Aging Sucks

My visit today with the Eye Doctor was a financial nightmare!  First they told me that the exam wasn’t covered by insurance and that would be $140.  Then the Doc tells me that I need glasses, I have two pairs of computer glasses but don’t really wear them a lot.  I found out that you can give them the glasses and they will have lens made for them, so I wouldn’t have to pay for another pair of frames.  That was $103 and it will be a couple weeks before they are in.  Turns out they made a mistake and decided that the Eye Exam is covered.  I already know for a fact it won’t be covered because I didn’t go to the specific authorized provider that our insurance mandates.  However, by the time they figure that out I should hopefully have money in the bank!  The good news is that I don’t legally need glasses to drive, which makes me happy!

I told the Doc about my eyes itching and burning at times.  I was pretty well assured it was from allergies.  He told me about a new drug (eye drop) that just hit the market, available by Prescription only.  He gave me a sample and said use a drop per eye each day, there will be no more problems.  He also wrote me a prescription.  Well it’s so new that it’s not covered by insurance and the cost is $140.  I told the pharmacy I do not have that kind of money, call the doctor and see if there is something else that might work.  They are doing that but it will probably be Monday before this is sorted out.  Not a problem at all.  I’d rather pay a smaller amount.  My money is extra tight right now. 

Outside of needing glasses, my eyes are healthy the pressure is good and I should be fine for another year.  I will be going back in a year to see how things are.  The Diabetes is a huge concern for me and reason enough to stay on top of my vision.  That is one sense that I don’t want to loose!

I got new oil for my car.  I suppose they changed the air filter, but there was no charge for it.  Thanks to the coupon I found on line I saved myself $23.  All is well and unless something crops up, I shouldn’t have to go back until October if you go by the date.  If you go by the miles it will probably take me to February before I reach another 5,000 miles.  Short commutes to and from work, which are a good thing.  Plus we will venture off to eat at the Buffet or go for Pie and those are long trips.  I’d rather do them in my car than his truck.  Simply because it gives my car the exercise it needs.

After the car was done, I got my hairs cut.  That turned out really well.  I went shorter because we are close to summer.  Plus I think it looks better.  My partner never does like the way I do my hair but he realizes it’s mine.  You should have seen the ladies face when I sat in the chair and she said, okay what are we doing today.  I said I will have a perm.  My hair was short to start with.  Plus they don’t do perms.  She got a good chuckle from that. 

Once that was done, I stopped off and picked up my Transit Pass, then it was time to head for home.  I had spent way too much money.  I’ve got plenty left to take care of Lawn Boy and my Phone Bill.  Then there will be like $20 left for the entire month.  I haven’t even started my new job and I am ready for pay day!

To kill time while the car was being worked on, my partner took us to the local bakery.  Where we got way too much stuff.  Two diabetics buying bakery.  I always throw a fit when he heads there because I know my sugar is going to be out of whack for a while.  Ah, well new job celebrate while I can.  Plus hopefully getting up, going to work and the walking I will be doing along with hopefully eating better will help things.  I do believe once and a while in splurging, but I tend to over do it at times.

After the Bakery we went to Waffle House.  I got a bowl of Chili and a Cheese Burger.  That was very good!  The guy that was supposed to be doing the cooking was scrubbing the floor.  Damn he was fine.  A little wide in the butt, otherwise he was okay.  I listened to him talking and of course he was straight.  Then I found out he wasn’t even 21 yet.  Boy what a poor judge of age I am.  I figured him for 22 at least. 

I’ve also had two naps and now I am doing laundry getting out my polo shirts so that I will have something to wear to work.  Next comes trying on pants and that I’m sure won’t be fun.  Not too sure if I will do that tonight or not. 

I heard my partner talking a while ago and I knew something was wrong.  Turns out Big Boy had an accident.  I went upstairs to find out what was wrong and there he was laying in the hall.  Poor guy.  I got everything cleaned up.  Including him.  He complained a little bit because I had to rip some fur from his paws, that litter gets like gum at times.  I try to be as gentle as possible but there is no way it can’t hurt when your pulling out fur or hair.  He is walking a bit better.  I haven’t spent time with him today, so I will make sure that I factor that into tonight.

