I went to orientation at the new job on Tuesday and got my hire packet and benefit information and took some company specific tests and received a supply of uniforms for the job. Unfortunately, my manager for that particular position...(I will be working at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport but have no idea what I'll be doing) wasn't in so I'm still in the dark about when I'll start and where. Oh well, more down time. I was giving blood today... (I donate 2-3 times a year) and the job called. I needed to be background checked to get security clearance for the airport. Could I be at the airport at 1:30 to fill out paperwork and get fingerprinted because they were closed Thursday and Friday...(some kind of holiday going on or something). It seems I can't begin work until THEY do a background check on me. So that will take another 7 to 10 business days which brings us to to the second week of December. There is nothing like trying to get to the airport on the busiest flying day of the year. But I made it and found the Operations Center and filled out my paperwork and got fingerprinted again. Not to be gross, but my background has been checked more than a busy week at the proctologists. And to add to the fun, next Wednesday I will go to class to renew my guard license which involves, you guessed it, another background check. I will sit through an 8 hour class (that I taught at the old job about a dozen times this year), but it is a necessary evil in my chosen profession. While waiting for the fingerprinting...(sort of like being at the DMV with less surly clerks), I got an offer to work Thursday night from 11:30pm until 7:30am at a Macy's store in Mesa. So I took it. I have worked on Thanksgiving the last four years so why not this one too.
I explained why I made this move but there is more to it than just the medical coverage. I have a nasty habit of being a work-a-holic. And when you enjoy what you do it tends to blind you to the fact that it slowly takes over every aspect of your life until it becomes your life. As a daily survivor of alcohol and drug addiction, you would think that I would know the warning signs. That is the major concern of an addict. You have the tendency to replace one addiction with another. My addiction to golf is more of a love affair and I believe it contributed mightily to saving my life 17 years ago and still keeps me sane to this day. But a job shouldn't control your well-being or be the major component of your existence... I left New Jersey to escape that and I took this job to go back to what I enjoyed the most about being in security...dealing with the public. I'll miss the trips to NYC but all I ever did there was work, eat and sleep and not all of them every day (except work). I didn't really get to see any of the events I was working. And let's face it, 109 hours worked in a seven day period is not conducive to good health at any age.
Which brings me to Thanksgiving (that holiday going on). I have much to be thankful for this year. I am thankful that friends and family (even the ones I don't get along with) survived Superstorm Sandy... I am thankful for the ability to get out from under a bad situation and find a job that I am excited to begin (whenever that is)... I am thankful for the opportunities I have had in the past two years to work some really cool events and meet some really cool celebrities and people... I am thankful that I will be able to remain in this desert paradise I call home. And mostly I am thankful to God (yes, I mentioned God!) that he has given me the strength and guidance (somebody better be driving this ship besides me) to remain clean and sober and with that the ability to enjoy this crazy life (the resumption of a life) that I have out here. Happy Thanksgiving to all and God Bless each and every one of you!!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Living the Dream... Part 2
Hello...This is a little more like it. I have found my voice (my writing voice, I guess) and with renewed energy (see below), begin the blogging on a more frequent basis. Things have gotten a little out out of hand lately... (actually since I got back from New York in September) and some drastic measures needed to be implemented. The dream (part 1) was turning into a nightmare and more than I bargained for... (mostly my own fault) but still more than I was willing to continue. My health and mental well-being (truly an oxymoron in my case) was being jeopardized and changes needed to be made.
