Update XVII: I Ate The Strawberry (The REAL, AUTHENTIC Update)

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

so why was bushie's invitation to uncle bushie's revoked??

I have a theory that Bushie's Tourette's makes him irritating in social situations and at work.  I don't think he thinks he is, but maybe we can ask that guy who got Braum's with him?  I'm not saying that he has any control over this, but rather just a result of his condition.

Also, like I said before, he's 33.  This is his PARENTS' vacation.  It's absurd for a 33 year old man with his own apartment to be tagging along on his parent's getaway.  Does Bushie have any church friends these days?  It seems like he "hangs out" exclusively with his family. 

[Joe Biden 2020]

so why was bushie's invitation to uncle bushie's revoked??

It was never there in the first place.  My Aunt and Uncle have things specifically lined up for Mom and Dad.  I was working at the time they booked this trip, so that's why I wasn't included.

However, Mom, Dad, and I are going to Albuquerque, NM again next weekend (October 17-19) because Mom can tell without me telling her I need to get out.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Here is what I just shared with J-Mann about why I keep going back to customer service.  Any friendly advice would be helpful.

I have had a little success in the call centers, especially technical support call centers.  I was at Dell for an entire year with no problem and was only let go because I couldn't pass the Security+ Certification.  I was also at ONG for 2 years with no problem and that was customer service all the way, though not all call center.  I don't really want call centers, and I want CAD jobs, but those are hard to come by and I need a job.  So, I feel I have to open myself up to jobs that are less than pleasant.  I don't want to stay on my parent's financial ledger, and a lot of times I choose desperation over preferred.  I know there are other jobs out there, but I don't know what to look for.

Wait, wait wait.. lets pump the breaks here real quick. In past seasons, you told us they were getting ready to let you go at ONG. So how does that translate to being there with "no problems"?

Bushie likes to change the narrative to whatever is going to work best/sound nicest for the situation. 

Are we lambasting him for throwing away a steady job to chase a scam?  It's okay, guys.  I was on my last legs at ONG, anyway, and Dad said yadda yadda yadda

Now we are confronting him about looking into customer service AGAIN after he swore it off not one week ago?  It's okay, guys.  I was a model customer service representative at ONG for TWO years, and all I have to do is believe in yadda yadda God blah blah Dad. 

It's classic Update material. 

(I'm sorry for being more caustic than normal with you, Jeff, but you really need a reality check right now.  Take a spa day and have some herbal tea and reflect.  I'm serious.)

There's also the fact he was only at Dell for 2 months

I was at Dell an entire year (June 2011-May 2012).

[Joe Biden 2020]

so why was bushie's invitation to uncle bushie's revoked??

I have a theory that Bushie's Tourette's makes him irritating in social situations and at work.  I don't think he thinks he is, but maybe we can ask that guy who got Braum's with him?  I'm not saying that he has any control over this, but rather just a result of his condition.

Also, like I said before, he's 33.  This is his PARENTS' vacation.  It's absurd for a 33 year old man with his own apartment to be tagging along on his parent's getaway.  Does Bushie have any church friends these days?  It seems like he "hangs out" exclusively with his family. 

I'm actually quite pleasant to be around even with Tourette's.  I'm not loud and boisterous and I function like a normal adult with just some minor tics and stuttering thrown in.

I am 32, not 33.  I love hanging out with my family.  We have become good friends over the years.  I do have church friends also that I enjoy spending time with.

[Lief 🗽]

However, Mom, Dad, and I are going to Albuquerque, NM again next weekend (October 17-19) because Mom can tell without me telling her I need to get out.

Nice! Will Papa Bushie be picking up any trains?

[Joe Biden 2020]

However, Mom, Dad, and I are going to Albuquerque, NM again next weekend (October 17-19) because Mom can tell without me telling her I need to get out.

Nice! Will Papa Bushie be picking up any trains?

We can't leave without them.

[King]

Don't forget to have a green chile cheeseburger during your stay, friend.

