Wilmington, NC

Today I went to Wal-mart to buy more bottled water and food. I marinated some chicken steaks I bought in balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sweetener, lemon zest, garlic powder, and onion powder. I made a huge salad too. I grilled the steaks and they turned out very good !! Yum !

Started reading and working the problems in Calculus De-mystified. Chapter 1 is mostly a review of geometry, algebra, and trigonometry.

Becky and Bill rented "Chicago" - a musical. It sucked. Longest 113 minutes of the day. After that movie I went out to the shed to work on finger joints some more. The joints that I made fit closer than my last but still not perfect. The pins are still coming up too skinny. I am sure I will eventually get them down. The finger joint is the most important joint on my project because that is how the drawers are constructed.

Got e-mail today from someone at Indian Point who wishes to remain anonymous (Ha! As if anyone else reads THIS!). He said that Norm said that Larry took the job that Norm passed up at ConEd! I laughed out loud! Hahaha! Because that sounds JUST LIKE Norm!

Marrissia and Kevin are taking their boat out tomorrow. They offered to take me too, but I declined. I don't want to be held captive in the sun all day long.

Thinking about going to the auto parts store to get the two belts and the large radiator hoses for my truck and installing them now. It is best to replace them BEFORE they fail. Then I can get a new battery in a couple of months, right before it gets cold. Doing those things should ensure that the truck remains reliable.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Wilmington, NC

Lastnight I saw Phil Cumber out at Ibiza. We talked for awhile about what all of my old customers at 21 are doing now. He encouraged me to go see Tommy Hull. I think I might do that tomorrow.

Got a parking ticket on the truck lastnight because I parked in a taxi stand. I don't know how I was supposed to know that is what it was since it was not signed. The fine is $10.

Took the jugs of used motor oil to the auto parts store and emptied them. Now I have a place to put my used oil. Took out the trash and got the hedge clippers out and trimmed the bushes out in front of the house.

This afternoon I changed the oil in the Tacoma. The last people to do it was Toyota and they sure put the oil filter on tight! I managed to slop oil all over my new wristwatch as I was taking the old filter off. Got the oil change done while making only a small puddle on the concrete.

Almost done reading my book about diamonds - two chapters left. I think I am going to read and work through Calculus De-mystified as the next book I am reading. The book about e was very good because it got me thinking about limits geometrically. I guess my head will always be wired for geometry.

Next weekend I have to go to Newport News for my flight to New York. Since Bill has the weekend off, Becky and Bill are going to drive me up there and I can drive the Tercel all the way back down to Wilmington. I got a "For Sale" sign for the Tercel at Autozone yesterday.

I am beat this evening, I do not see myself going out tonite.

Wilmington, NC

I guess all of the headhunters and recruiters wanted to make sure they had their business taken care of before the long Labor Day Weekend started because almost everyone called me today.

Jason Cook from Bradley-Morris called to find out when I could travel to New York City for my ConEd site visit. He was trying to set up September 16 for the group since I was the only guy who could not do it on September 11. But when I told him that I was going to be in New York anyway he immediately wanted to call ConEd back and see if it could be moved up again. Did not hear from him for the rest of the day. It looks like I might get the cost of my airline ticket refunded to me by ConEd if I provide my own transportation.

Tim Doyle from Lucas Careers called to ask if I had heard from Centocor. I told him I had not. He said they had my resume and they were very interested. He is supposed to call me back again on Tuesday. Centocor could be interesting work and the cost of living near Philly might be more manageable than the New York area.

Neil Malik e-mailed a message for me to call him, but then when I did so he did not have anything for me. Just some vague comments about possible off-conference opportunities soon. Plus he wanted to be sure I could attend the conference in Atlanta, with the understanding that we will not know if there are any opportunities for me until about 5 days before the conference.

Dave Bakkeby from Orion International called today. He is looking at putting me into Amgen at a plant in Rhode Island. He asked alot of questions about Indian Point. Since he kept digging he did not like the candid answers I gave him. He also asked for my salary history. I told him I did not want to provide it since I could be disqualified before I even get an interview. I sent him my resume, references and salary history, but I have a feeling that even though Amgen is a great opportunity, that he is going to waste my time.