I’d really like to surf the web.  I am also making and sorting out a list of facilities across the country that my new employer owns.  Figuring I will be seeing each of them at least once.  I just hope that I don’t have to travel for a while.  I am just not hip on traveling because I know things will surely go down hill  around here.  I just don’t see how my partner will be able to medicate two cats and keep up with the litter boxes, especially when one of them is in the basement.  He walks down the steps now and it’s a major chore.  I know it will all come together but still I worry because it’s one thing I know without a doubt that I do well.  What can I say, I think a lot of my family and want everyone to be okay!  Not to mention I would miss all of them horribly.

So there you have it my last Friday as an unemployed, free man.  Next week at this time things will be so different.  I will probably be ready for bed and happy that the weekend is here.  Speaking of which I hope that you have a great one and I will talk with you peeps later!

It Figures

I went to the job interview this morning not expecting much.  Just keeping an appointment for the sake of keeping it.  The building was very old and looked like crap, but the gem is the heart of the company.  This place has all of the latest and greatest technology and the best part is it all works.  There servers and programs are 10% up all the time.  The business runs on a 24x7 basis but there is no on call.  You come in at 7 and leave around 430 and that’s it, no one to bother you after hours.  They are available and people know it, but no one ever bothers them. 

My experience is what got me the interview and my sharp looking resume.  They tossed out other people who didn’t have any types of IT Certifications.  So I felt honored that they called.  They are going to start 2nd round interviews next week on Wednesday or Thursday and I’ve already been told I will be getting a call.

That really sucks, this is a place where I really would like to work.  Why didn’t they call me 2 month or even 2 weeks earlier?  I didn’t disclose that I had already accepted an offer, that would have been very tacky plus they would wonder why I was wasting their time.  My plan is to let them down if they call to schedule something on Wednesday or Thursday.  It would be nice if they work something in on Monday or Tuesday, I would go just out of sheer curiosity.  My guess is the pay would be less than what I was offered. 

I am not one to pit two companies against each other and compete for the best offer.  I made a commitment and unless this other place moves quickly and makes me an offer before Wednesday, sorry but I am spoken for. 

It would be nice to work some place where there is a network, the latest in technology and things are laid out.  Plus there was room to grow.  However, in a way I have an awesome opportunity a head of me, at least as I see it now.  Talk to me next week and maybe my tune will change.  I feel signals telling me that this new job will be more than I can handle or I am someone who they think is a true IT know it all and that my friends is so far from the truth, it isn’t funny.  However, while the signals are there, the fear factor is not.  So since I don’t feel flight or fight at this time, I feel it’s important to honor the commitment I made on the people who decided to take a chance on me. 

I spoke with My Brother today and his opinion is wait it out and see who pays more, then go there.  You don’t owe anyone anything, it’s all about money.  Yeah, he is greedy like that.  Plus money is the only reason why I am going back to work.  However, I think it’s just unethical and stupid to bail on a sure thing.  Heck, this other place might just be blowing smoke like so many places have done before.  Stick with the sure thing kid, you can’t go wrong!

For the first time since I think the holidays I spoke with my mom.  She is doing okay and actually better.  She doesn’t talk about the police or drugs any more.  Her main problem right now is panic attacks and controlling them.  She told me about her vision and how it’s getting worse.  She really would like to get another cornea transplant.  However, she doesn’t go back to the eye Dr. until September.  I told her all about my new job and she is really happy for me.  Of course I never told her I lost the last job, but she was smart enough to figure that out on her own.  I was able to keep her at bay on that for a while and we actually never talked about what went wrong.  I think she would be shocked to hear how I was treated but she has enough going on, I don’t want to burden her which is why I didn’t say anything in the first place.

It will be a busy Friday for me.  After my interview I called to get an appointment for my car to get an Oil Change and the air filter hasn’t been changed since I bought the car, which was close to 3 years.  That filter has got to be super dirty even though the car only has 13 thousand miles on it.  Then after talking with my mom, I called the eye Dr. to get a check up.  It’s been 2 years and I haven’t been to the eye Dr. since I was told I have Diabetes.  That disease seems so innocent but it’s evil and sort of a silent killer like High Blood Pressure.  It does eat away at your eyes and by the time you know something is going on, it’s too late to do anything.  So, I figured while I have the time might as well get the peepers checked out.  I’ve had some eye itching and my vision has gone bonkers on me from staring at the computer screen for long periods of time or concentrating too much when taking tests or filling out documents.  Better to know what is going on.  I know they will dial late my eyes and while I hate that, it is a necessary part of the exam.