[memphis]

Here is what I just shared with J-Mann about why I keep going back to customer service.  Any friendly advice would be helpful.

I have had a little success in the call centers, especially technical support call centers.  I was at Dell for an entire year with no problem and was only let go because I couldn't pass the Security+ Certification.  I was also at ONG for 2 years with no problem and that was customer service all the way, though not all call center.  I don't really want call centers, and I want CAD jobs, but those are hard to come by and I need a job.  So, I feel I have to open myself up to jobs that are less than pleasant.  I don't want to stay on my parent's financial ledger, and a lot of times I choose desperation over preferred.  I know there are other jobs out there, but I don't know what to look for.

Wait, wait wait.. lets pump the breaks here real quick. In past seasons, you told us they were getting ready to let you go at ONG. So how does that translate to being there with "no problems"?

Bushie likes to change the narrative to whatever is going to work best/sound nicest for the situation. 

Are we lambasting him for throwing away a steady job to chase a scam?  It's okay, guys.  I was on my last legs at ONG, anyway, and Dad said yadda yadda yadda

Now we are confronting him about looking into customer service AGAIN after he swore it off not one week ago?  It's okay, guys.  I was a model customer service representative at ONG for TWO years, and all I have to do is believe in yadda yadda God blah blah Dad. 

It's classic Update material. 

(I'm sorry for being more caustic than normal with you, Jeff, but you really need a reality check right no
w.  Take a spa day and have some herbal tea and reflect.  I'm serious.)

There's also the fact he was only at Dell for 2 months

I was at Dell an entire year (June 2011-May 2012).

Can somebody bust out the Update archives and fact check this. I'm on my phone and it's not working right. Otherwise I would. I can't recall Bushie ever having a job for a whole year since ONG. I could be wrong but I think I'd remember something like that.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

so why was bushie's invitation to uncle bushie's revoked??

It was never there in the first place.  My Aunt and Uncle have things specifically lined up for Mom and Dad.  I was working at the time they booked this trip, so that's why I wasn't included.

However, Mom, Dad, and I are going to Albuquerque, NM again next weekend (October 17-19) because Mom can tell without me telling her I need to get out.

Dude, you need to get out and hang with friends!  I understand family is important, I myself be sure to make time for my family.  Find a group that likes to do certain things, preferably active.  Hiking, bird watching, spelunking, whatever.  You're in a transition phase and absorbing ZERO alternative perspectives and ideas.  Everyone gets 18 years to socialize with mom and dad daily.  You need to have a social life beyond family dinner and board game night with church friends which, I'm sorry, is lame beyond words.  Live a little.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

No 32 year old blubbers because he is not included on the weekend getaway.  It's insane. What do you need to get away from?

[Mr. Morden]

Here is what I just shared with J-Mann about why I keep going back to customer service.  Any friendly advice would be helpful.

I have had a little success in the call centers, especially technical support call centers.  I was at Dell for an entire year with no problem and was only let go because I couldn't pass the Security+ Certification.  I was also at ONG for 2 years with no problem and that was customer service all the way, though not all call center.  I don't really want call centers, and I want CAD jobs, but those are hard to come by and I need a job.  So, I feel I have to open myself up to jobs that are less than pleasant.  I don't want to stay on my parent's financial ledger, and a lot of times I choose desperation over preferred.  I know there are other jobs out there, but I don't know what to look for.

Wait, wait wait.. lets pump the breaks here real quick. In past seasons, you told us they were getting ready to let you go at ONG. So how does that translate to being there with "no problems"?

Bushie likes to change the narrative to whatever is going to work best/sound nicest for the situation. 

Are we lambasting him for throwing away a steady job to chase a scam?  It's okay, guys.  I was on my last legs at ONG, anyway, and Dad said yadda yadda yadda

Now we are confronting him about looking into customer service AGAIN after he swore it off not one week ago?  It's okay, guys.  I was a model customer service representative at ONG for TWO years, and all I have to do is believe in yadda yadda God blah blah Dad. 

