As most, if not all of you know, I applied for a different job within the same company. I'm not totally convinced it's a step in the right direction, and my boss is not at all pleased. Of course, I work very hard for my boss, and this company, and I know my boss does not want to lose a valuable employee. I often handle a lot of different jobs that are not necessarily my job to do, and I try to have issues resolved by the time he gets word. I currently have a nice, cushy office job with my own office, a plant in the window, a large U-shaped desk, my own coffee pot....I share the fax, laser printer, and ticket printer, but they are in my office as well. And the pay really is quite fair, in my own personal opinion.
Now, this job that I have applied for is NOT in an air conditioned office, with a one hour lunch shared with co-workers in the break room. It is a field job, and involves more hours, most of which will be spent driving a truck all over eastern North Carolina. Most of my lunches will probably be spent in the truck or at the closest fast food joint. I will have to deal with hot summers and cold winters. And I will be on-call most evenings and every other weekend. It will not be an 8-5 job. HOWEVER, the pay increase is nothing to sneeze at. (I know, I ended the sentence with a preposition...get over it)
I was at a point where I was considering taking on a second job. I have done that in the past, and I thoroughly hated it. I worked (supposed-to-be) part time at a convenience store. I was getting home at 1 a.m. only to have to get right back up at 6 a.m. to get ready for work again. Plus, while I was working there, one of the employees on the 3rd shift was robbed and shot in the back of the head. He survived, but who wants to take that chance?! This new position eliminates the necessity for a second job.
Well, my interview was last Friday. Before the interview I felt confident about my chances. I applied for the same position two and a half years ago and was passed up. I knew they regreted it, as the person they chose over me had the job for one week and quit. Shortly after that I moved out of the warehouse into my current position. I got a call mid-week saying that there were two more interviews scheduled for Thursday, but I was certainly favored and would most likely get offered the position today. I got the call first thing this morning and e-mailed information the get the transfer started. I got the job. I accepted the job. If they could offer me the same to stay here, I would in a heart be....and I made that clear. But there has been no counter offer as of yet. So, it looks like I will be starting a new job in a couple of weeks. Ho hum, Y'all!!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Trapped
I couldn't think of what to post about. My brain was getting fried from the thinkin'. But I was reading on other blogs about wanting fall to get here. And that got me to thinking. I thought about a number of things, but mostly why we are always in a hurry. Today, we are living in a "give-it-to-me-right-now" society.
As a kid, we only had a house phone. But today I can't make the short drive to work without seeing gads of people yakking on their cell phones. And it is my deepest belief that they make the roads more dangerous. What are they talking about, anyway, that can't wait till they get to a stopping point? Not that I am opposed to cell phones. Not by any means. I have one myself. I just don't use it when I am driving. If I think it's important I pull over.
As a kid I recall having only four channels. We had ABC, NBC, CBS, and if we were lucky we had PBS. And usually we had to go outside to adjust the antenna just to get a somewhat clear picture. Now, everyone has to have the works. Full cable with all 58 of the movie channels. I saw a commercial the other day for a sattelite tv provider advertising over 200 channels, plus all the movie channels free from some period of time. I have cable tv, but it's just basic tv. No DVR, no special channel to show you what's coming on at 3 a.m. Just about 50 or 60 channels. And the funny thing is there's rarely anything worth watching. Some channels even play daily marathons of sitcoms and other programs I never even cared for anyway. And what's with paying for channels I don't EVER watch. I don't watch Spanish channels. I know a little Spanish, but not nearly enough to understand a tv program. Give me the good old days when after school meant going outside to play till dinner time. Then settling down to watch a good family movie together. Cartoons were for Saturday morning only. Now, there's 24 hour cartoon channels, albeit, some of them are a bit racey for kids in my opinion.
And what's up with microwaves? We have one. We use it for popcorn, warming water for tea and such, reheating leftovers. But who wants an entire meal that's been pre-cooked and frozed, then thawed and recooked in a micorwave? I used to eat them. But that was when I had a job that only gave me 30 minutes for lunch. Is it so important that you rush a crazy meal together like that so you can go watch a program you're not really that interested in?
Do people ever have family time any more? We didn't really eat at the dining room table when I was a kid. But there's a good reason. It wasn't big enough. Dinner was usually at my grandparent's house, as the lived less than a mile away. So dinner was usually for aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. So we got our plates and ate where we plopped. But it was never alone in front of a tv or in the bed room. It was often we family in the living room, maybe with a football game on. Or on the porch with cousins. But family interaction was key. I know of a family nearby me that rarely even spends time together. The two children, late teens maybe early 20's, are wrapped up in their own goings-on, the wife has a second part time job and is often not home till 9 p.m. and the husband works full time, but runs around on his free time with "his" projects. I thought "HOW SAD!"
