Most people where I work have a 2nd job

nobody could survive with just working the one job. Imagine my relief when I got the other job yesterday afternoon! I'm back working 6 days again but the other job is a bit off the beaten track as it takes a little longer to get to. It's going to be a bit of a struggle to manage both jobs but it was my boss that suggested I get another job. My 2nd job breaks in February and again in the Summer.

After my interview I decided to treat myself for a Wendy's baconator and I got the #2 Clareview bus from Corona station. It was a beautiful mild Sunny afternoon. I walked home in the mild afternoon air (for now) I was home by 4pm and didn't get to my email right away as I thought about having a nap. I should at least check my call history to see if any calls came in. It shows up on the TV screen. Sure enough I got one from my 1st employer. I called the Super and she said I got an extra day but I couldn't do this Thursday. I've got Monday and Tuesday are my normal 3-7pm but I go from Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday at the new job. Hopefully I can get the 6 hours out of the 8 and work 1-3. That would work until mid January where I can go from 11-3 and then 4:30-8:30pm. It's 7.5 hours/day. The 2nd job pays $3 more an hour!

I missed the first period of Fridays Oiler/Columbus game. It was 1-0 in the 2nd and I thought ok, lets see what happens. Then it was 2-0 and the Oiler's were playing sloppy. I checked back to the game and then it was 4-0 in the 3rd! Ok, that's it. See you guys Sunday in Dallas. The Oiler's made it interesting late in the 3rd getting their 1st and their 2nd goal but it was too little to late for these guys. It wasn't like they played badly but CBJ played better. 

Speaking of sports and all, the Esks hired their 20th head coach in franchise history with the hiring of Chris Jones. I think he was their defensive coordinator. The Oiler's might win 20 games this year but I'm already looking forward to the Eskimo's next season.

Anne got home about 10:40pm last night as I was watching what was left of wrestling and made me burrito platter and mixi fries, one of my favorites. I watched wrestling and here I am having a "long weekend" of sorts. Anyway, that's all for now.

My wife called me on her break last night

as she usually does shortly before 8pm. She provided me over the phone the direct email contact of the person who hires and fires where she works. After she called I went to my email to email this person my resume` when I noticed a email response from another resume` I sent out earlier during the week. I was asked to come in Friday afternoon for a interview. I replied back in the affirmative. So, lets see what happens tomorrow, if I even need to send out a 3rd resume` I'll know tomorrow afternoon.

I didn't sleep very well about 7am. When I get a soar lower back that tells me I've overslept. I used to always sleep with a board under my mattress because of my back operation in 1967. When I had my back operation as a teenager, it was suggested I keep a slab of plywood under my mattress all the time. I'm suspecting not having this is what interrupts my sleep.

I'm home this evening watching the Oiler's lose in Nashville.  The big hockey news which happened earlier this week with that massive Rogers broadcast deal. It basically means that Canadian teams are once again subsidizing the NHL's American teams. Though it could open the door for more Canadian NHL teams within the 12 year deal going forward. I'd like to see Quebec get a team again and it's be great to have Hamilton get a franchise or even Regina.The puck is dropped in Nashville at 6pm tonight.

The weather looks like it's holding over the weekend  Temperatures are supposed to drop for next week. At the moment it's -7 but because of the wind chill it feels like -14. Last night waiting for my #183 bus at Clareview about 8:40pm there was frost in the air coming down almost like rain. It was weird. The weekend weather forecast looks good but its Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday that's supposed to be cold but I have keys to the Lodge building to get inside so even though when it's -18 out there, I'll be inside. For now and the weekend, the weather looks ok. Anyway, that's about all for now.

So I delivered the bad news to my wife that my hours

are reduced but I have options and resources, that's the good news. I still want to keep this job but get some pick up hours in the meantime until things pick up mid January. Thursday I'm heading down to Alberta Works to get some career counseling, resume` building and a job search. Since most employers want email resume` submissions only, that makes it easy to get my resume` into the hands of potential employers. I can always follow up from there. I've got great qualifications, good resources and a strong labor market going for me. Ok, enough of that.

