A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

need a job

Look kids, Big Ben … Parliament

Remember that scene from National Lampoon’s European Vacation where Clark W. Griswold and family are in the roundabout?

He can’t get left and keeps going in circles, making sure to point out Big Ben and Parliament to the kids?

Yeah, I’m hoping you know what I mean, but in case you don’t…

Anyway, this isn’t a post about National Lampoon’s European Vacation, roundabouts, Big Ben or Parliament.

It’s about feeling like Clark W. Griswold.

Last week marked my last week working at my summer gig. That was a great band aid for me and my situation of seeking long-term (career) employment, but it’s ended.

And with it making sure I covered my bills and gas money for the summer, I’m almost tapped out again.

Unfortunately, the job didn’t allow me to be able to get unemployment benefits again (which, to be fair, I hadn’t had long before taking said job). I didn’t expect that, though, so I’m not worried there.

But it’s put me back to square one. Thankfully, I have this month’s bills all paid. I should be able to get by with my dwindling “retirement” to get by for a couple of more months, if absolutely needed. Hopefully it won’t be.

All this makes me laugh when politicians are talking about how everything is getting better. Yeah, right.

So that means I’m back to square one. I submitted my resumes to a few sites today. I’m trying some non-traditional ways of finding jobs. I’m going to try and dig a little deeper on LinkedIn, for example. Or check the job sites a little deeper and see what else I can do to get my resume seen and noticed.

I’ll be submitting applications to places around here. Maybe I can stock some shelves overnight. That would still allow me daytime stuff to do the job hunt and things like that.

This is tough, though.

For a long time, I thought it built character. I was confident. Now, I don’t know. I have a piece of paper that shows I have a master’s degree, which, is apparently quite worthless. My field is tough as can be and it makes me wonder about going back to school.

Then there’s this question — how would I pay for it?

I keep looking at the fact that I have family and friends who have supported and helped me when possible. I have a roof over my head, a car that (for the most part) works and, I guess, my health.

But it’s back to the grind for me.

I wonder at times what kind of things I did to have this sort of karma on me. It’s so frustrating at times to watch as people switch jobs, get raises, have good things happen and, sometimes, they aren’t always the nicest of people. Maybe that’s the issue. Maybe, at times, I’m too nice and not aggressive enough.

Maybe that should change.

In the end, I’m looking for a change of scenery, a change of everything and a chance to actually try and get ahead in life. I know it is going to be an uphill climb and I’m ready to start the climb.

I just need the chance.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Notes from my Noodle: January 6 edition

Hello blog readers and welcome to the first edition of Notes from my Noodle in 2012. I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s and holiday season as this world gets back into full gear.

Alas, another weekend is upon us. There is good weather in the forecast in my part of the Northeast, so I’m looking to go out and geocache/letterbox/photograph for a while Saturday. Why not take advantage of it?

My January 4 choice for my 366 Project.

With this year being a leap year, I’ve opted to do the Project 3656 again. I was successful in 2010 with it, so I thought with the extra day, it would be cool to do it again.

Now I just have to make sure to get a photo each day!

I’ve been good with it so far. And I plan on heading out today to find a photo. As I peer outside right now, there are blue skies, the sun is shining and the temps are in the upper 40s.

Score!

There has to be something out there to snap photos of, I would think.

And though I have the iPhone, which has an excellent camera, I am hoping to do the bulk of the 366 this year with my Canon 7D. I love the use of the iPhone — I really do — but for this project, I’d like to challenge myself artistically a but more with my DSLR. Plus, I got a really cook bokeh kit for my lenses for Christmas and I’m looking forward to trying that out for sure.

If any of you have some cool and fun ideas for photos I should look into taking for my 366 project, post them in the comments section. I want to keep a small notebook of ideas, in case I get in a pinch!

