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Thursday, January 24, 2013
FOUR YEARS LATER, MID-AFTERNOON
Well, here I am, four years after my last post writing in the middle of the afternoon. The last time I wrote it was about 3am and the heater had awakened me. Today, I decided to view my blog, a forgotten link to the outside world, and begin to write again.
Many things have changed since the time I last wrote on my blog. I finally graduated and received my Real Estate certification, passed the real estate licensing exam, and was issued a license in June, 2010. I have been working in the industry for the last two and a half years and have learned quite a bit since I began. This blog is about the five most important lessons about the real estate industry, and human nature, that I've learned. I'm only going to cover one point per blog because all five at once is just too much to write about.
1. There is nothing that can't happen in a real estate transaction.
Since I've been working primarily with buyers, the examples given are from a Buyer's agent perspective.
It all appears easy on paper - buyer finds a home, makes sure they are preapproved for a loan, makes an offer, offer is accepted, contract goes mutual, escrow is established, inspection of home is performed, any inspection issues are resolved, buyer and seller mutually agree to move forward after inspection to closing, contract closes, property title is recorded, buyer gets the keys and becomes the new owner. Voila!
Well, not so fast. From the time the offer is submitted to the time we get to the voila portion of the process, there can be, and usually are, any number of stumbling blocks that can slow down the closing and sale. There can be anything as simple as a signature missing on contract paperwork, to a house with a foundation crack found at inspection that needs to be repaired to the tune of $20,000 by the seller. Or, there may be an uncooperative buyer and/or seller, or BOTH! Human nature and personalities play a huge part in all transactions of life, and selling/buying a home can bring out all sorts of personality traits, some that can help to sink the purchase and sale process.
The best way to begin the transaction is with clear and concise communications via telephone and email with all parties involved. Setting this up at the beginning of the transaction can help to prevent any misunderstandings along the way. Clear, concise and correct paperwork is another way to state the contractual agreement between the two parties and help to avoid any disagreements that may occur.
There isn't anything that can't be remedied with a bit of ingenuity, experience, cooperation, negotiation and a smile. This is not always the case and not everything can be overcome. However, working along with a cooperative listing agent, a proactive Closing Agent who can be an ally in the mix and, even more so, cooperative and understanding buyers and sellers, can hasten the closing of a transaction and have a happy outcome for all.
Many things have changed since the time I last wrote on my blog. I finally graduated and received my Real Estate certification, passed the real estate licensing exam, and was issued a license in June, 2010. I have been working in the industry for the last two and a half years and have learned quite a bit since I began. This blog is about the five most important lessons about the real estate industry, and human nature, that I've learned. I'm only going to cover one point per blog because all five at once is just too much to write about.
1. There is nothing that can't happen in a real estate transaction.
Since I've been working primarily with buyers, the examples given are from a Buyer's agent perspective.
It all appears easy on paper - buyer finds a home, makes sure they are preapproved for a loan, makes an offer, offer is accepted, contract goes mutual, escrow is established, inspection of home is performed, any inspection issues are resolved, buyer and seller mutually agree to move forward after inspection to closing, contract closes, property title is recorded, buyer gets the keys and becomes the new owner. Voila!
Well, not so fast. From the time the offer is submitted to the time we get to the voila portion of the process, there can be, and usually are, any number of stumbling blocks that can slow down the closing and sale. There can be anything as simple as a signature missing on contract paperwork, to a house with a foundation crack found at inspection that needs to be repaired to the tune of $20,000 by the seller. Or, there may be an uncooperative buyer and/or seller, or BOTH! Human nature and personalities play a huge part in all transactions of life, and selling/buying a home can bring out all sorts of personality traits, some that can help to sink the purchase and sale process.
The best way to begin the transaction is with clear and concise communications via telephone and email with all parties involved. Setting this up at the beginning of the transaction can help to prevent any misunderstandings along the way. Clear, concise and correct paperwork is another way to state the contractual agreement between the two parties and help to avoid any disagreements that may occur.
There isn't anything that can't be remedied with a bit of ingenuity, experience, cooperation, negotiation and a smile. This is not always the case and not everything can be overcome. However, working along with a cooperative listing agent, a proactive Closing Agent who can be an ally in the mix and, even more so, cooperative and understanding buyers and sellers, can hasten the closing of a transaction and have a happy outcome for all.
Friday, February 19, 2010
I Need A Job
It's been a year this weekend since I was last employed. I haven't wasted the entire year; I did go back to school. I decided to take Real Estate courses, although some people may think that's really a waste of my time because of the economic conditions that are still plaguing that industry, not to mention that while there are still jobs in the industry, the buying and selling has really slowed down. No, I'm not paying for the education; the Community College I attend and some other sources have paid for my credits and a portion of my books.
