Career Services Center and an Obama Burrito

Yesterday, Keith made it down to the Career Service Center on time for the orientation and got some helpful information along with the forms that Savage was supposed to mail to him (that still haven't come) to fill out to get his benefits started. They do offer some good career paths and training, with classes in the usual welding etc. but also training and classes in the green energy jobs. He will go back in early December for a one on one counseling session where they will go through his skills and suggest training and all that stuff. They also offer resume services, and classes in how to interview. He was told that he could be put to work right away in welding or truck driving, but he's not going to grab the first thing that comes along in the hopes that some better suggestions will come at his meeting. He also went by a new railcar service company and was told to give them a call in early January when they will be hiring again, and this morning met a guy at the gas station that works for a safety and recovery company who told him to bring by a resume.

So, he's not feeling quite so discouraged and if worse comes to worse, could go to work as a welder just about anywhere. Or a truck driver since they have such a hard time finding drivers who can pass drug tests. At a much lower pay rate than he's used to of course. Welders sound like they should make a good wage, but in reality they don't, some companies pay not much more than minimum wage for welders.

Or he could easily become a truck driver since they have such a hard time finding drivers who can pass drug tests around here and there are always lots of companies looking for drug free drivers.

Today, he got all his forms filled out and instead of us mailing them or faxing, I noticed that the Center will fax them for you, so I suggested taking them back down there where they could be looked over to make sure there were no errors or information missed. So, we did, me going along for the ride just to get out of the house for a while. The woman at the desk was very nice and did look everything over for him, so maybe in a month or so we will get his first check.

On our ride over, we saw a taco stand with a big sign out front for Romney VS Obama burritos, and a burrito sounded good, so after we went to the Center, we stopped back by for lunch. I got the Obama burrito, which was grilled chicken, rice, beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream. The Romney burrito had a few different things in it, more spicy which didn't really make sense to me since he is so blah and white bread and all, but the Obama burrito was tasty and for $4.99 an affordable lunch. Keith got the street taco combo plate which included a drink for $4.99, not bad at all for lunch. Oh, and my Obama burrito was actually enough for two people to eat, it was huge! If anyone is driving down California Blvd in Bakersfield and wants an Obama or Romney burrito, it's on the corner at Chester Ave and I think it was called Tacos Frescos. Or just look for the Romney VS Obama sign. Although it wasn't that good that you would want to drive all the way to Bakersfield for it, so never mind.

Busy Saturday Morning

Keith got his last real paycheck on Friday so on Saturday morning I made out my lists and went to like 5 stores and stocked up on all the stuff we will need for a while. I started out with Walmart and got Halloween goodies, candy we don't really like and therefore won't eat before Halloween, and little bags of bat and pumpkin shaped pretzels. The pretzels are really cute and if we don't give them all out at least it's not CANDY laying around and tempting us. Even if it's candy we don't really like.

After Walmart it was Target where I got lots of toilet paper and household stuff, and then went to stock up on canned cat food and it was on sale and if you bought two boxes of assorted cans you got a $5.00 gift card, so I got four boxes and $10.00 in gift cards for future cat food purchases. Score!

Then, over to Tractor Supply for the big bag of dry cat food, and into the dollar store for shaving cream for Keith, and then up to Winco for some basics in food. Whew!

Now our freezer is full of chicken and beef, and the cupboard is full of canned and boxed stuff, and it's a big mess so now I need to organize it a bit.

But, we should have enough for at least a few weeks other than a few trips to the store for perishables, so by the time we need more groceries or toilet paper, his severance check should be here along with the first unemployment check.

We've pinched pennies before and made a list of cheap and simple dinners so I think we are as prepared as possible for the days and months to come. I haven't heard anything from Target yet on the seasonal job and kind of hope I don't because after finding out it's only for a few months, don't know if I want to have to spend money on work clothes for just that. You've got to wear those red t-shirts and khaki pants that you'll never wear again.