After nineteen straight 12 hour days of work in NYC at the US Open, I came home exhausted and looking for a break. Unfortunately, it was busy at the Convention Center so the DAY off after the trip was not enough to say the least. My schedule was oppressive and my inability to say no didn't help. That and the fact that the branch manager's wife had just given birth meant more of my time was being asked for. I was working every weekend and really had no input into my work schedule so that any plans I made were last minute when I could make them at all. I really wasn't allowed to be a "guard" anymore... (as a manager I had to schmooze with the client and post guards and handle breaks). Being a guard and dealing with the public was why I became a security guard in the first place and now I wasn't able to be one. Damn me for being so freaking good at my job...(obviously my humility was not affected by my schedule). Then the weekend from hell happened... I was scheduled to work 6am to 6pm and then 6pm until midnight on a Saturday. I had Friday off so it wasn't too bad, right? WRONG! The second part of the shift was a concert (gangsta rapper named Tyga) and we had a problem with the promoter after the show and I was called into a post event meeting that lasted until 1230am. Then I found out that everyone had left and no guard was scheduled to stay for the move-out. So I had to stay and the move-out continued until 330am. But wait, it gets better. I was scheduled to be in on Sunday from 6am-6pm also. I couldn't call anyone at 4 in the morning to cover my shift, so I went home, showered and changed and came back to work. Several gallons of coffee and constant motion kept me alive until the end. All in all it was 36 hours straight... (counting getting up and commuting back and forth). I wouldn't wish that shift on anyone.
So, I decided to test the waters for another employment opportunity. I applied to another security company in Phoenix that offered full time hours (I know...not the original plan). The big incentive was that the pay was almost the same, my schedule would be flex (some days, night and swing shifts) and they offered a complete benefit package (medical, dental, eyes, paid vacations, personal days, etc.) and I would be working at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport which is very close to home. They wanted to hire me on the spot. The kicker was that I couldn't work for any other security companies. I mulled it over and then, following my sister's lead, I gave notice to the company taking advantage of me and joined the new company! I go to orientation tomorrow and will learn more about the job and report to you when I get home. So, for the past week and a half, Sheba and I having been bonding, my golf clubs and I have been bonding, and I have eliminated "soup" and "doors" in my life... (that last was for Sheryl and Mrs. Daddy). I am a single father of a hilarious, crazy little cat and I'm am well rested (first time in a long time) and loving life again. I am excited to begin this new adventure and excited to share it with you. Wish me luck!
After nineteen straight 12 hour days of work in NYC at the US Open, I came home exhausted and looking for a break. Unfortunately, it was busy at the Convention Center so the DAY off after the trip was not enough to say the least. My schedule was oppressive and my inability to say no didn't help. That and the fact that the branch manager's wife had just given birth meant more of my time was being asked for. I was working every weekend and really had no input into my work schedule so that any plans I made were last minute when I could make them at all. I really wasn't allowed to be a "guard" anymore... (as a manager I had to schmooze with the client and post guards and handle breaks). Being a guard and dealing with the public was why I became a security guard in the first place and now I wasn't able to be one. Damn me for being so freaking good at my job...(obviously my humility was not affected by my schedule). Then the weekend from hell happened... I was scheduled to work 6am to 6pm and then 6pm until midnight on a Saturday. I had Friday off so it wasn't too bad, right? WRONG! The second part of the shift was a concert (gangsta rapper named Tyga) and we had a problem with the promoter after the show and I was called into a post event meeting that lasted until 1230am. Then I found out that everyone had left and no guard was scheduled to stay for the move-out. So I had to stay and the move-out continued until 330am. But wait, it gets better. I was scheduled to be in on Sunday from 6am-6pm also. I couldn't call anyone at 4 in the morning to cover my shift, so I went home, showered and changed and came back to work. Several gallons of coffee and constant motion kept me alive until the end. All in all it was 36 hours straight... (counting getting up and commuting back and forth). I wouldn't wish that shift on anyone.
So, I decided to test the waters for another employment opportunity. I applied to another security company in Phoenix that offered full time hours (I know...not the original plan). The big incentive was that the pay was almost the same, my schedule would be flex (some days, night and swing shifts) and they offered a complete benefit package (medical, dental, eyes, paid vacations, personal days, etc.) and I would be working at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport which is very close to home. They wanted to hire me on the spot. The kicker was that I couldn't work for any other security companies. I mulled it over and then, following my sister's lead, I gave notice to the company taking advantage of me and joined the new company! I go to orientation tomorrow and will learn more about the job and report to you when I get home. So, for the past week and a half, Sheba and I having been bonding, my golf clubs and I have been bonding, and I have eliminated "soup" and "doors" in my life... (that last was for Sheryl and Mrs. Daddy). I am a single father of a hilarious, crazy little cat and I'm am well rested (first time in a long time) and loving life again. I am excited to begin this new adventure and excited to share it with you. Wish me luck!