I know a few others doing the 366 this year. One of them is fellow Flickr/Twitter user and fellow geocacher Mike, who has been doing the 365 since 2010. That means, unless he somehow skipped a day this year and hasn’t said anything yet, he has been taking a photo a day for 736 straight days (or more)! (For readers of this blog, Mike was a guest poster in November).

That’s insane!

Keep it up Mike. By the end of this one, you’ll have reached nearly 1,000 days, which is no small feat!

 ***

I wish I had more to report on the job hunt. Applications are still being sent out. But, for the next batch, I’m taking a different approach.

Being that the first approach hasn’t worked too well, outside of the few interviews and such I’ve had, I’m going to change the tone of my cover letters. At this point, what’s it going to hurt? I think I am going to attempt to make them a little more edgy, a little more cocky. I imagine that it will, at worse, get somebody’s attention. Maybe it will get me a few more interviews. And maybe (gasp!) an offer.

Something has to change.

I want to try and re-work my resume a little, too. I don’t think it’s awful, but a tweak or two probably wouldn’t hurt.

My big thing is trying to make it so my block of not working doesn’t stand out so much. I have to work on that as well and hope something comes along soon.

This has, by far, been one of the most trying things, professionally, I’ve ever dealt with in my life. I’m just hoping the light at the end of the tunnel gets big soon!

***

This past Sunday, I went and played a round of disc golf. On January 1, in the Albany area in New York, it was in the high 40s. Me, my niece Nicole, Darren and his wife Jodi played 18 holes at Schenectady Central Park.

My niece sizes up a putt.

What a day.

I played a round of disc golf last Jan. 1 as well, but it was not nearly as warm as this!

But it was a perfect day to go out for a nice little walk and play a round. We only came across people a couple of times, but no major issues. We stopped for a couple of letterboxes and pretty much took our time.

Without a doubt, though, it was great just to be out walking around and moving.

I haven’t played in a while (I think my last round had been on Thanksgiving), so I didn’t throw as well as I would have liked. Still, it wasn’t bad. I had some decent shots and hopefully my game will improve as this year moves on. My niece has only been a few times, but I think she’s starting to get the hang of things and hopefully she can keep improving and liking the game as well. Starting at a younger age will only make her better as she continues to age and play. It’s also a great game to be able to just get out and play.

Now if we can get a course in our local area…

Speaking of disc golf, I continue to work on a certain disc golf project I have going on. I am hoping within the next two weeks to be able to announce something here about it. I’m extremely excited about it and hope it works out for the best!

Until then, keep clanging the metal and rattling those chains when you are out on the disc golf course!

***

I’m sneaking out of the area this weekend to do a little day trip. I’m not going far, but I’m meeting up with a friend to do a day of geocaching/letterboxing and catch up on some things.

Here’s something I’ve figured — it’s not as easy planning a trip to involve letterboxing as it is geocaching.

See, with geocaching, you have a map you can open up and see where everything is. That way, you can plan a route that is somewhat economical and such.

With letterboxing, you can bring up a google map — for each box. Then you have to figure what’s close etc., and try and keep them somewhat in a route to make it worthwhile.

Hopefully by the end of tomorrow, we’ll have piled up a bunch of finds for both. And I also hope to have had several cool photos taken before the end of the day.

Though the temperatures are supposed to be slightly cooler tomorrow (not too bad, though), it is still supposed to be sunny and nice out. So I look forward to a day of finding stamps, caches and photo opportunities.

***

I have finally gotten back into reading books on the Kindle again. I’m reading one of Jodi Picoult’s latest books, “Sing Me Home.” So far, so good. I’m a big fan of Picoult and always enjoy what she brings to the table with her books. Well-written and well-researched make things a good and smooth read.

I have a couple of other books lined up as well.

Anyone get a Kindle Fire over the holidays? I’m curious to see what people think. I have a 3rd or 4th Generation Kindle and I like it. But down the line, I might look to upgrade, though if I really want a tablet, the iPad seems like the way I might lean. I like my reader to be just that — a reader.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!