Urgent Care visit

Well this last Thursday I had a scare. Lately I have been having a lot of back problems, and I arrived to work at 6am like normal. Within fifteen minutes my back was locked up. What really worried me was another 15 minutes and I couldn't breath (it felt like an elephant was sitting on me) and then I became nauseous.

Now, it might not sound like much but those are all classic signs of a heart attack. I was fairly sure it wasn't one, but after an hour of it getting worse I decided the last thing I wanted to happen was to be found dead at work. I then ambled into the urgent care that is only a mile or two away.

They immediately seized me, called a triage nurse and rolled me in. They were absolutely the nicest nurses I had ever met. They did the normal EKG/X-ray and discovered to my joy that my heart is absolutely fine (and actually 15 years or more younger then they would expect with my age in condition).

However, they reassured me it was good that I came in. The symptoms were presenting very much like a heart attack. What they did fine was I have some thoracic muscle spasms and possible some nerve damage/issues with the nerves that run around the front of my chest. The doctor was also worried I might have a collapsed vertebrae. However none of this will kill me. They gave me some muscle relaxers and let me go. They made sure to say even with the back problem to come back in if I had the same symptoms.

So I will leave you with a picture of my room.

A Pet Peeve

Earlier today I posted a shortened version of this pet peeve in my Facebook/G+. The husband unit and I have both talked about this before, but I thought I would share it all with you.

Lately I have been reading the Anita Blake series. Yes it is typical urban fantasy, much like Dresden Files. It does tend to have more and more sex in it (which I have no problem with at all), along with a Mary Sue character. My complaints have nothing to do with any of this. I like romance-esque type novels and it fits well for my style.

However, I firmly believe that eight books into a series, I would hope the character is older, that their life changes like a real person and that the story writing shows the advancement in age. When you have had eight major threats to your life, impressed powerful adversaries and made powerful friends, it isn't going to happen over a few months or even a little over a year. This happens in all mediums (tv, comics, etc) and it bothers me each time.

I am sure part of my issue is that all books are about teens/twentysomethings (and I have a rant later about that), but even barring that I feel like a whole HUGE section of the story isn't being told. I like the idea of the story also including the journey of the person through their life, not just episodes that seem to happen one after another.

If I ever did start writing, I would generally age the character(s) AT A MINIMUM the amount of real time that has passed. If they started out age 25 when the first book was written, then four books over four years pass they would be 29 (and by the 20th book they would be AT LEAST 45, assuming you right one book a year). I do this in my roleplaying games that I run. The minimum time between adventures is the time in real life since the last session (unless of course we stopped halfway through last game, but that is the exception, not the rule). I love watching characters progress, and I think the eventual aging only adds to the story.

I really don't have an answer, and I will still read the books. Maybe I will actually start writing again and see if I can bypass this instinct that writers seem to have to not progress time. I just wanted to share a pet peeve I have with you, so there you go!

365 Project - November 2013

Roomies!

My favorite roommates ever… Theocraticjello and Marmalade.

365 Project October 2013

October  2013 365 Project.

365 Project September 2013

365 Project - September 2013

Sorry, I got behind on putting these out :)

Possible New Job

I am pretty excited, the Department of Defense wants to interview me for a Defense Contractor Auditor position. Meaning I get to audit defense contractors for the DoD. I have a coworker/friend whom I worked with at the State Auditor's Office and she really wants me to work with her here. She feels the auditors have more teeth and do more help for DoD then they do for SAO. Evidently if an auditor finds the contractor did wrong, the contractor often times has to repay large sums of money, instead of ignoring the auditor and continuing what they do.

If the interview doesn't work out on Monday though, I won't be too sad. My current job is pretty cool if albeit a bit lower on the income spectrum. Either way though I am still stuck at getting up at 4:15am so I can commute almost an hour (the DoD is slightly further). However, hubbie will graduate in June then we can move a lot closer. So six months of commuting hell (either way) then to a normal life.

Just a quick work update :)

Work Update

I figured it has been a month that I have been at my new job (plus I have some new news) so I wanted to give an update.

My current job is actually going pretty well. I am gnashing at my bit waiting to actually go audit. I am ready to go out, especially as an investigative auditor for unregistered businesses (basically I am looking for and going after businesses that don't pay unemployment insurance if they are supposed to). Like I said earlier, the quota seems a little scary but honestly I think it will be fine.

