Category Archives: Job Hunt

January 4, 2014 · 22:10

Fricasseed Brain

Because fricassee is a funny sounding word and it accurately describes my brain tonight.

I know that there are plenty of people who think all sports are useless, and I know that there are plenty of people who might be reading this who think “football” should be played with the feet only and a round ball. There are plenty of times that I wonder about my own devotion to my favorite sports teams. But it’s an “addition” that I’m stuck with.

All that having been said, my beloved Kansas City Chiefs, after a 2-14 year last year, today were in the NFL playoffs and looking for their first playoff win in twenty years. Just after halftime they had a 38-10 lead. They then proceeded to collapse (helped by several key injuries during the game, but still…) and lose 45-44.

It was quite the emotional roller coaster. My brain is fried.

Then some mildly odd stuff started happening late this evening on the job search front. With my brain already a little off balance, it’s left me a bit fried. Or fricasseed. It’s late. I’m tired. Add it all up and I keep thinking that there might be a black-and-white Rod Serling just out of sight around the corner, cigarette dangling, ready to do an opening monologue about how the universe is messing with me today.

So have some flower pictures, we haven’t done that in a while. Maybe tomorrow will be less Rod Serling-like.

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Filed under Flowers, Job Hunt, KC Chiefs, Photography

December 31, 2013 · 21:39

My Love-Hate Relationship With 2013

Via con Dios, 2013! And don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!!

2013 was a very odd year for me, probably the oddest in many, many years. There were some truly huge changes and change is never that comfortable in the short term.

One of the really huge changes was really bad — the company I had worked at for 27 years closed its office last January and I’ve been looking for a new job all year. That has obviously had some serious economic impact on us. It was something that I saw coming and was terrified of. Yet… In some ways it has not completely been the utter, complete, and total disaster I thought it would be. In the long run, I actually think there will be some real good coming from it. I have real faith that I will find not just a job, but a job which I enjoy going to with people I enjoy working with.

One of the really huge changes was really good — I started this blog and started writing again. In part, this is an offshoot of being unemployed. I’ve had time on my hands. I really wanted to avoid ending up sitting around watching soap operas and downing pitchers of margaritas all day, so I forced myself to stay busy, stay focused, and stay on a regimented schedule. Writing and being creative has been an important part of that schedule.

It’s been gratifying to see how the blog has been received. I just got a notice today that I’ve now reached the “500 Likes” mark. I’ve got just under a hundred people following the blog every day, plus all of the people who see it through Facebook and Twitter. This will be the 283rd article posted here in 247 days, including 30 days of NaNoWriMo postings.

I wrote 90% of a novel, 67,431 words! Which I will still finish, starting next month, stay tuned. Then I will edit, and I will continue to write on a couple of other projects. I’ve been allowed to join a great writer’s critique group that meets weekly and I’m getting some fantastic feedback on my work. I’m writing weekly entries in Chuck Wendig’s Flash Fiction Challenges and getting valuable experience in writing things that are outside of my comfort zone.

My daughter graduated from UC Davis! My son got to come home on leave for a few days in March and we went to Angels’ spring training in Phoenix! We went to a hockey game! We went to Angels games! My wonderful kids sent us to San Diego to see my beloved Chiefs!

In addition to writing, I also got more involved with the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. Starting tomorrow, I’m the Finance Officer for (at least) a year. Something else to keep me from getting rusty or bored or slug-like.

Ronnie and I remodeled and repainted our bedroom — without killing each other! Ronnie, my three kids, and I all have our health. My wonderful wife hasn’t kicked me to the curb even in my deadbeat, on the dole status. (Just kidding, dear! Love you!)

That isn’t necessarily a year that sucked.

There were other problems besides unemployment (the 800-pound gorilla in the room). In the fall, Ronnie’s mother passed away after a long illness. I had car issues and got trapped in Coalinga for four days, then found out that Chrysler wants $2K to fix a $25 part (another long story for later). Our very old cat, Oreo, needed to be put to sleep. I didn’t get to fly at all again this year.

So, in summary, one huge problem plus a few other issues both major and minor, all offset by some new growth opportunities, trying to make lemonade out of lemons.

In many ways, it’s truly hard to see past that 800-pound gorilla. Yet, if my gaze can be torn away from it and I can peek behind and beyond it, 2013 wasn’t half bad. The quick thought about 2013 is that it was a disaster because of the job thing. A detailed review of the facts shows that, despite that, it wasn’t my worst year by far. And it’s really important to recognize that a lot of what pulled a “victory” from that potential “defeat” are things that I did myself, proactive refusing to give in and accept that fate.

It’s sort of like that old joke, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” But unlike Mrs. Lincoln, my major disaster can (and will) be reversed and eliminated.

That will be 2014’s job!

Happy New Year to one and all!

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Filed under Family, Job Hunt, Paul

October 23, 2013 · 19:44

The Plan For November

It’s good to have a plan. As Colonel John ‘Hannibal’ Smith said, “I love it when a plan comes together!”

November’s coming, and that means that things are going to get really, REALLY busy.

First of all, above and beyond and top priority over everything (which could completely derail and invalidate everything below) is the job hunt. Gotta find something. Priorities and all of that.

Between sending out resumes and checking out Linkedin and so on and so forth, for the last six months there’s been this blog to write and post every day. This is not a bad thing! Developing some writing discipline was (and is) one of the primary purposes for this blog’s existence. Participating in things like Chuck Wendig’s weekly “Flash Fiction Challenge” exercise is also a great part of the blog.

As I’m now joining the “Wednesday Writer’s Group”, I want and need to start actively writing again on two different old first drafts. I probably won’t be able to write on both every day, but it would be nice to set a goal of 1,000 words a day or more on one or the other. At least enough to keep ahead of the group and have something to hand out for critiquing every week.

