ad astra!

Set some records tonight. One for longest shift: 14 hours. One for latest time worked: 3:45 AM.

Longest shift ....... 14 hours ..... previous record 12.5 hours
Latest time worked .......... 03:45 ..... previous record 01:30

I get overtime + shift premium. Back tomorrow at 10am. Sleep now…

I didn’t really make an announcement or anything here, but I got a job. My friend Angie’s boss was super interested in hiring me ever since he caught wind that I might be coming down here. So now I work for EFillRX, an innovative concept in pharmacy. We have two locations in two big doctor’s offices in Louisville. You can get your script right there at the office or we’ll mail or deliver it to you. I think it’s a really great idea and from a business standpoint it’s pretty awesome, too. We have hundreds of patients built in, and easy access to the prescribers. Also, people tend to be on their best behavior when going to the doctor’s office, so no one treats us like dirt.

The downside is I had to take a pay cut initially (but I get a company car for deliveries, which is really really really nice) and I’m only getting about 30 hours a week. But my boss is fantastic, the stress level is like 0.1% that of Meijer, and I work in a professional setting where people are respectful and there’s not a box of cornflakes or a bakery manager with too big of an ego in sight.

Rules of Unemployment
1.) Always wear fresh clothes. Don’t think that just because you don’t have to go to work doesn’t mean you no longer have to follow the rules of the working world. Don’t look like a bum. If you’re used to changing clothes twice a day, continue to do so. Wake up, take a shower, shave, comb your hair. Put on a pair of clean clothes, maybe a polo shirt. Then work on your applications, resumé, etc. Wear these clothes for six to eight hours— however long you would’ve worn them had you dressed for work. Then “slip into something more comfortable.”

Never, ever wear sweatpants. Pyjama bottoms are alright, as long as they advertise for liquor or beer. Various anthropomorphized mammals are forbidden, even those that are sports team mascots—unless you’re being ironic, say wearing the opposing team’s logo pj pants while watching a Lions (or insert your local squadron’s name here) game. Then go to sleep, wake up. Repeat. Also, please note that if you’ve already changed into your comfortable clothes but need to go out again, you must change into more formal clothing. (By “more formal clothing” I mean something like jeans and a tshirt, not a tuxedo or anything. Unless you’re going to a black-tie affair or something. Who am I kidding? I’m unemployed. Anyhow, please dress appropriately when going to shoot pool on your buddy’s dime. Everyone will apreciate it.

I should be noted that this adherance to routine is critical. Just because one is unemployed one should not quit the work of living. One needs to continue to be productive and not slovenly.

Been hanging out in Loo-uh-vull all week, getting the lay of the land and a feel for the place. At this point I’m 98% certain that I’ll be moving here, probably officially on September 1st or something like that. Depends on what I find.

I had a really great interview today with Angie’s boss Mark, who runs E Fill Rx. They’ve got a very compelling business model; stationed at two high-volume doctor’s offices. You can get your script right there, or they’ll deliver or mail it out at no extra charge. This way they’ve got a really good, unique and face-to-face relationship with the doctors who write most of their scripts (they will, of course, fill scripts from anywhere) so it’d be a nice change from what I’ve been doing and also kind of exciting to be in a growing company.

The interview tomorrow I’m more excited about, as it pays more money and is a really detail-oriented kind of inventory job with a customer service facet to it as well. A lot of it is what I’ve been doing already– managing an inventory. It’d be with orthopedic devices for hips, knees, shoulders, etc instead of pills, but basically the same concept. I’m probably more qualified that a lot of people for that sort of thing, I just need to convince the guy of that. Hire me!! I will kick ass for you.

So yeah, good things are already happening and as I’ve found zero leads in Kalamazoo it seems like I’ll be down here permanently, and not a moment too soon. Whilst I’ll miss my people in Michigan, a big move like this to a bigger city is something I’ve needed for years. So I have a good feeling about this; I think I’ll find myself much happier than I’ve ever been, and even though it’s a big thing to do I think it’ll be for the better. My happiness needs to be paramount, after all.

So here’s a formal announcement kinda thing:

I quit my job Friday night, for several reasons but mostly because it’s been sucking the life out of me for years. There were also signs and wonders pointing the way out, so to speak.

So yeah, I left the job I’ve had for almost half my life, 14 years, and I’m ready to get on with something new.

Right now I’m in Louisville, KY kinda just hanging out, but I’m keeping my ear to the ground, my eyes peeled, and my fingers crossed.

By Wednesday I should know about this new job thing. If I get it or take it, for that matter–I’m not even sure if he’ll make me an offer I can afford to take in terms of pay–it’ll be a great new chapter in my life. I hope. It will just be nice to have a change from my daily work setting for the past 13 years. There are already two people I know who work there, so that helps as well. So hopefully there are some new opportunities and some needed change on the way.

I do feel sad leaving the people I work with now, it’s not that my current job is terrible or I don’t like it or anything, it has more to do with the changed I’ve seen Meijer go through in the past few years. Their most recent policy treats everyone like kindergartners and just insults both my nature and my common sense. I feel most disappointing about leaving because of my boss, because it’s not specifically about him, it about our store director and broader policy decisions that have been made above his head. He has no control over those things, so I don’t fault him for it. I’m just feeling like it’s time to leave.

Drop the deuce and leave, as Brad says.

I say, turn a new page & tear the old one out.

I just had a job interview that was less about me selling myself and more about him selling his business to me, like he was trying to convince me that I needed to go work for him. What a pleasant experience–to be in demand!

I’m cautiously optimistic. It will be exceptionally nice to be in a community practice setting instead of a grocery store.

Also, I want a Domino’s bread bowl pasta. I wonder if I can figure out how to make it on my own.