Recording Progress & New Job
Wednesday, August 17th, 2022 10:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snoozefestaudioFool's Fall is still going strong, but I've managed to exploit a few chinks in it's armor the past few days to get more cicada footage, and my first couple hours of good field cricket recording.
The cicadas still have not been singing during most of the day, but it's been sunnier the past few, and they have done their normal cicada rallies at sunset, so I got two new canopy recordings of that.
I also figured out that I can get good field crickets, free of the monotonous drone of the bush crickets, by recording in the front yard!.. something I was loathe to do in years past because of the passing cars.
But for whatever reason... possibly the recession... possibly Fool's Fall... or a combination of both... people have just not been as active out there, either at sunset, or on the street driving at night!
So I've already edited out the few passing cars from a front yard recording on Monday, to get a nice clean 42 minutes of high signal field crickets, with a few isolated juvenille bush crickets and checktails for some spice.
A second Tuesday recording out in front promises to give me another 40 minutes or so.
--<>--
The wing tappers had not been active those nights, so I still don't have any noctournal canopy B-roll to cut to, for that proposed effect of floating up and down over the hour... but tonight there seems to be a FEW?.. so I'm giving that another try right now as I write, recording up in the canopy.
I do still have faith that Fool's Fall will end... and we will get another heat blast or two, between now and the end of September. So, between what I'm front-loading now, in the cool times, and what I may be able to capture later, during a heat wave... I should have enough good content for Snoozefest 2022.
------------{=0=}------------
Meanwhile, however, money's gotten very tight, because I haven't been getting any handyman calls (thanks to the shit economy) and adopting Snoop & Prowly cost a good $400.00, all tolled.
So on Tuesday, I went online and filled out about eight applications for janitor jobs.
I specifically targeted janitor jobs, because; it's relatively low stress work, janitors are always in demand, and it's a great way to get your foot in the door with institutions that have room to move up if they like you!
--<>--
Twenty four hours later, I got a call today, from a recruiter for a big, service-staff provider in the region who, after a twenty minute, informal phone interview, sent me an offer letter by email, for a part time janitor gig at a school in the area, which I accepted!
Still gotta be vetted... drug tests, criminal background checks, etc, but I could start work next week!
--<>--
Seems ridiculous, right?..
50-something guy whose been coasting as a bum for a year and a half spends a couple hours one afternoon online and snags a job! How is that fair?
Well... this DOES go back to that rant I did a few weeks back about how everybody's a musician, and the pitfalls of vanity and pride.
Not only is everybody a musician and/or a content creator, but everybody's above cleaning toilets, mopping floors, and taking out garbage!.. even though that work is actually pretty damn easy and low stress!
The pay is not great, but it's a foot in the door!
Name me a corporation or public institution that doesn't have janitors.
They all do! And if you get into an environment like that... cleaning toilets and mopping floors, you get to know everybody, and everybody loves you, because everybody loves the janitor!
The janitor holds no judgement upon the ambitions of others! The janitor is not involved in all the intrigue and politics of the workplace!
So, if you have other skills... it's the easiest way to move up! People take you under their wing and advocate for you to fill the better position that opened up.
Full time Janitor... maintenance tech... or perhaps if you've got experience in clarical work then you move up the manegerial ranks... as an assistant... then assistant manager... etc.
Next thing you know, ten years have gone by and you're making great money, with a good stash in your 401K, a lot of PTO, and a pension waiting for you... if you can make it to retirement before a corporate takeover turns everything upside down.
It's not a perfect system, but what I'm saying is, you can play the game... or in my case, get back into the game... at any time, if you're willing to mop floors the first year or two.
EASY!
I got that callback so fast... in twenty four hours, because I specifically stated, in the space left for additional remarks, that pay and shift hours were not a concern. I just needed a reliable income stream.
That and my prior work history nailed it!
--<>--
Before you think I'm hurting the generational effort to hold out for better wages and stuff, just know... this is a union job.
The starting pay is not great, as I said, but even part timers get full health benefits! She told me there would be zero co-pay, and zero deductible for any health costs, as long as I stayed in network!
That is amazing, right now!
Plus a silly sign on bonus... like $250 at the start and another $250 after six months. Okay!.. just says how desperate they are to hire the few non-musicians left in the United States.
It's worth noting here that the other position I could've slam dunked like this would've been groundskeeper... for any institution... but that's a trap!.. because you're stuck working outside all day in the winter and the summer.
No thanks! I'll take Janitor in the air conditioning any day!
So, whatever!.. I found a job, and I'm gonna be able to take care of my kitties, and my Dad... and I can move up to full time work later, and into more stressful, higher paying positions too, down the line.
--<>--
But this guarantees that the weather's gonna warm up!
Because as soon as I take that job, and don't have the freedom to stay up all night... you can bet your ass a heat wave will get those crickets and wing tappers performing their little hearts out at hours it will be very inconvenient for me to record!
And you can bet that we'll have tons of thunderstorms... always while I'm at work!
