Tale of the Tapes

One of the oddities about my job situation right now is that there are days where I have nothing do to. This past Friday was spend basically waiting at home for the call to see if I was going to be employed next week (or not). With not much else to do, and finding it difficult to focus on anything requiring real thought, I embarked on one of my many cleanup projects.

I had been working on cleaning up my bedroom mostly - lots of things that need to be organized. Projects already completed include the magazine cleanup (cut out all the articles I wanted to keep) and updating my coin collection (seriously). The project to be addressed Friday morning - the box of mystery!

I'm not sure what was in the box. I put it beside my bookcase many years ago as a temporary placement, to be addressed that weekend. That turned into next weekend. Then the weekend after that. Etc. Whatever was originally in the box, got covered by other stuff. And more stuff. Etc. You get the idea. Anyway, its time had come.

Once I got into it, most of the stuff was useful, but it just needed a permanent home: clothes for glassblowing, wraps and clothing from boxing (I did the workout - I didn't take a punch. I'm not completely stupid), plus mail dated from 2004 (which got tossed - if it hasn't come up by now, it ain't worth reading). Down at the bottom was one surprise - a bag of old cassette tapes.

I have two cases for cassette tapes that are full. I am not buying a third. I had to call for cuts. Approximately 37 tapes would have to go in order for everything to fit. With nothing better to do, I went down the musically journey into my past.

Throwing out the old tapes was fairly easy: anything that I already had on CD, or other electronic version would be trashed, baring any emotional attachment to the tape. Mix tapes were spared, as they represent a unique time and place, or someones music collection that I had raided. Some of the notable mix tapes which I discovered included:

• The "Mother of all Cheese" collection, courtesy of Chippy's vast knowledge of 80's music


• "A collection of really neat songs" volumes 1-3. What GC3 didn't know about naming mix tapes, he made up for in quality of music


• "John 'Sitting Duck' Surles greatest hits" I roomed with a country music fan in college for a year and a half. I used to make fun of his music, but eventually it kinda grew on me. I never admitted this fact, and I made this tape without his knowledge. I guess the word is out now.

Some of tapes that made it were quite surprising. I didn't realize that a bunch of my favorites I only owned in this second rate, plastic format, such as:

• "Chronic Town" by REM


• "Kick" by INXS


• "Never mind the Bollocks here's the Sex Pistols" by the Sex Pistols


• "Sonic Temple" by The Cult


• "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits


• Billy Idol's self titled debut


• Several albums by the Beatles


• Every pre-Hagar Van Halen album


• "Double Platinum" by Kiss (laugh if you must, but you have rocked to these songs, too. Admit it.)

What was left is a sad collection mostly of really bad, no talent, hair-metal bands. I'm quite embarrassed. None of these albums were really worth owning at the time. I'm sure the checkout guy at the record store still laughs at me to this day for some of these purchases. So for your reading amazement, I give you, my own personal tale of the tapes - the regrettable collection of music that in one point in my life I thought was good enough to possess a copy:

• "Stay Hungry" by Twisted Sister


• "Fire of Unknown Origin" by Blue Oyster Cult


• "Dawn Patrol" by Night Ranger


• "Savage Amazement" by the Scorpions (sadly not "World Wide Live")


• "Bat out of Hell" by Meatloaf


• "I'm too sexy" (Single) by Right Said Fred (I kinda want to put this in the surprise category)


• Judas Priest Live


• "90210" by Yes


• "The Stroke" by Billy Squire


• Whitesnakes self titled debut


• The Best of a Flock of Seagulls (yeah - how did they come up with nine songs to fill the tape?)


• "Pyromania", "High n' Dry" and "Hysteria" by Def Leppard


• Roy Orbison: 12 of his best (how it ended up with the rest of this collection, I'll never know)


• "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot (But it only cost me $1 - the price tag was still on it)


• Two Post-David Lee Roth Van Halen Albums


• "Turn back the clock" by Johnny hates Jazz (ummm....)


• "Tribute" by Ozzy Osborn and Randy Rhodes


• "Open up and say .... ahhh!" by Poison


• Six albums by Rush (does it really matter which ones? They all sound the same)


• Three by Triumph (ditto here)


• "No Tellin' Lies" by Zebra (yeah - who??!)


• "Dos" by Gerardo (you know the "Rico Suave" dude. This was his follow up album; it should have been titled "Fin")

And finally, for Tammie and all of those of you who know the story of my first time my car was broken into:

• "Out of the Cellar" by Ratt

Rock on Metalheads!

