A little bit of everything.

[Sevasan]

 

Hooray again for me today!

 

This morning I went to the sports complex down the street. They have a mile long track circling the whole thing. I walked / jogged 3 laps.  So I did better than yesterday.  I even jogged for half a mile straight at one point!  Pure hell!!!!! Haha!  Well not really. But I will say, after I was done, I stretched for about 15 minutes, drove home soaked in sweat (I will bring a towel next time) , took a shower, and was still hot and sweating in the house over 30 minutes later.   What the hell?!?!?!

 

Apparently I am still getting used to this and working my way up.  Foot still bothered me but the knee was not so bad this time.  There were also a lot more people than expected who were walking the track too. And I swear I was only 1 of 3 males who were there. And about 15 or so ladies walking the track. Being married, I paid them no mind, but the thought still came in my head… “You can’t look weak in front of the ladies!” …. While I am dripping sweat, wheezing like I have asthma, and face/ cheeks turning beet red with my headphones in and trying not to pass out! HAHAH!!!!  Totally the worst and most un-athletic I will probably ever look in my life! But hey… I did it! I am proud of myself! I don’t think I have ever ran so much in my life!

 

 

 

In other news, I went to turn in my resume at this one company here in town and handed my resume to the receptionist. I asked if they were hiring inspectors and she said that they were and took a look at it.  She then told me to hold on for a minute and she went give my resume to one of the QC managers in the back.  About a minute later she said they want to talk to me and asked me to stay. SO when the QC manager came to get me we had a talk and come to find out, a place I worked at years ago, he had worked at too! HE is also best friends with one of the technicians I spent several months working out of state with. What are the odds??? So we spent a good amount of time talking and having good conversations but, he said that he did not have a spot for me at the moment but he would like for me to work with them.

He also said that they will be looking for people as soon as possible so I just need to update a few things since I have been out of that field for a while and some cards have expired. SO i spent a good 45 minutes talking with him..... Then after that. He brought me to another QC manager (there are multiple) and I talked with this other guy as well.  HE was also very impressed too and wished he had something for me at the moment, but sadly he didn’t. HE kept apologizing but kept saying how he will hold on to my resume and as soon as a spot comes available that he will let me know. It was a good day and that was before I even headed to Baton Rouge. (2 managers want me to work with them.. so I call that a good day! I just with they had something immediately, but hey.. I went in just to hand in a paper, and got to talk with 2 managers, so I am not complaining!) 

 

As far as Baton Rouge goes, I feel it was a bust...Good thing I went to that place before leaving for BR. After the hour long drive up there, I ended up getting to the office and as soon as the people saw me walk in with a paper in my hand they asked if I was bringing them an application. I said that I was, then the guy said that they are not hiring right now but they are taking applications. I told him what I do, and that I drove a long way to hand this to them. He said they may have work later but right now they are not hiring.... they are probably getting a ton of applications lately, so i completely understand. SO… i feel like that long drive was for nothing, But, At least they have my info, and if they need me they know how to get in touch.

 

Anyway this is a long post.  I feel good today, getting my exercise in this morning and filling out a few more applications…. I hope something comes around soon from all this.   Only time will tell.

[Sevasan]

Thanks Atrytone and Jormungand! Glad to see my positive attitude is contagious! haha  I try, it is hard sometimes, but having a bad attitude will not make the situation better.  

[Jormungand]

That is great news on the first company. Sucks about Baton Rouge (especially with the drive) but hopefully at least having your foot in the door at the first location with the two QC managers will leave a positive impact. 

[Sevasan]

Quick update:

 

Went on a jog again around the sports complex, did 3 laps with a walk / jog every ¼ mile. Felt pretty good about it. They also have some pull up bars where I did 6 pull ups each lap. And also did some leg raises while hanging. Trying to add some other things in there besides just jogging.  I plan on going again tomorrow.  Knee seems to not be hurting anymore, but my foot is getting worse this time. I am trying to stretch it out a little and see if that helps.

 

In other news, my friend who got laid off the same time I did got a job with a local company that seems to be hiring. This is a place where I could actually use my coating inspection certification! So he told me to bring my resume to them. So yesterday (Thursday) I went and talked to the recruiter and he said that a lot fo work is finishing up being built and the next step is to coat and paint them and that they will probably be looking for coating inspectors.  So after a talk he said that Friday (today) they are having a big meeting about how many people they will need to hire and that he was going to try to get me in. This would be an awesome job to work at, I don’t have to travel, and I can use my NACE coating certification that I really want to keep working with. Sooo…..

