Some people have asked me what its like up here in North Dakota. I guess they are curious as to the appeal this place has that made me want to come up here to seek work to begin with.
The truth is, its not a very appealing place.
I apologize to any North Dakota natives, but I'm just being honest. If there wasn't work up here, I would probably not be here. Its not that its completely inhospitable. Its just not... pleasant.
I will say this, the scenery can be very beautiful. In the nearly 3 months I've been up here, I've seen amazing, picturesque displays. I've seen crystal clear days from the top of a Badland hill, where the landscape stretches on until its drops off the horizon. I've watched a microburst cell race across the plains to the south from the top of a hill, all while staying in direct sunlight the whole time.
That being said, there are some things that anyone coming up here should be ready for. The weather is one of them. I used to think that Illinois weather was about as temperamental as is got. Then I came here. It can go from 80 and sunny, to 60 and rainy in no time, and for no apparent reason. One day it can be 50 and cloudy, the next day its 100 and humid. There is one constant, however, and that is the WIND. Its is constantly windy here.
Something else I've noticed about this place is just how spread out it is. Now, don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting sprawling metropolis, but I can say that my perspective on a 2 hour road trip has changed dramatically. I'm used to the nearest town worth mentioning being about 30 minutes at most. Out here the nearest town/city worth mentioning is Bismark, which is about 90 minutes. The next closest is Williston, and that is just over 2 hours on a good day.
The people, for the most part, are nice up here. I've met a few angry old codgers up here, but they aren't as common. They tend to avoid the established cities (i.e. Dickinson, Williston, Minot). Most people greet you with a smile and wish you a good day, which is a far cry from anything I've experienced in both Illinois and Las Vegas.
The culture is different. Not different as in bad or foreign. People just aren't caught up on stupid things like the Octomom or Porn Star Kim Kardashian. People tend to concern themselves with things that actually matter, like family, each others well being, and the community. It can be kind of tough being an outsider and not having a vested interest or knowledge of what most people are talking about, but its a minute detail, really.
Being that this is the middle of an Oil Boom, there are Men. LOTS of Men from out of town. It can lead to some very tense atmospheres in some places. Dickinson isn't bad right now, but Williston constantly feels like something bad is lurking around the corner. I'm not saying you're going to get mugged at every stop light, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep your wits about you if you're planning on going there.
Housing. Where do I even start? If whatever job you get doesn't provide for some kind of housing solution, its probably not worth taking the job. By the time you actually find a vacant place to stay, and pay for it, you'll be coming out just about even. One bedroom apartments in Dickinson go from between 1800 and 2200 a month, from what I'm hearing. I don't have a reference to back me up on that, but that's what co-workers told me they were paying. By the time you consider a security deposit, first and last month's rent, and utilities, you are not going to be making much. Sure, you can live out of your car, but once the temperature drops, that isn't going to be feasible. I'm not exaggerating when I say that on the colder days of the Winter, sleeping in your car can very well kill you. Temps of 40 below zero aren't anything to mess with.
For the most part, North Dakota has been what I expected it to be. I can honestly say I wasn't expecting it to be as spread out as it is, and the amount of wind caught me off guard. I had also heard that the locals didn't care for the out of town people so much, but it hasn't been anything remotely hostile in my experience. I hope this shed a light on what to expect when you come up here.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Nature is balance...
Have you ever noticed how the world tends to balance itself out? It seems like whatever you do in life to tip the scales, something happens on the other side to balance itself out.
It seems like knowing this would offer a great chance to game the system. If you constantly put nothing but positive into life, then, by nature's balance, you should get nothing but positive out of it. Seems like a solid plan. Almost fool proof, if you believe in such a concept.
But its not that easy.
Our egos take over. We get selfish. We start to wonder, "Why do bad things happen to me," without considering what sort of negativity we may have wrought. We feel doubt, self pity, and we take it out on the world. The emotional mind can be very persuasive. Trust me, I know.
