The New Guy

You never know just how fast things can change.

I went to bed Tuesday night feeling bad. Not illness, but with the feeling that I was not helping in any way financially-- being a drain and a stress on my wife. So Wednesday morning, I pressed my slacks and a nice shirt and went hunting. I think it was my third stop, when I walked into a Domino's Pizza store, and about 20 minutes later (what, not 30?) left with a job.

So I'm doing that which I never saw myself doing-- something I was unwilling to do until recently, when I realized that I had to get going. Friday was my first day, this evening is my second. Much to learn, and ya, I'm a little nervous and scared, but it's also an opportunity. A chance to make some money and earn a little freedom for my wife and me. And maybe even buy a toy or two.

That evening, I also applied for a job with the Census Department. Basically just a cattle call, looking for door knockers/census takers and office workers, all on a temporary basis. Filling out an app and taking a test. I scored perfectly on the test (*much* to my surprise), and am getting veteran's preference points, so we'll see how that goes. I'm told office jobs are far and few between.

And yesterday, it was into Birmingham for UTEP basketball, against UAB. Good guys won in double OT. What a game and what an atmosphere. I saw right in front of the UAB student section, along the baseline, and heard some of the most pathetic taunting I've ever heard. All good fun though.

It also gave me a chance to say hello to Jon Teicher, the longtime voice of the Miners, also a friend of mine and a gentleman who has been kind enough to let me add his name to my reference list. He is the reason I got into broadcasting-- I used to listen to El Paso Diablo baseball on the radio as a kid, as well as the UTEP games. I think one time he stopped to talk to my dad and me-- I guess he was doing a little PR work and asking folks about the stadium and atmosphere. My dad talked-- I was like nine, and could barely speak.

Anyhow, I caught him during a postgame commercial break, so he was still at work, but he couldn't have been nicer to me. He remembered my name, shook my hand warmly and asked me how it was going. I told him I was looking to go in a different direction, and he explained how hard it is to break into the business, how he'd been talking to a friend of his in the profession, and talking about how there are so few jobs, so few jobs coming open and so many people on the prowl for the openings that do come up. So he was understanding, and told me to keep him posted. It was a short but warm conversation, since he still had a broadcast to tend to, so I went on my way. But it was important to me to stop by, and he was most kind.