I didn't want to go back into the field I've worked in for the past 32 years, but it seems that it's the only place I can make a living, not wait until things turn around, and offer my experience in an ever-changing landscape. That landscape is the advertising industry. Try as I may to get away and reinvent myself in a new career, occasional opportunities arise that entice me to interview and, gee maybe, get a job.
I feel though that my world is slowly falling apart and it's not getting any better. My husband and I have made it this far with unemployment and his career as a musician/instructor, but the need for entertainment really slowed down this past year and it really hasn't gotten a lot better. He still has students to teach, and occasionally fills in for the head of the music department at a university that majors in the arts, but other than that, it has been a slow go. I'm receiving Emergency Unemployment, but that doesn't cover all our costs and it's getting a little close to the bone as to how we can make up the dollars to pay for it all.
Fortunately, there is no credit card debt, the car is paid for, and we don't have any catastrophic health issues. I pray to God that we remain healthy, especially me since I have not health insurance (my husband served in the military so he is at least entitled to Veterans care). The problems that do exist are the car needs a brake job and it's costly, but the worst is that my sister has had a mini-stroke, lives alone 3,500 miles away, and I don't have the money to purchase a ticket and get to her so I can be of some help while she recovers. I can't stop worrying about how she's doing and know she needs help, but there is really no one to call and get her help.
What bothers me is the predicament that this country, and many of its people, are in. My parents taught me to work hard, have integrity, do a good job. Well, I've done all those things, and I'm still unemployed. Years ago you were a real loser if you were unemployed. There was something really wrong with you. Not now; unemployment means that you proably worked for losers and they couldn't handle their business. Hey, why should they give up their multi-million dollar home, exotic cars (and the must-have Range Rover or the like), trips abroad, and millions in bonus money? Why worry about me and my life, or the lives of millions of other Americans who did the same thing I did by working with integrity, just to be thrown out into the cold of the world and live on unemployment benefits (I've always wondered why they use the word "benefit" with unemployment, as if it's a really good thing to have. I just don't get being unemployed as a benefit).
In the past five years, I've been unemployed three times. Each of the positions that I had were eliminated, due to economics in one way or another. I'd like to eliminate some of the players that caused these eliminations due to economics. The first layoff was due to politics; they lost three major ad accounts and had to close the branch I worked in; the second was due to people impersonating being good when they were not. The radio program I produced became competition to their big, Golden Goose radio program on the sister station, so that ended that. The last was due to the economic crisis we are in right now. A whole year and nothing has really changed.
The media is reporting that the White House sees economic improvement. Really? Why haven't I been touched with this magic? Why are others, like myself, tired and disgusted by the same rhetoric we hear over and over on the news. Or better, the ANNOYING people who do special advice reports for people looking for work. They talk about your resume, where to look, how to be proactive in your search and approach to a potential interview; cheery, cheery faces going on and on and on. What's annoying? They're not telling me anything new and different and they have a job. Get out of my face with your smile and advice. Report on something else.
I'm too done with this stage of my life. I thought at this time I could look forward to retirement. What a laugh. All I look forward to is an answer to a resume submission, and possibly getting back to work. With the way things are working out, I'll probably end up on Social Security before I see a job.
I didn't want to go back into the field I've worked in for the past 32 years, but it seems that it's the only place I can make a living, not wait until things turn around, and offer my experience in an ever-changing landscape. That landscape is the advertising industry. Try as I may to get away and reinvent myself in a new career, occasional opportunities arise that entice me to interview and, gee maybe, get a job.
I feel though that my world is slowly falling apart and it's not getting any better. My husband and I have made it this far with unemployment and his career as a musician/instructor, but the need for entertainment really slowed down this past year and it really hasn't gotten a lot better. He still has students to teach, and occasionally fills in for the head of the music department at a university that majors in the arts, but other than that, it has been a slow go. I'm receiving Emergency Unemployment, but that doesn't cover all our costs and it's getting a little close to the bone as to how we can make up the dollars to pay for it all.
Fortunately, there is no credit card debt, the car is paid for, and we don't have any catastrophic health issues. I pray to God that we remain healthy, especially me since I have not health insurance (my husband served in the military so he is at least entitled to Veterans care). The problems that do exist are the car needs a brake job and it's costly, but the worst is that my sister has had a mini-stroke, lives alone 3,500 miles away, and I don't have the money to purchase a ticket and get to her so I can be of some help while she recovers. I can't stop worrying about how she's doing and know she needs help, but there is really no one to call and get her help.
