Posted by Coonskin on Thursday, May 3, 2012
ONE YEAR & ONE MONTH...that's how long I've been unemployed. No unemployment insurance from the state, as I voluntarily left my job after telling the old boss(that I worked for for eight years) that I was sick of his crapola, told him to stuff it and walked out. I've been doing pickup gigs from Craigslist to get by, along with giving Turkish drum lessons(Yup...I said it), and various other nefarious-but-legal money gathering gigs...boy is it beginning to chap my hide. Unfortunately being in the printing industry for fifteen years has rendered me seemingly unemployable, as printing is a dying trade, and I'm sure that being a 45 year old ex-con isn't helping my chances...grr, I want some work.
The Amazon.com wishlist is getting to be book length, my Kindle died, my iPod died, my good computer got a virus in the bios and died, the digital converter box for my television died, I can't afford a phone or bus fare to go and do anything away from the shack here. A minor drag, as far as drags go. I'm pleased to admit that I haven't punched anyone in about a year and a half, so maybe unemployment isn't as bad as it seems.
I do have four banjos around here though, and plenty of time to play them. I've picked up a couple of new styles, and my existing stuff has sunk in a bit deeper, which is fun. I finished the online Latin course that I'd paid for before I left my job, so I'm continuing on my own, and my regular French and Icelandic studies are ongoing...I had a chat at the 7-11 with a couple from Reykjavik a few weeks ago, which was cool, as I get no chance to practice!
I'm finding that playing Dock Boggs tunes help with the grumpy...
5 comments on “No job, grumpy...but I have four banjos.”
James Stiltner Says:
Thursday, May 3, 2012 @9:26:25 AM
Dock Boggs will definitely make ya feel something when you're out of work! lol
Don Lewers Says:
Saturday, May 5, 2012 @2:11:36 PM
''Coonskin,'' sounds like ya goin through rough times,at least you've got your priorities right with 4 banjos. Have a look at my blog, cause you've plenty of help on hand. Good Luck.
Jane C Says:
Saturday, May 5, 2012 @2:15:49 PM
You.ve every right and reason to be grumpy, but you still seem to have a positive attitude, that should help you in your quest for work. Good luck.
pollywaffle Says:
Saturday, May 5, 2012 @11:34:37 PM
Any noteworthy Death Metal bands you played with?
Coonskin Says:
Sunday, May 6, 2012 @12:06:15 AM
Thanks for all your kind comments, folks! I'm getting by somehow, and picking has made things a lot easier to bear, for sure. I've never had any sort of difficulty in finding a job; fortunately pick-up work is readily available, so I ~scrape~ by, and somehow manage to avoid the indignities of the foodbank(give to foodbanks, btw...my dad got me onto that when I was younger, and I'm grateful now for that). It makes me wonder how a person with even a tad less motivation that I have could make it. It's bad.
As far as my metal days, my bands(Plague Bearer and Death Fetish) never got famous(and not for lack of trying), but we did open up for some of the best old schoolers(but that wasn't difficult, as they were always looking for opening bands): Morbid Angel, Grave, Immolation, and Obituary being some. Our deal was that we never bothered to make a tape other than the demos. we just liked to go out and shred, making the crazed monkeys jump around like popping corn. Great times back then; we lived the Charlie Poole kinda life(as my imagination has him) , going from place to place, playing our homemade music on beater instruments. Death Metal was a real grass roots thing back then; guys with no musical training listening to bootleg tapes and the occasional lp working out the time signatures on their own(when I got my second bass drum it was like going from playing two finger banjo to three!), hoboing from place to place, making just enough for gas and breakfast. Unlike mainstream rock, most of the guys that play it are pretty intelligent and artistic, and less inclined toward violence and the drugs, etc. I think only one of the guys even drank beer....it was all about the rawk. :)
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