Next week Monday & Tuesday are clear thus far.  I got a call this afternoon from a company about my resume and I turned them away.  Why is it that after you get an offer all of these people start coming out of the wood work.  Where were they when I needed them?  This place that called, I applied for the same job 2 times.  It just makes no sense to me.  I know it happens to most everyone that is in my shoes, still that doesn’t explain it.

I spent some Quality time with Big Boy and the family this evening.  We watched Impractical Jokers on Tru TV.  I got a few laughs from the show.  Check it out if you like practical jokes.  The Boy and the family just soaked up every ounce of attention and love I could pour out. I’d see it was getting late and say okay, one more show.  A 1/2 hour would go by and I’d say the same thing.  Before you know it the evening news was on.  Here it is 11 and this is my first interaction with the computer all day long.  Feels a little strange but also feels good!

The routine will kick in on Wednesday night and from that point forward it will be all about doing things on a schedule and doing them in a particular order.  Making lunch, getting ready for the next morning, getting to bed early and so on.  Life will be structured and that will become old very fast but I think I will spring back to it like a bad habit.  Might take a little getting used to but I think after three days the following week things will feel more normal.

So time to work on finances to make sure I have enough money to cover the up coming expenses.  Then I will call it a night.  Have to rise early tomorrow morning but thankfully the eye Dr. is less than a 1/2 mile from the house.  So close I could walk there but no way I could walk back home, I’d get hit by a car and stumble.  Thankfully my partner is taking me.  I remember the last time my eyes were dilated and I lied to myself and said, oh you can drive it will be okay.  Damn, I got to a shopping center and it was sheer panic, couldn’t see a damn thing!

I hope that all is well in your world.  Talk with you peeps later!

Big Boy Update

Big Boy has managed to injury one of his hind legs.  I don’t *think* that he broke anything.  I believe it is more of a sprain.  Regardless of what ever it is, his mobility is limited.  Once he makes it to the kitchen he tends to stay there all day, unless of course you move him.

I did move him today and spent a couple hours with him on the couch.  He was soaking up all of the love.  I did examine his paws but can’t tell anything, he doesn’t show any signs of pain and isn’t yelping.  I broke out the First Aid book and it said to use ICE and also consult with the vet.  We will be breaking out the ICE later tonight and hopefully we can get him back to walking normally. 

I am so scared for him and his future.  I believe that he knows his health is on the decline and that he is growing closer to the end.  I think that bothers him but he tries to put up a brave front, as all cats would to say I am okay, life is good.  Cats are the master of disguise, unless you know them really well you wouldn’t ever know there was a problem.  Then again you can know them well and still miss things.  That is on a short list of things I don’t like about cats.

Of course I am willing to do anything to keep him alive and comfortable.  If he is suffering and nothing is working, then the game changes.  Right now I’m trying to put up a brave front as well and deny, deny, deny.  However, I know that is going to bite me in the ass. 

Now that my job situation is nailed down, my prayers will focus on Big Boy and being able to hang on to him for as long as possible.  I’d love nothing short of a miracle and to have him healed.  I do know that ALL of the cats will be on a diet when I return to work.  My partner will not cave and give in like I do, so they will probably have 3 to 4 meals a day – that’s it.  Of course they will still have treat time (can’t say that out loud, a riot will break out) in the evening, but that is already restricted to 1/2 a bag or less per night.  Those treats are $2.00 a bag, I simply can’t afford a bag a night, plus they are high in calories and they pack the weight on.  Sure hope everyone adjusts and maybe, just maybe Big Boy can loose some weight from this!

Stay tuned and I will keep you posted.  Talk with you peeps later!

The End

It gives me great pleasure to inform you that my search for employment has terminated as of today!  Much to my surprise I received a call a little after 5pm and was offered the position.  I of course accepted without hesitation!  I still have a little bit of a vacation left.  My start date will be Wednesday, May 9th.  I did have to take a pay cut but it was very small.

While this position I am going into is uncharted territory for me, I will give it my best shot.  I hope and pray it works out to be a great opportunity.  I am over joyed, excited, nervous and can’t wait to start.

I will learn all about benefits and probably have tons of paper work to fill out next week.  They did offer to pay for my parking for the day, but I explained that I will be taking public transportation aka mass transit.  It’s the easiest and best way, that way no hassles with parking and not a lot of extra driving.  My commute will be exactly the same as it was on my last job!  I will have to walk farther to get to the office, but it’s not like I can’t use a little more exercise and I know my body will get used to it.