 

 My friend was in there today with the recruiter and was told that he is trying to get me on to work with them… so hopefully Monday when I call they will have some good news. .. maybe not hired on Monday, but that they want to bring me on. This job is now my top choice! So I hope things can move quickly and I can get hired on with them….

 

Now I am anxious for the weekend to be over so I can see if they will have a spot for me.  All in due time. I am sure the weekend will be over before I know it.

 

It is like I have 3 places that want to work with me.. but nothing is final yet.... I have not gotten an offer letter or anyhting yet. but I can feel that at least one of them is close. I would take any, but I have my priorities on which one i would want first, second, and third.... lets see how this plays out...  

[Jormungand]

That is awesome news. Congrats on having a few possible options. Enjoy the weekend, and I hope everything works out this coming week.

[Sevasan]

So brief update… no word on any jobs yet….. I have applied to about 20+ more since Friday….

 

And one guy who said he would call me back. Still has not….   *sad face*                 

 

 

This is getting depressing…. I am even expanding my search to jobs that are out of state just so I can get something.

 

Trying to stay positive but man…. It seems my skills are not needed as much since the oilfield is in such a bad position.  I know what I can do can translate into many other industries so finding a job should not be that hard… but at the same time, those jobs are all probably still filled.

 

So “here’s hoping”   *fingers crossed* and whatever kind of good luck I can get….

 

Also I did some body weight stuff in the house the past two days, then rested for two days because I just feel low… but tomorrow I am making myself get up and go run.

[Jormungand]

Way to keep up with some of the workouts during this time. Hope things improve. Keep making that bed. 

[Sevasan]

 

... anyone know how to insert pictures?  haha i can not figure this out.....

 

 

[Jormungand]

I usually post pictures from the Internet. In the "Insert other media" button, click that and it will bring up the "Insert image from URL." Then, just paste in the link. To upload your own, I'm less sure. There might be a how-to somewhere around here. 

[Sevasan]

Still no job,  =(   

 

The stress of not getting one is starting to weigh on me.  I am hoping my interview goes well Thursday.  And I am hoping that one of the guys I am in contact with will have some good news for me.

I went jogging this morning and stopped at the pull up bar station they have set up. I did 3 sets of lunges, 3 sets of pullups and chin-ups  (at the end I was only getting 1-2 full ones but still. I am counting it damnit!  HAHA!) calf raises with body weight and a few other ones.

 

This morning is already a stressful one thinking that I wont hear any good news from the people I have been talking with. But who knows… every day is a  new day…. Try to stay poisitve!

[Sevasan]

This morning I got up at 5:30…. got dressed and went to the track at first light. 

 

I ended up doing some more body weight stuff… pushups, pullups, chin-ups, leg raises (with me hanging from the bar) bodyweight calf raises, lunges…   and then I jogged for a half mile straight!!!!! Had to walk it for a bit after that because …. I was tired. Haha  but I did go 3 laps again and tried to jog as much as I could.    I did better than I thought I would and since I was the only person there at one point, I decided to sprint at a fast speed (for me at least) for about 15 seconds…. It was Glorious!!! ... not really... i probably looked like a fool running from nothing!  So called it a day after that.  But it was fun.  Made me feel like I was a kid again playing “Tag” and not wanting to be IT! 

 

So yea... a good fun morning.

 

Other than that, there might be a job possibility where I could work a contract job and could turn into a full time position. This position would be in Florida and My wife and I would actually love to live there! (if it would become full time) and they were saying they could need someone as soon as 2 weeks. It would be nice to work again, live somewhere new, experience different areas..... We have even started looking at houses and apartments in the area just to see what it would take...  but there really would be a lot more to it and would be a very big decision… our "we can't move" mentality is starting to be tested. I have tried to find a local job and it does not look like any of them will come through. At least not anytime soon. so moving might be an actual possibility.

 

So still just waiting to see what happens. … I don’t like this waiting game.  But It is happening and there is not much else I can do about it at this point.

[Jormungand]

Well done on the morning workout the other day. Hope things go well at the job interview today, though it does sound like Florida may be an option. Things could be improving. 

[Sevasan]

 

 

Thanks!  Yea the Florida job would be nice, I just wish it would start out as a solid job, not just a contract type thing.  I wouldn’t want to uproot my family and spend all this time and money to move somewhere that might not be permanent though. So just have to wait and see.

