I'm tired, lonely, depressed and angry

[guitar man]

This is strange for me. I am not normally one to complain about how bad things are for me. I know there are people in the world that have it a lot worse than I do, I am usually a "count my blessings" kind of guy, but things are starting to get me down.

My home is in Tulsa, OK. I am currently employed in Oklahoma City, which is a 92 mile drive door to door, home to work. I'm making $10.00/hr + benifits. In the not so distant past, I would have thought someone was insane had they told me they took a job that far away that paid that little.

Anyway, there is no way to make it affordable to pull a 184 mile round-trip commute every day,so my boss has been good enough to let me throw an air mattress in an empty office to sleep on. I go home once or twice a week and on weekends. the house is paid off and the wife has a job in Tulsa so it just doesn't make any economic sense at all to move to OKC.

It hasn't been so bad until recently. I can see the strain being put on our relationship and my physical and emotional state are starting to deteriorate from working this job so far from home as well as doing side projects for extra money.

I've always been a fighter, rolled with the punches and never blamed anyone for my problems, but this time it is different, so here goes:

FUCK YOU BUSH AND THE REST OF YOUR SLIMY CABAL TOO!!!!!!!!!

Goddammit, I served in the military, got an education and have always worked hard. I grew up on a farm, so I have been working since I was 5 years old. I deserve better than this shit. everyone who gets out and punches a clock deserves better than this shit.

Hell, I'm starting to babble so I better shut up now. thanks for letting me vent, y'all

[BigMcLargehuge]

1. Dude, if the commute is tamering with your marriage,

quit the job... even taking a gig for $7 an hour close to home will save you as much as you spend in gas going round trip. I'd never let my work gig screw up my home life.

If you REALLY need that cash, try and work out a deal where you can telecommute.

[guitar man]

3. If I could find a $7 gig

In Tulsa, I'd be lucky. We have lost well over 25,000 jobs and counting over the last 2 years. People are fighting for fast food jobs.

The benifit package is a huge consideration too. We do have an excellent insurance/benifit package that is hard to match elsewhere.

[RoyGBiv]

11. I hear you, man...sorry things are so difficult.

Wish I could offer more words of encouragement.

I've been looking for work in OKC for the last three months and have found nothing. I'm lowering my expectations dramatically just so I can get something to pay the bills. The money will run out about the first of August, after which I don't know what...

If you just need some human contact, PM me sometime. I think I can scrape up enough to buy you a beer or three somewhere, and we can coordinate our hatred of the current state of things.

Oh, BTW, fuck you, Bush!

[guitar man]

14. Hey, I'll buy

If you'll fly. I'm not driving after having even one beer down here. I had a couple after work a while back and got locked up in Oklahoma county jail. It is only a couple miles from work to the bar and I'll be damned if an OHP trooper didn't come off the Kilpatrick turnpike and stop my ass. I don't think he cared too much for tulsa folk coming down and acting up in the big city.

I get off work at 11:15 pm.

[TheWizardOfMudd]

2. Move to OKC

[crossroads]

4. I feel for you man, that's rough.... Bush has done a number on many...

people. We got to get this man out of the WH! I hope you can find something closer, your marriage is more important than a job, (I think). :shrug:

[guitar man]

5. I hope we can

I'm not really that worried at present about the marriage breaking up,but there is a strain there.

I'm hoping I can transfer back to Tulsa soon. I've got 3 1/2 years in with the company, 2 1/2 in Tulsa before I transferred. I hate to give up and start over, especially for lower pay. I also have the prospect of promotion too, so I have to take that into consideration.

I guess all the Reagan shit on TV got me thinking about living through "trickle down" economics. I know I got trickled on by it.

[crossroads]

6. Yeah, it all started w/that SOB! Hey, Good Luck man!

See ya around the boards..
Hope it all works out for you...
:hi:

[guitar man]

7. Thanks

seems like I always land on my feet. :hi:

[ugarte]

10. For what it's worth, I admire you

People like you are the quiet heroes of this country. :)

[guitar man]

15. Thanks

I don't see myself as any kind of hero though, just a middle aged working stiff trying to get by.

[Lorien]

8. So sorry, GTRMAN

I have a friend who has been looking for a decent job for two years now. He managed to find part time work as a telemarketer for $7.50 an hour; he's got a wife and a kid in college, too. This after 35 years as a physicist, the last eight of which he owned his own company and was making $300,000 gross. Then everyone got on the outsourcing bandwagon. You would think working people on the left AND right could get together on the outsourcing issue. It's going to destroy what's left of our economy!

