The Transition

My transition from unemployed to back to work hasn't been too bad. I think the harder transition has been working second shift.

The company I'm working for starts second shift at 3pm and we've been working ten hour days, getting done at 1am. The tougher part has been getting going the day after work. My knees, ankles and back are generally sore, making it harder to find the motivation to get out of bed. However, I promised Holly that I would not stay up all night, so I come home and go to bed, trying to be out of bed by 9am so I can enjoy something of my day before work.

For the most part, it's working. I'm not always out of bed by 9, but I have had a good chuck of daylight to enjoy before work.

If I could get my body to stop aching, I wouldn't mind so much :)

And Here. We. Go.

Tuesday afternoon, I accepted an offer of work. I start Wednesday at 2pm working 2nd shift in a machine shop running parts. The pay won't set the world on fire, but it's better than unemployment.

Holly and I talked about it, and I've set up a schedule for myself to stick to so I don't get too far out of whack with the rest of societal norms. My work schedule is 3p to 12am or 1am, so I'll be home shortly after that with bedtime at 2am. The alarm will go off at 8:30am with a "get out of bed you lazy bum" time of 9am.

The goal is to pay down our debt, send one or both of us back to school and generally improve our station in life.

I'm looking forward to getting back to work.

A Time to be Thankful.

When this post hits, I will hopefully be on the runway at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston about to take off for Milwaukee.

I've spent the last week in Lake Charles, Louisiana, working on a contract job that was supposed to start in Milwaukee on October 10th but has been delayed. I was contacted by the staffing agency holding the contract on Wednesday, November 16th at 3:30 in the afternoon asking if I could fly out to fill in at another site.

I conferred with Holly and, with her blessing, said I could go. Travel plans were quickly made by the agency and at 1:30pm on Thursday the 17th, I was bound for Lake Charles via Houston.

Both flights went well; the connector from Houston to Lake Charles was delayed about an hour, but by 8 pm, I was in Lake Charles.

I had contacted the local lead for the project and was told that Friday would be a partial day due to travel by the company guys. I had flown in just in time to cut out early...

I had the weekend in Lake Charles. I watched alot of TV, and Sunday made it a point to hit the local BW3s to catch the Packer game, and then returned to my hotel room to finish watching the Nascar race.

Monday night I was able to sample some local cuisine with the company guys at Steamboat Bill's. Shrimp never tasted to good! Fresh from the Gulf, breaded and fried.

Most evenings, Holly and I have either played text tag or Skyped to keep in touch. When Skyping, Holly would show her phone to Lumos and he would cock his head to one side, then the other trying to figure out why Daddy was in the phone.

I'm thankful I took this opportunity to travel and not only earn a paycheck, but also see a part of the world I had never before visited. I was able to spend Saturday in Houston catching up with a dear friend as well.

My friends, never take anything for granted, and be thankful for what you have, even if you don't think it's much.

bleah

I haven't felt much like writing these days, either here or on my ranting blog, but I figured I may as well sit down and get some thoughts out that I have.

I had to restart the job search. The contract I was supposed to be on was delayed due to a parts shortage. I gave it six weeks of waiting past the original start date before saying screw it. I've been in touch with my recruiter the whole time and she understands my frustration.

At this point, I'll do just about anything for work. I have IT skills, but no formal education, so IT seems like a longshot to me. I have warehouse skills, but I've been out of that game for five years now. A staffing agency called me yesterday about a resume I sent regarding a warehouse job and the recruiter asked me what my dream job was. I jokingly said centerfielder for the Brewers, but I was past my prime, so just about anything at this point.

Anymore, my days go something like this; Wake up, make Holly her lunch and see her off to work, walk the dog, shower, watch the Price is Right, catch the noon news, walk the dog, eat lunch, listen to Belling, start dinner, welcome Holly home, hang out for the evening. Now I've added "look for a job" to that list as well.

My days bleed together and I constantly look at my phone to remind me which day it is. I'm doing my best to maintain a daily schedule of some sort so I can fall asleep at night.

I know it will get better, but when?

It's not supposed to end this way.

Today was a bit of a jumble for me.

I should be happy that the Packers won, but I'm not.

I should be happy that the Brewers went deep into the post season, but I'm not.

I'm terribly saddened by the death of Dan Wheldon, a racecar driver in the Indycar series. Why? To be honest, no idea really, other than my love of auto racing in any form, and the Wheldon seemed to be a truly good man by all accounts.