 

In other news I had an interview in New Orleans yesterday at 9 am for a different job. So since I live 2 hours away me and my wife got up early and drove there. I made sure to leave early to account for some traffic and thank goodness I did! Took almost 2 hours 45 minutes for us to reach where I needed to be.

 

This job would be a travel job with some off-shore work (which I have never done before), and do a different type of corrosion protection that I have not had any experience with.  On top of that they were looking for someone with at least 5 years experience with pipelines. (only have 2) so going into this interview all I could think was how “underqualified” I felt. But I figured, all this information is on my resume, so these people know this and STILL want to talk to me.  (so  good thing?)  I am a little confused, but I figured I would still go and try to see what they are looking for and if I can provide.

 

So first off they are actually hiring for 4 positions. (I did not know that) and the one I applied for , after talking to then, I realized that I am probably not the best person for it, however, the interviewer said that I am much more qualified for another position that I had no idea about.  After talking for a while I pretty much told them that if they were looking for someone with these specific qualifications at this very moment… I am not your guy. (because I have never had a need to get them before)  BUT! … if there is an opportunity for me to take the classes and get the certifications, there is no doubt that I can do what is needed to fulfil this position. And I know I can pass the classes and get certified within a year of them hiring me on.

 

SO the interview was not bad, but it was not great either….. I am uncertain if they want to take the time to train me for this position.  The job does sound awesome though. And would be a lot closer to home and actually more pay than the Florida job. PLUS, It is not contract.. I would be a direct hire.   They seemed to be open about sending me to the classes and they would even pay for them if I am one of the 4 chosen to work with them. I won’t find out till the 12^th though….. so I have to wait 2 weeks?!?!!??!  If I get it, those 2 weeks would be good. But if I am not, I might miss out on another opportunity.  And after talking to my wife, if the florida job calls before the 12^th, and says they need me, I cant take it.  Because I don’t want to travel to florida, work a week, then possibly get this other closer job and have to leave and come back home.  I don’t want to do that to this florida company. …. I just wish I could find out sooner about this one that is closer to home.

 

 Damned if you do, Damned if you don’t….. haha!  

 

List of jobs I want:

1-      This new job closer to home (New Orleans job)

2-      Florida job

3-      Travel job      (cant be hired till mid to late august… might be later)

4-      Helicopter job  (cant be hired till nov, dec, maybe jan 2017)

5-      X-ray job (travel hob but no work right now.. don’t know when could be hired)

 

It is good I am having interviews, and it seems the jobs get better and better the more I have to wait, but at the same time… my company severance pay is up and now I am dipping into savings…. Un-employment pays next to nothing and a lot of my former co-workers are not getting paid at all due to sooo many people being laid off that there are no funds left to give…. =(   so I may not even be able to get un-employment.

 

 

 

HAHA forgot to add,  I went ot the track this morning.  Did more chinups, pullups, lunges, calf raises, leg lifts hanging from bar. and also did 3 laps around as well... not as much running because I got that pins you get under your ribs when you run too hard at the beginning and I couldnt push through it, so i took it easy. but I tried short sprints and walking and it seemed to be ok. Wife is still sleeping and i am waiting for her to wake up so i can get the grass cut this morning. Our yard is looking like a little "Jumanji"! not sure what to do today .. it will be a long 2 weeks to hear from these N.O. people... I will keep myself busy until then. 

[Sevasan]

Still no word from anyone about a job over the past few days.  There was a small job fair here locally, but they did not offer much in terms of what I can do.  If I wanted a possible career change then sure, I could be a salesman, truck driver, relator, college student, or law enforcement position. None fo which I really have any interest on doing, or really have any recent experience. Back in my college days I worked in retail, (non-commission sales) but that was not a job I ever want to do again. And seeing as it has been well over 7-8 years since I have done that, I am sure there are a lot more experienced people that would get the job before me.  Plus that is not what I want to do.

 

On a better note I did my morning routine of going to the track. I am noticing my grip is failing me on the pull up bar more than anything. The bar is very wet from the morning dew and sweat combination. The skin on my hands are starting to get a callus at the base of each finger due to the skin being rolled and pinched. (does not feel good)  and when I try to adjust my grip, I cannot hold on.  I need to find some small gloves for now.

 

I was able to complete my set as usual though.

