So, there is a reason that I have multiple posts in one day. My plane was just delayed from 9:30 to 11:00pm - and they really don't know if it will be ready at 11:00. Our plane is in Modesto and it has mechanical problems. United has a fleet of EMB120s, they are a small twin engine plane they call their commuter workhorse, and they take a beating for sure. I think those planes typically fly 5-7 flights a day between 30 and 90 minutes at most in duration. Some are nice, and some are really smelly - like a men's locker room after a football game - really bad. From time to time (most of the time part of time), they have "mechanical" issues. If the issue takes a while to resolve, the pilots have been on the clock too long, so they just cancel the flight. Problem with that on the 9:30 flight is there is no other flight after that to make up the cancelled flight - so let's hope they resolve that issue.
Otherwise I will either stay the night in SF on United, or I will get United to rent me a car and I'll drive home. Not a good thing this late after a long conference. But if I could get them to rent me a convertable - I could drive with the top down and let the cool air keep me awake - wait - it's raining outside. So it would be the cold water hitting my face that will keep me awake. Oh - I just realized - I checked bagage, so no clean clothes to change into for another day.
Let's hope they get the flight going.
So, should I catch you up on my year? Let me try this quickly.
I received the call from Sallie Mae (actually it was a conference call that was scheduled a few minutes prior to the call) in January 2010 - I think it was the 20th - that date just is off the top of my head, but sounds pretty close. I was on the "first" call - letting me know that I was a great employee, but the company had to make cuts - and I was one of them. I was in San Francisco, had just finished 2 account visits in the City and I was heading down to Santa Cruz for another few meetings. I had 8 account visits scheduled that week. A colleague suggested I pull off and take the call off the road. So I stopped at an In-and-Out Burger and had lunch for the last time on Sallie Mae.
On my way home (about 4 hours) I started networking with anyone I could think of that was in my phone, since it was still working. I actually stopped by a networking/interview at the local YMCA for a CFO position on my way home. Nothing seemed to materialize, but I stayed pretty tuned in and went to "talk" to people about jobs even though they may not have had positions open. Signed up for "the Ladders". I hadn't worked on a resume for about 15 years. I was at Educaid/Wachovia for 10 years and went over to Sallie Mae from a reccomendation from my prior manager - so my resume was thrown together pretty quickly for that interview. So putting together a resume was pretty important. Bought a book at Barnes and Noble for $25 - Resumes for Top Notch Executives - after all - that is what I was, right?
I applied for alot of jobs, had a few more interviews, and ended up getting an offer from a Belt Company out of Schulenburg Texas - 3D Belt Co. I took it, even though it was a risk - it paid more then unemployment and I was selling - that's what I did well. I drove 10k miles in two months, made alot of sales, opened new accounts, but was never home. When I was home, I was on the computer constantly prospecting where I would go next to make a sale.
Oh - and I also worked on a business plan for a dowell mill that would be situated next to a co-gen power plant on the northern coast. Constructed that business plan and helped present it to the city counsel, we got it passed and now they are building a mobil dowell mill based loosley on that business plan.
Then I got an interview and an offer at Institute of Technology in Redding as a Director of Financial Aid. More money and close to home. After being gone so much, I was ready to be a homebody for a bit. I even got to ride my bike to work on the river trail during the Summer until the kids started back at school. That was alot of fun working in an office again - and the people that I worked with were wonderful people.
Sometime during my employement with IOT - pretty early on, I got a call out of the blue from an old friend - not old, but it seemed like a lifetime since we had actually talked. She was working for a new private loan company and asked if I would be interested in getting back into the business - "of course" I said. So I continued working at IOT and doing my best, not knowing when and if the private loan gig would come through sooner or later. During that time, I also got a call from Shasta Community College for an interview for their Interim Director position in Financial Aid. Thanks to some of the contacts I had made when first laid-off, that interview materialized. A friend in the industry just happens to know some folks at Shasta and I just happened to network with a board memeber during my first weeks after Sallie. So that became an offer as well.
I ended up taking the sales role with iHELP, mainly because it excited me way more then being in an office for 50-60 hours a week. Plus I get to travel a bit and be stuck in airports. I have been doing this since October 1st.