What bothers me is the predicament that this country, and many of its people, are in. My parents taught me to work hard, have integrity, do a good job. Well, I've done all those things, and I'm still unemployed. Years ago you were a real loser if you were unemployed. There was something really wrong with you. Not now; unemployment means that you proably worked for losers and they couldn't handle their business. Hey, why should they give up their multi-million dollar home, exotic cars (and the must-have Range Rover or the like), trips abroad, and millions in bonus money? Why worry about me and my life, or the lives of millions of other Americans who did the same thing I did by working with integrity, just to be thrown out into the cold of the world and live on unemployment benefits (I've always wondered why they use the word "benefit" with unemployment, as if it's a really good thing to have. I just don't get being unemployed as a benefit).
In the past five years, I've been unemployed three times. Each of the positions that I had were eliminated, due to economics in one way or another. I'd like to eliminate some of the players that caused these eliminations due to economics. The first layoff was due to politics; they lost three major ad accounts and had to close the branch I worked in; the second was due to people impersonating being good when they were not. The radio program I produced became competition to their big, Golden Goose radio program on the sister station, so that ended that. The last was due to the economic crisis we are in right now. A whole year and nothing has really changed.
The media is reporting that the White House sees economic improvement. Really? Why haven't I been touched with this magic? Why are others, like myself, tired and disgusted by the same rhetoric we hear over and over on the news. Or better, the ANNOYING people who do special advice reports for people looking for work. They talk about your resume, where to look, how to be proactive in your search and approach to a potential interview; cheery, cheery faces going on and on and on. What's annoying? They're not telling me anything new and different and they have a job. Get out of my face with your smile and advice. Report on something else.
I'm too done with this stage of my life. I thought at this time I could look forward to retirement. What a laugh. All I look forward to is an answer to a resume submission, and possibly getting back to work. With the way things are working out, I'll probably end up on Social Security before I see a job.
Monday, March 9, 2009
IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE MY LAST JOB
The last time I counted anything down by days or weeks was when I was a kid going to Catholic confession. For those of you who have never had the experience of attending Saturday afternoon confession, you enter a curtained confessional booth, wait for the priest of your choice to slide back the confessional panel (I mean really, should I call it a confessional panel? Why not a regular wood panel) and ask him to bless you because you have sinned and it's been three days, two weeks, two months, since your last confession.
Well, it's been quite some time since my last confession, but I'm not telling how long. I think whatever you do in life is a personal thing - whether you steal, commit adultery, chew gum in church, whatever - you know you've done it and so does the Almighty, however you view Him (or Her) or believe. Or not. Since politics and religion are a touchy subject, I'll leave it at that. I'm not about to make this a religious forum about what's right and wrong. Unless you're shizophrenic, you just know what you should and should not do, so deal with it.
Take for example a friend of mine who walked out of a music store with $5.00 more than he should have had in his pocket because the night cashier, a young college kid, really didn't know how to distribute change for a purchase. I know, because years ago, I was a cashier, and the way I was taught was start with the pennies, then nickels, then dimes or quarters, then the bills. This was the way you were taught in the days when the cash register didn't automatically tell you the change to give the customer, just the sale amount that was rung. You know, the days of when you actually had to use your brain, rather than electronics becoming the brain.
Even though this register actually showed how much change to give to the customer, he got it wrong. Anyway, when my friend laughingly started to pocket the money, I stopped him and told him that the $5.00 would come out of that kid's paycheck if he didn't give it back. It could also make the manager think that maybe this kid was trying to steal from the cash register, instead of thinking that maybe he didn't train him properly about the foolproof method of making change for a sale. My friend stared at me for a nanosecond, then turned on his heel, walked back to the music store, got the cashier's attention and handed him back the $5.00. Of course, I heard complaints for about three blocks how hanging out with me was turning him into a goody-two-shoes, but that's his problem. The point is, he knew he should have returned the money while he was in the store and he didn't. It wasn't an accident. That's different. If you find out that you're $5.00 richer because you didn't check how much change you received until the next time you look in your wallet, it doesn't count. That's an accident. Richer minus the guilt.
