Working Again!

It didn't take me long....thank goodness, I got a new job! Went to an interview on Friday at a local Pharmaceutical company (within walking distance to my home) and walked out with the job!

Yes, it's a big cut in pay, and I am starting at the bottom and will need to work my way up, but I am excited and looking forward to the challenge. It's in a whole different line of work as I will be doing accounts receivables, and other various duties, but I have my foot in the door.  It is a fast growing company and lots of room for advancement and the potential to move up is there.  They really loved my resume and even said I was over-qualified for the position, but they see my potential and really need my experience and are looking forward to my addition to the company.

So one door closed and another opened.  Who knows where this will lead, but I am looking forward, not backward. So many new things in my life this year. My own place, a new job, now maybe a new man???

Good...But Not Good Enough.

Today I joined the multitudes of Americans on the unemployment line. Yes, after six and a half years I was let go yesterday. Their reson? Failure to produce required quotas. A law firm, not a factory or assembly line, but a law firm. After six years of being a valued employee, and and outstanding employee (their words to me yesterday) they no longer feel that I have what it takes.

 

Since my stroke a year and a half ago, I have felt like they have been trying to get rid of me. I was one of the oldest employees, and made a good income, one of the higher paid employees, so I knew my time was limited, as their profit margins have decreased over the past three years substantially, so what better way to make thier ends meet? Get rid of high paid seasoned employees.

Now I go back to job interviews, reading want ads, claiming unemployment and hoping something happens, SOON!

Another chapter has started on this never ending story of my reality.

Running on Empty

For the past few nights I've had a really hard time trying to sleep. With everything going on, and job interviews and waiting for some word it has had me pretty stressed. Last night I wasn't able to sleep at all, so I am running on empty tonight.

But all the worry and stress was not necessary as I received word tonight that I start at my new job Monday morning!!

After 5 months of being unemployed and going to interview after interview it has finally paid off. I will be working for a small law firm downtown as an administrative/attorney assistant and will possibly head up their assistant program if they see the need for more assistants.

This is what I did back about 3 years ago with a much larger firm until they did cut backs and cut me out. I loved it then, and with a smaller firm I am sure it will not be as stressful and mind boggling. Needless to say I am excited and ready to get back into the 9 to 5 and a real job, as the last job I had you really couldn't call a job.

So I am sure my postings will be a little more upbeat in the future, but of course I will not be able to discuss my work, but I can give you general updates on how it's going.

For now I just need to go to bed, get a good nights rest and refuel my tank!

Blowing in the Wind

Well December is here. It came in with a bang too. We had temps this past week in the 60's and last night our temp dropped and then the winds blew in winter. Today it's only about 30 degrees and the winds were so high overnight and this morning that Christmas decorations were blown all over the neighborhood. DJ awoke this morning and had to go hunting for the garbage can, which had blown a block away.

Today was also the day I had hoped to hear from my most recent job interview. So far I've heard nothing. I thought it was pretty promising as I knew several employees there and had hoped this would be a benefit. The interviews (2 of them) went quite well and I thought for sure I would have heard something by now. I just keep my fingers crossed and continue hoping.

It has been five months now that I have been unemployed and I've had ten interviews with even more applications that were submitted to several employers. Still nothing. It would be nice going into the holiday season knowing I have a job, but I suppose we will just have to wait and see. Sooner or later the winds should blow in my direction.

Sloths & Turkeys

Everything is running the same course here as it has for the past five weeks or so. Maybe even longer than that. One thing that has changed is now that DJ is working mostly night-shift, our sleeping habits have changed drastically. He normally gets home anywhere from 11 PM to 2 AM and I wait up for him. So that means my ass stays in bed WAY TOO LONG every morning/afternoon. This is not a good habit. I know this and I still lie there in bed until I absolutely HAVE to get up.



I know from prior experience that this leads to depression and just plain laziness, which now seems to have settled into my psyche. So after Thanksgiving, I am going to put a stop to this slothfulness. I have to.



I do have another interview on Wednesday. I am not going to say or write too much about it, as I do not want to jinx things, but the opportunity sounds like a good one. Hopefully I have the skills that they need and they have the money to pay me what I need.



