Wow. I haven't posted since December?
What's new: I managed to land a pseudo-job that provides some fiscal wiggle-room while I'm still looking for the Big Score. It's not a keeper but it'll do for now. Pam is back to work as well and things are moving along nicely.
Ian ended up in Tucson for some training the last couple weeks and he's been able to find his way up to the Valley to spend time with family and friends. I think he needed to see the "Brown" of home again for a little bit and he's doing well.
Anywho...
I'm still here.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The storm has moved on and another one is lurking in the Pacific, apparently trying to decide whether it will wait until everyone around here has put their jackets back under the bed before ripping us a new one again. Whatever.
One of the voodoo sacrifices I made last week must have paid off. I finally latched on to a steady security gig, which means even at the low pay rate I'll now have at least enough money to go to and from my job. It's something. I got an email back from my stand-up performance/oral board and they apparently liked me enough to move me forward and I now belong to the category of "eligible candidates."
Woo.....................hoo...............
The email came with the not-so-subtle disclaimer that in the event I am not chosen, my name will be placed on the list of next-available candidates. That's like being chosen Almost-not-quite-too-ugly to be Homecoming King. At least it's not a "No."
Voodoo-Fu is also in effect for Pam, as a friend of mine, a former ASU Color Guard member from years-gone-by, got in touch with Pam and asked her to do a couple "working interview" days in the dental office she manages. Pam is to dental management as I am to whiskey, so it was a mere couple days before an offer was made (and accepted). It's good to still have female friends who wouldn't have slept with you in college no matter what you offered them. I think it adds an air of maturity to the scenario. She has plenty of dirt on me and I know she has been filtering most of my exploits to Pam but it's nothing that Pam couldn't get from reading my blog archives. :)
It will be a bit of a drive into PHX from Gilbert but we don't have kids to worry about and I'll be working a swing-shift so our hours are our own. We've also determined that the workplace commute is always made easier by a steady paycheck. Christmas is somewhat of an afterthought this year but we're hoping to be back in the black after the first of the year and I don't see any reason that can't happen.
Did I just write that outloud? :)
One of the voodoo sacrifices I made last week must have paid off. I finally latched on to a steady security gig, which means even at the low pay rate I'll now have at least enough money to go to and from my job. It's something. I got an email back from my stand-up performance/oral board and they apparently liked me enough to move me forward and I now belong to the category of "eligible candidates."
Woo.....................hoo...............
The email came with the not-so-subtle disclaimer that in the event I am not chosen, my name will be placed on the list of next-available candidates. That's like being chosen Almost-not-quite-too-ugly to be Homecoming King. At least it's not a "No."
Voodoo-Fu is also in effect for Pam, as a friend of mine, a former ASU Color Guard member from years-gone-by, got in touch with Pam and asked her to do a couple "working interview" days in the dental office she manages. Pam is to dental management as I am to whiskey, so it was a mere couple days before an offer was made (and accepted). It's good to still have female friends who wouldn't have slept with you in college no matter what you offered them. I think it adds an air of maturity to the scenario. She has plenty of dirt on me and I know she has been filtering most of my exploits to Pam but it's nothing that Pam couldn't get from reading my blog archives. :)
It will be a bit of a drive into PHX from Gilbert but we don't have kids to worry about and I'll be working a swing-shift so our hours are our own. We've also determined that the workplace commute is always made easier by a steady paycheck. Christmas is somewhat of an afterthought this year but we're hoping to be back in the black after the first of the year and I don't see any reason that can't happen.
Did I just write that outloud? :)
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Ahhhhhhhhhh....rain. It's been off-and-on for a couple days now and it couldn't be nicer. Most of the perpetual dust in the air is gone, the skies are (for us) chilly and some of the mountains surrounding the Valley of the Sun are dusted with snow from about 3,000 feet and up. Quite frankly, it's the kind of weather we dream about around here and once the clouds blow away it will be Chamber of Commerce perfect.
Work update: I'm still waiting to hear back from my comedy performance. Not getting a "No" is as good as a "Yes" right now, so I find myself not wanting to check my email. I finally got hooked up for a gig as an Security Officer, not quite as far as the original site. It will be good to have some money coming in again. A man can only eat so much PBJ crackers before it starts to get mundane.Pam is road-testing a new gig, mostly helping out an office temporarily, but it would be nice if something came through for her on a permanent basis. Okay...it would be nice for us both.
Time to go back to watching the rain. For people in AZ, it's just THAT exciting.
Work update: I'm still waiting to hear back from my comedy performance. Not getting a "No" is as good as a "Yes" right now, so I find myself not wanting to check my email. I finally got hooked up for a gig as an Security Officer, not quite as far as the original site. It will be good to have some money coming in again. A man can only eat so much PBJ crackers before it starts to get mundane.Pam is road-testing a new gig, mostly helping out an office temporarily, but it would be nice if something came through for her on a permanent basis. Okay...it would be nice for us both.