Tom from the B-M conference called today to compare notes on ConEd. I guess he is driving himself and his wife up to NYC on September 10. He said some kind of hearsay about degree holders getting paid more. I do not know if that is true because I have not seen the UWUA contract for this plant, but it does not have the "ring of truth" to it. I think he is leaning toward taking the job. As for myself, I would like to have more than one offer on the table before I act.

I wish that Winnifred Harrison at CP&L would get back to me about the testing dates. I could possibly have 4 or 5 offers to consider by mid-September. That would be a good situation to be in.

Other than answer the phone today I did not do much else... it is way too hot to do anything outdoors. I am reading Diamond: The History of a Cold-Blooded Love Affair, and it reads so good I am speeding through it.

Tonite I am going to shower and go downtown for a drink and see if I recognize anyone, or see if I can meet anyone.

Wilmington, NC

Tried to get started on my trip to Newport News at 10 AM on Saturday morning. As I rolled down the driveway it seemed that the right side of the truck was lower than it should be and it was shimying. I pulled back up the driveway and inspected the tires on the right side of the truck to discover that my right rear tire was flat. Somewhere on the way back from West Virginia I picked up a nail.

Mom took me and the tire down to Black's Tire Service to have it patched and re-inflated. Then I put the tire back on the truck and started my trip.

Drove to Newport News in about 5 hours. When I got there Dawn and George were in Norfolk at the Bank Of America company picnic. So I let myself into the house.

On Sunday I put on some khaki cargo pants and a khaki knit sports shirt and found my way to the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg for the Bradley-Morris hiring conference. Tom Fox was at the conference. He let me know that CDI was hiring former sailors to work for Code 246 at NNSY. He said they were paying about $23 per hour for guys to make pen and ink changes to drawings. So, I got the phone number for CDI from him.

We were briefed on the companies that were going to interview. First was Makino. This name sounded familiar. When I saw the brief sheet and saw the name "Leblond", I immediately recognized it as the lathe manufacturer. Interesting job, but not sure I want the 70-80% travel that a Field Service Engineer has to endure.

Next company was Tube City - a metals recycling company. They want a Maintenance Manager for their Petersburg, VA site. Someone who can fix diesels and cranes and front loaders. They had a test for us to take too. Nothing too hard.

Eastman Kodak came in and showed us a video about the creation of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Because of this work the Commercial and Government Systems Department has more work than they know what to do with. Looking to hire Mechanical Assemblers. Very very precise work though.

Finally Consolidated Edison Company of New York and New Jersey gave us their presentation. They want to hire Maintenance Mechanics (electrical) and Operations Mechanic A's for their Steam Business in Manhatten. They had a test for each group. If you failed the test you did not get an interview. I scored 87 on it. For that I was rewarded with 5 more tests ! I was in there until 9 PM taking tests.

After that I went back to Dawn's, ironed my shirt, and got to sleep.

Monday morning I dressed in my suit and drove back to Kingsmill. Dawn Lawrence had our schedules. It was important for me to write the room numbers of my interviews down since mine were all back-to-back. Kingsmill is not really a hotel, it is a "resort" and all of the rooms are in detached buildings scattered across the site.

My first interview was at 7:30 with Eastman Kodak. The board said it was in room 1031, which was close to the conference room, so I walked over. I knocked. I knocked again. I rang the doorbell. A poor old lady answered the door. "Uhhmm, good morning! I guess this isn't Eastman Kodak." I apologized and stepped back to Dawn at the table. "I can assure you that 1031 is NOT the room Kodak is in!"

"Vince you are late for your interview!"

She said she announced the room change... it was to be in 1051. Turns out she announced it after I left. So I hurried back over there.

At the table sweat was rolling off of my bald head. One of the interviewers went to the kitchen and got a towel for me to dry off with. The interview was comfortable, 30 minutes long, and at the dining table. But I do not think that I had enough precision experience for them. I kinda knew it too when I left because one of the guys wished me "Good Luck" with everything. "Good Luck" is a very non-committed way to part.

Immediately after Kodak I had to get over to the Tube City interview. Again this was two guys interviewing me at the dining room table. They did not offer me a towel, but instead watched the beads of sweat roll down the side of my head. Atleast I was dry by the end of the interview. They really wanted a diesel mechanic for that job it sounds like.

