feed or famine

Usually, any type of construction work is feast or famine. At the level I'm paid, it's squeak by or don't. Rain and holidays have made for some miserable conditions.

I've come to realize I really don't mind truck driving as much as I thought I would, but I'd be a fool to not want more for myself. I will grant it has made me lose some weight, which helps with my fitness.

I've come to realize how much going to the chiropractor was helping me. It's a damn shame I no longer have insurance.

Last week, we had three cats. Today we have one. Old age/ sickness got one and a car got the other. This was a very hard thing to deal with.

I have a lot of opportunities coming up, too damn bad they are all in the 6 month to a year range.

My return

I haven't written in awhile. I have a job now. It will keep us afloat, but not moving forward. It gives me a chance to try to ride out the shitstorm. I know now that I lost a lot of job interviews based on my credit past. That is fixed now, and I can pounce on the next opportunity.

I was told by a person whose opinion I typically respect that I might be aiming too high. I can't agree with that. I think right now, jobs are scarce and I have to take what will pay me, but I know I am meant to do more and I will always try to do better.

In some ways, I feel bad. I know that I should be very grateful for my current job, and I am. I am not doing what I set out to do and I have invested too much into this to not chase this to its end. Sadly, I'll most likely be doing what I am currently doing for the next year.

All that being said, I consider myself very lucky. I am here. I am doing well enough for the situation I am in, and that is all for now.

Update....

Hard job market. I have about enough money left to pay one more month of bills and only bills. With both my wife and myself unemployed, it has lasted longer than I thought. Tomorrow, my school goes back to work. I am almost depressed to know I won't be there after I put so much of myself into it. I wasn't given the chance others were given in the past and I know it. I just figured I'd have job security if I stayed with the state. How wrong I was...

The ghost of credit fraud past has come back to haunt me, mainly in the form of great interviews and turn downs based on my poor responsibility shown on my credit score. The only poor judgment I have made there is not taking the villian who did this to me to task. I only have a few weeks to fix it before I start going back to the rejections that said they would reconsider me if I were to fix my credit. I have a wife, a home, and step-children who need me to be pulling down a decent living wage. I won't hesitate to do what ever needs to be done within the law to remedy this issue once and for all.

I've been working out for about two weeks now. I got the Power 90 in-home boot camp from a friend of my wife. It is the predecessor to the current infomercial darling : P90x. It has the same basic Idea with working out 6 days a week for 90 days. I don't like the fact that they try to hock their supplements to you. Take a vitamin and watch what you eat. You would be amazed what you can do health-wise with little to no "supplements".

As far as diets go, I liked Weight Watchers and Atkins. I lost 30+ with the first an 45 with the other. The thing I liked about WW, is that you could buy the frozen dinners and they were not bad at all, or expensive for that matter. I could use the online tools to measure my days. That bad is trying to count points when life gets hectic and you can't plan out your meals.

I liked Atkins because of how it made me feel. Basically, there was very little math and just a very difficult 2 week induction period where there were just things you could not eat, and after that you introduce the "no-no" foods back in moderation. Bacon and eggs for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and steaks for dinner. How great is that? The downside is that everyone who know jack about health and nutrition gives you shit every day all day as to how badly you are treating your body while all your pain, health issues, and fat rolls go away.

Sadly, nutrition is like religion. There is a different opinion for every person and usually the opinions are grossly uninformed.

What is the secret? Consume fewer calories than you need you lose weight. Consume more calories than you need, and you gain weight. Eat foods that fill you up without the extra calories.

Book 2

I guess now my life has taken a few turns, and now there is much to do.

Due to cutbacks in state funding, pretty much all first year teachers have lost their jobs. This includes me. At a time where I would be lying back and looking forward to a long Summer vacation, I now have to actively seek a job. I have two months to try to find meaningful employment.

Skills:
Mechanical Aptitude
Teaching Experience
Managerial Experience (food service)
Customer Service Experience
Bachelor's Degree: Forensic Biology/ Criminal Justice concentration
Soon to have CDL license

I am well rounded. I guess I just need to get my ass in gear and make it happen.

Sadly, the easiest solution will be the most elusive. I have seen that the local police department is interested in hiring people like me, but I have to get the training on my own time. That spare time, depending on my next job, will too rare of a commodity. Going to the next city that offers paid training is the next best solution. My vehicle is crumbling as we speak. It won't make the daily trip.

I have been offered a job driving a dump truck just as long as I can get a CDL endorsement. Not my ideal job, but it is money at least for the Summer, and I am grateful.

The part that pisses me off about the whole thing is that I have dedicated 7 years of my life to education. First as a substitute, then an ISS coordinator, finally as a science teacher. In the end, a back room decision was made to make me look bad as a teacher. The truth is my students learned as much as anyone else in the school system and my test scores showed it.

Take my job, take my security, but damn it...damn you, don't try to take my sense of worth too. I knew I did good, and I was told I didn't. Just to save some money.

God bless you, I can't

I have a second bathroom!