Next, some of you may know that November is “National Novel Writing Month“, or “NaNoWriMo”. For the third year, I’m planning on trying to participate. That’s an average of 1,700 words a day every day in November in order to hit the goal.

It’s true of many of us human critters that we dislike pressure and working on tight deadlines. It’s also true that many of us perform much better when working in a high pressure situation while working on tight deadlines. (That’s why bosses, teachers, and editors use them – duh!) I recognize that I’m someone who both dislikes and needs the pressure. I’ve learned over the years that I can subvert any procrastination inclinations by proactively setting myself up in advance to perform in a public spotlight. I’ll hate it later and wonder why in hell I did that – but I know why, both now and then. (Kind of like the halfway point in a marathon. Every time I wonder what in the hell I’m doing and I swear up and down that I’m never going to run again and I’m going to throw in the towel at any second – but I don’t quit and I always do run again.)

So for my NaNoWriMo project this year, I’m going to post the daily “zeroth draft” manuscript here. Every day. Or else I’ll have to post (i.e. “confess”) here that I didn’t write that day. Every day.

Understand that this will not be polished, smooth, edited, publishable-ready prose of the highest standards. This is the “puke words onto the paper and keep writing” stuff, the draft before the first draft, the mother of all “Flash Fiction Challenges” where instead of “1,000 words or so” it’s “50,000 words or so”. Hell, I may even ask for plot suggestions and directions from the followers of this blog and go with those ideas. It will be an “adventure”.

It also means that many days in November will have two posts per day here. Over the last 177 days I have posted 182 articles here, one per day with five days that had two articles. I expect to be posting one entry a day for the “usual” We Love The Stars Too Fondly stuff (simple astrophotography, Odds & Sods, critter pictures, Random Blatherationings, book reviews, semi-sane rants, and so on) and then a second post with that day’s NaNoWriMo output. The writing on the project(s) for the Wednesday group will not be posted here – that will be a surprise in a year or so when it gets published.

If you start seeing a little daily “scoreboard” as part of every day’s post, you’ll know what it’s about.

Oh, and then on Thanksgiving weekend the annual Christmas lights madness starts. We haven’t talked about that yet… Heh, heh… Heh, heh… *rubs hand together and drools a little*

That’s the plan! (You’ve been warned.)

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Filed under Job Hunt, Running, Writing

October 15, 2013 · 21:46

Busy Again

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand all of a sudden it’s feeling crazy busy for a few days.

I’m rapidly getting much more involved with my local Commemorative Air Force wing, about which you will no doubt hear much in the future.

IMG_7207_smallThe CAF logo on the tail of our B-29, “Fifi”, when she visited Camarillo in March, 2013.

Also, tonight was the first night of this semester’s “Conversational Spanish II”. Only one night a week, six weeks, no tests, no credits, but a good way to at least get exposed to some fundamentals and be able to ask where the bathroom is and, more importantly, probably understand the answer. Plus, it’s a special treat to take the class with The Long-Suffering Wife. We’re a cute couple. (A couple of what, we don’t know! Thanks, I’ll be here all week. Tip your waitress. Try the veal.)

Tomorrow I’m visiting a writer’s group which I may be invited to join for their weekly meetings. That would be a great opportunity, although it’s a good two hours drive (in Irvine) each way. But it could get me out of the house and off the streets in addition to getting some valuable personal feedback on my writing, as well as some insight into the processes that others use. It will be great! Assume y’all will be hearing more about that.

Now I have to get back to work.

Plus I have my “normal” daily writing to get to. Oh, yeah, and that whole job search thing. That’s kinda important too.

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Filed under Flying, Job Hunt, Photography, Writing

September 7, 2013 · 18:53

Visit To Virgin Galactic

Today there was a job fair in Mojave put on by Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company. Obviously both of these companies are on the short list of places that I would get to work at only in my wildest dreams. But I really do have those dreams and they have the jobs, so I hustled on up there to say “Howdy!”, drop a resume, and charm someone with my elevator pitch.

We’ll see if anything comes of it (I’m eternally optimistic, but I’m not looking at rentals in the high desert just yet), but meanwhile our hosts were nice enough to put their current projects on display out on the ramp for us.

20130907-190643.jpgBehold, the current spaceships of Virgin Galactic! On the left is WhiteKnightTwo, the first of the Virgin Motherships, christened VMS Eve, named after company founder Sir Richard Branson’s mother. On the right is the first SpaceShipTwo, which had its second powered test flight just last Thursday, reaching 69,000 feet after a twenty-second engine burn.

20130907-190726.jpgA slightly closer view of the WhiteKnightTwo. In the center of the wing you can see the attachment point where the SpaceShipTwo is held while it’s taken up to about 50,000 feet before being dropped for launch.

20130907-190810.jpgThe WhiteKnightTwo design is the largest all carbon composite aircraft ever built. Eventually it is anticipated that there will be several of these built to launch suborbital flights from multiple sites around the world.

20130907-190852.jpgUp close and personal with the SpaceShipTwo. Notice that there is no front wheel – a skid is used instead.

20130907-190907.jpgA view of the port side of SpaceShipTwo. Eventually it is expected that dozens (if not more) SpaceShipTwos will be built, taking tourists, experiments, and other paying customers on suborbital trips. The turnaround time between trips for any given ship is expected to be hours instead of months, allowing many more flights and a much less expensive cost than all previous spacecraft.

20130907-190940.jpgThe starboard side of SpaceShipTwo. I was surprised to see how small the landing gear wheels are.

All in all it was a great opportunity to see some cutting edge aviation and spacecraft hardware. The only way it could be better is if I’m able to join the team building and flying them. Let’s hope that can work out – they have my number!

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Filed under Flying, Job Hunt, Photography, Space