24

Tick-tock... tick-tock...the minutes are counting down as I have only 24 hours left at my current place of ill-employment. My days of hydrocarbon testing are done, for now.

I am leaving the "poisoned" attitudes behind. Good thing too, I was just starting to run out of all the things I needed to do my job! I gave my two-day notice yesterday and had my exit interview today. The HR gal asked me questions like, "What are the top three reasons you are leaving the company?" Uhmmm...I don't want to die! Well, I did come up with some short answers, but I tried to leave it behind without making a big deal about it. Companies like this get what's coming to them. The county is currently changing it's "laws" to be able to regulate "Gross Polluters" and other companies like this one.

So, I am moving on. I have to go in tomorrow to work, but I don't have any projects to work on. The last day at places is always strange. I don't see things the same. I will probably go and say goodbye to some of the guys. One person in particular, a fella named Nate, he started the same day as I did. We went through company orientation together. He also just gave his notice to leave the company to take a job with the state transportation department, Cal-Trans. He leaves this Friday. We almost made it through the probation period, but in this case the company didn't last it's own probationary period.

Goodbye...

...to a company that has a blank web site
...to a company that spills more than babies
...to a company that when you look it up on the Internet, you say WTF!
...to a company that never noticed I was there



I guess, when they hand me my final check, I'll just go.


Now here is a salute to this "great" company:

Why Me?

Not again!

It seems that no matter where I go, I get summoned for Jury Duty. I have been called several times over the last several years. I am lucky, however, that I have not actually had to go. I always have to plan that I am going, then it's cancelled at the last minute.

Well, I just got a new summons for Feb. 2nd.

I think it will be funny that as soon as I start a new job, I may have to take time off for Jury Duty.

4 day weekend

I am starting a four day weekend today! Woo Hoo! I have been working 8 days straight, so it's my time to relax.

I am on the cusp of starting a new job at a wastewater plant. I have my health physical tomorrow. This seems to be the final thing I have to do to get the job. I am not sure what day I'll start, but it should be soon.

I won't miss my old job too much.

Yesterday, I told my current boss, "It would be easier for me to get a new job than to get the supplies I need to do this one." He laughed.

A bunch of SLOB's

What do you call 25 guys and gals who stand around drinking and talking about beer?

Some call them SLOB's! In fact they call themselves SLOBs or San Luis Obispo Brewers.

I recently attended my first meeting with this loose-knit group of home-brewers. As you may know, I have been brewing beer in my kitchen for the last six months. I can't stop. I have brewed a few good batches now and thought this would be a good way to share and get some input about my beer.

So, I packed up a few of my latest Imperial Pale Ale bottles and hit the road.

All I can say is that this little "meeting" was both a dream and a nightmare. I had some brews that I loved like a nice Dopplebock and Strawberry Mead. Mead is a honey based brew that is light and pleasant to drink. This one was fruity and similar to champagne. I also had some that just made me say, "Whoa, that's interesting" like the sour Belgium beers. Others, like the very strong Russian Imperial Stouts helped me realize some things I may not like.

I shared my pale ale with the group and they actually did not spit it up and tell me not bring anymore. I received a couple of compliments even. One guy said, "Well, I don't smell or taste anything wrong..." and another said, "What hops did you use?" I take these as compliments since they didn't give me hints about how to brew better or say "Why does your brew taste like dirty socks?"

This was one interesting social group or maybe subculture would be more descriptive. I expected people to talk about their beer in detail then serve us. Each tasting taking five to ten minutes. I expected a formal tasting type of setting, not unlike a wine tasting.

I was wrong. I showed up to Doc's Cellar brew shop and was told to fetch a cup and help my self to a brew on tap in the fridge. The meeting started with us organizing the order of brews to be presented, like at a wine tasting when they serve the light whites to the bold reds. However, unlike a wine tasting, these guys did NOT have a place to pour out any drinks, like a spit bucket. These guys drank, it seems, everything! I did not.