Some times Mike and I will play with the dogs in the yard, mess with the chickens on weekends, have a cigarette on the porch in the evening with drinks. With all of today's technology we stuck in a speed trap. I was (am) a big fan of the country group Alabama. One of my fav songs of theirs goes something like this:
As a kid, we only had a house phone. But today I can't make the short drive to work without seeing gads of people yakking on their cell phones. And it is my deepest belief that they make the roads more dangerous. What are they talking about, anyway, that can't wait till they get to a stopping point? Not that I am opposed to cell phones. Not by any means. I have one myself. I just don't use it when I am driving. If I think it's important I pull over.
As a kid I recall having only four channels. We had ABC, NBC, CBS, and if we were lucky we had PBS. And usually we had to go outside to adjust the antenna just to get a somewhat clear picture. Now, everyone has to have the works. Full cable with all 58 of the movie channels. I saw a commercial the other day for a sattelite tv provider advertising over 200 channels, plus all the movie channels free from some period of time. I have cable tv, but it's just basic tv. No DVR, no special channel to show you what's coming on at 3 a.m. Just about 50 or 60 channels. And the funny thing is there's rarely anything worth watching. Some channels even play daily marathons of sitcoms and other programs I never even cared for anyway. And what's with paying for channels I don't EVER watch. I don't watch Spanish channels. I know a little Spanish, but not nearly enough to understand a tv program. Give me the good old days when after school meant going outside to play till dinner time. Then settling down to watch a good family movie together. Cartoons were for Saturday morning only. Now, there's 24 hour cartoon channels, albeit, some of them are a bit racey for kids in my opinion.
And what's up with microwaves? We have one. We use it for popcorn, warming water for tea and such, reheating leftovers. But who wants an entire meal that's been pre-cooked and frozed, then thawed and recooked in a micorwave? I used to eat them. But that was when I had a job that only gave me 30 minutes for lunch. Is it so important that you rush a crazy meal together like that so you can go watch a program you're not really that interested in?
Do people ever have family time any more? We didn't really eat at the dining room table when I was a kid. But there's a good reason. It wasn't big enough. Dinner was usually at my grandparent's house, as the lived less than a mile away. So dinner was usually for aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. So we got our plates and ate where we plopped. But it was never alone in front of a tv or in the bed room. It was often we family in the living room, maybe with a football game on. Or on the porch with cousins. But family interaction was key. I know of a family nearby me that rarely even spends time together. The two children, late teens maybe early 20's, are wrapped up in their own goings-on, the wife has a second part time job and is often not home till 9 p.m. and the husband works full time, but runs around on his free time with "his" projects. I thought "HOW SAD!"
Some times Mike and I will play with the dogs in the yard, mess with the chickens on weekends, have a cigarette on the porch in the evening with drinks. With all of today's technology we stuck in a speed trap. I was (am) a big fan of the country group Alabama. One of my fav songs of theirs goes something like this:
I'm in a hurry to get things done
I rush and rush till life's no fun
All I gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
I love the summer time. It's my favorite season. I enjoy spring and fall, as well. I'm not big on winter, but I still see the wonders and beauty of that cold, short-day season. The snow is beautiful and the cold restarts life. This morning as I was backing out of the drive way I noticed the little maple tree I planted last year was just starting to turn red. Maples are so pretty this time of year. I bet Joanna @ Boonedocks Wilcox is getting a beautiful show right about now. It won't be long before there's frost on the pumpkin. Why not take a look around. See the wonders of what God has given us. Tell your spouse, partner, children, parents, you love them. Take a moment before you leave for work or school to breathe in the cool, crisp morning air. Do some cloud watching. Plant some flowers or a tree. Savor the taste or your coffee, your meal, your dessert. Bake a cake. Make life fun.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A Nest Box Giveaway And A Job
Well, I had a nice little visit with my aunt. Last time I saw her she was in the hospital. She just had surgery and was a bit out of it. She just celebrated her 80th birthday! She looks great for 80, too! She left Monday to fly to New York to visit friends.
I rounded up the little chicks yesterday evening and put them in cages. Man, that was hard! Those things can move! And they kept running into a little grove of trees half grown with shrubbery. It took about 45 minutes to catch seven of the buggers. I caught them because there were nearly 15 or so of them, but they kept disappearing one by one. I figured predators have had enough of my chickens. Altogether I have 16 little ones wating to find a home. NO, make that 19 of them. I forgot the Black Austrolorps. Got three of them. Got an ad in the Bargain Trader coming out tomorrow. We will see how it goes, I guess.
I've heard nothing on the job. A friend who works in the CO2 department said they should be contacting me by week's end for an interview. As of Friday, there were 10 applicants, but my boss sent in another application today. And I don't know how many more may have applied on line. I will ceratainly keep you all posted.
