Blast from my past

So an old friend of mine from high school, well actually I was her prom date, but out of the blue, she manages to get a hold of me. And to many things worked out for this reunion of souls to be just chance. I not only got my laptop and internet on the same day she got a hold of me, but it was Valentines Day too. So fo rthe past couple days we've been exchanging long messages via facebook, getting caught up on where the last 17 years went. And when I  really sat down and plotted out how I got from graduation to here, well it was quite an eye opener, which has fueled my desire and need for this new career. I don't know how to feel or react. I'm excited to talk to her, to read her messages and learn what's going on in her life. Its like being in high school all over again, only I'm not the sheltered, and way over-protected ubber geek this time around. I believe the saying is "Older, Wiser  and Well Trained." Downside, she is married with 4 kids, and while yes I do have a past with married women, nothing good ever came from it. And I am in no way asking her to do anything of the sort, we're in 2 seperate states, with one in between. But it more than quick comfortable friendship, based on a crazy time before drugs and women jaded me. I do find myself wondering what could have been, but that will never happen, so I try and focus on the what will be. These things take time, and like the good job at Boeing, this isn't happening overnight.

The wait is over!!

So my laptop finally arrived from Sony today, and I've spent most of the evening playing with it as I get all the bugs worked out, get the security set the way I like, turned on the auto sign in feature, and got my ClearWire 4G modem working. It seems to do fine loading web pages and such, but I haven't had the best luck with streaming video or audio. During a test phone call to mom, the video lag was noticable. And while trying to listen to streaming audio from my favorite web site, the stops and starts got rather annoying. I hope that maybe if I locate a good wifi network around, it will provide better options, until I decide what to do, or if I decide to change providers. Its probably not a good thing that on their own web home page, they have open forums with titles that are nothing positive for the company. Sure, ClearWire may have coverage here in Seattle, and while they do provide 4G speed, it does no good when they don't provide the bandwidth needed to power todays electronics. And Seattle's attempt at free wifi for all, with several locations like pioneer square and the u-district providing free wifi coverage over a large area, is also not up-to-speed. And that's my rant on that, technology causing stress and anxiety.

On the career front, I have started building my resume online with that local company starting in B, ending in ING, I mentioned earlier. Its going to take me some time to get everything just right, to copy and re-word the job descriptions they provide, working them to reflect my skills and my abilities. This new career jump is a totally new direction, and I'm not rushing into this, taking my time and a few months to get things right. Plus Nadine's man Dustin is helping me, working on getting some phone numbers so I can jump right to the front of the line, so to speak. Its exciting right now, cause theyt just unrolled their newest product and are waiting on a government bid, which will be BIG. I'm actually excited for this change. It will provide me the ability to maybe buy a house or condo here in the Seattle area in about 5 years, right as the market finally stabilizes here. Plus it provides great health insurance, some retirement security and the possibility of a future beyond restaurants. I realized that nothing that I have made as a cook, in 20 years, is around or exists today. My whole life's work, and nothing to show for it, but my knowledge and skill, which is not enough for me. I want to be able 10 years from now, to point and say " I helped build that." Something more concrete and personal. I know it sounds lame, but I've only got about 20 years of work left in me, if that, before my back and knees finally quit on me, and as of right now, living paycheck to paycheck, it scares the hell out of me. Having been unemployed for almost 2 years and being homeless too, for the first time in my life, I'm looking forward, far forward, into my future.

As I work out the bugs, I'll finally start getting some picture uploaded to my post, as well as facebook too. There really isn't much to show around here, but maybe the lake, and I know you all want to see what an awesome place I live in. And it is, in its own way.

Another week older....

So I can't belive that another month is coming to a close. The days tend to blur together sometimes as I live such an exciting life. Besides work, I don't do much, don't socialize or get out, not yet.
I am close to getting my laptop finally, and that will help alot, and slowly I'm getting things back in order.

Just another day...

So i can't wait until I can final stop using the library and am able to listen to my music online for longer than 90 min at a time. I can't wait to finally get this laptop, and so are my co-workers, cause they'r tired of hearing me talk about it, much like when I was waiting for the boy to arrive. Then my blog posts will be better cause I'll have time to sit and draft them out, but until then...
I'm doing good, still just working and that's about it. Kinda lame.