Its very easy to lose sight of what is important in life, because you are having a bad streak (which, ironically, can be a self-fulfilling loop in itself). Your mind can convince you that the world just doesn't want you to succeed. You might miss out on opportunities that you are certain you deserve, you might lose something you cherish for no apparent reason whatsoever.
Its times like these when people tell you, "Just stay positive." But its hard. Its difficult to see through the cloud of negativity you are in. Trust me, I know.
I was struggling with this for a while. I seemed to have everything going for me. I had a decent job that I liked and was progressing at. I was getting healthy and losing a ton of weight. I was, dare I say it, happy. I don't mean, content with life. I mean, I was genuinely happy with where I was in life. I was riding the karma train and profiting from it.
Then something took that away. It doesn't matter what, or why. The important thing is the way I reacted. I let one negative thing derail my karma train. I got lost in a cloud of negativity and let it consume me, almost willingly. In blur I lost my job, my health, and my happiness. I fell into a pit of self loathing, and I let a world of negativity envelop me. I became convinced that I was destined for bad things to happen, and just accepted failure as my path in life.
I was wrong.
I want you to read that again, so you might learn from my mistake.
I was WRONG.
I'm not going to preach to you, like some pompous self-help guru. The fact of the matter is, if you could help yourself, you wouldn't be in a world of hurt to begin with.
I will say this, though: As cheesy as it sounds, never let yourself lose sight of positivity.
I know. It sounds cliché. But its true. Positivity breeds positivity.
I had myself convinced that coming back to North Dakota for a 2nd trip was a mistake. I was convinced that the first trip was a mistake. I kept telling myself that coming up here is just going to lead to failure after failure and when all is said and done I'm going to end up moving back with my parents and being a worthless drain on them.
But then something clicked.
I don't know if it was Pete being persistently positive in my face when I was nothing but depressing, or if my brain finally broke, but something clicked. I decided that, no matter what, it doesn't matter if I get a job up here or not. I came up with a backup plan, and I dove head first into coming back.
As soon as I did that, I started getting phone calls. I got a call from an old college buddy about an IT job that I ultimately wasn't quite qualified for, but still considered me. That was a huge confidence boost. I might not have gotten that job, but it went a long way to helping me pull my head out of the smog (Thank you Tim.).
Then, Saturday I got a call from one of my top choices for work up here. The phone interview went well, and long story short, I did a drug test today. Now I just wait to hear back from them.
The point this long post is trying to make, is to always remember karma. Always mind the balance that life tries to achieve. I'm not saying you need to donate all your money to charity or volunteer for the peace corps, but holding the door open for someone, asking someone how his day is, or just smiling back at someone can create a positive imbalance in your favor.
I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't lived it. Trust me. I know.
It seems like knowing this would offer a great chance to game the system. If you constantly put nothing but positive into life, then, by nature's balance, you should get nothing but positive out of it. Seems like a solid plan. Almost fool proof, if you believe in such a concept.
But its not that easy.
Our egos take over. We get selfish. We start to wonder, "Why do bad things happen to me," without considering what sort of negativity we may have wrought. We feel doubt, self pity, and we take it out on the world. The emotional mind can be very persuasive. Trust me, I know.
Its very easy to lose sight of what is important in life, because you are having a bad streak (which, ironically, can be a self-fulfilling loop in itself). Your mind can convince you that the world just doesn't want you to succeed. You might miss out on opportunities that you are certain you deserve, you might lose something you cherish for no apparent reason whatsoever.
Its times like these when people tell you, "Just stay positive." But its hard. Its difficult to see through the cloud of negativity you are in. Trust me, I know.
I was struggling with this for a while. I seemed to have everything going for me. I had a decent job that I liked and was progressing at. I was getting healthy and losing a ton of weight. I was, dare I say it, happy. I don't mean, content with life. I mean, I was genuinely happy with where I was in life. I was riding the karma train and profiting from it.
