The light at the end of the tunnel?

[TommyD]

> I made a post a couple months ago about things that suck at work,and have an update. I've been trying for over a year to come up with the cash to pay for what SHOULD be my last quarter in machine shop school,with little luck. I start to make progress,and something like needing tires comes up. I was at the counter when a regular customer comes in and asks for a sandwich,and he asks me about school. I tell him,who is a 25 year veteran tool and die maker in a manual-only shop,that I'm as prepared as I can be,but don't have the cash to do it just yet. He says "well I might be able to help with that". We talked for a couple minutes,and he gave me the impression that he was serious about it,which impressed me,as it seems like most of the older,really skilled manual machinists around here are very resentful of kids that show up as noobs and can program CNC instead of making parts on a manual machine. He left,and I was really enthused the rest of the night,hoping that we might be able to strike some kind of deal. I saw him a few days later,and told him I had done some brainstorming and thought that it would be best if I could find a way to access some manual equipment and finish my last 5 manual projects. Because I already have the math book,the blueprint book,and all bookwork on CNC operations done,I could just walk in the shop after registering,hand the instructor the parts,and ask for the math final and the blueprint final,and start the actual CNC phase of the course,making it cheaper on him because he's only paying the tuition for one quarter,instead of letting it spill over into another,which happens to a LOT of people there. If all you lack is the final project,which is programming a CNC mill to turn a 1.500 aluminum cube into a hollow frame with a ball inside,and you don't finish it before the quarter ends,you have to pay for the whole next quarter even if it only takes you 1 day to finish the last project. Without that last project,you don't get to leave the course with your Machinist I certficate,which could mean as much as double the pay in some places,or the difference between getting hired or not,a LOT of places won't hire you without at least Mach I. He said that would be a great idea,and since he has keys to the shop he could help with that too,preferably between 6:00 and 10-11:00 or so. Here was the problem. I normally work 4-12 Mon-Thurs and Saturday,he works 7-5 during the week. I started looking for other jobs,but nothing but other gas stations and fast food are available around here for the most part. I asked my boss point blank how soon he could be ready to give me days on my current job,and explained why. I told him that I had more experience than everyone else but him and the old woman I work with at night combined,so he basically can't tell me no,since we were still trying to fill 2 spots on days anyway,and giving a total noob days would be a good way to chase off the only male he has that gets things done. He said he would see what he could do. That was damn near 2 months ago. The dayshift clique,that supposedly does no wrong yet doesn't do anything period gets wind of it within a single day,and they're all up in arms about it,since one of them might get forced to a different shift where they can't pile up in the office 4 deep smoking cigs while the trash piles up,they might actually have to do something. I tell the main purveyor of workplace bullshit Chris when he asked me about it that I don't care who likes it or doesn't like it,it is GOING to happen,because I can't afford to let an opportunity like this float away. Everyone seems to agree with me on this point,but they are still bending the boss to their will,and I kept hearing crap about how "they" weren't gonna let it happen. I make sure the audio portion of our surveillance tapes catches me several times preaching about how I'm not going to let underlings decide my fate,and that if this issue isn't met to my liking,I will go to the next step in the chain of command over the manager,or simply take my shit elsewhere. I am already paying child support on one kid and another on the way with a different woman,what I'm making now sure as hell isn't gonna cut it,especially since I want to eventually open a mobile repair shop with the next step being a custom cue business. The shortest path to that goal is to graduate,get as good a job as I can find locally,or possibly relocate,put some cash together,and borrow the rest of what I need for equipment and materials,and slowly reinvest everything until I have everything I need plus the experiences and skills I don't have yet. I've prepared myself to the point that I have that I'm pretty sure I can walk up to a CNC lathe and cut an Acme screw. I go into the store to get some Skittles for my pregnant girlfriend and use the phone to call her Pizza Hut breadstick order in,and Carla,the girl working my shift that night,tells me that all of a sudden,I'm on days,9:45-6:00 Mon-Thurs,my normal Friday off,and 4-12 Saturdays. I don't know what went right,or wrong,or what crawled up the bosses ass,but I got what I wanted. Maybe this will put me on the road to finding the goose that laid the golden egg. Tommy D.

[Zerberus]

Dude, I can feel for you, I´ve been trying to come back home for years now but somehow I always manage to get bogged down over here in Europe, usually for financial reasons. It´s a constant uphill struggle with no real end in sight....

Nice to know things are starting to look a little better on your side