Useless Facts/Chit Chat Thread

[auntie]

Sorry to hear about your job loss. Your stay in FW should be just what you need. Time to relax and regroup.

 

[Gatordad]

Just don't let that clown eat you. Good Luck.

 

[auntie]

Al, this trucker rally occured close to where your daughter lives..at least from what I remember you mentioning. Near Moreau. Exit 17 to 16 south on the Northway.


http://www.poststar.com/articles/2008/05/23/news/local/13617248.txt




____________________

 

[ntsammy5]

Thanks Phylis, I'll look at it tonight.

 

[Colson39]

Thanks everyone. I have been recieving a lot of encouragement from a lot of people. I am also a Microsoft Certified Trainer and a good friend of mine (my old boss) in Virginia Beach told me she could easily get me 2 classes a month at the training center she runs if I want to contract. Even better, she gave me a pass to the Microsoft TechEd conference in Orlando June 10-13 that she won after my company took mine away. They paid for it and seeing as I wouldn't be their employee anymore... She can't use the pass she won becuase she will be on her honeymoon with my best friend
They are getting married June 7.

So, I will have a week's worth of networking with a bunch of fellow geeks, then a vacation at Fort Wilderness. My severance is 9 week's pay (one week for each year with the company), I will apply for unemployment (and hopefully never have to get a check from the state), I have my resume out, I am meeting with a friend next week who is an IT headhunter...it will all work out.

Again, thanks for the kind words and wishes. Ya'll are the best.

I have a story to relate, and hopefully one that will let you know that this too will be something you look back on in a few years and realize, "It was tough, but I came out stronger because of it".

Almost 5 years (so let's see, November of probably 2003) ago, we had one of our annual Thanksgiving trips to the Fort planned. This was I believe probably the 4th one since we started in the late 90's, so it was something already that we all had looked forward to all year. My birthday was landing on Thanksgiving for the first time in 5 years (just like it will again this year! ), and we had plans at the Hoop Dee Doo. Also, Beth and I had just started dating, and we had only been together a little over a month.

Beth already had plans to go to Chicago, so she was only going for the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We were all going up on Tuesday afternoon, which I was taking off from work. So showed up to work on Monday, had a good day at work, was finishing it off with a great game of ping pong (we had a ping pong table at work, had tournaments and everything...lol), and my boss/friend who got me the job says he needs to see me after the game. So I got a little bit worried, thinking I had gotten in trouble or something.

So this is about 6 PM on Monday, my boss/friend tells me that they're having layoffs, and I'm one of them. I turn out to be the only one in my department layed off, in which I find the reason out later, because I at the time was the only single one without a family so they thought it would be "easier" on me. Could have sued for that, but just not that type of person.

So all day I had been looking forward to going home on Monday, only I didn't realize the ride home would be so crappy. Called everyone and told them what happened, people were talking about cancelling Disney, but I just said we still had to go, to at least keep it normal.

So we left the next day Tuesday, for our trip we had all looked so much forward to for a year, although all I could think about was that I had just got layed off. I had finally fought myself back from the last time I was layed off, back in 2001, only a few years earlier. That had been a very rough time, and I did not want to go through it again.

Somehow I was able to enjoy the trip, and you will be able to as well. I was only 26 the first time I was layed off, 29 the second time. After spending most of the first 5 years of my career on a rocket, to have two crashes in such a short time afterwards was rough.

I remember that was one of the coldest winters I've ever had in Disney, it was freezing at night. This was also about a year before they really started saying you had to have covered fire pits, so let's just say me, a roaring fire pit, a couple blankets, a radio (in which I listened to "After Dark", that sci-fi alien show that's on late night on AM, listened to it every single night for hours, except on Friday when I listened to 2 hours of live high school sports updates...lol).

Oh, and my friends Bacardi and Budweiser visited quite often as well..

I did ruin the one night we had at the Hoop-Dee-Doo because it was my birthday and they kept on trying to single me out and I just wasn't in the mood, always really regretted that. Which is why I hope this year I can make up for it...lol

In the end, it turned out to be a good trip. To be honest, it took my mind a lot more off of things then had I been at home. Don't expect the impossible, but just for a while escape to that fantasy world and you'll end up having a good trip, I promise!!

 

[VACAMPER]

I know alot of people are travelling this weekend so be careful and have fun. Dh is already gone with our camper to set it up at a local camp ground. I was waiting on the girls to get out of school but i'm feeling the need to pull them out a little early. i'm sitting here with nothing to do just waiting on them . Maybe i'll make it until at least lunchtime.

Ami, i think you said that you were leaving Sat. for Europe. Take lots of pictures! We'll need an update. Have a great trip.

