January Sucked. Back to Zero, Again.

As per my post on January 9th, I was offered a job that I thought might finally turn my situation from 2011 around. Unfortunately, things have been miserable since. I'd started the new job as an administrative assistant at a 5 Doctor medical clinic. It was a hectic and fast paced, stressful environment, and I thought I was doing OK. I was supposed to be learning the tasks of a pregnant female staffer before she left for maternity leave. She promptly had her baby boy three weeks early and well before I fully had the routines down. At the end of the 13^th day, I was informed I was not picking up the procedures of the office and was asked to resign. I have to admit, the stress of the place was literally giving me panic attacks. So here we are again, The end of January and I am right back in the same place I was a year ago this time.

The computer class I'd been taking since October is over now, and I did awful in it. I just could not absorb the amount of advanced technical information that was being thrown at me, and ultimately will probably not be able to use anything the course had to offer. Had I been better informed, I would have angled for a more beginners oriented course, but this is the class the grant landed me in. I will put in more effort at picking up the specifics here at home (I have until May to use the test certification scripts to see if I pass or not), but my guess is I won’t be able to master it.

What I really must thank everyone here for, and the brightest point of an otherwise wretched month, was the wonderful outpouring of help concerning Sophie Cat, covering over a third of the bills. She will still need her weekly shots - and as you can see by the picture of her shaved tummy, a trip to the vet warrants me serious "I'm going to poop on your pillow, you know that, don't you?" looks. The vet gave me a little trick; as soon as I get her home, Sophie gets a fresh can of cat food. Works like a charm. The first time I got her home, she made a bee-line to the space behind the sofa. But as soon as she heard the can-pop, she was right by her food dish.

My book selling annual trip to MAL was profitable enough that I was able to pay off the remainder of the bill soon after. Plus an extra special howdy to Cliff Clockner - we finally met! Another good thing about MAL? My table was next to these guys.

There was also a house concert featuring my old friend James Lee Stanely, along with Cliff Eberhardt. They are out promoting their collaborative tribute to The Doors, called "All Wood and Doors." (With surviving members of The Doors contributing.) It was my first time hearing Cliff live, and he's pretty easy on the eyes. James' voice is high and smooth, Cliff's is gruff and bluesy. As a duo, they harmonize beautifully. Having known James Lee since the mid 80's, it's always a pleasure to see him live. 

Six Months Later

Hit the six month unemployed marker this week. It's not something I am at all pleased with. Despite countless applications, I've had exactly two interviews since January. One was to sell cars at the local Ford Dealership. They never even bothered to call back afterwards. The second was last week, for a Security Company that specializes in - to be kind - rent-a-cops.

The Phone Interview went well enough, as did the in person one. Next up was the Pee test; passed that. Then I had to submit all sorts of info for a background check. While all this was going on, we discussed a potential full-time position, between $11/13 per hour, but three 12 hour shifts. Not thrilling, but got the usual lines about potential for advancement, benefits, etc. Then comes the acceptance call. Can you show up for orientation? Sure, but what are the specifics for the job?

Well, we can offer you weekends, part time, two twelve hour shifts at $10 an hour.

As you can see, nothing remotely similar to the original discussion other than the hideous 12 hour shifts. I asked them why the offer was so radically different from the earlier version, and was told that the part-time was all that was available. I kindly declined the offer but asked them to call should a full-time position open up.

So it's back to the drawing board. As well as counting down to Delta.

New Work Update

As I mentioned in a prior posting, I was in the process of trying to land a new job. They called a week after and made an offer, which I was really, and I do mean really, happy to accept. I am now officially a ‘voice over specialist,” working for the internet division of certain directory company that they ask us not to talk too much about. I am excited about this for several reasons, not the least if this is the serous pay increase the new position will incur. But for the first time in many years, I will be working what I consider to be a job within my profession, something the TLA gig never offered. My position is writing scripts for 30 second mini-advertisements that will appear on internet client websites. As well as adding the vocal track. 

I am not thinking that this will be a creative job; the expectation is that you’re knocking out 3 spots an hour. The recording booths are tiny. They’re not much bigger than a pair of phone booths set together, so there’s no way to do a two person spot….and no sound effects or anything like that. Kick ‘em out, clean and quick, move on to the next. But it is a professional job, and more to the point I will no longer be trying to coax dummies on the telephone into telling me their zip codes when they can’t remember their own addresses. Add that TLA is the first company in my adult working life where I have not been either promoted or given a titled job, (but my previous supervisor was a high school drop out with serious temper issues) and you can understand my glee in getting out of that dump. 