Then something took that away. It doesn't matter what, or why. The important thing is the way I reacted. I let one negative thing derail my karma train. I got lost in a cloud of negativity and let it consume me, almost willingly. In blur I lost my job, my health, and my happiness. I fell into a pit of self loathing, and I let a world of negativity envelop me. I became convinced that I was destined for bad things to happen, and just accepted failure as my path in life.
I was wrong.
I want you to read that again, so you might learn from my mistake.
I was WRONG.
I'm not going to preach to you, like some pompous self-help guru. The fact of the matter is, if you could help yourself, you wouldn't be in a world of hurt to begin with.
I will say this, though: As cheesy as it sounds, never let yourself lose sight of positivity.
I know. It sounds cliché. But its true. Positivity breeds positivity.
I had myself convinced that coming back to North Dakota for a 2nd trip was a mistake. I was convinced that the first trip was a mistake. I kept telling myself that coming up here is just going to lead to failure after failure and when all is said and done I'm going to end up moving back with my parents and being a worthless drain on them.
But then something clicked.
I don't know if it was Pete being persistently positive in my face when I was nothing but depressing, or if my brain finally broke, but something clicked. I decided that, no matter what, it doesn't matter if I get a job up here or not. I came up with a backup plan, and I dove head first into coming back.
As soon as I did that, I started getting phone calls. I got a call from an old college buddy about an IT job that I ultimately wasn't quite qualified for, but still considered me. That was a huge confidence boost. I might not have gotten that job, but it went a long way to helping me pull my head out of the smog (Thank you Tim.).
Then, Saturday I got a call from one of my top choices for work up here. The phone interview went well, and long story short, I did a drug test today. Now I just wait to hear back from them.
The point this long post is trying to make, is to always remember karma. Always mind the balance that life tries to achieve. I'm not saying you need to donate all your money to charity or volunteer for the peace corps, but holding the door open for someone, asking someone how his day is, or just smiling back at someone can create a positive imbalance in your favor.
I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't lived it. Trust me. I know.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
First Trip Back
We made our first trip back to Illinois. After being in North Dakota for 2 months, we are back home for a 2 week holiday, to rest and recharge.
Pete can really use it. He's been going for 9 weeks now. The nice part for him, is that this should be the longest period of time he spends away from now on. Barring some kind of weather catastrophe like a Blizzard, he should be going back after only 6 weeks now.
I had a somewhat busy week last week. I took a trip up to Williston to poke my head in some places that I had applied and to apply some more places. I still don't like it up there. I did my best to stay away from downtown and Walmart once I did my initial visit. It just didn't feel safe. Too many people that were too pissed off in too small of a space. I can confirm, though, that the rumors about the Walmart are true. The place is very dirty, lines were epically long, and all the pallets of stuff were just sitting in the aisles, meaning 2 things; finding what you wanted became a scavenger hunt, and actually traversing the aisles was as adventure in and of itself.
I came back after about 30 hours so I could go to a Job Fair in Dickinson, but that ended up being a glorified resume drop.
Some good(ish) news did come that afternoon, though, as I got a call from MBI wanting me to do an interview over Skype, so tomorrow I have that. The position they asked about was a Field Frac Operator. Not completely sure what that job entails, but its 70+ hours at 17 bucks an hour with benefits. I know I can do the job, its a matter of convincing the recruiters of that.
Oh, I get to sleep in a queen sized bed while I'm here. I don't know what to do with all the space! I can spread out and sleep in luxury!
Yeah. Its kinda sad. But really funny.
Pete can really use it. He's been going for 9 weeks now. The nice part for him, is that this should be the longest period of time he spends away from now on. Barring some kind of weather catastrophe like a Blizzard, he should be going back after only 6 weeks now.
