Never say never

The irony of the events of the past two months amazes me. To put it in a Biblical phrase, it has been “more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

After being informed that my position was eliminated, I wrestled for some time between frustration over that event and determination to head into the unknown and charter a new course of employment.

On one hand I had enjoyed my work and did not want it to end. On the other hand, the door had opened to so many new possibilities I did not know where to begin. A couple shifts in temporary labor helped to work out the anxiety, and joining the Twitter community led me to tips for effective resume writing and job hunting. Eventually, things were settling down. Through networking and chatting with a college registrar and employment counselor, a plan of action was evolving.

Then an email arrived from my former boss with a job posting attached. I had no reason not to consider it. After all, my layoff was the result of orders from far beyond the local office. I applied and was successful in obtaining the position, four days per week in a new experience in a different department.

The interview was, for lack of a better term, interesting. What questions do you ask when you are familiar with the company and have more seniority than the two interviewers? I used the opportunity to assure myself that going back could be long-term. The hours were less desirable but benefits would be reinstated immediately. It seemed a suitable compromise.

I have now completed two weeks in my new job. So far it has gone well, although I have many more things to learn. I was surprised and encouraged to have so many people welcome me back. The “icing on the cake” was to be asked to spend the fifth weekday back at my former duties. I must have been missed!

When one reacts professionally, holding angry emotions at bay, it gives one time to clarify the thinking and keep doors open to new opportunities. It becomes exciting to see what possibilities can unfold.

Never say “never”!

Christmas Tree Trek

Today I share a chapter from my "Tales of Cheveticus", stories of our 1983 Chevette that served us faithfully for over 200,000 km.

The family decided it would make a nice outing to cut a Christmas Tree from the forest. Mother went downtown and bought the required permit. Father installed a roof rack on Cheveticus to avoid scratching her paint. Each time it went on, Cheveticus knew another challenge was coming. Saturday dawned clear and bright, and the family dressed warmly and headed out.

The tree they were looking for had to be special, not just any evergreen tree. It had to be tall enough to be the centre of attention, but short enough to fit in the living room. It had to be narrow enough to fit in the available space, but wide enough to hold ornaments and tinsel.

They approached the forest area and examined each tree they passed. Mother saw an area that looked promising. They stopped the car and hiked in from the road through the deep snow. There was a lot more snow here than at home! Daughter had to follow along the path made by Father and Mother. Each tree was examined closely. Daughter liked them all. Mother said the tree was too tall if it was taller than she was. Father quietly assessed each tree and gave the final answer.

Finally a decision was reached. This tree would be their Christmas tree for this year. Father chopped it with the axe while Mother held the trunk. Daughter watched and laughed as the shaking branches threatened to dump cold snow down everyone’s necks!

Father and Mother carried the tree back to Chevetticus. They lifted it onto her roof and tied it securely in place on the roof rack, with the trunk protruding above the windshield and the tree top hanging over the hatch. “There, the hard work is over,” thought the family.

But the work was just beginning for Chevetticus. She hoped this was the only tree she would be expected to carry. It would be a lot of work to take the family home with this load on her roof.

The family paused to enjoy the hot chocolate and sandwiches Father had brought along. He knew everyone would be hungry after the tree was chosen. Then it was time to head home. Father drove while Mother kept watch on the tree to be sure it stayed in place. Daughter fell fast asleep.

Everyone arrived home safe and sound. With their Christmas tree twinkling with lights and decorations, the family were happy and Chevetticus could have a well-deserved rest.

The painting of Red Deer's "green onion"

I propose that Red Deer’s “green onion” should become the world’s largest golf tee.

This was not entirely an original idea, but one I have thought about for a while now. Red Deer could use an identity, something no other place has, and there is one that has already been standing over the city since 1958.

According to a story in the Red Deer Advocate of June 11, 2007, the “green onion” held the record for the world’s largest water tower when it was constructed. From what I have found on the Internet, this is still true. Although there are other towers that are taller (Union, New Jersey, 212 feet), there seem to be none with a larger water capacity. The largest water tower in the United States , located at Edmond, Oklahoma, is 218 feet tall and holds 500,000 US gallons. Red Deer’s “green onion” is 132 feet tall and holds 500,000 Imperial gallons of water.

On the other hand, the current world record for World’s Largest Golf Tee is held by a Computer Aided Design (CAD) team in Michigan. It is a mere 26 feet and 7 3/4 inches in height and 35 inches across, weighing in at almost a ton.

A golf tee with ball atop is a very appropriate symbol for Red Deer. A quick Google search lists no less than 15 golf courses within 29 miles of the centre of Red Deer. Granted, they are only used for a few months of the year, but a golf symbol could serve as an encouragement throughout the long winter days that another season is indeed coming.