I do have an interview set for tomorrow morning, I see no reason to not go.  You never know how things are going to turn out, so it’s good to have a backup plan.  This will thankfully be my very last interview.

Thank you to Jude, ., and others who left comments.  I know you all were pulling for me and I appreciate your kind words, thoughts and prayers.  I owe you big time!  Your words of encouragement help keep me going when I wanted to quit.

This was certainly a very down time and 18 months is way too long to look for work.  Everything happens for a reason, despite the fact we might not know why.  While there was much stress during this time and my finances suffered, I have managed to break free from Credit Card Debt so something good came out of all of this.  Now I can stock pile aka save money like no tomorrow, so that God forbid if I am ever in this position again, I will have funds on hand without creating tax liability and incurring penalties.  I pray that no one else has to walk through the same water I did.  I know that I was not the only person on the planet looking for work but it does get lonely and tiresome.

Tonight is the first night in a long time where I am not searching for ads to reply to.  It does feel strange and the only thing I can thing to do is enjoy my free time and spend it with the kids.  They are going to miss me and life for them will change.  I just hope they can all endure the stress this will create for them.  I will be taking this extra time to try to adjust my sleeping schedule so that it’s not so foreign to my body.  All though on the first day I will be so juiced up with adrenaline that it probably won’t matter how much sleep I have.  Next Tuesday night I probably won’t sleep that much, but here’s one time when I hope I am wrong!

Thank you all again so very much.  Your friendship, readership and just knowing that there are folks out there that care means the world to me.  Thanks be to God as well, even though I doubted God still came through.  It was at the 11th hour but it showed me that all things are possible, no matter how bad the situation looks, a ray of sunshine is around the corner!

We are breathing easier here with a huge sigh of relief!  I will talk with you peeps later!  God Bless.

24 Hours Later

Just got a call asking for my DOB and SSN so they can do a background check. I believe they will look at my credit report and make sure that I am not a criminal. Hopefully I can get an offer by the end of the week or on Monday.

While there is no guarantee of a job, things sure are headed in the right direction. I am very excited!

Forgot my brother

My brother phoned on Sunday and he really likes his job.  He still hates the hours.  He checked on his old day time job but they still aren’t ready yet.  I told him they have been trying to work things out for 2 years.  You would be so much better to leave it alone and just keep the job you have.  You will earn more money with overtime plus you have benefits, which is something you wouldn’t have if you went back.  Plus you have no guarantees that this wouldn’t all fall apart and you would wind back up at square one. 

I told him about my situation and he was surprised that 4 weeks had flown by.  I told him it passes faster than you realize.  Working or not, happy or sad – time stands still for no one. 

I mean to put this in my entry from last night but obviously with so much on my mind, I forgot.  Too many worries and too much information for my brain to process.  Maybe it’s just another sign I’m getting old! :)  Talk with you peeps later!

24 Hours to Employment ?

The 2nd Interview materialized just as I thought it would.  It was a short meeting just like the first one, but things were laid out for me in much greater detail.  When we concluded the meeting I was told I will have an offer in 24 hours.  That sounds like awesome news, but I am holding down my excitement until the offer comes through. 

Still my mind is racing with ideas, people I can reach out to for help and the thought of getting in touch with old contacts sounds very appealing. 

Presuming this all comes through I will be an IT Manager, not my official title but I will be in charge of all things IT for this company.  They also use the same brand of phone system that my last employer did.  I’m not too thrilled about that because a phone system plaid a point in me loosing my old job.  This job will no doubt allow me to learn a wide variety of things and gain knowledge to further my resume.  Who knows maybe I can even talk them into paying for  a certification or two, that would be extra awesome.

Neither Father or Son knows anything about IT so they couldn’t quiz me on my knowledge.  They basically took my resume at face value.  There is good and bad in that.  If this comes through I want it to be the right amount of money and a good fit.  Something that will be long term and I can get comfy but not too comfy.  Hiring me is a pure business decision for these folks and they are rolling the dice and hoping that they chose the right person.  I will certainly do my best to not let them down, provided they give me the opportunity.

I called the other company that I interviewed with 2 weeks ago.  The guy said oh Hi Jeremy.  I asked for an update on the position and he said well I am interviewing other candidates now.  The fucker was ready to hang up the phone.  I asked when he would be making a decision and he said ah, 2 weeks.  Yeah, okay I won’t be holding my breath.  I don’t understand why they went to such great lengths to put me through an assessment test, do a background check, interview me in person and give me a tour, if they weren’t seriously interested in me.  Maybe they put everyone through this.  I mean they certainly have the money BUT why waste it like this, it just makes no sense to me. 