Anyway, the weekend was gorgeous as far as weather goes, and we are so glad we don't live on the east coast about now. Joe came by yesterday and we went to breakfast/lunch at IHOP where they were incredibly busy and we had to listen to a screaming and crying toddler, wondering why the parents didn't take that baby outside the restaurant to do its screaming and crying.

Then Keith took a nap in his chair in the backyard because he was exhausted from eating breakfast I guess and after he woke up we watched the World Series.

And that was our exciting weekend.

The End is Even Nearer

Keith came home from work on Friday with the news that they had a meeting where the boss was finally honest with everyone and they were told that their last day would be the 31st. Happy Halloween!

They were told they would get their final check and severance about 2 weeks after that, and they would get information about applying for unemployment and all that.

So...

We were trying to refinance with the new company that bought out our mortgage, they had sent us info on the HARP2 program that is supposed to help responsible homeowners lower their mortgage, and they keep telling us they have lost our paperwork and blah blah blah and now it would be another 30-60 days and blah blah blah and now it will be another 3-4 months and blah blah blah and so I spent a long time on the phone on Friday yelling at people. I talked with our escrow lady here and she gave me a number for a local guy who I just spoke to and who will let us know by the end of today if we qualify and if we do, we should close by the end of November. With a savings of over $200 on our monthly payment.

So, don't try to refinance with Nationstar because THEY SUCK. BIG TIME.

Anyway, today I got a bug up my you know what to get the carpets shampooed because Harri has been leaving us not so nice presents again and the carpet is stained and it's time to shampoo anyway, so I'm almost done with that. Fun times here!

Lucy in the Sky

It was maybe supposed to rain yesterday. RAIN! It didn't rain here in town but apparently it poured up in the mountains, complete with thunder and lightning. Keith said it rained a little and he heard thunder up in Wasco but nothing here. Except some clouds.

And a Lucy on the roof.

She was actually up on the roof tormenting the cat from next door who was trying to climb up over the fence.

Keith was at work the other day and saw the future of his job. He was all alone in the yard, the other few workers who are left were off doing whatever they do or had already gone home, and it was deserted and quiet. A dust devil came blowing across the dirt, picking up trash and dust and blowing it around, and then up in the sky Keith sees a buzzard circling above the yard. Then another buzzard joins the first, and then another. So he is standing in a deserted dusty yard with buzzards circling overhead. Very appropriate.

We are preparing for the end, having turned off the Blockbuster by mail service which doesn't cost a lot but we can just rent from Red Box if we really want to see a movie. We got our latest rounds of meds all filled and told the pharmacy that we would soon lose our insurance, so we had the automatic refills on those turned off so that we aren't having prescriptions filled until we absolutely need them. Fortunately we shouldn't have to use the air conditioner again until next summer, so our electric bills will be much more manageable, and since he won't be driving to Wasco every day, we won't be spending hundreds on gas each month. I'm stocking up on food this month and filling up the freezer. I'm just afraid he is going to drive me crazy being home all day, though! He does have numerous projects that need to be finished, so I'm hoping he doesn't get distracted by daytime TV and actually spends his unemployed time getting all of those done. And finding a new job, of course.

Drooling Mimi

I was just in the kitchen getting some more coffee after having actually started my Monday housework by vacuuming the living room floor, and Mimi was doing her hanging around on the counter thing where she sizes you up to see if she can leap from counter to your shoulder. It's a little disconcerting when you are doing something like washing dishes or cooking on the stove and all of a sudden a cat jumps on you.

She does not like to be held much and does not like to sit on your lap, but she loves to ride around the house on your shoulder, which is fine except she won't sit still and her claws will dig into your shoulder as she's turning around trying to get in just the right spot. She will purr and rumble in contentment and then also drool. So, today I picked her up and let her get on my shoulder for the ride back to the computer and by the time I sat down the arm of my shirt was quite wet. From happy drool. As soon as you sit down, she's done with your shoulder though. Now she is perched on the back of my chair.