Other than that, I've just been trying to get ready for the upcoming holidays, which seem like they have arrived earlier this year. I know that is not the case, as they are always the same time every year, but it sure seems as though they come faster and faster every year. One of the things that I am looking forward to this year is the fact that we have two new babies this year for the holidays. It's been a long time since we have had babies around during the holiday season. Isn't that what the holidays are all about? Families and kids.



So just in case I do not post before Thanksgiving, have a good one.

Tomorrow Will Be Better

Things have got to start happening soon! I'm loosing it. I've been sick again, since Monday. For three days now all I can do is lay in bed on on the couch. My entire body feels like it weighs twice it's weight and my head is just swimming. Not to mention I woke up Monday with a strange problem in my left eye.

I have a perfectly shaped dark circle in my center line of vision. You know when a falsh from a camera goes off and for a few minutes you have this circle in your eye and your vision is just a bit blurred? Well Mine has been like that since Monday and it seems to get worse with the fact that I am sick.

DJ is wanting to get things moved into storage and I just do not have the energy. Not to mention that I'm not real keen on the idea of moving into his mother's basement, but what else are we going to do? I need to get out and start actively looking for work again, but I just don't have the energy.

I'm not sure if the weakness and the eye problem are part of MS, or due to my being so depressed. Probably a mixture of all of it thrown together. Whatever the reason I can not afford to go to the doctor to find out, which causes me that much more anguish and frustration.

Tomorrow will be better.

Total Disregard

What is it with these companies that spend the money to place an ad; hire a staff called Human Resources; hold interviews paying this staff to interview potential employees; have a background check done on a potential employee and then after all this expense fail to return potential employees calls or e-mail??

Can you tell I'm just a wee bit upset?

Well not really upset.
Just extremely frustrated.

A week ago Monday had an interview (and you know my feelings regarding those) with the local cable company for a position in their customer service department. My appointment was at 9:00 a.m., I arrived at 8:40. I waited over an hour before the interviewer arrived. She was obviously unprepared. (no pencil, not even a pad of paper). She found the writing utensils and put me in a room, which by the way looked like a storage closet with a table in it, and conducted an interview asking predetermined questions from a script she had in front of her. The complete interview lasted about 20 minutes. She explained to me that if the HR department felt they didn't need my services that I would be sent a postcard stating just that. If I did not receive that postcard I was to call her office the following Monday to follow up. I never received the postcard and now I have left four messages on this woman's answering machine and two e-mails requesting her to let me know if they would like me to come back for another interview or what. I still have not even been given the decency of a return call or e-mail. And what is so bad is that this is the second company I have interviewed for that has treated me in such a callous manner.

How totally unprofessional! Would one want to work for a company so rude and unprofessional? Well not really but I need the job. They could at least CALL ME BACK!

But all is well, as I have another interview tomorrow with a government agency. Let's see if they do any better. I doubt it as I sent my application to them over two months ago and just now received a call for an interview.

At this rate, I am bound to have a job before the year ends

Deje Vu

You would think at my age, and as many jobs that I have had that I would not be as anxious as I am concerning my interview tomorrow. I've spoke of my position about interviews here before. I'm not a fan of them. I really do not think interviews are an applicable tool in determining a potential employee. But regardless of my own opinion that is what employers use to gauge if they want a person on their payroll. My interview is at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow so keep your fingers crossed!

Last night Silver and his son came over to join DJ and my two sons in a night of D&D. We have been playing D& D now over a year and I think I have always been the dungeon master each time we have played. Most of the dungeons I have played I have found on the Internet. A couple I have written myself. Last night we began playing the dungeon and it seemed rather familiar to me, but we continued. Finally about four hours into the game we all realized..."We've done this before!" So not to make the entire night and game a squander I mixed up what remaining time was left with two or three other dungeons and finished our game. I gave the players extra experience points due to my poor memory.

I've had three sales so far on my books at LuLu.com, so I am looking for the rest of you that I sent e-mails to purchase them fairly soon!! Honestly though I am surprised at the hits I've had already in just a few short days. I've had over 25 hits on my page at Lulu, so at least someone is looking at what I have to offer. Now if they would just buy the books.

