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Local Jobs, Diversified

I was early again this morning and thought I’d stop by McDonald’s for a McMuffin. That turned into a short ordeal, and school traffic was pretty unhinged. I guess I just missed all of it yesterday, but I got right into the middle of it today. I still got to work before James though, and we took a walk to find that power had gone out in the core closet, and at least one UPS had died. I helped a bit more than I wanted to with the HVAC because Steven and Toby were having trouble, and James got busy replacing the backup battery.

I left a little bit after lunch so I could make my interview at Grace Manufacturing. It seemed like a really tiny place, but I guess business has been good and they’ve been growing – globally! Their office was the main headquarters, but they had other sites in Mexico, Germany, and the far-off land of Arizona. I thought the interview went really well, and it was super casual. They were smiling a lot, but the job also hadn’t actually been posted, so they were just scouting me out for a future opening around January. I actually suggested they bring out the retiree-to-be so I could talk to him directly, and we all had a pretty good chat. The job actually seemed pretty simple compared to my responsibilities now, so I’m curious to see what the actual pay would be like.

After the 30-minute interview, I headed home to change and then picked up Dad so he could help me get the dogs to the vet. We walked in and got their stitches removed, and then took them back home. Afterward we went back to his house and played with his new drone for a bit. He didn’t get any antennas with his headset, so we just used the controller to play the simulator on his phone instead.

I eventually headed back home to eat some leftovers, and then I took the dogs for a walk. Summer had come home but was in a mood, so I talked with her about her tough day when I got back. It seemed like she just needed to focus her energy less on being sad about it, and more on being mad at other people not living up to the same standard. I could relate.

So many strengths to choose from… I guess being super humble is my greatest.

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Grand.

I got out of the house super early today just in case traffic was awful. There were tons of trees down along the way to work, and the house across from the school had like three trees blown right over. Of course I actually beat everyone to work, but Kim was right behind me to let me into the office. The day went by super fast, but ham and cheese wraps didn’t sound at all appetizing. I ended up taking James to the Junction Cafe for lunch, to needlessly build a little more rapport. I’m just too nice.

The afternoon went by quickly as well, and Kim and James both left at 3:30, which still shocks me. I don’t think he’s worked eight hours yet. I stuck around to get my hours, because I ain’t no cheater. I headed straight home, and Summer had veggies, potatoes, and sausage in the oven. Eaddie had Eli over, and it didn’t take long for me to get generally irritated.

Stilgar chewed the water hose apart, so I spanked him with it. It didn’t stick, because he was right back on it after I went inside. I wasn’t in the mood for company, and there was food rotting in the fridge, so I didn’t eat any of the new food. Summer wound down early, and I took the dogs for a walk to my parents’ house as the sun set. We got home with the last little bit of twilight, and then Dad wanted to come over to update his new DJI FPV drone. Their cable has been out for a few days, and I don’t know if there’s an ETA for repair.

We eventually got the drone updated, and the Roomba suddenly wasn’t fussy about being on my account, so I left it alone. Dad went home, and I wound down as quickly as I could.

It’s complex.

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Cleaning up a Storm

I was surprised at how early I woke up this morning after not getting to sleep until around three, but then I lightly snoozed pretty late to make up for it. Summer went to the gym and then came home to mow the lawn, so I got up and cleaned the kitchen. It had gotten pretty wild, but I managed to get almost every single dish into the dishwasher. I still struggle with not blocking the detergent dispenser though, because it requires such a direct spray to clean it out. A liquid detergent would probably work a lot better, but I hate paying for water.

Eaddie went to church with Eli in the morning, so we didn’t see her until later. Summer eventually finished up and we walked the dogs to my parents’ house for a swim and some leftover pork chops and noodles. They had gone to see the new Deadpool, but got home a little while before a storm rolled in.

Eaddie came over while we were eating, and then we loaded the dogs into the car and got home just as the weather started to get bad. At least one big branch came down nextdoor, and a car alarm went off on the street behind us, but it blew through pretty quickly.