I was telling my partner today that I will get the job with the Father & Son Company.  Then the phone will ring off the hook with job offers.  My partner said stuff like that usually happens but it’s first come first serve.  Everyone had fair notice that I was in the market.  True that! 

While writing my own ticket does sound appealing, it also sounds a bit scary.  Ideally I would like to work with a team of people who already know the business and can teach me how the environment works.  Who knows though this may just turn out to be the opportunity of a life time that fell in my lap.  Stay tuned and we shall find out together!

Big Boy had a rough night and frankly I am very scared.  He went to use the litter box and he was straining so hard, nothing happened and finally he just had to lay down so he hopped out of the box.  He started panting (not a good sign for a cat… usually means respiratory distress and you need to go to the vet) I sweet talked him and helped him to calm down.  Then he gave it one more try, only problem was he wasn’t in the litter box.  So I had a mess to clean up.  I got that taken care of.  I came back to clean him up and then he turned on the soft serve ice cream, only it wasn’t ice cream.  Ah, it was quite the mess.  I didn’t mind that I was more worried about him.  I got him clean, the mess cleaned up and then cleaned up myself.  I sat with him for a couple minutes and gave him a belly rub.  That’s one way to endear him, he loves those belly rubs.

Everyone that was in my room left, so I got to sleep by myself last night.  Different and enjoyable but still I worried.

This morning Big Boy stuck close to the kitchen.  He is walking funny.  I figured that litter just got in his back paws but they are clean.  He let me rub them for a little bit but then he barked at me to stop.  I worry that he either hurt himself.  He fell asleep in the water fountain, which he has never done before.  You could just look at him and know he wasn’t feeling the best.  I did give him some extra medicine in the hopes it would help him.

My Partner and I both agree that it’s time to take him back to the vet for an evaluation.  He probably needs to have the lungs drained again.  Maybe we can get him a stool softener.  I am very concerned and nervous about how this will turn out.  I’d like an EASY button to make him better and keep him alive.  His health care has certainly been a pain point for all of us.  Money or the lack there of is why we are not rushing to the vet now.  I suppose if this job comes through, I will be making him an appointment this week.

I am so hungry for Blueberry Pancakes and/or Taco Bell.  Both together, nah that sounds like a pregnancy craving.  I will probably wind up settling for something here like Salsa, Lasagna and/or Pizza.  Then again I could just continue sipping on my water and call it a day!  Lord knows I will not be able to sleep tonight from anticipation about tomorrow!

More to come as life continues to happen.  Thanks again for your kind words, thoughts and prayers.  They are very much appreciated.  I will talk with you peeps later!

Busy Monday

The day started off calm.  I woke up close to noon and pushed the alarm up to 12:30.  I stuck my hand out and Jumper grabbed a hold of it and and then while still holding on put his head on my arm.  There is a good sign it’s time to sleep in!  It was really great, my boy sure has been quite the cuddle bug lately.

The job interview was short, sweet and very much to the point.  I was supposed to meet with a Father & Son Team but only the Father was there.  He complimented me on my excellent resume.  Then he asked me to walk him through my experience.  He was very surprised not only by my resume but by the fact that I spoke to every point on my resume.  He said so many people submit a good document but can’t back it up with words.  So there were 300 people that applied for this job.  He really likes me and wants to hire me.  However, before he makes a final decision I have to meet with the Son.  The son is here tomorrow but we are having problems getting our schedules lined up.  I was told he is making a special trip in to see me.  Okay, if he were there today then we wouldn’t be in this predicament.  I found out that I would be the IT Department at this company.  There is good and bad to that.  Plus the ad I answered said nothing about travel and the guy told me there would be some travel.  Okay, right now I am not too terribly picky considering my income has dried up.

This place contracts there IT work out.  That’s great but what kind of a mess will I be getting myself in?  Simple troubleshooting and rolling out new computers won’t be a problem.  When you get into Server Management and beyond, I would have to have some help.  Perhaps I could get help from a Business Partner (vendor) or maybe they wouldn’t be adverse to hiring another person.  These are all questions I have to find out when my second interview takes place.  I’m told that will happen tomorrow, but we shall see.

