This is where I bitch.

I finally got around to watching A Very Potter Musical by Darin Criss and StarKid productions. It was great and hilarious. Darin was as good as expected. I really liked Joe Walker though, he played Voldemort. He's was just awesome. I'm planning on watching the squeal soon, though since Volddy died at the end of the first one, but I hear that Joe is playing Dolores, which should be awesome too.

There is interesting / good news at the post office. The current union contract for postal workers is expiring in May. So the union and the post office has been working on a new one for the next four years. I saw an article summing up the features of the new one today. The plan that affects me is they will get rid of the casual positions (which is what I am) and replace them with a new, lower level full time position. I'd start out at a wage lower than a career employee, but higher than what I'm at now. And I'd get benefits as long as I'm working over 30 hours a week. I'd have to join the union and pay dues, but this way people like me would be controlled more by the unions. As it is now, the unions have no say in my work, and the post office can over work and under pay me, basically undercutting the union workers. I'd be for it, more money and government insurance would be awesome. I could stop job hunting and focus on going to school. We'll see what they figure out in a month or so.

I don't think I posted about my annoying customer from Thrusday at the mall. He came over from Macy's complaining that they didn't have the watch he wanted. He was looking for a "grandpa's watch". All gold, including the face, a bit tacky. We had a few options and he picked one out to try on. He puts it on, takes a step back and lets his arm hang down. His sleeve then slips over the watch, and with an annoyed sigh he says, "This is what you get from buying a suit from someone who can't tailor it. But since it was only a $100 in Bangkok, I guess I can't complain." Then while checking out the watch more he asks if the hands glow in the dark. I say yes and he replies, "Ha Ha Ha, perfect, cause what I need to be able to do is check the time in my limo with the lights off."

Really? Why is he trying to impress the watch store clerk? :eye roll:

I had a pretty good breakfast today, I recreated McDonald's oatmeal. I heard a commercial again yesterday and it sounded good. Nothing to exciting, just brown sugar and maple syrup in my oatmeal, topped with apple pieces, cranberries, and almonds. I'd have liked raisins too, but we are out. Of course my version wasn't undercooked and watery like McD's.

Today my goal is to learn JavaScript. There is a temp job with Robert Half Tech that I'm interested in, and knowing JavaScript would help me get the job, I think. I have one book from O'Reilly, hopefully it'll do the trick.

I've figured out why I don't really like Cast Macabre. The stories are good, like I said, and so is the production. I just don't really like the stories. They are horror, but there is barely and supernatural, fantasy or sci-fi aspect to them. They deal with human horror, just people being evil to each other, the darker side of human nature. Not my thing. Best of luck to them, but I think I'll take it off my list.

Today will also be a Lord of the Rings marathon, as back ground noise.

I had a very productive and easy meeting with the state retraining program. I am now all set to start school in the summer, as long as I don't get a new job where I make more than 80% of what I was making at Laserwords. I'm still hoping to hear from Quad Graphics, and then I'll call up the TRA people can tell them I'm no longer qualified. But if that (or another job down the line) doesn't pan out, I can start this summer. I'll be done by the following spring too. The guy I worked with was very helpful and nice. And the best part is if I start the retraining and then I get a good job, I don't owe anyone any money. The goal is to get me hired again. And if I can do that without the degree, awesome. If I need the degree, then I keep studying.

I'm getting a little worried about the Quad job. I feel that if they liked me and wanted me, they'd have called by today. Unless they were still interviewing this week, then I can see them waiting until Thursday or Friday. I'm calling them on Friday if I haven't heard anything by then. Job hunting sucks.

The V-day episode of Glee was fun, though I really wish they'd let Kurt sing again. He's always back up these days. Also, Finn's a bit of a dick.

I interviewed at the Robert Half temp agency today. I've never worked with a temp place before. Hopefully they can find me something. Most of their work is temp-to-hire, so there is promise. It'll probably be web design. They had me take some aptitude tests, I scored 96 % on CSS (the company average is 80%) and a 67% on HTML (the average being 60&). So I feel pretty good on that, just need to brush up on the HTML a bit. They might have some training for me too, so I can still learn flash, javascript, etc. even without using the government's money (if the job they get me pays too much).

