Wolvie has hit Rock Bottom ,....I Believe,..

[Wolvie]

Well everyone I believe I have finally hit the ROCK of bottoms here in this high taxed,low income no job state of New York. At least in the area I live,upstate NY.

I am now a cashier at a convience store!
Went from $9.50 an hour to $7.00.
I do have an interview in Albany Thursday with CSX railroad.But I ain`t puttin much faith in that.It`s at a hotel ,so that probly means about million others will be there as well.

I tried gettin on with the cable company here, but I guess I am too old, or just didn`t have what they are looking for, kinda makes me feel like I`m on American Idol lol!

And today about an hour ago or so,.The world found out that Michael Jackson is not guilty on all counts.

Ah give it another decade and he`ll be back in the court room again.For the same crap.

I guess I am rantin today,..something ain`t it,...I can`t (we all) can`t go huntin` and now we are basically stuck talkin about everything but that.

Well I hope everyone else is doin good and VAL I hope that you are doin better and I wish you and yours the best.

Later All
SAFE HUNTIN~

[Rocky Raab]

Hey, Bud, welcome to the 'hood.

I just had a customer return a $1,500 set of electric ears on the last day of his 30-day test drive. I already spent it on bills.

Now I'm seriously overdrawn, and both the truck and mortgage are due - on automatic payments. My mother-in-law is coming and expects a trip to Phoenix at my expense. There are no gun shows (my main source of income) until August.

I'm screwed.

I sold a gun today (at a loss) to cover the truck check. I've NEVER had to sell a gun before. It might not be the last one, either. I lay awake at night prioritizing them between tosses and turns.

Even a Wal-Mart greeter job is looking good.

[rubicon]

misery loves company-Im fed up with my tree hugging neighbors and am in the process fo buying a house and moving farther from the city. Every day the realtor calls and needs another check for something else related to getting this house closed.

[gregarat]

That sucks Wolvie:( .

I myself know the feeling. I even worked 2-3 weeks at a Mcdonalds, to suplement my income. When my boss in Syracuse had few Security contracts.
The town is still begging for scraps from Bob Congel. That dumb town kinda deserves its plumit.
I do miss the Aderondacks alot. There isnt any place in the word like it.


I do hope you get the CSX job.
Dang, Albany has gota be quite a hike from Ft. Edward. Just ask Sir John Burgoyne.

[fabsroman]

I am not even going to start on my financial situation. It seems as though no matter how much we make, it just isn't enough and we aren't being extravagant. I think we just bit off more than we could chew with the engagement, house remodel, and wedding all coming in the same year. If we get through the next year, things will look pretty good because my truck and her car will be paid off. I guess there is always something to complain about.

On the bright side, I believe everybody here posting is still healthy, so we can make money once we find a job. Me, I have $2,000 in outstanding invoices to clients that I wonder if they will be paid or not. Of course, I could always sue them for the money, but that is not always a guarantee of getting paid and it definitely ends up in a lost client.

[Jabba]

Good luck Wolvie...

Good Luck Rocky...

Good luck Rubicon...

Fabs...you'll get out of it.

Jabba

[Wolvie]

Well I hate to say it ,but I guess i aint alone in the bad luck dept.

I will say this though,..things could be alot worst I guess.

My thing is that i have alot of experience in alot of different fields,and the places i applied at either tell me I have too much experience,or they dont feel good starting me off at an entry level,or I have had alot of jobs in the past and they would rather not take a chance on me .

Most of my "past jobs" I resigned from were due to bosses thinking they could control me out of the work place,and act as if they were some sort of God while at work.
The last place I left owed (and still does),me alot of money for services rendered.
I am a custodian and floor tech, so i did some extra work for my old company,I tried asking nicely,that didnt work, So I walked out and told them when they need me to call me and I would think about it after and if they paid me everything they owed me.
My boss came in and told my fellow workers that she had fired me,(basically she wanted to feel like a big bad boss),So I said "hey if I am fired I am appling for unemployment,I got my check and 2 weeks that they took extra to investigate my claim,..then a week later i recieved a letter tellin me I had to pay back the $579.00 and that I was no longer going to recieve unemployment due to making a false claim.
Now I am working in a convience store at $7.00 an hour to pay it back,plus child support, and my bills.
I too hope I get on with CSX (railroad),So I can get caught up on my bills and finally have a good paying job.