One more week at work, broken up by three interviews. Hoping for something fun.

LFG

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Video Game Movie

I slept in pretty hard today while Summer got up and did some working from home. When I finally got around to snack on some breakfast, she suggested going to Price Break and a movie in the afternoon. Dad said Uncle Giao, Erica, and Nova were in town, so I assembled my arcade stool and we stopped by their house for some lunch first. They were dropping Nova off at Tech, so they didn’t stick around super long.

Eaddie had band stuff all day, so Summer and I made a quick and mostly boring run through Price Break. It was $10 day, and there were a ton of people there rummaging through stuff. I think it’s more fun to find really cheap stuff that hasn’t been picked up yet.

After that, we went to UEC to watch Borderlands. I liked the visual style, but a lot of the CGI was really hoaky, and the story didn’t really grab me. I never really played the games because they weren’t made for mouse and keyboard, so I wasn’t invested in it at all. I was also still pretty exhausted from general stress and the heat, so I had trouble staying awake in the recliner.

Dad gave us their Roomba, so I cleaned it up when we got home, and had it vacuum the living area. I think I’d really like to get a mopping one for the hard floors, because that’s where the dirt ultimately comes from. It did pull a bunch of crap out of the carpet though, so I need to start seriously shopping for a new vacuum cleaner.

Eaddie didn’t get home until super late, and I spent too much time dawdling before bed. The overbearing heat has me lethargic, and is possibly causing anxiety attacks again, because I’ve been having at least one a day for the past few days. I couldn’t think of anything else that could be triggering them, but I hate it.

Park it.

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Oodles and Moodles of Interviews

I was a little frustrated that I beat James to work today, and he still left at the same time as Kim. Even she’s pulling more hours than he is. To think, I could have just not cared this whole time, and just left at the end of school. Denice was in the office all day as well, which was cause for further annoyance.

My big event for the day was a panel interview with Moodle. I tried to prep for it a bit by researching the company, but it really wasn’t necessary at all. They just took turns asking me typical interview questions. I thought it went super well, and I seemed to get a positive response when I closed by asking each of them what change they would personally like to better their job or the company.

In addition to that, I got a request for an interview at the North Little Rock School District. It could potentially pay the most out of everything that’s currently on the table, but would also be the longest drive at just over an hour. I’m not thrilled to commute, but at least it’s a relatively straight shot. I’ll have three total interviews next week, and I expect to get at least a couple offers to choose between.

Eaddie had her final parent marching event for band, so she and Summer were at that after I got home. I ate some more leftovers and then took the dogs for a walk to my parents’ house, since I couldn’t get any life out of my Onewheel. I don’t figure I’ll get a response from them until the middle of next week, which is a bummer. It was one of the hottest, most humid days we’ve seen this year, so I got home absolutely drenched.

I took a shower and then watched some YouTube in the living room with Summer. Eaddie was pretty tired when she got home, so it got pretty quiet pretty fast. I should have gone to bed earlier, but I got trapped looking through more Amazon Vine stuff.

The bottom fell out?

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No, but Maybe

I forgot to grab a banana for work this morning, so I started off hungry. It was pretty quiet, but I still had plenty of time to vent about the surrounding idiocy. I was a bit more helpful today, and it seemed like James was getting into a little bit of a groove. I still don’t know if he’ll stick around, but I guess he is making more than I was. I could see him leaving for Russellville, since he evidently lives just a few blocks away from us.

I did get a call from Grace Manufacturing, which was a bit of a surprise. They turned me down for the job I interviewed for, but liked me well enough to call back because one of their IT guys is retiring in a few months. I laughed a bit that they were actually able to get ahead of that and train someone before he leaves, unlike schools where they just play catch-up forever. I’ll get to have a real interview next week, so I feel like I have a pretty good chance of getting an offer from them. Tomorrow, I’ll have my call with Moodle too, so I really need to study up for that one in the morning.

