Checking In

A catch-all, catch-up post

There are 1,132 posts filed in Checking In (this is page 19 of 114).

Careerbuilder ignoring location preferences

This is a case of “too much of a good thing.” A few weeks ago, tired of the few job opportunities coming my way from LinkedIn, I posted my resume on Careerbuilder.com. The job opportunity floodgates opened and I was soon inundated with job opportunities.

One would think that would be a Good Thing, but instead the opportunities left something to be desired. Out of state recruiters, some who could barely speak English, were calling me about jobs that were nowhere near Raleigh, which is the only place I want to work.

I want to somehow add “NOT interested in relocating” to my Careerbuilder profile but Careerbuilder doesn’t have any such option. Now, Careerbuilder does offer the ability to specify what location its job seekers are interested in. I’ve taken advantage of that option as seen below: Continue reading →

Friday Fellowship nomination

I learned recently that I have been nominated for a Friday Fellowship, a two year program with the mission (as the website says) “to cultivate a network of courageous leaders who connect across differences in identity and ideas to develop new solutions to the complex challenges facing the peoples and communities of North Carolina.” It is truly an honor to have been nominated for this prestigious leadership program and I hope I make it through the selection process, but there’s no guarantee. As a white guy I don’t offer much in the way of diversity, though I am certainly willing and able to challenge others’ points of view, no matter the background. In other words, I like to argue for arguments’ sake!

Should I make the cut I’ll be attending six four-day seminars over the span of two years, held at various locations around the state. My worldview will be challenged and I will also challenge those of others. I will be a better leader when I come out the other end.

Frankly, it sounds like an absolute blast and I’m really excited about the possibilities. I’m a long way from there, though, and quite a few hoops to jump through and tickets to be punched stand in the way. I’ll keep my MT.Net reader posted as things progress.

Ladies man

Caravan_to_Carrboro
Somehow I managed to become a hero to Carrboro’s single ladies today.

It all began when I got a friend request from a Facebook user called “Caravan to Carrboro.” Curious to learn what this “caravan” was all about, I visited their page and viewed a number of posts about men, specifically the lack of good men in Carrboro for ladies aged 35 and older. This post on the Caravan to Carrboro website sums it up:

Women of Carrboro: Let’s bring new men to town!!! Are you between the ages of 35-55 or close? Are you single or divorced? Are you interested in men but tired of recycling the same old guys in Carrboro? Would you like to go out with somebody fresh and interesting and interested in you? Well let’s bring them to town. How? With the Caravan to Carrboro. The Caravan will bring men from OUT OF TOWN, close and far, to meet you at a designated Carrboro event in the Spring of 2014. But we need to know how many you are and what you’re looking for so we can bring the right kind of gentlemen to you. Do you think this is a crazy idea? Well it’s not. If you’re interested in joining the Caravan please let us know by clicking on the poll.

Now, I wasn’t aware there was a man shortage in Carrboro until today and I am happily married, but they seem like nice ladies so I reached out to see if I could help. I soon got a response, asking if I could spread the word about their plight.

I’m not the kind of guy who can ignore damsels in distress so I contacted Indy Week and they’re going to do a story. That’s what makes me a hero. I just hope this all leads to a correction of this terrible gender imbalance in Carrboro. We’ll see!

Where the sidewalk begins

These people want a sidewalk on Frank Street.

These people want a sidewalk on Frank Street.


Ever since our kids first started school at Conn Elementary, I’ve wished there was a sidewalk along muddy Frank Street where every day dozens of kids and their parents trudge to and from school. After researching the process a little over a year ago, I took it upon myself to petition the property owner.

Well, this soft touch ultimately didn’t work. I backed off to let the owner decide with no pressure and the result was that the petition expired with no action. This meant I had to wait a while before I could try again.
Continue reading →

How many more scraped knees?

Yesterday I got a call that our son had scraped his knee at school and needed just a little more medical attention than school staff could supply. Not thinking much of it, I headed over and gave the kid a little first aid and a hug.