Today started out like any other Sunday with church this morning and football at noon. I had dozed off on the couch, dog on my chest, during the game, and awoke shortly after 3. I flipped the TV over to ABC to catch the Indycar race, only to see it had gone to caution. I noticed a large amount of debris on the track and waited for a replay.

Fifteen cars were collected in an accident coming through turn 2, with at least three going airborne. Wheldon's car took flight and made tremendous impact in the catch fence above the outer wall, crashing cockpit first.

I've been watching racing for over 25 years, and when they covered Wheldon's car with a tarp, I said to my wife "that's never a good sign."

Almost two hours later, Wheldon's death was announced publicly, and I was so overcome with emotion, I started to cry. My wife was startled by this, and seemed a bit stunned as she came over to console me.

I'm not sure why I was so overcome; I'm so much more of a Nascar fan, and only casually follow Indycar these days. The only explanation I can come up with is that racing is a community, no matter what series or car.

Dan Wheldon, you were taken from us too soon.

Dateline: San Jose

I've been a little lax about keeping everyone in the loop on my job hunt. Time to fix that.

As most of you may know, I was laid off February 2010 and since been looking for something long term. I've had a couple of short term contracts and a failed attempt at full time employment this spring, but kept digging and digging.

About two weeks ago, I get an email from a staffing agency asking for a copy of my resume in Word format. Reply to the email with a copy of my resume in Word format and make a mental note to follow up one day later.

 One day later: I call the staffing agency and leave a voicemail with the recruiter who had requested my resume. Recruiter calls me back and begins a phone interview with me regarding the position I had applied for. After about 20 minutes or so of questions, I was asked to come in and fill out paperwork for employment.

 I fill out my paperwork, and schedule a drug test screening and tuberculosis screening and consent to a background check. A few days later, everything is groovy and I am given the go ahead to make travel plans for training. Plans are made and Monday the 26th comes. I fly out of Milwaukee, change planes in Dallas and get to San Jose, California.

The flights in went well; we were delayed in Dallas but about 90 minutes, but otherwise, travel was pleasantly uneventful. Catch a shuttle from the airport to the hotel, where I meet my new coworker, also from Milwaukee. We grab dinner and basically discover that we are the same person in different bodies. Scary, I know. It's now 11:35 PM PST, which means it's 1:30 AM CST, so I should go to bed. Goodnight everyone :)

somebody wake the rooster

Since I'm up early today, I may as well write, right? Lately my sleep patterns have been all over the map. Most nights I don't fall asleep until after midnight, and then don't want to get up the next day. Monday night, I took a sleeping pill and crashed by 10:30. I still didn't get up until 10:30 Tuesday Morning. Last night, I was in bed by 11, laid in bed for a while, and eventually fell asleep. I woke up at 5am without an alarm. You know that feeling of knowing you won't fall back asleep right away? Yeah, I had that, so I got out of bed, headed for the living room, turned on the morning news and had a bowl of cereal. The worst part of the wacky sleep schedule is that it knocks everything else out of order as well; my metabolism is goofed up from the irregular schedule and I've got no motivation. All that being said, I'm still looking for work. I've contact four different recruiters about various jobs, and posted countless resumes to online job boards. It enough to make me crazy...I JUST WANT A JOB!

Tonight, I took some time to sit out on my patio, bug candle lit, to just enjoy the break in the weather. Since we all complained that it was too cold in May and into June, Summer showed up and gave us the finger and turned the heat up to 11.

Last night, Holly asked if we could turn the air off, and after checking the forecast, I did so. The apartment is a bit warm, but with a fan in the living room it's not too bad.

I got to spend Wednesday at the ballpark with my mom, my sister and my nieces and nephew. They drove up from Western Illinois to support their Cardinals, and I was left to defend my Brewers in my own ballpark. It was a bit warm, but we made the most of it and had fun anyway. Too bad they had to drive home having witnessed a 10-5 Brewers clubbing of the Redbirds.

Holly and I celebrated 2 years of marriage on Monday and went out to dinner with her parents. We had a great time chatting and just spending time together. That's one of the things I love the most about my wife; just spending time with her. Her folks have something planned for us on the 14th, but won't tell us what, just have a light lunch and dress business casual and then get in the car and go for ride......um, ok. :)

Work continues to go well. I've got at least another week at the temporary gig I'm at, and I've basically applied for a permanent position there in another capacity. We'll see where that goes.