Okay, so what is it that one confesses on those Saturday afternoons? If you're a kid, you confess that you chewed gum at mass, or said a curse word ten times, or sassed your mother (I said this was when I was a kid. Nowadays, it seems sassing your mom or dad is sport for some kids). If you were an adult, that was a different confession. Anyway, after you spill the beans on your sinful life for the week, you pray the Act of Contrition (the "I'm sorry that I'm not perfect" prayer), the priest prays that let's you know you have been forgiven of your confessed sins. Then he assigns a penance that is in the form of repeated prayers. Like the Lord's Prayer ten times, or the Hail Mary prayer ten times or any combination of these and other prayers. If you sinned really badly (the adult stuff) you had to say a whole rosary, maybe even two. That will keep you busy for about an hour or more. I'm not sure if this was a way to be absolved, or a way of getting you to stop sinning that particular sin, since it takes a long time to pray a rosary. No, I don't know type of penance is given when you confess to the really bad sins, like robbing a bank, or murder. That you'll have to ask a priest about. I'm sure they receive confession training at the seminary and cover that topic. The only thing I do know is that the priest cannot reveal the confession, even to the police, and the priest can withold the act of confession or forgiveness from the person. The priest also requests that the person turn themselves in to the authorities.
So, the countdown continues. It's been two weeks since my last job. I don't know where the next one will come from; I do believe I will have one though. There is nothing like having hope and faith, even in the darkest of times. My confession is that whatever I have ever done that wasn't the picture of perfection is already known to the Almighty I believe in, and He still cares about what happens to me. And for me, that's what's important.
Well, it's been quite some time since my last confession, but I'm not telling how long. I think whatever you do in life is a personal thing - whether you steal, commit adultery, chew gum in church, whatever - you know you've done it and so does the Almighty, however you view Him (or Her) or believe. Or not. Since politics and religion are a touchy subject, I'll leave it at that. I'm not about to make this a religious forum about what's right and wrong. Unless you're shizophrenic, you just know what you should and should not do, so deal with it.
Take for example a friend of mine who walked out of a music store with $5.00 more than he should have had in his pocket because the night cashier, a young college kid, really didn't know how to distribute change for a purchase. I know, because years ago, I was a cashier, and the way I was taught was start with the pennies, then nickels, then dimes or quarters, then the bills. This was the way you were taught in the days when the cash register didn't automatically tell you the change to give the customer, just the sale amount that was rung. You know, the days of when you actually had to use your brain, rather than electronics becoming the brain.
Even though this register actually showed how much change to give to the customer, he got it wrong. Anyway, when my friend laughingly started to pocket the money, I stopped him and told him that the $5.00 would come out of that kid's paycheck if he didn't give it back. It could also make the manager think that maybe this kid was trying to steal from the cash register, instead of thinking that maybe he didn't train him properly about the foolproof method of making change for a sale. My friend stared at me for a nanosecond, then turned on his heel, walked back to the music store, got the cashier's attention and handed him back the $5.00. Of course, I heard complaints for about three blocks how hanging out with me was turning him into a goody-two-shoes, but that's his problem. The point is, he knew he should have returned the money while he was in the store and he didn't. It wasn't an accident. That's different. If you find out that you're $5.00 richer because you didn't check how much change you received until the next time you look in your wallet, it doesn't count. That's an accident. Richer minus the guilt.
Okay, so what is it that one confesses on those Saturday afternoons? If you're a kid, you confess that you chewed gum at mass, or said a curse word ten times, or sassed your mother (I said this was when I was a kid. Nowadays, it seems sassing your mom or dad is sport for some kids). If you were an adult, that was a different confession. Anyway, after you spill the beans on your sinful life for the week, you pray the Act of Contrition (the "I'm sorry that I'm not perfect" prayer), the priest prays that let's you know you have been forgiven of your confessed sins. Then he assigns a penance that is in the form of repeated prayers. Like the Lord's Prayer ten times, or the Hail Mary prayer ten times or any combination of these and other prayers. If you sinned really badly (the adult stuff) you had to say a whole rosary, maybe even two. That will keep you busy for about an hour or more. I'm not sure if this was a way to be absolved, or a way of getting you to stop sinning that particular sin, since it takes a long time to pray a rosary. No, I don't know type of penance is given when you confess to the really bad sins, like robbing a bank, or murder. That you'll have to ask a priest about. I'm sure they receive confession training at the seminary and cover that topic. The only thing I do know is that the priest cannot reveal the confession, even to the police, and the priest can withold the act of confession or forgiveness from the person. The priest also requests that the person turn themselves in to the authorities.
So, the countdown continues. It's been two weeks since my last job. I don't know where the next one will come from; I do believe I will have one though. There is nothing like having hope and faith, even in the darkest of times. My confession is that whatever I have ever done that wasn't the picture of perfection is already known to the Almighty I believe in, and He still cares about what happens to me. And for me, that's what's important.
Friday, March 6, 2009
UNEMPLOYED AGAIN, NATURALLY (sung to the tune Alone Again, Naturally)
Well, here I am again, a year later to the month. Yeah, I've been busy.
