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...and of Ends...
11 years ago
June has been a very bittersweet month... defiantly with its highs and lows. I mentioned the highs (one in particular ^^) in my last post... so its time to address the lows...
First off: Last week I had the "stake" put in it from my manager about having any hope of continuing to work for this company I am contracting for. It wasn't anything I had done, we moved from a very team-oriented manager (where I would have been a shoein for the job had he not quit before he could recommend me to be hired on *sigh*) to a very Logistical manager who ONLY sees Degrees and Numbers and doesn't take into consideration familarity and how well someone works or is liked with a team.
He wants the "Perfect" candidate that A. doesn't have a contractor buy out fee attached, but also B. has a 4 year degree and "looks good on paper". Talking with my co-workers; they got the same vibe as he tended to look down upon them as "How the hell did you get this job without a 4 year degree? I wouldn't have hired you... and you certainly aren't getting promoted any time soon".
This said... I guess I can be glad I'm not getting this job in a way. I would have to keep proving that I am more then common peasant filth to him and the drama in the long run would be very tiring.
Atleast I can get a positive reference from my co-workers. They like me and want me to stay... but the choice is up to Mr Oxford Doctorate grad; not them *sigh*
I've got enough money to get by on for awhile, plus I will be eligible for unemployment. I make enough that I will be at the top tier limit for unemployment which isn't much.. but I should be able to get by with that for a few months, plus some money I got back from my car (overpaid on loans) and a spare boat that I'll actually hey have time to Sell now which should get me a good buffer of cash.
As a result I may have to cancel going to Megaplex; but if the boat sells, I get a "decent enough" strippend from UI or I get a contract by the end of July I might be able to stretch it.
Its going to come down to the wire and be very last minute plans if I can still go... I also need to have a contract which either starts after Megaplex or would be willing to let me take time off in likely the first or second week in order to go...
Since I have already committed to and am currently still making money... I have a Family fishing trip and a Chicago trip come the end of this month. These may or may not be my last trips out of state for awhile... I'll just have to see. The consulting firm I work for is usually good at getting me work within 2-4 weeks between contracts... and they put more pressure if they know I am unemployed (they are the ones paying my unemployment of course... so it makes sense)
And the other sad end... which goes hand in hand with the above since it saves money. But there is much more to it then that...
Come the end of July I'm leaving my photography studio. As of late its been nothing more then a storage space and occasional hang out space. In the eight months I've had it I've done a total of three shoots there. Working 40 hours a week plus my duties with
mnfurs , other clubs and social activites has left me very little time to myself. Which I don't mind being busy... I'm actually surprisingly not that stressed over it.... I have enough social outlets and friends (...and maybe in time something more ^^;;) to keep me sane.
That said... time is Finite. So something needs to go. And that something sadly becomes the Studio. There is however more to the story and the real shoe in for leaving the studio...
My studio is in the basement in a corner and there is a crack in the foundation which seeps rain in every time it rains. And this year... Minnesota might as well be in the Rainforest. We've had so much rain in the last few months. And every time it rains, the carpet gets wet and the drywall in that corner of my studio bulges out more. A day or two later and I get shrooms and the patch of mildew in the carpet grows even after drying and ventalating the room as best I can.
I've told my landlord about it several times and nothing has been done. At this point, you really can't repair the damage without ripping up the outside wall, replacing the railing, sealing the foundation crack, re-drywalling the entire wall then ripping up and putting new carpet in. And that likely would take a few days/weeks and require everything to be moved out so...
As fun as it's been to have a "place of my own" for now it needs to go into the "well I tried but this didn't work out... maybe again someday..." list.
The only way I'd keep the studio at this point is if they moved me to another suite that had no said damage and comped me a few months of free rent. But I'm not betting on it.
So in recap May and June has been a time of change. Of Beginnings and Ends. All said and done I still feel pretty Confident. I think the beginnings outweigh the ends and the ends are things I can put behind me and "move on from".
Beginnings:
-New car
-Start becoming more serious in Videography as an extended hobby
-Starting a relationship
Ends
-Job
-Photo Studio and renting my own "place" (for now)
-Possible having to scrap plans to go to an out of town Furry Con as a summer break.
The ends are those which have means. I mean... the Job I am not getting would have been nice as I liked my co workers and it was very close to home. That being said... it won't be my last job by far. I have enough experience at this point in IT that even though "Oxford Grad" type managers may find me as "unhireable" MOST companies see me very eligible for atleast medium term contracts. I have good references... and I have a variety of different IT experinence over that "5 year worth" mark.
There is also part of me who looks forward to having a break. I can focus more on doubling down on mnfurs stuff and spending more time with... uhmn certain others ^^::.
And as far as the Studio goes... when I get both the money and the time to excuse renting again it very well could return. Also I very much doubt that this is going to be the last place I'll ever pay rent on... I mean - I do have to budget out that I can't live with my parents forever right (though I do pay them rent as it stands...)
Some day in the not so near future I'll have a place to call home again; even if its just another "home away from home"
Until then... I must press on and realize there are more important things in Life...