I have already found a couple of dozen places, and if I put my mind to it I bet I can triple that. Don't get me wrong, I don't want small businesses to be overtaxed, but if you have an employee, they have the right to receive unemployment if they are laid off, and that is the responsibility of the employer to pay it. I find most of the people I am looking at aren't unaware of the requirements. They are savvy enough to know they need it and try and get around it by claiming their workers are 1099 independent contractors (and about 95% of the time they are wrong, they should hope the IRS doesn't catch them, they are much harsher then we are).

Now, on another front I just got word from the Department of Defense for auditing defense contractors. My application is on the fast track and they wanted to confirm I was still interested and if I am hired I will start either January 27 or February 24th. They need to check my references and verify information though before the interview.

They asked about the County and I was completely honest about what happened. Instead of ignoring the question "have you been released from a job in the last five years, or quit to avoid being released please describe the situation". I figure the last thing I want to do is have them find out later I hadn't mentioned the County situation, after all the big thing about auditing is having ethics and being upfront. If an auditor lies about his work history, it just shows an ethics problem in the future.

Now, it is possible that the situation with the County (even though I don't believe I did anything wrong, I just refused to lie for them) will knock me out of the running. Its a shame since I would start with the DoD making slightly more than now, and top out in three years with a 50% raise (which is more than I have ever made). However, if this does happen, my current job will support us until Jello gets out of school. Also the other positive about my current job, if I am still at it I will try and start my MBA next fall while working there. There are lots of bonuses to my current job (eventual telecommute, easy going group) but the pay and uncertainty of the department are the weak points.

Well, before I ramble too much more I will wrap it up :)

Sugar Britches

Lately there has been a long string of incidents where I post a point of view that isn't lock-step with others in my equivalent social group. This has ranged from political, racism, sexism, "the transgendering" (yes that is not a real word but it is a real phrase used to me and those I love), privilege and even into personal tastes in entertainment.

The average scenario starts with me posting something provocative or counter to what others think. There is usually some support and some opposition to my post. This is absolutely normal and I expect it. Hell there are times when the conflict gets heated (and I love a good argument, because I was literally raised by human wolf pack).

At some point, someone feels hurt or put out (or says something about Jello - that is my nuclear button if you want to push it). Then they either flounce off or just stop talking. 

I am always caught off guard by that, my family/friend background usually meant we all hugged at the end and laughed about it no matter how bloody it got (once again I know my experience growing up is not normal).

Then they all of a sudden post some passive aggressive crap about the situation (oh I note the irony that I am doing that here, but it happens so much I wanted to write about it). I never feel I should address their passive post, if is after all their journal/page and their right to do so. 

I used to just boot people for being passive aggressive like that but it happens enough I stopped doing it (except if they bitch about jello then they are gone and I burn the ground and salt it, told you that was my nuclear button). However now I just mock it out loud and move on. Although I do have a message for those who are like that, it's not politically correct but that isn't my problem.

Guess what sugar britches. This would be a boring world if everyone agreed with each other. I don't agree with a lot of people but it doesn't bother me personally when it happens. If you want to be an open minded adult you may realize that not everyone thinks alike. I am not going to agree lockstep with other gamers because some gamers think everything is cool. I am not going to agree with other white guys that we are oppressed. I definitely won't agree with most fiscal and social conservatives. Let's just say to everyone, I probably won't agree with everyone on everything (and contrary to what some believe I don't even believe or like everything Jello likes... I know I know your mind is blown by that).

What I am saying to all of you sugar britches out there, get over yourself, not everyone has to agree with everything you believe. You can still like someone with differences. Oh and yes before we get anywhere I am an elitist jerk, but I am ok with that :).

Oh and this post might seem weird because I typed it on my iPhone and that is a lot harder than you would think.

First week of work

I realize it has been a week since I last posted, but times have been tiring. My new job seems pretty cool still. I am really looking forward to the telecommuting part three days a week when I am fully trained. Of course there will still be a lot of driving to audits, but it will give me a relief on the commute.

The duties seem fairly straightforward. My co-workers do have a lot of responsibilities, but I do notice that the technical skills required for this job are fairly specific. When I audited governmental agencies, I was required to keep up with all GAAP and GAGAS requirements (both the new accounting requirements for all types of entities and governmental requirements). I would perform financial statement audits, federal contract compliance audits and other audits that determined if the government was following state and local laws, along with following their own policies. These types of audits are specifically for one type of item, and totally different then any of the above things I did. It requires less accounting/auditing knowledge utilizing CPA firm type knowledge and more of a focus on specific tax codes. A bit more like an IRS Revenue Agent.

