Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Events

It has been an interesting couple of weeks at best. One day I was just minding my own business and suddenly a head hunter calls and wonders if I would know anyone interested in an estimator position at a local general contractor. Well of course I would... But only after checking legal options and getting all nervous and jerky.

Well three weeks later, I didn't get the position and I am pretty upset and pretty wiped out from the experience. But now the bug is with me. Its a pretty scary thing, this going back to work. I hate being idle, I hate depending on a disability check and I hate getting about 1/3 of my former income. But it's also been steady, been a godsend, and beats the heck out of getting nothing. There are days I feel ready to take on the world, but there are days I also feel wiped out, completely.

A while ago I finally went for a speech evaluation, my speech being the quantifiable area where I still feel affected from the stroke. It is, with out a doubt, getting better, but my vocabulary is not back and still feel it getting labored. It may never return to what it was and Maria is probably one of the only people who would know. I have always been the quiet type.

My speech seems to be fine and they recommended a neuro-psych evaluation. I am fighting Blue Cross for this. (Yes they would like you to get better, but only by normal...aka cheap means, nothing out of the ordinary.)

But nothing can put out this burning desire to go back to work. I want to be an estimator again. That area of my brain where the quantities of materials the go into a building reside did not seem be damaged. It can be glass, timbers, block or brick, steel or drywall. My old neighbor, who will hopefully be a congressman soon, once told me estimating was simple: you just count things. Well maybe not that simple. Well sort of...

While I look and I see no harm in looking, I am taking a course in project management to earn some project management certificate. I have a hard time with letters. I am learning, but going crazy with it. I have in the past been a good and bad project manager. Maybe I can get better.

In the meantime if you know of an estimating position.....

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Random

As Maddy would say. This seems to be the way life is going. Then there is the good Dr. (Hunter S.) Thompson who said "When the going gets tough, the tough get weird." And that seems totally fitting.

And then we saw George Thorogood and the Destroyers with Robert Cray and a Vaughan-less Fabulous Thunderbirds. Okay, not my cup except for Cray who was great.

Time to plug a Furthur disc in and relax....and deal with the random.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Time

Listening to Furthur once again play Pink Floyd's Time tonight or maybe we are well into morning. Thinking a little to much. Things seem to be in a state of flux here, with a lot of unsettling and settling things. I listened to Viola Lee Blues and The Wheel is coming soon. Life progresses and is good.

Maria and I got a tour of Amish farms in northern New York this weekend. Elle took me to Ben Yoder's sawmill and now I know I can build a timber frame. Ben sells pine for about .40 a board foot. We fished for bass on Higley Flow and I again got skunked but I am getting good at driving the boat. I do wish Maria could feel better, but that will come I hope.

There is much happening here. To settle things I again listen to Phil and Bobby and miss Jerry. We only saw one show this summer, but it was one of the best. Maybe again next year. We shall see where we all are.