My wife indulges me a bit much, not that I mind at all. She bought me a four lap ride along at the Milwaukee Mile as an anniversary gift, and most nights this past week we've listened to the Brewer games on the radio instead of watching TV.

Lately, it seems like I have post brewing in my head, only to sit down to type and have nothing come out, or at least, nothing that I think anyone else wants to read.

I need to get past that and just write.

I ordered a book on Amazon the other day, an A+ certification study guide, in the hopes that I can do my homework and then take the test to get certified with my A+.

why not actually go to school? Honestly, I can't put my finger on it; I took the placement tests at Waukesha County Technical College, but never felt quite right about registering. Maybe apathy, laziness, fear...Holly has asked me what's holding me back, and I really don't know what is...

I've been looking more online for jobs, and the staffing agency I'm with for my current gig also wants to find me something.

Here's to hope...will I be able to put forth the effort I need to and I will I recognize opportunity when I see it?

catching my breath...

I feel like I've been busy busy busy lately...

July 5th saw me start a short temp gig ordering small diesel engine parts, filling in for a guy on medical leave. A former work colleague mentioned my name to his boss and contacted me to gauge my interest. Two weeks in and I've got the hang of things pretty well and have fit in with the group in my area.

Holly and I went to a midnight showing of the last Harry Potter. Oh. My. WORD! Amazing finale to the series, and this time, the crowd wasn't a bunch of nitwits.

I slept about 3 hours after the movie, went to work and survived. I really didn't caffeinate as much as I thought I was going to need to. Holly had taken the day off, and then we met up with some of her co-workers for Mexican in Oconomowoc. After dinner, a few of us headed over to a bar to shoot pool, drink beer and make fun of people from Watertown.

I was up by 8 on Saturday and felt rested. A quick run to the auto parts store and then home to do some maintenance on my car.

Holly and I ran to Goodwill to drop off some clothes, then back home to veg out. I watched the truck race from Iowa, and I'll catch up on the Brewer game soon.

This was just the kind of day I needed to recharge.

Human Resources

I was having dinner with an acquaintance recently, and he said something that made me think.

"You'd think with something as finite a resource, we'd be more likely to take care of it"

Now, he was actually talking about silverware, as the establishment we were at had given us plasticware, instead of silverware, for our eat in meal.

However, I mulled over his statement for a while, and even commented back to him about how right he was on an even bigger scale.

We tend to take other people for granted. We used to them being there, either because, as in the case of family, they've always been there, or in the case of friends, it seems that despite our faults, they stick by us.

But what happens when we use up that human resource, when we push the limits of grace, love and patience? Should we be surprised when the person we've used gets fed up and wants no more? Is it simply a matter of "hey, dummy, you need to stop" or is it a case of someone who will leave us because we've abused the resource, much like rubbing the lamp too many times and hoping the genie will fix it.

I know that I can be a difficult person to deal with; I'm loud, outspoken, often obnoxious, opinionated, and sometimes brash and bullheaded. Have I taken inventory on the stores of grace, love and patience with those in my life? What have I done to replenish those stores, so that in some future event, I may need extra grace, love and patience dealt my way?

it was a dark and stormy night...

So, Tuesday I get a call saying my name had been drawn in a contest and that I've won a chance to win a car.

ok......

So, Holly and I figure why not go Wednesday night after she gets off work and see what this is about.

Turns out, it was a chance to buy into a vacation club, and while the offer was tempting, we passed. We did win a free vacation, well, free accommodations at least. Airfare, taxes and whatnot would be on us.

The presentation had started at 8pm and we didn't get out until 10pm to a pouring rainstorm in Gurnee. I fetch the car and we start making our way back to Milwaukee.

Lots of lightning on the drive home, and a couple of semi truck blown over on the southbound lanes. Holly was fighting a bad headache, so she laid down and closed her eyes while I got us home.

I'll take the couch tonight so she can sleep undisturbed; I'll be in the living room with the dog, watching the light show.

so, here we are....

Alright, time to bring everyone up to speed on what's going on with Chad.

I was laid off again this past weekend. The employer I was with is having some cash problems on the receivable side, so the payable side is suffering, therefore I was laid off. Honestly, I saw the writing on the wall and had already begun looking. Now, I can formally collect unemployment while looking.

