New Job and stuff...
So many things to say, so many things to talk about...
First off, I want to give belated congratulations to stokerbramwell and razzek on their marriage, as well an early "Happy Birthday!" wish for Stoker, as of Nov. 5th!
I also want to give early happy birthday wishes to neverwench,
soryane, and kemanotter, and belated birthday wishes to cloewen/literary_equine and captainq. (And I apologize to those people I have missed earlier in the year.)
(Hmm.. when one updates as infrequently as I do, every birthday or anniversary wish is either likely to be belated or early.... gotta change that.) v.U. v
So what's been happening with the raptor? Well, about 3 weeks ago I got a new job. Yes, after almost 7.5 years at Wal-Mart, I have finally stepped over to a new line of work! What am i doing? I'm working with a day-program for mentally disabled adults, as an instructor in their behavioral program. However, I'm not quite settled into the new job yet, and I still feel like my work-life is in flux, and will be for some time to come. I will explain more on that.
Here's how God led me into this job:
One day while working in the photo lab at Wally-world, I saw a gentleman come in and start using our Kodak instant picture-maker. I thought I recognized him as someone I had acted in a play with many years ago. The play was "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"; I had played Edmund, and this gentleman had played Professor Kirke. I went up to him, greeted him, and asked him if he perchance had acted in any plays in the Mother Lode area (where I used to live). He said he had, and I introduced myself as the boy who had acted with him in the aforementioned play about 15 years ago. He remembered the play, and then began to recognize me. I suppose I have changed a lot in 15 years, but the only difference in him was that his hair had changed from red to grey-white.
Anyway, we asked how each other was doing, and he explained that he was the executive director for a day-program for mentally disabled adults. He asked how I liked working at Wal-Mart, and then invited me to come and check out where he worked (implying that I might like working there as well).
I visited the site not long after, and then after discussing the possibilities with my wife, aladdinsgenie, I had an interview. However, the lady who interviewed me initially offered me only a part-time on-call position (which was certainly not the type of position I needed if I were to leave Wal-Mart). A few days later, another lady, one higher up on the totem-pole, so to speak, called back and asked me to come interview with her, having seen my resume. After the interview she said she'd like to give me a chance at the full time instructor position.
So that's where I am now. However, in order not to burn any bridges too quickly, I have been working at Wal-Mart on the weekends, and at the day-program during the week. I wanted to make sure that the new job would work out before I left my long-standing position at Wally-world.
Furthermore, my overall career ambition (at this point) is to become a credentialed teacher with the state. I have enrolled in an intern program that will result in such credentialing. There is a preliminary series of evening classes (as well as a few special academic tests) that I must take before searching for an internship. If all goes well in that regard, I should be able to find a teaching internship in time for next Fall. However, there are a few hitches in the plan.
First off, one of the evening classes starts at exactly the time I am supposed to finish work at the day-program... and the class is held in a city half-an-hour away.
Second, one of the requirements for this day-program job is to obtain a class B driver license (to allow me to drive small busses for group outings). I have 60 days to obtain this, and I am already 3 weeks into the job. And my license testing appointment keeps getting pushed back (which is a blessing and a curse... more time to study, but less time to pass.)
Third, I am trying to figure out when to finally cut ties with Wal-Mart. I'm thinking of giving my 2 weeks notice this weekend, to by out by Thanksgiving. This is the 3rd Week that I haven't had a full day off from work (between the two jobs) and it's getting fatiguing. And each job has its own stresses... there are difficult people and situations at both locations. For example, the photo lab has been rapidly losing people, and we are terribly understaffed as it is.
But here's the kicker: If I can't get the day-program to somehow accommodate my evening class schedule (by letting me of an hour early on one day a week), then I might have to go back to Wal-Mart and just work there until I can start my internship in the fall. (I'd just have to make sure they give me Tuesdays and Thursdays off for my preliminary classes). However, the day program pays a little more, has better benefits, has better hours (my wife and I get home at about the same time!) and it just feels like God led me there on purpose (what with having that gentleman I knew from 15 years ago basically walk up and offer me work).
Anyway, aladdinsgenie and I are thankful to God for bringing us thus far, and we are continually learning to trust Him for guidance, protection, and provision.
One other bit of news: We are starting to get involved in the children's ministry at the church we've been attending for the last year. My wife is probably going to teach 2nd grade Sunday School, and it looks like I may be helping run the check-in computer system as the parents drop off and pick up their kids. We're also getting involved with a weekly small-group meeting with 3 other families from the church. I've been to the group once so far, and they seem like really nice, caring people. I'm looking forward to developing friendships with them.
Anyhoo, if you've read all the stuff in the cut and made it this far, I thank you for your time and attention. ^.U.^ Sorry my posts tend to be book-length. :-p
'Till next time, God bless and Godspeed, my friends!
