Availability batting avg is gonna drop :(

currently listening to: A.C. Newman-The Slow Wonder

Gonna go ahead and apologize in advance…Normally I pride myself on being available and making it to just about everything that goes on.  usually at a 90-95% clip.  but there is no doubt the downside to working on the road at the RR and being on call cuts down my availability.  It will probably drop to something closer to 60%.  This is by far the hardest thing for me.  Its why I never wanted to leave this area.  I like hanging out with friends and keeping up with everyone.  Anyway, fair warning i suppose.  Hopefully it won’t be too bad.

a lot of us we’re in the same boat

currently listening to: Pretty Girls Make Graves-The New Romance

i’ve posted a lot over the past year or so about being patient waiting for jobs and housing situations to work themselves out and I’ve been thinking this week how just about everyone I see regularly is facing similar situations.  I guess its somewhat comforting to know that I’m not alone in this.  I hope its somewhat comforting to you too.

I know a lot of us are of different faiths and beliefs and whatever but i think we’ve all heard “good things come to those who wait”.  it is true…at least i know i believe it.   dont ever get discouraged.  new opportunities come out of nowhere everyday but at the same time if something doesnt quite seem right, and i’m not talking like dont take any risks at all, but if it just doesnt feel right then it probably isn’t.  Immediate satisfaction rarely if ever pays off longterm.  Its ok to suffer for a while for something that will benefit you for years to come.  and something will come.  have faith, no one is alone. 

I do try to keep everyone in mind cause as you can see, a lot of of are searching, looking, trying new and unknown things…

Jason-finishing school in the fall and looking for work

Adam-waiting on a RR job

Pat-one year of school left then looking for work

Abbie-applying for jobs/looking for a place

Bekah-applying for teaching jobs

Will-applying for jobs

Joanna-starting some new part-time jobs

Jake-switched teaching jobs

and just know that this is just a partial list of people i know going through these things.  I try to keep track of everyone and what they are dealing with.

back to work with the RR!

currently listening to: Grandaddy-The Sophtware Slump

Well i’m scheduled to be available to work starting friday at 10am which admittedly caught me totally off guard.  My assignment is on the road from Kansas City to Jefferson City, MO.  I will be on call working the extra board.  Meaning I cover for when regular guys call in sick or are on vacation.  This is the real deal.  I will have a “pilot” on my first few trips so I know what to expect.  Its basically an extra conductor who has made the trips before and maps it all out for you. 

I am admittedly scared, its been 3 months since i’ve worked at the RR and I dont remember everything.  Got a lot of reviewing to do.  Plus I’m on my own so I’m responsible for myself and the train!  Its exciting too though, cause this is my career.  I am thinking though this is temporary because Summer is the busy period.  After a few months i’ll likely go to the 8-day deal that i discussed previously.  We’ll see!

it pays to be union i suppose

currently listening to: The Beatles-Revolver

currently watching: X-Files-Season 2

currently reading: The Homosexual Agenda-Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today

I went to the monthly union meeting last night and found out an agreement had been made to bring furloughed employees like me back to work for 8 days a month in Kansas City.  Basically I have to be available and on call those 8 days and whether I work or not i’ll be paid for it and i get to keep my benefits and such.  Its a good deal.  I think this will officially start after a few more weeks, but what caught me off guard was we voted on this agreement last night and this morning I received a phone call calling me back to service for Kansas City.  There was no real indication what for, just that I would find out after the mandatory 15 day recall waiting period (to allow guys with jobs to give their 2 weeks).  I assume its for this 8 day work deal…most likely i’ll be doing some additional training during those 8 days a month, but there is also a very small chance I might have to do real work if they run really short on available employees on a given day.

What all this means for now is I won’t need another job–and it would be tough to have one anyway with having to be available for those 8 days–and the 8 days of pay for the month is just short of what i made working 30 hrs a week for a month at the bank anyway so I’m fairly covered to the bare minimum on my bills.  I certainly can’t afford to move out on that amount of pay due to my car payment, but its better than nothing to be sure.  Its really hard to tell when I will actually be doing full time work for the railroad at this point.  It seems that it could be a lot sooner than i assumed which was sometime early next year.

In other news I bowled a 553 series in league play which was far and away my best in league (a series is a total of 3 games bowled).  Our team currently is tied for 5th out of 16 teams. 

Hooray for good news!  Answers to prayer really.