Our Florida trip is cancelled. No sense in spending money we don't have. I listed the tickets on Stubhub, so hopefully they sell. The only thing we may eat is the airfare.

I'm back to canvassing the jobs boards, so we'll see what comes up. The fun part is when Holly says "hey, do you know how to do X?", and when I say yes, emails me a link to a job.

At the very least, I'm sure the dog enjoys not being in his crate all day.

so much that I want to say...

I have so much that I want to say, but I cannot, for fear that I will say things that will do entirely too much damage.

I *hate* that I have to change plans because something didn't work out.

I *hate* that I feel unfulfilled at this very moment.

I *hate* that I have not worked for a better position for myself.

blah

It's Monday night and I'm sitting at home, enjoying my nightly bowl of popcorn.

I've tucked Holly into bed because of a bad headache. I had to wake her up to feed her dinner, then I marched her to bed.

I'm feeling blah, in spite of the weather, and I don't care for that one bit. I'd like to snap out of the funk I'm in, but that may be a while.

Spinning wheel got to go 'round

With declining revenues in the gas tax due to people driving more fuel efficient cars, it appears the Obama administration is considering a mileage tax for cars to recoup the "missing" revenue.

So, let me get this straight: liberals want those of us who choose to own a car to have a fuel efficient car, then bitch about the fact that gas tax revenue goes down when people *do* buy fuel efficient cars?

Really??

I moved to a more fuel efficient car 3 years ago because I simply couldn't afford to fill my 1999 Explorer twice a week at $55 a crack. My Focus gets almost twice the mileage my Explorer did, and it's a nice car. I made the choice, based on my budget, to move to a smaller vehicle that still suited my driving needs.

But because I *chose* to live within my means and not sell my soul to pay for gas, I might *still* have to pay more for the privilege of driving, based on my mileage. My wife and I generally take my car when we go out, whether we go to the movies or to visit my family in Illinois. I already pay more for the privilege of driving due to the fact that I use more gas in my car to drive those miles; I don't feel I should be taxed *again* based on mileage driven, as I've already paid to use the roads I drive on with my gas taxes.

I'm tired of the government on all levels telling me they need more money all the time; I have to live within my income, government can learn to live within it's income as well.

Love Song

I've heard it said that a man would climb a mountain
Just to be with the one he loves.
How many times has he broken that promise
It has never been done.
I've never climbed the highest mountain,
But I walked the hill of Calvary.

Just to be with you, I will do anything
There's no price I would not pay no
Just to be with you, I would give everything
I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean
Just to be with the one he loves
All of those dreams are an empty motion.
It can never be done.
I've never swam the deepest ocean,
But I walked upon the raging sea.

Just to be with you, I will do anything
There's no price I would not pay no
Just to be with you, I would give everything
I would give my life away.

I know that you don't understand
the fullness of My love.
How I died upon the cross for your sins.
And I know that you don't realize
how much that I give you
But I promise, I would do it all again.

Just to be with you, I've done everything
There's no price I did not pay no
Just to be with you, I gave everything
Yes, I gave my life away.
Just to be with you.

Dick Taters

Wisconsin State Senator Tim Carpenter has called Governor Scott Walker's actions dictator-like, refering to the budget repair bill that Walker has proposed.

Stated here, Carpenter refers to Walker's treatment as "The Governor won't return calls, isn't talking to us, being very dictatorial...."

Senator Carpenter, the Governor won't beg you to do your damn job, he simply expects you to show up at the Capitol, as you were voted to do by your constituents, and partake in the democratic process that you accuse the Governor of circumventing.

In 2008, I voted, and although I didn't like the outcome, I didn't throw a hissy fit because I didn't get my way. When National Health Care was passed in Congress, I didn't throw a hissy fit. I'll admit, I was upset, but I didn't withdraw from the process; I went to the polls in 2010 and voted again. My vote contributed to the pendulum swinging to the right. That's how the democratic process works. We the people tell our elected officials what we would like by voting and voicing our opinion to them by phone, email, and letter. In Wisconsin, the majority elected Scott Walker to the office of Governor to correct the budget shenanigans from the previous administration.

Senator Carpenter, you and your Democrat Party allies are holding up the democratic process. Yes, you are in the minority now, but you still get to make your voice heard during the debate over legislation, and your arguments may sway someone to change his or her vote to your side. However, comparing Governor Walker to a dictator like Hitler, Hussein or Gadhafi is completely inaccurate.