Later as I thought about it I regretted not snapping a picture while I was there but then I realized I didn’t need a picture. The scene will stay with me forever as one of those precious moments when I get to quietly play hero to our growing kids.

I know the opportunities to fix scraped knees are quickly slipping by. While I’m not happy my son got hurt, I am thankful I got the opportunity to give him some TLC.

Carded

In the mail today we got a new set of credit cards. Our current ones have been working fine and are valid for another year but since the Target data breach I suppose the banks aren’t taking any chances.

A letter from the bank reads:

“Dear Customer:

Please begin to use this new credit card to protect yourself after the Target breach.

Thank you for being a loyal customer. Here’s your new credit card to help protect you after the recent data breach at Target stores.”

I noted that, like the old cards, the new cards do not include a smart chip that would go a long way towards preventing the next data breach.

Possibilities

While I’ve been feeling low for the last few weeks today I felt euphoric, excited about the possibilities before me. No, I don’t yet have a new job nor has really anything changed about my situation except for my outlook. I was turned on by one of those crazy hunches I get every now and then when I just know that something fantastic is coming my way. I don’t know what it is yet but I giddily await finding out.

It’s been a good few days with the kids, too. It’s Kelly’s week to travel and so I’ve flown solo with them the past two days. While we miss her and can’t wait for her to return to us, we’ve had a fun time together. I enjoy my time as the center of the kids’ attention, because though I like to think of myself as head of the household we all know who really rules the roost!

So, world, let’s do this. Let’s do something great together. I’m so ready for it.

The dark of winter

It’s not been a fun few weeks for me after losing my job before the holidays. I’ve been feeling pretty low, actually, with only my knowing that there will be better days ahead to hang on to. It sucks feeling like I’m not contributing when all I want to do is contribute.

Home life hasn’t been a happy place, which is kind of ironic since when things began going south at work I started to realize how the stress I was feeling could become hazardous to my marriage. Now I’ve the stress of needing to look for work. Things will get better, though. The darkest day of winter begins the return to light.

At least Mother Nature has conspired to give me company in being at home, since the entire City of Raleigh took the week off for last Tuesday’s snow. While sledding with the kids at my neighborhood park on Wednesday, I remarked to my neighbor how awesome the sledding conditions were.

“No kidding,” he answered. “It sure beats a day at the office.”

Well, maybe if you’ve got an office to be away from it does. Sledding is fun but not working is anything but fun.

It’s up to me to make something happen and that’s what I’ll do. And while I know the sun will rise again, I won’t soon forget these dark days of winter.

Forty-five trips around the sun

Family hike pic at Falls Lake. Note the wrist brace.

Family hike pic at Falls Lake. Note the wrist brace.


Yesterday was my 45th birthday. My how time flies. It was a good birthday, though, overall. The only downside is that I seem to have somehow injured my left hand on Sunday. I wasn’t doing anything excessive – just watching The Hunt for Red October on the couch with Travis, but an hour later my hand was extremely sore, especially at the wrist. This mystery injury provided me teeth-gritting pain over the last two days, only now letting up. Since yesterday, my hand has ballooned from the swelling. I hope it will settle down on its own because my former employer has been slow getting the COBRA coverage started on my health insurance and as of now I don’t think I can see the doctor without a lot of reimbursement paperwork trouble.
Continue reading →

Hopping real estate market

Home For Sale

Home For Sale


With the construction underway of the nearby Oakwood North subdivision I’ve definitely noticed an upswing of “construction tourists” who come by to watch the work. What’s more, though, is that I’ve also seen real estate agents in fancy cars slowly circling through the neighborhood. Now, an agent driving potential homebuyers around is nothing new. These agents, though, are usually alone. That leads me to believe they’re checking out which homes might soon be up for sale. In other words, the new subdivision isn’t even built yet and already the home values in the area are climbing.

My neighbor Randy, whose house is adjacent to the subdivision, received a letter from a real estate agent out of the blue last week, saying if he were to sell to let the agent know. We received a similar mailing last week, too. Suddenly our neighborhood has become very popular.