 

There’s good news on the Joel front, too. Soon to be celebrated will be the arrival of our second grandchild, as his older daughter Nomi is due for her second baby any day now. I am holding hope that the birthday will be May 26, so we can have shared parties. I think that would be AWESOME. Not as awesome? Getting my AARP card in the mail this week. How did I make it through a half century?

New Job, New Devo

In the past few weeks, I interviewed for a job to commercial voice overs. They called this week to offer me the position and I accepted. It is a significant increase in pay for me, plus benefits. I will be adding my vocal talents to a staff that creates online advertisements for YellAds (the Internet division of Yellowbook) at their King Of Prussia location (actually, Gulph Mills). I start a week from Monday.

The only drawback? It's an overnight (11:30 PM to 7:30 AM) shift.

Joel finished his Penn State classes tonight and is officially a grad-ee-ate! He officially joins the segment of the family clan as a Nittany Lion with a brand new Masters degree. We will be going out Saturday for an official New Job/New Degree ribs dinner.

Even more exciting? There's a new Devo single in advance of their coming album "Something for Everyone." As a dedicated Devo-tee, I can't wait for the whole thing.

Tough Week

This has been a rough week.

Work has been pretty unstable. With the economy the way it is, sales have been on a steady decline for over a year. People quitting the Customer Service dept have not been replaced, and in the company management, layoffs have been a steady drumbeat for the last 18 months. Another of the buyers was let go Thursday. The tension there is pretty intimidating; both my supervisors where given a pay cut and everyone else is looking for the axe to come at their necks. My part time job has been pretty much dropped to zero since before Christmas. I've only put in two full days (it's a one day a week job) so far this year.

Then my Uncle Rick (in VA) was informed his cancer, which we all thought was beaten back last November, has come back with a vengeance. His doctors have told him to get his affairs in order, quickly. Care has been shifted to palliative. My family is a free wheeling and loving bunch, and my Aunt and cousin are taking this really hard (as would be expected). It's also given me cause to assess; there are four male relatives in my family (two from either side of the linage) who have contracted cancer. Is there a ticking time-bomb cell lurking somewhere in my flesh, counting down?

Our family has been fortunate in that - other than my grandparents/Mom's parents - my mother's family has remained intact all these years. Only one of my Uncles and I have lost a spouse, and my family was not really connected to Peter when I lost him. I have never been sure they understood just how horrible an experience I had, although in the case of my Uncle, when his wife passed in 2000, it was easier for them to comprehend. After all, he has 3 beautiful daughters and the marriage took place 20 plus years prior. All of us in the family knew that he and my Aunt had a loving relationship, and came to his side in the moments he and the girls needed us. (And it should be noted, the Gallagher family has been completely taken by my partner Joel.)  So getting the news of my Uncle's resurgent cancer has shaken us all.

There are letters to write and notes to be passed. He has given my Aunt and his son a very, very good life and provided for them well. My job and financial fears pale in comparison

Back To Schooldays

Tomorrow I do something that every middle-aged man probably has nightmares about. I am going to go somewhere I haven't been for twenty-seven years. I'll be surrounded by folks I have no idea about, whose norms and customs will be utterly alien to me. Their idols and music will likely not even overlap my many years of public information gathering. In fact, when they see me, they will probably wonder what the frak I am doing in their territory, who the hell I am and will gaze on me with suspicion, and more than likely, some form of derision. I am terrified by the prospect.

I am going back to school.

After being employabley adrift since the turn of the century, I am entering the "New Choices" program at Delaware County Community College, two evenings a week, in an effort to come up to speed with current technology and employment options. Despite having written for and edited three Internationally distributed magazines, been a published author, an actor in two movies...being near 50 and having a BA in Communications and Theater Arts has left me with a modest selection of job opportunities. I have been working as a customer service phone operator at a mail order company for almost eight years, only to see cute 20 somethings with little or no other qualifications get promoted over me for not much reason other than they spark a certain employee's bedside fantasies, and they pose no risk to his position as lead tiara wearer. Obviously, this job is a dead end and a spirit killer.

So Monday night I will cart a three-ring binder with loose leaf lined paper and subject dividers, a packet of pens, a portable USB drive, and copies of my current resume to school. At this point, I have kept my 'extra-curricular' writing activities to myself, but have included editing the old Radio Trade Papers and travel/sales brochures on the resume, as well as the many years of broadcasting. The hope is that these classes (which are sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor) will be a gateway to better opportunities. The description of the course as given by the professor who interviewed me is that, once completed, they'll help you with placement, or if you'd like, applying for student grants/loans for further courses. It's something I've needed to do for a long while, and this is finally the time.