Senator Carpenter, I ask you, along with the other Democratic senators, to come back to Wisconsin, so that you may continue your work as you were elected to do.

Shenanigans

My thoughts on the news in Madison, WI:

1. I support the overall objective of Governor Walker's budget repair bill. I voted for him in November because I wanted him to cut through the bullshit and balance the state budget. Former Governor Jim Doyle was too busy kissing the ass of special interest groups, making sweetheart deals and the like to actually do his damn job. The pendulum has swung the other way.

2. I do think the timing of this bill is a bit aggressive, but again, this is why I voted for Walker.

3. I have several friends who are teachers. During the school year, many of them worked more than 40 hours on just the teaching portion, and some coached extra curricular activities, which took more time. Yes, they had three months off in the summer, but I would think that at the end of the tax year, they worked similar hours to someone who worked a "9-5" job.

4. I don't think teachers should be tenured. I can't think of one private sector job that locks someone in for "lifetime" employment. My job is based on my performance; if I can't do my job, I don't have one. I don't think that test scores alone are a basis for rating teacher performance, but I think a bad teacher should be able to be removed.

5. I don't have a pension, or even a 401(k). I have the freedom to choose what to do with my paycheck. Once Holly and I build up our savings, I'm setting up an IRA and making sure *I* take care of my retirement, because no one else is going to do it for me.

6. I want to see the public unions pay more toward health care coverage. We have insurance through my wife's employer and she pays almost 13% of her gross pay for that insurance. Would it kill public sector employess to pay something a little closer to that??

7. Dear people protesting: your rights are not being trampled. Please read this first. I don't see the right to collective bargaining, the right to health care or the right to "insert bullshit thing" here.

8. All of this being said, I really would like to see people come together and discuss these kinds of political matters in a civil manner; however, I fear that time has passed in America.

Sometimes a nut is just a nut

"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions." ~Ronald Reagan


I wanted to take some time to think about what to say and let the rawness of the news from Tucson on Saturday settle down a bit.

Holly and I were watching TV when the breaking news about the shooting came on. I had a bad feeling when I saw the breaking news logo, knowing it wasn't something like an oil spill or other item like that.

We were both a bit stunned and shocked by it. I immediately went to the 'net to see what was being said. The less rational, on both sides, were already pointing fingers, even though there wasn't much known about the shooter or his motives.

Those more rational people cut through the noise and chastened those pointing fingers and implored readers to simply pray for those injured.

Do I think everyone needs to step back from the ledge of the political landscape and calm the f**k down? Yes! I'm all for being passionate about a political stance, but there comes a point when passion turns into irrational behavior.

This thought keeps coming back to me: sometimes a nut is just a nut. There is no political motivation, just insanity.

looking back, looking ahead...

I'm sitting at the Mcdonald's on Moorland across from Brookfield Square. Holly's car is at the mechanic doing the work I couldn't get done, namely the fuel filler neck.

I summed up my thoughts on 2010 by saying these words: "get bent". I meant it. 2010 felt like such a crap year that I don't ever want to go through again. It was the first year I worked less than I was off, 4 1/2 months working vs. 7 1/2 months off. Money got tight. I stopped sleeping regularly because I was worried about making ends meet. Wondering if I would find a job at some point. Doubting my self worth.

There were, of course, so great thing about 2010: Holly took me to Vegas for my birthday, and we got to see our first Sprint Cup race together, and then she took me to Indy for another race. Vegas was bought and paid for before I was laid off, for Indy we pinched pennies and made things work.

We got a dog and named him Lumos. White Miniature Schnauzer. Cute little guy who won me over rather quickly, despite my doubts I would take to him. Holly badgered me about getting a dog, and wore me down to the point where when we signed the lease on our new place, she started looking. We brought him home the day we moved in. the first week or so was rough, since we have to housebreak him, and Holly was sick, so that was left to me. He's a great companion during the day and has more than once reminded me that we all need someone to lean on, usually when he's leaning on me while I sit on the couch.

Holly and I celebrated our first annivesary of marriage. When folks ask me what I've learned in that year, I tell them I've learned how to hit curveballs very well, as life threw alot of curveballs at us.

I'm eager to see what 2011 brings for us, and I hope it's a good year for you too.