I had a somewhat busy week last week. I took a trip up to Williston to poke my head in some places that I had applied and to apply some more places. I still don't like it up there. I did my best to stay away from downtown and Walmart once I did my initial visit. It just didn't feel safe. Too many people that were too pissed off in too small of a space. I can confirm, though, that the rumors about the Walmart are true. The place is very dirty, lines were epically long, and all the pallets of stuff were just sitting in the aisles, meaning 2 things; finding what you wanted became a scavenger hunt, and actually traversing the aisles was as adventure in and of itself.
I came back after about 30 hours so I could go to a Job Fair in Dickinson, but that ended up being a glorified resume drop.
Some good(ish) news did come that afternoon, though, as I got a call from MBI wanting me to do an interview over Skype, so tomorrow I have that. The position they asked about was a Field Frac Operator. Not completely sure what that job entails, but its 70+ hours at 17 bucks an hour with benefits. I know I can do the job, its a matter of convincing the recruiters of that.
Oh, I get to sleep in a queen sized bed while I'm here. I don't know what to do with all the space! I can spread out and sleep in luxury!
Yeah. Its kinda sad. But really funny.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Informational: Where to Apply
For anyone considering to come to North Dakota, it can be a monumental task to find out the specific places to apply to work. There are some resources you can use, but it can take a lot of work to figure it out. What I'm going to do today, is put together my own list of places I check on a regular basis. Maybe if can help you if you are considering coming up to North Dakota.
Rigs and Drilling Companies
First I'll list the companies that operate rigs. I'll also link to their web site if they have one. If they don't, its on you to find a phone number or address, since it really varies depending on what part of North Dakota you are going to. I'm putting the city each is based in as well. These companies may have less opportunities than the larger ones I will list later, but that also comes with less competition, meaning you may have a better chance concentrating on these.
Rigs and Drilling Companies
First I'll list the companies that operate rigs. I'll also link to their web site if they have one. If they don't, its on you to find a phone number or address, since it really varies depending on what part of North Dakota you are going to. I'm putting the city each is based in as well. These companies may have less opportunities than the larger ones I will list later, but that also comes with less competition, meaning you may have a better chance concentrating on these.
- AES Fluids - Denver, CO
- CanElson Drilling - Mohall, ND (North of Williston, near Canadian Border)
- CapStar Drilling - Casper, WY
- Cyclone Drilling, Inc. - Gillette, WY
- DHS Drilling - Casper, WY
- Ensign Energy Services - Calgary, AB, Canada
- Frontier Drilling - Roosevelt, UT
- H&P - Dickinson, ND
- Key Energy Services - Houston, TX
- KKA Drilling, LLC - Sheridan, WY
- Major Drilling - Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada
- Nabors Industries, LLC - Houston, TX
- Nomac Drilling - Killdeer, ND
- Paramount Drilling US LLC - Dickinson, ND
- Pioneer Drilling - Williston, ND
- Precision Drilling Corporation - Calgary, AB, Canada
- Raven Drilling - Dickinson, ND
- SST Energy Corporation - Casper, WY
- Stoneham Drilling Company - Williston, ND
- Trinidad Drilling LTD - Kenmare, ND
- True Drilling LLC - Casper, WY
- Unit Corporation - Casper, WY
- White Mountain Operating - Pinedale, WY
- Xtreme Drilling - Brighton, CO
Larger Companies
These companies are a bit larger and encompass more of the entire process, including transportation of oil and gas to and from the sites. These companies have a lot more positions to offer, including MANY CDL driver jobs (CDL A, plus tanker and Hazmat usually required with a year of experience to go with it). The downside to applying with these companies is that you are just throwing your application onto a pile of others, so its kind of a crap shoot. These are the companies where it really helps to keep stopping in the office or calling constantly so they get to know your name. Anything to stand out from the crowd. These jobs usually have better pay and benefits, so they are worth going after.
