Found a Job

Yes, you heard right. I Found a Job. With Southern Company, here in Birmingham.

I thought it would never happen. But I finally got an opportunity. I just hope I can do well and impress them enough to hire me full time. I've got 6 months to do that.

It'll be two years since I finished the Appalachian Trail on the 10th. As I think back about these past two years, I have to admit it's been pretty rough at times. I've often felt like I was useless, that I wasted 4 years and a lot of my parent's money in college and that I'd spend the rest of my life going from crappy job to crappy job.

I've been on several interviews in the past two years, but none seemed to work out. Some of them were my fault because I'm just not a very good interviewee. Others I know I should have gotten, but they just had a slightly better applicant.

I determined a while back that there are three criteria to getting a job in today's world.

1. Experience
2. Knowing Somebody
3. Skill

Almost every job I've gotten an interview for has been from a reference. I stopped applying to jobs blindly because I knew I had little chance of even hearing back from the company. Same applies for the Southern Company job. A friend from high school and college whose dad works for Southern Company let me know they would be interested in hiring a non-engineer for CAD work so I went and "interviewed" which basically consisted of me talking to him a bit and seeing what some of the CAD guys were doing. And that was it.

I'm working through a temp agency for the first six months and if all goes well, I'll get a full time offer in April. I really hope it works out because Southern Company is a really good company to work for so I hear. And I'm positive based on my former classmates who are working now that this is the pinnacle of jobs. There's no holding out for a better job...this is the top.

So I can't believe it worked out like this. I'm not going to say how lucky I am yet, I'll wait till after the six months before I start really celebrating. But I have to sit back and laugh about how life works out. It took two years, but it seems like things are finally looking up for me.

I start tomorrow. Gulp...

Life

Well, since November when I last updated, things have been pretty uneventful, so I have not bothered to write. I've been at Park Rite now for almost 8 months. Seems like it's been forever. I've had various job interviews, but nothing has worked out, mostly due to my poor interviewing skills. But whatever, I'm getting over it. It was hard to face the facts that I wasn't going to end up some successful business person (what I imagine most everybody things they'll be when they finish college) And I've come to terms with it.

I talked to Hawkeye, who thru hiked with me, yesterday on Facebook. He's in Africa right now doing the Peace Corps. It sounds tough. I think he's ready to be done already, but still has a year and a half or so to go. I know he'll make it. Anyway, he told me it would be time to do the CDT when he got back, in spring 2013. If you don't know, the CDT is the Continental Divide Trail, one of the other long national scenic trails in the US. It's a daunting task...a lot more so than the AT ever was. He asked me to join him and I'm going to, of course. It's only fitting, since we started and finished the AT together...not even knowing so until we had completed half the trail. It was the strangest part of my hike. There was this other guy, whom I'd never met and here we are...hiking more or less together, and never running into each other. And now we are talking about embarking on another adventure.

I seem to be having a gear problem lately. Bought a new pack a while back and its great besides the fact that the hip belt feels way too high. I got the size made for my height, but i dunno.. Also, shoes. I got a new pair of Solomans which I love, but the right one feels weird on the arch of my foot. So those are two big gear problems that need resolving.

I haven't been working out like I should. It's just very hard these days for me to get out and do it. I blame living at home. It's like I'm stuck in a hole here. There's no sign of me getting out any time soon.

Damn it.

I don't care anymore

You know, everybody is focusing so much on how tragic it is for Auburn to have this happening, but this isn't new for Auburn. There has been more than one perfect season ruined by some unfortunate circumstance.

The real tragedy here is Mississippi State. I imagine when all this investigating is said and done, regardless of what happens to Auburn, Miss State will certainly face some kind of penalties. What, with the whole continuing to recruit Cam long after being made aware that his father was asking for money. And they'll surely find some dirt on "the three amigos" as the NCAA digs ever deeper. And normally this all wouldn't be a problem because Miss State is usually pretty crappy, but they were actually starting to do well. However, I think it's best to sit back and wait until the NCAA makes their verdict. So that's what I'll do.