It's classic Update material. 

(I'm sorry for being more caustic than normal with you, Jeff, but you really need a reality check right no
w.  Take a spa day and have some herbal tea and reflect.  I'm serious.)

There's also the fact he was only at Dell for 2 months

I was at Dell an entire year (June 2011-May 2012).

Can somebody bust out the Update archives and fact check this. I'm on my phone and it's not working right. Otherwise I would. I can't recall Bushie ever having a job for a whole year since ONG. I could be wrong but I think I'd remember something like that.

I'm pretty sure Bushie is right.  2011 was the most boring year of Update.  This was post-2010 drama, but pre-Kenya and pre-Utah.  Update even disappeared from Atlas for nearly six months as Bushie relocated it to a blog, but there wasn't much interest.  Then in early 2012, we had the trip to Kenya, and that was the main focus for a while, and people weren't really focused on his job situation, which in any case seemed OK then.  Then he was fired from Dell, before finding the job at Xerox.

[Joe Biden 2020]

No 32 year old blubbers because he is not included on the weekend getaway.  It's insane. What do you need to get away from?

It wasn't just that.  Things were just piling on.  First, I lost my uncle, then immediately lost my job, and got rejected from two good job opportunities.  I was at a breaking point and it all just came to a head last night.  I feel much better tonight than I did last night, though.  I'm not afraid to admit I am sometimes an emotional guy.  There's nothing wrong with a guy getting emotional every now and then.  In fact, it shows strength.  But, now, things are looking better.  New vacation aside, I've got two other potential opportunities on the table.  Yes, they are technical support call centers, but I will still be looking for CAD jobs in the mean time.  I will just take something now to start bringing in money again.  These jobs aren't meant to be career builders.  One of the other opportunities is back a contractor with Dell on a different account, but doing the same thing I did in 2011.  I've passed the interviews, all that's left is background check and a confirmation of a start date, which should be before the end of the year.  In the mean time, again, I will have ample opportunity to look for a CAD job.  Both of these jobs are long-term open-ended contracts, so as long as I don't make anybody mad, I should be fine.

[Eraserhead]

Jeff, did you have one of your episodes last night?

Like that time when the cat scratched you and you broke down and cried like a new born baby? Or like that time when you screamed obscenities for like 15 minutes straight until you got red in the face and almost passed out?

[Indy Texas]

Jeff, here are my two chief objections/reservations to this:

(1) You have demonstrated an inability and/or unwillingness to simultaneously hold down one full time job and seek a new one. When you worked for fake AT&T, you ended up quitting precisely because you said you didn't have time to look for CAD jobs while working 40 hours a week at the call center.

(2) You have demonstrated an inability and/or unwillingness to simultaneously hold down one full time job and work to improve your CAD skills. Your recent firing indicates you are unprepared to be successful in a CAD position.

You are going to find a new call center job. You are going to put in your 40 hours. The rest of your time is going to be spent (1) watching TV, (2) napping, (3) eating, (4) driving to and from OKC to visit your parents and whoever else is in town this weekend, and (5) going to church.

You will not spend that time doing substantive things like networking (as opposed to throwing your resume at every semi-legitimate website you come across) or practicing your CAD skills. Doing it for an hour a day while you're watching TV isn't good enough, Jeff.

What I've described above is exactly what you have been doing and it's not working. I hope you're willing to admit that now and I hope you're willing to tell us specifically what you're going to do differently this time. A vague insistence that "This time it will be different" is no longer a sufficient excuse from you. You have to earn some credibility before I'm willing to take you seriously anymore.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Eraser, it was a cat scratch-like episode.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

What is the friggin deal with the call centers!?  Is this really the only thing anybody can do for temporary work in Oklahoma!?  Go work at [Inks]ing Braum's or something!  Hold a sign outside the car dealership!  Anything! 