Sorry all for the rambling and ranting,...but most bosses feel they have control over you because they feel they are a boss they are GOD,...NOT!!!!! Once they step into the street of the public (and I tell them this),all bets are off.

And frankly thats what is wrong with the whole thing,..a good worker ,a hard worker, aint got a chance in H- LL in this world!!!

Later All,
I hope and wish everyone the best!
SAFE HUNTIN~

[Jabba]

Go into business for yourself man. Doing one of the things you know how to. If you are a floor tech... there HAS to be some work out there for an enterprising man of your talent and work ethic.

Jabba

[Wolvie]

Jabba , Brother thanks for the kudos,.....but in this state it cost alot to have a biz,....of your own.
The American dream is more like the American Nightmare, at least in New York.
The insurance you have to have the certifications and so on.
I tried starting my own lawn care service ,......I couldn`t afford the insurance,...and then you have to obtain a permit.

I know this all sounds like excuse after excuse,...but believe me if i could afford to do it I would work for myself.I get along and understan myself better then I do lolol! Does that make sense or what ?! lolol!
Anywho I try to keep the positive thought in mind and I keep traveling straight and forward.
When I was truck driving (11 yrs ago), I learned that the straightest point isnt always the fastest,but it does eventually lead you to your destination, or Destiny.
Also God has alot to do with my survival in this screwed up world we call Earth.
But it is only screwed up because of man,...

Later All gotta get ready to go to work,...and sell the donuts lol
SAFE HUNTIN~

[fabsroman]

Wolvie,

You are going about starting a business the wrong way. From what I have seen of my clients, nobody has all the licenses and insurance right at the beginning. They start their business, acquire clientele, and then pay for all the business licenses and insurance when the money finally starts flowing in. Of course, it could take a couple of years, but my goal is to get them as close to legit as possible as soon as possible. Granted, I do not advocate this type of practice, but it seems as though that is the way you have to start out if you want to get something up and going. Or, you have to save a lot of money beforehand, but I haven't seen anybody do that yet.

[gregarat]

...but most bosses feel they have control over you because they feel they are a boss they are GOD,...NOT!!!!! Once they step into the street of the public (and I tell them this),all bets are off.

I know the feeling. Most of my problems whith these Bosses have been with corperate, large buissneses. Where "the poopy flows down" and there are more managers than actual workers, and everyone is clawing there way to the top of the "poop pile".
Thats why I alwayes try for jobs that I know who "cuts the check" in person, and who I can trust personaly. These people know what Im worth. And will bat for me as hard as I go to bat for them.
After all, isnt that how a relationship is supose to work?

[fabsroman]

Wolvie,

I can tell you one thing about walking away from somebody that owes you money, THEY WILL NEVER PAY YOU. My advice to clients that are having work done on their house by contractors, make sure that you always owe the contractors for work they do and only pay in advance for the actual materials supplied to the job. That way, it actually hurts the contractor to walk away from the job. Now, what I tell my contractor clients is to make sure they are ahead in billing and that they aren't owed too much, otherwise, the owner will find somebody to come in and finish the job for less than is owed to the original contractor and find some excuse not to pay the contractor.

People are terrible. If they don't need you anymore, they just toss you aside. I think people's attitudes toward one another are one of the big reasons why attorneys stand to make a good amount of money and why there is a lot of litigation.

[Wolvie]

I had a clientel,...but they were small jobs of mostly lawn service (cutting grass and trimming), I worked for a Multi-million dollar cleaning company that has since I have been with them always treated their employees (the real workers BLUE COLLAR),like crap.
I did extra things to make extra money with them ,...and I tried for 4 months to get what they owed me (and still do),but to no prevail I never got it ,and they are still in biz.