Last year at this time I was unemployed. Well, I found a job in the ad industry, the industry that I SWORE I would not return to. However, when you've run out of unemployment benefits, are living on food stamps, and studying to get your commercial driver's license because one of the only jobs left that will accept you without age discrimation (it exists) is driving a city bus, you take the ad job. The pay was good, the people were nice, and I had a great view of Lake Union. I was off to a good start; or so I thought.
Well, that was last year. I worked at the agency for ten months. One day, about two weeks ago, I was called into HR. The news was not good. The company's billing was way down. They had to let a number of people go from other departments. One of our clients was going to take their programs on hiatus. Another client decided now was not a good time to introduce a new product. Smart on their part, bad for the agency. So, I was laid off AGAIN! This is the tenth time I've been unemployed in the thirty plus years I've devoted to the ad industry, so I'm an old hand at it.
It's a funny thing about not working - the days go by just as quickly. You get up, have a cup of coffee, get on the computer, check your emails, respond to any that are worthwhile, stare at the emails telling you how you can make money on the Internet, wonder how they work, snap out of that daze, read the news, check out some new job sites, rework another resume for another job, click off from the computer, take a shower, get dressed and off you go. Before you know it, it's 12 noon, and you've either arranged for a job interview, or arranged the flowers you've brought in from the garden.
Sometimes, during these times of inactivity, I feel guilty if I'm outside taking a walk and catching a few of the winter sun's rays. I feel that I should be doing SOMETHING about getting a job. Except, I've done just about everything that one can do without actually kidnapping some HR person and holding them hostage until they give me a job.
A year ago, the numbers of people feeling the unemployment frustration were in contained numbers. Now it is 4 million Americans who are feeling the pain, and the numbers are growing daily. They keep saying it is a scary time. Tell me about it. Scared isn't the half of it. I feel fortunate that it is only my husband and I. We don't have small children or a lot of credit card debt; we were able to get our car payment reduced to a more reasonable rate in the last ten months that I worked. We live in a house where our landlord lives downstairs. The last time we were at a point of trying to make ends meet, we asked to meet with him to give him a financial status report. He was relieved; he thought we were moving out. He carried the shared utilities until I began working again. Yes, I consider myself quite fortunate.
I can't imagine families who are in this unemployment predicament. There was nothing sadder for me as the day I read about the family of five whose husband/father shot his wife and children and then himself because they had both lost their jobs. I usually feel bad about hearing accounts such as this, and I don't get emotionally involved with news stories about people who I don't know or live near, but it really hit me hard when their story came to light. What's really sad, is that this is one of many stories that will be told in the days to come. For some, the times are desperate; they feel there is nowhere for them to turn.
I have to say that this was the last thing I expected so late in life - being unemployed and having to reinvent myself. However, reinvention is not such a bad thing. You'd be surprised what you can end up doing given the opportunity to think about other fields of employment. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would disagree because it takes a bit of work and inventiveness, but, as my mother always told me, "you can do anything you want to do and be anything you want to be if you put your mind to it." But she wasn't thrilled when I announced I wanted to be a clown. Didn't go over too well. That's okay Mom, it never happened.
Last year at this time I was unemployed. Well, I found a job in the ad industry, the industry that I SWORE I would not return to. However, when you've run out of unemployment benefits, are living on food stamps, and studying to get your commercial driver's license because one of the only jobs left that will accept you without age discrimation (it exists) is driving a city bus, you take the ad job. The pay was good, the people were nice, and I had a great view of Lake Union. I was off to a good start; or so I thought.
Well, that was last year. I worked at the agency for ten months. One day, about two weeks ago, I was called into HR. The news was not good. The company's billing was way down. They had to let a number of people go from other departments. One of our clients was going to take their programs on hiatus. Another client decided now was not a good time to introduce a new product. Smart on their part, bad for the agency. So, I was laid off AGAIN! This is the tenth time I've been unemployed in the thirty plus years I've devoted to the ad industry, so I'm an old hand at it.
It's a funny thing about not working - the days go by just as quickly. You get up, have a cup of coffee, get on the computer, check your emails, respond to any that are worthwhile, stare at the emails telling you how you can make money on the Internet, wonder how they work, snap out of that daze, read the news, check out some new job sites, rework another resume for another job, click off from the computer, take a shower, get dressed and off you go. Before you know it, it's 12 noon, and you've either arranged for a job interview, or arranged the flowers you've brought in from the garden.