I found I get to investigate whoever I feel is at risk for avoiding taxes in our District Tax Office area. I have a quota of 3 UE audits (Underground Economy audits which means I have to find, audit and fine 3 businesses a month once I am fully trained) with an additional 2 program audits. Program audits are randomly selected businesses and they do not need to be shown to owe money, they are just audited to conform with the requirements from the Department of Labor (Fed agency for unemployment). It makes me nervous to not only have the power to select and investigate businesses but also to assess any fines. Along with that responsibility (which I have no problem with) I do have a quota I have to reach a month. I don't think I would abuse it, but any person who has a quota, has the power to select and fine/penalize people makes me uncomfortable.

Although I have to say the people in my office seem really cool. None of them are UE (Underground Economy Auditors) I will be the only one for my office (they all do the randomly assigned program audits) who investigates people. It also makes me nervous that none of them volunteered to take this position. My position is actually on a higher pay grade than the rest of the auditors (even though it maxes out way below my last job). When I asked why no-one went for the opening, they all told me they like their current jobs (they have all been there years and years). Makes me nervous about this position, BUT I have to say everyone (including management, and people in Olympia) have been nothing but supportive. So I think its worth giving a chance.

Oh, last thing I forgot to mention was this is a perfect resume job if I ever try and hop to the IRS (which if the DoD doesn't work out, is my next target). This is almost exactly like an investigative revenue agent, except instead of income tax I am looking for unpaid unemployment taxes.

First day at work

Well today was my first day at my new job. My official title is Underground Economy Auditor (Tax Specialist 4). Basically I am responsible for investigating and auditing businesses that are not registered with the state or are not paying the proper unemployment tax.

I do have a quota system, meaning I have to do five audits a month (but no money recovery requirements, I just have to investigate at least 5 a month). The things to look for are businesses that seem to have more employees then they report, or new corporate officers that they haven’t waived their unemployment insurance (or a dozen other types of things). Casual labor I guess is a big thing. 

Now, the commute initially is about 1.5 hours in each direction. The job itself is only 27 miles away, but the traffic is so bad it takes about three times longer than it should. This is one of the biggest things that was worrying me, it means my 9 hour day becomes a 12 hour day due to traffic (8 hours plus an hour lunch).

My superior though was awesome though. After being very warm and friendly she immediately approved that my work schedule switch from 8-5 to 6-3. Now it does mean I still have to get up at ungodly early (430-445) I save almost an hour each way in commute time. I should be home before 4pm instead of 630 or later.

I also found out (and this is the coolest thing) that once I am fully trained I get to telecommute three days a week. I will still have to drive a lot, but that is directly for auditing and is directly towards my time at work (as opposed to 3 hours a day before and after work). The idea that eventually commuting only two days a week to the office made my day.

I guess I am the only UE Auditor in the Tax office I am at, the rest of the staff are TS 3's and they are responsible for investigating claimants and businesses that are officially registered. They get a list of places and people to audit. I have to find my own people/businesses (after all I am looking for people who are either not registered or haven’t registered changes, not something that the office knows about).

It does make me a bit nervous, but I am told that the UE Auditor for Seattle has found enough leads in his area to “last a 100 years”. So evidently it won’t be hard to find places/people to audit. I am a bit uncomfortable that I get to choose and then audit prospective problems.

It isn’t that I can’t handle it, but rather a bit nervous about that kind of power to determine who to audit (an example given to me is a restaurant that seems to have a lot of employees and when I look them up in their registration they have registered less employees I can then consider auditing them). I don't think I would abuse that ability, but I worry others would.

I have stopped looking for other work at this time. There are a few fed jobs I would take though. I would happily audit for the DoD, or work as an IRS agent (btw this job is perfect work background to get into the IRS), but other than that I think I will try this job out. The perks seem pretty cool, a good work/life balance. The only downside is a 25% pay decrease from my last job. However, Jello and I can get by until he graduates, then its party central baby!

21st Anniversary

Today is the 21st wedding anniversary with my partner Jello.  I just wanted to comment how much I love him, and that it has been an AWESOME 21 years and I look forward to another 40+ years.

This is us on Halloween 1992, Jello is on the left :)

This is Jello during Halloween 2013 (I didn't get one of the two of us, but eventually I need to get a photo of us together).

As a matter of fact I love Jello so much that I am posting it on my transspouse blog and my normal personal blog!

-L

Why the hate?

This morning I was reading an article about the idea of reducing the work week from 45+ hours a week down to 30. The idea is it would be healthier for employees and allow for a more well balanced work/life experience.

