What times
What times we live in.  North Korea is firing off rockets like a 13 year old on the fourth of July.  Obama is throwing money around like confetti.  And soon it will have the same value... We need more money - just print some more.  Just like Rhodesia and the Weimar Republic.   Russia is commenting that we are becoming too socialist.  GM has gone from being the worlds biggest auto company to being Government motors.  Mom, Apple Pie, and Chinalet. 

Spring has sprung

 

Well we are finally drying out.  We have had back to back sunny days for the first time in a long time.  The farmers must be pulling their hair out from frustration.  They are just now planting full bore.  They are way behind where they typically are for this time of year due to all of the rain. 

 We are putting out 2 gardens this year.  The second will have popcorn and cucumbers.  Since the cucumbers practically took over the garden last year, we are segregating them now.

 We have a new addition - Tucker the border collie.  He is a young dog about a year old.  Full of energy and smart.  Joe has been entrusted as his caretaker.  We shall see how long this set up lasts...

Luxottica made a counter offer to Union Central (more $$) and I start as a full time employee on Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day.  Nice to be wanted after floating around so long like a leaf in a breeze.  Now I shall have to put down roots again. For awhile I was thinking of getting out of programming and use my business degree. 

Did buy a new car, a Suziki SX4 with AWD and a stick shift.  I did look at some American cars.  But none of them had what I wanted and were more expensive.  The ole pickup truck is being retired to the farm for the time being.  It is definetly better on gas than the truck.  around 28mpg going to and from work.

Joe bought another camaro - a fixer upper that he found on craiglists.  Motor is shot (it runs but knocks badly) but the body is great. So the plan is to pull the motor from his wrecked Camaro and put it in the new one.  He gets out of school next week, so he should have all the time in the world to get this done.

 Chelsea is maintaining.  Spring term ends shortly but she is taking summer classes.  So no time off for her. She does have a job at L3 Technologies next fall. Sinclair helped her find it.  The job will be an internship. By coincidence, it is practically around the corner from me. So we may be able to commute in September. 

Vanessa's husband, Eric, is working part time for Home City Ice. They called him back.  Hopefully it goes back to full time as the weather gets warmer. 

Chad has been cleaning up some of his stuff.  Found out that we can save $500 per year on insurance, once we get the place cleaned and painted.  So that is incentive for us to put the whip to Chad.  Have to admit he has worked hard and done a good job with his stuff. Went to eat out and watch Star Trek with Chad and Sarah.  They wore Star Trek shirts. The movie was good and we all had a good time.  Live long and Prosper.

 

 

Spring - New Beginings

Well change is still happening for me.  When I got the job at Luxottica, I also applied at several different places. I was contacted by Union Central Insurance for an interview.  Last week they extended an offer and I accepted. It is pernament job and for more money.  Plus I get to do some leadership as well as do programming. I start there May 4.  So I am a gypsy no more.

 I feel bad about leaving Luxottica.  I enjoy the work, and have learned new things.  People were nice - a good cooperative working environment.  I guess that I hate to leave in the middle of a job.  So I kind of feel guilty about that.  It was a 3 month contract and I will leave at the end of the 2nd month. 

 The contracting has made me more confident.  When I worked at Medco, I was so nervous.  It was my first IT job outside of LexisNexis.  Would I be able to learn new things - would I be able to learn a new system, computer languages, culture, etc.  I was slow in the first month, then I hit a groove and things started to fall in place.  So when I got to Luxottica - I came in calmer and with the knowledge that I can do this. So this should serve me well at Union Central.

Today has been tractor day.  I got the alternator hooked up on the Moline in the morning. Then did some welding on the bucket where some of the old welds were cracking. Joe told me the garden tractor wouldn't start so I spent the afternoon on it.  The teeth were ground off of the starter.  Had to take a lot of tin off to get to it, then run to Eaton to get a new gear for the starter. 

 Chelsea is trying to buy a house.  I am co-signing for it.  I have co-signed so many student loans - why not co-sign for a house as well.  It is a small story and a half house on a 1/5 acre lot.  A good starter home for a young person.   She is hoping to get it at a greatly reduced price as it is headed for foreclosure. We know the guy who did a lot of the work to the house (his daughter is the one that owned it and walking away from the property)and so we know that good quality was used inside.  If we get for the price we hope to get it for then I can always turn around and rent it if some how she can't keep up with it or has to move away.  She also may have a co-op job at L3 Technologies in Mason. She interviews in a week. But they sounded very interested from the email that she forwarded to me. 

