"The tide is high and I'm hanging on"

OK,

In an effort to lighten my mood I have compiled a list good things as a result of my "time off":

I’ve become a better cook. (You may call me Captain Casserole!)

I get to take my kids to school most days, and hear how their day went when they get home.

I’ve learned to turn the water completely off, in the bathroom sink when soaking my daughter’s swimsuits. (That particular sink doesn’t have an overflow drain.)

I’ve learned that a leaf blower can quickly dry up minor flooding caused by previously mentioned sink, thereby hiding most of the evidence of my stupidity before my wife gets home.

Reruns of "BATTLESTAR GALACTICA" on the Sci Fi network.

This blog, and the outlet it provides.

Coupons actually do save money!

My youngest daughter hugs me a lot more.

I’ll think of a few more later.

Low Tide

It was a pretty quite weekend. Monday was very low key. My wife has been pretty quite. The whole family has been very quite.

Families have ups and downs.

My whole jobless situation has put us on top of a BIG rollercoaster with one long dip. I spend my days, and nights looking online, calling old contacts, reading classifieds, but nothing seems to pan out. I'm not one for big lavish dreams, I'm not looking for the big income. I just want to take care of my family. I want to provide stability for them. Instead, in the past few years I've shown the special ability find jobs that will soon have unexpected layoffs. My wife is right when she says, "most people our age are moving up, we just seem to be slipping backwards." If there is a lesson in humility in all this I think I learned it a long time ago.

I know,
I pray,
I believe, we will come out of this. I just hope we can do it as a stronger family.

Still...
keeping the faith.

Discretion is the better part of procrastination.

I am in really big trouble here.

Some time ago I accidentally busted out he taillight to our Windstar van with a lawnmower.

Yes a lawnmower! You see I was lifting up the mower to put it in the back of the van, and when I turned to put it in, well, I hit the taillight and cracked the glass. I have had red tape on it ever since.

When I called the dealership to have it fixed I was told it would be a couple of hundred dollars. Now, those who know me, know my cheapness has no limits, so I vowed to fix it myself. Unfortunately, the broken tail light looked too tough to take off.

Well, now it is much later, and my vehicle inspection on the van is due the first of October. I picked up the part at a local dealership today, and was able to replace to whole taillight in just under 6 minutes.

This is bad, real bad!

If you’ve been married anytime at all, you know where I’m going.

If I admit to my wife that I’ve put off a project for so very, very long ; that could have been done in just six minutes I will never hear the end of it. I mean, how was I to know the only things holding it on were two screws and six years of road grime.

Faced with such a dilemma, I did the only thing I could have done. I puttered around in the garage an additional hour and 20 minutes to draw out the task. Then I invited her into the garage to show her how I "saved our family" $130.00 by fixing it myself. Of course, I spent great detail on how difficult the old taillight was to remove.

I don’t think she bought it.
She is a lot smarter than I am after all.

Hey, at least it's fixed.

Why I keep the faith

There is one issue I have flirted with in my postings, but never really opened up about. That is religion. I’ve visited some really good sites posted by ministers, churches, and those trying to reach out and share their faith with others. I admire their dedication. I’ve been a member of the church all my life. My background; or I should say my Father’s faith was very Conservative Christian. Over the years my beliefs have become more progressive than his’. At this point in my life I can’t say that my faith is the only one that counts. There are too many good people that go to different churches than I do. I’ve seen the amazing things they have done in the name of their faith, and I have been humbled.

I wish that I had the fervor to evangelize, or the selflessness to spend more time with those in need. It seems that these days it takes everything I’ve got just to be a decent human being. I keep thinking if I spent more time helping others, God would see me through hardships, but with job layoffs in recent years my focus has been seeing my own family through troubled times. In some ways that still sounds like a big excuse. I guess that is where faith comes in. I know there are other families that have far worse trials to deal with. I know that God is with my family, and He does hear my prayers. I just may not get the answers I want, or when I want them.

I can’t crank out a post and testify how God answered all my needs, or how he made everything better. I can’t because I’m in the middle of it all right now. I do think he is helping me become a man of faith, and I do believe my family is not in this alone right now. I still have a lot of pride to deal with, and I screw up a lot, but I’m working on that.

In the end, everything we have, everything we can earn, or hold can still be taken away. It is our hope that always stays with us.
It is the belief in Gods unseen benevolence and love, during hardship.

It’s keeping the faith.


P.S.
I didn't meant to turn anyone off, it's just how I work through things.