This is all stuff that is fairly straight forward and has been proven in many many studies. Stress and work anxiety is a huge reason for health issues (including cancer), it is also responsible for incredibly stress between partners and family members, almost as much as money is a problem.

All of this seems pretty logical to me. Personally once we get our credit cards paid off when Jello graduates, this might be a great thing to do. We could easily live off 30 hours each and still have a savings.

What caught me off guard was the vitriol that the commenters went on about. How it was only for lazy people, how it would destroy business, etc. Not even addressing the fact that there are countries where this is the norm and it hasn't destroyed them. I keep wondering why the anger and taking it personally? It just seems weird that people would be so vitriolic.

Do they feel it invalidates the whole idea of consumerism? Does it put to question our desire to chain ourselves to more than a quarter of a million dollars of debt for something we don't actually own until we pay it off? I have rants about those as well, but honestly I won't go into that here, they deserve their own posts.

Then again, I know I get push back from possible employers because I don't want to work 55 hour weeks as a norm (or even 45 hours). I personally would rather get paid less and work a max of 40 hours a week (and honestly once Jello is out of school I would be down for 32).

Does this make me lazy? No I don't think so, but it does make me different then most of the commenters evidently.

Sleepy kitty!

Sleepy kitty!, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Sleepy kitty!

Geek Girl Com 13

Exterminate

Cosplay

Wolsey is cosplaying Captain John Hart from Torchwood.

Marmalade!

Marmalade!, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Someone wants Jello's attention.

A great article by my husband

My husband wrote an insightful article, I can't recommend it enough. It is about the privilege he gained when transitioning from a woman to a man.

http://feministhivemind.com/?p=925

Anxiety

Woke up early today (but not nearly as early as the rest of the week) a little anxious about the work situation. We are fine with the unemployment, even still have a little in savings, but the string of interviews that haven't gone anywhere just bugs me.

Now, I completely realize that mid level government jobs are harder to get into, and the fact that I have a 60% interviewing rate with them does reassure me I am not horrible in the eyes of employers. However, I am not used to it. Before getting into this profession I would have a job within two weeks of being unemployed (not necessarily a job I really want, but something). The problem is professional jobs, and more especially government jobs are slow to get, and with the shutdown/budget crises it is fairly hard to get a job. I will eventually get on, but until then I am starting my look at other options.

I have started putting apps out at other non-governmental businesses. I suspect I will get interviews fairly quick. I am going down to the local Robert Half office on Friday. They want me to come in and work for Robert Half (basically a head hunter/placement service/ temp service for accounting professionals). They offer benefits, medical, etc and the person signs up for contracts that are generally between six months and a year between jobs. So it is definitely an option and I think I need to look at it.

I am not sure this is the direction I will permanently want to go, but the timing is sort of good. Wolsey graduates in June (or August if classes don't work like we hope), that gives me 9-11 months before he is out working. If I am temping like this, he can get whatever job he wants, wherever he wants. This means we can move down to Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, anywhere since I don't have a job I would consider permanent. So maybe its the perfect setup.

Overall, I think today I am just whining that I am not working at the moment. We are doing well financially considering the situation. I have a great wife, family and overall things are doing well. So maybe I should wrap this up with a "Hell Ya!" :)

Frank

Frank, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Frank the rat saying hi. She was hoping for a carrot.

Parents

Parents, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Parents

Tired

Torie, Wolsey, and Marmalade tired., a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Torie, Wolsey, and Marmalade tired.

Hubbie

Wolsey in his territory (school)., a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Jello in his territory (school)!

World War Z (movie) Review

World War Z (Movie)
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/

I am warring with myself about World War Z. The original story was written as a compilation of short stories with a reporter named Gerry Lane. I definitely think it is a defining piece of literature that sparked a increase in the lore of the whole zombie schtick. The book is heads and tails better than Walking Dead (and I like the Walking Dead). The movie had NONE of that, just the title.

As a remake of the book it was an F (not even a D- because by using the title it LIED).  As a stand alone movie it was decent blockbuster/summer movie. The plot wasn't incredibly complicated, there really was barely a plot. It was mostly a movie to show different locales and different special effects. Then again, isn't that what a summer popcorn movie is about?

In addition to the normal flaws, there were a few additional ones that bear mention. The first was physics itself. Let's start with the "anthill" effect that the zombies would do climbing up. Even insects like ants have a limit and they have a hard outer shell. I doubt mightily that human body can swarm up 10-20 stories in the air. Especially since they were showing the zombies not being crushed into a puddle blood.