I stopped by the unemployment office to report in.  I still think my benefits are done but I will wait & see what happens.

I got a call from a Confidential Ad I answered.  I’ve got another interview set for Thursday. 

I plan on reaching out to the place that I was at a couple weeks ago.  They did a background check on me and yet I still see the job advertised through consultants.  I have avoided applying for fear that a duplicate submission would kick me out of the game.  I hope they can give me some good news.  They require travel too, but there is a team of people I would be working with.  None of this fresh out of the box stuff.

Remember the interview with the GEICO Gecko?  Well they rejected me this morning.  I was surprised because I was submitted at such a low ball rate.

So there are multiple possibilities of where I could end up.  I just hope it’s some place where I will be happy, raking in lots of dough and more importantly it’s a place where I am supposed to be at.  I have a feeling that regardless of where I end up, there will be a challenge waiting for me in some capacity.  I’m just ready to go!

I know this should have gone in earlier but I wanted to save it for last.  I saw one of my old co-workers that I have a crush on.  He was just walking down the street.  I got out to feed a parking meter and when I got back in, that’s when I noticed him.  He never saw me.  Damn, he still looks fine.  I of course eyed him up and down and oh that butt, it’s still so fine! (blushes)  I found out over the weekend he and his wife are having a baby.  That’s good news for them.  I am happy for them.  Still seeing him brought back a flood of memories of what once was. 

I also saw a couple of guys that I used to work with many moons ago.  There is no doubt that if I get this job I will constantly be running into familiar faces.  Plus I would be back on mass transit and that too would have me seeing familiar faces.  Some people I won’t mind running into and others well I wish I wouldn’t run into them.

I still feel like something is about to pop for me, I just can’t stand nor can I afford to wait.  I hope that this is the last week of unemployment.  Stay tuned and I will take you with me on the ride.  I am washing my interview clothes from today so they are fresh for tomorrow.  I hate to show up in the same thing but I’ve got one Interview & Funeral Shirt and that’s about all I can say.  Once I get more money I can work on expanding my wardrobe.

MMM–It’s Monday Again!

Sleepy

The last two days I have been so sleepy.  It’s like I was drugged.  Friday we slept the day away.  I got up and had breakfast around 1pm and then back to bed.  Both days I got moving in the afternoon.  However, if I found myself idle and watching TV I would start to get sleepy and well that could lead to yet another nap.

I had to force myself to search for a job last night.  That woke me up for a few hours.  I called it quits around 2am hoping that Saturday would be a better day.  I slept in until almost 1pm, had breakfast and then watched some TV.  My partner was getting a shower and once he was finished, I got one too. 

We went out for a bite to eat and then returned home.  It’s been a stormy rainy day here.  At one point we had a Tornado headed for us.  Yeah it’s that time of year again!  The lights flickered once and it’s just light rain now.  Supposed to rain for the next few days.  Ick!

Much to my dismay there have been no phone calls for a job offer.  I anticipated something might come through on Friday.  Perhaps next week. 

I did fax off my application for Welfare & Food Stamps.  Within the next 15 days they will be calling to arrange a meeting.  I hated the idea of faxing because I have no assurance that the application landed in the hands of a person and was processed correctly.  So if I don’t hear something within a reasonable amount of time, I will be calling and/or going there. 

Monday is my next Job Interview and I’m working in a trip to the Unemployment Office to report in.  I’m hoping they some how find a way to extend my claim, but I won’t be holding my breath.

My right foot feels like I am walking on a rock right on the balls of my feet directly in the middle.  I did some internet research and wow it could be a number of things.  The best thing I can do is see a doctor, but this isn’t that urgent and I don’t have the money.  I found out the Doc now gets $140 for a simple office visit.  That’s nothing more than walking in the room, talking with me and doing an exam.  I could do that all day long for $140 per person.  No wonder they have a hot lunch catered in every day for the entire office.  My partner has a foot doctor appointment on Tuesday, so maybe I will ask his Dr. for some quick advice.

I was thinking the other day that I haven’t really put that much Gay stuff on here.  Then again being Gay is just one part of my life and while it defines my sexuality, it does not define my life.  I am always open for questions or for advice.  So if your reading this and have questions about the Gay Life or Sexuality, fire away.

Four weeks sure goes by in a hurry!  I can’t wait until I start back to work, I hope that time moves just as fast.  I guess that will depend a lot on how busy I am and how much I enjoy my work/environment. 