What goes up.........

This past Friday night was one of those precious, truly great nights. It was on of those occasions when a dad supprises himself as well as those around him.

We had planned a big night out. My in-laws were in town for Grandparents day at my older girl’s elementary school, and Nana and Papaw were taking everyone out to any exotic restaurant we desired. Being the worldly conisuries we are there was but one choice. The Purple Cow. So it was off to Plano. We had never been to this resturant, but years of PBS watching had told us they were big supporters of the arts, such as Barney, Arthur, and the Teletubies.
I can personally testify that it was a wise decision. May I recommend their bacon cheeseburger, Onion rings, and TRIPPLE TREAT CHOCOLATE SHAKE. Oh, I did have an ice water with lemon, (just for balance.)

On the way back home we took Nana and Papaw by one of the greatest achievements of mankind, the StoneBriar Mall in Frisco. Once inside, naturally we split up. Mom and Nana took "short round" to look at girly stuff and Papaw and I took the older girls to check out Galyans sports. Now it wasn’t a Bass Pro, but it was still very nice. The best part was a 48-foot rock-climbing wall. Being a Friday night there were a few people trying it out. Most were young, slim and knew what they were doing. This particular wall had three climbing paths, beginner, intermediate, and "you’ve got to be @*#% kidding me".

After watching a few kids climb the beginner side, the girls wanted to try. I could tell it was safe and well supervise so I let them do it. I’m a good dad that way. I am proud to say they both climbed higher than I expected, about 10 to 15 feet. They both got a big round of applause from Papaw and me. Of course afterwards that’s when it started,
"Daddy, are you going to try?"
"No, dear there are too many in line"
"Daddy, I only see two people."
A little while later Mom and Nana showed up pushing "short round" in the stroller. They were exited to hear about the "Big girls’ climb. Then My dear sweet wife pops off, "so are you going to try it?" What was else could I do. My honor and my status of cool dad were at stake here. After all, in a few years my kids will be paying me not to try stuff like this and embarrass them.
As I was putting on the harness my wife and love of my life calls out, "be sure they don’t have a weight limit."

Ha, Ha.

Very funny.

(The guy helping me quietly assured me the rope would hold up to 900lbs, so I was just under.)

So, harness on, I start hauling my out of shape, 38 year old, 220 pound butt up the intermediate side of this 48 foot wall, all for the admiration of my kids and the amusement of the crowd that had gathered to see the spectacle. I did really good the first 15 feet, then I started to notice a little thing called gravity, and how it preferred I get back down. At about 30 feet my arms and thighs were burning like they were on fire, but I kept on climbing. In all I made it with in about 6 or 7 feet from the top when my fingers and fore arms completely gave out causing me to slip and almost lose my footing. At that point it occurred to me that anyone in my condition should not have loaded up on meat, dairy, and fried foods just an hour before attempting such a feat. It killed me to be so close and not make it, but I did my best to uphold to image of full figured fathers everywhere.

As I repelled down the wall I could hear the applause from below, it was mostly my family and those draw to watch such an oddity, but loudest of all I could hear my girls clapping for me and yelling "yea daddy!" Even my wife was proud. That made it all worth while. Another upside is now the girls and I have something to shoot for. I know it may sound silly but, if I had made it all the way to the top on the first try that would have been the end of it. Now, I have a new challenge with which to develop an unhealthy obsession.

Keep the faith.

Success!

Score another point for the HTML impaired. With the help of Blogger support I have figured out to add links to my Blog. I know it’s not too impressive to most, but I’m proud!

I've been wanting to do that for awhile now, cause I'm too lazy to type in the address of sites I like, and my favorites are all full of job leads. If you guys don’t want me to link to your site let me know, and I’ll take it off.
(At least I think I know how to do that.)

Otherwise, I’ve been too busy to do much of anything else this week except to focus on the big job search. Nothing is concrete yet, but I’m working on it.

I passed all of the qualifying tests at the big telecom company; now it’s just a matter if they have a position for me now. All the big tech shake ups of late have everyone nervous (exp. EDS)



Keepin’ the faith, (cause we ain’t got much else!)

And now, the blood test.

Ok, it has been a wild few days. I had an interview with a big telecom company on Friday. I use the term "interview" loosely. It was more like six hours of testing. They tested everything:

Spelling
Math (Come on, DIVIDING FRACTIONS, I haven’t done that in 20 years!)
Reading comprehension
Number series
Spatial perception
On and on and on……….

After all that I was told to come back today for the "structured interview.