This from i09:Turn your home into the Death Star with these amazing wall tiles. Turn any surface of your home into the cavernous surface of the Death Star thanks to these custom-made Star Wars tiles. This is really cool.

It looks like phase 1 of the Millwoods/Lewis Farms LRT project "Valley Line" will get under way in 2016 and completed by 2020. The preliminary design is done and the City is just waiting until the New Year to apply to the Feds and the Province for P3 funding. We want more from the Province (over $350 million) and just $150 from the Feds. the City has $800 million for the project. We should have the funding in place by 2015. It's about a 6 year project.

One of the really cool projects out of rocket company Ad Astra is their VASIMR plasma rocket or Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket. Basically unlike conventional chemical rockets that uses chemical fuel VASIMR uses plasma. The engine works and has been tested. It's hoped that the engine could be charged using the International Space Station. More of VASIMR can be found here.

One of my favorite shows growing up in the 1960's is a show called The Avengers and I don't mean the Marvel Superhero group. The Avengers became one of the first British series to be aired on prime time U.S. television. It had a budge of about $60,000 per episode. YouTube it! Great stuff. Anyway, that's about all for now.

Not much was accomplished today but I did get a

resume` emailed and confirmed. This option has positions available. Alberta Works is not a option right now getting up at 7am so I can get there by 8. "First come first serve" maybe ok if I want welfare but I don't want that. I also went to where my wife works to follow up on a resume` I sent out a few days ago. Today, I'm not going to do anything. Lets see if any of these places will call me first. Give them a chance to look over my resume` etc.

After a bit of looking (I love YouTube) I found a Windows non third party password bypass hack. I'm going to try it out when I get home tonight, see if it works. 

Last night the Oiler's dropped a 5-1 decision at Rexall place that cost them their chance to have a 4 game winning streak come to a end even before it began. The way these guys are plying, they'll be lucky if they win 20 games this season. The Oiler's are 7-16-2 out of 25 games played I think it's time to move some of these high paying dead-weight players down to the minors and call up some of the players that are playing good hockey there, like Omar and Lander and send RNH and Gordon to replace them. 

The other NHL new is that Forbes magazine put the value of the Toronto Maple Leafs at $1.150 Billion. The average NHL team now has an enterprise value (equity plus net debt) of $413 million, 46% more than a year ago. By comparison, the lowly Edmonton Oiler's are now worth $400 million! Keep in mind the Forbes numbers are frequently refuted, and essentially are made up out of thin air. They are just impossible to disprove. I take them with a block of salt.

Also this morning I learner that TSN will no longer as of the end of this season broadcast any more NHL games and Rogers will take over. It's a 5.5+Billion dollar deal. Most likely NHL fans will be offered a ton of pay per view. Is this the finale year we'll be seeing Don Cherry and Ron McLane? its the end of a era.

Next Thursday is my big night at the Lodge where I take the "Big chair." I'm up to the task so it should be looking ok. Anyway, that's about all for now.

Making phone calls are on my agenda this morning after I get

about 7 hours of sleep. I got to get some business done.

I'm making a phone call to follow up on one option and then Alberta Works to see how I can get some career counseling and then leaving early to follow up on a résumé I submitted a few days ago. If I can get something full time or if my first option pans out I'd rather work for what time they have left for the winter project and resume in their Spring project. 

I'm trying to get off of this diet cola habit I have. I'm just drinking water. This is a record for me not having any diet cola for almost 3 hours! I'm only drinking it with my meals. I'm not trying to lose weight or anything.Anyway, that's about all for now.

My wife is all stressed out that she has to work

today because it's Grey Cup Sunday. Sundays are her usual day off. That and New Years are big days for her company. I've got a job option Monday Morning calling them to see if they have any openings and where to send a resume but its midway through their project. If they ask me in for a interview Tuesday or Wednesday, I'll take a leave of absence from my current job until mid January. Before work Monday I'm also  checking out another place on my way to the office to do a follow up on a resume I sent out Friday night to see about getting some extra hours there. 