 Helped Vanessa and Eric do a steel roof on their house.  It is cheaper and 'greener' than traditonal shingles. It is an energy star product.  We got it half done as the counter guy miscalculated on the number of sheets needed.  He ordered exactly half the shingles, but got the felt, trim, and metal screws correct.  Go figure. Once the other half comes in I will go back over and help them finish up.

 Joe has prom next week. We let him rent a Tux.  He is taking a girl that he met at McDonalds - Jeri.  They are kinda sorta seeing each other.  She is coming over tomorrow to visit for the day.

Chad and Sarah doing OK. Not much new to report. Sarah has been doing some part time painting and tutoring to make some extra $$ on the side.  He is still rebuilding the Sprint.   I think that it is a second job. That vehicle had better last another 200K miles after all the work that he has put into it. 

 

 

 

 

Marching into Spring

OK one more comment about Congress and the AIG bonuses.  Does anyone else find it ironic that Congress is getting into an uproar about someone misspending government money???  People in glass houses...

NCR is cutting back - another Dayton firm slowly vacating a dying city. 

 Empty Parking Lots -  That is something that you see more and more of. Big empty buildings that used to house vibrant companies and surrounded by massive empty parking lot. Almost like a moat. 

Drove by the truck plant in Moraine the other day.  I had to do a double take.  There used to be trains, one area full of new Blazers and S-10's, and the parking lots filled with the workers vehicles.  Now it is barren, quite a contrast.  And on my way to and from work, I see more of the same.

 

Springy

Have had some springy weather as of late.  It has warmed up and so we have been able to get some stuff done outside.  Getting some cleanup done. 

Chad and Sarah are off for a long weekend in Tennessee helping out habitat for humanity.  He bought a new hammer for the project - made sure it was American made to help out our economy, not China's. 

 Joe has made some progress with the Dodge. But I think that there is a negative correlation between the number of friends at the car and the amount of work done.  In other words, the more kids, the less work. 

I just shake my head at the government. Give Billions to AIG, they give out millions to their execs as bonuses.  Now they want to tax the bonuses.  What a circus sideshow.  The whole situation is one big mess.  But one point that is it illustrates is how politicians can reward or punish willy nilly with the stroke of a pen. Hope that folks take notice and get more involved with politics.  

 One point that isn't getting much notice is that one of senators put the provision in the bill that allowed these bonuses. So they created the situation and now they are going to punish the guys that got the bonuses. The senator that put the rider in the bill - just shrugs his shoulders and says oops - don't blame me...

This week it is the executives, but where next will the eye of congress fix its gaze?   Nobody knows, but everyone better watch their wallets.

 

greasy again
Topic: Joe

Joe is finally working on his car. The game plan now is to pull the transmission from the Mirada and put it in the Dodge Dart. We pushed the Miranda in the barn and are taking everything loose. Good progress on the first day.  Fun to get greasy again. Brings back memories of working on cars back in the day. Told Joe that he is lucky to have a nice place to work on it + power tools.  When I was growing we had to work in the driveway with hand tools and if it was winter out, then tough luck.

One factor that kept getting in the way was Joe's cell phone. He would work for half hour and then someone would call. I told him he needed to turn it off. I guess there is some intense stuff going on with him and some girl. 

Spring
I have ran into three former LexisNexis people at Luxottica, so it is helpful to have some familiar faces. 

Joe and some of his friends came over and rode 4 wheelers this weekend. We let them camp out in the back field.  The one boy did not see an old tractor tire and hit it. It damaged the 4 wheeler but he was unscratched.  He appeared unconcerned about the damage and said that it had been banged up worse than that and they had repaired it. He also went to birthday party for a girl from Eaton, they rented out the American legion.  And prom is coming in a month or so. So he is leading quite the social life, but he needs to buckle down and get to work on his car.  He has had some good weather, but he plays video games instead...

Chelsea's Toyota broke down.  But her boyfriends brother looked at it and found that it was a loose sensor which caused it not to start.  So that turned out to be an easy fix. She is doing well at school, but working and going to Sinclair is wearing her out. She is going to try and find a co-op job in her specialty. Hopefully that will pay better than Walmart.

Had lunch with Vanessa and her coworkers the other day. At Noodles and Co. -first time that I ate there and it was good.  I work about 10 minutes from where Vanessa works.  We plan to get together every so often. 

