Not doing my job here.....

My wife says I don't blog enough!! I know, I know, I don't. I can admit it. Sometimes it just seems so overwhelming to me to have to sit down and think of something to say, and then find the time to devote to writing it. Then, I don't write for a while and then there is too much to say, and I have to figure out what I want to omit in my update....... It is a vicious cycle. I will try to update. You all need to remember that in real life, I tend to be a storyteller and include ALL the details, so this is really hard for me. lol (feel sorry for me here) I am writing this the same way I would tell it to you if you were standing in front of me usually. The only difference is every once in a while I will delete paragraphs. (be thankful because I am shortening the story) LOL.

Once upon a time, there was this guy.......
The END

How about that? Short and sweet. J/K

Things I can update about.....my job, my family, my church calling. I will leave the family updates to my wife, cause she does such a good job at it. If you don't know it, she is listed as one of the blogs I check. I bet you can pick which one it is!! She is much better at blogging than I am and she is also a good story teller. She make me laugh reading the updates so I am sure you would enjoy them also. So that leaves me with my work and my church calling.

Lets start with the job. I have worked at Sun Devil Auto now for almost 3 months. It is still a good job. Last month, the man that hired me came out to my store and told the manager that he was taking me out to lunch. I was all like....ok. Sure. (Am I getting fired? Am I being promoted? What did I do? Maybe I really screwed something up....what was it?) Long story short, (no I didn't delete anything here) he said, "I want you to know that we have to let some people in the company go, but that isn't you. I don't want you to worry about your job." He then went on to tell me that he thought I was doing a good job and he had only heard good things about me. He did tell me that I was going to have to start sharing my time between stores. I would work M,W,F at one store and T,TH at another store. Neither store was making enough money to have a full time employee there but they were making enough to need more than what they have. So basically for the last month I have be giving someone a day off at each store, but I also have been learning a lot. Each store is run differently, and I get the opportunity to see these different ways and can form my own opinions on how I want to run my store when I get it. This last week I was asked to help give days off at yet another store and again see more differences. I like this ability to see and learn the different approaches but I miss the stability of knowing where my "home" store is and building relationships with my regular customers. I now have regular customers at 3 different stores! I really like being able to help people and I think the customers can see that I truly like helping them and I think that makes a difference. A couple of weeks ago, the man who hired my (who btw is named Dan) showed up at the store I was working at just because and while he was there told me to thank my dad for sending me to apply to work for them. What a neat complement! He then said twords the end of the month we would get together and talk about my permenant salary. (That hasn't happened yet, but I suspect it may happen on Tuesday.)
Today at work, I swear I had multiple "crazy" customers. People on the phone just asking random questions and other people needing me to be "his homie" (I think that is how to spell it.) Today was busy and then with everything else that went on, I just get overwhelmed trying to think how to tell you without going overboard. Suffice it to say, I think I was phone shopped by the company ( to make sure I am doing my job the way they want me to ) at least 3 different times in 1 hour. It was funny. Trust me, and I will just leave it at that.

My church calling is still as Sunday School President. I got things straightened out shortly after I took over, got every class organized as it was supposed to be, got them all teachers, and it was good.....for about 2 weeks. Then one of the teachers that I had inhereted was no longer going to be a teacher because she had a new calling and it was going to be to difficult for her to do them both, so I told her not to worry, I would cover it for her. I got another teacher for her and again things were good for a couple of months. If you are not familiar with the Mormon church, the church is run by volunteers. No one is paid to do this and we are given callings to do certain things, like be teachers or run the Sunday School. Well, from time to time, someone in a different area will need help and call someone to their area and usually that means the give up the first calling to accept the second. Well that happened about 1 month ago again, so I need to find a new teacher. One of the teachers that I already have, informs me that she only has 2 boys in her class and they would really rather be in another class because they feel uncomfortable being all alone. So I combine the 2 classes together and move the one teacher over to teach the other class. (I am so smart, I think.) Problem solved. Last week I am told "oh and by the way, we are taking 2 more people from you." So now I am back to looking for help again. It is a never ending process sometimes. I think I know what I am going to do, but I have to run it by the bishop first and get approval. We shall see.

So anyways, I think that is enough for now. If you made it this far, wow. I am impressed, you must really want to know, and I thank you for your interest. Feel free to give me heck if you want to, but I really will try to post more so they can be shorter posts!! (I don't have any idea what happened to the camera, but if it turns up and I can find the cable to download the pics to the pc, I will get somemore on here, one way or the other. Hey, I have 6 kids remember?!? lol )