Oh the Food Handlers Class

And its not a good thing, but rather a painful 30 minute video that dumbs down basic food safety and restuarant methods so everyone, regardless of nationality or how long you've lived here, can pass a simple test of 37 questions, over topics and information that hasn't changed in over 20 years. Costs me $10 every 2 years, and its doesn't make me feel any safer, or less safer making people get one of these cards. Idaho nevetr did when I lived and worked there, it was up to each store, though the health inspectors came around alot more than here in Washington. I just wish there was a test only option, skipping the video, or better yet, watch the video on line then take the test online. I would like to say that most of what the class teaches I thought was comman sense to people, but then I met some people that are just plain ignorant. And not just imagrants either, but homegrown fenceposts of our own.
Basic Rules: Home or Restuarant
1) Personal Hygine-like washing your wands often.
2) Cross contamination-wash and sanitize all surfaces after use
3) Keep foods HOT(140 or above) or COLD(41 or below)
Easy, huh. Now pay me my ten bucks fools, you are food safety certified for Washington.

Weekend Off

I know that usually all I do it seems is complain about work, about working 6 days a week and getting burned out, but it did give me 40 hours a week, which I didn't get this week, but actually have two days off, in a row, and its the weekend, and I got paid. So why do I feel so bored and lazy cause I have done nothing? There are bags of stuff that need to be gone through, sorted and discarded. But I just lack motivation sometimes it seems.

New Years start

So I just read Karen's blog and I like how she broke down the year by months, though it seems for mine, each month contains a years worth of events. Just this time last year, i was homeless, living in an 8X8 dome tent with Nadine and BooDah plus several suitcases and bags of stuff. We had been homeless for 2 weeks and it already seemed a lifetime had gone by. We would sit by the fire in camp and just watch people at first, it was like a real life comedy show, making us wonder what exactly we we're getting into. This month last year was when i was kicked off the program and had to kick the last 30mg in said tent, with said occupants, which meant long nights of tossing and turning, clostraphobia and anxiety uncontrolled. I wish that hell on nobody! In February we all moved to our new campsite, where 10 days later, I had to leave cause of the dog, and due to politics and one mans nepolian complex, couldn't return even after i appealed, won and was voted back by the campers. So I had to urban camp in a $1.5 million dollar commercial vacant lot, in a $10 tent. Fortunately, it was a warm and mild winter, and with the dog, we managed ok. I also started panhandeling about this time too, since I couldn't sit around and do nothing all day. And once I started doing it, and realized its just like fishing, it was fun. Coming up with new signs, learning new peices of worthless info to tell tourists for tips. Oh the things I learned about Pike's Market. Funny thing is, that I was only on that corner for 3 months, and made the news twice, met movie stars and pro athlets. We both had "fans" per say, though BooDah always got more attention than I did. And thats pretty much how March and April went. In May, Nadine went with her Mom to finally try and detox medically, while my sister drove up and got me, the dog and as much stuff as I could fit into her SUV, and took us back to my Mom's. I didn't really know what I was going to do, and just needed some time to decompress. For the first time in 2 years, I didn't have to worry about the needs or welfare of anybody. Was kinda nice. But the vacation was short lived. Once Nadine left me, I knew I had to get back, and get my life going again. Within a month, I was not only employed with a decent job paying me a fair liveable wage, but i had a place to live, though in October that changed for the better, and worse. I really had second thoughts at this point. What was I doing?? Within  a month, I was homeless again. Back in the same damn tent city that I had been kicked out of only 8 months before. Believe it or not, but there were less than 7 people left from the original ones the first time I was there. But I didn't lose all hope, seeing as how I had a job, I had money coming in, so I just stayed low, saved up my money, and just before the tent city had to pack up and move, I left for a room for rent. For the next two months, the rest of the year, the routine just doesn't change. I did rent a car in november, goto thanksgiving at my grandparents where I picked up my stuff from Idaho, and got my son BooDah, so he's with me in Seattle again. And now its a new year, though it seems longer.