First off: Last week I had the "stake" put in it from my manager about having any hope of continuing to work for this company I am contracting for. It wasn't anything I had done, we moved from a very team-oriented manager (where I would have been a shoein for the job had he not quit before he could recommend me to be hired on *sigh*) to a very Logistical manager who ONLY sees Degrees and Numbers and doesn't take into consideration familarity and how well someone works or is liked with a team.
He wants the "Perfect" candidate that A. doesn't have a contractor buy out fee attached, but also B. has a 4 year degree and "looks good on paper". Talking with my co-workers; they got the same vibe as he tended to look down upon them as "How the hell did you get this job without a 4 year degree? I wouldn't have hired you... and you certainly aren't getting promoted any time soon".
This said... I guess I can be glad I'm not getting this job in a way. I would have to keep proving that I am more then common peasant filth to him and the drama in the long run would be very tiring.
Atleast I can get a positive reference from my co-workers. They like me and want me to stay... but the choice is up to Mr Oxford Doctorate grad; not them *sigh*
I've got enough money to get by on for awhile, plus I will be eligible for unemployment. I make enough that I will be at the top tier limit for unemployment which isn't much.. but I should be able to get by with that for a few months, plus some money I got back from my car (overpaid on loans) and a spare boat that I'll actually hey have time to Sell now which should get me a good buffer of cash.
As a result I may have to cancel going to Megaplex; but if the boat sells, I get a "decent enough" strippend from UI or I get a contract by the end of July I might be able to stretch it.
Its going to come down to the wire and be very last minute plans if I can still go... I also need to have a contract which either starts after Megaplex or would be willing to let me take time off in likely the first or second week in order to go...
Since I have already committed to and am currently still making money... I have a Family fishing trip and a Chicago trip come the end of this month. These may or may not be my last trips out of state for awhile... I'll just have to see. The consulting firm I work for is usually good at getting me work within 2-4 weeks between contracts... and they put more pressure if they know I am unemployed (they are the ones paying my unemployment of course... so it makes sense)
And the other sad end... which goes hand in hand with the above since it saves money. But there is much more to it then that...
Come the end of July I'm leaving my photography studio. As of late its been nothing more then a storage space and occasional hang out space. In the eight months I've had it I've done a total of three shoots there. Working 40 hours a week plus my duties with
mnfurs , other clubs and social activites has left me very little time to myself. Which I don't mind being busy... I'm actually surprisingly not that stressed over it.... I have enough social outlets and friends (...and maybe in time something more ^^;;) to keep me sane. That said... time is Finite. So something needs to go. And that something sadly becomes the Studio. There is however more to the story and the real shoe in for leaving the studio...
My studio is in the basement in a corner and there is a crack in the foundation which seeps rain in every time it rains. And this year... Minnesota might as well be in the Rainforest. We've had so much rain in the last few months. And every time it rains, the carpet gets wet and the drywall in that corner of my studio bulges out more. A day or two later and I get shrooms and the patch of mildew in the carpet grows even after drying and ventalating the room as best I can.
I've told my landlord about it several times and nothing has been done. At this point, you really can't repair the damage without ripping up the outside wall, replacing the railing, sealing the foundation crack, re-drywalling the entire wall then ripping up and putting new carpet in. And that likely would take a few days/weeks and require everything to be moved out so...
As fun as it's been to have a "place of my own" for now it needs to go into the "well I tried but this didn't work out... maybe again someday..." list.
The only way I'd keep the studio at this point is if they moved me to another suite that had no said damage and comped me a few months of free rent. But I'm not betting on it.
So in recap May and June has been a time of change. Of Beginnings and Ends. All said and done I still feel pretty Confident. I think the beginnings outweigh the ends and the ends are things I can put behind me and "move on from".
Beginnings:
-New car
-Start becoming more serious in Videography as an extended hobby
-Starting a relationship
Ends
-Job
-Photo Studio and renting my own "place" (for now)
-Possible having to scrap plans to go to an out of town Furry Con as a summer break.
The ends are those which have means. I mean... the Job I am not getting would have been nice as I liked my co workers and it was very close to home. That being said... it won't be my last job by far. I have enough experience at this point in IT that even though "Oxford Grad" type managers may find me as "unhireable" MOST companies see me very eligible for atleast medium term contracts. I have good references... and I have a variety of different IT experinence over that "5 year worth" mark.
There is also part of me who looks forward to having a break. I can focus more on doubling down on
mnfurs stuff and spending more time with... uhmn certain others ^^::.And as far as the Studio goes... when I get both the money and the time to excuse renting again it very well could return. Also I very much doubt that this is going to be the last place I'll ever pay rent on... I mean - I do have to budget out that I can't live with my parents forever right (though I do pay them rent as it stands...)
Some day in the not so near future I'll have a place to call home again; even if its just another "home away from home"
Until then... I must press on and realize there are more important things in Life...
Well... good news and bad news. Looks like both always comes in 3s like they say.
Job wise, you can look into becoming a freelance photographer as a temp thing perhaps. Your stuff is incredibly good and I'm sure you can put together a portfolio of stuff that'll impress people
But here's hoping more good things happen.