valuable cert from Microsoft). Alternatively, as I’ve mentioned previously, I.T. hasn’t been berry, berry good to me lately. There are fewer jobs, more techs competing for them, and the pay has dropped considerably because of this – market forces at work; supply and demand; etc. So if I get back into college for a master’s program it seems prudent to focus on a different, but complimentary field. My first inclination was the Medical Informatics program at Northwestern – it seems a good direction to go that builds on my past experience but moves me into the medical admin field which is definitely not going anywhere and pays well, generally. There are also masters programs in HR that build on my undergrad degree in Organization Behavior – MLM even found a MS program in Org Behavior, so that’s another possibility. Third, is teaching. MLM and many others have always said that I would make a good teacher. Now I have taught adult classes in PC skills before, and I enjoyed that. Not sure how I’d do with kids though. On the other hand, I have taught Sunday school as well and enjoyed that a lot and was pretty good at it. Anyway, MLM found an online teaching master of arts program at USC and put me in for that. I am getting e-mails and phone calls from them now so I guess they’re anxious to get some business. It’s intriguing to say the least. Of course, before I can do any of those things I need to get employed, at a living wage, with a short commute, etc. etc. etc.
That’s enough for today. Feels good. Let’s keep it flowing.
Monday, October 26, 2009
The Hurrider I Go, the Behinder I Get
The day after my last post, the 16th, I got laid off again! Seems the project is going so smoothly they do not need my help after all and can do it with internal resources. So, I'm looking for work again! I already have an interview for this Thursday at least, so hopefully this won't last too long. The economy is definitely picking up and I am seeing more stuff on the job boards.
MLM and I had a long talk the other night about my so-called career and she pointed out that it is very much time to change areas of work again, and the only way to do that is to get a masters degree focusing on the new career path as I mentioned before. Anyway, seems medical informatics is one, HR IT is another, heck we even looked at cooking schools in the area and restaurant management. There are lots of things like that hereabouts. But I just don't know. I am going to research this in detail and not go off half-cocked out of desperation. Most of the programs I've checked have an online component so I wouldn't have to lose work time to attend class, nor commute to some campus miles away in the evening -- this is certainly and advantage. We'll just have to see what seems the best choice. Gotta get another job first, though.
We went to see MLM's orthopaedic surgeon at his new digs (he left Northwestern for a bump up to assistant director and a shorter commute), and he feels the time is right to proceed. MLM has one more dental visit and so he scheduled her first shoulder operation on Dec. 2nd! Finally! We are on the move now to pain relief and more mobility. Pray for us both.
I am putting a pantload of stuff on eBay this week -- need the money and the room. I spoke briefly about the trains last time and I have come to a decision: I am leaving O scale and returning to HO. So, I am putting all my O up for sale. I am holding on to the Polar Express for now; it was a Christmas gift from MLM after all, and it looks great around the Christmas tree. But all the other little bits and pieces are going. One thing I'm thinking about is starting an information and retail website focusing on model trains. It's something I know about and am interested in and Google has all kinds of programs to support me in doing it. That's another option for the future that might even make a little extra money. I would really like to put my reasoning for giving up O down on a blog rant, but don't have time for that now. Will do so later for sure.
That's all for now.
MLM and I had a long talk the other night about my so-called career and she pointed out that it is very much time to change areas of work again, and the only way to do that is to get a masters degree focusing on the new career path as I mentioned before. Anyway, seems medical informatics is one, HR IT is another, heck we even looked at cooking schools in the area and restaurant management. There are lots of things like that hereabouts. But I just don't know. I am going to research this in detail and not go off half-cocked out of desperation. Most of the programs I've checked have an online component so I wouldn't have to lose work time to attend class, nor commute to some campus miles away in the evening -- this is certainly and advantage. We'll just have to see what seems the best choice. Gotta get another job first, though.
We went to see MLM's orthopaedic surgeon at his new digs (he left Northwestern for a bump up to assistant director and a shorter commute), and he feels the time is right to proceed. MLM has one more dental visit and so he scheduled her first shoulder operation on Dec. 2nd! Finally! We are on the move now to pain relief and more mobility. Pray for us both.
I am putting a pantload of stuff on eBay this week -- need the money and the room. I spoke briefly about the trains last time and I have come to a decision: I am leaving O scale and returning to HO. So, I am putting all my O up for sale. I am holding on to the Polar Express for now; it was a Christmas gift from MLM after all, and it looks great around the Christmas tree. But all the other little bits and pieces are going. One thing I'm thinking about is starting an information and retail website focusing on model trains. It's something I know about and am interested in and Google has all kinds of programs to support me in doing it. That's another option for the future that might even make a little extra money. I would really like to put my reasoning for giving up O down on a blog rant, but don't have time for that now. Will do so later for sure.
That's all for now.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Downward Spiral
So this is pretty depressing. I entered the world of Information Technology in 1985 when I was hired to manage and be a lead designer for a computer-aided design office filling a contract with IBM in Tucson. Since then I have learned much about computers on my own, got a few certifications, took a bachelor’s degree in 2005, worked many different places with much responsibility, and have taken some master’s level classes as well. Now, I have not been certified by Microsoft as a network engineer, but you would think that all that time and experience would be worth something, career-wise. However, I just realized that the contract job I’m working now is paying me the same hourly wage I received for that job back in 1985! No wonder my life’s been a crap-storm for the last 10 years or so; my peak earnings came in 2003 and have dropped precipitously since. I am still searching for that "challenging position with room for advancement."
What to do? Well, I am working on my application to Northwestern for their masters program in Medical Informatics; I am also looking at a masters program in Organization Behavior (my undergrad degree) at another college out here in the burbs. The medical degree seems promising in that it uses my IT skills in a medical environment – that business is still pretty stable. Either that or I’ll start some lame website selling waterless cookware or something like that and then market it by spamming the planet. I would look for a second, part-time job (if there were any) but that would just take more time away from care-giving MLM and the job I have now keeps me away for 12 hours a day with the commute and all, and this is a real hardship on her (and me) already!
Anyway, it’s pretty sad to realize at my age that you have no career.
What to do? Well, I am working on my application to Northwestern for their masters program in Medical Informatics; I am also looking at a masters program in Organization Behavior (my undergrad degree) at another college out here in the burbs. The medical degree seems promising in that it uses my IT skills in a medical environment – that business is still pretty stable. Either that or I’ll start some lame website selling waterless cookware or something like that and then market it by spamming the planet. I would look for a second, part-time job (if there were any) but that would just take more time away from care-giving MLM and the job I have now keeps me away for 12 hours a day with the commute and all, and this is a real hardship on her (and me) already!