Better late than never...update

It has been a while since I updated and so I thought I would take a minute to do so. The last week of June, I decided that I was gonna start really trying to get my automotive job. I don't know exactly why I was limiting myself to Dealerships, (actually I do.....it is my teachers fault) but I figured since they weren't calling, it was time to give up on them. I mentioned to a few people that I was going to go start hitting the other places and got a few suggestions. I had chosen a few that I was going to start with and mentioned to my parents that I was going to try Sun Devil Auto, where dad takes all the cars for the mission. I asked who I should talk to etc. and advise, but then my dad happened to go in to the building before I got there and mentioned to them that I was looking for work. It just so happened that they were looking for someone, so Randy the manager told my dad to have me stop in that day to fill out an app. I left after I got the message and went to the store. This was a Tuesday. On Wednesday, I got a call from the man in the corporate office that does the hiring, and we met for an interview. I was offered the job and asked to start the next day. Thursday, the 26th of June, I started my new job. It has turned out to be the job. It was what I wanted. It wasn't too big, or too small. It wasn't all the stuff I worried it would be (different than in Minnesota) and it really was about the perfect fit for me, exactly what I wanted. Here it is, over a month later and I still feel this way about the job. I really can settle here and lay down some roots. I am able to use most of the skills that I learned in Minnesota at this job, so it seems as if I was training for it.
We, my family and I, are getting back on our feet again, and it wont be long before we can pay down some debt and wont have to live off of the maxed out credit cards. We really are grateful for the blessings we have been given with the support of our loved ones around us. I am very grateful for my wife, for the infinite amount of patience she has shown me and for the unwavering support she has given and will always give. I truly am blessed in many ways and I do have a great family both immediate and extended. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes to all. Take care.

important video to watch

This Video is just over 11 1/2 min long. Take time to watch it, when you wont be botherd and can watch it all at once. It is fine to watch with children, just don't get distracted by them.

weekly update

Ok, this week, I started working at Discover card. It is a pretty decent place to work so far. It really seems like it could be a good job, not to difficult tho and eventually it might put a person to sleep. I will have to see tho. I have had my share of no brain required jobs and can do another one for a while. I just might have to transfer to different departments as soon as I feel no brain is required. They keep telling me that the hardest part to the job is getting used to the jobs computer program and all the screens we have to know. I did find out that this training that I am taking is worth 7 college credits, so if I ever decide to continue my schooling, I will get some additional credits out of the way.
Because of the proximity of the Discover card office to my house, I have decided to try and save as much money as possible and ride my bike to work everyday. I may drive on rainy days tho. Not only does that help with the pollution problem suffered by too many drivers in Phoenix, but I get daily excercize and Discover enters their employees in monthly drawings if they take alternative transportation to work. So it is possible I can win a plasma screen tv (I would have to take the car to work that day!!) or a $20 gift card. It all helps tho. Even if I don't win anything, the better shape I will be in and the money saved from driving will eventually add up.

At church, I am the sunday school president. I am in charge of making sure every class has a teacher and each teacher knows what they are supposed to be teaching. I also have to make sure we have someone in the library and all the kids make it to class. As of now, we have no librarian called, so I and one of my councelers have been taking care of those duties. One of my teachers decided that she didn't want to teach anymore this year and because of a real lack of communication on my part, she didn't plan to teach anymore this year. That means, no teacher for some class. Long story short, I ended up teaching today. I was under the impression that the classes were divided up as 12-13 yr olds, 14-15 yr olds, 16-17 yr olds. Once 18 the kids are supposed to start going to class with the adults. So I am supposed to teach the 14-15 yr olds. I get to class and find out that the classes are broken down like this, 12 yr olds, 13-14 yr olds, 16-17-18yr olds. Notice, no teacher at all for the 15 yr olds!! I am like, WHAT IS GOING ON!! I am going to have to totally re-organize the sunday school. I have to get like 3 new teachers. I can always teach, but I am not supposed to do that, I am supposed to find someone else to teach. We shall see what happens.
Well that is about all for me this week. I hope this finds you all well and I will post more later.

P.S. I don't really have any pictures to add, Kayelee is supposed to be this budding photographer, but I can't get her to take any pictures that I want to use. I will get some this week, one way or another!

another job update

I start working at Discover tomorrow. I have contacted the Mercedes dealer and the service department is not open yet. They are going to start soon but already have a couple of guys hired to start. Soon they will be hiring more. The service manager has said he will keep me posted as to when that happens. Maybe about the time I am done training at Discover, I will be contacted by him to talk about working there. I hope.