Next I went to the Makino interview. This was one guy - Jay Riendeau. Kinda young, maybe 29 or 30 years old, strong handshake (he crushed my hand), apparently single, and nice to talk with. This interview was an hour long. The interview was comfortable - we sat in the living room at the coffee table. We talked shop talk the whole time. He thought that my skills were almost a perfect match, but I expressed some discomfort with the amount of travel involved and I think he dropped me immediately after that.

At 10 AM I had my next and final interview. This interview was with ConEd and it was going to be three people at the dining room table. This interview was an hour long. They had a list of 25 questions for me that they were asking everyone. I was afraid they were going to ask me why I left Indian Point. They never did and at the end of the interview I asked them why. Brian Horton laughed, he said, "We think we know why you left, and honestly we do not care. We are only trying to attract good quality people to our company." David Nieves added, "Yes, once they join ConEd and they see how we pay them and treat them well, they never leave." Well, that answer satisfied me! I was confident that I had this bagged when Brian said, "You will definitely be hearing from us."

After this I went back to my truck to find a voice mail message from Mom. I guess Winifred Harrison at Brunswick 1 & 2 called. So I called Winnie back. CP&L is testing on September 10. I told her that I was going to be in New York on September 10 and she is going to see if there will be an alternate test date for me. Back to the conference room to fill out my feedback paperwork.

With all of that done I went back to Sis's house and checked my Yahoo! e-mail. There was a message from a recruiter saying that he had an opportunity with a pharmaceutical company in Rhode Island. I told him to send me details. Next I found e-mail addresses for Jay Riendeau and Brian Horton and sent Thank-You messages to them.

This morning I called Ed Proctor back at 8:20 to find out how I did. Kodak decided that I would not be a good fit in their department. I am okay with that. Tube City thought that my skills were fine, but one guy said he thought I had an ornery streak and that he was afraid they would have to come bail me out of jail! I don't know where they got that idea. As I predicted, Jay at Makino said that my skills were a perfect match for his company, but my concern about the travel instantly disqualified me. Finally, ConEd was interested in me and the account representative is supposed to contact me soon. Evidently they are going to act quickly and get me a site visit by the end of the week or early next week.

Next I called Nancy Davis at CMC. She is moving to Massachusettes! She made sure that I had her cellphone number. She is going to work for CMC from her home up there.

Then I called the office of CDI and found out where to send my resume. I e-mailed my resume in with a cover message. Who knows if that will bear fruit or not?

After all of that I began to load the truck and head out on the road. Back down to Wilmington. I was in Wilmington by 4 PM. Mom had a Girl Scout recruiting thing to do at a local school. Then after that we went to Wal-mart to get groceries. I spent about $67 on groceries.

We had roasted chicken and brussels sprouts sauteed in butter and garlic. Then we watched some TV. I am finally getting a chance to blog after several days of being on the run!

When it rains, it pours. -- Morton Salt Company ad circa 1913

Wilmington, NC

On Wednesday morning I drove up to West Virginia. I started my trip by filling my gas tank and airing my tires. I took I-40 up to Winston-Salem, then US 52 up to I-74, and I-77 north out of North Carolina. I crossed NC in 4 hours 30 minutes. Took I-77 north to Beckley, West Virginia and got off on US 19 - "The Appalachian Expressway".

At Oak Hill I found the Holiday Inn where Jason reserved the room for us. I recognized it immediately - Jeremy and I were there two years ago trying to get a room. It was filled with rafters because there was an International Whitewater Rafting Competition being held in the gorge in 2001. The desk lady gave me a key and I went up to make myself comfortable in the room. After a shower I went out to find something to eat and drive around. Went to CVS pharmacy to get some bar soap, then I ate dinner at Shoney's. I had chicken and vegetables. Then I drove over to the Class VI base camp and I drove down to the village of Cunard where we put the raft into the water last time I did this. There was only a little bit of light left when I got back to the hotel.

Jason, Debra and Nick did not get in until after midnight. I was amused to see Jason sleeping with his Darth Vader-style sleep apnea machine. He puts water into a cup on it and wears a face cup and breathes from it as he sleeps. The dang machine probably makes as much noise as he did snoring!

Thursday morning we got breakfast at Biscuit World. I had to depart from my diet today. I had two eggs, sausage, biscuit with gravy, and stewed apples for breakfast. Next we drove to the rafting company and checked in. At 10:30 we got life jackets and helmets on and boarded the bus. As Carl drove us to the put-in, this guide named "Squirrel" gave us a long-winded talk about safety.