I work real hard and I am a passionate , an almost perfectionist when it comes to working.
I`d rather do it right the 1st time and not dicker with alot of redos etc.
This company is the worst I have ever wasted my life and time on and with.
As for starting a biz here in NY, you really need to have insurance and all the certs to have a self -biz.
It only takes one complaint by "anyone", and you are done for if you dont have all the proper papers and such.
As I have stated in some earlier postings, I am strongly thinking of moving back to Ohio.
But I do have an interview with CSX railroad on Thursday,so I am hoping that my luck is going to change.

All I really want out of life is to hunt,fish,pay my bills, and live a good life,NOT a rich life,.....with alot of money (though I wouldnt mind lol), but a comfortable life.

Blue Collar workers dont have a chance in H- LL in having the best in life, just what is leftover.
Okay all,.....it`s after 10 pm here and I have to go to work.

Later All
SAFE HUNTIN~

[fabsroman]

Wolvie,

I think you are mistaken about blue collar workers not being able to have a rich life. One of my brothers graduated high school with a 0.9 gpa and went to work at a body shop washing cars while he failed out of junior college/decided it wasn't for him. A spot opened up as a painters helper in the body shop and he took it. About 6 months later he moved to another shop as a painters helper and within a year he was promoted to painter. Within two years he became the head painter. He makes about $100,000 a year. My other brother took almost the same route. They both started on the wash rack at the same dealership but the other brother went to college for 5 years before deciding that he was never going to be able to pass enough classes to get a degree. So, he started working in the office as a helper. 7 years ago he was making $38,000 a year, now he is making $160,000 a year.

Sometimes, I wonder why I went to college, took the CPA exam, went to law school, and took the bar exam because there has only been a single year where I made over $100,000. I believe a lot in life has to do with luck and what you want out of life. I know I could do either job that my brothers do, and probably do it better than them, but I just do not want to do that type of work. So, I sit here thinking that I got the shaft because they make more than me. In essence, it is my choice.

Bottom line is that a lot of blue collar workers make a pretty good living nowadays because nobody wants to do that kind of work. A good, honest, home improvement contractor can make a fortune because it is very tough to find one. It all has to do with supply and demand.

[Valigator]

Come to Florida...blue collar is makin a killin, epecially in construction....bored housewifes are rakin in 1-200 hundred thousand a year with a new real estate license.....my son...a painter is so busy he doesnt have time to pressure clean my house....me...dont make predictions with commercial RealEstate which is my guys thing.....one month pay the light bill with a credit card, next everything is flush.....and paid off....I can tell you alot depends on your age....and your debt ratio....homes to me are alot like a savings account...they are a good source of ready cash....pay them off and you can always go to the well....

[fabsroman]

Val,

My plan after the wedding is to get involved with some rental real estate. A friend of my father did that when he was younger and now that he is retired he is making $80,000 a year without doing much work at all.

[gregarat]

Val is right! There is alot more work down here than in N.Y.

[Valigator]

Fabs I dont presume to know alot but I do know about Commercial Real Estate.......get envolved in an investor group...buy the high dollar high return commercial warehousing....that would be my initial advice....buy your home...of course....make that extra one or two mortgage payments every year...and try to do nothing more than a 10 year mortgage.....heck we could go on all night...but investor groups are key to people who dont qualify for over 750 thousand and up...but those properties flip fast with minimal input...maybe a new sign and new paint.....:cool:

[fabsroman]

Val,

We already own a home, albeit not the one we want to live in for the rest of our lives.

The rental property I am thinking about getting into to begin with is residential rental property (i.e., condos) around me. I can buy them somewhat cheap and I am only going to rent to people with decent credit scores and a decent job. That helps to prevent damage to the property and it also ensures that I can sue and recover for any damage or overdue rent payments. I haven't looked into commercial real estate yet, but might look into it after I get the residential stuff up and going.