Sometimes, during these times of inactivity, I feel guilty if I'm outside taking a walk and catching a few of the winter sun's rays. I feel that I should be doing SOMETHING about getting a job. Except, I've done just about everything that one can do without actually kidnapping some HR person and holding them hostage until they give me a job.
A year ago, the numbers of people feeling the unemployment frustration were in contained numbers. Now it is 4 million Americans who are feeling the pain, and the numbers are growing daily. They keep saying it is a scary time. Tell me about it. Scared isn't the half of it. I feel fortunate that it is only my husband and I. We don't have small children or a lot of credit card debt; we were able to get our car payment reduced to a more reasonable rate in the last ten months that I worked. We live in a house where our landlord lives downstairs. The last time we were at a point of trying to make ends meet, we asked to meet with him to give him a financial status report. He was relieved; he thought we were moving out. He carried the shared utilities until I began working again. Yes, I consider myself quite fortunate.
I can't imagine families who are in this unemployment predicament. There was nothing sadder for me as the day I read about the family of five whose husband/father shot his wife and children and then himself because they had both lost their jobs. I usually feel bad about hearing accounts such as this, and I don't get emotionally involved with news stories about people who I don't know or live near, but it really hit me hard when their story came to light. What's really sad, is that this is one of many stories that will be told in the days to come. For some, the times are desperate; they feel there is nowhere for them to turn.
I have to say that this was the last thing I expected so late in life - being unemployed and having to reinvent myself. However, reinvention is not such a bad thing. You'd be surprised what you can end up doing given the opportunity to think about other fields of employment. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would disagree because it takes a bit of work and inventiveness, but, as my mother always told me, "you can do anything you want to do and be anything you want to be if you put your mind to it." But she wasn't thrilled when I announced I wanted to be a clown. Didn't go over too well. That's okay Mom, it never happened.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
A Lot of Time Has Passed........
Wow. The last time I visited my own blog site was in November, 2007. Needless to say, I've been busy. Unfortnately, not busy at fun things, but busy sending out resumes, going on interviews, getting past the first round of interviews only to wait another two months to get my second interview; the job hunt has been pretty frustrating.
If I were living in New York or Los Angeles, a job would not be a problem. I could freelance, or at least know that if I applied for a job, I would not have to continue sitting and waiting for the human resources folk take action and actually hire someone. The Pacific Northwest is a different drum and drummer. It's nice here, just a little bit slow on the uptake.
I've applied for everything - airlines, temp to hire, mystery shopping; I even got a gig doing buy backs for auto manufacturers. Not a bad gig, but not a weekly one. Maybe three to four a month. Maybe. The man who owns the company is very nice, helped me out tremendously the first time around, and was happy with the results of my efforts. That's all I've been asking - for a chance to show that I can step in and do the job, even if I am 30 years older than most of the hirees these days.
Strangely enough, I have more stamina than most of the young ones. I worked with a 28 year old and she could barely keep up. Rarely showed up to work on time, and did not perform many of the job functions that were assigned to her. But management kept her on. That's what I find so amazing. Management complains about job performance, but continues to coddle someone by moving her from department to department, rather than give her the mandatory two warnings and then fire her.
Right now, I'm waiting to see if I become a transit worker - driving a commuter bus part time. It's not a bad gig, good hourly pay and benefits. However, this is not a walk in the park. You have to study for a CDL permit, along with air brakes and transporting passengers. The Knowledge portion alone is a killer. I feel like I'm back in school again. Study, and study some more. Why am I waiting for them? Because one of my references has not gotten back to them, and this reference is not a friendly one. Yeah, I could have left them off, but it's worse if you lie about your past employment history. If it comes up and they find out about it, that's your job and it affects all the other future jobs you may want to apply for.
It's been three weeks since I took the initial test for this job. At least they were nice enough to get back to me and tell me what the hold up is. I think if I were not considered to be hireable, they would have just sent the "thanks but no thanks" letter already .
So, what's going on in Baby Boomer world? We haven't heard any more about Social Security, although I think we won't hear about it again until someone get's elected. No one wants to stir up that pot, considering all the other pots that are stirring up - the economy, unemployment, the housing crisis, and the war. And let's not forget Wall Street.
How do these major monoliths of companies manage their money? I've got to believe there is some VP of Accounting! Are they paying attention? I barely have enough money to buy food and pay the rent and bills, but I'm still not on the street, and we've managed to keep all the balls in the air by way of the little jobs I've been doing, and the work my husband does in performing and teaching. When I watch the news and see the Bear Sterns and Enrons happen, my belief that most people in high places are corrupt is confirmed once again.
Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of good people who work in upper management, but it seems that the bad eggs are in the upper, upper management echelon, and they are where the buck stops. And that's the point. The buck stops with them, and they are busy taking the bucks into their own coffers, employees be damned.
When I was living in Florida, I had to get my car serviced. I needed to rent a car for the day. I met a man, he was in his 60s, shuttling people back and forth from the Enterprise car rental location. We got into a conversation about weather, traffic, and finally about work. He admitted that he was not a happy camper, that he was doing this kind of work only because instead of retiring with a pension and stock options, he had been an Enron employee who had lost everything. He and his wife had enough money from the sale of their house to get an apartment, pay off as many bills as they could, and downsized their living condition. This was not his idea of the retirement he had planned for. Before his loss, he said he did not even need to ask for Social Security; now it is basically what they were living on, along with what he made at this job.
This situation doesn't seem to want to get better; it only seems to get worse. I'm hoping that this transit gig comes through. Wish me luck. I'll let you know.
If I were living in New York or Los Angeles, a job would not be a problem. I could freelance, or at least know that if I applied for a job, I would not have to continue sitting and waiting for the human resources folk take action and actually hire someone. The Pacific Northwest is a different drum and drummer. It's nice here, just a little bit slow on the uptake.
I've applied for everything - airlines, temp to hire, mystery shopping; I even got a gig doing buy backs for auto manufacturers. Not a bad gig, but not a weekly one. Maybe three to four a month. Maybe. The man who owns the company is very nice, helped me out tremendously the first time around, and was happy with the results of my efforts. That's all I've been asking - for a chance to show that I can step in and do the job, even if I am 30 years older than most of the hirees these days.
Strangely enough, I have more stamina than most of the young ones. I worked with a 28 year old and she could barely keep up. Rarely showed up to work on time, and did not perform many of the job functions that were assigned to her. But management kept her on. That's what I find so amazing. Management complains about job performance, but continues to coddle someone by moving her from department to department, rather than give her the mandatory two warnings and then fire her.
Right now, I'm waiting to see if I become a transit worker - driving a commuter bus part time. It's not a bad gig, good hourly pay and benefits. However, this is not a walk in the park. You have to study for a CDL permit, along with air brakes and transporting passengers. The Knowledge portion alone is a killer. I feel like I'm back in school again. Study, and study some more. Why am I waiting for them? Because one of my references has not gotten back to them, and this reference is not a friendly one. Yeah, I could have left them off, but it's worse if you lie about your past employment history. If it comes up and they find out about it, that's your job and it affects all the other future jobs you may want to apply for.
It's been three weeks since I took the initial test for this job. At least they were nice enough to get back to me and tell me what the hold up is. I think if I were not considered to be hireable, they would have just sent the "thanks but no thanks" letter already .
So, what's going on in Baby Boomer world? We haven't heard any more about Social Security, although I think we won't hear about it again until someone get's elected. No one wants to stir up that pot, considering all the other pots that are stirring up - the economy, unemployment, the housing crisis, and the war. And let's not forget Wall Street.
How do these major monoliths of companies manage their money? I've got to believe there is some VP of Accounting! Are they paying attention? I barely have enough money to buy food and pay the rent and bills, but I'm still not on the street, and we've managed to keep all the balls in the air by way of the little jobs I've been doing, and the work my husband does in performing and teaching. When I watch the news and see the Bear Sterns and Enrons happen, my belief that most people in high places are corrupt is confirmed once again.
Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of good people who work in upper management, but it seems that the bad eggs are in the upper, upper management echelon, and they are where the buck stops. And that's the point. The buck stops with them, and they are busy taking the bucks into their own coffers, employees be damned.
When I was living in Florida, I had to get my car serviced. I needed to rent a car for the day. I met a man, he was in his 60s, shuttling people back and forth from the Enterprise car rental location. We got into a conversation about weather, traffic, and finally about work. He admitted that he was not a happy camper, that he was doing this kind of work only because instead of retiring with a pension and stock options, he had been an Enron employee who had lost everything. He and his wife had enough money from the sale of their house to get an apartment, pay off as many bills as they could, and downsized their living condition. This was not his idea of the retirement he had planned for. Before his loss, he said he did not even need to ask for Social Security; now it is basically what they were living on, along with what he made at this job.
This situation doesn't seem to want to get better; it only seems to get worse. I'm hoping that this transit gig comes through. Wish me luck. I'll let you know.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
3AM
Hi Out There in BlogLand - The World......