Also, it is freezing here at the mall. My fingers are kinda numb.

The superbowl party at exarian's was fun, it's nice to be social with people. Good times.

I went to MATC today. I don't think I will do the more difficult, more programming intensive course. I probably could do it, but not while working full time also. So I will do the easier one and maybe try and supplement a few more advanced courses. They said with my BA I can wave over half of their graphic design program. But I don't want a graphic design degree from them. I have one. I'm proud of my four year Communications degree. So I think in two semesters (and a summer) I will have a wed design degree. Still need to think on it, but that's where I'm leaning.

I also went to a workshop at the job center about joining a construction apprenticeship program. I think I'll skip that one. I didn't know it would take so long to get started. 3-5 years? Not gonna work for me. But it was interesting.

Resume review with someone at the job center wasn't a whole lot of help. Basically she said the font is too small. Which I can understand, especially the point she made that the HR person might be old and not want to strain his or her eyes. So I will work on that. Means I'll have to take out more skills per version, but I will survive.

I really, really wish I could make the school thing work out. After that resume session I was looking at some stats on jobs and such. The national median for salary for a graphic designer, which is what I was basically doing at Laserwords was $43,000 a year. I was a bit above that. The median salary for a web designer with the skills I want to go to school for... $77,000.

:sigh: Stupid real life...

I finished True Blood. I liked season 2 a lot. Now I have to wait until I can get season 3. I hear there is a lot more gay. :) Pity about Godric, I really liked him. And I'm wishing the best for Hoyt.

I'm thinking I need to branch out a bit on the job hunt. I've been applying for jobs in my field (which is quiet broad, basically anything dealing with making images on a computer) for six months now and I've not had even one interview. It'd be one thing if I was interviewing and the job just wasn't a good fit. But apparently I'm not even worth the time to talk to.

So it's time to talk to the job center people and figure out where I can go--what fields are needing people that will let me make ends meet. While school would be nice to go to get the qualifications I think I'm missing, I can't wait until fall. Maybe I'll still be making less than the specified amount and I can go to school and work at whatever job I can get next. But I had over a decade working in a career I loved, that's more than a lot of people can say. Maybe some day I can get back into it again, after the economy gets back to normal.

The cover letter class at the job center was OK. I got one or two tips that might help. There were five of us plus the presenter, and everyone else was over 50. So we spent lots of time on how to hide your age in the cover letter and talked about a recent article in AARP. Good times.

I think I've got something decent written up for my basic cover letter anyway. I applied to three jobs yesterday with them, we'll see if it works. I'm still planning on having someone look at them, I might to the resume/cover letter review session at the job center yet.

I really need to find the time to go and talk to the schools to get the cost estimates for the TRA program ASAP.

It's freezing in the mall today. I think the air is just really damp. The thermostat says it's 70. I had a line of 10 people at one point this evening. Not much since then, but a small rush.

First day of morning shift at the post office was fine. Early. Instead of pitching packages into bags by zip codes I'm pitching letters into cubby holes by PO box numbers. The tricky part will be knowing which companies are coming at what times and what boxes they need to collect. But there are more experienced people to handle that for a while, so I'm not worried.

I met with the government school funding guy today. They now have to figure out how much money to give me, and I have to go talk to some schools and get prices on how much the various programs will cost. Then we will match up to two and choose. SImple, right? Sure...

I think I missed posting on a few days there. The trip up to the Twin Cities to visit Paul's family went well. Not too stressful. The hotel was OK. The food was awesome. We played some Carcassone.

I've started looking into school programs. I meet with the TAA people on Friday to figure something out.

I had my first day of training for the new post office job. Pretty much what I learned at the start of December, just more in depth. Two more days of that, then Friday I start at 5am. I think the really annoying guy that was to continue to work with me bailed, he wasn't in orientation today, which I'm very happy for.

This weekend I'm going up north to see mom, dad, gram and the rest of the family. Looking forward to it. Just me though as Paul will be busy with work and school.

There are some deals on school, computers and phone plans that post office employees get, I'm off to look at those next.