The very first place that called me for an interview when my job search started, is advertising again.  At that point I was honest and told them I got fired, today you won’t hear me say that.  Why?  Because no one will hire someone that they know has been fired.  It’s like wearing the Scarlet Letter.  Anyway, I applied thinking wow if you would have just taken a chance on me, well we would both be happy and you wouldn’t have to run this ad.  It’s a small shop and there is no room for advancement, outside of that it’s laid back and a place that I think I could enjoy.  Would be nice if they called me back, I also wonder if the guy would even remember me after almost but not quite 2 years. 

Right now I’ve got the laundry going.  I don’t think there is much on TV tonight.  I hope that I can find something I am interested in to watch or maybe I will just get really sleepy at an early hour and dose off for the night.

I hope that you are enjoying your weekend and that the weather where you are is all Sunshine!  Take care, be well and I will talk with you peeps later!

Thursday TV Station Interview

The phone interview was scheduled to last for 15 minutes, but took a whopping 9.  It was very quick and basic.  I was told that they are doing phone interviews for the remainder of the week.  They will have a 2nd round and if I am chosen for that I should hear from them in the next two weeks.  Kay I won’t hold my breath!

I do have an interview set up for Monday afternoon, it’s in the same building where I used to work 2 jobs ago.  I am sure to bump into someone that I know.  At least I know the commute would be easy.  I could also call up a couple of friends and do lunch, but that wouldn’t be for a while.

Last night I discovered to my horror that our mail order pharmacy kept my debit card on file and charged me for medicine that was recently sent to my partner.  They also included a bill with the medication so my partner paid them as well.  I know we will have a credit on our account, but I really need every penny that I have right now.  I called them last night and got them to delete the card so that won’t happen again.  Back to writing them a check and sending it by snail mail.  Jeez, I never gave them permission to keep my number on file and keep charging.  Glad I caught this before it caused me a serious problem!  My partner takes a jillion different medicines and they vary widely in cost.  It’s nothing to drop $300 for 90 days worth of medicine for just him.

I discovered tonight that my bank statement said that I have $20 too much from what I said that was in my account on the day I filed Bankruptcy.  That could cause a problem.  I went by the on-line figure the bank displayed on the morning I filed.  While I am not happy about it, there isn’t much I can do about it.  It just makes me look like I am dishonest and trying to hide something, which I am not.  I am sure that my attorney will say something if there is a problem.

So next Wednesday I get my last unemployment payment and that is for this week.  I finally was able to talk with my partner, and we worked out the details on the application for Welfare and Food Stamps.  I’ve got it all filled out and I am going to fax it to them.  There will be an in person interview, which should take place in the next 15 days.  I have no idea how things go from there.  This is unfamiliar territory.

My luck is crazy at times.  I swear as soon as I file this application, the phone will ring tomorrow with a job offer.  Hey, if that is what it takes I am all for it.  I can always withdraw my application and/or explain to them I received an offer of employment.  Then again, nothing could happen so I have to be prepared either way.  The bills won’t stop just because I am not getting any income!

We went to the local hospital today so my partner could get a repeat urine culture ran.  His doctor wants to know if his infection is gone.  So those results should be in tomorrow, who knows when the doc will call.   Now if your Italian, I apologize but that hospital is a Dago hospital.  You go in, sit and wait and when you come out you swear that a day went by.  The waiting area smelled like somebody just dropped off a used baby diaper.  A cute straight couple walked in and by cute I mean the guy.  I kept looking at him and he back at me.  His wife got impatient and drug him out, she didn’t want to wait anymore.  Ah, well it was nice eye candy for me.

Afterwards, we went to my favorite place on earth.  That’s right the Super Market.  Ugh!  We did get in and out for $39, which is unheard of.  There was something in the basket for everyone including the cats.  As we were leaving a cart boy was fetching carts.  He was a little young, but damn I wouldn’t kick him out of bed.  He took my cart from me.  I was telling my partner about him and he liked him too.  Ah, the little things!

That’s it for today.  I’m worried about the future but right now there isn’t a whole lot I can do about it.  Just keep on applying, interviewing and taking phone calls.  Hopefully, something will break soon.

I was remarking to my partner the past two years have not been kind to me.