I rounded up the little chicks yesterday evening and put them in cages. Man, that was hard! Those things can move! And they kept running into a little grove of trees half grown with shrubbery. It took about 45 minutes to catch seven of the buggers. I caught them because there were nearly 15 or so of them, but they kept disappearing one by one. I figured predators have had enough of my chickens. Altogether I have 16 little ones wating to find a home. NO, make that 19 of them. I forgot the Black Austrolorps. Got three of them. Got an ad in the Bargain Trader coming out tomorrow. We will see how it goes, I guess.
I've heard nothing on the job. A friend who works in the CO2 department said they should be contacting me by week's end for an interview. As of Friday, there were 10 applicants, but my boss sent in another application today. And I don't know how many more may have applied on line. I will ceratainly keep you all posted.
AND NOW..... for all you chicken keepers out there! Pam over at Life On A Southern Farm is giving away a 3-HOLE CHICKEN NEST BOX!!
Ain't she a beaut!! And she can be yours! All you have to do is go over to her blog Nest Box Giveaway and post a comment! You also get extra entries for blogging and tweeting and all that jazz!! Good luck to all who enter!!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Much Ado About Nothing
That's pretty much what I have to share. I've been my normal busy person, but nothing really worth mentioning. I'm still camera-less. But there really hasn't been much to photograph lately. I did go play a round of golf the other day with my cousin. It was only the second round of golf I've ever played in my life. I shot a 119. If you know nothing of golf, then know that that is one horrible score. If you are familiar with the sport, however, then that's quite an improvement from my original score of 135! I have an outdated Game Cube that I play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006 on. I LOVE that game. I have played it so much that I am now a better golfer than Tiger Woods, and I have more money than him! What a fantasy!
It was an uneventful Labor Day weekend. We did nothing special. Spent time around the house. Messed with the chickens. I have some half grown pullets that I want to put in with the egg layers. Mike has been buthering some of the older hens, so I am trying to replace them. But I know I can't just throw them in, as the other hens will peck them half to death. So I have a small coop set us adjacent to the larger one. That way they become familiar with each other. It worked before, so I'm giving it another go. I also have some small bitties that were getting too big for the little coop I had them in, so I moved them to a bigger one. My cousin, who works on the fishing boats, has been staying with us, as well. They haven't been fishing the last two weeks, so he's been staying with us, just chilling out. It's just been a weekend of visiting and resting.
No news on the job. They advertise jobs for 10 days, and September 10th will be the last day. So I may know by the end of the week, or it may be the first of next week. I will certainly let you know, though.
I made my blog rounds. I didn't comment of everyone, but I did read. What a conglomeration of posts! When you think of each post as a whole, it's quite funny to think of it all. I read of hair, illness, loneliness, luggage, regrets, hibiscus flowers, getting back to artsy-ness, regrets, home buying, and so much more. Altogether I think it would make a fabulous book! Have a great week everyone!
It was an uneventful Labor Day weekend. We did nothing special. Spent time around the house. Messed with the chickens. I have some half grown pullets that I want to put in with the egg layers. Mike has been buthering some of the older hens, so I am trying to replace them. But I know I can't just throw them in, as the other hens will peck them half to death. So I have a small coop set us adjacent to the larger one. That way they become familiar with each other. It worked before, so I'm giving it another go. I also have some small bitties that were getting too big for the little coop I had them in, so I moved them to a bigger one. My cousin, who works on the fishing boats, has been staying with us, as well. They haven't been fishing the last two weeks, so he's been staying with us, just chilling out. It's just been a weekend of visiting and resting.
No news on the job. They advertise jobs for 10 days, and September 10th will be the last day. So I may know by the end of the week, or it may be the first of next week. I will certainly let you know, though.
I made my blog rounds. I didn't comment of everyone, but I did read. What a conglomeration of posts! When you think of each post as a whole, it's quite funny to think of it all. I read of hair, illness, loneliness, luggage, regrets, hibiscus flowers, getting back to artsy-ness, regrets, home buying, and so much more. Altogether I think it would make a fabulous book! Have a great week everyone!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Catching Up A Bit
Hey everybody! It's me, Randy! Remember me? Yeah, I'm still busy as usual. Hurricane Earl came by, but I didn't even notice, really. We had a little rain and a few good, hard gusty winds around 2 a.m. or so, but I slept right through it. Actually I got up around 1 a.m and again around 3 a.m., just my usual waking up. It drives me crazy, actually, but that's a whole other post. But I didn't really hear any rain or wind. The chickens were all fine this morning, and the three baby pigeons were okay. One of the pigeons has feathered out, and I think will be a pretty white color. The other two were born yesterday and the day before. They're still pretty tiny. But we survived Earl just fine. We were lucky, really. If that thing had come straight onto land, we'd have been hurting in a bad way. Hope you faired well, Linda, by the way.