The method is simple and the cost is negligible. The city has already committed to recoating the water tower and is looking for tenders (see http://bit.ly/kQnR5T, http://on.fb.me/tWPTmv).

The current green colour had been the colour used by the paint crew on the last 10 water towers they had worked on. That is historical, but not immensely significant.

The base (“tee”) can remain Niagara green and preserve the history of the colour. The rounded top can be painted white and textured to resemble a golf ball. That’s all there is to it!

At over 100 feet high (give or take the golf ball) and 62 feet wide, with 265 tons of steel in its construction, Red Deer could hold the world record and capture a spot on the “Largest Attractions” tour. It would probably gather more tourists that Vegreville’s pysanka, Andrew’s mallard duck, Mundare’s sausage, Vilna’s mushrooms, Glendon’s perogy, and Smokey Lake’s pumpkins combined!

Now isn’t that the most cost-effective attraction Red Deer could ever dream of?

The only real expense will be the thoroughfare, parking lot, visitor centre and signage to accommodate the masses!

An RVer's Christmas wish list

The Christmas wish list is a perennial request. If it’s not the parents wanting to see one, it’s the children.

For those who live in a stationary home, there are lots of things to be replaced or added. The complaint we hear is that our limited space restricts ideas. I don’t see it that way. Our home is an RV, but there are lots of unique things for RVers to enjoy.

If there are avid campers on your list, these ideas may be applicable for them, too. A visit to an RV dealer’s parts department or to http://www.blogger.com/www.campingworld.com will expand the possibilities.

The top six items on my 2011 RV Christmas wish are as follows:

1. The new Rand McNally Tripmaker RVND7710 GPS – it has several features unique to RVs, such as bridge heights and customization based on your unit, and all the reviews I have seen rave about it’s usefulness.

2. Patio mat – brown and white to match the RV, of course. The newer ones have wonderful designs, not “dated” like the checkerboards. They let rain and sunlight through the fibres so as not to kill the grass.

3. Tablecloth weights – sounds trivial until you try to keep a plastic tablecloth on a picnic table in a breeze. We have clips, but some tables are too thick for clips, so weights would be better.

4. Zero gravity recliner – oh, so comfortable for those lazy sunny days that occasionally surprise us in Alberta!

5. Solar patio lights – patio lights are practical and pretty on the awning, in nearby trees, or on/in the ground. Because our power source is often limited, solar are preferred.

6. Folding bicycle – these modern marvels come with six speeds and fold  to a compact size for travel. It would be so convenient for doing errands in the campground or exploring nearby areas.

Santa, are you reading this?

Business After Hours

Yesterday I took the opportunity to attend Business After Hours, a monthly event sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. It is like a mini trade show that takes place from 5:00 to 7:00 pm so that business people can participate.

The promotion stated that the event was open to the public free of charge. For nothing, it was worth checking out to gather information about local businesses and to do some networking in my job search.

I arrived about 5:15 pm to find a room already bustling with activity. Around the perimeter were display tables and personnel from several businesses. To one side was a grand piano, with a pianist providing lovely classical background music. There was a display of door prizes and an abundant layout of food. In an adjoining room were further displays and more food. In all about 18 to 20 companies of a wide variety were represented.

At the registration table, I entered my name and moved on. I was not questioned as to who I was or what I was doing there. For that I was thankful. All of the business people I spoke with answered my inquiries fully and professionally, and the chocolate sample was superb!

I came away feeling refreshed, encouraged in my job search. Reactions had been positive. Some of my interests were reinforced as being poor choices. One idea was encouraged as a potential solution to my goals.

Business After Hours proved to be a wonderful choice. For anyone looking for information on local business, large or small, and wanting an opportunity to network with other business people, I would encourage this as a “must” stop. The next Business After Hours event is on January 31. Check the Chamber of Commerce web site at http://www.reddeerchamber.com for details.

If wishes were horses...

There have been at least three job opportunities this week that would fit nicely with my skills and experience, making it a little easier to be positive about the hunt.

Sometimes one’s mind takes a break from reality and ventures to a perfect dream world, as in the old English rhyme “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride…”.

These are my current dream jobs, the first being more realistic and the second adventurous, but both quite real:

Dream Job #1

This would be an office job where I would work on a computer all day, perhaps doing web design or data entry. There would be no phones to answer and my work would be quite unique and independent. (That sounds a lot like my last job that was eliminated, which is why I enjoyed it so much).

Dream Job #2

This would be a landscaping or construction job where I would operate one of the heavy machines, whether that be a tractor, skid steer, loader, or even one of those huge haul trucks at Fort McMurray.

