The Money Sled.

Only two more payments and my used car is completely mine. A friend sold it to me so I got very favorable financing. However this year the damn thing is turning into a money pit. First, I needed to replace the front tires after I hit a pothole the size Belgium. That left front deflated in less than 2 minutes. Then I needed a transmission rebuild. It is good to have 1st and Reverse again. I thought I needed an alignment, but instead the tire rotation I had 3 weeks earlier brought the old tires to the front. One had a busted steel belt so I needed 2 more tires.

Now the damn headlights won't turn on. What are the odds both bulbs would burn out the same night? I doubt that, especially given the occasional odd electrical glitch the headlight have given me in the past. Electrical gremlins, did I buy a British car from the 1960's?

At 176,000 miles I need this beast to last. I can't afford a new car right now including the cost of fuel and higher insurance rates for a new car. If this keeps up I'm going to need either more money or less commute. Why do I either feel like the working poor or the struggling middle class?

So Much For That Idea.

I got an email today. Big City interview stated they must cancel the interview. They were unable to offer a position at this time and would keep my resume on file.

Crap!

Did the position just disappear? Did they already find someone to fill it? Did the fact I had to wait until Tuesday to interview kill my chances? Who knows. I hate second guessing things.

I honestly don't know how much longer I can last in Small Town. The hour long commute. The extreme work hours based on the work load and the fact I do the work of three people. A boss who just doesn't seem to do anything urgently. Hell the boss doesn't seem to do much of anything. The boss is burned out and in a sore need of a six month sabbatical. Fine, but that means so much of the behind the scenes workload gets routed to me. All that does is burn me out.

So much for the hope of getting out of the burden of Atlas' shoulders.

Thriller Indeed.

I know I'm a little late to the Michael Jackson death, but I felt I should talk a little bit about it. I only own one CD of his, Thriller, and I hadn't even taken it out of the wrap. I remember buying it about a year ago. I bought it because I knew I needed at least one MJ album and Thriller was what sent him to superstardom. Back when MTV still played videos this was one of the best ever.

I don't know what happened in his personal life. In the best light he got weird. In the worst light he did a lot of bad things. One thing is certain, he was the King of Pop and for 10 years nobody came close to him.

Though I never bought an album until a year ago, he made a lot of the music I grew up with. Michael Jackson, perhaps this Halloween I'll learn the Thriller dance in your honor. Long live the king!

Hope?

I saw the ad for the position in Big City. It is under the same program as my current job in Small Town. I gave some thought to whether or not I should apply to it. In many ways I really dislike the subject matter of my current job. Why would I want to continue on in that particular field?

Yet, it would be a job in Big City. The commute would be less time. I would regain an hour of my life back simply from the shorter drive. I wouldn't spend as much money on gas, oil changes, tires, and maintenance on the car. I would also be in the Big City job market. In the future I would hope I could find job leads around town that would get me to where I want to be. Granted I have no idea where I want to work when I grow up, but I need to start somewhere.

The few people I ask said the same thing: apply it won't hurt.

Given it has been a few weeks I figured I didn't even make the first cut for interviews. Until the email came. Big City job asked for an interview. Luckily we figured out a time. Day One wouldn't work at all, but I asked if the afternoon of Day Two was fine. Luckily yes.

Now the games begin. Stay chill at work. Don't let anyone know I'm interviewing. Come up with a doctor's appointment I need to attend that afternoon. I like the people I work with. The crew is good, but I can't keep working this one job. Too many issues with the job itself, the outside stuff related to the job, the commute and other stuff. I simply want to go home if I can. Is that too much to ask for?

What I Really Wanted To Say.

Judge: It's been seven years. How come no action has been taken?

Me *thinking to myself*: Because the idiot disappeared for seven years. What, you want me to put LoJack on everyone?