Chad is super busy, taxes, rebuilding the engine on his car, and so forth.  Plus the big tile on his property is getting bad.  He has a big sink hole in his driveway.  He plans to pay for a guy to come out and just redo it all. Then have the guy reroute it away from his house.  For the long run, I think that it is the smart thing to do. 

jaded

Definitely in a melancoly(sp) mood right. Am working at the new job at Luxottica.  But I just don't feel the fire.  After losing my last two jobs due to economy it is hard to get excited about a new position. Why involve your self in a job that is scheduled for 3 months. If the economy tanks some more then they will either release you or send the job to India.  I hate to say it but I am developing the Steve Leugers mercenary mentally - put in my 8 hours and that is it.

 I mean I am putting in good effort, but I just can't see myself putting in extra time off the clock like I did for Medco.  Maybe I am just depressed.  Becky says that she noticed a change in attitude for this job vs when I started the last one. She says that I will come around - just going thru a rough spot. 

And the economy is still like a frigate in typhoon - taking on water, but no one knows how to run the pumps. And some would say that the actions of the government are like punching new holes in the hull. Layoffs every day from major companies.  Preble County and Dayton unemployment is over 12%.  GM might as well declare bankruptcy.  It is a black hole - if the government puts more money into it they are absolutely mad.  It is losing Billions and Billions of dollars. 

I put some money into the stock market. 2 out of 3 are doing OK.  I may have to dump the one stock.  It is a strong bank, but the losses of the other weak banks are dragging it down.  So I may have to get rid of it if it drops any more.  

Poor Chelsea is going thru a rough spot too.  The IRS is gigging her for a mistake on last years return and she has to pay back some money and today her car broke down. So she is at her wits end. 

Joe went to a meeting for the prom committee tonight.  Wonder who he will take.  I will put my money on Jeri, a girl he met at McDonalds.  

 

 

The times they are a changin'

 

Just found out that the Tradin' Post is going out of business.  It was a weekly that you could find in most carry outs.  The place to look for a car as well as other stuff.  With Craigslist and Ebay I guess that it was a matter of time before enough people listed their items on the internet before it made the Tradin' Post obsolete. 

And the other print media is getting hit too.  I haven't subscribed to a paper for years. I get all my news off of the internet.  And you can see that we are in the middle of a gigantic shift. From print to electronic delivery of news and information.  Why watch the 6 o'clock news - you can watch news 24 hours a day on the news channel or get news real time on the internet.  

Unemployment in Ohio is the worst since the early 1980's.  We are at 8.8%; the highest that it was in the 80's was over %13.  I guess that it is worse up in Michigan.  

Obama is making changes lightening quick and is being very agressive. With the economy in a tailspin, he is tacking on spending programs left and right.  But at some point the bills come due.  He promises no new taxes except for the rich.  But I suspect that either the definition of rich will change or the definition of taxes will change.  Already I am hearing of carbon credits and an increase of the gas tax.  So I am thinking that the income tax may be left alone while other things are taxed.  

 My situation has improved - at least temporarily.  I start at new job on Monday.  It is a 3 month contract to migrate software from an unix system to a linux system.  Sounds like they also need some reporting done and so forth.  So it could easily go over 3 months if they want all of  the items on the wish list.  It's either feast or famine.  I also got a call back from another company.  They were ready to offer, but I told them that I had made a commitment and wanted to stick to it.  I think it is bad karma to break a commitment like that and switch.  So time will tell using integrity will pay off or not.  The contract doesn't pay that much money, but it's something.

My dealings with the TAA and the TRA (programs for displaced workers) are mired in red tape and bureaucracy. My claims were denied, I am appealling but it is an uphill struggle.  I have spent several hours on the phone to no avail.  It is easy for the government to take your money in taxes.  But when it is time to get something back, they throw umpteen obstacles in your path.  I am about to give it up and forget about it.  

random thoughts
Mood:  down

Got feedback on one job interview.  I was over qualified.  The company told the recruiter that I would be bored in two weeks.  I dunno, working beats hanging around the ole homestead.  Had another interview today, seemed to go OK, but I'll have to wait and see.

 Read an article about the number of engineers here from overseas on visas. Seems that companies are laying off older Americans but keeping the (younger) visa engineers.  Doesn't seem right to keep the Indians and Chinese employed here in the states while laying off Americans, but I guess it is all about saving money.  

 I know that in the stimulus package that some of the money is earmarked for digitializing medical records.  But that is a job that just screams for outsourcing. Why hire American Engineers to do the work when it can be outsourced for cheaper? 

 Using the business portion of my degree sometimes seems like more of an option. 

 Helped Jon a little with CAD program that makes instructions for his CNC mill.  Seems the software generated by the program is not understood by the machine. Got one problem fixed, but need some more info from the company on the other.