- Baker Hughes - Williston/Dickinson, ND
- Haliburton - Williston/Dickinson, ND
- Marathon Energy - Williston/Dickinson, ND
- MBI Energy Services - Belfield/Dickinson, ND
- Power Fuels - North Dakota
- Wyoming Casing - Dickinson, ND
These are most of the places I've come across personally to apply at. Obviously there are more, and I acknowledge that. If you know of any, let me know and I will add them to the list. I'm also not including staffing companies. Obviously, if you are really desparate for cash when you are out here, there are places like Walmart, McDonalds, Wendy's, and the like, all where you can get hired pretty quickly, and making some cash to extend your stay or even get you home if that is the case.
Either way, if this helps even one person find a job, or find a sense of direction out here, then its worth it. To anyone coming out here, I just want to say be prepared. There are a lot of people, no places to stay, and the weather is unpredictable. Oh, and Good Luck!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Quick Update
As I post this, I see a cop in the rearview mirror slowly passing by, probably wondering what the heck I'm doing. Funny. I've been wondering that, too.
Not much has changed in the last week, so this post will probably be short.
We've gained roomnates. We're up to 4 people officially in the house. One guy is from Austin/Toronto. Trust me, it makes sense. Neat guy. He made Buffalo Burritos the other nite that were pretty fantastic, as well as my first venture into Buffalo meat. It was good. The other guy
Still no luck on the job front. I had an interview today, but I'm not sure how its going to go. I'm probably going to make a trip up to Williston on Monday to apply some places and get my face in there before the trip back to Illinois.
From the intel I've been getting from people, everyone says to come back to them in mid to late June and they should be hiring, so that kind of works out. We go back to IL for 2 weeks and then when we get back to ND, its mid to late June. If I don't get work by the end of the 2nd trip, I'm not coming back.
I've been looking into truck driving schools. If I can find a place that will pay me to get my CDL and give me some experience then I might do it. I won't make a ton of money, but it will give me experience to come back up here with.
That's really it. Not much else to update. Oh. Its cold. It was like 50 today. Last nite was unexpectedly freezing. So I have that to look forward to.
Not much has changed in the last week, so this post will probably be short.
We've gained roomnates. We're up to 4 people officially in the house. One guy is from Austin/Toronto. Trust me, it makes sense. Neat guy. He made Buffalo Burritos the other nite that were pretty fantastic, as well as my first venture into Buffalo meat. It was good. The other guy
Still no luck on the job front. I had an interview today, but I'm not sure how its going to go. I'm probably going to make a trip up to Williston on Monday to apply some places and get my face in there before the trip back to Illinois.
From the intel I've been getting from people, everyone says to come back to them in mid to late June and they should be hiring, so that kind of works out. We go back to IL for 2 weeks and then when we get back to ND, its mid to late June. If I don't get work by the end of the 2nd trip, I'm not coming back.
I've been looking into truck driving schools. If I can find a place that will pay me to get my CDL and give me some experience then I might do it. I won't make a ton of money, but it will give me experience to come back up here with.
That's really it. Not much else to update. Oh. Its cold. It was like 50 today. Last nite was unexpectedly freezing. So I have that to look forward to.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Some people have all the luck.
They say to get what you want takes a lot of hard work, and a little bit of luck.
Exactly how much luck are we talking here? Is it an additive effect, or is it a multiple effect? I fear the later, which really screws me, because, as everyone knows, anything times 0 is 0. If I have no luck, then am I fighting a futile battle?
Ok, before you get on me for finding reasons to give up, let me tell you, I'm not giving up. I'm venting. I'm venting because I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated because, after 5 weeks of being out here, I still havent gotten so much as a call back for a job in the oil fields. I guess its a "right place, right time" kind of situation, which takes a little bit of luck, which brings me right back to my point.
If I'm the kind of person that never wins at games of chance, do I have no luck, or negative luck? I don't like to gamble anymore because I don't win (except for those few anomalies where I went home with a hundred bucks). I don't like to play board or video games that rely heavily on chance or luck because I usually lose. Here's a nerdy example: When running dungeons in WoW with my guild, there is only 1 other cloth wearer. There might be 4 drops through the entire dungeon that I even qualify for and I get how many? 1 per 3 or 4 RUNS. Ok, end nerd rant.