To say all that, I have now held more jobs in 2010 then I had between 1992 and 2009 ('92 was the year I graduated from college). I wonder what my taxes will be like this next year - and pulling all that together? Like college days when Mrs. Smith and I both had multiple jobs and multiple W2s. Let's hope I can collect some of that tax money Uncle Sam took from me this year.
I have to go walk to another gate - I guess I don't get to fly our of 87A today. i hope that gives you enough background that we can move on from here.
Mr. Smith
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Somewhere over the Pacific - actually, that island below is Catalina, so it narrows it down quite a bit.
Climate Changes
So here I sit again - this time I actually will be flying out of Gate 87A to Redding - in approx. 3 hours. I was going to get dinner sooner, but thought I would use up my 45 minutes of free internet that SFO provides for travelers before I enjoy my Sushi dinner.
This week, I was able to be in beautiful San Diego - and see many friends that I have know for some time now. The industry that I am in is somewhat specialized - "Financial Aid" - the college type. There were over 900 attendees at the conference this year - close to 1000 with the late registrants. I believe my first CASFAA conference was in '92, when I was a Financial Aid Technician for Point Loma Nazarene University. Then I attended somewhat sporadically over the years while I worked at Educaid / The Money Store / First Union Bank / Wachovia Bank (and now it is Wells Fargo Bank, but I left during the Wachovia years). Started there in '94 and left in '04. Then, when I was with Sallie Mae I attended every year from '04-'09. So being able to attend in '10 with a new company - iHELP - was a great experience - especially since it was in San Diego - sunny - beautiful - San Diego.
I think one of the days it was over 80 degrees - a record for San Diego on Dec. 12. I was able to spend some time with a friend that I have known since the 3rd grade out on San Diego Bay for the Christmas Lights parade - Brian has a little 24' boat - but it has a toilet. He doesn't have a name on it and I suggested to his wife Amanda that they name it "It Has A Toilet".
I also got to spend some time on a nighttime run with a friend that had gone through a tremendous amount of change over the past two years - due to a layoff. I have had some of the same experiences, but not so severe. But we got to catch up over 14-15 miles of running from downtown to Sunset Cliffs and back (up over Hill Street for those of you that know the Point Loma area). Then, not 20 minutes after I got back to my room - the fog rolled in. The temps when I left today were in the 50s. Quite a difference.
I will be heading home now for several weeks now - preparing for a marathon in January (hopefully if Mrs. Smith will let me do it) - and a trip to the frozen tundra of South Dakota for a Sales Meeting/After Christmas Party. I am also on a mission to get California up and running for my company so I can spend more time on the West Coast then in the Midwest. I would much rather be in the climate of California in January, February and March then in the Northern Midwest (where it is bound to be a severe winter if you have been following the news.
Well - need to go dig into some fresh sushi and repair those muscles and get ready for a late-night flight to RDD.
Safe and Happy travels...
This week, I was able to be in beautiful San Diego - and see many friends that I have know for some time now. The industry that I am in is somewhat specialized - "Financial Aid" - the college type. There were over 900 attendees at the conference this year - close to 1000 with the late registrants. I believe my first CASFAA conference was in '92, when I was a Financial Aid Technician for Point Loma Nazarene University. Then I attended somewhat sporadically over the years while I worked at Educaid / The Money Store / First Union Bank / Wachovia Bank (and now it is Wells Fargo Bank, but I left during the Wachovia years). Started there in '94 and left in '04. Then, when I was with Sallie Mae I attended every year from '04-'09. So being able to attend in '10 with a new company - iHELP - was a great experience - especially since it was in San Diego - sunny - beautiful - San Diego.
I think one of the days it was over 80 degrees - a record for San Diego on Dec. 12. I was able to spend some time with a friend that I have known since the 3rd grade out on San Diego Bay for the Christmas Lights parade - Brian has a little 24' boat - but it has a toilet. He doesn't have a name on it and I suggested to his wife Amanda that they name it "It Has A Toilet".
I also got to spend some time on a nighttime run with a friend that had gone through a tremendous amount of change over the past two years - due to a layoff. I have had some of the same experiences, but not so severe. But we got to catch up over 14-15 miles of running from downtown to Sunset Cliffs and back (up over Hill Street for those of you that know the Point Loma area). Then, not 20 minutes after I got back to my room - the fog rolled in. The temps when I left today were in the 50s. Quite a difference.
