Update Season VII: "The OK Corral"

[Joe Biden 2020]

You just need to decide what you want to do with your life before you spend more money or go into more debt. You clearly aren't sure CAD is what you want to do, as I expected. You just want something to do that doesn't involve having a job.

Negative Ghost Rider, the Computer Science major includes CAD and would likely be better than just a CAD certificate.  I haven't fully decided, yet.

So CAD is not a degree, just a certificate? And where would you get it if not at northern westerns oklahoma university?

At the vo-tech, CAD is a certificate and then I would transfer the credits to one of the JuCo's for an Associate's Degree.  If I don't go to NWOSU, I'm sure there are other colleges around the state I could go.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Also, in Alva, I would look for a job around town to be able to pay my rent and utilities.  It's a small town, so jobs would be limited, but its big enough to where I could get a job.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Another possiblity, and the more reasonable option, is to continue on with the CAD program down here, but get at least a part-time job or an evening call center job when I get back from Africa, and then after I get my certificate, we'll reassess things and if I can't get a good job with the certificate, I'll go up to Alva in August 2014.  The job will do obvious things like pay down my bills quicker, and make it possible to move into an apartment of my own should I choose.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Why don't you apply to a temp agency and have them find you some temp jobs? That's a thing that exists, isn't it?

I may do that when I get back.

I just need something that I can work in the evenings.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I just created a profile on LinkedIn.  Let me know of any companies you think I should follow that are in Oklahoma City.

[Joe Biden 2020]

In addition to create a profile on LinkedIn, I have also checked in with my Dell recruiter and gave her a heads up of when I'll be calling her.  I was going to call her on July 1, but since I won't be home until the evening of July 2, I will wait until after July 4 to call her.  Since July 4 is a Thursday, I figure the best time to call is Monday, July 8.  The chances of her being at work on Friday, July 5 is slim.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I just signed my Mother's Day cards for my mother and my grandmother. I'm looking forward to a special day honoring them. If Mom feels like it, I will be going to church with her in the morning. Then, at 13:00, we'll have Grilled Hamburgers again for Mother's Day Dinner (Her Request). There is no church tomorrow evening, so I can spend the evening with her. If she doesn't feel like going to church, I will just go on to my church as usual in the morning.

[Joe Biden 2020]

do you ever go straight from your bible readings to viewing porn on the computer? 

canceled those subscriptions yet?

Since Bushie won't answer you I will. 

Porn then Bible (for forgiveness)

No he hasn't cancelled them all.

Correct, I still have one - playboy.

So, you aren't giving that one up, are you?

I will at some point.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Since this site can be viewed by school children, I will PM you.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Not like it makes a difference but can you/your family really afford going back to school?

With financial aid, yes, we can.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Thanks, Lief!

[Joe Biden 2020]

Yes, Duke, it will be cancelled Monday when I can get some privacy.  I'll be cancelling by phone, so I likely won't have a cancellation confirmation to post.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Time has gotten away from me, it is 2:10 am and I should have been in bed 2 hours ago, but I wanted to get my post count up to 17,000!  This is 17,001 so I'm going to bed.  See you this afternoon.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I hope everyone has enjoyed their day with their Mom.  I had a great worship service this morning, but she didn't feel like going, and then we had a really nice grilled hamburger Mother's Day Dinner.  It is a tradition in our family that Dad grills on Mother's Day so the ladies don't have to cook or clean.  We then took part in another favorite Sunday tradition - Nap time!!  Now, we're all doing our own thing.  Mom is watching some of her shows on the DVR, Dad is, as well, and I am watching Baseball Tonight leading up to Sunday Night Baseball.

Tomorrow, I've got a meeting with the Maisha Director at 11:00, then its up to the VA Hospital to see an old pastor friend of the family, then Radio Shack to try to find some Kenya Voltage Adapters and then check on the house.  I'll leave at 10:15 and probably won't be home until about 14:00 or so.

[Joe Biden 2020]

When did you have dinner?! Like 3??

13:00 - Monday-Saturday it would be called lunch, but on Sunday's we call the noontime meal dinner.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I hope everyone has enjoyed their day with their Mom. 

Most of us don't live with or near our mommy.  K?  Thx.

I understand that, but how about the mothers in your life, whether they be aunts, sisters, or the bride, friends, ladies you look up to.

Forgive me for not knowing your family, too well, but isn't Mrs. Grumps a mom?  She isn't your mom, but she is the mother of your children.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I hope everyone has enjoyed their day with their Mom.

Gee, thanks for rubbing in the fact that my Mom lives on a different continent, and I can't spend a day with her. 



We did have a video chat though.