The thing that gets me is when people compare this to the Reggie Bush thing. First of all I think this issue will be resolved faster with what's at stake. The NCAA didn't have to act very fast with the Reggie issue because the allegations came out well after the National Championship and the Heisman Award. With both of those potentially at stake, they have a chance to avoid getting Bush'd again. I think they are going to try at all costs to have this thing solved by December 11th.

The only thing that I think will stand in the way is that, unlike the Reggie case, there aren't many facts. Heck, in the Reggie case the guy who paid him stood up and confirmed everything. Hard to argue with that. All we've got so far with Cam is a bunch of people from both sides changing their story.

I think in the long run, this isn't just an Auburn issue, or a Miss State issue, this is an SEC issue. The SEC screwed the pooch on this one, by allowing it to perpetuate this long. They should have killed it back in January.

A Birthday Message

This day I completed my thirty first twenty forth year, and conceived that I had in all human probability now existed about half one third the period which I am to remain in this Sublunary world. I reflected that I had as yet done but little, very little indeed, to further the hapiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence, and now soarly feel the want of that information which those hours would have given me had they been judiciously expended. but since they are past and cannot be recalled, I dash from me the gloomy thought and resolved in future, to redouble my exertions and at least indeavour to promote those two primary objects of human existance, by giving them the aid of that portion of talents which nature and fortune have bestoed on me; or in future, to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself.

-Meriwether Lewis, August 18, 1805
-Jacob Sutton, October 7, 2010

Remember the Twisted Sister music videos which would always start out with the little kid and his dad who goes on a tirade after seeing his Twisted Sister pin, ending with the dad asking the question, "WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO WITH YOUR LIFE?!" I currently have no clue how to answer that.


What has impacted me enough to make me actually blog today? The fact that I failed to get yet another job. I think it was my fault, too, for not being so gung ho about the job. Don't get me wrong, I made sure to say how I could see myself working there and doing a great job and I would love it. But I don't know...I guess I just didn't do it enough. I know that was it. It had to be. I just want a chance. It's not my fault I'm a terrible interviewee. Why should that stop me from working a job that I'd love?

And more importantly, why do I have to change my appearance? I don't like my hair to be so short. I cut it because I think I can get a job with short hair. I don't think it would make a damn difference one way or the other. In fact, I think the longer hair might give me more confidence. I think I might say the right things and get the job with the hair. And then, if it mattered to them, they'd tell me at the end of the interview, "oh yeah, please get a haircut". But I think my biggest problem in interviews is that I just never say the right things. I don't say what they want to hear. Part of that is because I'm too honest. If I've learned anything from this interview I just did, it's that you need to lie. That is, if that's what they want to hear. Don't be honest if it's going to conflict with what they like. For example, if they ask you what you want to do with that big fancy degree you've got, say that you want to work for them, do the job that you are applying for and you want to stay with their company for a very long time. If you have other dreams and aspirations, leave those out. I don't know if I can do that and seem believable. Another reason I fuck everything up is because I get too nervous and try to say the most unoffensive, safe answers. I, essentially, try SO hard to not mess up that I end up messing it all up.

I just don't know anymore, man. I had such an entitled attitude when I left college. Like I deserved SO much because of all the hard work I put in. Now I realize how much of a douche bag I was with that kind of attitude. I don't deserve anything. I just need to be ok with where things are going. Yeah, I work part time and live with my parents. And yeah, I'm pretty boring with very few stand out qualities. I shouldn't be ashamed of these things. I should be thankful for them. And I'd like to think I am. Even if I forget it sometimes. It's just how things go. I just wish they would have told me a while back so I would've seen it coming.

Hey, remember me?

I realize I never mentioned anything about that job I was talking about earlier. So, here ya go--I didn't get it. It was all very bizarre. Almost as if they didn't want to tell me for fear of it hurting my feelings. I just wanted to know, I couldn't have cared less. I've been turned down so many times now that I just want to hear "no" so I can move on quickly to the next "no".

As I've come to terms with the realization that I won't be starting a career any time soon, I got a part time gig at Pet Supplies Plus thanks to my good friend Kevin O'Kelley. It gives me something to do and I don't have to serve people food, so I'm happy with it.