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Prodigal Blogger returns...
Hello? Is that you, Jim? Yes, it is. The Prodigal Blogger has returned from self-imposed exile in the desert, (I'm still in the desert, but you know what I mean). I can't believe that I haven't put fingers to keyboard since September...(it doesn't sound as good as pen to paper, does it?). So this dive back into blogging is a catch me up on all the things that I have missed since my last blog and I will try to remember them them in chronological order.
Birthdays: Happy belated Birthday to Cousin Beck (Sept. 30), Veronica (Oct. 8) and Natalie (Oct. 21), although I did go to see them in October for my annual Virginia visit, Loretta (Oct. 26) and Victor (Nov. 4), Molly (Nov. 15), and Cathy, aka Mrs. Daddy (Nov. 16). If I forgot anyone else, I apologize for being a dumbass, although after 50+ years of BEING a dumbass, I really shouldn't have to apologize anymore. Being a dumbass means never having to say you're sorry (Sorry, Love Story).
Natural Disasters: Holy crap! After surviving Hurricane Irene in 2011 and the remnants of Isaac this year on my trip to NYC, the East Coast is hit by Superstorm Sandy AND an earthquake. I am just glad to hear that everyone survived the loss of power and heat and that things are slowly getting back to normal. Don't mess with Mother Nature indeed!
Loss: My condolences to Victor and his family on the loss of his father after a prolonged battle with cancer. Big Victor was not only my best friend's father but he was also a friend. I know he has a special place in heaven waiting for him and I want to thank him for letting me have the honor of knowing him all those years growing up... I know that I am a better man for knowing him. Also lost this year was my friend KC's Mom. I didn't really know her all that well but I love her son like a brother and his loss is also mine. Rest in Peace, my friends.
Congratulations: Sister Sheryl has embarked on a new journey with a new job on her career path. Even though she is continuing this career path without an organ (gall bladder removed recently), I wish her all the best. I, too, have made a career altering decision, but I will go into it in detail in the next installment...(hopefully before the end of the year). I hope you have missed my blogs because I have missed sending them. I will be back with new adventures. The Prodigal Blogger has returned...slaughter the fatted calf and let's party!
Birthdays: Happy belated Birthday to Cousin Beck (Sept. 30), Veronica (Oct. 8) and Natalie (Oct. 21), although I did go to see them in October for my annual Virginia visit, Loretta (Oct. 26) and Victor (Nov. 4), Molly (Nov. 15), and Cathy, aka Mrs. Daddy (Nov. 16). If I forgot anyone else, I apologize for being a dumbass, although after 50+ years of BEING a dumbass, I really shouldn't have to apologize anymore. Being a dumbass means never having to say you're sorry (Sorry, Love Story).
Natural Disasters: Holy crap! After surviving Hurricane Irene in 2011 and the remnants of Isaac this year on my trip to NYC, the East Coast is hit by Superstorm Sandy AND an earthquake. I am just glad to hear that everyone survived the loss of power and heat and that things are slowly getting back to normal. Don't mess with Mother Nature indeed!
Loss: My condolences to Victor and his family on the loss of his father after a prolonged battle with cancer. Big Victor was not only my best friend's father but he was also a friend. I know he has a special place in heaven waiting for him and I want to thank him for letting me have the honor of knowing him all those years growing up... I know that I am a better man for knowing him. Also lost this year was my friend KC's Mom. I didn't really know her all that well but I love her son like a brother and his loss is also mine. Rest in Peace, my friends.
Congratulations: Sister Sheryl has embarked on a new journey with a new job on her career path. Even though she is continuing this career path without an organ (gall bladder removed recently), I wish her all the best. I, too, have made a career altering decision, but I will go into it in detail in the next installment...(hopefully before the end of the year). I hope you have missed my blogs because I have missed sending them. I will be back with new adventures. The Prodigal Blogger has returned...slaughter the fatted calf and let's party!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