Time to go back to watching the rain. For people in AZ, it's just THAT exciting.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Touch 'em All!!
Remo is money in the oral interviews. Hit 'em fast - hit 'em hard- leave them breathless when you're done. Quite frankly, I'm just that damn good.
I'm hoping my Remo-Fu was in full effect during my last interview. I had all the right answers and even managed to crack the entire room up with the best damn one-liner I've had in years, coming hot on the heels of a query about what I thought was most important in delivering services to this particular work group. My answer was, of course, documentation. Documentation is your friend, your best tort attorney and your best insurance clause against vicarious liability. It can make sure that even in the most innocuous of mistakes, no one gets caught with their pants down.
Now...in fairness to me, it was just one of those turn-of-a-phrase things that seemed to make sense. And it was, until one of the women on the panel decided to chime in humorously with "I'm not sure we'll want you working with your pants down."
Really? REALLY?? You're gonna throw that out at ME and not expect something back in return?
These people have obviously never met me.
My mind reeling, I simply grabbed the first one on my tongue and let 'er fly: "No...that would be a fireman."
Thank you - I'll be here all week. Try the veal.
The entire room erupted in laughter, coughing and I noticed them all eye-pointing at the porty guy on the end. He was about to have a convulsive conniption, coughing up a lung and actually turning in his chair to face away from the rest of the panel, presumably so no one got nailed with a stray bronchial nodule.
I'm gonna guess he's the resident Fire Dept dude. Oh well.
They might not hire me but they'll NEVER forget me.
I'm hoping my Remo-Fu was in full effect during my last interview. I had all the right answers and even managed to crack the entire room up with the best damn one-liner I've had in years, coming hot on the heels of a query about what I thought was most important in delivering services to this particular work group. My answer was, of course, documentation. Documentation is your friend, your best tort attorney and your best insurance clause against vicarious liability. It can make sure that even in the most innocuous of mistakes, no one gets caught with their pants down.
Now...in fairness to me, it was just one of those turn-of-a-phrase things that seemed to make sense. And it was, until one of the women on the panel decided to chime in humorously with "I'm not sure we'll want you working with your pants down."
Really? REALLY?? You're gonna throw that out at ME and not expect something back in return?
These people have obviously never met me.
My mind reeling, I simply grabbed the first one on my tongue and let 'er fly: "No...that would be a fireman."
Thank you - I'll be here all week. Try the veal.
The entire room erupted in laughter, coughing and I noticed them all eye-pointing at the porty guy on the end. He was about to have a convulsive conniption, coughing up a lung and actually turning in his chair to face away from the rest of the panel, presumably so no one got nailed with a stray bronchial nodule.
I'm gonna guess he's the resident Fire Dept dude. Oh well.
They might not hire me but they'll NEVER forget me.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
One thing...just one...stinking...thing
Hey Fat Guy! Yeah...you in the red suit and reindeer. I'm not asking for much here. All I want is a stinking job. One job.
I've actually been "hired" by a local firm but the location they would prefer I take is an hour-each-way on our infamous State Hwy 101. That means I'd spend two hours a day, unpaid, driving to my job for what I have to presume is a less-than Princely sum.
I say "presume" because they haven't actually nailed down the numbers yet. I know what the entry-level line folks make and I ain't driving two hours a day for that unless my commute takes less than a half-cup of QT coffee. They have hinted that my rate would be "substantially" higher than the base rate and while I believe them, it's still hard to budget gas money from a phantom number.
Their description of the job sounds great. The company is fantastic. Everyone I've met with, from the principal partners to the V.P. seem energized and squared-away. The benefits? Less than admirable.
I've got another pan on the fire locally and some major-league coaching for that position from someone in the field. It's a better gig all things considered but I'm not in a position to be picky right now. I need a job. Money. A paycheck.
Forget all the baubles and electronic bells & whistles. All I want for Christmas is a damn direct-deposit stub.
I've actually been "hired" by a local firm but the location they would prefer I take is an hour-each-way on our infamous State Hwy 101. That means I'd spend two hours a day, unpaid, driving to my job for what I have to presume is a less-than Princely sum.
I say "presume" because they haven't actually nailed down the numbers yet. I know what the entry-level line folks make and I ain't driving two hours a day for that unless my commute takes less than a half-cup of QT coffee. They have hinted that my rate would be "substantially" higher than the base rate and while I believe them, it's still hard to budget gas money from a phantom number.
Their description of the job sounds great. The company is fantastic. Everyone I've met with, from the principal partners to the V.P. seem energized and squared-away. The benefits? Less than admirable.
I've got another pan on the fire locally and some major-league coaching for that position from someone in the field. It's a better gig all things considered but I'm not in a position to be picky right now. I need a job. Money. A paycheck.
Forget all the baubles and electronic bells & whistles. All I want for Christmas is a damn direct-deposit stub.
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