Anyway, it’s pretty sad to realize at my age that you have no career.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Back In the Saddle Again redut
Ah, I’m working again at last! Only off for three months this time! Three months? Ackk!!
And I only have a three month contract – how ironic! The job is through Robert Half Technology with a giant law firm in Chicago, so I get to ride the train every day. This is great on several levels: I’ve been wanting to get an assignment through Robert Half as they are a premier tech consulting firm and can probably keep me working steady; and I will finally have experience at a law firm which will give me more opportunities to apply for work. This is because almost all law firm employment ads stipulate up front that only applicants with previous law firm experience need apply. I think this is because they have special software to support, or they have ‘special’ users to support; although, I must say that everyone I’ve met here so far has been extremely friendly and cooperative. It’s a very nice work environment – so happy to be working again! And here’s a cool thing: this is the law firm where Barak and Michelle Obama met! Neat, huh?!
I am definitely taking the opportunity to complete my MCSE certification while working here – I missed several jobs this time out only because I didn’t have it – not that the jobs required it; it was just a way to eliminate candidates. These days employers can be very picky! I have online training available to me through Robert Half, plus I still have access to similar resources through Manpower from last year. These both require connectivity to use, however, so I am also looking for cheap (read: free) programs I can load up and use on the train. My goal is to get the cert before this contract ends. I have been working on SQL through Manpower recently. Anyway, the job is good, and I’m glad to have it!
So updating…. Let’s see. Oh, Chicago lost the bid for the Olympics. We were very disappointed with that. You could feel the city gearing up for the big push to 2016; there was energy in the air. Now, I know you could read polls in the press that the populace was somewhat ambivalent about supporting it, but I don’t know who they talked to for those polls ‘cause everyone I heard from was all for it! The possibilities were vast – the plan was well thought out and very creative; it would have left positive constructions behind and the most overwhelming structures were to be temporary; plus the whole place would have been cleaned up and modernized (not that it’s not a very clean city now – if they’d just separate the storm drain system from the sanitary system so the air would smell a bit better generally). Mostly it would have made Chicago international. It’s got a bad rep right now (politics as usual for the last 150 years haven’t helped that, of course – but they’re actually working on that and the future looks much better).
On the other hand, I can understand the thinking that gave it to Rio: never had an Olympics in SA (and I think this is the first serious contender to come from that continent), and if any city needed the shot in the arm an Olympics has the possibility of providing, it’s Rio! Their rep is probably work than Chicago’s world-wide, what with 2 million of it’s citizens living in poverty, the drugs, the crime, the slums etc. etc. – but the beaches are still nice I hear. Anyway, that’s gotta get cleaned up before 2016 so now they have a very public imperative to do what they must do. I’m rooting for them! I always want a great Olympics no matter where the venue.
Next topic: MLM has had quite a bit of dental work the last few months. Lots of fillings, a crown and a couple of extractions. It’s like her low resistance to infection has settled in her teeth like it attacked her shoulders. For as long as I’ve known her she has been absolutely rabid about oral hygiene – always flossing and brushing several times a day (she was just completing her training as a certified dental assistant when we met, then worked as one for several years so her skills in that arena are top-drawer). So, after taking such good care for all those years it’s really sad to have them fail her like this – particularly the extractions. I feel awful for her – she has a wondrous smile, you know. It was her smile that captured my heart before I even knew her. The body is all one interrelated system, of course, so we need the get the dental work done so she can have her shoulder surgery so she can get back to exercising so her overall health can improve and they can work on her elbows and her knees and her spine. Whew! THEN we can return to Disney World to celebrate our next anniversary. We were there in 2005 to celebrate our 30th; that was the last trip MLM was able to make before she was totally bed-ridden. I pray every day we might go there again someday soon…
I also pray I can get a permanent job (whatever that is) so we can move back downtown so MLM can be near her doctors. At least with the loss of the Olympic bid we can expect apartment rents to not skyrocket over the next few years. Moving to the burbs was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. ‘Course, I was working for Sara Lee at the time – planned to work there until retirement – so moving near the job just made sense. (It’s still much cheaper to live here – it always made economic sense; it just never made sanity/lifestyle sense!) Six months later, I’m laid off and life has been a shit-storm ever since. Now, I would have been laid off anyway, so if we’d still been in Chicago we definitely would have lost that apartment and who knows where we would have gone from there. Our Bishop says in times like that we need to turn to family for help, but except for some money from time to time, my side of the family has studiously avoided offers of shelter, and if I bring it up the subject gets changed. At least my in-laws have stated from the very beginning that we can move in with them if we need to, and that is much appreciated! For now we are stuck in the apartment we’re in because my credit rating is so poor I cannot qualify for housing in any area we would want to live in (safety), and I’m still working toward getting all the required fees to our attorney so we can file for bankruptcy. So, once I get a permanent or long-term position, it will be at least three years for my credit to clean up enough to move to another apartment. At least when we signed our renewal this year we got $80 a month reduction by committing to a 14 month lease instead of a year. Every little bit helps.
Wow! Super-sized post, eh? Well, it’s been a while, and I have a lot I need to get out of my head, plus I don’t think anybody reads this anymore anyway so it doesn’t much matter, does it?
What else is going on ? Well, I finally got all the Christmas and train stuff out of the living room and into storage. I have a lot of loose papers and cartons of clothing to deal with, but then the living room is done. I am also driving around with a home hospital-type bed in the van that a friend from church is loaning us for MLM to use after her surgery. I am waiting for help from the brethren to get it out of my van, up the stairs, and set up in the living room. How Christmas rolls this year will depend on how long this contract runs. Right now it’s supposed to end on Dec. 11th, but if they can’t make the schedule – and they’re currently behind – then it may get extended. Also, I’m not really working that much on the project. I got the day shift for follow-up rather than the second shift doing the migrations. This means I support the user community all day for 40 hours a week; the guys that got the migration shift are only doing 20-30 hours a week! So I lucked out there (actually, the client placed me here because they wanted a professional, competent tech who could work well with the attorneys). And of course, I continue to look for better paying and/or permanent work on the job boards every day. Anyway, I am hoping to do some nice new decorations for the holidays this year. Time will tell.