I really don’t know if I have a shot or not. There were quite a few others interviewing today and tomorrow. They were younger and probably didn’t have house payments.

And, yes, I know nothing screams "job security" like the telecom industry, but "beggars can’t be choosers", and unemployment doesn’t last forever.

I’m not getting my hopes up too high. I did my best, and it's in other hands now.

I should know on Wednesday

Until then,
Keep the faith.

My new Resume Cover Letter

I was surfing one of the major Job boards last night, and came across a position posting that I had applied for last month. It seems that it is still open.

Well, I figured I had nothing to lose, so I reapplied for the position. However, this time I changed my cover letter just a little. And, since I was ignored the first time, I decided to forgo the political correctness, and cut straight to the chase.

Let me know what you think....

Hire me!

You want to know why I'm a great fit for this position?

I've successfully done this same job at _______ Insurance Co. During that time four of the five agents my office supported made Presidents club their first full year of operation. The reason the forth agent didn't make it, was that he would rather spend his time playing golf instead of doing his job.

He is not with the company anymore!

You want to know what motivates me?

I've got three daughters that can outgrow clothes faster than I can buy them.
Yes, I am looking for a job that challenges me.
Yes, I am looking to be an important part of a successful team.

These are important factors my job performance, but when the rubber meets the road, I've got a family to take care of. And, I will work my tail off for a company that offers me stability in an environment where I won't have to face a lay off with in a year or two.

Call me regarding this position.

So what do you think?

To quote the great actor, Roddy Piper, in the classic John Carpenter movie, THEY LIVE;

"I am here to chew bubble gum and kick @$$, and I'm all out of bubble gum."

Keeping the faith....... (one way or another.)

Cold Water

There are times when I can deal with this unemployment situation pretty well. Then there are times I don't. Lately, during those darker times I find myself here, trying to put it all down, then stepping back and attempting to figure it all out. Tonight's one of those nights.

I could tell something was bothering my six year old daughter tonight just before bedtime. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong. Later, my wife told me that the child had asked her "When will daddy get a job?" She told her mom she was worried about losing her home, or having to move. My wife and I have not discussed this possibility in front of the children. I can only assume that she thought of this herself. She's pretty smart.

A six year old shouldn't have to worry about things like that. How do I reassure her? How do I explain the economy to her? How do I explain the importance of family health insurance? How can I show her the hundreds of resumes I've sent out, or positions I've applied for.

How can I give her back a sense of security?

I know there are worse things that can happen. We have been blessed in so many ways, not the least with family, and good health. I know that in the morning I'll have my head up. I'll put on a positive front, and try to dispel everyone's fears. You focus on one day at a time, and tomorrow will be a good day. In the mean time I won't be sleeping tonight. Too much running through my head.

Keeping the faith is sometime harder than others.

OK! I'M OLD........NOW WHAT?

I'm not sure when it happened. But, I'm positive my kids had something to do with it.
I use to be cool.
I use to be thin. (Well, thinner.)
I use to be able to hold conversations on a semi-adult level.

I could of been a contender!

Now it's all gone. Hard rock has been replace with Radio Disney. The fast red car, is now a Minivan.

Heck, AMC has teen slasher movie on tonight.

Not interested. (Now if it were a Godzilla marathon, then, I'm up all night.)

Another big problem I have is that somewhere over the past few years I started watching the news. People with kids shouldn't watch the news.

OK, maybe just the weather and sports, but that's it.

You see, I never had a real sense of mortality, until the first time I held my newborn daughters. Up until that point life had been a series of event. Some great and wonderful, others merely a process of going from point A to point B. But from the second I held those tiny baby girls, I realized how much responsibility God had given me. I suddenly became aware of every boogie man that roamed the earth, real or imagined.

Today I've been reading the reports on the tragedy in Russia. Hundreds of children taken hostage, hundreds killed. I'm sure there will be those who will say that all this death was politically motivated. I'm not sure I'm smart enough to rationalize it that way. I can only see evil. What makes this evil so bad is that it can rationalize killing innocence.

See, I told you it was my kids fault.

I know the odds are that nothing will happen to my kids. But, someone's child is out there hurting, and that doesn't make it any better. So, gone are the days of my sitting down to enjoy a good teen slasher movie.

That's just me. I'm old and weird. I wonder if the girls want to watch "Ella Enchanted" again.

Hey, don't laugh. How can you argue with a 30 foot Hedi Klum?

Not me!

Keep the faith.