Last time I did this we put in at Cunard, but the flowrate in the river was about 3200 CFS (cubic feet per second) then. Now it is about 7400 CFS and the river is about 3 feet above normal, so they drove us up to Thurmond, WV to put in. The trip downriver from Cunard is about 7 miles, the trip from Thurmond is about 15 miles, so this was going to be a long day on the river!

Jason and I made sure we got the very front seats on the raft. The four of us teamed up with a nice family from Pittsburgh and our guide was named Eric. Most of the water on the Upper New River is calm and sedate enough for families with small children. The roughest water would come after lunch.

Good thing I was slathered with SPF 30 waterproof, sweatproof lotion. The sun was strong after the fog burned off. We jumped into the river and swam a few times. The water was cool at first, but it was really a nice temperature for swimming.

For lunch we pulled into this bar on the river that was recently created during a rainstorm. Lots and lots of rock and stone was ejected into the river from a modest little stream. Here we made sandwiches and ate. Stopped for about an hour.

Now the fun would begin.

The trip was being videotaped and some of the rapids had photographers waiting to get our pictures. Our guide was pretty aggressive with the rapids too. As we came down into a rapid named "Surprise" the boat lifted up on the left side and threw all of the passengers into the river. The guide was the only one left in the raft! The whole event was caught on film too. CLICK HERE to see a picture of our raft going downstream. CLICK HERE to see a picture of Vince trying to stay in the raft at "Surprise".

Thunder and lighting started up and it rained hard for a while. When it would thunder the booming would echo off of the walls of the gorge making the thunder roll come through in 3-D surround sound!

Everyone had a good time. Jason sure wants to either get kayak lessons or do a two-day trip on the Gauley River during the fall drawdown.

After getting a hot shower I took off. Left around 6 PM. By 9 PM I was at Kernersville, NC (just east of Winston-Salem and High Point, NC). I pulled over and got a room at a Sleep Inn for the night. Got dinner at a steakhouse called "Out West", and got a good night's sleep. This morning I was back on the road around 8 AM and arrived in Wilmington at about 11:45 AM.

This afternoon I got a little bit more sun while I scrubbed bug carcasses off of the truck. Then I took a shower.

For dinner Mom and I went to this Japanese restaurant where the chef prepares the food for you Benehane-style right at the table. We met some of her friends from Girl Scouting there to celebrate her friend Jan's birthday. They were nice people I guess, and typical of middle-class people in this area.

I was planning on going out tonite, but honestly I am beat. My butt and lower back are still sore from the rafting, and I am tired. Maybe staying in is the best idea. So I had time to edit my pictures, copy them to my website, and write this blog.

Tomorrow I am driving to Newport News. I have a hiring conference in Williamsburg on Sunday and Monday. I do not know who I am interviewing with yet, but I hope I can interest someone in giving me a job! Nancy Davis wants me to give her a call on Monday after I am done for the day.

I guess I will be back down here on Tuesday. I told Mom we would go to the grocery on Tuesday too.

Wilmington, NC

I am almost bored to death here. Atleast going rafting this week will be fun.

Playing around with writing Perl scripts on my website. Trying to get a local version of Perl and a server to run on my laptop so that I can write them and debug them locally before writing them to tripod.com.

Bill showed me how to set up and use the ShopSmith all-in-one woodshop he has. I am interested in building an oak tool chest. I can get the oak easily enough at Lowe's. The problem is locating some walnut locally. Maybe I will begin the project and just pick up a board of scrap at the Yukon Lumber Yard when I am in Norfolk. The project is built of white oak, but the handles are all walnut. Figured the chest would be nice for handtools or maybe my drafting tools.

This poor computer and dial-up connection is infuriating. I will be lucky if it does not lock up or re-boot itself before I finish this blog. I still have my wireless card for the laptop, and I read that Schlotzski's deli's offer free wi-fi, even if you don't order a sandwich.

All I need to do is check the tire inflation pressure on my truck before I go to West Virginia. After I return I will have to change the oil in it. I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought a sleeveless polyester shirt for my day of rafting. Poly will dry out quickly.