[Valigator]

You might want to save yourself the headaches.......:eek:

of residential....just a thought

[Slim-Zippy]

Val has the right idea, if the work is not where you are -GO TO WHERE THE WORK IS! Don't try to fight a stagnant economic area. It is very hard to have the change of moving in your life, especially if you have a family, but it is better than watching yourself go under financially.

I hate to say it, Val will probably feed me to the gators, but ask her if her son could arrange something for you or give some ideas about Florida. If not, then go to the public library and get on the internet and look around where the country is booming and look for jobs over the internet in that area.

Hang tough Wolvie and best of Luck for you whatever you decide.

John

P.S. I apologize Val if I just put you on the spot.

[rubicon]

Wolvie, You are certainly getting some good advice here. I was griping about the closing costs on a house but that is just a temp thing. I can tell you first hand I was sitting in the mountains listening to the coyotes howling and wondering where the next $ was coming from ( and I owned 3 businesses and had two rental houses.) But area was so depressed people were expecting me to extend credit which I could not do. Anyway after being hounded by my sons I came to DC metro area to prove a 49 year old man could not find a decent job. As I planned I put in 3 job applications and ran back to the mountains. When I got home I had job offers from 5 companies. Seems they share their applications. Four days later I came here and started a job at $24.00 per hour (a far cry from the 10 thousand I had made the previous year) with benefits and locked in to their retirement. I found a house trailer and rented it , then moved near the water and am now buying a house. Hope to stay there until retire then head to Florida. Today while standing on a flat rooftop my apprentice and I counted 42 stationary construction cranes sticking up around the surrounding buildings. Problem is it is too easy for us to accept the bad conditions and we really dont accept how bad they are until we can get away from them and look back. Never hurts to see what is on the other side of the fence.

[fabsroman]

Rubicon,

You definitely took a turn for the better seeing as how you now have the Jeep, the new duckboat, a couple of new dogs, and a new house. Congrats.

[Valigator]

Your not puttin me on the spot darlin...the company has commercial contracts all over the country...my son is in St. Louis right now and headin for Oklahoma city next week..they work seven days a week on these out of towners but get 2-5000 dollar bonus's at the end....my kid has a beautiful apt 3 blocks from the beach...parties 5 nites a week...puts his feet under my table at least 4...and his boss is always lookin for someone who can speak English...and willin to work....e-mail me if you want a number...cant speak for the boss...but I'll always pass along help if I can.....on alot of different things...hey you guys are my friends...I have been in this town just about my ole life...I know alot of good people...I stress good....if anyone needs anything on this end of the continent...e-mail me ....you know my motto...you dont get if you dont ask....dont promise anything...but the world goes around according to the people you know.....and alot of us know each other well even if we never stood in front in front of each other.....

[gumpokc]

Hey Val any idea where he's staying in okc?

if he needs to know anyplace to go drop me a pm, i'm out of town alot on my routes and gettign ready to ripout the outside 3 feet of the house (joists and piers) but if he needs to know where anything is, hollar.

[Valigator]

I talk to him most nites didnt tonight...I thought he made mention of Oklahoma City...but I'll double check....they do those Beal's department stores....thanks and I'll ask and get back to you....all of them are a bunch of animals...and on the hunt all the time...especially my boy.....dont know where he got that from;)

[fabsroman]

Val,

I know residential can be a headache, and if it turns out to be, I will simply get out of it. However, another attorney friend of mine is doing it and doing pretty well even though he isn't a litigation attorney like me and even though he doesn't know how to do any home repairs like me. If I can get the residential up and running, I intend on venturing into the commercial side of it.