``` VR
First off, I want to give belated congratulations to stokerbramwell and razzek on their marriage, as well an early "Happy Birthday!" wish for Stoker, as of Nov. 5th!
I also want to give early happy birthday wishes to neverwench,
soryane, and kemanotter, and belated birthday wishes to cloewen/literary_equine and captainq. (And I apologize to those people I have missed earlier in the year.)
(Hmm.. when one updates as infrequently as I do, every birthday or anniversary wish is either likely to be belated or early.... gotta change that.) v.U. v
So what's been happening with the raptor? Well, about 3 weeks ago I got a new job. Yes, after almost 7.5 years at Wal-Mart, I have finally stepped over to a new line of work! What am i doing? I'm working with a day-program for mentally disabled adults, as an instructor in their behavioral program. However, I'm not quite settled into the new job yet, and I still feel like my work-life is in flux, and will be for some time to come. I will explain more on that.
Here's how God led me into this job:
One day while working in the photo lab at Wally-world, I saw a gentleman come in and start using our Kodak instant picture-maker. I thought I recognized him as someone I had acted in a play with many years ago. The play was "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"; I had played Edmund, and this gentleman had played Professor Kirke. I went up to him, greeted him, and asked him if he perchance had acted in any plays in the Mother Lode area (where I used to live). He said he had, and I introduced myself as the boy who had acted with him in the aforementioned play about 15 years ago. He remembered the play, and then began to recognize me. I suppose I have changed a lot in 15 years, but the only difference in him was that his hair had changed from red to grey-white.
Anyway, we asked how each other was doing, and he explained that he was the executive director for a day-program for mentally disabled adults. He asked how I liked working at Wal-Mart, and then invited me to come and check out where he worked (implying that I might like working there as well).
I visited the site not long after, and then after discussing the possibilities with my wife, aladdinsgenie, I had an interview. However, the lady who interviewed me initially offered me only a part-time on-call position (which was certainly not the type of position I needed if I were to leave Wal-Mart). A few days later, another lady, one higher up on the totem-pole, so to speak, called back and asked me to come interview with her, having seen my resume. After the interview she said she'd like to give me a chance at the full time instructor position.
So that's where I am now. However, in order not to burn any bridges too quickly, I have been working at Wal-Mart on the weekends, and at the day-program during the week. I wanted to make sure that the new job would work out before I left my long-standing position at Wally-world.
Furthermore, my overall career ambition (at this point) is to become a credentialed teacher with the state. I have enrolled in an intern program that will result in such credentialing. There is a preliminary series of evening classes (as well as a few special academic tests) that I must take before searching for an internship. If all goes well in that regard, I should be able to find a teaching internship in time for next Fall. However, there are a few hitches in the plan.
First off, one of the evening classes starts at exactly the time I am supposed to finish work at the day-program... and the class is held in a city half-an-hour away.
Second, one of the requirements for this day-program job is to obtain a class B driver license (to allow me to drive small busses for group outings). I have 60 days to obtain this, and I am already 3 weeks into the job. And my license testing appointment keeps getting pushed back (which is a blessing and a curse... more time to study, but less time to pass.)
Third, I am trying to figure out when to finally cut ties with Wal-Mart. I'm thinking of giving my 2 weeks notice this weekend, to by out by Thanksgiving. This is the 3rd Week that I haven't had a full day off from work (between the two jobs) and it's getting fatiguing. And each job has its own stresses... there are difficult people and situations at both locations. For example, the photo lab has been rapidly losing people, and we are terribly understaffed as it is.
But here's the kicker: If I can't get the day-program to somehow accommodate my evening class schedule (by letting me of an hour early on one day a week), then I might have to go back to Wal-Mart and just work there until I can start my internship in the fall. (I'd just have to make sure they give me Tuesdays and Thursdays off for my preliminary classes). However, the day program pays a little more, has better benefits, has better hours (my wife and I get home at about the same time!) and it just feels like God led me there on purpose (what with having that gentleman I knew from 15 years ago basically walk up and offer me work).
Anyway, aladdinsgenie and I are thankful to God for bringing us thus far, and we are continually learning to trust Him for guidance, protection, and provision.
One other bit of news: We are starting to get involved in the children's ministry at the church we've been attending for the last year. My wife is probably going to teach 2nd grade Sunday School, and it looks like I may be helping run the check-in computer system as the parents drop off and pick up their kids. We're also getting involved with a weekly small-group meeting with 3 other families from the church. I've been to the group once so far, and they seem like really nice, caring people. I'm looking forward to developing friendships with them.
Anyhoo, if you've read all the stuff in the cut and made it this far, I thank you for your time and attention. ^.U.^ Sorry my posts tend to be book-length. :-p
'Till next time, God bless and Godspeed, my friends!
``` VR