Each year here in these parts I'm always struck by how the weather changes in an instant, from hot summer to cool fall, like a switch has been flipped. We are really glad to see the cooler weather but it is kind of bizarre how one day it will be 100 degrees and the next day it's fall, folks! We really enjoyed this past weekend's weather, it was so nice to have the windows open and be able to go outside and not be sweating. I finally nagged Keith enough to where he fixed the sliding door screen so we can now open the door up in the living room and get some ventilation going on in there. The screen door has been broken only since May, so he actually fixed it pretty quickly for him!

We didn't go anywhere last weekend despite the nice weather, since it looks like he only has a few more weeks of work we are hesitant to spend any extra money on gas to wander about. They have been packing things up at his work so it looks like the end is quite near. They were told they would have to sign some kind of agreement to work part time in order to get their severance, but after Keith thought about it he is not going to sign anything, because it sounds like they are trying to drag things out and cut hours in hopes that everyone will get fed up and just quit so they don't have to pay severance and nobody can get their unemployment. So, things are still up in the air and as Keith said, it feels like he is going to work on a sinking ship with a bucket to keep bailing.

We got a Sunday paper but the jobs listings were somewhat discouraging. There are jobs out there if you have the right credentials and college degrees. Which neither of us have. So, who knows what will happen when the axe falls, but at least we don't have to go to the company Christmas Party this year!

The End Is Near

So, after Keith sat through yet another meeting at work, it appears that the plant will indeed shut down on Oct 31 and he will get his walking papers and a severance check. Unless he wants to transfer to another facility, that is. Like the one in North Carolina, which wouldn't be too bad but he would still be repairing railcars and he doesn't want to move all the way across the country to do the same old s*#t, so...

Or, he could transfer to North Dakota and live in a man camp trailer. But then there is the issue of the winters in North Dakota, incredibly brutal winters (according to North Dakota natives) that a California boy would probably not survive.

So, severance check in hand, it looks like he will be applying for unemployment on Nov. 1st and I guess I should have taken that early morning stocking job at Michaels after all, but I really didn't want to go to work at 3am. For 8 bucks an hour.

I'm sure we will manage, since he won't have to spend $50 bucks a week on gas to get to work that will save quite a bit right there, and hopefully our refinance will go through, the refinance that we haven't heard a thing about in weeks, and that will save another $200 a month, and what he makes after taxes and insurance and all that is taken out will probably equal out to what unemployment will pay, so we should be okay as long as he can find a job within a few months. The longer you are on unemployment, the harder it is to find a job for some reason.

Yesterday I rolled up all the coins we've been throwing into our big glass coin jar, and it added up to $210.50 that we lugged over to the bank and deposited into our savings account. I think it takes us about a year to save up that much change, but it does add up over time and is a painless way to save.

I also spent yesterday cleaning the whole house because I've been rather lax this week and haven't been following my schedule of events because I just didn't feel like it. But now everything is dusted and vacuumed and I even cleaned the shower. Which I really hate cleaning because of those glass shower doors that you can never get really clean because they overlap each other and you can't get into the overlap to clean that part out. So, it's like there is a 4" wide strip of clouded dirty glass on each door. Oh, well.

I'm going to stock up on food stuffs this month while we still have an income and make sure we have enough cat food for a few months, and then we'll just have to get back into that austerity budget and it's a good thing that the new TV season has started so we at least have new shows to watch on our boring evenings at home after eating a budget dinner!

Hoping For The Best

But preparing for the worst.

Keith's job is so up in the air right now, with rumors of layoffs coming this Friday, and then no, we have enough work for another couple of weeks, and then, no, we should be able to hang on until spring and we are trying to convince corporate that we really can make money repairing railcars and please keep us open.

The whole thing makes for very unproductive and unenthusiastic workers. What is left of the crew after layoffs over the past couple of years are all kind of in that why should we bother mindset, just lay us off so we can take an unemployment vacation for a few months while we look for something else. And can you blame them?

The way Keith's job has always been is that he is the one they count on for quality billable work, while the rest of the railcar repair crew would wander about the countryside in their trucks looking for railcars to inspect and maybe do a few repairs on. Now, does that sound like an efficient way to do business? Spend $100 a day on fuel for a truck to drive around and maybe find some work for the guy making $25 an hour to spend a few hours doing. Or, like in the case of a certain individual, fill in your paperwork that you did this or that repair but you never actually did it, instead you got some coffee and a newspaper and sat in your truck under a nice shady tree.

