sands in the hour glass

No one should want to "kill" time. No matter how you spend it, time should be a resource to squeeze every drop out of, a finite space that there to fill to the best of your ability.

That being said, getting laid off gives you a lot more time than you might be used to, and occasionally you have to get creative to fill those empty spots.

One thing I really regret about my old job is having to cut off a bracelet I bought on my honeymoon. B/c I was usually handling several large reptiles and amphibians that would cling to loose articles or jewelry with claws or tails, the conch shell bracelet had to go. I had been wearting it for over two years as a reminder of how much fun we had, but also to give me something sunny to think of in December and January. Bummer. And when I got laid off, one positive I took away was the idea of picking up something similar to signify moving on in life when I found a new job.

Forward to six months later, and I don't think it would hurt to spoil myself and pick something up even though I'm still looking. But to buy something, when I don't have a paycheck? Questionable at best. So let's recycle.

Cycle being key here. I think it would be cool to pick up a bike chain bracelet. But do I want to buy something?No. That wouldn't really make sense with all the parts I've got around. So cleaning a bit of chain would be a good way to make use of the morning.Cleaned, and with a bit of innertube tied into something that I could hopefully take off in one piece if I ever line up another interview. Fantastic. Now to savor the rest of my beautiful Friday.

Current beer-scale: 7.1 and about to get lower! Downtown drinking!

I had an interesting phone interview the other day. Actually, it was more of an experience than an interview. And why is that? B/c 40 minutes after the scheduled phone call, I still hadn't heard anything and emailed the woman I thought was going to be calling asking if we should reschedule.

One trend I've noticed in this job search versus my last one is that people are using group emails to set up preliminary phone interviews with candidates. They're usually just blocks of time and a request to list which times work for you with no other contact info other than the email. So when something like that happens, there's no number to call to check in or anything.

Evidently the interviewer had tried to call but hadn't gotten through. And instead of leaving me a voicemail or phone number just moved onto the next candidate. Granted, with the numbers of applicants I've been told people are getting I don't really blame her for moving on. But I would have appreciated at least a way to call her if she couldn't call me. She asked to reschedule, but at that point I felt it was in my best interest to withdraw and move on myself. That's if I can get by the sneaking suspicion that my phone is absolute crap. How many times has that happened where someone couldn't get through and just moved on? I'm going to be totally paranoid about this now.

Besides, I've got enough apps out there eventually I'll get lucky. Except with the Red Cross, who evidently either don't pay anything or don't read the entire applications they get. I've applied there twice, and each time gotten an email about how due to my "salary expectations" I'm not a viable candidate. Remembering that after the first one, I greatly reduced my salary guess and included a note on the second application that salary wasn't as important to me than finding a position where I was supporting a mission I could get behind. Still, same email. Oh well.

Back to the grindstone. Besides, it's too nice out now to work anyway. The dog agrees.

No I will not get in the car daddy.

Current beer-scale: 2.3, low after last night's game 7

That was rough, but well worth the trip. And in all actually, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. 1200 miles in just over 30 hours, plus another 300+ in the rental. What hurt the most though was the look on my friend's face as one of the pallbearers as the funeral service ended. Just heartbreaking.

That look alone made me glad he had so much support there for the day. I got to unwind a little at the Buffalo airport, where the LaBatt is delicious from being so close. That was the best beer I've had in a long time.

Current beer-scale: high and unquenched.

Out of town

A friend's dad passed away over the weekend and I should be getting ready for my trip, or at least looking into booking a hotel and a car for a night in Buffalo. Instead after running some errands on Frankenbike I'm taking a second run at some of the blemishes in the paint job from last fall.That's what happens when you put the frame back in the car too early I guess. But it sanded off easy enough and I still have some spray paint so what the hell. It's just intensive enough to take my mind off things for a while.Of course, when you do things half-assed in an attempt to put off packing for a trip that's going to be really sad, things can go awry. Hence my previously all-black groove stem now appearing in a "stardust" colorway. Oops. Well, when your bike is crap why not just make the whole thing crap. And yeah, that's also the light-holder in the picture. Fuck it, I didn't want to take the entire headset off.
As the clear enamel dries I have in fact had plenty of time to put a bag together, I just haven't bothered. And it's not that I don't want to go--this is to support a good friend and someone I care about. It's what I should do and I have no problem going. Paying for everything when I've been out of work for 6 months might be another issue, but that's just part of dealing with everything. This really isn't the place to ruminate on death and the nature of life either; it's just sobering is all. And I think I'll be looking at this picture to get a smile a lot over the next two days.

Current beer-scale: not high