The Polar Express is in the warehouse for now, along with a few accessories, the extra track, and the Dept 56 buildings. I have to look at this dispassionately and determine what I want to do with trains as opposed to what I can do with them. Maybe I will leave this discussion for another post. Or I may start a new blog focused only on trains. That might be best.
So, here I go, keeping the faith and putting one foot in front of the other all day long…
And I only have a three month contract – how ironic! The job is through Robert Half Technology with a giant law firm in Chicago, so I get to ride the train every day. This is great on several levels: I’ve been wanting to get an assignment through Robert Half as they are a premier tech consulting firm and can probably keep me working steady; and I will finally have experience at a law firm which will give me more opportunities to apply for work. This is because almost all law firm employment ads stipulate up front that only applicants with previous law firm experience need apply. I think this is because they have special software to support, or they have ‘special’ users to support; although, I must say that everyone I’ve met here so far has been extremely friendly and cooperative. It’s a very nice work environment – so happy to be working again! And here’s a cool thing: this is the law firm where Barak and Michelle Obama met! Neat, huh?!
I am definitely taking the opportunity to complete my MCSE certification while working here – I missed several jobs this time out only because I didn’t have it – not that the jobs required it; it was just a way to eliminate candidates. These days employers can be very picky! I have online training available to me through Robert Half, plus I still have access to similar resources through Manpower from last year. These both require connectivity to use, however, so I am also looking for cheap (read: free) programs I can load up and use on the train. My goal is to get the cert before this contract ends. I have been working on SQL through Manpower recently. Anyway, the job is good, and I’m glad to have it!
So updating…. Let’s see. Oh, Chicago lost the bid for the Olympics. We were very disappointed with that. You could feel the city gearing up for the big push to 2016; there was energy in the air. Now, I know you could read polls in the press that the populace was somewhat ambivalent about supporting it, but I don’t know who they talked to for those polls ‘cause everyone I heard from was all for it! The possibilities were vast – the plan was well thought out and very creative; it would have left positive constructions behind and the most overwhelming structures were to be temporary; plus the whole place would have been cleaned up and modernized (not that it’s not a very clean city now – if they’d just separate the storm drain system from the sanitary system so the air would smell a bit better generally). Mostly it would have made Chicago international. It’s got a bad rep right now (politics as usual for the last 150 years haven’t helped that, of course – but they’re actually working on that and the future looks much better).
On the other hand, I can understand the thinking that gave it to Rio: never had an Olympics in SA (and I think this is the first serious contender to come from that continent), and if any city needed the shot in the arm an Olympics has the possibility of providing, it’s Rio! Their rep is probably work than Chicago’s world-wide, what with 2 million of it’s citizens living in poverty, the drugs, the crime, the slums etc. etc. – but the beaches are still nice I hear. Anyway, that’s gotta get cleaned up before 2016 so now they have a very public imperative to do what they must do. I’m rooting for them! I always want a great Olympics no matter where the venue.
Next topic: MLM has had quite a bit of dental work the last few months. Lots of fillings, a crown and a couple of extractions. It’s like her low resistance to infection has settled in her teeth like it attacked her shoulders. For as long as I’ve known her she has been absolutely rabid about oral hygiene – always flossing and brushing several times a day (she was just completing her training as a certified dental assistant when we met, then worked as one for several years so her skills in that arena are top-drawer). So, after taking such good care for all those years it’s really sad to have them fail her like this – particularly the extractions. I feel awful for her – she has a wondrous smile, you know. It was her smile that captured my heart before I even knew her. The body is all one interrelated system, of course, so we need the get the dental work done so she can have her shoulder surgery so she can get back to exercising so her overall health can improve and they can work on her elbows and her knees and her spine. Whew! THEN we can return to Disney World to celebrate our next anniversary. We were there in 2005 to celebrate our 30th; that was the last trip MLM was able to make before she was totally bed-ridden. I pray every day we might go there again someday soon…
I also pray I can get a permanent job (whatever that is) so we can move back downtown so MLM can be near her doctors. At least with the loss of the Olympic bid we can expect apartment rents to not skyrocket over the next few years. Moving to the burbs was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. ‘Course, I was working for Sara Lee at the time – planned to work there until retirement – so moving near the job just made sense. (It’s still much cheaper to live here – it always made economic sense; it just never made sanity/lifestyle sense!) Six months later, I’m laid off and life has been a shit-storm ever since. Now, I would have been laid off anyway, so if we’d still been in Chicago we definitely would have lost that apartment and who knows where we would have gone from there. Our Bishop says in times like that we need to turn to family for help, but except for some money from time to time, my side of the family has studiously avoided offers of shelter, and if I bring it up the subject gets changed. At least my in-laws have stated from the very beginning that we can move in with them if we need to, and that is much appreciated! For now we are stuck in the apartment we’re in because my credit rating is so poor I cannot qualify for housing in any area we would want to live in (safety), and I’m still working toward getting all the required fees to our attorney so we can file for bankruptcy. So, once I get a permanent or long-term position, it will be at least three years for my credit to clean up enough to move to another apartment. At least when we signed our renewal this year we got $80 a month reduction by committing to a 14 month lease instead of a year. Every little bit helps.
Wow! Super-sized post, eh? Well, it’s been a while, and I have a lot I need to get out of my head, plus I don’t think anybody reads this anymore anyway so it doesn’t much matter, does it?
What else is going on ? Well, I finally got all the Christmas and train stuff out of the living room and into storage. I have a lot of loose papers and cartons of clothing to deal with, but then the living room is done. I am also driving around with a home hospital-type bed in the van that a friend from church is loaning us for MLM to use after her surgery. I am waiting for help from the brethren to get it out of my van, up the stairs, and set up in the living room. How Christmas rolls this year will depend on how long this contract runs. Right now it’s supposed to end on Dec. 11th, but if they can’t make the schedule – and they’re currently behind – then it may get extended. Also, I’m not really working that much on the project. I got the day shift for follow-up rather than the second shift doing the migrations. This means I support the user community all day for 40 hours a week; the guys that got the migration shift are only doing 20-30 hours a week! So I lucked out there (actually, the client placed me here because they wanted a professional, competent tech who could work well with the attorneys). And of course, I continue to look for better paying and/or permanent work on the job boards every day. Anyway, I am hoping to do some nice new decorations for the holidays this year. Time will tell.
The Polar Express is in the warehouse for now, along with a few accessories, the extra track, and the Dept 56 buildings. I have to look at this dispassionately and determine what I want to do with trains as opposed to what I can do with them. Maybe I will leave this discussion for another post. Or I may start a new blog focused only on trains. That might be best.