Another weekend has come and gone, and fall is creeping in quicker than I really want it to. I love the autumn but winter is right behind it, and winter is not one of my favorite seasons. Tonight and last night it was cool enough for us to shut off our air conditioning and I am sure within a few days or weeks it will be turned off for the year. Then the heat will have to be turned on. YUCK!
We have been here over a year now. (That in itself is hard to believe.) But our electric bills have been very acceptable. Hopefully this year will be more of the same.

I used to do this quite a bit, but haven't featured a fellow blogger in a while. If you like reading blogs, check out LOVE LEMMING. I've been reading his blog for quite some time now and enjoy finding out what is going on in his life. Plus he is a SIMS2 freak like me! He has recently moved to Portland, so go see what he is blogging about!

Again, wish me luck tomorrow; I will post an update when I hear anything.

Thinking Out Loud

Not too much to talk about today. I mean what is there to tell when all I do is sit in front of the computer all day either looking for work, reading blogs or playing Sims2?

I do know that this has to end, SOON! DJ is becoming less patient with me, not that he has said anything, but after living with someone as long as we have lived together, you begin to know them.

I've thought about something the last few days. I've been thinking about my life prior to my coming out. Most of my readers know of my past and what I did for a living back then. Why couldn't I go back into the ministry? I mean I was an ordained minister, and pastored a fairly large congregation. Which I loved, by the way. I was also very blessed in my ministry. I saw the last church I was in go from about 50 active members to over 150 active members in less than two years. Plus I have several years of education under my belt, so I am qualified.

Just because I came out and chose to live my life as who I really am, why should I be denied the ability to work in the church. I know, there are not many denominations that would allow me to be a "working" minister, but why not? It was something I loved, something I was good at, and something that benefited others as well as myself. And to be honest the pay wasn't bad either. I guess in an Utopian society this may be a possibility, but in our society as it is today I guess I need to just keep plugging away at Job Builder.com and see what is a real possibility.

I know...I need to get a reality check.

Trying To Be Positive

Trying to stay positive and upbeat is becoming increasingly more difficult, and I know my blog postings have suffered the same fate as my present mindset. You would think living in a major metropolitan area, that I'd have no problem finding a job, but it has now been almost two months. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places? I've posted my resume on Job Builder, MonsterJob and Career Builder, and only had a few bites. Maybe I'm looking for something beyond my reach? Without a degree it seems the jobs that I am wanting are just beyond my fingertips. Why didn't I go to school when I had the chance?

I can sit back and regret my decisions that I made as a young man just out of High School or I can get off my ass and start being a little more aggressive. Plus feeling sorry for myself is really non-productive. I mean I caused this situation I am in. What sane man in his right mind would walk away from a 28k a year job with nothing to fall back on?

On another note, my grand babies are getting so big already. Justice weighs over 11 pounds and Alana is well on her way to the same. Both parents are doing well, and everyone seems happy. I should be happy for them, and I am. My youngest boys started off the new school year with a positive outlook and they both are actually looking forward to their school year. That's a first! By the way check out my Flickr page, there is a link on the left hand side of this site, just click on it and it wil take you to my photos of the grandkids.

So as I look at my situation, I should realize that I'm doing pretty good. I am blessed with four great kids, two wonderful grandchildren, a great partner that is the most patient loving man I could imagine and a handful of friends and family that are looking out for us.

Who am I to complain anyway!

Rejection

Three interviews, three rejections. I never knew trying to find employment would be so difficult. Why did I quit my job? I was being paid very well, and did very little. I know I had to deal with the bitch from hell and her psycho son everyday, but at least I had a job!

What is worse is we have received word from the Unemployment Office that DJ's unemployment will run out in two weeks. That mean no income coming into our home, at all!

At this point I don't know what we are going to do. I guess just keep looking and hoping that those rejections turn into acceptance. This is worse than it was when I was looking for a boyfriend! At least then I was able to go to the bar and order a drink to help alleviate the pain of rejection.