Finished reading Marcus Aurelius' Meditations now I am reading a book about Euler's constant "e", or about 2.71828.... The September issue of "Wired came today. It had an interesting article about man-made diamonds in it. The next book I am going to read is titled Diamond and is about the diamond industry.

Wilmington, NC

Two days in a row with no rain! Today shaped up into a pretty day. I made sure that I got outside into it. I was in the sun for about an hour while I applied vinyl dressing to my truck. I think I got a little bit of color, but I did not burn.

The mail man brought a paper from the group life insurance at Entergy offering to extend my coverage for an outrageous price. I filed that away.

For dinner we at grilled chicken breasts and salad. Shoot, did not eat alot today altogether: two hard-boiled eggs and two strips of turkey bacon at breakfast, a mid-morning snack of 30 pistachios, two chicken breasts and salad for dinner, two portobello mushroom caps with tomato, Canadian bacon, onion, and cheese broiled for supper. Probably have drunk 4 liters of water too.

This morning I pulled on some shorts that were too small to wear when I bought them. The waist is still kinda snug, but in a couple more weeks I am sure they will be very comfortable.

Neil Malik called to tell me that his Atlanta job conference is not going to have anything of interest to me so I can cancel that trip and save the money. That is a relief in a way. I called Tim Doyle to find out about Centocor. They have my resume and will likely want to do a phone interview next week. That is fine as long as they do not want to do it Thursday.

This evening around 4 PM, electric power began to fail all over the northeast from Detroit all the way east into Connecticutt and New Hampshire. Biggest blackout since 1965. Hehehe... now those environmentalists won't have as much ammo when it comes to arguing to shutdown Indian Point!

Today is Dad's birthday, but with him at the campground, combined with the power outage, I will not be able to reach him today. That is okay. I am going to tell Jason to go ahead and bring him next week for rafting.

Tomorrow I want to get a haircut, walk on the beach, get more sun, and study Perl some more. Becky and Bill are supposed to go to a party tomorrow evening. I am not sure if I want to go out or not.

You are little more than a soul propping up a corpse. -- Epictetus

Wilmington, NC

Some strong thunderstorms this afternoon. Lightning so close to the house that the computer screen and the TV both went dim for a second! We turned them both off until the storm passed.

Went to Bed Bath & Beyond today and got a fogless shower shaving mirror. Then went to Food Lion to buy some ham, turkey breast, baby Swiss cheese, and colby jack cheese. We had hamburgers on the grill for dinner.

Began to work on learning Perl this afternoon. Problem is, and I have run into this problem before with the publisher of this book, is that the examples in the book have errors in them and they do not run as they are published. I have only entered one script so far, but it was not creating headers properly. A quick (if ANYTHING is 'quick' on this computer) visit to a Perl tutorial website pointed out the error.... something about "\n\n" after the header declaration. Maybe I will come out of my jobless period with one more skill.

North Central University sent me the brochure for their online degree programs. They offer BS, MS, and PhD in Business Administration; and BA, MA, and PhD in Psychology. Kinda hard to square either of these with my BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology. But I thought a BA in Psychology would give me alittle more "breadth" in my education. I think I will keep looking at degree programs.

Know that in time those things toward which we move come to be. --Marcus Aurelius Meditations VI.50

Everyday it rains. Today was mostly sunny, but it rained this morning and even lightly rained this afternoon when I was outside trimming the hedges and raking the limbs up. Very very humid outside.

Almost done with the book I am reading, Nanocosm. I have one more chapter to go. This author disputes the future that K. Eric Drexler paints in The Engines of Creation, but does not argue that wonderful things are going to result from manipulating matter nanoscopically. This is one technology that I believe is going to change the built world in the next 20 years as much as the integrated electronic circuit did in the last 30 years.

I went out lastnight. It was kinda depressing. I went to a club called "Ibiza" downtown in the building John Twisdale used to own. Most of the young people have fluff filling their queer little minds, and even the guys my age are not as travelled or educated as me. As rude as NYC was, I know that I belong there more than here.

Since George Daniels was selected as a new Chief Petty Officer, Dawn and him cannot go rafting with me. I am thinking about asking Marrissia and Kevin, but if Marri just took a new job, I don't think she'll be able to take vacation so soon. Looks like I am just going to be out that much money.