So, here I go, keeping the faith and putting one foot in front of the other all day long…
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Well, That Didn't Work
I guess I shouldn't have mentioned the job interviews my last post. Nothing came of them. Well, to be precise, there is one I haven't heard from yet but it's been a good deal longer than the time frame I was given. Happily, the interest in hiring hasn't waned as yet - I am still getting contacted by recruiters and have had additional interviews with more expected next week. I am encouraged by this, needless to say, so I think I will just let it go and let God, as they say. I won't mention the process here anymore to avoid any kind of jinx, y’know? I will wait 'til I get an actual job and share it here then. Meanwhile...
In other news, MLM has been to the dentist for fillings twice now, and just has two more visits to go before the dentist will give her a clean bill of health for her shoulder surgery. Thank God we're moving forward on that finally! At this rate she will probably have her first joint replaced in the Fall and be in pretty good shape by the holidays this year. Then get her other shoulder done after the first of the year. I just hope the wait and the trauma will be worth it and she'll get some relief from pain. That would be very good.
My knee is really bugging me these days. Can't get my shot as I mentioned previously; I just hope I can hold on to enough cartilage in the meantime for the shot to work when the day comes I have insurance again and can get it done. [crossing fingers]. I will take a short break tomorrow from the job hunt to finish tidying the living room and office area. Stuffs been piled up there for months and I am really tired of it! It’s all my mess and all my fault it’s still extant and I have to take care of it. So, tomorrow I will arise at daybreak and work all day. I will report here how it goes.
After MLM’s bath tonight I put on the soundtrack from Last Exile that I gave her for Mother’s Day and we just laid in each other’s arms and enjoyed the music and talked quietly of the scenes the music invoked in our minds. It was a special time. A few night’s ago we watched Star Trek: First Contact and wept openly at the beautiful music and smiled happy smiles at each other that we’re such softies. But the main theme in that soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith has such simple beauty that it pulls tears from me every time. Sorry he’s gone. So often we’ll enjoy the music in some old film and will check the credits to find his name there. He was prolific and very talented.
Well, it’s late and I have a busy day tomorrow. Later, team.
In other news, MLM has been to the dentist for fillings twice now, and just has two more visits to go before the dentist will give her a clean bill of health for her shoulder surgery. Thank God we're moving forward on that finally! At this rate she will probably have her first joint replaced in the Fall and be in pretty good shape by the holidays this year. Then get her other shoulder done after the first of the year. I just hope the wait and the trauma will be worth it and she'll get some relief from pain. That would be very good.
My knee is really bugging me these days. Can't get my shot as I mentioned previously; I just hope I can hold on to enough cartilage in the meantime for the shot to work when the day comes I have insurance again and can get it done. [crossing fingers]. I will take a short break tomorrow from the job hunt to finish tidying the living room and office area. Stuffs been piled up there for months and I am really tired of it! It’s all my mess and all my fault it’s still extant and I have to take care of it. So, tomorrow I will arise at daybreak and work all day. I will report here how it goes.
After MLM’s bath tonight I put on the soundtrack from Last Exile that I gave her for Mother’s Day and we just laid in each other’s arms and enjoyed the music and talked quietly of the scenes the music invoked in our minds. It was a special time. A few night’s ago we watched Star Trek: First Contact and wept openly at the beautiful music and smiled happy smiles at each other that we’re such softies. But the main theme in that soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith has such simple beauty that it pulls tears from me every time. Sorry he’s gone. So often we’ll enjoy the music in some old film and will check the credits to find his name there. He was prolific and very talented.
Well, it’s late and I have a busy day tomorrow. Later, team.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Tempting Fate
I don't want to jinx this, but I have two job interviews tomorrow. Crazy weird eh? I also have two other pending that I am awaiting call-backs on. I also already had two phone interviews and a face-to-face last week. Needless to say, the activity on the job front this time has been much, much better that last time where I would go weeks without even a phone call or e-mail. MLM says it's 'cause we are at the first of July and everyone's fiscal year is starting up and they have their new budgets to start playing with. Yea for me!
I'm just glad things are opening up and there are some opportunities coming my way. This is a bit surprising considering the record high jobless rate that was posted last month. I just hope things keep swinging in a positive direction for a change.
My weight loss is still progressing - lost another five. I had to take my suit (yep; singular) to the tailor last week to have it taken in so I wouldn't look like some kind of teepee at my interviews. They had to take four inches from the pants and took the jacket down from a 50 to a 46! I haven't been this size in a long, long time. Like I said earlier, I just hope it's not some wasting desease! :D
Had a quiet 4th of July. Listened to the surrounding fireworks but weren't able to get out to actually see any this year. But that's okay; I've seen fireworks. We watched Fellowship of the Ring but got started too late to watch the whole trilogy. Maybe next year. Ended up spending Sunday and Monday nights watching Azumanga Daioh again -- one of the funniest anime series out there and one of our very favorites. So that was fun. Looking forward now to MLM's birthday the end of the month. I will plan on cooking something special for the meal then (that's usually the principal thing for birthdays here) and maybe I can afford an ice cream cake or something like that by then. We'll see.
Here's wishing me luck tomorrow. Stay tuned...
I'm just glad things are opening up and there are some opportunities coming my way. This is a bit surprising considering the record high jobless rate that was posted last month. I just hope things keep swinging in a positive direction for a change.
My weight loss is still progressing - lost another five. I had to take my suit (yep; singular) to the tailor last week to have it taken in so I wouldn't look like some kind of teepee at my interviews. They had to take four inches from the pants and took the jacket down from a 50 to a 46! I haven't been this size in a long, long time. Like I said earlier, I just hope it's not some wasting desease! :D
Had a quiet 4th of July. Listened to the surrounding fireworks but weren't able to get out to actually see any this year. But that's okay; I've seen fireworks. We watched Fellowship of the Ring but got started too late to watch the whole trilogy. Maybe next year. Ended up spending Sunday and Monday nights watching Azumanga Daioh again -- one of the funniest anime series out there and one of our very favorites. So that was fun. Looking forward now to MLM's birthday the end of the month. I will plan on cooking something special for the meal then (that's usually the principal thing for birthdays here) and maybe I can afford an ice cream cake or something like that by then. We'll see.
Here's wishing me luck tomorrow. Stay tuned...
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
On the job again.