I will be heading home now for several weeks now - preparing for a marathon in January (hopefully if Mrs. Smith will let me do it) - and a trip to the frozen tundra of South Dakota for a Sales Meeting/After Christmas Party. I am also on a mission to get California up and running for my company so I can spend more time on the West Coast then in the Midwest. I would much rather be in the climate of California in January, February and March then in the Northern Midwest (where it is bound to be a severe winter if you have been following the news.
Well - need to go dig into some fresh sushi and repair those muscles and get ready for a late-night flight to RDD.
Safe and Happy travels...
Saturday, December 11, 2010
traveling blogger
So I decided to start a blog about my travels around the world. I don't actually have a passport, so for now most of my travels will be isolated to the United States. I am also typing this on a Blackberry, which makes it fairly mobile, but it may cause a few spelling issues here and there - although I am not a great speller to begin with. We are starting out in SFO at Gate 87A, where I wait for a flight for San Diego. The gate that my SAN flight will leave from is 90, but 87A is right here and it sounded better then 90 for the Blog name. 87A is also the "old" commuter gate in Terminal 3 where I used to travel through to get to and from SMF and RDD over the past 15 years using United.
I seem to spend a lot of time in SFO, typically because of weather delays, or missed and cancelled flights because of weather delays at other airports, so pretty much weather is the leading cause of my time spent hear. I already walked the whole terminal today, need to get a pedometer so I can tell you the distance. The Internatinal Terminal is quite nice, polished travertine floors, and multi-level gates for the larger jets that fly out of here. I did notice that travelers can buy Ghirardelli chocolates here for a mere $14.99 a bag, same bag can be purchased on the "outs" for $5 at WalMart. Capitalism at its best. I just walked by one of the stores to check the spelling on Ghirardelli - we're good.
I hope to break free of SFO in another 1.5 hours to get down to the sun and sand of SAN. I will use airport codes throughout my blog so you can feel a little more like a traveler too. We all talk in code you know. In the past few months I have been through the following airports: RDD, SFO, DEN, MSP, SNA, FAT, ORD, FSD, IAH just in the last few months. I am now a "Premier Executive" after 25 segments in a few months, airline people just started calling me Mr. Smith again. I'm not a 1K flyer yet, but I get a lot of perks. Like I didn't have to pay to check my bag today, of all days I could have used some of that stuff during my 4.5 hour layover today - like a power cord. Oh well, my bag is making its own journey now in the underbelly of SFO. Wish there was a Starbucks here, just Peet's, good but they don't have a loyalty card.
I hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have. Talking about coffee has made me thirsty and I am sitting right by Peet's at Gate 87A.
I seem to spend a lot of time in SFO, typically because of weather delays, or missed and cancelled flights because of weather delays at other airports, so pretty much weather is the leading cause of my time spent hear. I already walked the whole terminal today, need to get a pedometer so I can tell you the distance. The Internatinal Terminal is quite nice, polished travertine floors, and multi-level gates for the larger jets that fly out of here. I did notice that travelers can buy Ghirardelli chocolates here for a mere $14.99 a bag, same bag can be purchased on the "outs" for $5 at WalMart. Capitalism at its best. I just walked by one of the stores to check the spelling on Ghirardelli - we're good.
I hope to break free of SFO in another 1.5 hours to get down to the sun and sand of SAN. I will use airport codes throughout my blog so you can feel a little more like a traveler too. We all talk in code you know. In the past few months I have been through the following airports: RDD, SFO, DEN, MSP, SNA, FAT, ORD, FSD, IAH just in the last few months. I am now a "Premier Executive" after 25 segments in a few months, airline people just started calling me Mr. Smith again. I'm not a 1K flyer yet, but I get a lot of perks. Like I didn't have to pay to check my bag today, of all days I could have used some of that stuff during my 4.5 hour layover today - like a power cord. Oh well, my bag is making its own journey now in the underbelly of SFO. Wish there was a Starbucks here, just Peet's, good but they don't have a loyalty card.
I hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have. Talking about coffee has made me thirsty and I am sitting right by Peet's at Gate 87A.
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