thefreak

Holy shit" is right, kids! Your Friendly Neighborhood Freak is back. I'm still alive, and I'm back.

Life has been crazy. For good reasons, weird reasons, and not so good reasons. Where to start...

First off, as I alluded to in my previous post, I was thinking about leaving Verizon. Basically, long story short, we were told we had a surplus in our department, and if enough people didn't take a buyout and leave the company, there were going to start laying off from the bottom up. That, plus the suspension in October giving a big ole' target on my chest, pretty much sealed the deal. I may not be a Rhodes scholar, but I know rats on a sinking ship, as it were. I decided that the best choice in a bad situation was to leave of my own volition, get paid to leave, and hang onto a good reference from a corporation I spent almost 9 years (I know, huh?) working for, rather than get laid off or shitcanned and have absolutely nothing to show for it.

I'm in a weird space, having left a job I've known for so long. While the stress of trying to find a new full-time job is definitely present, it's far offset by the decrease in stress from leaving there. It was a crap job, and a crap job I didn't feel like staying in for the majority of my life even under better circumstances.

So, like I said, I'm still searching, but hoping for better luck come after the holiday season, due to holiday help and students leaving, etc. GameStop's been great at helping me get hours whenever I can, and I'm still plugging along there same as always, despite the bustle and hustle of Xmas shoppers.

Word to the wise...if you're looking to get an extremely popular game, get it when it comes out, don't act all surprised when every place is sold out. A little forward thinking goes a long way, kids.

Also, as some of you know from contact outside the site, my Uncle Pete died about 3 weeks ago. He was about 5 minutes away from home when his truck slid off the road and hit a tree. It's situations like that that just plain suck. So, a few days later, we had the viewing and services all in the same day (he won't be able to be buried until spring). Saw some family and family friends I've not seen in many a year. I only wish it had been under better circumstances. Xmas is going to be a little less festive without him. All in all, he was a good man despite all sorts of shit he had been through, and he died too young. RIP, Uncle Pete.

Speaking of Xmas, it is indeed Xmas Eve, and 2009 is almost over. It's been a crazy year. Friendships were made, friendships were lost, through my actions or others, I left the longest job I've ever had. Its been a crazy time. I'm looking towards 2010 and seeing as an opportunity for a fresh start, on many levels. Getting my head above water financially (due to my buyout check), finding a full-time job I can actually enjoy, and getting the social life back in order.

Which brings me to you guys. I've missed you guys terribly, and I apologize for being nonexistent these past few months aside from a group comment here and there. I'm amazed I made it out relatively sane, and I just hated the thought of airing my stresses here. That being said, I'm starting to feel that I'm in a better place than I've been for some time. I just have to keep working at it.

Time for a Random YouTube-y Goodness(!!!) Holiday Edition. Enjoy!







I hope you all have a safe and Merry Xmas with your loved ones. And be on the lookout for a festive simian appearing in your blogs. Because that's how I roll, kids. As always, I hope you are all well.

Stay tuned...

-TM