Diet seems to be going okay. It is not hard to follow it. Mom noticed that I do not have as much belly as I did when she visited me in June. That is good. Just keep doing it... noticeable results like that are positive feedback. Shoot, I will have so much self-confidence after I lose what I want to lose.

This computer of theirs sucks badly... it locks up frequently and their dial-up connection is maddenly slow. Just one more reason to find a job, get out of here, and get high-speed again.

Going to be re-writing my resume this week. Going to dispense with all of the white space and just fill it, using narrow margins. Probably will bullet the most relevent skills after each job description. Thinking about custom-tailoring the resume to the job even though that is work. Resume is just such an inflexible document.

Nothing planned this week for job interviews, so the resume project will be time well-spent. Possibly apply for a few jobs on Monster.com too.

Posting my resume on Monster.com again was a good idea. Within hours two more headhunters were trying to reach me by phone and e-mail. Tim Doyle with Lucas Careers Dallas, TX office had two positions in mind for me. One was maintenance with Constar, a polyethylene tetrathalate (PET) plastic bottle manufacturer, and the other was production/maintenance with Praxair. The Constar job is near Baltimore and pays between $15 and $21 per hour and has rotating 12-hour shifts. The Praxair job is in East Chicago, Indiana, pays about the same, and has rotating 8-hour shifts.. Out of the two, the Praxair job sounds more desireable, but even it does not excite me.

Around 9:30 AM I called Neil Malik back. He said that I did not get selected for the job with Bristol-Myers Squibb. I was not the guy the interviewer definitely did not want, but I was not the guy picked either. For some reason Neil left a message for me on Mom's phone yesterday afternoon even though I made sure that he had my cell phone number. So, I have to call him again and find out what he has now.

Took Mom to Wal-mart and bought some groceries and a portable travel iron. Incredibly I spent $120 on food. But I do not want them or anyone else in the family to accuse me of 'sponging' off. Because I do not have rent or utilities right now I am not hemmorhaging cash badly which is very good considering the fact that I am not taking money in right now either.

Just a look in the mirror tells me this diet I am on might be working. My belly seems to be flatter already and I wore jeans on Monday and they were actually easy to button and felt a bit looser. So, with good feedback like that I will keep doing what I am doing.

It rained yesterday afternoon, all night, and is raining now. Sometimes the rain comes down surprisingly hard! Large ponds and puddles spring up from all of the rain. So much for building a deep tan

Wilmington, NC

Man, I am beat !

This morning I got up at 5:15 to shower, shave, brush teeth and dress for my interview. Drove down to Norfolk and arrived around 7:30. I compared the job description with my resume, and then brainstormed some more ways I have used chemistry and seperation processes as a mechanic in the past. The job title is Pharmaceutical Development Technician.

At 8:45 I began my interview with Thomas Ramsey, a pilot plant manager for Bristol-Myers Squibb. He basically described how the drug development process works and how I would be contributing to it. The interview lasted about 45 minutes. I think overall that it went fine. Supposed to call Neil Malik tomorrow at 9 AM for some feedback, but Thomas said he would not have feedback ready until Friday.

Drove back up to Newport News, changed out of my suit, ate lunch, and then sat down to re-post my resume on Monster.com. After that I packed the truck and headed back to Wilmington.

I left Dawn and George's around 1:30 PM. On the way down I saw that Beverly has gotten her store back, so I stopped in to say "hi" to her. She called her mother, Inez, and put her on the phone with me. Next time I am in Newport News I will stop in there and Inez will come down to see me.

The weather was beautiful all the way back down here. Because I ran into traffic my time was no land speed record... I think my trip time was 5 hours 15 minutes.

Yesterday I got a new cellphone and service from Verizon. My phone number is (757) 871-1704. The cell is very convenient, especially if you are travelling alot.

Jason got the room for us in West Virginia. His discount is so deep that the room is going to be FREE ! I think we are going to have fun!

Today is Grandma Pat's birthday... I need to call her... the only time I talk to her is on her birthday and I am going to be consistent about that.

Newport News, VA

This morning I drove up here in four hours and thirty minutes. It was sunny and clear until I came across the James River Bridge... then it really began to rain.

For dinner Dawn grilled some London Broil and we had mixed greens and mac & cheese. I did not have any mac & cheese.