Made a last visit to HQ today to drop off my laptop (after extracting all my personal data to a DVD) and say my good-byes. Everyone was very nice and obviously upset by my departure - one reason being that there is the possibility they won't be far behind! Dave was encouraging by saying he'd had two interviews last month - no job but at least people are willing to talk. It's a positive spin on things.
Home now, had some lunch, loaded the dishwasher, and now I'm doing the job search/sending resumes thing. Working in the bedroom so I can be with MLM while she games on her laptop and watches Last Exile - probably our favorite anime overall. I think I've discussed it previously. You can Wiki it for an excellent review and detailed info. It's worth it!
Oh, and Father's Day is coming up! I just got two cards from Kelly: one really sweet and sentimental and a funny one with a check! Yea! Thank you, Kelly! The check is much appreciated as you can imagine. It's a personal check so I can't use it directly, of course, since I don't have a checking or savings account, but I can sign it over to pay a bill, so that will be a big help!
Home now, had some lunch, loaded the dishwasher, and now I'm doing the job search/sending resumes thing. Working in the bedroom so I can be with MLM while she games on her laptop and watches Last Exile - probably our favorite anime overall. I think I've discussed it previously. You can Wiki it for an excellent review and detailed info. It's worth it!
Oh, and Father's Day is coming up! I just got two cards from Kelly: one really sweet and sentimental and a funny one with a check! Yea! Thank you, Kelly! The check is much appreciated as you can imagine. It's a personal check so I can't use it directly, of course, since I don't have a checking or savings account, but I can sign it over to pay a bill, so that will be a big help!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Onward, to Better Things...
I crossed the Loop in a bus to the train station. Awesome to see all the giant buildings there erected by and designed to service this concentration of humanity. It’s glorious! I miss it so. It is very empowering – one feels anything is possible in the midst of such vibrant endeavor. Riding the train home now – that’s always fun. The ride is so different now than I remember from my youth, or even 10 years ago here. It is a very smooth ride now and relatively quiet. All the lines here have upgraded their track to welded rail – so now each rail is a continuous band of steel for hundreds or thousands of feet between physical joints. Hence the traditional clickity-clack as the trucks passed over the joints is no more to be heard. The only time you hear something like that is when we pass through a turnout or hammer the diamonds. Makes for an even more pleasant ride!
Just downloaded a fansub of a popular anime call ef – a tale of memories. It is based on a Japanese visual novel (so-called, it might more be called a role-playing game with a definite plot pattern based on choices the player makes). The anime is just beautiful! The animation is some of the prettiest I’ve seen with lush backgrounds, stunning lighting effects, and vibrant characters. The music rivals any I’ve heard as well. I’m just getting into it so I’ll provide a more detailed evaluation later. Basically, though, it’s a shoujo romance series with three or four high-school-age couples learning to get along, make friends and enemies, and find their true love. Yeah, I’m a pushover for this crap. Deal. Reminds me of my H.S. days I guess, only with cute uniforms!
If you want a couple of recommendations for kids in high school series that are top drawer humor, I give you Azumanga Daioh, and School Rumble. Azumanga Daioh was born as a manga and focuses on the three years of high school for a half-dozen very different girls and their teacher. It’s pretty much slice-of-life style episodes that also veers off into the surreal from time to time for hilarious effect!
School Rumble is just a high-school sit-com with really great characters and situations. Each of these series offer a close look at what I assume is typical Japanese high school life (at least it is according to my research on Wikipedia) with all its festivals, sports days, culture days, etc, etc. They are primarily fun to watch and will amuse and delight you. Check ‘em out.
Found quite a few new job postings on Career Builder this morning – so local to where I live so I will jump on them and make the big score!! Hahahaha!
Just downloaded a fansub of a popular anime call ef – a tale of memories. It is based on a Japanese visual novel (so-called, it might more be called a role-playing game with a definite plot pattern based on choices the player makes). The anime is just beautiful! The animation is some of the prettiest I’ve seen with lush backgrounds, stunning lighting effects, and vibrant characters. The music rivals any I’ve heard as well. I’m just getting into it so I’ll provide a more detailed evaluation later. Basically, though, it’s a shoujo romance series with three or four high-school-age couples learning to get along, make friends and enemies, and find their true love. Yeah, I’m a pushover for this crap. Deal. Reminds me of my H.S. days I guess, only with cute uniforms!
If you want a couple of recommendations for kids in high school series that are top drawer humor, I give you Azumanga Daioh, and School Rumble. Azumanga Daioh was born as a manga and focuses on the three years of high school for a half-dozen very different girls and their teacher. It’s pretty much slice-of-life style episodes that also veers off into the surreal from time to time for hilarious effect!
School Rumble is just a high-school sit-com with really great characters and situations. Each of these series offer a close look at what I assume is typical Japanese high school life (at least it is according to my research on Wikipedia) with all its festivals, sports days, culture days, etc, etc. They are primarily fun to watch and will amuse and delight you. Check ‘em out.
Found quite a few new job postings on Career Builder this morning – so local to where I live so I will jump on them and make the big score!! Hahahaha!
To Dub or Not to Dub? ... Dub!!
So, I saw Clannad has been released on DVD here in the states. It’s a wonderful anime series that I watched last year as a fansub. I was disappointed to learn that the US release has not been dubbed in English, just subtitled. I’m seeing this more and more lately as the US distributors are trying to get the discs to market as quickly as possible and so they forego the dubbing process, which I agree is very expensive and bit of a gamble if the DVD doesn’t sell well. I think the idea is, if they make a good profit with subtitles they’ll come back and dub it later for a second release.
Now, this doesn’t make a lot of sense for a series like Clannad, which is wildly popular and regarded as one of the best anime series ever – which appraisal I agree with. It’s gone through two seasons and a movie and I think they’re planning a live-action film and more anime series or OVAs. This is a series that should have been dubbed for its US release! On a more personal note, it is now almost impossible for MLM to follow a subtitled presentation. Now, your purist anime fans say they always want to watch their anime with the original Japanese soundtrack and follow along with the subtitles. MLM and I used to do that too, up until a couple years ago. Also, a lot of the English dubbing is pretty hit or miss; with some excellent work and some crappy. Usually you could count on really good voice-acting in the original Japanese, and even though you may not understand it, the emotion definitely comes through. Again our problem now is that MLM just cannot see and concentrate well enough to make a subtitled anime enjoyable anymore. So, come on people; Dub ‘em!!