Another example was the grenade on the plane. A plane that is pressurized will not blow out people like they always show. There was even a Mythbusters that was based on this. The most you could hope for was the explosion would blow out some people, and maybe some would fall when the wall was blown out. This was just another small issue I had.

Lets move onto the medical science. First, lets get rid of the idea that there is any known virus or bacteria could control a dead body. The science bothers me and I have never heard anything that would convince me. I think honestly these sort of things should leave it up to the imagination. I realize there is some interest in the idea of how it travels, but I mostly think it would be better not to tie it down in the movie/book (although if I ever do run that RPG campaign based in  a zombie world I might readdress this).

The second part that bugged me medically was by far the worst part. The idea that zombies ignore people who are terminally ill seems both stupid and weird deus ex machina. Why wouldn't the zombies utilize all bodies? There seemed to be no other use for the zombies but to overwhelm the humans. Its not like there are different stages of zombies, or a pure desire to repopulate. Why would zombies fear a disease WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY DEAD. That seems to be the ultimate in terminal illness issues. So without a deeper reason why they avoid sick people that was what really dragged the movie down.

The explanation that a zombie "senses" if someone is sick and determines if they attack them makes no sense to me. The movie portrayed the zombies hunted things they could see and hear. This would explain why the singing in Israel interested them, and why they would attack people in cars that are rolled up but could see through the glass. There is no way I can figure that a zombie could detect if someone is sick or not when they are in a rolled up car. It seems if they don't want to waste their energy infecting a sick person, why would they risk destroying multiple bodies on someone they can't even see clearly. So I hated the ending of the movie.

However, just the action level itself was decent, pacing was fairly good and I really really liked the Israeli Defense Force soldier Segen (played by actress Daniella Kertesz). A side effect is I felt old as Daniella was born the same year I graduated high school.

Overall it was a B- or C+. I would have been disappointed at the movies, but a Netflix DVD it wasn't bad. I would recommend it for a single sitting. I wouldn't recommend purchasing it though.

Now if they would only really remake World War Z (or maybe I need to listen to the audio book that was rereleased with something like 12 more chapters). Maybe I will do a bigger movie review on my blog... muahahahahaha...

Rough

Today is a bit rough. I got a call back from the job I was waiting on and unfortunately I was passed by them. They were very gracious and they want me to apply for the next open position (and it felt like they meant it), but for now I have to surrender over to the person with more experience.

Honestly I am ok with it in a lot of aspects. I wasn't looking forward to being gone for two months for training during the week (I would have to stay in a hotel). Ok, that was the only negative :).

I do have some even better prospects in the line, but they are for the Feds, and with the shutdown and fighting over money I am not sure when that might come up. This unfortunately leaves me with a few options that don't make me happy.

1. Possibly get back in with my old employer, the Auditor's Office. I liked the job, and the only reason I left was to try out what seemed to be a more lucrative accounting position. The good part is I discovered I am an auditor not an accountant. The disadvantage to this is the first position that "may" open up is December. I would definitely go for this (and would probably do it as my primary target) but the positions are rare to come up, and there is always drama with old employers isn't there? :)
2. Unemployment Office as an Underground Economics Specialist (looking for people who are avoiding paying taxes). I don't mind that kind of work, but the quota thing worries me. I was offered the position but the pay was about half of what I was getting paid at the County, there is no way I can swing that. The manager did say she could try and get me up another 25%, still way under what I was making, but we could tread water until Jello graduates. The only other disadvantage is this is a federally funded job through the state. With the shutdown they are not running at all (this also begs the question why is the pay so extremely low when its federally funded, how many "management" do they have in the department that has to split the money they get)?
3. L&I Auditor position is still possible. They contacted me yesterday and should have an answer for me next week. The problem with them is even less pay then the Unemployment Office (but the team seems positive), not sure if they can even get close to something I can live on (it has to meet the same pay as my unemployment plus $300 after insurance). This is because my student loans will come out of deferment as soon as I start working again.
4. Temp work, this is possible but unreliable. One of the local accounting temp services contacts me regularly asking if I want to work. The problem is no benefits (which is fine, I can live with no benefits for a few months, try some ACA) but the jobs aren't permanent and can be changed around with a week's notice (ok that is also good because I can get out of a job I hate that way). The big worry is pay is all over the board and I can't be sure how much I will make.

Now, we are good for at least three more months. I have unemployment into January and we could go a couple more with no money if needed. I am trying to avoid that option (and would definitely work as many part time low wage jobs to avoid it).