Basically the point I'm getting to is, I'm frustrated. This situation is not entirely what I expected it to be. Yes, there are jobs, yes they pay more than elsewhere, but if I had to pay for a place to live up here and everything, it wouldn't be worth it. I'm barely scraping by as it is.
On top of that, I get to sit and watch Pete have exactly what I want, and then tell me that he is low paid by oil field standards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad at Pete about it in the least, he's doing what he intended on doing and thats great, I'm proud of him. It just frustrates the living hell out of me because I pretty much saw this coming. As soon as he got hired on before I even left Vegas, I knew I'd be up here not finding anything. I had that gut feeling. And here I am. Failing at what I feel like is my last chance to be an adult and be responsible for myself. I can't spend the rest of my life working at places like Fast Food, or Walmart. Its not going to cut it. I had a plan, to get out of debt and go back to school.
But this is where I am. This is what I have to deal with.
Some people can have their luck, and get handed jobs and promotions and transfers. I'm not saying these people don't work hard, because I'm positive they do. I work hard, too. I may be lazy when it comes to my personal self, i.e. health, but when I'm hired to do a job I do it. I could just use a little bit of help in at least getting an interview. Could the fates tip their hats in my way, at all?
I just have to keep hy head down and keep trucking I guess. Luck be damned.
Exactly how much luck are we talking here? Is it an additive effect, or is it a multiple effect? I fear the later, which really screws me, because, as everyone knows, anything times 0 is 0. If I have no luck, then am I fighting a futile battle?
Ok, before you get on me for finding reasons to give up, let me tell you, I'm not giving up. I'm venting. I'm venting because I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated because, after 5 weeks of being out here, I still havent gotten so much as a call back for a job in the oil fields. I guess its a "right place, right time" kind of situation, which takes a little bit of luck, which brings me right back to my point.
If I'm the kind of person that never wins at games of chance, do I have no luck, or negative luck? I don't like to gamble anymore because I don't win (except for those few anomalies where I went home with a hundred bucks). I don't like to play board or video games that rely heavily on chance or luck because I usually lose. Here's a nerdy example: When running dungeons in WoW with my guild, there is only 1 other cloth wearer. There might be 4 drops through the entire dungeon that I even qualify for and I get how many? 1 per 3 or 4 RUNS. Ok, end nerd rant.
Basically the point I'm getting to is, I'm frustrated. This situation is not entirely what I expected it to be. Yes, there are jobs, yes they pay more than elsewhere, but if I had to pay for a place to live up here and everything, it wouldn't be worth it. I'm barely scraping by as it is.
On top of that, I get to sit and watch Pete have exactly what I want, and then tell me that he is low paid by oil field standards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad at Pete about it in the least, he's doing what he intended on doing and thats great, I'm proud of him. It just frustrates the living hell out of me because I pretty much saw this coming. As soon as he got hired on before I even left Vegas, I knew I'd be up here not finding anything. I had that gut feeling. And here I am. Failing at what I feel like is my last chance to be an adult and be responsible for myself. I can't spend the rest of my life working at places like Fast Food, or Walmart. Its not going to cut it. I had a plan, to get out of debt and go back to school.
But this is where I am. This is what I have to deal with.
Some people can have their luck, and get handed jobs and promotions and transfers. I'm not saying these people don't work hard, because I'm positive they do. I work hard, too. I may be lazy when it comes to my personal self, i.e. health, but when I'm hired to do a job I do it. I could just use a little bit of help in at least getting an interview. Could the fates tip their hats in my way, at all?
I just have to keep hy head down and keep trucking I guess. Luck be damned.
Friday, May 11, 2012
An Update.
Greetings, from the great..uh, brown north? What I mean is, everything here is currently covered in a thin layer of dirt/dust. It gets quite windy here. I mean, that would make sense because there is nothing to stop the wind from just blasting across the plains, but wow. It gets WINDY. I've started to notice a pattern. It will slowly creep up in temperature to nearly 80, then it gets windy as hell for a day or 2, and suddenly its 50 again and the cycle starts all over. Last nite was quite cold...