Now, this doesn’t make a lot of sense for a series like Clannad, which is wildly popular and regarded as one of the best anime series ever – which appraisal I agree with. It’s gone through two seasons and a movie and I think they’re planning a live-action film and more anime series or OVAs. This is a series that should have been dubbed for its US release! On a more personal note, it is now almost impossible for MLM to follow a subtitled presentation. Now, your purist anime fans say they always want to watch their anime with the original Japanese soundtrack and follow along with the subtitles. MLM and I used to do that too, up until a couple years ago. Also, a lot of the English dubbing is pretty hit or miss; with some excellent work and some crappy. Usually you could count on really good voice-acting in the original Japanese, and even though you may not understand it, the emotion definitely comes through. Again our problem now is that MLM just cannot see and concentrate well enough to make a subtitled anime enjoyable anymore. So, come on people; Dub ‘em!!
You want fries with that?
Monday morning; on the train to Chicago one last time. No user support required today, my part of that is done and Ted will be handling from now on (Ted’ll probably be gone after Wednesday). I just have to package as many PCs for shipping that I can today. All the old or replacement hardware has to be sent back to Ohio for re-use. They came to us one at a time so we’re sending them back one at a time. Tomorrow I’ll swing down to HQ in Downers Grove to drop off my laptop & phone and pick up some paperwork; then it’s home until I get another job.
Saw a sign at the Wal-Mart nearby that they’re doing a big store renovation and they’re looking for full-time help. Not sure why the renovation needs more people, although I was at another store doing renovations on Saturday and it looked like the staff was keeping pretty busy moving displays from one location to another, keeping just ahead of the remod work. So maybe that’s it. At least full-time there I’d get medical and a discount on purchases. Apple just announced the new iPhone 3G that’s lots cheaper than the first iPhone with more features so I could get that there for MLM. This looks like the perfect phone for her since it’s all touch panel and programmable and you move stuff around with your fingers and it uses voice-recognition etc. MLM really has a hard time using her regular cell these days – the small buttons and scrolling for numbers and trying to program it are almost impossible for her. I just hope I can get a job soon enough to get her that for her birthday the end of July. *sigh*
So I will check that out and the movie theater gig too, since there’s so little demand for IT these days. I got one call on my Dice update but it was in Des Moines! Just gotta keep working it I guess! ;-)
Saw a sign at the Wal-Mart nearby that they’re doing a big store renovation and they’re looking for full-time help. Not sure why the renovation needs more people, although I was at another store doing renovations on Saturday and it looked like the staff was keeping pretty busy moving displays from one location to another, keeping just ahead of the remod work. So maybe that’s it. At least full-time there I’d get medical and a discount on purchases. Apple just announced the new iPhone 3G that’s lots cheaper than the first iPhone with more features so I could get that there for MLM. This looks like the perfect phone for her since it’s all touch panel and programmable and you move stuff around with your fingers and it uses voice-recognition etc. MLM really has a hard time using her regular cell these days – the small buttons and scrolling for numbers and trying to program it are almost impossible for her. I just hope I can get a job soon enough to get her that for her birthday the end of July. *sigh*
So I will check that out and the movie theater gig too, since there’s so little demand for IT these days. I got one call on my Dice update but it was in Des Moines! Just gotta keep working it I guess! ;-)
Friday, June 12, 2009
WHOA! SHOE!!
Well, the waiting is over. I’m laid off. Again! Monday in Chicago will be my last day, apart from a quick trip Tuesday morning from the house to HQ in Downers Grove to drop off my stuff. I was feeling pretty hopeful since we all got an e-mail from the boss saying he was going to be out of town on vacation all next week and who to contact about what in his absence etc. etc. So, I thought, well at least I won’t be de-head-counted next week! Then he called me this afternoon with the bad news. He tried to be as hopeful as possible; saying that they are pushing to get Phase 2 of the project going asap, and that if I was available and interested he’d be pleased to bring me back on board – said it might even be within a week. The plans and schedules keep changing. I’m kind of relieved, ‘cause at least now I know. The not knowing was really getting on my nerves I think; I mean my intestines have been in turmoil the last couple of months – my lower abdomen must look like the Somme. Maybe that’s why I’ve been losing weight; who knows.
MLM called shortly after I got the news. Said she just wanted to make sure I was okay – she’s good isn’t she? Totally psyched into her hubby. I was impressed. Anyway, I gave her the news and she was pretty calm about it. I mean, we discussed the possibility last night for some time so we pretty much were expecting it sometime soon and had our heads in a good place about it. Nothing like a life filled with challenges make losing a job seem like no big deal. Keeps things in perspective y’know?
So, heading home on the train now and am planning to spend a very nice weekend with my Sweetie! Let’s watch some new Anime and cuddle! Yea! And, of course, I’ll also be looking full-time for a new job. Wish me luck!
MLM called shortly after I got the news. Said she just wanted to make sure I was okay – she’s good isn’t she? Totally psyched into her hubby. I was impressed. Anyway, I gave her the news and she was pretty calm about it. I mean, we discussed the possibility last night for some time so we pretty much were expecting it sometime soon and had our heads in a good place about it. Nothing like a life filled with challenges make losing a job seem like no big deal. Keeps things in perspective y’know?
So, heading home on the train now and am planning to spend a very nice weekend with my Sweetie! Let’s watch some new Anime and cuddle! Yea! And, of course, I’ll also be looking full-time for a new job. Wish me luck!
We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Hackers!
Yesterday was a total drag. The night migration guy got laid off. Was told his part of Phase 1 was finished so he’s gone. I got a call from the supervisor requesting I collect his badges and PC. Apparently they’re doing some re-thinking about the scheduling and Phase 2 won’t start for another couple of months (it was supposed to pick up right after Phase 1, but that’s two-week-old news). So Michael dropped by the Chicago office where we worked the last two weeks to pick up his stuff and get his misc. off his hard drive. Wished him luck out there and we commiserated with each other for a while. We’re all old guys there – Ted, the other day tech, is about my age too – so we recognize that we’re a new Band of Brothers; IT guys who qualify for AARP. I really need to say IT persons to avoid being sexist as there are plenty of women in the same boat. My manager at Sara Lee three years ago got laid off when I was and she was out of work for over a year-and-a-half, and she had just received her master’s degree in telecommunications! So, need a gender-neutral term for this: Band of Geezers? Band of Geeks? Band of Hackers? I think I like the last one. Also includes reference to an old hack; hack-writer; and so forth. ;-)
Of course, the scary part here is that my position may be reaching the end of its useful life! I have been told that my last day in Chicago will be today, and I will be back at HQ in Downers Grove next week. But what if they don’t plan on me coming back to HQ? I’m told they are no longer doing migrations there, but that we are supporting the next-day effort for all the small remote office sites, and that should keep us busy. But I don’t know how many of us are really needed for that. So, I may be in the same boat as Michael by the end of the day. Soon as I heard about this yesterday I jumped on the job boards and updated my info – doing that makes your listing float to the top for a few days so hopefully something will come from that.