[Joe Biden 2020]

Indy,

I appreciate your concern and it is well founded.  I say I am going to look for a CAD job, so I need to do just that.  I also will start playing with my AutoCAD software as soon as I get back to my main computer.  The job is in OKC so since I will be living with my grandmother, there would be no need to visit them every weekend.  I'll see them everyday.  I'll also be able to eat healthier and learn to cook at the same time.  I will eventually find an apartment deeper in OKC closer to my job, but I'll get established in the job first, like 4-6 months minimum.

[Indy Texas]

What is the friggin deal with the call centers!?  Is this really the only thing anybody can do for temporary work in Oklahoma!?  Go work at [Inks]ing Braum's or something!  Hold a sign outside the car dealership!  Anything! 

A Yankee like you just doesn't understand the ways down here. Over a hundred years ago, honest, hardworking people settled the land. They fought famine and harsh weather and Indian raids. They called it Oklahoma. And with their hands - their calloused, strong hands - and a lot of grit and determination, they built call centers. Call centers, far as the eye can see. Glorious call centers from the Ozarks in the east to the plains in the west! This was their life, their pride, their legacy. And today, the next generation takes up the torch and continues the work of their forefathers. Answering phones, putting people on hold, assigning client ID numbers, escalating and resolving disputes, forwarding cases to the corporate office.

They may be humble people. They may not speak with your fancy Yankee accent and have your fancy Yankee ways. But without them, we'd never be able to understand why we got billed twice for our satellite TV this month, or why the direct debit for our gym membership hasn't posted to our bank account. Maybe you just don't understand, Hockey. Maybe you'll never understand.

[King]

Their heavy reliance on curing and caning in times of hardship also made them addicted to salt and fat with no taste for fruits or vegetables, which they passed on to their children even as it became unnecessary.

[memphis]

Their heavy reliance on curing and caning in times of hardship also made them addicted to salt and fat with no taste for fruits or vegetables, which they passed on to their children even as it became unnecessary.

This actually has an element of truth to it. Fresh produce was hard to come by the old days.

[7,052,770]

Bushie,

Why haven't you called Wal-Mart back yourself? You don't have to wait for them to call you.

This is clearly the best opportunity for you, so try as hard as you can to get it!

[J-Mann]

A trip to a day spa, J-Mann? Paid for by whom?

That was my question, too.  I appreciate the thought, but I don't have the money to spend on a day spa and do it right.

Honestly, I would have paid. Here's my read on where Jeff is at:

He's exceptionally depressed -- moreso than the hints we've seen here and there over the past day, and due to much more than just the events of the last few weeks. The weight of years' worth of poor decisions or missed opportunities would weigh heavily on one's mind.

When Jeff said that his spirit was broken, it was an admission of sorts that he didn't have all the answers (despite his supposed and baffling confidence) and that there was a lot of truth in how we were defining his experiences. But I took no joy in that admission. It's sad to see someone broken, even if that admission is the first step toward being more honest about the future.

I lost a job in April of this year, and it was devestating in a lot of ways. I knew what I had to do to get back on my feet, but that didn't stop the reality of being unexpectedly unemployed any less raw and painful. I took a day for myself, whether I deserved it or not. It helped. The next day, I got to "work," and three-and-a-half weeks later, I was starting my new job.

So the suggestion was rooted in a possible need for Jeff to disconnect from the reaility of his situation (and yeah, I get it ... he's seemingly disconnected enough from reality as it is, but you know what I mean). I suspect he's more bothered by his situation than he ever lets on, and as much as he probably should simply follow some of the expertise shared with him here, there's something to be said for briefly stepping away from a situation to breathe, refocus and begin anew.

[Simfan34]

J-Mann, I am beginning to question your judgement here.

[King]

JMann, if Bushie movies to Kansas City, could you invent a job for him at your workplace $10/hr in something he won't possibly screw up?

[Simfan34]

JMann, if Bushie movies to Kansas City, could you invent a job for him at your workplace $10/hr in something he won't possibly screw up?

AHAHAHA!