Looking For Work

Looking For Work was Originally Posted on October 13, 2009 by lavarock

As readers of the blog, you know that I have been working for 2 and a half years up in Kona as a concierge and front office staff person. I was called into the office on October 1st and told that my last day was the previous day. I am eligible for re-hire, but because of budget and workload, they were unable to kep me on at present.

I have applied for unemployment as the farm is not yet self-sufficient or genering enough income for me to no longer have another job. Hopefully that will change perhaps late next year.

Still, it has been a while since my last unemployment when Hewlett Packard laid off 1/3 of their workforce and I was one of 40,000. Talk about a layoff! However, that change in status also allowed me to move to Hawaii and here I am, happy that I am in a nice climate with a low crime rate and no tornados (to speak of). Oh, we have our problems, tsunamis (2 watches in the past month), the occasional 6.8 or 6.2 earthquake, an active volcno, an occasional hurricane, we once thought we might be the target of Korean missles, and so on. STILL, it is a great place to live and I have no pland of going back to the mainland to live.

So, I applied for unemployment insurance and have to admit, so far the process is pretty easy and painless. The workers I have encountered are cheerful (well I would be too if *I* had a job too :-).

I know that many people are out of work and I feel for them. Over the years I have worked many jobs and learned many skills. I believe that I will be able to use them to acquire my next job. I’m not looking fro a career, just a job to tide me over till I get the farm in full production.

Today, Rusty is supposed to come by and talk to me about filling in my water pipe trench. That will allow me to request the last payment from the USDA/NRCS contract I have for water catchment systems. I have already spent most of the money myself, I just need to get paid back.

He also will take my tractor up into town for some maintenance. There is a small presure leak in a seal, and the mower needs different bolts installed.

Then with the trench filled in, the mower and tractor working to perfection, I will be able to quickly and efficiently mow between the 41 rows of trees and get most of the weeds out of the way. I may still have to hire someone to weed for me, as I have some problems doing it myself at the moment. I sprained a leg muscle that makes a lot of bending a problem at present.

I now have a new freezer and have started stockpiling frozen foods for me and meat for Koa. That dog really does eat better than I do! Although half my weight, you don’t want to keep a Labrador from his food!

So, I just finished up on the phone with the unemployment peple and got talked into listing myself as being available for all 3 shifts. I stayed away from cashier (as that usually entails staning and/or sitting at one place for long periods. Time will tell if and when I get a position. I just wish I was about a year further ahead on the farm.