Ok, I have a second toilet. All good. I have the money to put in my central air. I've decided to go on a craigslist selling frenzy. I've realized holding on to garbage is pointless.

Obama said it was time for change. I want to change my old bullshit into cash so I can get stuff I want.

I have been sponsored for the BLET in August, so I have 3 months to get into good enough shape to survive it. If I make it, I'll be in the best physical condition of my life and I'll have more job opportunities than ever. Which is funny, seeing as how I'm in a career. I guess it feels better to have options.

The Goldwing has left the building

I sold my bike yesterday. I don't need or want it anymore at this point. The money will go to put central air in my house and fund the wedding. I hope there will be a little left over to do a few more things...

:-/

Don't love your job, you better love the money. Otherwise, you need a new job.

Guess how work was today....

What to say?

Last weekend, I got the deal of a lifetime on old gym equipment. My house is coming along nicely, and I started my yard work and really didn't mind. I actually enjoyed doing it. I guess it means more when it's yours.

I need a big truck. My little truck has served its purpose and now I need something newer, bigger, and capable of towing. My scrounging has paid off in the past; let's see what becomes of it.

I'm getting married in about a month, good times.

Signs

About 12 minutes long, but so worth it. It can really make you happy.

Signs
Uploaded by mg02

I like this story....not my own.

According to a news report, a certain private school in Victoria, BC recently was faced with a unique problem.

A number of year 12 girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints. Every night, the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back.

Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night.

To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required. He took out a long handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror.

There are teachers, and then there are educators.

the new virtues

I think I am going to write a post or two on the new virtues. It seems as though the old ones are played out.

Story

I think I want to try my hand at writing. Nothing may come of it, but I want to try it. The bad part is I feel like such a hack. Nothing in my mind rates as an original idea.

wow

HERE.

I try to avoid too much social commentary on here, but tghis makes me mad as Hell. Why is it when white collar criminals steal billions and destroys countless lives, those crooks get a slap on the wrist and come out as wealthy as ever, but a person that steals a few hundred to survive is ruined?

Here are my thoughts. I don't think any of the Enron executive got any real prison time, despite knowingly bankrupting many pension plans. How many people do you think busted their ass to save for retirement for 30+ years only to have to go back to work way past their prime? How many do you think we have to support as taxpayers?

How can we spend billions in Iraq while cutting education funding?

Urgent Care

I find it ironic that when I go to a doctor's office called "urgent care" there is no sense of urgency what so ever. I sat for 3 hours in what may be the most disease-laden area this side of a leper colony just to get antibiotics and narcotic laced cough syrup.

Sadly, they rarely know what's wrong with me. I have possible bronchitis and/ or acid reflux. The doctor also strongly urged me to get a regular doctor. I guess I need to. I'll be married soon and I need to take care of myself. It doesn't help that I'm 34 and overweight.

So here I am, slightly high off my cough syrup that really hasn't helped my cough, but now I don't mind it so much.

purpose

I've always been happiest with jobs that have a "purpose". If I feel like I'm doing something for the greater good, it has been more rewarding to me.

Now that I own a home, I feel I already have a purpose. Now I want my purpose to be to make money to invest in my home and personal life.

These days, loyalty is not valued. People are expected to chase bigger paychecks. It might be time for me to do what is expected.

snow day

I really don't like snow days. As a teacher, and unplanned day off means a planned day is lost. I barely plan as-is, so when I lose a planning day, I'm kinda put in a bind.

realization

My Bio-Dad gave me some advise in August when I was fretting over taking the teaching job or pursuing my BLET. He said: "I always follow the money". His logic is that if you have the cash right now, you can deal with maybe later. In 11 days, I will get paid again, the "Winter of Discontent 2009" will be done. It has never been as gut wrenching as it has been this year, but that's because there is more than just me this year. If I could be as cheap all year as I am during TWOD, I'd probably do very well year 'round.

One of my resolves is to live as cheaply as possible. Perhaps I can use that to push me through. I think my new goal is to use my skills to make as much money as I can. I also want to acquire new skills to further that goal along.

My next goal is to get into shape. I have started to get what I need to make that happen.

I realized that of my immediate family, I am the only one to graduate college. I also do not have a criminal record. I try to live as quiet a life as possible. I guess I'm the white sheep of the family.

Alpha male

I think every man is like a wolf. Pack animals have a pecking order and it is only logical that everyone wants to be at the top, however you may define that.

At some point in my life, I figured that I would never have any real accomplishments, and since I lived in a predatory environment (ghetto), my "top" was to become the person you'd prefer not mess with.

I grew up with every male figure in my life being honest to God bad asses. My grandfather, my father....even my mom and uncles were people you didn't cross.

I'm not a badass. At best, I'm a sheep in wolves' clothing. Hell, I write a blog.

the winter of discontent...2009

I did it yet again. Every Christmas I overspend and put myself in a hurting until March. I won't get a check for 6 weeks, or the first of February. I'll put myself on track with that check and my tax returns.

I need to do better, it's not just me now...