[Valigator]

Hey you know me, I wish you the best in any and all you do....Val

[Lilred]

Virginia..Lord do i love my home state..cept fer the fact that everythin has gone up but the wages. Thanks to all them wonderful folks (yeah..right) movin down here at a rate of too-dam-many a day.
We are a werkin household, I werk 50+ hours a week, my hubby 45. I am a firm believer in the wife stayin home ( well, at least more than an hour a friggin day like me ) , takin care of the kids and cookin. I caint do that. Hubby will be takin a big promotion soon, and when he does, my butt is steppin down from the position I'm in, and at LEAST goin to 40 hours..if not part time, which I would much rather do. My average day is gone by 4:45am and comin home at 7:00 pm. Insane aint it? But, you do what you gotta do sometimes...but I tell ya..Id rather be as poor as a man sellin bags of sand in the desert, than to be rich and my child dont even know me.

But, every dern thing has gone up so bad here..I dont git it. Meanwhile we're pluckin along with 2 or 3% raises each year, and just a gallon of gas in 1 yr went from 1.39$ to 2.09$ a gallon. A dam gallon of milk went from 2.25 to 4.75 a gallon. It's insane.

It will hurt us when I step down, Lowes generally takes a HUGE cut in pay when you do that..20% is the average plus all bonuses and commissions will be lost..but it dern sure wont be the first time I ever ate a can of potted meat..and it dern sure wont be the last. At least I can be eatin that potted meat sittin on the back porch watchin my kid play in the yard w/ the dogs instead of eatin steak behind a desk in a store.

Anyways..Wolvie, my advice to you..did yer folks ever tell ya you gotta crawl fore you can walk? You aint gonna git no high-payin job and the world be perfect right offa the bat. Find what yer good at, take that God ferbid entry level position, and take the next couple of years to prove yerself and git that high payin job.
Stick with it and be patient..you'll git there.

[DaMadman]

I am going to throw this out there and say my peace and Wolvie and anyone else can take it for what it is worth. Could be nothing or could be a lot.

I started straight out of high school/vo-tech with an electronics company, building and testing military electronics, worked there for 7 years and got layed off. Couple different reasons behind it, one the company was growing way too fast, went from a small family type atmosphere to a big huge too much to do an no time to do it corporation Quick, and I wasnt fitting in. I was still working under the Small family plan and I was young and dumb and came to work everyday and did my job but I showed up hung over a lot and partied every free minute... Out the door not a minute late. Anyway I got layed of from a very good paying job was making over $11 an hour back in late 80's early 90's.

Went from there into contruction and floated from doing Sprinkler work (fire protection) to framing houses for a few years, Quit one place (too far to drive) got laid off from one place (not enough work) and was working for another place when I got hurt and broke my back (went a year out of work on injury) couldn't return to work in construction so i went back to work in electronics..... Different company, no partying this time and never came in hung over and I can tell you that If someone (higher up) asked me to do something I did it and in the Few months I spent at that company I got left in charge of the whole production area many more than times than I can count. Other people that had been there for years were pissed about it, but I was told I got the important stuff to do because If someone asked me to do something it got done, others in the company would tell the production manager flat out, they didn't know how, or that wasn't what they were "supposed to do" or some other lame assed excuse. I also got paid premium wage at that company a lot more than people that had been there a lot longer (there were 2 pay scale, standard and premium) Well I got the premium work and the premium pay and others didn't because I was easy to get along with.

I left that company to go to work for the gov't and they begged me not to leave and eventually invited me to run the night shift for them and I did that too after I got off from the Gov't Job.

Well the gov't job is another story. I started out as a grade 3
pee-on in the copy center, making copies Alll Day long. But I applied for anything I thought I had a shot at doing. I've been here at the Gov't for 6 going on 7 years and for the past 3 years going on 4 I have been a IT specialist and am now a GS-7 getting ready to make my GS-9 and just a couple days ago got an award for $1700 because I do a good job and my boss and her boss and his boss notices
I have no formal IT training before getting in the Gov't and very little after I got here but I took an interest and MOST IMPORTANT KEPT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE and everyone noticed and someone Higher up got the word.
So Lemme sum it up for ya. You can't get mad and quit every time you don't like your supervisor, you can't carry a sour attitude, and you have to work your ass off to get anywhere if you don't have a college degree, and you are going to have to be at the bottom of the poop pile once in awhile until someone recognized that you are the person that keeps the poop pile from crumbling, and if you keep at it and keep a positive attitude Someone will notice.