So I am just a little anxious today. I didn't expect I would get the OIC job, but it is a disappointment. I will put off Unemployment Office until next week and see what L&I says. Although that wouldn't matter since the UE job is federally funded and probably put back a few weeks due to the shutdown anyways.

So the world isn't over, I still have about half my time with unemployment left and we can get by on it (this is without any extensions). I just wanted to bitch and whine to any who would listen.

Work Update

I have been unemployed for exactly three months now. I figure I will go into detail on the problems of my old job once I have a new job and am safely employed.

Yesterday however I had something unusual occur. I have had four employers circling me as a possible employee. One of them was a job that was relatively low pay (about 40% pay cut for me) but it sounded cool when I applied. I went into the interview a couple of weeks ago and found some things I didn't like about it (once again I will go into it when I have a new job for reasons that will become clear later in this post). After the interview I decided I did not want that job, unless I had no other options (and then I will still go look for something else after starting for them, unless I am stunned and find I like the job).

After that interview I had an interview with the Insurance Commissioner as a Financial Examiner this last Monday. Basically I would go in and audit insurance companies and brokers (especially brokers) and ensure they are abiding by state law. I want this job, it fits with my personality and is better paying then my job as an Assistant State Auditor. I was hoping they want me as well.

So on Tuesday I got a phone message from the job I don't want, asking me to call them. Since I am on unemployment I have to be careful about refusing work, although this job is fairly low pay and lots of travel so I am sure it would be considered acceptable.

I avoided returning the call on Tuesday, and on Wednesday the Insurance Commissioner indicated they wanted me to come in for a second interview the following Monday. Bazinga... That is the job I want and things are looking optimistic. Right after I got done talking to the OIC, I got a call from the job that I don't want. I figured what the hell, I would answer.

Now, first let me say that the manager for the job I don't want seems nice. The parameters of the job is what made me unsure, not the people that interviewed me. She was happy to hear me answer and told me they wanted to hire me. She seemed surprised when I asked up front what the wages offered were. She told me, and they were about 40% less then my last job. I told her that wouldn't work for me at all.

I guess I was spurred by the fact that I had that second job interview, so I  pushed it. I told her that I couldn't accept the position for less than 25% increase on her offer. She seemed surprised (not mad, just surprised) that I hadn't hesitated for asking for money (this is a state job, so I know what the benefits are). After a few moments where I explained that I knew what the payscale was and that they would have to start me higher on that scale (they were trying to offer the lowest scale). I explained I have a certain level of income I need to support my spouse and the fact is her offer after taxes would be about what I make on unemployment. After a few minutes she said she completely understood. 

This is where I followed it up with another item. I told her I wanted to be up front and that even with the increase I couldn't give her an answer at the moment. I told her that I was a finalist with the Insurance Commissioner and that the payscale for them started at about where her agency ended (and I probably wont be offered the lowest). She seemed surprised and impressed. The impressed part is what surprised me the most. She seemed even more eager to hire me. She told me she understood, they really want me and she would go to bat for me with HR to get me an increase. She just asked to let her know when I know if I take the OIC job, then she can push for a raise for me.

The whole reason for this post is that it was weird. I was dismissive of the offer, countered with a number 25% higher then what she offered and told her even with that she was my second choice. She was even more interested in hiring me.

Wolsey was there the whole time listening (my spouse for those who aren't familiar). Wolsey said I had a lot of confidence in my voice and that the prospective manager's response is really common for that kind of confidence. I am not normally confident, and it was a weird feeling that I was so uninterested and dismissive that someone wanted me even more after that. Wolsey explained this is why sometimes assholes get really interesting and highly sought after mates, because the confidence exuded is what people are attracted to. Wolsey suggested I keep doing that with everything.

I guess that was my first real bout of self-confidence in over a year (my last job hired me on October 8, 2012 and my confidence and self outlook has suffered greatly since accepting that job). YAY for self confidence.

What?!?!

What?!?!, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

What you looking at?

Marmalade

Marmalade loves being vacuumed., a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Marmalade loves being vacuumed.

Marmalde and Vacuum 9 29 13

Marmalade hanging with the vacuum.

Butsudan

Butsudan, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Yes, its my style of butsudan...

Just a note, I have started my blog devoted to being the spouse of a transitioning FtM husband. If you are interested, you can find it here: http://transspouse.blogspot.com/

It is important enough to me that I am going to sticky this for awhile. New posts will appear below.

Love...

Love..., a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Love...

Fall Quarter

Fall Quarter, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Someone's first day of classes :)

Engine Grease

Engine Grease, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

A rare time that I get my hands dirty working on a car!