• Lost a cat
• Had a very sick cat and spent a large amount of money to make him well.  Long and painful road to recovery!  Yup – this is Big Boy
• Cat sickness in the house with a couple of them stopping to eat.
• Lost my job
• Found out I had a rat for a friend giving me references, so I lost out on several good opportunities
• My mom going nuts and having to comfort my brother and visit her in the hospital
• My partner breaking his back in two places and having to visit him in the hospital
• Found out that people you think are your friends and will be there for you in your time of need, were just providing lip service.  People will promise you the world but not deliver.
• Had to file Bankruptcy
• Exhausting my unemployment
• Exhausting my retirement and having to pay a large tax liability, when I can least afford it.
• Having to apply for Welfare & Food Stamps
• Loosing my blogs.

Those events are not in any particular order but DAMN that is more than one person should have to endure.  I have learned a lot but I have also suffered a lot.  I know things can always be worse so I am thankful for everything and everyone I have now.  I just hope there is some roses sprouting in my world soon. 

Again, sorry to be so down but looking at my world and my reality, it t-totally sucks and is very scary!  No wonder I don’t laugh much anymore.  Well before I depress myself and/or you any further, I am going to go.  Talk with you peeps later!

Puzzle

I’m Funny, Broken and Beautiful.  How about you?

GIECO Gecko

The interview today was like I was talking with the GIECO Gecko.  It took me a bit to tune my ears but once I did, we had a great conversation.  We were scheduled for an entire hour but only used 34 minutes.  There wasn’t a whole lot of talking on my part, the guy I interviewed with did most of the talking.  His voice was very relaxing.  I think if we had went the whole hour it would have been the first time I fell asleep in an interview.  I’ve got a couple weeks to wait before I hear anything from them.  I’m a low ball candidate, who has tons of experience.  This is a job where your tied to the phone and a desk all day long.  I won’t like it that much but it should pay the bills, if I get it.

Just before I was going in, I got a call from another place who wants to interview me next week.  They said they would call back to set something up.  When I got out of my interview there was a voice mail waiting for me and I need to call them back tomorrow.

Sitting here at home a little after 6pm watching the news and then flipping channels the phone rings.  Who in the world is calling me at this hour.  Turns out it was a local news station that I applied at.  They saw me as an over qualified candidate but decided to reach out to me.  The guy was pretty quick to cut to the chase and figure out if my salary range would even fit and since I low balled them too, we are talking more tomorrow in a phone interview.  I’ve applied at this place twice and it looks like the 2nd time was the charm.  I would so love this job.  Plus he told me that there would be potential to advance and go into management, hey sounds groovy!

While the leads are out there and things are popping, I really wish someone would bite and make me an offer.  I am so ready to stop this madness of a job search.  I figure that I will go file for welfare and food stamps, then just after I apply someone will call.

Today’s mail brought me a letter from American Express informing me that my account was cancelled because I filed Bankruptcy.  Now mind you that I’ve always paid them off in full on-time every month.  There letter said they were going to report my account with a collection status.  Nice, I guess all of that hard work to pay them off really doesn’t mean a thing once you file bankruptcy.  I know I’m not supposed to feel sorrow for creditors but AMEX and one other, I do feel sorry for.  We had a great relationship, they treated me very well and I gave them both plenty of business.  Now that much luck has changed I guess I am nothing more than pond scum to them.  Ah, well it’s not like I had a choice I was forced into this by circumstances.

On the cat front, TAZ puked and this afternoon my partner stepped in it.  I laughed at him but I hate when it happens to me.  It was the sound he made once he realized what he did, that is what was funny.  He wasn’t to keen on my laughter.  So I have a mess to clean up.  Outside of that I think everything is okay (knocks wood).

Lawn Boy woke me up at 8:30 this morning.  Then my partners phone rang.  Then my partner got up.  It was like there was no sleeping.  However, I did manage to get back to sleep and my Jumper (cat) was right there to cuddle up with me.  I did wake up earlier than what I set the alarm for.  I had an erotic dream about me and one of my former bosses.  It took a while to get that out of my head but eventually it went away.  I always did have a crush on him from the time I interviewed with him.  He’s straight, married and has two kids.  I know he wouldn’t be interested in me.  Strange how your mind works at times.  Too bad I woke up early, who knows where the dream would have gone!

So that is my Wednesday.  I hope yours was good.  I’m looking forward to tomorrow and hope that before the week ends I have a job.  I realize I may not get my wish but I would think with just the simple law of averages and all of the recent activity some company would want to scoop me up.  Thanks for stopping by and for your thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement.  They mean the world to me!  I will talk with you peeps later!