So we started with a nice German pilsner lager and then it got weird fast. The theme was spiced brews for the winter season, so we had many strange concoctions, including pumpkin spiced ale.
Anyways, I tasted 23 types of beers*. The first ten I drank freely, but then I realized I was getting a bit sauced or light on my feet. The remaining beer I had to just sip and then pour out the rest. I should have said "NO" at some point, but I hatted to miss even one.

The final drink I had was something called Barley Wine. It is a strong type of beer that is aged for a year or so. I don't think I'll ever want to make any, but it sure was uhmm...interesting.

After some time and a cigar, I headed home to a wife that won't want to kiss me for a few hours.

*Below is the list of brews served:

Cider - Dave
Pilsner - Chris
German Hefeweizen - Russell
American Red Ale (Hallertauer hops) - Eric B.
American Red Ale (Chinook and Amarillo hops) - Eric B.
Dopplebock - Andy
Imperial Pale Ale - Tom J.
Belgian Strong Ale - Mike
Strawberry Mead - Daryl
Spiced Ales - hosted by Jason
Belgian Grand Cru - Ken
Spiced Vanilla Ale - JJ and Scott
Spiced Ale - Eric V.
Oaked Spiced Ale - Richie
Chocolate Coconut Porter - Chris
Pumpkin Ale - Jason
Heather Ale - Jason
Gruit - Jason
Russian Imperial Stout - Russell
Russian Imperial Stout - Ken
Barleywine - Dave
Barrel Project - Jason

Picnic at the Beach

***NOTE***
The song I used has been silenced by "the man", so enjoy it in peace.
If the video below stops working, please leave a comment so I can fix it. Thanks

Photos Essay of Work

Below are photos I have taken at my work recently. The inside pictures are of the laboratory where I work. The outside photos are of the refinery and oil pumps nearbye.

Christmas 2008

Our left-leaning Christmas Tree!

Below, Blackberry is in our new picnic basket!



Sarah is young at heart and loves to color, so I got her some crayons and a coloring book...

Sarah got me this beer brewing book. It has recipes for things like Smoked Habanero Beer and other crazy things. I love it.

The cats also got some gifts...

And finally we had a great Christmas dinner with ham, scalloped potatoes, stuffing, and green beans with chestnuts.

115 to 1

Odds, luck, or maybe even skill can provide you with great things that happen, and not so great. Sometimes I have been lucky. Sometimes life just bites me in the ass.

When I moved out here to the Central Coast of California, I thought getting a decent job would not be difficult. Wrong. This area has people driving to work here from all over, even two hours away, one way. The demand for a "good" job out here is more than I knew it would be. Some people say it's the economy. I just know I am here now and this seems to be how it is.

Before Sarah and I moved down here to Nipomo, CA, I was applying for work. I elicited the help of head hunters, posted my resume on any site I could find, and talked to people-who-might-know-people in the area. I received phone calls and even offers for pre-employment testing and interviews.

When you apply for a job you consider that a couple of people have also applied. You figure at least one person is as qualified as yourself. This is both a survival and logical idea. You actually have no real facts to base this on. You are only guessing about your "competitors." I am smart enough, have some experience, but what I really rely on is my interpersonal skills. I interview well, as long as I don't say something too stupid, which I have.

I was recently selected for a job from 115 applicants. That's 115 to 1 odds. I applied, then took a test, then interviewed. When I found out how many took the pre-employment, I all but counted myself out. It's funny because I also interviewed for another job with less applicants that I was more qualified for, but did not get the job.

That is the "humor" in life. You get the yin, then the yang. You get the bad, then good. It's strange how it's always been this way. You find the love of your life, then your dog dies.

I saw Marley and Me, the recent book made into a movie. It's great example of how you from such happiness to feeling such great loss. Everyday is really like this. When my brother passed away in January of 2001, my sister just gave birth to her first child. Our calendar in January is marked with a death next to a birthday.\
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So, at the same time the odds may be in my favor, there is always something after that which balances it all out. I don't think of it as good and evil or anything that deep. I think I just try to get passed it and go on the what's next. Hopefully the next thing is better.

It's like winning $1 on a $1 lottery ticket...what's the chance?

Maybe 115 to 1.