Wolsey at DMV

Wolsey at DMV, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Wolsey in line at DMV

Shoes!

Shoes!, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Wolsey picking out her size 7 boys shoes!

Annoyed cat in 3..2..1..

Annoyed cat in 3..2..1.., a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Annoyed cat in 3..2..1..

Torie getting a tattoo!

Torie getting a tattoo!, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Torie getting a tattoo 9-20-13

At Burlington Coat Factory 9-19-13

At Burlington Coat Factory 9-19-13, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
At Burlington Coat Factory 9-19-13

Wolsey!

Wolsey!, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Wolsey 9-18-13

365 Project August 2013

August 2013 365 Project oh and reminder moving over to this channel with the weird Youtube channel renaming fiasco!

Wolsey at CWU. 9-16-13

Wolsey at CWU., a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Daily Photo for September 16, 2013

Squirrel! September 15, 2013

Squirrel! September 15, 2013, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Squirrel!

Crazy Lady Write Up!

CRAZY LADY!

I am not even sure where to start with this. Yesterday Wolsey needed to pick up some work out clothes. We drove by a Wal-Mart and pulled in (I hate Wal-Mart but with being unemployed it is hard to shop somewhere else. Once we pulled in, all hell started to break lose.

It started with two cars in front of us being trapped in the car aisle (one trying to back out of a spot, another just trying to move forward). A car in front of all of us had stopped and some lady had ran over to the driver side window and was just chatting with him.

Here is a shortened video of the incident (after she attempted to punch Wolsey and shoved me): 

The parked car honked, then the car in front of us honked and the car that was blocking us started flipping everyone off. It’s true, at this point we shouldn’t have become involved, but we also participated in the flipping off. The car that was blocking us off pulled into a parking spot further up (we shall call this the “brother’s car” for future revealed reasons).

We continued to move forward and the lady who was also holding us up started walking behind our car screaming that the car was her brother and damn it she would kick our asses. She even threatened to pull a gun and shoot us. Now, if you look at the video/pictures I wasn’t very worried about this, but we did return words.

We ended up parking (crazy lady disappeared) and we got out to head in. I notice ahead of us the husband/boyfriend (shall hereafter refer to him as husband) saw us and called to his wife. She immediately stomped out and was screaming at us. The husband fell back and had a weird look on his face (he must have assumed that I wasn’t going to get involved as the crazy lady was focused on Wolsey).

Crazy lady stepped forward and threw a punch at Wolsey. I stepped forward and put myself between the two of them and told her to back her ass up. She shoved me. She isn’t a small lady and it was a pretty hard shove but she must have realized that I am 6’4” and 280lbs and it didn’t move me. She began screaming at me.

This entire time I was staring at the husband. I was more worried about him and so I watched him as I told the lady to back off and I was calling the cops because she assaulted me. I honestly never respond that way usually (if it was a guy and I acted like I used to, it might have resulted me popping him in the face). It was a woman in front of me and I wasn’t going to do anything physical to her so the only thing that came to mind was calling the cops.
We continued walking towards Wal-Mart (I wanted as many witnesses as possible after the issue with ziggy stardust a few years ago I don’t want someone to lie about me). The husband immediately kept trying to get crazy lady to leave, but it was difficult.

I ended up calling the cops, and the lady went into Wal-Mart. The 911 operator told me to wait there and said she would send a cop (I wasn’t sure I wanted a cop to come, I didn’t need someone to arrest her, I just needed a way to de-escalate her). The operator said to have to cop talk to me anyways.

So I ended up outside Wal-Mart waiting for a cop while Wolsey got his workout clothing. The crazy lady came out and screamed some more, we acted like we were filming her and I explained a cop was on the way and she was welcome to wait for him. She then threatened again that I would regret it, but her husband rushed her off into the parking lot.

The cop arrived, talked with me for a bit and I explained I didn’t want to press charges (I don’t need that drama) and he agreed it was fine to let it go. I just wanted to make sure that crazy lady was on record so she couldn’t do any accusations later. Wolsey came out with his clothing and we went home.

I hate drama, and I need to once again work on not engaging the crazy people.

Crazy lady at Walmart! 9-14-13

Crazy lady at Walmart!, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Crazy lady at Walmart! Tried to punch the spouse and ended up shoving me before freaking out.

September 14, 2013

Oh, that is not me in the foreground, I believe that is her husband/partner as he tried to keep her away from us as well.

Coconut Oreos 9-14-13

It's all about the coconut Oreos!