You aren't alone, and it sure as hell isn't your fault.Stay strong and hang in there; we'll be sending good karma your way!

[guitar man]

12. thanks for the karma <nt>

[notbush]

9. Don't know what you do in OKC, but

running a recording studio in Tulsa is probably one of the toughest gigs you could ever pick. I've known dozens of people who have attemped to run "for profit" studios,and none of them make any money.
Almost anybody who ever signed a record company contract, decides to build their own studio. For the big guys, the studio is a tax write off and a convenience. For the "up and comers" it's a waste of money that they will regret.
That doesn't leave a lot of "paying customers" to make a living from.
Sorry, if I sound like a downer....
Find an $8 an hour job at a low end manf. in Tulsa with benefits... or move to OKC.
Good luck.

[guitar man]

13. I know what you mean

It is a tough gig to run a studio in Tulsa and make a profit. I did it successfully for 5 1/2 years, then the economic crunch hit and the work dried up.

I'm working ata a television station as a master control engineer. I worked part-time at the Tulsa affiliate while I was running my studio and it was working beautifully until Bush decided to fuck the economy for the workers.

I was in a motorcycle accident back in 1995 and the result of the injuries is that I can't stand up and do something like manufacturing for long periods of time, so having a "sit down" job is a real blessing.

I wouldn't mind moving to OKC, but I don't think I will ever be able to talk my wife into it. She really hates OKC

[notbush]

16. Just to diddle on the music end...

I played in bands in the mid-70's to 1980.(Got married my wife made me quit). Back then, a little 4-track would cost you $1500. It was REALLY expensive to lay down your own tracks.
Today, a decent computer and some "not to expensive software" and you can be your own studio.
I've got a friend, who's family owned a print shop for about 40 years.....he cusses the advent of the inkjet/lazerjet printer....his old customers are doin' it in house.......He now teaches printing at a state prison.
Hang in there ...If you look hard enough, you'll find that nich that fits.

[guitar man]

17. A lot of people

A lot of people who have come to me to record their stuff have gone out and spent cold hard cash on recording gear only to find out it is not a simple as they are led to believe by the people who sold them the gear.

It takes a trained ear, well tuned acoustical environment and a lot of study and practice to make decent recordings. They find out real quick that their cheap Chinese made condensor mics, half assed D/A convertors in the soundcards and bedrooms and garages aren't the stuff pro quality recordings are made of real quick. Mostly, they just run out of patience.

I'm doing projects one at a time now in my spare time. I have a band I am working with now that is going to have a great sounding disc when we get through.

[notbush]

18. I agree with you completely

However, technology has made it a lot easier(and cheaper) for a shitty band to record some tracks,burn a few CD's, and sell'm at their gig's.
Again, best of luck to you.

[Skittles]

19. I know the feeling, GTRMAN

I was laid off recently and my field has been devastated by offshoring. I'm working now (operating a mainframe computer in the same company) but the hours are wicked - 6PM to 6AM Sunday Monday and Tuesday plus every other Saturday and of course this job is not secure either. I'm sick of the corporate world and need to find a way out but everywhere I look the pickings are slim too.

[LWolf]

20. Anytime.

:grouphug:

[Bonhomme Richard]

21. I was transferred once and had to live.................

in a Ramada Inn for about two months until I sold my house. What I noticed was that my stress levels were very high. It wasn't due to the promotion and new job because it wasn't that bad. What I attributed it to was the fact that when you are at home there is so much to take your mind off work when you walk in the door that it is not easy to dwell on the annoying things that happen at work during a normal day. When you go back to a hotel room, or whatever, at the end of the workday there is absolutely nothing to take your mind off work and I would end up with a churning stomach and a lot of stress. Weekends home were a relief but I dreaded going back. Once I bought the house in CT all that went away.

I think that explains your feelings and it will get better when your routine becomes normal. In the meantime keep a guitar with you and play a lot. It brings a bit of normalcy to your life. That helped me.

[fudge stripe cookays]

22. You need a break, GTR dude!

Any chance you guys could join us here in Big D for our meetup Saturday eve? It might lighten your spirits to hang with a bunch of other Dems and have some fun for an evening.

I know it's a ways, but you're used to driving long distances!

I've got the event posted on the main page with all the gatherings if you think you can make it. There's like 17 of us on the possible to definite list right now.

=)
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