Coming back to reality, my next job will probably be some mixture of #1 with a few less desirables thrown in. That’s okay, but if wishes were horses…

Games people play

With winter upon us and Christmas coming soon, the season of table games has come.

I recently read that families are spending more time playing board games instead of paying for outside entertainment because of the recession. If this is the case, it is good news that families are spending more time together in this way.

My grandmother, who lived with our family for several years, loved to play Chinese Checkers. I spent many happy hours across a table from Grandma, with the Chinese Checker board between. She taught me the rules and tricks of the game.

My father’s favourite was crokinole. When we attended a crokinole tournament at the country school, Dad often came home with the top prize. He also played dominos with us, but not just any game of dominos. For one round, we could only count if the score was divisible by three, another round by five, and so on. It was his way of polishing our math skills!

When she could spare the time, Mom was ready for any game going. But her first choice was usually Scrabble. On the rare occasion that I had a night without homework, I could count on a game of Scrabble. I don’t remember winning very often, but it was always a fun challenge.

When my family visits, we still have some friendly competition around the table. One brother’s game of choice is usually Mexican Train. It mixes well with conversation. The other brother still likes Stock Ticker. “Always start with gold and stay away from grain” is his motto.

A visit to my mother-in-law always includes a few games of Phase Ten. Mum is a good example of the saying, “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” She is over eighty years old but still wins her share and runs us some stiff competition!

For a gathering of sibling in-laws, we use games for larger groups. Charades, Buzzword, Pictionary and Balderdash are popular choices. These games include everyone and are a great way to span the generations.

At this time of the year one sees new board games appearing on the shelves. Remember when Trivial Pursuit was everywhere? I think mine fetched a couple of dollars at a garage sale. The novelty had worn off.

For a gift, the old standards like Monopoly, Careers, Sorry, Uno and Yahtzee are hard to beat. They have been favourites for generations, having both simplicity and challenge.

Do you play table games with your family? What is your favourite?

Job hunting on a snow day

As I write this, it is -8C outside, snowing and windy. A snowfall warning is in effect for the area and the roads are snow-covered and icy.

So what does one do to search for a job on such a day?

I started the day as usual, going over my list of bookmarked job sites to see what was posted recently. Then I made a call to Employment Insurance (and sat on hold for 20 minutes) to inquire about funding and time for further courses. That call was a follow-up to yesterday’s visit to Academy of Learning. It looks like I may be able to take Simply Accounting or Quickbooks to upgrade my manual bookkeeping training to the computer age.

That accomplished, I took my turn at shoveling the driveway. The physical exercise keeps me in shape in case of a temporary job from Diversified, although today looks like I’ll be out shoveling again before the day is over.

The afternoon stretches before me to check job boards, redesign my resume, web surf and work the social media. Speaking of social media, you can find me at @doellingitout. I have gained excellent ideas and tips for job hunting from Twitter posts. I would recommend WiserWorker.com and 50PLUS.com to any older worker.

Meantime, I am thankful for a warm house to live in and not having to risk my life on the roads today. It’s a good day to curl up by the fireplace with a book!

The diversity of working with Diversified

Temporary assignments are a common way to network and earn money between jobs. In Red Deer, Diversified Staffing is well known for their provision of workers and work situations. They had helped fill the gap several years ago, so as part of my job search, I returned.

Registering on the office side can lead to a variety of office jobs, such as receptionist or data entry positions. I have covered some interesting assignments there.

One day another girl and I were sent to a large industrial firm to do data entry for inventory. We ended up counting electrical parts all morning, the entered inventory amounts until evening. Another time I was sent to proctor the test portion of Election Canada interviews. It involved setting up a printer, saving the candidates’ work to CD, and clearing each computer between users. Another assignment involved some reception but focused on typing and formatting the annual report and other documents.

One can increase the number and variety of work assignments by registering on the industrial side as well. Steel-toed boots are required but, hey, I grew up on a farm!

This week I spent a day polishing equipment for Agri-Trade. Yep, polishing combines and tractors with window cleaner and paper towels! There were a dozen of us doing it, and pizza was provided for lunch. Not a bad day.

I have worked on crews to set up a store to begin business, and assisted in renovations and moving of entire department stores. My first assignment with Diversified found me packaging frozen sausage rolls and meat pies. After freezing my thumb, they taught me the tricks to glove wear. I did not care for restoration work or holding up Persian rugs while they were being auctioned. It’s enlightening, though, to experience what other people do for a living, but sometimes one day is enough!

I have found that if one approaches the work with a smile and a can-do attitude, one can find acceptance and the day goes better for all.

Through temporary work assignments, contacts can be made that can lead to further work. At least they help pay the bills and keep one abreast of happenings in the workplace. And if the saying is true that variety is the spice of life, then Diversified keeps life very spicy!