--<>--
That's how life works... and part of being in your fifties is understanding that... and knowing how to play one, fuck-you, against the other, to claw your way ahead.
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
The cicadas still have not been singing during most of the day, but it's been sunnier the past few, and they have done their normal cicada rallies at sunset, so I got two new canopy recordings of that.
I also figured out that I can get good field crickets, free of the monotonous drone of the bush crickets, by recording in the front yard!.. something I was loathe to do in years past because of the passing cars.
But for whatever reason... possibly the recession... possibly Fool's Fall... or a combination of both... people have just not been as active out there, either at sunset, or on the street driving at night!
So I've already edited out the few passing cars from a front yard recording on Monday, to get a nice clean 42 minutes of high signal field crickets, with a few isolated juvenille bush crickets and checktails for some spice.
A second Tuesday recording out in front promises to give me another 40 minutes or so.
The wing tappers had not been active those nights, so I still don't have any noctournal canopy B-roll to cut to, for that proposed effect of floating up and down over the hour... but tonight there seems to be a FEW?.. so I'm giving that another try right now as I write, recording up in the canopy.
I do still have faith that Fool's Fall will end... and we will get another heat blast or two, between now and the end of September. So, between what I'm front-loading now, in the cool times, and what I may be able to capture later, during a heat wave... I should have enough good content for Snoozefest 2022.
Meanwhile, however, money's gotten very tight, because I haven't been getting any handyman calls (thanks to the shit economy) and adopting Snoop & Prowly cost a good $400.00, all tolled.
So on Tuesday, I went online and filled out about eight applications for janitor jobs.
I specifically targeted janitor jobs, because; it's relatively low stress work, janitors are always in demand, and it's a great way to get your foot in the door with institutions that have room to move up if they like you!
Twenty four hours later, I got a call today, from a recruiter for a big, service-staff provider in the region who, after a twenty minute, informal phone interview, sent me an offer letter by email, for a part time janitor gig at a school in the area, which I accepted!
Still gotta be vetted... drug tests, criminal background checks, etc, but I could start work next week!
Seems ridiculous, right?..
50-something guy whose been coasting as a bum for a year and a half spends a couple hours one afternoon online and snags a job! How is that fair?
Well... this DOES go back to that rant I did a few weeks back about how everybody's a musician, and the pitfalls of vanity and pride.
Not only is everybody a musician and/or a content creator, but everybody's above cleaning toilets, mopping floors, and taking out garbage!.. even though that work is actually pretty damn easy and low stress!
The pay is not great, but it's a foot in the door!
Name me a corporation or public institution that doesn't have janitors.
They all do! And if you get into an environment like that... cleaning toilets and mopping floors, you get to know everybody, and everybody loves you, because everybody loves the janitor!
The janitor holds no judgement upon the ambitions of others! The janitor is not involved in all the intrigue and politics of the workplace!
So, if you have other skills... it's the easiest way to move up! People take you under their wing and advocate for you to fill the better position that opened up.
Full time Janitor... maintenance tech... or perhaps if you've got experience in clarical work then you move up the manegerial ranks... as an assistant... then assistant manager... etc.
Next thing you know, ten years have gone by and you're making great money, with a good stash in your 401K, a lot of PTO, and a pension waiting for you... if you can make it to retirement before a corporate takeover turns everything upside down.
It's not a perfect system, but what I'm saying is, you can play the game... or in my case, get back into the game... at any time, if you're willing to mop floors the first year or two.
EASY!
I got that callback so fast... in twenty four hours, because I specifically stated, in the space left for additional remarks, that pay and shift hours were not a concern. I just needed a reliable income stream.
That and my prior work history nailed it!
Before you think I'm hurting the generational effort to hold out for better wages and stuff, just know... this is a union job.
The starting pay is not great, as I said, but even part timers get full health benefits! She told me there would be zero co-pay, and zero deductible for any health costs, as long as I stayed in network!
That is amazing, right now!
Plus a silly sign on bonus... like $250 at the start and another $250 after six months. Okay!.. just says how desperate they are to hire the few non-musicians left in the United States.
It's worth noting here that the other position I could've slam dunked like this would've been groundskeeper... for any institution... but that's a trap!.. because you're stuck working outside all day in the winter and the summer.
No thanks! I'll take Janitor in the air conditioning any day!
So, whatever!.. I found a job, and I'm gonna be able to take care of my kitties, and my Dad... and I can move up to full time work later, and into more stressful, higher paying positions too, down the line.
But this guarantees that the weather's gonna warm up!
Because as soon as I take that job, and don't have the freedom to stay up all night... you can bet your ass a heat wave will get those crickets and wing tappers performing their little hearts out at hours it will be very inconvenient for me to record!
And you can bet that we'll have tons of thunderstorms... always while I'm at work!
That's how life works... and part of being in your fifties is understanding that... and knowing how to play one, fuck-you, against the other, to claw your way ahead.
°¦}