September 13, 2013.

Betrayal at the House on the Hill. September 13, 2013., a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Playing Betrayal at the House on the Hill with the Wolsey (spousal unit), Rachel, and Drew.

I got home from Bellingham and needed to hang. Trip went well but was emotionally exhausting.

Spousal Unit 9-12-13

Took a quick video of the spouse, a humorous incident. I am in awe that the spouse hasn't divorced me yet.

September 12 2013

September 12 2013, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

A follow up of the interview :)

September 11, 2013

September 11, 2013, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Avoiding the whole 9/11 spiel today.

September 10th 2013

September 10th 2013, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Spousal unit working on costume!

September 9 2013

September 7 2013, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Taking some time out to get some Dick's Cheeseburgers... best cheeseburgers out there.

Daily photo and Call of Cthulhu

Today we played call of cthulhu and I took a couple of pictures of the group. It was a great game and awesome to play with my friends.

September 6th, 2013

September 6th, 2013, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Daily Photo - Marmalade Sleeping

September 5, 2013

September 5, 2013, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

My two favorite people.

Student Loan Annoyance

Today I decided to check on the possibility of changing up my student loan payments. The jobs I am looking at seem to be paying significantly less then what I am used to. In order to be able to accept it, I decided to look into "Income Based Repayment" payments for my loan.

The idea of IBR is that a person who is not making enough pay to easily cover the standard payment, can make payments based on 15% of their discretionary income. You qualify for this if the IBR payment based on your last year's tax return would be less then a normal straight payment. This means if you are stuck working a low income wage job after school (say 20k a year) your payments can be only $70 a month, even if they would have been $600 normally. It is a way to help offset the problem of students not being able to find work, or a recession or any other various issues. The IBR is staggered over 25 years and can result in the remaining being forgiven at the end (but you are subject to the taxes of that forgiveness).

I knew about this, and with the fact I am probably going to a take a 30%+ pay cut I decided to look into it. I went to Sallie Mae's website and looked around. They have many options for payments, but none of them IBR (all of the options really didn't change how much you had to pay). After about an hour of looking for it, I ended up calling Sallie Mae. Fast forward another half an hour of menus, holding, etc I finally got through to the customer service rep.

I won't use the CSR rep's name, he was very polite and I wouldn't want to bring anything on him. However, he balked at getting me the IBR information. I asked why it wasn't on the website and he said he couldn't comment on that. He volunteered to send me the info and get it set up now after I had to wheedle with him a little bit more. I was thinking about it (currently I am deferred due to unemployment) and just as I was about to say yes he mentioned I should wait until the end of the year.

Since it is based on the prior calendar year (not on what you are making currently) he suggested to wait until end of the year, since my 2013 tax return AGI will be significantly less, my payments would be less then using 2012. I have to give him props for trying to save me money.

I guess the whole purpose of this post though is to express my frustration that Sallie Mae (and I assume the others do it as well) intentionally hide the information on their site and don't make it easy to get to. The funny thing is, its not like Sallie Mae actually loaned me the money, it was the Federal Government, so I don't understand why they get so pissy. I realize they loose a bit of revenue (they don't actually lose any money as they didn't loan me anything). However they are legally bound to offer this. Typical corporate greed.

This is just me complaining about it, and if anyone reads this and needs the info but can't find it. Talk to a CSR and demand that information. It is a legal form of repayment and they deserve it.

September 4th, 2013

September 4th, 2013, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Crazy protestors outside Planned Parenthood. I really hate bullies!

September 3rd, 2013 Daily Photo

September 3rd, 2013 Daily Photo, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

We were hanging out with Torin and Torie. It was an awesome time.

September 2, 2013 Photo

September 2, 2013 Photo, a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

W and I at Fred Meyers

September 1, 2013 Photo

Spouse checking the webs..., a photo by strangewhispers on Flickr.

Here we are, my spouse and I at IHOP and waiting for food.

It's a new blog

Here we are on another blog. I do have an older blog, over 12 years old, but it is time for a change. My life is one incredibly big change, work, social, mental, marriage (no, not divorce), and just myself in general. Maybe it is because I hit the magical age of 42, after all Douglas Adams thought 42 was the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe,  and everything.

I can't even really identify why I need to change, except I need to start my blog over. I will have my old blog linked from here, you can read where I come from. This blog is about my life, the little things like movie reviews, to the big things about how I want to present myself to the world.

This will mostly be boring, but if you are easily offended by someone with tattoos, socialist tendencies and a bit genderqueer then maybe this isn't the place for you.