 

 

Still counting down the days till the 12^th to see if I ever get the call from my New Orleans job.  (which I REALLY hope I do.)  once again… this waiting is tearing me up!   Grrr!  haha

[Jormungand]

Yeah, from what I've seen from most career fairs, it's not always the best selection for people who are used to doing something for a number of years. Still, it never hurts to check them out. Any port in a storm and all that. Things still might work out with New Orleans. 

 

I've never used gloves myself. Maybe try to do some negative pull-ups until your grip gets stronger. 

[Sevasan]

1 hour ago, Jormungand said:

Yeah, from what I've seen from most career fairs, it's not always the best selection for people who are used to doing something for a number of years. Still, it never hurts to check them out. Any port in a storm and all that. Things still might work out with New Orleans. 

 

I've never used gloves myself. Maybe try to do some negative pull-ups until your grip gets stronger. 

 

 

  Yea, I got some info on a few.... but nothing I really want to do.      And I can do about 6 pull ups in a row now, then I hop from the ground and do about 3 negative ones (if I can stand it) .. and yes the bar is just short enough to where I have to pick up my legs to hang freely. The bar seems a little small and very smooth so when it is wet it is hard to hold on to. But I figure that is just helping me get stronger the more difficult it is to hold on (non-pain wise) 

 

On another note I see there is a spot in Jacksonville Florida at another facility from my old employer that has opened up! I am sure if I really pushed it I can get that position. But I REALLY want the new orleans job because I know the pay would be better and provide me a much better opportunity to help me grow.  I still submitted my resume anyway because nothing happens quick there. And it is good to have a back up plan.....  once again I keep  finding opportunities, just waiting to hear back.

[NeuroPunkNonsense]

The "hurry up and wait" nature of job hunting is killer. Hope someone gets back to you soon.

[Sevasan]

Still waiting.  =(

 

  Yesterday and today I did not go to the track. Yesterday I was sore, and today we had to get up early and get my step-son to his school to meet the teachers and bring his supplies.  I may go later this evening depending. 

[Jormungand]

That is frustrating, and I can understand your attitude on the whole thing. Hopefully things will improve soon. 

[Sevasan]

Got off my lazy butt this morning and went to the track.  Walked / jogged for 1 mile then proceeded to do my usual pull ups, push-ups,  calf raises, hanging leg raises and lunges…  I pushed myself and did more than I would usually do.  I am starting to see some improvements in my stomach and chest. I guess this jogging is starting to shed a little bit off fat.

 

… or it could all just be in my head. Maybe I feel better so I think I look better? Haha who knows.  Point is, I feel much better today.

 

I have applied to several more jobs out of state today just hoping to hear from one at least. Still no word on the New Orleans job yet. Maybe tomorrow will be my lucky day?

[Jormungand]

Any word?

[Sevasan]

 

Well, no call yesterday.

 

 I feel like all I have been writing about is stuff that is not happening.  But there may be a reason. We are having record setting flooding here in Louisiana and yesterday a lot of people could not leave their homes. We even have a few friends who have gotten water in their house.  So could be that he never made it to work yesterday.  (I will try to get in contact with him Monday)

 

My wife’s friend that she works with has water in her home up to her knees. All the furniture and floors and everything else that they couldn’t save is ruined. We even offered for them to stay with us but they have family that they are staying with for the time being.

 

Their neighborhood even ended up on “the weather channel” web page. (cant seem to get this link to work)

https://weather.com/news/weather/video/louisiana-residents-kayak-through-flooded-neighborhood

 

 

 

Not a good way to be famous.  =(

 

 

 

Lucky I am ok where I am at, but a lot of people had to be evacuated.

 

Things could be worse, I will do what I can to help them once the waters go down a bit.

 

 

And this intersection is where I used to turn to get to my previous job. 

  

 

 

[Jormungand]

Damn, man. I hope you and your family are staying safe. It's tough to carry on any normality when dealing with acts of God like this. Just keep focusing on what you can control. You've been through a lot, but I have no doubt that you will be able to persevere. 

[Sevasan]

 

 

Got this to upload too.  (Have to use instagram because the forum will not let me upload directly, says I am only allowed so much? )

[Jormungand]

It's been raining for about two days straight here in Indiana. Nothing like the levels you are getting there, for sure, but still a lot. They are calling for it to continue pretty much into the week. Again, take care of yourselves down there.