That's about all I can say. Like I said up there. Started at the bottom and screwed myself once maybe even twice but I learned from it, and While NOBODY walks on me and I don't KISS any ass I remained pleasant and busted my butt to get to the to the level I am now (not at the top yet) but..., Work hard, and work smart, my friends. Don't make excuses and don't let obsticles STOP you figure out away to get around them and you can get higher and higher each day too

[fabsroman]

Well put, but even with a college education, a CPA license, and a license to practice law, you still need to start pretty low and work hard to get somewhere.

[Valigator]

I think alot of the people on this site can relate to your post....we seem to have similar mentalities when it comes to those things, not all of us have masters degrees, heck some of us might not even have graduated high school....but we all seem to have good work ethics, all considered team players, have a healthy respect for who writes our checks, and overall people seem to like us...

I personally have worked for small groups or private employers...and have been fortunate...can leave one place for a better opportunity, get a goin away party...and am always asked if I want my job back....I make good, good money...but dont have any of the backups...pensions... benefits...etc...that larger groups have...but I also am not the sole breadwinner...so I can bank almost everything...most of you I assume cant do that..

I also have seen persons who have put their hearts and souls in public or large private service and have been beat to death by that system...and most always thru no fault of their own..heck look at the CEO's who are on trial for running a company in the ground and the employees are left with nothin or a pension plan gone bust...if that doesnt warrant crawling on top of a water tower I dont know what does....

I have also witnessed alot of people who dont have the good sense to get out of their own way and do nothing but sit in the system and count their vacation days ease out with a monthly check for the rest of their lives...

I guess what I am trying to say..is the old rules of hard work and fair play...dont always apply now....but the old sayin " Nobody is gonna take care of you, but you, do":confused:

[fabsroman]

Trying to stay at a company for your entire life nowadays is like career suicide. For the most part, people stay at jobs nowadays for about 3 to 4 years. I know that has been my mo and my sisters. However, my brothers have been working for the same body shop for close to 12 years now. Granted, they are both making 6 figures now and the body shop is rather small. However, there is no guarantee that it will be around for the rest of their lives. Plus, it doesn't offer any type of retirement plan and it barely pays for medical insurance.

[Jabba]

If they are making 6 figures... they SHOULD be saving enough to retire on.

I say SHOULD because I know how it works... the more you make the more you spend... and there never seems to be quite enough every month.

I have been at my current employer for almost 5 years. It's a small engineering firm. 6 production people, 2 project managers and a secretary. I am treated VERY well, compensated well, and am pretty happy... but am starting to get a little bit of the wanderlust. Thinking about changing fields a little bit. Not sure what... but just something to challenge me a little more.

We'll see. I like it here... but some people need new challenges in thier lives occasionally.

Jabba

[M.T. Pockets]

Wolvie, sorry if you're going through a tough time right now.

I remember an old timer telling me something when I was about 17. He had farmed through the dust bowl & depression and was in Europe during WWII.

He said "When you're going through hell, the best way out is to keep going."

[Wolvie]

I appreciate everyones input and rallying to the aide of a down on his luck brother in need of uplifting words and concern.

I am working on alot of job possiblities, and one is with a school as a custodian,groundskeeper, or even a bus driver.

I am also looking into returning back to OTR driving, and reobtaining my CDL.

I am a single father , and I have alot of thinking to do on that subject yet, but not the time to hesitate.

I have out over 15 resumes and applications at this time and I have applied for everything I have already mentioned and then some.
So we`ll see if God wants me to be at any of those jobs or stay as a Cashier for a carry out.?!


Again Thank You ALL!! you are all TRUE BROS and SIS`s and fine Friends!!!!!
<<<<<<<HOOOOWWWWWLLLL !!!!!!>>>>>>

Later All
SAFE HUNTIN~