We called Jason to decide who is going to get the hotel room when we go rafting this month. Evidently he can get a room at Holiday Inn for free, but since he is leaving on Wednesday after work, the rest of us could not check-in until he got there late. So, I am not sure, but I think Dawn is going to make reservation online tomorrow.

Tomorrow I am going to call Ed Proctor at Bradley-Morris first so that he knows I am still alive and he will think about me when job orders come across his desk. Then I am calling Cliff Gates to see when he has to go get his truck in Corinth... maybe I will time my flight to New York to coincide with that and I can help him out. In the afternoon I am going to visit Nancy at CMC, then I have to find Neil Malik at the Norfolk Waterfront Sheraton to get my Bristol-Meyers job brief.

All I have to do on Tuesday is have a successful interview and then run back to Wilmington (after shedding my suit and tie).

Well, I hear the garage door opener... I guess Dawn is back from her Sunday night Bingo...

Wilmington, NC

This morning started off with thunder and a threatening sky. I jumped into my truck and went to Wrightsville Beach hoping to walk on the beach, but it was raining there... so I headed home but stopped at Texaco to fill my tank.

Marrissia and Kevin had to take their dog to the vet to have an ear infection treated this morning. Then, because of the unsettled weather, did not get the boat put into the water. I guess the boat ramp gets crowded and busy and if you don't get there early it becomes a hassle.

I finished my book, Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, and now I am reading a paperback about hacking the Google search engine.

Going to attempt the South Beach Diet. This diet is similar to Dr. Atkins in a small way because this doctor also believes that carbohydrates are the culprit in so much weight gain in our culture. But, many carbs are allowed depending on their fiber content and glycemic index. The most processed carbs are the worst - white bread, refined sugar, potatoes, fruit juices, starches.

This afternoon the sky cleared up and it got warm... almost 90 out. I got a little bit of sun in the late afternoon. Now both of my shoulders are peeling.

I considered going out to the bar tonite, but alcohol is to be avoided on my diet, and I am getting sleepy already. I will probably have plenty of time to go out and socialize while I am here.

During inspection of my checking account via the Internet, I happily discovered that Entergy Nuclear Operations deposited the money they owed me for unused vacation. I certainly was not desperate for it, but it is nice to know for sure that I have it now. I called Dawn this morning to ask her how to transfer the money from savings in one bank to checking at another and she told me to have it wired. Now that money has been deposited I will not have to do that.

While I was talking to Dawn on the phone I told her about the Wilmington mayors race. There are seven guys running for mayor including a guy who ran for senior class president in high school when we both attended New Hanover... Ricky Meeks, a "special" guy who is...uhhh... mentally handicapped. She groaned in disbelief.

Tomorrow I am going to pull a suit, a shirt, a tie, socks, shoes, and braces out, pack a bag of comfortable clothes, my computer, and run back to Norfolk for job hunting business. I will be back here on Tuesday evening or Wednesday.

Looks like I will need to make another trip to Wal-mart for bottled water when I return. Mom and Bill discouraged me from shopping for anything this weekend since North Carolina is having a "tax holiday" this weekend. I guess Wal-mart would be swamped with Back-To-School shoppers.

Wilmington, NC

A really beautiful day. Sun was out bright all day and it got up to 91°F today.

Went to SunCom to see about a cell phone, but the plan they were going to hook me up with was going to run $57 a month... a little more than I want to part with until I get a new job. Plus, the minimum commitment would be six months.

When I came home I waxed the truck. MMMMMmmmmm!! I love how the finish feels after it has been waxed! MMMMmmmm... soooo smooth!

Steve Norred from Orion called today looking for somebody willing to do roofing in Maryland for around $20 an hour or a New Jersey licensed boiler operator / stationary engineer. Not interested in the first one and not qualified for the second one.

Neil Malik from USA Placements called me back today. On Tuesday he wants me to interview with Bristol-Meyers Squibb for a position as laboratory technician. He does not have enough Navy ELT's so he is putting Machinists Mates infront of these guys. I am sure I could learn the job... hell, all of it is probably proceduralized. This job is in New Brunswick, NJ and would start off at $22 per hour minimum. I think if I lived south or west of there that I can make that work.

Tonight Mom and Bill are taking Marrissia and Kevin and myself out for dinner to the Golden Corral. That will be nice. Just have to becareful not to load up on carbohydrates.

You can't build your reputation on what you're going to do. --Henry Ford