I was the last one out of the office again, this time messing around with SCCM. I should just leave it, but I also don’t want to make it seem like I didn’t actually have it working. I need to be able to image at least one computer to prove it works before I go.

After work, I took care of the fish and made it home to eat some of the leftover tacos Dad brought over. Then I was pretty quick to take the dogs out for a run. We got to the end of my parents’ street when my Onewheel just died. Luckily I was coming up to a stop, so I just tipped forward and stumbled off of it, but all the lights went out and I could never get it to wake up again. I ended up carrying it, a water bottle, and two bags of poop, all while trying to keep the dogs from pulling me over all the way to their house.

Dad got the DJI FPV drone in, and unboxed it before he had to go water the plants. I had Summer bring my swimsuit over so I could cool off, and we played with the dogs by the pool. Stilgar really wanted in, so I splashed him a bunch to cool him off. Then Summer took everything else home so I could walk the dogs back. It was a struggle, but we made it through the humidity of the evening.

Eaddie got home a little after I did, and spent some time talking to Summer while I wound down for the night. Muad’Dib really doesn’t seem to like the Ol’ Roy that we’ve gotten for them, so I guess I’ll have to keep buying something better.

Pay the bills!

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Hold the Phone

I spotted a Cybertruck at the new donut shop on the way to work, and I wondered if the owners were just crazy Tesla people like us. I don’t mind the way they look, but I do think it’s stupid how polarized people are over them. I’ve been listening to podcasts on my commute, and though I guess I’m a little late to start doing that, I’ve been enjoying it. Today was The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, since he’s basically the only person who can present politics in a way that I can enjoy them.

I wasn’t going to do much at work, but then James and Kim managed to break the counselor’s phone. I finally went down to the elementary with him after lunch and fixed her phone there, but then I had to fix the one at the high school too.

My interview had to be rescheduled again for an “ongoing family emergency,” so hopefully everything is alright for my interviewee. I headed home with a couple things from the old house and ate a couple leftover burritos since I skipped out on cafeteria spaghetti for lunch. Eaddie and Eli were watching Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but left for the park when that was over. I cleaned up the kitchen before Summer got home, and then Dad came by with some leftover tacos from church.

It was hot and humid out, but I took the dogs for a run. They did really well again, but Stilgar struggled with the heat. They drank all of their water and we took a slower pace on the last leg of the walk. I’d be alright with some cooler weather.

“How do you spell literacy?”
“I-R-O-N-Y”

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Step Back and Watch

I had my leftover burrito on the way to work today, and decided I was going to relax and just let everyone else take care of things for the day. I made some coffee and sat at the “guest desk” I had set up. As time goes on, I get a little more honest and smile a little less, but I’ve had worse days. It was mostly boring without having any real projects to pace myself. I’ll turn around and check in on James occasionally, but for the most part he’s just diving in and trying to learn as much as he can. I think Kim still has more questions for me than anything, and he’ll typically just listen in. Hopefully he sees the struggle I’ve had with her as well.

I tried calling the Walmart Amp box office for a refund, but they were firm on their policy. Fortunately, near the end of the day, I thought to try and sell my tickets online through StubHub. I ran into some trouble with their site, and it wouldn’t let me create an account with my usual email, but I could with another one. I don’t know if it thought I already had an account, or what. If all goes well, I’ll make my money back, plus some. If it actually works, it may be worth actually “scalping” some discount tickets to sell on the day-of for future concerts. I won’t feel bad, since they’re obviously just trying to fill all the empty space on the lawn at that price, so it’s really just passing some savings along to last-minute buyers that would otherwise pay the box office.

Dad let the restoration guys into the old house and then left them there, and it seemed like they were being kind of nosey, but I didn’t have memory cards to review the full footage. All I could see were some short clips where they were looking around parts of the house where they weren’t working. I don’t guess I have anything super important there, but it still didn’t make me feel good about them being there. I stopped by on my way home to feed the fish, and didn’t see anything obvious missing.