This is my first editorial blog for seniors, by a senior. Yeah, yeah, I know - you don't like the phrase "Senior Citizen," and neither did I, but get used to it. It's not all that bad, and it's a lot better now than it was when our parents hit this age. We are a lot smarter about our physical health, have all these new electronic gadgets to play with, and the TV screens have gotten bigger, so we can watch our favorite programs and not have to resort to wearing Mr. Magoo glasses.
So, feel free to contribute to the discussion. We came of age in the generation of sex, drugs and rock n' roll, although we've probably haven't promoted that lifestyle since we became parents. But there is still that twenty year old inside of us - the one who cut college classes because they partied a little to hard the night before, the one who actually went to Woodstock and not just said they did so they could be considered "cool," and the ones who went to war, or protested it. This blog is especially for you. Here, you can blog about the times you've forgotten, the fun you had, or the difference your life is than what you envisioned it to be. Have a gripe about becoming a senior, just blog away. But remember, keep it clean and respectful. We don't want to get thrown out of the bar, uh, the blog site. Welcome to the party!
This morning, I woke up out of a sound sleep because the heater has gone haywire and the house is a balmy 85 degrees - gotta get that fixed. After trying unsuccessfully to get back to sleep, I headed out to the living room. I looked at the clock - 3am. When I was in my twenties, it was about getting in at 3am and having to be get up to go to work in three hours; in my fifties it's about getting up at 3am and wondering why I'm awake when I have to get up to go to work in three hours.
I decided that if I'm going to be awake, I might as well make some use of the time. Rather than sit like a couch potato (no offense to those who choose that lifestyle) and watch an endless stream of bad movies, repeated programming, or infomercials, I thought that writing about the issues and experiences of what it's like to be heading into the world of senior citizens would be more entertaining. Well, at least to me it is.
What is really interesting is that I, like many of you out there, feel we're not old enough (in our minds) to be SENIOR CITIZENS! At least, not in the true sense of the phrase. You know, the embarassed looks your kids (who now have kids of their own) give you when you begin to "rock out" with the Rolling Stones, or Bruce or any number of performers or bands that were a part of the backdrop of the 60s and 70s. But hey, should we clam up and pretend that we don't like our music anymore? Stop rockin' on? Sit in the rocker instead?
The question of the day - If you give up being young at heart, do you automatically become old of mind and body? What keeps you young at heart? I'd like to know.
This is my first editorial blog for seniors, by a senior. Yeah, yeah, I know - you don't like the phrase "Senior Citizen," and neither did I, but get used to it. It's not all that bad, and it's a lot better now than it was when our parents hit this age. We are a lot smarter about our physical health, have all these new electronic gadgets to play with, and the TV screens have gotten bigger, so we can watch our favorite programs and not have to resort to wearing Mr. Magoo glasses.
So, feel free to contribute to the discussion. We came of age in the generation of sex, drugs and rock n' roll, although we've probably haven't promoted that lifestyle since we became parents. But there is still that twenty year old inside of us - the one who cut college classes because they partied a little to hard the night before, the one who actually went to Woodstock and not just said they did so they could be considered "cool," and the ones who went to war, or protested it. This blog is especially for you. Here, you can blog about the times you've forgotten, the fun you had, or the difference your life is than what you envisioned it to be. Have a gripe about becoming a senior, just blog away. But remember, keep it clean and respectful. We don't want to get thrown out of the bar, uh, the blog site. Welcome to the party!
This morning, I woke up out of a sound sleep because the heater has gone haywire and the house is a balmy 85 degrees - gotta get that fixed. After trying unsuccessfully to get back to sleep, I headed out to the living room. I looked at the clock - 3am. When I was in my twenties, it was about getting in at 3am and having to be get up to go to work in three hours; in my fifties it's about getting up at 3am and wondering why I'm awake when I have to get up to go to work in three hours.
I decided that if I'm going to be awake, I might as well make some use of the time. Rather than sit like a couch potato (no offense to those who choose that lifestyle) and watch an endless stream of bad movies, repeated programming, or infomercials, I thought that writing about the issues and experiences of what it's like to be heading into the world of senior citizens would be more entertaining. Well, at least to me it is.
What is really interesting is that I, like many of you out there, feel we're not old enough (in our minds) to be SENIOR CITIZENS! At least, not in the true sense of the phrase. You know, the embarassed looks your kids (who now have kids of their own) give you when you begin to "rock out" with the Rolling Stones, or Bruce or any number of performers or bands that were a part of the backdrop of the 60s and 70s. But hey, should we clam up and pretend that we don't like our music anymore? Stop rockin' on? Sit in the rocker instead?
The question of the day - If you give up being young at heart, do you automatically become old of mind and body? What keeps you young at heart? I'd like to know.
Later......
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