a case of the Mondays

The great thing about this Monday, or today rather, is that I am off.. The best part is that it is 12:39am Sunday night/Monday morning. So, I will go to sleep and when I wake up I'll still be off.. I am hoping that tomorrow Elizabeth can continue are walks we have been taking together across the Lake Murray Dam.. Damn, that is a long way.. but we have walked it and we will continue to walk it. Trying to walk the walk you've gotta walk and we are.

Not much has changed since my last post. Still job hunting. Still broke. Still working at the NOH. I really love my job actually. It just a classic case of the job you have, doesn't pay what you need to afford your life. Elizabeth has been looking for jobs. That's gonna be great when she get's one. Though there are alot of logistical questions that coming with her working. Like Daycare? Will I stay at home? I think that those questions can really only be answered after she goes back to work and we cross the bridges when we get there. I would really like to keep working. I would love to find a job that pays enough so Elizabeth would only have to work partime or not at all.. Which may not be possible in todays economy. Even if I got another job it would probably take two in comes to make it. Bummer. We'll do what we have to do though. (as an aside, I absolutly hate how when you make a word document.. like say a resume... and then you upload it to a job finding website such as I dunno.. say Careerbuilder.com.. and it takes all of your columns and f*cks them up so you end up looking like a complete idiot, who can't make a professional resume. My wife spent all night working on my resume.. ;) lol.. We'll she did have a ton of pointers for me. She took a class..That's right a whole damn class that was a semester long. Where she learned all the ins and outs of resume writing, formatting, and job interviewing.. the works.. Basically, she could walk into any place anywhere and get the job.. All I had going for me, before she looked at my resume, was I bought the Resumes for Idiots Book, (that's right.. Idiots not dummies..I looked at the dummies one at Barnes and Noble and thought to myself.. "We'll Sh*t J. Allen.. ya'll ain't as learnt as ya'll thought... hmm...then I held up the book in the air and yelled to the little feller working the stock cart... "Ya'll got this here dummy book in Idiot?" But I digress).. skimmed though the book like 7 months ago..lost it in the move and then tried to remember what it said.. while I was writing my resume the other night.. So what I am trying to say is.. Thank the good and almighty for my wife.)

The End

Man Looking For Jobs is Tough

This is like night 100 or so of me looking online for jobs and filling out their online applications and resume uploads and all of that.  So far, out all that I have done. I have gotten a reply from a Teaching English Abroad Program (in Korea).. and a PA Insurance Company. Both of which I responded too.. Today.  I didn't think the English abroad would have really though I was a candidate. But they were the first people to send me an email wanting to set up an interview. I guess having spent time there submerged into the culture, history, and day to day living and that being on my resume was more of a hit than I realized..I was reading their website and it sounds very cool.. but.. they never mention anywhere about Americans Teaching and having families over there. So.. It may not be in the cards.. I sent a reply to them tonight asking about that. It is my top priority that my family be in my daily life, living with me, and all of that.. So if they can't go.. then.. No DICE!!! But I may call the recruiter tomorrow and set up an interview if I don't receive an email reply by tomorrow night. 

I have been using a website careerbuilder.com to look for jobs.. There are alot of jobs out there it seems. I think I struggle with the ol', "find a job that you think best suites you or is like you, or that makes you happy" and I read job description after job description and fill out application after application.. but I don't really see something that looks like me. or like.. you would be totally happy doing that. There really aren't any jobs like that around here.. I think.. I read about jobs doing movies and sound and stuff like that.. which sound really awesome.. which I found out about on the timewaner website..  but they are all in other places.. I guess nothing like that really goes on for anything that would be considered a consistent basis here in South Carolina.  

Sometimes I do think I would like to be a teacher of some sort. Speaking of that this past Wed. I taught my first bass lesson at Munson's music store in Newberry. I have been reading information online about teaching for the past couple of days. Since the lesson and this whole Korea thing.. and a vast majority of them always talk about having passion and drive for the subject matter. I often think to myself if I do. I used to feel like.. with music.. it was all I wanted to do.. all I wanted to be.. When I was in college, there were many days where I would practice at least 8 hours a day. I am not sure if I have the drive or the fire like that anymore. Is that a process of just growing up? How am I supposed to get a student excited if I am not? I feel more like a sound engineer.. and unfortunately since I do live engineering.. I never have to do anything that a recording engineer has to do.. like listen to a producer and take notes on the session.. So, I often wonder if I am  just a "Sound Guy" or if I am a Sound Engineer..

I feel like.. I need some kind of change. One change that is going on around here is that Elizabeth and I have been taking sometime out of each day to go for a walk on the Lake Murray Dam.  It is great to get out and move. I love doing that. We have alot of fun. We made it 5 days in a row.. Tonight would have been our 6th.. but we didn't make it tonight.. we are both tired.  We are hopefully going to get up in the morning and go. I am a little disappointed we didn't go tonight.. I really look forward to that with her all day long. It kinda gets me through the day at work..  

I have felt handy the past couple of days. I never been much of a handy man. My grandfather, my dad, and my dad are all really handy men.. they can fix and build anything. Well.. Soon I may join the ranks.. before christmas the dogs dug up the back yard.. So I went to K-mart (of all places) and bought some 4 bags dirt and a Tool to spread the dirt around with for all under $10.. (I may yet join the ranks of being a crafty consumer and being good with money)  and I filled in the wholes and kinda leveled off the back yard.. The only problem is.. that it has been rainy since then so.. the back yard is completely covered in mud.. and therefore the dogs are always covered in mud. A Couple of days ago, Elizabeth accidently knocked the sliding door to the laundry room off it's hinge and it feel off.. Well.. I fixed that. then today the hot water heater went out.. and I couldn't get it at first.. and we had to take baths by boiling water( thanks Elizabeth for all of your water boiling) but when I got home from work.. I got it to work.. and today I changed the batteries in one of Noah's riding toys.. (much to his mom's dismay ;) now it seems he drove her crazy with it all day.) but I have felt kinda on it.. Been working hard.. Even at work.. Which Last month I totally busted my @$$ at work.. there were so many days where we had 2 shows  a day.. that makes for such a long day.. but this month I think there are only two or three.. and we don't have as many shows this month as last month.. I am so relieved.

Kids grow up so fast. Noah doesn't look like a little baby anymore. He doesn't feel like it my arms.. He squirms so much. ;) He is always on the go. Running here and there..  Picking things up and moving them.. He is into everything. He is talking up a storm. Some in English and some in his own made up language. He'll point to something and look at me and say Daddy and then go on to talk about the thing he is pointing at in some indecernable  tongue and although I can't understand him.. He can understand me. He can do pretty much anything I ask him. Go and up and down stairs by himself.. I wish I could say they were all under parental supervision.. but if you give him a second he'll be up the stairs and half way back before you and get to him..  It is really amazing.  And now my little girl is getting so big. Tonight she was eating baby food. And she doesn't look like a newborn anymore. It is kinda sad. Although she has become the sweetest little thing. Nothing but smiles.. always reaching for me. or mom.. and even Noah.. She loves him.. She loves for him to be around.. It makes me wish I had grown up around my siblings. She smiles at him. She is "talking now too" though just noises really.. she laughs.. and she is sitting up all on her own.. though she occasionally has to be helped up after she slumps over.. but not very often..  

and last but not least there is Elizabeth. I love you Boo.. Thanks for all that you are doing with the kids.. and all that you do for me.. 

Got my phone.. At work.. Up and pingin' it again.