Down and Out in America 9/9/04
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JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
I had to take a break from can hunting yesterday, I pulled a muscle somewhere in my lower back. Nothing serious, mind you, but enough that going out collecting cans wasn't a smart idea. So far, no eviction notice, tha landlord appears to be reasonable, thank God, but no unemployment verification at this writing either. It's supposed to be in by tomorrow at the latest, and the longer wait is making me fearful they will reject me for some odd reason (I don't see why; there was nothing I could to to avoid being let go...I tried).
One of the biggest problems with my ex employer is that she is very powerful in construction related industries in this community. If she doesn't like you, you don't work in this field (prospective employers call her, and she'll give you a bad reference). I'm not sure if this is what's happenning here, but when I hear about places that "automatically hire", and I never hear back from them, either the people who passed on the information are misinformed or something.
Still, I'm keeping my chin up. We got our job search forms into the welfare office yesterday, so they can start processing our TANF request. After that, I may have to work in a volunteer capacity (I have to put in 35 hours of work a week somewhere); which wouldn't be a problem except for the most shortsighted thing about welfare reform: if you're putting in 35 hours a week volunteering during the day, how easy is it for you to get out and job hunt? You can do it, for sure, but this community is very spread out and it can take a half hour or more to get to/from different parts of town. So if you're unloading trucks for the Salvation Army, for instance, and you get off at 2:30, it's a near physical impossibility to dash home, shower, change, drive back out and make a 3:30 interview. If a job fails to materialize by October, though, I can take CNA classes, which qualify for the volunteer work (oddly enough, a 6 month training course at the community college won't, though...go figure). All in all, this has been a very revealing firsthand experience with this system, which I was previously completely unfamiliar with as an adult.
The good news is that if we do have to go to Vegas, it looks like we will be able to avoid staying at the homeless shelter (that was honestly my biggest concern...they send the mother and children one way and the father the other). I am hopeful, though, that we can rent a rundown trailer on some lot here in town though...rain's not a serious concern here, and I know how to check electrical wiring for safety. If an eviction notice shows up, then obviously my primary focus shifts from getting a job to getting a place to live....thankfully, the welfare system does provide THAT exception.
We have a couple old printers, but no ink. Once we get the housing situation figured out, I'm going to take a suggestion that was given to me about printing out some of my best articles to make a portfolio to send out and try to get some work as a bona fide writer...I still can't shake the feeling that maybe that's the purpose behind it all. I am encouraged by the sheer number of articles I have written in less than three months (350), as it has buoyed up my confidence about my capability of writing a full length book of some sort...so I will shortly start on some projects I've had under wraps.
Well, that's it for now, I'll further update you tomorrow...when we're secure in our situation I'll change the blog title somehow...more on that later.
signing off,
Gideon MacLeish
One of the biggest problems with my ex employer is that she is very powerful in construction related industries in this community. If she doesn't like you, you don't work in this field (prospective employers call her, and she'll give you a bad reference). I'm not sure if this is what's happenning here, but when I hear about places that "automatically hire", and I never hear back from them, either the people who passed on the information are misinformed or something.
Still, I'm keeping my chin up. We got our job search forms into the welfare office yesterday, so they can start processing our TANF request. After that, I may have to work in a volunteer capacity (I have to put in 35 hours of work a week somewhere); which wouldn't be a problem except for the most shortsighted thing about welfare reform: if you're putting in 35 hours a week volunteering during the day, how easy is it for you to get out and job hunt? You can do it, for sure, but this community is very spread out and it can take a half hour or more to get to/from different parts of town. So if you're unloading trucks for the Salvation Army, for instance, and you get off at 2:30, it's a near physical impossibility to dash home, shower, change, drive back out and make a 3:30 interview. If a job fails to materialize by October, though, I can take CNA classes, which qualify for the volunteer work (oddly enough, a 6 month training course at the community college won't, though...go figure). All in all, this has been a very revealing firsthand experience with this system, which I was previously completely unfamiliar with as an adult.
The good news is that if we do have to go to Vegas, it looks like we will be able to avoid staying at the homeless shelter (that was honestly my biggest concern...they send the mother and children one way and the father the other). I am hopeful, though, that we can rent a rundown trailer on some lot here in town though...rain's not a serious concern here, and I know how to check electrical wiring for safety. If an eviction notice shows up, then obviously my primary focus shifts from getting a job to getting a place to live....thankfully, the welfare system does provide THAT exception.
We have a couple old printers, but no ink. Once we get the housing situation figured out, I'm going to take a suggestion that was given to me about printing out some of my best articles to make a portfolio to send out and try to get some work as a bona fide writer...I still can't shake the feeling that maybe that's the purpose behind it all. I am encouraged by the sheer number of articles I have written in less than three months (350), as it has buoyed up my confidence about my capability of writing a full length book of some sort...so I will shortly start on some projects I've had under wraps.
Well, that's it for now, I'll further update you tomorrow...when we're secure in our situation I'll change the blog title somehow...more on that later.
signing off,
Gideon MacLeish
). prolific, self-motivated writers are the stuff of what passes for their wet dreams. in vegas there are all those tourist tabloids that require week after week of umm well schlock. you might want to check with a library to see if they have a writer's guide that lists local publishers (newsletters, weekly ad fliers, etc). once you get in the door and they see how fast you crank stuff out, youre gonna be a jealously guarded secret. write your book after youve moved the door away from the wolf and you dont have such an immediate need for cashflow.