EDIT: Actually, that's a good point Bushie.  Considering that even the move to Utah apparently made you homesick...when/if you move to Kenya, make sure to get a computer with a camera in it, and see if you can do the same for your parents, so you can have video chats over Google+ or Skype while you're away.  If you're actually not moving until 2016, then all the better.  That stuff will surely be pretty cheap by then.

I will definitely be using Skype to talk to the parents and everybody back here in Oklahoma.  The connection last March was kinda shaky, but I'm sure in another 3 years, they'll improve the WiFi even in Kenya and make Skype a lot easier.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Inks, I did download the Endomondo App on my new iPhone, so I will be able to use that tomorrow when I walk.

Hey Jeff, how was that walk?

Haha, yeah, that walk didn't happen...  I got lazy and stayed inside.

[Joe Biden 2020]

do you ever go straight from your bible readings to viewing porn on the computer? 

canceled those subscriptions yet?

Since Bushie won't answer you I will. 

Porn then Bible (for forgiveness)

No he hasn't cancelled them all.

Correct, I still have one - playboy.

So, you aren't giving that one up, are you?

I will at some point.

Are you at least remorseful over the fact that you're stealing money from your parents?

I do wish things were different than what they are now.  I hate the fact that I'm 31 years old and still having Mom and Dad pay the majority of my bills.  My remorse and sorrow goes way beyond just a few porn subscriptions.  It encompasses the fact that I receive way too much financial assistance for someone who is beginning his 13th year out of high school.  I am hopefully going up to Alva in a couple weeks to talk to my good friend who is the Department Chair of the Math and Computer Science department because they offer a CAD degree, not just a certificate.  I'm going to ask him how 1) How long it would take me to upgrade my Computer Science Minor to a Computer Science Major, 2) What can I actually do with a CAD degree, and 3) If he thinks abandoning ship and going back to Northwestern to complete my CAD degree would be more beneficial than staying put and working on my CAD certificate and upgrading that to a CAD Associates.  I've known him for 13 years and I know he'll give me a straight answer and not one that is necessarily slanted toward his school or his department.  I'm also going to scope out possible places to live while I'm up there.

If I do stay at home and work on my certificate, I told my parents just the other day that I have got to get a job in July and work evenings while I go to school during the day.  I'll be off work by 14:20 each afternoon, so I will have time to work from, say, 15:30-00:30 or whatever.  They didn't push back, but Dad mentioned the Alva possibility.  To be honest, I miss working and more and more I wish my Dad and I hadn't come to the decision to abort the Utah experiment.  That's water under the bridge now, so I'm doing my best to conduct this change in the correct manner that works for my and my parents situation.  If the Department Chair thinks both are equally as efficient, I am going to stay here for at least another year, work on my certificate, get an evening job maybe at a call center or something, continue to fulfill my duties as church clerk, and maybe try to get into an apartment sometime this Autumn.  We will be closing on the house next week, so that won't be a concern, anymore.  Then, next year, if I can't get a job with my certificate, I'll go up to Northwestern next August.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Anyway, I'm off to meet with the Maisha Director and update our game plan for getting me to Kenya and then I have a few other errands to run.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Good Monday Afternoon, folks!  I had a great meeting with my good friend, the Maisha Director this morning.  We talked about several things, and we first started with what I felt God was telling me about the future of Maisha and lo, and behold, both of them are exactly in the long term plans of Maisha (10-20 years).  Those items being, of course, church planting and expansion.  We then moved into my plans for the future.  She wants me to spend the summer with her in 2015 to test the waters.  She always goes down toward the last of May and comes back toward the first of August every summer.  She said I would need to raise $5,000 to do that between now and 30 days before I leave which would be around my 33rd birthday (April 29, 2015).  She also mentioned another possibility that might be a better avenue for right now.  She mentioned the Peace Corps.  The Peace Corps would be a 27 month term commitment not necessarily in Kenya, but anywhere around the world.  According to the PC website, I would not have to pay a dime to get into the Peace Corps, my trip to and from the host country would be paid for, I would be paid to live like one of the locals, I would be give extensive language and culture training both in the United States and in the host country, I will have full medical and dental coverage, and I will be paid a little over $7400 before taxes when I complete the 27 month term to do with as I please.  That would be a huge resume boost if nothing else.  If I decided to stay in America after that, I would have a huge addition to my resume, and would be eligible to bypass a lot of the selection process for federal employment within one year after I return.  So, if I were to apply at Tinker AFB for example, for one year, I would be able to apply and if I meet the qualifications, I would be able to bypass a large part of the selection process.  Its called a noncompetitive advantage.  On the website, it says it takes 9-12 months from application completion to departure.  If I were to aim to go sometime in 2015, for instance, I would be home toward the Autumn 2017.  By that time, the volunteer homes at Maisha should be built and I should be ready to move down there if I so choose.  Or, like I said, I would have a huge resume addition if I chose to remain working State side.