I went to Trail Days this past weekend. I got to reunite with a few friends from my thru-hike last year. It was great to reminisce, talk about where we are now and what we are going to do with ourselves. Everyone, including myself, seemed to have little direction in life thusfar. Maybe that's just an inherent trait among thru-hikers. Maybe it's the bad economy. I don't think anyone was purposefully trying NOT to become successful in the 7 months since we finished the trail. But who knows.

I've started another gear collecting endeavor. Bought a tent the other day. It hasn't come in yet, but I'm hoping it'll be as awesome as everyone was saying it was online. I've started thinking about the PCT. Not serious thinking, but just casual thinking. Then again, I was just casually thinking about the AT until 5 months before I started it. Speaking of, it'll be one year on Thursday when I began my thru-hike. That's hard to believe, but also, easy to believe. Anyway, I can't seriously think about doing the PCT until I save up 5,000 bucks. And that may take a while.

Missing some Conan goodness?

I know I have. Luckily I'm linked in to the fan page, "I'm With CoCo" on the facebook. People are always posting some hilarious clip from Late Night that I had long forgotten. The other day I found something that I hadn't even ever heard of before. It was a pilot created by Robert Smigel and Conan that starred Adam West. Unfortunately, it was never picked up. It's a shame, really. The pilot is hilarious. Check it out.




Also, I am not a twitter-er, nor will I ever become one. My reason for that is because it has no function that facebook doesn't already provide. However, I almost considered signing up after I saw that Conan O'Brien has made one. His updates are great. You should check that out also. http://twitter.com/conanobrien

You make the music go back, you hear Satan speakin'

I thought this was pretty funny.

LOST - Questions I'd like to see answered

Let's face it, there are a lot of questions Lost has raised (and is still raising) over its five (and change) seasons. The closer we get to the series finale, the less likely I see some questions which may be deemed "not important enough" getting answered. Now to be fair, I'm not nitpicking here. Some questions I would rather them not spend time on. Some truly are not important enough. The "Hurley Bird", for example. I really don't care about that. It was used in only two episodes and it was clearly just a means to a classic Hurley punchline. I can live with that kind of answer.

HOWEVER.

There are some questions that I will not just roll over about. These have been brought up on the show deliberately, in my opinion, and should be answered.

The following is my list of said questions:

• What exactly did turning the Fail-Safe key do?
• What is up with Cindy!?
  
• How are the Periodic Resupply Drops getting to the island?
• What about the glass eye found in the Arrow Station?
• What is in the bag that Ben takes out of the air duct in the hotel room?
• Who are the "other Others" in pursuit of Sawyer and Co in the outrigger canoe during one of the time shifts?

(This list will get larger as I continue to recall these unsolved mysteries)

Where's the fuckin' money SHITHEEAAAAD??!!!!

I just found out that the actor who plays Jacob on Lost is the same guy who was the blond Jackie Treehorn thug in The Big Lebowski. My mind is blown...




Sadly, I can't say the same for last night's LOST season premiere. I'm sure this "alternate reality" that they introduced will ultimately turn out to be pretty neat, but this early on, it's not really doing it for me.

Traditionally the season premiere has been pretty cool, introducing us to a new part of the island we've never seen. Last night's episode followed that tradition with our long awaited first look into the temple. I suppose it was the "presentation" of the new stuff that I was most disappointing with.

I enjoyed how they've done the previous season premieres. Where the viewer has no idea...Where? What? When? Especially season 2. It was the first episode I saw on tv (I watched season 1 on dvd shortly before the second season premiered) That will always be my favorite. The whole first scene with Desmond in the hatch and then eventually panning up to Locke and Jack staring down was just brilliant.

Yeah, you could say, "But Jacob, you don't know where, what or when during the first part where they are in the plane." True. But unlike the hatch scene from the season 2 premiere, the camera doesn't pan around to reveal some cool secret to us. Instead it dives underwater and shows us a sunken island. Leaving us with only further questions. More questions do no entertain me in the same way long awaited answers do. Maybe that's just me.

Yeah, I guess it was kinda cool to see the island is now underwater in this bizzaro world. But because we don't know anything about it...I don't even know what to make of it in the first place. There's no frame of reference. I suppose we could assume. Theorize that this is some parallel universe or something. But if that's the case, this has gotten even more complicated than time travel.

How, oh how are you going to wrap this all up Lost writers and producers? It better be good.