JeremyFirth.com
“In the midst of winter, I finally found that there was in me an invincible summer.” -Albert Camus
Back from the dead
May/03/10 12:37
Hi, kids! I’m back from the dead, but
luckily, I took notes while I was there so
that I could return and report to you. Back
on January 20, I lost my job. Didn’t make
any mention of that here, but that’s one of
the reasons for the precipitous drop-off of
posts here. See, the ol’ depression reared
its ugly head, and it was hard to do
anything.
I would like to report, however, that I didn’t go off the deep end, all of my important relationships are intact, and I’ve never been in better shape. I’ve lost some weight (just some fat I’ve had laying around for 20 years or so) and I have a new job.
I am a tug driver. And you’re probably thinking, “How is he driving a tugboat in Utah?” I’m not. I’m driving one of these:
No, that’s not me. Unfortunately, I can’t take pictures in the factory, so I don’t have a picture of me driving one of these.
I work at a factory that assembles airbags. I drive around the small assembly lines (called “cells”) and pick up parts cards. I drive to the warehouse, pick up the parts I have cards for, and drive back to the cells to deliver the parts. While there, I pick up the new cards and the cycle repeats. Each cycle takes 23 minutes. I am working four ten-hour days per week(during the crappy swing shift from 4 pm to 2:30 am), which means three-day weekends, which means I don’t go crazy. Yes, the job is repetitive, but it’s also very therapeutic for me, in a way.
I love moving around. I have spent WAY too much time in front of a computer, and this is a way for me to get moving. I have to hustle all day just to keep up with my schedule. I don’t think about work at all when I leave, and there are no politics. I can’t really move up in the company (my boss has been there for 16 years, and his boss has been there for over 20), so I don’t have to try to be upwardly mobile or prove my worth. I show up, deliver the parts, eat some lunch and deliver more parts. Very stress-free. But yes, it’s boring as fuck.
So we’re adjusting our lifestyle, and Banu and I both enjoy me being home for the weekends, and being home every day. And I’m still searching the job board and staying connected to my friends, but the way it looks now, my days in poker are probably over. They need young men with no families who don’t care whether they get paid on time. And that’s not me anymore.
And I’m ok with that.
I would like to report, however, that I didn’t go off the deep end, all of my important relationships are intact, and I’ve never been in better shape. I’ve lost some weight (just some fat I’ve had laying around for 20 years or so) and I have a new job.
I am a tug driver. And you’re probably thinking, “How is he driving a tugboat in Utah?” I’m not. I’m driving one of these:
No, that’s not me. Unfortunately, I can’t take pictures in the factory, so I don’t have a picture of me driving one of these.
I work at a factory that assembles airbags. I drive around the small assembly lines (called “cells”) and pick up parts cards. I drive to the warehouse, pick up the parts I have cards for, and drive back to the cells to deliver the parts. While there, I pick up the new cards and the cycle repeats. Each cycle takes 23 minutes. I am working four ten-hour days per week(during the crappy swing shift from 4 pm to 2:30 am), which means three-day weekends, which means I don’t go crazy. Yes, the job is repetitive, but it’s also very therapeutic for me, in a way.
I love moving around. I have spent WAY too much time in front of a computer, and this is a way for me to get moving. I have to hustle all day just to keep up with my schedule. I don’t think about work at all when I leave, and there are no politics. I can’t really move up in the company (my boss has been there for 16 years, and his boss has been there for over 20), so I don’t have to try to be upwardly mobile or prove my worth. I show up, deliver the parts, eat some lunch and deliver more parts. Very stress-free. But yes, it’s boring as fuck.
So we’re adjusting our lifestyle, and Banu and I both enjoy me being home for the weekends, and being home every day. And I’m still searching the job board and staying connected to my friends, but the way it looks now, my days in poker are probably over. They need young men with no families who don’t care whether they get paid on time. And that’s not me anymore.
And I’m ok with that.
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