Yes. I'm still in the back of the Dakota. Yes, that means I'm still stuck working at Walmart. Yes, I really loathe that place. I cannot figure out how people work there for years. Its not that its hard work, its just that its soul sucking work. Every day is a marathon on my patience. From unpleasant customers, to complete morons (I try to be patient with most people, but some people are in danger of forgetting to breathe, I swear), to complete pricks.
On a positive note, I did get paid yesterday. I actually got paid more than I expected, which afforded me the chance to get a few things I wanted as oppose to needed, like new shoes (with built in gel insoles...so niiiice), sandals, and a nice dinner at Applebee's for me and Pete. I have all my bills paid for the month and I have some money to last until my next check, so I'm in ok shape for now.
Pete seems to be figuring out his place at work, which is good. He might be getting a work truck, which would make this a little less complicated as far as transportation goes. No more having to wake up and go into Walmart at 6 am, even though my shift starts at 2 pm. It frees up mornings to go searching for jobs, and it allows me to get a bit extra sleep, which, anyone that knows me can attest, I really benefit from a bit of extra sleep.
We also have a tenative date setup for our first trip back to IL. Should be sometime at the beginning of June. It will be nice to be surrounded by familiar people again. Part of trying to keep myself distant from the people up here is it can get lonely from time to time. But, it is what it is. I'm not up here to make friends.
I've been really up and down, personally, lately. I'm glad I have a job right now. I'm glad I'm able to pay my bills and use my "pseudo-homeless" story to entertain people, either at work or on this blog. A lot of people say they feel sorry for me that I have to sleep in a car. Please, don't. Understand, this was my choice. I am not forced, by any means, to do this. I could go back to IL or NV and have my own room and TV and computer and all that, but it wouldn't be MINE. I wouldn't be having this adventure and I wouldn't be happy. I'm still confident that coming up here was the right move, I'm just waiting for that right situation to kick in now. I'm a firm believer that things happen certain ways for a reason, I just need to find the reason for this one.
That doesn't change the fact that part of me still worries that I'm failing in finding that reason, but I'm not sure what else to do. If I find a place hiring, I apply. Pete tells me the names of places all the time that I can apply to, and I do, but I haven't gotten a bite yet. It's really incredibly frustrating sometimes. Some people like to complain that they lose a bunch of money to taxes. I wish I had that problem. I'm pretty sure Pete is paying more, per check, in taxes than I make per check. Kinda puts things into perspective there.
Nothing else has really changed. Walmart keeps insisting I work later in the afternoon. I'm not really happy about that, considering I had the discussion about working days with them when they hired me, but if Pete gets this truck to use, then it will be ok, since I won't have to worry about transport.
I have noticed one thing, though. A LOT of people up here are married at my age. I guess, that probably applies in most places, but I really notice it here, since I work directly with the public. I notice a lot of women with wedding rings. I'm not sure why I notice, but its something to kinda ponder. Am I starting to get to an age where all the marriageable women are becoming more and more rare? Eh. I'm can't really worry about that right now.
I talked to some guys at work that are supposedly supervisors out in the oil fields. I guess this area (Dickinson) is about to really boom this summer. They are supposed to be issuing a TON of permits for new wells and most of them are going to be in this area. So I guess this is the place to be. It might make finding a job a bit easier in the coming weeks. One could only hope. I want to make the big bucks. I really need a break.
That reminds me of something that happened yesterday. I was messing around on the laptop and Pete was screwing around across the table from me and he was flipping a pen in the air.
"Whoever gets the point towards them is going to have a great financial event happen to him soon," he said.
"Luck based events never work in my favor, Pete," I told him.
Sure enough, it pointed at him. We even re did it a couple times, but the point never favored me. I took a lesson from that, I guess, but it seemed more like common sense. You can't count on luck to bail you out, you have to keep working hard to get what you want. Luck be damned.