I know for a fact that whether I serve with Maisha or with the Peace Corps, I would have to lose a lot of weight.  It just so happened that right after I spoke to my mother about this, it was about 15:00 this afternoon and I told her I was going to call the doctor to try to get in before the end of the month to get a weight loss diet and exercise plan that best works for my needs.  I called right then before I forgot.  Its a good thing I did, because I have an appointment tomorrow morning at 10:40.  The doctor had a cancellation!  How's that for timing?

If I remember right, someone on the forum may have mentioned the Peace Corps a long time ago, but I ignored it.  That was probably way back in Season 3 when Kenya was the dominant topic.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I'm going to make a promise to myself and not apply until I have at least lost 50 lbs and my CAD certificate is completed, which ever comes last.

[Joe Biden 2020]

bushie every day it is some sensational goal for you.  stick to one goal at a time!

what about taking a walk every day to lose weight?  that sounds like a reasonable goal.

you live in a state of delusion.  i say that not to be mean...but to encourage you (again) to seek professional mental health care.  it was the best decision i ever made.

I know its a string of big goals.  I'm just trying to figure out the best road to take.

Walking every day will likely be part of the plan, but I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to figure out the best complete approach, diet and exercise.

The only help I will seek is medical help.  I don't consider this as a state of delusion.  I'm just trying to figure out what is the best way to fulfill my dreams while becoming financially independent and stable in the shortest amount of time.  I'm still trying to figure things out here.  I've still got that plan that I've mentioned at least through May 2014, but it remains to be seen what I will do after that.  I don't know if I want to get a job and work at it for a year or so, or if I want to get my Associate's degree in CAD, spend the summer 2015 in Kenya, or if I want to get the CAD certificate then serve in the Peace Corps and come back and decide from there.  I've got a lot of decisions to make, and i am going to consult with my pastor tomorrow night and try to consult with another pastor in the area who knows me, but is disconnected from the situation.  I know who I want to talk to, I'll just have to see if I can get in there.

[Joe Biden 2020]

do you ever go straight from your bible readings to viewing porn on the computer? 

canceled those subscriptions yet?

Since Bushie won't answer you I will. 

Porn then Bible (for forgiveness)

No he hasn't cancelled them all.

Correct, I still have one - playboy.

So, you aren't giving that one up, are you?

I will at some point.

Are you at least remorseful over the fact that you're stealing money from your parents?

I do wish things were different than what they are now.  I hate the fact that I'm 31 years old and still having Mom and Dad pay the majority of my bills.  My remorse and sorrow goes way beyond just a few porn subscriptions.  It encompasses the fact that I receive way too much financial assistance for someone who is beginning his 13th year out of high school.  I am hopefully going up to Alva in a couple weeks to talk to my good friend who is the Department Chair of the Math and Computer Science department because they offer a CAD degree, not just a certificate.  I'm going to ask him how 1) How long it would take me to upgrade my Computer Science Minor to a Computer Science Major, 2) What can I actually do with a CAD degree, and 3) If he thinks abandoning ship and going back to Northwestern to complete my CAD degree would be more beneficial than staying put and working on my CAD certificate and upgrading that to a CAD Associates.  I've known him for 13 years and I know he'll give me a straight answer and not one that is necessarily slanted toward his school or his department.  I'm also going to scope out possible places to live while I'm up there.

If I do stay at home and work on my certificate, I told my parents just the other day that I have got to get a job in July and work evenings while I go to school during the day.  I'll be off work by 14:20 each afternoon, so I will have time to work from, say, 15:30-00:30 or whatever.  They didn't push back, but Dad mentioned the Alva possibility.  To be honest, I miss working and more and more I wish my Dad and I hadn't come to the decision to abort the Utah experiment.  That's water under the bridge now, so I'm doing my best to conduct this change in the correct manner that works for my and my parents situation.  If the Department Chair thinks both are equally as efficient, I am going to stay here for at least another year, work on my certificate, get an evening job maybe at a call center or something, continue to fulfill my duties as church clerk, and maybe try to get into an apartment sometime this Autumn.  We will be closing on the house next week, so that won't be a concern, anymore.  Then, next year, if I can't get a job with my certificate, I'll go up to Northwestern next August.

So man up and tell your parents you've been stealing money from them to pay for porn.  How do you expect to fix the other things in your life if you can't stop stealing from people you claim to love?  And how can you really say you're actually remorseful if you refuse to apologize or do anything to stop it?

I've cancelled all the subscriptions including Playboy.  I cancelled Playboy over the phone today, and I didn't get a confirmation receipt, but I checked the website and my account is disabled so now nothing is being wasted on that.

[Joe Biden 2020]

And don't you think that you should apologize to your parents and confess that you were stealing from them?

They already know.