Today it's the 101st Grey Cup CFL game Hamilton Tiger Cats@Saskatchewan Rough Riders. This is Canada's Superbowl. I'm probably not going to watch most of the game but I'll be tracking the games progress. I got a feeling it's going to be Hamilton's win.

Alberta PC (Liberal)Premier Alison Redford yesterday at the PC leadership passed her leadership review. Seventy seven % voted in favour to keep her on. The Provincial election could not come fast enough. This time it's Wild Rose all the way in 2016.

On my way home about 5pm just out here by the set of lights, my Clareview/Northgate bus etc crosses the T intersection. I press the button about by Sleep Country and stand near the back door to get out when it stops at the bus stop on the other side of the light change It's supposed to let passengers at the back door out. This is the 2nd night now in 2 days I've had to yell, "back door!" And as soon as I get out the light changes and I have to wait. The light is always against me. I'm sure they do that deliberately. So next time, I'm leaving out the front way. That'll piss them off. 

Today I'm sleeping in late Anne's going to place a pizza/curly fries/chicken bite meal for me. Its my evening meal basically but it's also for the football game party pack. A cold beer to go along with that would be great. I hope I get some good news for a change. Anyway, that's all for now.

I had a bit of trouble falling asleep this morning

as I think I got maybe 4 hours in or so, maybe 4.5.

Weather wise it's not to bad out there. It's about -8. We could be in for a nice couple of days.

Just when I think things on the job were going to be ok covering the basics, the revised schedule is posted. Because the numbers are dropping (survey completions) they reduced the hours. It looks like I'm only getting 3 part time days losing 3. This is going to go like this until the middle of January? They got  us down Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Sorry but that doesn't pay the rent. The worst of this is, I don't have a Plan B. My wife will get the bad news Wednesday night. I have a good cheque to cover December rent wise and my lodge dues are covered. There's no room for extra's. I sent a resume off to where my wife works. She said they went through there hiring binge in the Summer. I'm going to stop into their office Monday afternoon and see what's available. I know 2 people that work there, my wife and their training person. I'm going to try for 3 days/week, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays. It pays minimum wage. I have a few other options. The other option is a work from home thing. I can do that after work and Thursday/Friday. I'm short $150 for my bottom line every 2 weeks. The only trouble with working from home is I need a computer that can keep up without crashing and a 2nd telephone. It can't be a cell phone and I'll need a head set. I can get the other line in through another service provider besides the one I have now is slightly compromised. The reason for the 2nd land line is so they can call in saying the calls are slow it's time to log off or that sort of thing. I've got a couple of other options before it gets to that though. One thing is certain, I'm going to have another part time job or a better full time one before the end of the year. 

So this weekend is the Alberta PC leadership convention. Now it's no secret that I raise the PC flag but I personally am not confident in our current leader. She has a track record of not keeping her campaign promises and the last budget hurt sectors of our Province like education cuts (which were not necessary) She cuts back $65 million, and then a few months later she says, after various institutions like the University of Alberta and Calgary, scramble to meet those cuts, oh look I've got this ahem unexpected amount of $14 million with more to follow." She's playing both sides against the middle. Most likely she'll retain her mandate as Premier which will take her until the next provincial election. I especially didn't like the way she is dealing with BC's liberal leader Christy Clark over the Gateway pipeline. She's doing ok for the Keystone pipeline. Her leadership review is done and votes are cast by the end of the day.

Today I'm out for my last Saturday for the year at least at this place. Although I could be working weekends somewhere else this time next weekend. At this point nothing is set up. Like I said I have a few options. One of them is cashing in on my unemployment insurance if I can do that while working part time. I was going to do this as a last resort but it's not like it take 6-8 weeks to get a claim processed anymore. It's usually done within a month. Anyway, that's all for now.