Wearing a poppy with pride

I had been on my own for most of a month and had coped well with our anniversary, so I didn’t think Remembrance Day would be a big deal.

On the preceding Sunday, there was a short tribute during the morning worship service at church. The list of war involvements and service occupations were read and we stood for a minute of silence. It was then that it hit me — there I was, and my husband was on the other side of the world, in one of those locations! I fought back a few tears at the realization, then went on with my day.

The morning of Nov. 11th, I awoke early. It was a day off work, but I was having company for supper and my cook was in Afghanistan. So I had work to do!

First, I switched on the TV, where the first words were: “And here are a few pictures from the Remembrance Day service at Camp Julien this morning.”

My resolve melted and I burst into tears. How had I agreed to his going so far away when I really needed him here, now? For a few minutes, I revelled in self-pity and loneliness.

But such emotions cannot be companions if one is going to meet the challenge of a year of separation.

I turned off the TV, wiped away the tears, and got busy. The day passed quickly. Supper and the evening with my company went well. When bedtime came, I was tired and content.

When Remembrance Day approaches, we hear about the troops on the war front. Let’s also remember their families here at home, who are missing their loved one greatly on this day. They will be the brave folk who look rather lonely while proudly wearing a poppy.

Dreams can come true

Have you had aspirations of something you would like to do or become? Does it seem like it will never happen? Be encouraged. With focus, work and time, dreams can come true.

My husband and I have moved many times. The reasons are various, and often the idea was put to us that maybe our home should be on wheels. Little did the people making that suggestion know that we sometimes thought the same thing.

When my husband returned ill from Afghanistan in 2004, we considered it a short-term setback. As it became apparent that his health problems were long-term and he would not be able to work, perhaps ever, our hopes and dreams for the future were dashed. It was depressing. Was there anything — work, travel, leisure — that we could still aspire to?

As we were making plans for a lengthy road trip, the thought came that the money we would spent on hotel rooms would make a nice downpayment, or perhaps even purchase, of a used travel trailer. We already had a truck to pull one with.

Not only did it make the trip easier, we found that we could still enjoy our love of camping. With the trailer to make it less physically strenuous, we could enjoy the country again. For two former farm kids, that realization was exhilarating!

As we explored Central Alberta’s campgrounds, we also started looking at RVs built for year-round use. In 2007, we found the unit of our dreams. It felt comfortable and had all the necessary amenities — along with a very large price tag! It really was only a dream.

Through the ensuing years our focus increased. We budgeted carefully and researched diligently, keeping track of locations and prices. I took pictures and sold things on eBay or Kijiji; we scanned decades of photos and scrapbooks; we even picked cans from ditches. At times it seemed the dream was futile, but it was the only one we had left. Each season, as the price adjusted, we would reassess our situation.

We sold the travel trailer and stepped back from the camping scene in 2009. Did we miss it? Yes. Did we still want it? Yes. Did we think we could do it on a full-time basis? Yes.

As 2010 dawned, we felt the time was right to pursue our dream a little further. We were able to acquire the truck we needed. We used the new truck only enough to break it in as we waited for the RV sales to begin. There, sitting in the lineup and looking like new, was the 2007 model we had originally discovered. From my Internet research, it appeared to be the last one of its kind available.

We dispersed our apartment furniture and have now been yardsitting and exploring Central Alberta’s camping spots for two seasons. We can hardly wait for the silence and scenery of another spring!

So take courage. Prayer and persistence can achieve the seemingly impossible.

Ouch! The sting of being laid off

Last week it happened. After three years in a job that I loved, I was called to the manager's office at the end of the day and was informed it had been my last day. Ouch!

One sees headlines in the news every day about people being laid off. Many industries, and newspapers in particular, are making deep cuts. That is what happened to me. Word had been received that the budget was to be reduced. Even though I was punctual and diligent in my work, the position was deemed to be dispensible in light of higher demands.

Outside, I was able to remain calm. I cleaned out my desk, handed in my key, spoke very briefly to my co-worker, and was escorted out of the building. Inside, the child within me kicked and screamed, wanting to go back, rebeling at what was ahead.

The first couple days were busy with paperwork - Employment Insurance application, health benefit submissions and information of further coverage, company pension, etc. I even bravely sent off an application to another job. But the inner struggle continued.

Yesterday the remaining staff took me for lunch. Being able to confirm friendships, review happenings, and discuss strategies helped immensely. Thanks to my great former co-workers for their thoughtfulness and generous gift.

Today I visited the temporary employment agency. I re-registered for work on both the office and industrial sides. The office side provides experience with potential job leads and keeps up my computer skills; the industrial side provides variety and excercise. My first assignment is on Tuesday.