The age thing makes it doubly tough when looking for work. IT is still looked at as a youthful field even after all these years. Management may be 50 or 60 but they think they need young guys to do the work. There are two reasons for this: one – the conventional wisdom is that the young turks will be skilled in all the latest technologies, and two – younger employees will qualify for and accept less pay than their more experienced senpai. Reason one is a crock – we had a gaggle of 20-somethings on this project and I spent as much time coaching them as anything else. I know the main reason is the second one – in fact, in this economy the employers are taking advantage of all the IT people out of work by cutting the pay overall. This job is paying me half what I was making two years ago. And the ads I apply for reflect about 30% cut in pay from two years ago for the same job. I think it’s time to change fields again. I will have to see what the SQL certification gets me. Failing that, a friend in the church just got promoted to general manager at the movie theater he’s been working at for years, and he said he’d be glad to get me on as a part-timer. Maybe I should look at full-time instead! ;-)
Anyway, wish me luck today. I’ll report on what, if anything, happens.
Of course, the scary part here is that my position may be reaching the end of its useful life! I have been told that my last day in Chicago will be today, and I will be back at HQ in Downers Grove next week. But what if they don’t plan on me coming back to HQ? I’m told they are no longer doing migrations there, but that we are supporting the next-day effort for all the small remote office sites, and that should keep us busy. But I don’t know how many of us are really needed for that. So, I may be in the same boat as Michael by the end of the day. Soon as I heard about this yesterday I jumped on the job boards and updated my info – doing that makes your listing float to the top for a few days so hopefully something will come from that.
The age thing makes it doubly tough when looking for work. IT is still looked at as a youthful field even after all these years. Management may be 50 or 60 but they think they need young guys to do the work. There are two reasons for this: one – the conventional wisdom is that the young turks will be skilled in all the latest technologies, and two – younger employees will qualify for and accept less pay than their more experienced senpai. Reason one is a crock – we had a gaggle of 20-somethings on this project and I spent as much time coaching them as anything else. I know the main reason is the second one – in fact, in this economy the employers are taking advantage of all the IT people out of work by cutting the pay overall. This job is paying me half what I was making two years ago. And the ads I apply for reflect about 30% cut in pay from two years ago for the same job. I think it’s time to change fields again. I will have to see what the SQL certification gets me. Failing that, a friend in the church just got promoted to general manager at the movie theater he’s been working at for years, and he said he’d be glad to get me on as a part-timer. Maybe I should look at full-time instead! ;-)
Anyway, wish me luck today. I’ll report on what, if anything, happens.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Same Ol' View
Time for an update I’d say. Still working the temp job on the project for Sara Lee. Very glad about that since the project was supposed to be completed in May but it looks like the end will be delayed for another couple of months at least. I’m told they expect more work after that, but they also offer no commitments beyond this project. And as a temp I get no benefits apart from a 401k, and they can let me go without cause or warning – even had me sign a paper to that effect when I was hired. This means I can leave with the same carte blanch, but I search the job boards every day and the pickings are slim. It’s hard to maintain a degree of excitement about the job when you know all they see you as is head-count. Ah, well, it’s definitely better than nothing, and I do enjoy the work.
MLM still hasn’t had that dental work done; each time we had an appointment she was too ill to travel that day. Hopefully we’ll get it done this month. My knees are really killing me some days because I need a new Synvisc® injection but without health insurance there’s just no way – the meds alone are a grand for each knee plus the physician’s charge for shooting me up – and I just don’t have the cash for that. So I get by with Tylenol and Advil and wear my patella straps when it gets too bad. The fun never ends.
I’m studying SQL which is Microsoft’s database management server tool. Much demand for this skill and not much demand for the skills I currently possess. So after going through the books and online tutorials I will take a certification exam and hopefully get that big-paying job I’ve always dreamed of.
Back on the health topic: I have had a weird thing going on for a while now – I’m losing weight. And I’m not even trying. Since the first of the year I’ve lost a little over 50 pounds! Now recall I have Type II Diabetes and you’ll see why this is odd – I mean the big D made it really hard to keep from gaining weight – besides which I’ve had a “weight problem” my whole life, so this is quite a change. All that’s happened is I got the job in December and it requires quite a bit of walking (in a big building and everyone’s spread out), and I am eating more regular and less amounts than when I was unemployed, so maybe that’s all there is to it. MLM of course thinks I have cancer or some other wasting disease – probably should check it but that would require a doctor visit which, again, I can’t afford. So for now I will just enjoy the phenomenon – it’s a great blessing to my knees let me tell you! The only very real problem with this is that my clothes don’t fit anymore! All my pants keep falling down (I’ve had to punch two more holes in my belt so far) and most of my shirts look like I got them from the Goodwill and they were allll out of everything except extra-husky sizes! I plan to get a new pair of Dockers with this paycheck at least.
Been working a lot of overtime the past couple of months which is really helping us catch up with some things (not everything – still making payments the bankruptcy attorney) which means I’m pretty tired most of the time. However, looks like that might be ending for a while as they complete one phase of the project and get ready for the next. It’s actually a bit of a relief – MLM and I seem to spend almost no time together and I hate that. Trouble is, I work a 12-hour day, get home late, make dinner, and then just want crash. Sucks! So I will be finished with my stint in Chicago the end of this week, then back to Downers Grove and a shorter commute. Then I resolve to bring a sense of order to my house. Mmmm, sounds good!
MLM still hasn’t had that dental work done; each time we had an appointment she was too ill to travel that day. Hopefully we’ll get it done this month. My knees are really killing me some days because I need a new Synvisc® injection but without health insurance there’s just no way – the meds alone are a grand for each knee plus the physician’s charge for shooting me up – and I just don’t have the cash for that. So I get by with Tylenol and Advil and wear my patella straps when it gets too bad. The fun never ends.
I’m studying SQL which is Microsoft’s database management server tool. Much demand for this skill and not much demand for the skills I currently possess. So after going through the books and online tutorials I will take a certification exam and hopefully get that big-paying job I’ve always dreamed of.