Summer was home early doing some work when I got there, so I changed and then finished up some leftover chicken tacos. Eaddie brought Eli over after band practice, and then I took the dogs out for another really great run. As the weather is nicer, they’ve been really sticking together for the most part, and listening to my less animated commands. We passed one of the ladies that fed them when they broke out previously, and then briefly rolled by my parents’ house before turning back. I forgot their water bottle at home, so I didn’t want to take them too far from home. Stilgar seemed to struggle a little bit more than Muad’Dib as usual, but he was still good. He stopped in a puddle on the way home to cool off.

I tried to get to bed quickly after that. Summer was already in bed, and the dogs were pretty tuckered out. I’ve got a non-technical phone interview with DeepNet tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll probably try to get home early for that, or else I’ll be at work later than I really want to be.

Gotta find some time to catch up.

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Experience Depreciation

I got up extra early today so I could try and beat the new guy to work, but that failed for multiple reasons. I stopped at Taco John’s for breakfast, which ate up all of that extra time, but he also showed up a full hour early. Todd had already given him the tour, and as I would learn later, Samuel had actually given him a tour the week before last, while I was still there. In fact, Samuel was the one that called him the week that Blake told me they weren’t going to keep me, and told him they were looking for a new Tech Coordinator. The entire thing has been super shady, and it just made my day worse and worse until the end.

I walked around with him again and we visited all of the switch closets in the high school and elementary. We didn’t bother going anywhere else, and I probably won’t, except maybe Plainview to see if there’s anything out there that I want for myself. Maybe I could get lucky and find some rails.

We had several waves of kids come in for password resets, but otherwise it was relatively quiet. I had to keep telling him that I wished him the best of luck in spite of how crappy they’ve been to me, but secretly I just hope he gets the same and leaves them in a short amount of time. It’s just not fair that I invested all of that time and effort to fix so many major problems, and he gets to come in and ride the calm seas at a higher rate of pay with two fewer years of school experience.

I was the last one out of the office, and I had already relinquished my keys, but luckily Keith was there and I could borrow his to lock the office. I headed toward home and fed the fish, and got gas at Casey’s. Summer was making a baked spaghetti with pink sauce when I got home, and I just held her for a bit before I got changed and went out to sit with the dogs.

Summer called Eaddie home for dinner, and the three of us ate. Julie called because she saw a Cybertruck in town and thought it might actually be me. Then I went out for a run with the dogs. They did super well, ran hard, had some mostly solid poops, and for the most part weren’t too bad about getting distracted until the very end. It got dark fast, so we only stopped at my parents’ house long enough to say, “hello.”

I wound down pretty quickly, and everyone was off to bed. It was an awful, emotional, maddening day of being the better person, and the frustration of living by an unmatched code of integrity just made me incredibly sad.

And either I’m right and justice is never served, or I’m wrong and I go to Hell anyway.

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Collared Greens

Summer was up early doing some work, and I ended up sleeping in later than I wanted. I eventually got up and made some more eggs for breakfast, and even cleaned up some leftover stir fried beef. It was rainy all morning, but it eventually dried up enough to go out with the dogs.

Eaddie wanted to take my car to drive around with her friends because it was nicer than her Pathfinder, and we ended up having a big family discussion after she didn’t like my answer. That threw all of us off for the rest of the day.

I took a really late shower and then took the dogs out for a walk. We took a new path up and around Inglewood this time, and on the way home I couldn’t break their focus off of a nearby squirrel. I’ve got to do something to fix that behavior, because Stilgar is just able to throw around too much weight.

They were about out of food when I got back with them, so I got Summer up and we went to Walmart to look around a bit. We got more food, and a couple cowhide sticks for them to chew on, with the hopes that they’d stop chewing on important things. Eaddie spotted us while we were there, but we didn’t actually see her. She was out super late, and we ended up going to bed before we ever saw her again.

Interesting days ahead…