Pulling a Costanza on the job search

Latest on the job search for me - oh, where to begin. Last Friday was to be my last day; I had been extended on a special project, in a different division. It was a good project, and I had a lot of fun, but it was not going to be a full time job. I knew the last day was coming, and that was to be last Friday.  

However, last week a ton (relatively speaking) of internal jobs came up, but because of the short timeline, I didn't think there would be any chance for me to interview or get them before my last day (Aug 14). The good news for me was my HR manager knew the hiring manager for one of them, and as it turns out I was one of their top candidates.  She was able to get me an interview with him Thursday. I found out late Friday that I would be getting at least a weeks extension for formally interviewing for this job. Yes, cutting it close, again.

I was expecting to have interviews this week, but so far, nothing. I know the guy was busy, but I was hoping to at least get the interviews scheduled. In the meantime, I was able to get an informational interviewed for another job that I had applied to that I found very interesting. This job search for me has all about doing things I am not comfortable doing. In the immortal words of George Costanza, I am doing the complete opposite of my natural instincts in the job search, and it is serving me very well.  

For example, when I found out my job had been eliminated, my natural instinct would have been not to tell anyone about it. But what good would that have done? What is the point? So, I pulled a Costanza, did the complete opposite, and told everybody. Turns out, that is what got me my temporary assignment and kept me employed for three more months. Yeah, I would say that worked out well for me.

So, when this latest job popped up I figured I wouldn't have the time to interview, so I was going to let it go without pushing on it. But then again, why do that? Time to pull another Costanza. I not only called the hiring manager to make my case, but I set up an informational interview with him on Monday - during his only free 30 minutes he had during the entire day. I was not expecting him to accept, or if he did, I figured he would not have time to meet. Whatever - what is the worst that can happen - I don't get the job?  Turns out he did accept the invite and we did meet, and we got along great. He wants to bring me in for interviews next week.

I have no idea where this will go. I am scheduled to have my last day (again - the fifth one), Friday. It may extend for another week - maybe not. Something else might come up to extend it further. Whatever happens, I will be doing the opposite of what I think I should be doing when it comes to finding a job.

The 11th hour, again

Just a quick job update note.  It is the proverbial 11th hour for me (again).  My last day of my third extension is due to be tomorrow (Friday), which will ironically be my nine year anniversary here.  It is my expectation that this will be my last day with my employer.

But then again, it may not.

I had applied for a job internally about a week or so ago; I was not expecting them to be interviewing for it quite yet, but thanks to some favors being called in by my (kick @ss) HR manager, I found out Wednesday that I would be interviewing today.  I am not sure how it went - I think I was a little too energized.  But, I'll find out soon if I did well enough to go to the final round of interviews.  That would mean another extension.  Seriously.  There may also be another opportunity in the works, which could conceivably keep me here, as well, too.  The timeline may not work out, but I'll know more about that tomorrow, too.  

So, once again, facing my final day, I am not sure what will happen, again.  But through this whole process, I can not get over how nice and helpful folks have been to someone in need (aka me).  Even if neither of these work out, I'll walk away feeling that I did my best to explore every possible opportunity here and that everyone I know who said they would help, really tried to help.  I will leave with no complaints or hard feelings.

Should be an interesting next 20 hours for me.

Re-re-extended at work

Just a quick post to loyal BS readers that I am still (temporarily) employed. The one and only Danielle got me another re-re-extension (she is the greatest!), for another two weeks here. But I think this will be the last one.

The division that is paying for me has indicated in can not keep me on, and nothing has developed internally, so I will most likely be unemployed after Aug 14th. Interestingly, my first day of work here was also Aug 14th, nine years ago. Symbolism? Maybe - if you buy into that stuff. I'm not putting any meaning to it at all. What I know is that the sponsoring division has said they could not keep me on the books and that is it.

Now, things have changed before, so who knows. Also, there are other things going on outside, so maybe something good will come up soon. I for one am kinda looking for this to be over. I like being employed (and feeling useful), but the short term nature makes it tough to plan ahead: will I be here next month? will I not? what will I be doing? etc. Sometimes you need to rip of the bandage, and as unpleasant and sad as it will be to leave, that might need to happen.

On the plus side, I will have much more time for posting stories! My day has been too busy between working and finding work to get in a lot of fun or adventures, to say nothing of writing about them.

Thanks again to Danielle - she is the greatest. I am working on a large statue in her honor.