 

[AuburnJen92]

Jerry, hang in there buddy. Your situation sounds exactly like my DH two years ago. Company was bought, and after him being at the company 5 years, lay offs started. Here's hoping you find another job soon and enjoy yourself immensely at the Fort. Hope to see you there!

(DH is a computer geek as well)

 

[auntie]

I know alot of people are travelling this weekend so be careful and have fun. Dh is already gone with our camper to set it up at a local camp ground. I was waiting on the girls to get out of school but i'm feeling the need to pull them out a little early. i'm sitting here with nothing to do just waiting on them . Maybe i'll make it until at least lunchtime.

Ami, i think you said that you were leaving Sat. for Europe. Take lots of pictures! We'll need an update. Have a great trip.

Yes...Ami, have a wonderful trip, looking forward to hearing all about it. Safe travels to everyone taking to the roads or the skies!

 

[des1954]

Jerry...

I'm really sorry to hear of your job situation. In the early 90's, GTE (now Verizon) was famous for cut backs in management. People would come in at 8am & be escorted from the building by 11am with no advance warning.(Hmmmm, IIRC, there was another Bush in the Oval Office at that time. Coincident??)

My DH was "let go" from his job last November, and just started his new job 3 weeks ago. Although he has a "glowing" resume, and is qualified in many areas, we really felt his age was the downfall. He'll be 55 in August. He ran out of unemployment the week he began his new job. Hang in there, Jerry. Times are tough, but I'm sure you're tougher!! You're in my prayers.

 

[3gr8kids]

Sorry to hear about the job - that stinks. Unfortunately, it seems it's happening to more and more people lately. I can honestly say, though, that everyone I've known to be laid off in the last year or two have all gotten even better, higher paying jobs and are much happier now. I guess things really do happen for a reason? Life is too short, so enjoy the fort, and worry about it when you get back.

Ami ~ BON VOYAGE!! Have a GREAT trip and take lots of pics to share!

 

[des1954]

Life is too short, so enjoy the fort!

Karla... how very poignant!!! I believe that should be our new motto on this board!

Life is too short,
so enjoy the Fort!!
​

Looks good, doesn't it??​

 

[3gr8kids]

Karla... how very poignant!!! I believe that should be our new motto on this board!

Life is too short,
so enjoy the Fort!!
​

Looks good, doesn't it??​

LOL Debbie ~ I believe you're right ~ it does look good! Perhaps our resident graphic artists (Rog, Nicole and Jen) could come up with something cool to put it on?

 

[Shannone1]

I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL holiday weekend filled with nice weather and good friends.

We are going camping locally for the weekend. I'll have my laptop but don't know how much time I'll spend surfing the web. I think it's going to be pretty quiet around here anyway.





GO WINGS.....GO PISTONS !!

 

[MomofPirate&Mickey]

Today is Leo's birthday. You all should have seen him this morning. You'd think he was some big shot or something. Struttin every where...

Jerry, sorry about the job, I'm sure the Lord has something better in store for you.

Ami, Bon Voyage, Bon Chance. Have a great trip!!! I'm jealous, especially now that we've had to put off our trip for another 2 years (or longer... )

Everyone have a good weekend.

 

[77ed]

We've been really slow today so we decided to close early. Let the drinking begin!

 

[77ed]

Just wanted to post a picture our dog with his new collar. Getting ready for football season. By the way, Miami is #1 in the ACC baseball. GO CANES!

 

[1goofy1]

I know that alot of people are at the fort right now but I am going to post another song.

Name the song and/or artist

At home
Drawing pictures
Of mountain tops
With him on top
Lemon yellow sun
Arms raised in a V
Dead lay in pools of maroon below

Daddy didn't give attention
To the fact that mommy didn't care
King Jeremy the wicked
Ruled his world

 

[77ed]

I know that alot of people are at the fort right now but I am going to post another song.

Name the song and/or artist

At home
Drawing pictures
Of mountain tops
With him on top
Lemon yellow sun
Arms raised in a V
Dead lay in pools of maroon below

Daddy didn't give attention
To the fact that mommy didn't care
King Jeremy the wicked
Ruled his world

 

[JCJRSmith]

I know that alot of people are at the fort right now but I am going to post another song.

Name the song and/or artist

At home
Drawing pictures
Of mountain tops
With him on top
Lemon yellow sun
Arms raised in a V
Dead lay in pools of maroon below

Daddy didn't give attention
To the fact that mommy didn't care
King Jeremy the wicked
Ruled his world

Jeremy by Pearl Jam

 

[1goofy1]

Jeremy by Pearl Jam

Correct

Okay here is another one

I'm through with standing in line
To clubs we'll never get in
It's like the bottom of the ninth
And I'm never gonna win
This life hasn't turned out
Quite the way I want it to be

I want a brand new house
On an episode of Cribs
And a bathroom I can play baseball in
And a king size tub big enough
For ten plus me