Month: August 2012

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I’ve been busy but need to add more structure…

Today has been one of those days where I’ve been busy as heck sitting here at my computer and yet I don’t think I’ve gotten all that much done.

Well, it only seems that way.

In reality I’ve helped the Church Secretary reconnect one of the pastors computer to the main printer. So I was doing a little telephone support.

I put together a justification package for the Insurance lady who was having problems with the home office about me wanting to insure my laptop for almost 1.5 times the cost of the base unit. Well, I never buy a basic Mac. I’ve found over the years that If I buy top of the line, fully loaded right from the beginning I’m happier in the long run and I run the computer for 4 to 7 years. Depending on several  factors. Nevertheless, the insurance home office was asking questions. Frankly, I don’t blame them the disparity must have looked very strange at first glance.

Then I was off to post letters of recommendation to a site where I have applied for a job. Fingers crossed that these folks call me for an interview or even decide that I’m worthy of employment. Mind you I’m not holding my breath, the track record for California businesses calling me back after I’ve jumped through all their hoops is pretty bad.

On the other hand, I’m getting more and more calls from recruiters that want to know if I’m available for positions that are out of California. I’ve had more action on the job front from Colorado and Texas in the past 2 months than from California in the past year. There are 3 applications pending in Colorado now. 

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And at least the folks from out of state are polite. They return phone calls and ask intelligent questions. The best inquiry I’ve gotten recently from California is for a 6 month desktop support position in Santa Clara. While I’d love to spend some time working / living in the Bay Area, a 6 month contract position with no option to go perm 400 miles to the North just doesn’t cut it. I’d be living out of a hotel… cause that’s the only way that anything would make sense. Rent an apartments for 6 months? You’ve gotta plan for the worst and in this case the worst is you’ll be unemployed again in 6 months. So if you’ve gone to the trouble of renting a place moving your stuff, and you still have a mortgage on an unsold home in Southern California what are you supposed to do then?

Move back? Break your lease? Live in a Camp Ground? It doesn’t make a lot of sense. I suspect that a lot of people are in the same situation and they’re coming to the same conclusions. If I’m going to move 400 miles North… Why not move 400 miles due East to Phoenix? Or 250 miles Northeast to Las Vegas? Just heard of another former coworker doing exactly that. He & his wife put their house on the market and are headed to the North East. Maryland, Washington DC, someplace like that, considering they’ve both been in sunny Southern California for many years, I’m wondering just how that’s going to work out…

I mention all of this because the Indian recruiter from Sunnyvale seems to have a problem understanding the concept.

I’ve upgraded Microsoft Office, cleaned up my calendar (duplicate entries)

Re-read and will probably delete the last chunk of material I’ve written in the book, (I’m off on a tangent in the weeds… ) I sort of like what I was trying to do, but I think it’s too off topic and meanders too much.

What I haven’t done…

Practiced Guitar yet <– This will happen

Studied the Web coding techniques I’ve been trying to get to for a week

Written in the blog (Well thats happening right now)

Exercised (the Pups would love to go for walkies even if it is 90F) I don’t know if I’m ready to do that…

So I need to establish a schedule and then stick to it. That would add some of the structure that would maybe allow me to accomplish the tasks I’ve set before myself and maybe allow me to fit them all into the day.

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Paraprosdokian Of The Week

A Friend sent me a list of these. I thought it would be fun to share them.

Paraprosdokians are phrases or sentences that lead us down the garden path to an unexpected ending.

You do not need a parachute to skydive.  You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

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Go pack the wagon Mabel

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I killed my Facebook account this morning.

I guess some people would say this is a huge step backwards. As if I’m reverting to some pioneer life and entering an unexplored desert.

I’m thinking it’s more of a step forward.

Like getting through that teenage phase where you’re on the phone for hours and hours with your best buddy or that heart wrenching first love. At the time you can’t believe how important it all is.

Once you’re through the phase you can’t believe how trivial it all was.

Of course Facebook didn’t want to let me deactivate my account without a few questions… “everyone loves social media” 

I answered their questions and went so far as to explain my reasoning in the little box they provided.

I doubt that anyone will ever read what I wrote, but at least I tried to tell them why I wanted to deactivate the account.

It’s nothing personal, I just was getting creeped out by the whole deal. There were a lot of “Friends” that live within 40 minutes of my house that I never see. 

It’s not that we try to get together and our schedules are too hectic…

We don’t even try. No phone calls no casual “how are you?” nothing but the occasional message via Facebook.

This led me to wonder are these people really friends? 

If they are friends and start calling on the phone because they can’t reach me via Facebook then obviously Facebook is having an opposite effect on society than was intended.

If on the other hand I never hear from them again… then they weren’t friends in the first place.

Either answer is acceptable. 

I’ve decided that I really do want a life that’s “real” not some simulation of life and friends on the internet.

So if you want to talk… call me, or email me. 

Just don’t look for me in your Facebook timeline… I’m not there.