Back on the health topic: I have had a weird thing going on for a while now – I’m losing weight. And I’m not even trying. Since the first of the year I’ve lost a little over 50 pounds! Now recall I have Type II Diabetes and you’ll see why this is odd – I mean the big D made it really hard to keep from gaining weight – besides which I’ve had a “weight problem” my whole life, so this is quite a change. All that’s happened is I got the job in December and it requires quite a bit of walking (in a big building and everyone’s spread out), and I am eating more regular and less amounts than when I was unemployed, so maybe that’s all there is to it. MLM of course thinks I have cancer or some other wasting disease – probably should check it but that would require a doctor visit which, again, I can’t afford. So for now I will just enjoy the phenomenon – it’s a great blessing to my knees let me tell you! The only very real problem with this is that my clothes don’t fit anymore! All my pants keep falling down (I’ve had to punch two more holes in my belt so far) and most of my shirts look like I got them from the Goodwill and they were allll out of everything except extra-husky sizes! I plan to get a new pair of Dockers with this paycheck at least.
Been working a lot of overtime the past couple of months which is really helping us catch up with some things (not everything – still making payments the bankruptcy attorney) which means I’m pretty tired most of the time. However, looks like that might be ending for a while as they complete one phase of the project and get ready for the next. It’s actually a bit of a relief – MLM and I seem to spend almost no time together and I hate that. Trouble is, I work a 12-hour day, get home late, make dinner, and then just want crash. Sucks! So I will be finished with my stint in Chicago the end of this week, then back to Downers Grove and a shorter commute. Then I resolve to bring a sense of order to my house. Mmmm, sounds good!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Loud Desperation
So nothing planned was done last night. After MLM learned that I was completely out of my meds (no insurance, too expensive, etc.) she had an anger moment – well, several – and told me to call in the scripts and then call for monetary assistance to pick them up. Called the Bishop who was kind enough to come through (he understands these are so expensive since he knows I had to let COBRA drop last year ‘cause none of us could afford it). Anyway, he made arrangements for me to meet someone at Walgreens who covered the cost ($400+). Again, my sincere thanks. Later that evening, MLM found some subsidized meds organizations (some state, some manufacturers) that might be able to save us money. We looked for this kind of thing last year but didn't qualify because I made too much money in 2007 - not so 2008! I will be following up with that and maybe save some cash in doing so. Cross fingers!
So I spent the evening running around doing that stuff. Also, it was bath night for MLM which takes about two hours. I did get a load of dishes run in the dishwasher, so that was one thing off the list at least. Tonight I have to drive down to the storehouse for some food and then come home to make hamburgers on the grill (it’s supposed to be up to 65° today!); after that I will work on the list as written.
That’s today’s report. It will be better tomorrow!
So I spent the evening running around doing that stuff. Also, it was bath night for MLM which takes about two hours. I did get a load of dishes run in the dishwasher, so that was one thing off the list at least. Tonight I have to drive down to the storehouse for some food and then come home to make hamburgers on the grill (it’s supposed to be up to 65° today!); after that I will work on the list as written.
That’s today’s report. It will be better tomorrow!
Monday, February 09, 2009
Quiet Desperation
No posts for a while. Been a little busy. Update: New Year's was quiet. MLM and I spent the evening watching Pride & Prejudice as usual. Watched the ball drop at Times Square. Tosted the new year with sparkling grape juice with a promise to each other that 2009 is bound to be better, and went to sleep. Well, I did, anyway. MLM was on her laptop most of the night since she doesn't sleep much these days. January 28th was my birthday. Got some cute cards and cash from family which are much appreciated. I do not want to discuss which birthday this was for me - the number is bumming me more than any other birthday I've yet experienced. Not sure why; it's just a number, but it is heralding that I'm getting old! Never imagined being this age - don't feel this age at all so maybe that's why it's bumming me. On the other hand, what does this age feel like? I think for one thing the fact that I spent most of 2008 unemployed and my career - such as it is - is pretty much in the toilet, makes another birthday provide little to celebrate. Trying not to mourn, though. ;-)
The temp job I have is pretty good. The work is easy and the people are nice. I just wish it paid more! Two weeks pay covers our rent. So right now I'm paying about 48% of my income for housing alone. That's a bad proportion. Had a great interview just last week at another company for a nice, full-time, direct position with bennies. God, I hope this comes through! I won't discuss it though or I'll jinx it.
Pretty much out of money already and I just got paid. Paid the utility bills, most of the rent, bought some food, gave MLM some cash, gassed up the van, and that pretty much took care of it (it was a short check; had to take time off for doctor appointments and a bad knee - and there is no sick pay for stuff like that, I just have to eat it). Gonna need help with the rent, meds, and gas for at least the month of February, then I think we'll be okay. I hope the church and family are able to help a bit. If not, I'll just have to hold the wolves at bay again for a couple weeks. It's kinda like herding cats most days.
I need to schedule the chores that need doing and list them somewhere to track my progress. I figure if I do that then I will make progress. No better venue than here so I'll start now:
The temp job I have is pretty good. The work is easy and the people are nice. I just wish it paid more! Two weeks pay covers our rent. So right now I'm paying about 48% of my income for housing alone. That's a bad proportion. Had a great interview just last week at another company for a nice, full-time, direct position with bennies. God, I hope this comes through! I won't discuss it though or I'll jinx it.
Pretty much out of money already and I just got paid. Paid the utility bills, most of the rent, bought some food, gave MLM some cash, gassed up the van, and that pretty much took care of it (it was a short check; had to take time off for doctor appointments and a bad knee - and there is no sick pay for stuff like that, I just have to eat it). Gonna need help with the rent, meds, and gas for at least the month of February, then I think we'll be okay. I hope the church and family are able to help a bit. If not, I'll just have to hold the wolves at bay again for a couple weeks. It's kinda like herding cats most days.
I need to schedule the chores that need doing and list them somewhere to track my progress. I figure if I do that then I will make progress. No better venue than here so I'll start now:
- Clean the kitchen, mop and sanitize the floor - do this right after dinner tonight.
- I gotta take care of the Christmas decorations and boxes for same that remain in the living room. So, tonight spend at least one hour on that after the kitchen.
- Catch up the laundry - will not be able to work on this tonight.
- Inventory all the loose DVDs into the master spreadsheet and then file them so we can find them when we want - spend a half hour on this tonight before bed.
Okay, that's a good start. We'll see how I did tomorrow.
Ch-ch-ch-changes!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