I have also applied for another job, within the same company of course. I don't think it's the ideal job by any means. And it will certainly mean more hours, and being on call every other weekend. But it also means a good bit more money. My boss was NOT happy about it at all, either. But it was either this, or take a second job. I had a second job at one time. I was working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., going home to change and maybe grab a bite to eat, then going to my second job to work from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. I was getting home at 1 a.m. and getting back up at 6 a.m. to get ready for my day job. I felt like I was staying at a motel rather than my home. I really didn't want to do that again. I explained that to my boss, who incidentally, put in my annual review that he'd recommend me for a management job. But that sort of job may be available in 6 months or 10 years. It's a gamble really. I am hoping that he will make it worth my while to stay rather than change divisions. My new job would be delivering liquid carbon dioxide to customers. That's going from a cushy office job to working a truck in the field. Sounds pretty dumb, doesn't it? I think it does. I'm afraid it could be a dead end job. But my dad said it would be wise to go where the money is. And not to hesitate to take a job elsewhere if that was where the money was. But being a loyal employee and a hustler at getting the job done, even if it is more work than there's time for, it's a tough call. I haven't had my inteview yet, but I have heard from a couple of guys in the CO2 division that the job is mine if I want it. It certainly makes for restless nights. It also means that blogging could very well have to go away, at least for a while. I don't want that either, but I suppose we will have to see what comes of it all.
Anyhow, my aunt is coming to visit from Texas. She lives in Temple, Texas and is going to New York to visit some long time friends of hers. But she is stopping here in North Carolina to visit her sister for a few days. She'll be here on Wednesday, the 8th, through Monday the 13th. I'm taking Friday off to spend a three day weekend with her. She was like another grandmother to me growing up. She's my great aunt, my grandmother's sister. My grandmother passed away in 1998, so she's really the only "grandmother" I have now. I haven't seen her in five years, so it should be a nice visit.
I want to thank each of you for your words of encouragement on my last post. Sometimes life just gets a bit confusing. It reminds me of when I was driving a 18-wheeler with my brother. I think we were in Alabama or Arkansas when our directions said to "turn at the light". My brother got so angry and frustrated. Do we turn left or do we turn right? He turned left, and it was the wrong way. We then had to find a place to turn around and go the other direction. If you know anything about 18-wheelers, they are notorious for not being able to turn around very easily, especially in the city. I'm hoping that if I'm not going in the right direction I will be able to turn things around fairly easily. Hey Ho! as John would say.
I have also applied for another job, within the same company of course. I don't think it's the ideal job by any means. And it will certainly mean more hours, and being on call every other weekend. But it also means a good bit more money. My boss was NOT happy about it at all, either. But it was either this, or take a second job. I had a second job at one time. I was working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., going home to change and maybe grab a bite to eat, then going to my second job to work from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. I was getting home at 1 a.m. and getting back up at 6 a.m. to get ready for my day job. I felt like I was staying at a motel rather than my home. I really didn't want to do that again. I explained that to my boss, who incidentally, put in my annual review that he'd recommend me for a management job. But that sort of job may be available in 6 months or 10 years. It's a gamble really. I am hoping that he will make it worth my while to stay rather than change divisions. My new job would be delivering liquid carbon dioxide to customers. That's going from a cushy office job to working a truck in the field. Sounds pretty dumb, doesn't it? I think it does. I'm afraid it could be a dead end job. But my dad said it would be wise to go where the money is. And not to hesitate to take a job elsewhere if that was where the money was. But being a loyal employee and a hustler at getting the job done, even if it is more work than there's time for, it's a tough call. I haven't had my inteview yet, but I have heard from a couple of guys in the CO2 division that the job is mine if I want it. It certainly makes for restless nights. It also means that blogging could very well have to go away, at least for a while. I don't want that either, but I suppose we will have to see what comes of it all.
Anyhow, my aunt is coming to visit from Texas. She lives in Temple, Texas and is going to New York to visit some long time friends of hers. But she is stopping here in North Carolina to visit her sister for a few days. She'll be here on Wednesday, the 8th, through Monday the 13th. I'm taking Friday off to spend a three day weekend with her. She was like another grandmother to me growing up. She's my great aunt, my grandmother's sister. My grandmother passed away in 1998, so she's really the only "grandmother" I have now. I haven't seen her in five years, so it should be a nice visit.
I want to thank each of you for your words of encouragement on my last post. Sometimes life just gets a bit confusing. It reminds me of when I was driving a 18-wheeler with my brother. I think we were in Alabama or Arkansas when our directions said to "turn at the light". My brother got so angry and frustrated. Do we turn left or do we turn right? He turned left, and it was the wrong way. We then had to find a place to turn around and go the other direction. If you know anything about 18-wheelers, they are notorious for not being able to turn around very easily, especially in the city. I'm hoping that if I'm not going in the right direction I will be able to turn things around fairly easily. Hey Ho! as John would say.
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