Journal JWSmythe's Journal: Things I Discovered Since Unemployment... 8
Here's a few insights that I've acquired since unemployment. I've been unemployed for about 3 months now, and technically homeless.
1) Laundry is much easier to do, when all you wear is shorts and sandals. Here in Florida, it's hot, so wearing a shirt is an unnecessary evil, and just gets sweaty anyways. (and yes, I'm in shape enough to do it)
2) Pants and socks feel funny. I actually dressed up one day and realized that all the extra clothes felt restricting. Well, and hot. I was much happier stripping down and putting just shorts back on. I'm not a nudist, I'm just practical. When it's 95 degrees out, anything you might be wearing is too much. I strongly encourage attractive women to do it too.
3) People with jobs can't come out to play as often. I am job hunting, but since 20% of the population is doing the same thing, I'm not getting any positive feedback. When I want to hang out with someone who is working, I have to wait for them to get off work, and we have to stop drinking early on Sunday night. That slows down my drunken weekends, when they have to get to bed "to go to work."
4) It can get really boring with nothing better to do. Some of you may have noticed an increase in my posting on here. Hey, I have time on my hands, in between sending off resumes, watching TV, and talking on the phone.
5) The headhunters are desperate too. Like I said, I'm in Florida. No, I don't want my resume sent off with 100 others, for a 3 month minimum wage job as an entry level programmer in a language I don't know, that would require me moving 1,000 miles. They don't quite understand why either. I don't exactly have the budget to move anywhere. After taxes, I'll be lucky to come home with $1k/mo, and that's not going to cover rent, power, water, food, and gas. I'd also have to break my lease at the end of 3 months, which won't go over that well either.
6) Picking up odd jobs can be fun. This month, I've:
Worked on a dozen cars.
Done plumbing work in a half dozen places,
Cleaned countless computers of viruses, malware, and stupid things that slow the machine down (how many toolbars do you really need for your browsers?).
Several days of "personal security" which consists of me owning a gun, which sat in the house, and me being there "just in case" something happened. At least they were good for conversations, or else I would have been bored out of my mind.
In doing the odd jobs, I've found they're asking me to do them, because they can't afford a "professional" to do them. Either way, when I'm done, it's still done right. I've taken "payment" in food, cigarettes, gas, and places to sleep. I did get someone to buy me a GPS, so I won't get quite so lost in strange cities. It's neat. I no longer have to call and say "I'm at this intersection" just to find out I'm in the wrong city.
All in all, I'd like to have a job again, and my own place to live. Since I haven't slept in the same place for more than about 3 days in a row, I'm getting to see a lot of places that I otherwise wouldn't have had time to. I have helped a lot of people out, and saved them a fortune. I usually tell them what the job would have cost by a "professional", and they "pay" me what they can afford, in the method that they can do it in. I've had some nice dinners in the comfort of someone elses home.
It's been interesting. I'm left with $20 in my pocket and couple 2 liters of soda, and a tank full of gas.
And as a side note, if you have work for me, I can be almost anywhere if you're paying gas, food, and a place to sleep.
Pity you don't live downunder (Score:1)
http://www.seek.com.au/users/apply/index.ascx?Sequence=89&PageNumber=1&ChannelID=1&SiteID=1&JobId=15879743 [seek.com.au]
"You will secure, maintain and administer Linux and/or Windows servers and desktops, including physical and virtual secure web servers, application servers, file servers and desktops. You will contribute to both long-term and strategic projects, as well as supporting day-to-day operations and managed services."
You could email them and see if they can take non-US types.
I emailed them. Wh
Re: (Score:2)
That does sound great for me. Well, except the Windows parts. I'll tell people every day that I don't do Windows, and then work on it anyways. :) That'd be a long walk for the interview though. :)
Good luck to you in getting that one.
Re: (Score:1)
Well I sent my resume to them when asked - so maybe the facts are going to ruin the story.
Did you check out their website? www.dotsec.com - they do lots of encryption, security type work.
Is the cost of an email really going to kill your budget? You could ask about translating some pay into relocation costs for the first year if it looks like it might get serious.
Sounds like you are working..... (Score:1)
..so just go with the flow and expand these businesses you are in. Why beat yourself up looking for a new massah to be pe-oned for? Diversification of income and work is a *good idea* today. Eggs and baskets and so on. And in Florida right now, I think you could probaby get some deals on used RVs, then you are never "homeless". I lived in my VW modded camper for a long time down there and worked various jobs. It wasn't hard at all to find a place to park either, private campgrounds, public parks witha two w
Re: (Score:2)
You are a man with a plan. :)
One of my coworkers from my last job just bought a large SUV to live in. I was pushing him towards a Class A motorhome (can be had very used for about $5k), but he wanted something "stealthy". He liked the idea of parking at say a 24-hour Walmart, and sleep in the back without being noticed. He's outfitting it right now, and will probably be on the road in a few weeks.
I went a slightly different direction with the motorhome idea.
Insurance (Score:1)
Insurance is LOADS cheaper with a factory built RV as opposed to a home made thing, no comparison. I own two now, combined it is 200 bucks a year, it would be a bit more with more miles driven and upping all the other insurance paramenters, but still a lot cheaper than the same size normal truck or van or bus.. My smaller one I lived in off and on a bunch, just a factory high top full sized van, with all the camping stuff in it, but it has always been registered as a full camper, from coachman, rather than
Shirts (Score:2)
It's funny you mention shirts - however hot it is, I *have* to wear one. It's just one of those things.
Was it you who had the bus? (Or did you end up having to sell it owing to unemployment...)
Although living in a bus would perhaps be difficult in the Florida heat, my Dad has an old mid-1970s bus (we call this kind of bus a "coach" here, the kind of thing used to take people from city to city or on tours, rather than a city bus) converted to an RV, and it strikes me that it could be quite a comfortable subs
Re: (Score:2)
Most days I look like I'm ready to jump in a pool. :)
Ya, my bus is the coach style. It's really big inside, versus like a school bus. There was a model that was made to do highway runs, and the only difference was the rear end gearing. I had that swapped out before I lost my high pay job. The only big difference is then that the regular "coach" buses have more storage underneath, and the have doors by design. Mine has several usable sections underneath 2' tall, 5' wide, and