in quattro parole io sono ancora qua

Si... io sono ancora qua!

Yes, I'm still here. I've just not been able to post lately, as I've left my retail big box chain store job, and settled into my photo store job.




I might not have mentioned it, but I was working two jobs for a few months. I was working the retail shop since November, as I was originally hired for part time (seasonal) work. Once the shopping season ended, I was hired on as part time. The honeymoon phase of "woot! I finally got a job... after 2 years of unemployment! [big grin]" was over, around February. I started seeing how crappy the store really was, and how mistreated alot of the workers were. Third world sweat shop workers probably had it better at one point (just kidding). I really needed to get out of that environment because there was so much negativity floating around, it wasn't healthy. Plus the fact, it was a dead end job. So, I started applying to other retail stores, other businesses. On the retail side: since I currently work at a competitor, they can not even go any further than speaking to me on the phone to tell me I'm a conflict of interest; therefore, they can not offer me an interview. Bummer. I ended up walking into a local mom and pop photo store one day, on a lark, and asked if they were hiring. I had been out, doling some resumes to businesses, and figured, what the hell. So one of the owners I spoke with, was pleased with me having gone in and asked. She took my information, my resume, and said she'd be in touch. A month later, she called me saying they actually had hired someone, and if the person didn't work out, she'd resume the conversation - interview, ecc. Okay, well that's a start, right? I continued plugging away at the retail store, stressing out because the cliques were so bad, the management intolerable, and nothing I could do. People were getting fired, quit, and the drama was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Finally, after 2 months of waiting on the photo job, I got a call back. They wanted to talk to me. The guy didn't work out. I went in, talked to both bosses, started the next week. I haven't looked back, and that was April. I'm at the point now, that I not only have business cards with my name on it, I have a work shirt. I guess I'm staying there for a while! [big grin] I love it, too. I am the "Film and Video Transfer Specialist". Meaning, I get to play with antiquated equipment all day... 8mm, Super 8, 16mm, VCR tapes... all going to DVD. The occasional slides too. I'm really happy at that place.

Now if only I had found something like this up north, I'd have been super excited. But You have to make the best of it, right?

So the beginning of this month, I got fed up with the retail store and quit. Used my discount for one last major purchase, walked out, put the stuff in my car, walked back in, and "I quit". Come to find out, I was the 6th person that week to walk out. 2nd that day. What does that tell you about the job? A lot. But I'm using those days now, for errands, going into the photo place if needed, and just trying to unwrap my brain from 8 months of pure stupidity. Which is partially the reason why I've lapsed in blogging lately. But to paraphrase a 1983 Elton John and a 2011 Vasco Rossi: I'm Still Here (and standing).






Cheers,