Well, now those guys are being forced to work in the yard instead of driving around all day and it's not sitting too well with them, so now they spend hours and hours in the air conditioned 'office' (actually a metal shipping container made into an office) and play around on the computer. Occasionally they do go out in the yard and sort of do some work.

So, Keith is getting very frustrated at seeing guys sitting around while he has been trying to make some money for the company so that maybe they won't all lose their jobs. He is now getting into the why bother state of mind, too.

The big boss is not forthcoming on what exactly will happen, partly because they probably really don't know for sure, and partly because if you tell all your employees that the ride will be over soon, they all just might find another job and quit before you really want them to. Today they are supposed to have (yet another) meeting so maybe some truth will be told at this one and we will have some sort of a timeline to go by.

But then again, probably not.

So, we are trying not to spend any unnecessary money and certainly aren't taking any trips anywhere or doing much else of anything fun. Except for the sick cat and computer we were doing pretty well at sticking to our budget and keeping money in our savings. There will supposedly be a nice severance check if layoffs do occur, but we both are again expecting the worst because we are sure that somehow the company will find a way not to have to pay those out.

Anyway, Keith has been a little extra cranky lately because of the stress of worrying about his job future. He is starting to sound like the grumpy old man I'm sure he will fit right into the role of as he gets older. He likes to yell back at the TV and soon will be yelling at the kids to GET OFF MY LAWN!

Colon Blow

That's what Keith calls it, anyway.

Tomorrow is his once every three years or so colonoscopy to make sure the cancer has not returned and there are no polyps getting ready to become cancer. He is fasting today with the actual blowing of the colon starting this evening. We are both wondering exactly how powerful this new prep stuff that you drink is, the last time he prepped it was extremely arduous, with pills and gallons of go-lightly (heavily) and enemas. Now, you just drink a 16oz glass of blow your guts out stuff in the evening and another one in the middle of the night, the middle of the night because you are supposed to drink it 5 hours before your 'procedure' time, which makes it like 3am. Updates to follow.

I just hope they code the billing on this correctly because the insurance is supposed to pay for it when it's part of your annual screenings and all that. His endoscopy will end up being about $1500.00 on our part, what with the doctor visits, blood work, pathology, and the actual looking down the gullet. We have lousy insurance that has a big deductible and doesn't pay a cent until you reach that deductible, and who wants to be sick enough to reach it anyway?

It looks like Keith will be out of a job at the end of October unless some twist of fate keeps them working until spring. The company is not delivering coal anymore because the power plants that got their coal delivered are going to other fuels, and after a lot of downsizing because of those and other issues, there are only about 8 people left at the shop and the only income will be railcar repair work. The heads of the company don't see railcar repair work being worth keeping the shop going, so...

All of the few employees left were given printouts of other company job openings around the country and it finally sunk in that the free ride screw around all day and get a paycheck that most of them had is coming to an end. Keith could go back to North Dakota and work there, but we would have to live in a man camp trailer because there is no housing whatsoever in that state, and what do we do with this house and all of these animals?

He is going to ride it out until the bitter end so that he can collect his severance pay and go on unemployment until he finds something else.

But, in good news, our mortgage was bought out by another company and they sent us information about refinancing with some government program to help people with their mortgages by lowering the interest rates and apparently we actually qualify for a reduced rate refinance! Which shocks the heck out of me and I'm still wondering if it's for real. Supposedly we will save over $200 a month if everything goes right, and that $200 a month could make a huge difference if we are living on unemployment.

I'm going to be putting in applications at places close enough to walk or bike to, but I would be very surprised if anyone is actually hiring. Unemployment here is still at 15% and it seems that for each job opening there are about 1000 people in line for it.

So, we will see what happens. Not much sense in worrying about it, just trying not to spend any money on anything other than necessities and saving what we can in preparation for the axe to fall.