Tag Archives: Stillwater

New Job, New City, New Apartment.

Well, the title of this blog entry pretty much explains what’s been happening over the past couple months and why I haven’t done anything with my blog.

The New Job

On September 13th, while I was still living in Stillwater, OK I got a call from a staffing agency based in Oklahoma City concerning my resume that they saw on JobsOK.com and asked if I would be interested in a temporary to permanent Help Desk position with a company in Oklahoma City that started the following Monday, the 17th, and they had to have an answer quick because the actual job did start on Monday as long as I passed some tests down at their office on Friday. Since it was more than I was making on Unemployment and more than I would be making at another place I had just scheduled an interview with on the same Monday that this job started, I said yes.

So, on Friday I went down to their office to take whatever this test was. Turns out it was a Windows 98 proficiency test and a 25wpm minimum typing test. I passed both of those. Think I only missed one of the Windows 98 questions which was pretty good considering I had not really used Windows 98 much in several years. Luckily, those brain/memory cells were still in tact. Green with Envy I think this was more a computer literacy test than anything since, as it turns out, the product I am supporting runs in Windows XP Professional.

I stayed with my folks in Edmond and started work on Monday at the actual company with the first couple weeks being in training. This was weird… I get a job without going through an interview. I guess a combination of my resume, test results, and the fact that this was a temp to perm position, they took the place of a formal interview. Of course I was nervous, excited, relieved and somewhat anxious about the new job which is only natural considering the number of unknowns at this point. What exactly would the job, company, workplace, and people be like? Of course, I researched the company on their website and so on before hand, but still there were some unanswered questions. Unfortunately, sometimes, you don’t really know how well a shoe fits until you’ve worn it for awhile. Now that it has been a couple months, the shoe is breaking in nicely. ๐Ÿ˜€ I will have to say that after 9 months of pseudo vacation, going back to work has been somewhat of shock to the system. LOL

New City, New Apartment

Man, moving really sucks! ๐Ÿ˜• Because I wasn’t sure if the job would work out, I held off moving plans for at least a week or two (also at the advice of my parents). I think the thing that hit me immediately (which I knew to expect), was the large increase in the amount of driving I was doing and, thus, what I was spending on gas. It was 18 miles from my folk’s house in Edmond to my job. I was spending $45-$50 a week on gas. That adds up!! I was anxious to find an apartment somewhat closer to work. Without my asking, Dad decided to go apartment hunting for me during the week and then over the weekend we checked out the prospects. Given my past history of being robbed, any apartments in bad areas of town or of somewhat questionable appearance were of course not chosen, even if the rent was cheaper. Tip: when it comes to finding a suitable apartment, look at the vehicles in the parking lot. Are they pieces of crap, or later models? Anyway, I eventually settled on the apartment I did due to it’s proximity to work (8 miles away), being just off Hefner Parkway and next to a police station. In fact, there are actually a couple police cars in the parking lot. I also liked the fact that a washer and dryer came with the apartment! Holy smokes, it’s so much more convenient having your own washer and dryer LOL.

Anyway, I wound up paying for October’s rent at both the new apartment in Oklahoma City and my old one in Stillwater (that’s a chunk of change) as I knew it would take me that many weekends to get moved. So, every weekend in October was spent going back and forth to Stillwater to pack and move my stuff down. I do have to thank my folks for their help in this matter. Yeah, I could have probably elicited the help of friends; however, I felt it unfair as I had not helped a number of them in their recent moves. The first couple weekends in November were spent unpacking bags and boxes and getting the apartment set up… my computer system and Home Theater being the top priority of course (actually I managed to get them setup during the middle of October since they were the first things I moved out)! I still have stuff packed in plastic bins but mainly because the bookshelves that contained the items were thrown away. They were cheap pieces of crap that were falling apart. I have a feeling I’ll be getting some for Christmas. :mrgreen: Speaking of throwing things away, we also threw away my old box springs (and mattress later on), an end table (which I had bought for $5), a coffee table (that I had found in a dumpster), and these two bulky lamps I had.

I can now say that things are finally settling down somewhat and I’ve just about reestablished my comfort zone, so to speak. By that I mean where I go to the bank, the store, get gas, places to eat, and so on. I am also becoming more familiar with my job and what I need to know. The amount of information overload, steep learning curves, and mentally draining days are becoming less. Until I am hired on permanently and getting benefits, my comfort zone will remain incomplete; however, I am confident that day will come soon! Big Grin