Job search update

Ok. Here is the latest info for those that care.
I applied to work at Discover Card about 2 weeks ago. The interview went well, but I was honest with the interviewer and told them that this was going to be a second job if a 1st job ever came around, that was why I wanted night shift. Everything was ok, but they weren't sure about my commentment to them should a good job come along. I promised that I would stay there at least 1 year if they would hire me and they said they would get back to me. Well this last Thursday, they offered me a job. I will start on the 18th of January in the Marketing Services Department. Basically, when a person gets a card and has to call the number to activate their card, they will be calling me. At that time, it is my job to verify they are who they are supposed to be and I am supposed to offer them additional services like insurance against job loss, or identity theft, etc. I will be eligible for insurance benefits right away and will be making over $10 an hour. Those are nice things. So for sure I have a job now.
Heather and I drove around Bell road from Hayden (Bell is Frank Lloyd Wright at that intersection--in Scottsdale) and headed to 93rd Ave. (which is the Arrowhead area of Peoria) and wrote down every automobile dealership along the way. I am going to be trying to get a job at any of these 1st before I start driving to south Phoenix looking for work. We say a Mercedes-Benz dealership in the Arrowhead area that is brand new and advertising out front that they were now open. I went back with a shirt and tie and left a resume. The lady I spoke with really seemed like she wanted to help me get a job there and asked me to call back on Friday to speak with the Service Manager. Right now, the service department isn't even open yet. They have 2 service writers hired right now, but will eventually want 6. It will open on the 28th of January. It seems like this could be a good opportunity for me to get my foot in the door. I could see myself working here forever and setting up roots, and I have always loved Mercedes and this would be an awesome opportunity for me and my family. I tried to talk with the Service Manager on Friday, but in the morning he was busy helping some customers and I was told I should call back later, but that didn't work out as he was still busy. Because of the fact that this is a new store, he is actually working at another store also and had to go there too, so I tried to contact him over there later in the day, but only got his voice mail. I will try to call him back on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc., until I get to talk to him. Hopefully, he will see fit to give me a chance to work for him. I love the look of the place, the location isn't too far from home and I just really want this. So for those of you who feel like praying for me and my family, please pray for this. If it happens or doesn't happen, I will let you know the details when I know something. Thanks for reading and keeping up with all of this.
It seems like maybe things will be starting to turn around after the fire after all. We have heard that the house in Minnesota has finally been finished, and we can officially sell it now. We haven't heard anything from the adjuster since August 23rd and are out of money even though they still owe us. Now that I have some job prospects, maybe we can start to move forward again. Our fingers are crossed.

Thoughts to Ponder

My niece shared these and I thought they were worth repeating.

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.
Successful people are positive people.
If you think you have no faults, that makes one more.
A good place to find a helping hand is at the end of your arm.
When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.
If you can do something with your eyes closed, it's time to find something new.
The game of life is a lot like football; you have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score points when you get the opportunity.
The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter.
You can't get much done by starting tomorrow.
If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
No rule for success will work if you don't.
You can't change the past, but you can ruin a perfectly good present by worrying about the future.

weekly recap

Well it is Sunday night and I thought I might try to give a little recap on the week. (At least the things I want to talk about again.) I applied to work at Lund Cadillac and also at Discover Card. I interviewed at Discover and haven't heard from Lund yet. I called as instructed on Friday and Lund told me to call back m-f 8-3 for more info next week. Tomorrow morning I plan on calling early and every day until I am told not to call or they give me an interview. When I went to apply there, I thought it interesting to note that the uniform is a white long sleeve shirt and tie. I don't think I will have to break the bank to buy new clothes to fit it if hired there! The interview at Discover went well, the post they are hiring for will not start for a couple of weeks yet, but they weren't sure if they wanted to hire me due to the expense of training and such, seeing as I appear to be looking for employment at car dealerships. I explained I wouldn't mind working a night shift opposite my full time job, but they weren't sure. Other than that, they liked me and would want to hire me. It is in someone else's hand now. I think I may just talk to Sherri, mom and dad's friend, and see if I can get a job with her for a little while.
Tobias had strep this past week and has been cranky, whiny and stinky! He has been on his meds for 9 days now, and still his lymph nodes are swollen. This by the way is an infection that he caught while taking antibiotics for his ear infections. We are not convinced that he is well yet, and I think we may end up going back to the doctor again. It would seem that we were careful enough that no one else in the family got strep. A few of the family have mild symptoms of some kind of cold at most. I woke up this morning extremely nauseous and i have a killer headache still. I got a little relief when I took some pepto, but it is still a lingering feeling.
Well that is really all the updates for now. I will post something again in a couple of days, and try to add some pictures. TTFN

no new job yet

Well, since I am out of money, my cards are all maxed out and I haven't gotten my good job yet, I am going out of town again, still working for the concrete company. I talked to the owner briefly on Sunday and told him that I didn't know when his office was open because every time I had gone by to check the schedule or pick up my checks the door was always locked. He told me someone is supposed to be there at 8 but is often late and they leave at 3. They really wanted me to go to Yuma with them but they thought I had quit since I hadn't talked to anyone lately. He told me they were going out of town on Wednesday and I said I would go. I still am hoping for a better job, but I am feeling really stressed about things and I feel like I have no choice to keep working here until something better happens, no matter how much this job stinks. They have changed the way the hours and money made appears on the paychecks again so it is hard to figure out what is what, but if I work from 6 to 6 Wednesday to Friday, I will expect to take home about $250. That is better than nothing I guess. Well it is way past my bedtime since I have to get up in about 5 hours, I better go. I will keep in touch as my schedule allows.