Yes. I'm still in the back of the Dakota. Yes, that means I'm still stuck working at Walmart. Yes, I really loathe that place. I cannot figure out how people work there for years. Its not that its hard work, its just that its soul sucking work. Every day is a marathon on my patience. From unpleasant customers, to complete morons (I try to be patient with most people, but some people are in danger of forgetting to breathe, I swear), to complete pricks.
On a positive note, I did get paid yesterday. I actually got paid more than I expected, which afforded me the chance to get a few things I wanted as oppose to needed, like new shoes (with built in gel insoles...so niiiice), sandals, and a nice dinner at Applebee's for me and Pete. I have all my bills paid for the month and I have some money to last until my next check, so I'm in ok shape for now.
Pete seems to be figuring out his place at work, which is good. He might be getting a work truck, which would make this a little less complicated as far as transportation goes. No more having to wake up and go into Walmart at 6 am, even though my shift starts at 2 pm. It frees up mornings to go searching for jobs, and it allows me to get a bit extra sleep, which, anyone that knows me can attest, I really benefit from a bit of extra sleep.
We also have a tenative date setup for our first trip back to IL. Should be sometime at the beginning of June. It will be nice to be surrounded by familiar people again. Part of trying to keep myself distant from the people up here is it can get lonely from time to time. But, it is what it is. I'm not up here to make friends.
I've been really up and down, personally, lately. I'm glad I have a job right now. I'm glad I'm able to pay my bills and use my "pseudo-homeless" story to entertain people, either at work or on this blog. A lot of people say they feel sorry for me that I have to sleep in a car. Please, don't. Understand, this was my choice. I am not forced, by any means, to do this. I could go back to IL or NV and have my own room and TV and computer and all that, but it wouldn't be MINE. I wouldn't be having this adventure and I wouldn't be happy. I'm still confident that coming up here was the right move, I'm just waiting for that right situation to kick in now. I'm a firm believer that things happen certain ways for a reason, I just need to find the reason for this one.
That doesn't change the fact that part of me still worries that I'm failing in finding that reason, but I'm not sure what else to do. If I find a place hiring, I apply. Pete tells me the names of places all the time that I can apply to, and I do, but I haven't gotten a bite yet. It's really incredibly frustrating sometimes. Some people like to complain that they lose a bunch of money to taxes. I wish I had that problem. I'm pretty sure Pete is paying more, per check, in taxes than I make per check. Kinda puts things into perspective there.
Nothing else has really changed. Walmart keeps insisting I work later in the afternoon. I'm not really happy about that, considering I had the discussion about working days with them when they hired me, but if Pete gets this truck to use, then it will be ok, since I won't have to worry about transport.
I have noticed one thing, though. A LOT of people up here are married at my age. I guess, that probably applies in most places, but I really notice it here, since I work directly with the public. I notice a lot of women with wedding rings. I'm not sure why I notice, but its something to kinda ponder. Am I starting to get to an age where all the marriageable women are becoming more and more rare? Eh. I'm can't really worry about that right now.
I talked to some guys at work that are supposedly supervisors out in the oil fields. I guess this area (Dickinson) is about to really boom this summer. They are supposed to be issuing a TON of permits for new wells and most of them are going to be in this area. So I guess this is the place to be. It might make finding a job a bit easier in the coming weeks. One could only hope. I want to make the big bucks. I really need a break.
That reminds me of something that happened yesterday. I was messing around on the laptop and Pete was screwing around across the table from me and he was flipping a pen in the air.
"Whoever gets the point towards them is going to have a great financial event happen to him soon," he said.
"Luck based events never work in my favor, Pete," I told him.
Sure enough, it pointed at him. We even re did it a couple times, but the point never favored me. I took a lesson from that, I guess, but it seemed more like common sense. You can't count on luck to bail you out, you have to keep working hard to get what you want. Luck be damned.
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