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| Author |
Message |
omni
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Items for sale ASAP
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Mar 12 04:42 UTC 2001 |
Here is the scoop.
Since I have not been able to find a job since my mom died, I am
several months behind on every bill I can imagine and a few I cant.
There is an abundance of stuff in this house that I can sell, and hope
to use the proceeds to save my roof.
Please call me if you are interested. No reasonable offer refused.
You have to pick it up, or arrange for delivery. I dont have a car, or
I'd bring it right to your door.
JVC 5 CD Changer like new ----$100
Assorted video tapes --- $5 each. (there are lots of them)
Magnavox TV Set. 19", cable ready, stereo. -------$250 obo
Asst Macintosh computers $50 each obo
(Mac SE, 4M memory, 40M internal HD.)
(Mac Plus with 20M HD)
Assorted paperback books-- Some brand new, some not so new--
$2 for the old ones, $5 for the new ones.
1 piano, Alfred E. Jennings (Made in Ann Arbor)
------------------Free
1 Emerson portable stereo, dual cassette, detachable spkrs,
CD input jacks---------------------------------$75 obo
Assorted CD's------------------------------$10 each obo
ask me for the titles
My number is 734 663 7876. I have an answering machine, so if I am
not home, you can leave me a message. I will return your call. You can
also send me email @ omni18@juno.com or omni72@hotmail.com
Every item you buy will help me keep my roof. I am ever grateful
for all the help I can get.
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| 153 responses total. |
keesan
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response 1 of 153:
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Mar 12 15:52 UTC 2001 |
Omni, at Kiwanis we were able, at best, to get about 1/4 of the new price for
something still in demand, and often it was only 10%. 19" TVs were selling
for $25-50, boomboxes even with CD players for maybe $30-40, and paperback
books about 25 cents and CDs $1 or maybe $2. Be prepared to adjust your
prices if you really want things to sell. And try the Freebies. Good luck
job hunting - maybe grexers could give you some tips on jobs? When the
students leave town a lot of unskilled jobs tend to open up and it may not
be too early to start looking for those.
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mary
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response 2 of 153:
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Mar 13 00:24 UTC 2001 |
Almost every restaurant in town is in need of kitchen help. The
hospital needs housekeepers. The News need carriers.
Are you looking for a specific job?
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keesan
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response 3 of 153:
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Mar 13 01:27 UTC 2001 |
I had suggested that omni apply for something like data entry, which would
not be as physically exhausting as a restaurant job, and might pay better as
it requires more training (and an ability to spell and type). Omni's health
is not up to a strenuous sort of job (yet - but I know he is working on it).
Are there any large employers around that might have typing jobs without being
too fussy about words per minute? Where would one apply for a job at the
university? Omni also does not mind working late hours, which might help him
to find jobs that other people cannot keep up with.
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omni
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response 4 of 153:
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Mar 13 04:06 UTC 2001 |
I would ideally like to find something in the delivety field.
I do have a job at a restaurant, but I'm not really happy with it. I
am waiting for some other people to call. I hope that I can stick it
out, and eventually I will just have to live through this one day at a
time.
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jep
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response 5 of 153:
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Mar 14 00:01 UTC 2001 |
The Ann Arbor News pays motor route delivery people pretty well if you
count the mileage they give you. I understand you can pull in
$1500-2000 per month for a couple of hours work per day. They've had
chronic shortages in motor route delivery people for years.
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steve
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response 6 of 153:
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Mar 14 02:01 UTC 2001 |
But you need a car for that.
I know you said you'd left it, but what about driving a taxi
again? Isn't that a possibility?
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keesan
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response 7 of 153:
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Mar 15 00:24 UTC 2001 |
My next door neighbor was making lots of money delivering newspapers in the
middle of the night. She had her own truck, a new one.
What's wrong with the restaurant job? Is it boring, or simply too tiring?
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omni
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response 8 of 153:
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Mar 18 03:34 UTC 2001 |
Ok, since this turned into the discuss omni's life item, I'll say 3
things.
1. It's over.
2. I'm noving to another city.
3. It's time for me to get on with things that really matter.
I should have done this like 10 years ago.
Send me e-mail sometime. It might be nice to hear from you.
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slynne
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response 9 of 153:
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Mar 18 19:00 UTC 2001 |
Someone is really bucking for admission into the Grumpybutt Whiners
Club!
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keesan
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response 10 of 153:
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Mar 18 19:25 UTC 2001 |
I hope 1. It's over does not refer to 'life' but rather the restaurant job.
2. Other cities are not going to be significantly easier to find work in that
is interesting, easy, and highly paid.
I will take Omni's comments not at their face value but as an expression of
discontent, and I hope he feels better soon and finds some job that is halfway
tolerable that he can do while getting on with things that really matter.
Work does sort of tend to get in the way of doing what you really want to be
doing, but the right attitude can make things a lot better. Good luck.
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scg
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response 11 of 153:
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Mar 18 19:36 UTC 2001 |
Other cities can, however, provide a change of pace, new and interesting
experiences, and in some cases a break from reminders of unpleasant memories.
Good luck, Jim. I hope things go well for you.
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slynne
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response 12 of 153:
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Mar 18 20:20 UTC 2001 |
Yeah moving to a new city can be an adventure. I think tht it is
important to know that there are some things you cant move away from
though. I have seen a lot of friends move away only to find that they
took their problems with them. On the other hand, a lot of folks leave
not because they are trying to get away from something but just for a
change of scenery and that seems to work out well.
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mary
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response 13 of 153:
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Mar 18 20:51 UTC 2001 |
If I was soon to be homeless I think I'd take my last few
dollars and move somewhere warm. It would be a practical
response to circumstances.
Good luck, Jim.
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scg
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response 14 of 153:
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Mar 18 21:49 UTC 2001 |
Some notes about moving a long distance, having recently done it:
It's expensive. In addition to transit costs and costs of hauling your stuff,
there are all sorts of other expenses that come up. Whether you make a
house/apartment hunting trip before moving, or show up in your new area and
start looking, you'll likely to have to spend a fair amount of time in a hotel
in your new area while making housing arrangements and possibly waiting for
the housing to be ready. In some housing markets, where demand exceeds
supply, this can be a lengthy process, and landlords are likely to want to
see good credit reports and a history of steady employment (including current
employment) before they'll even be willing to consider you. In addition,
while Ann Arbor has a local reputation for expensive housing, that's really
only relative to the Midwest. As you get closer to the East or West Coasts,
housing prices go up considerably. The Bay Area is an extreme example, but
the cheapest apartments I looked at here, considerably smaller and more run
down than my place in Ann Arbor, had rents of twice what I was paying in Ann
Arbor. Security deposits can also turn out to be huge.
Transportation issues can make life interesting, especially if you dont' know
the area well when making plans, or if unexpected things happen. I started
out here in a "temporary housing" apartment (really a suite in an extended
stay hotel), that turned out to be in a suburban office park ten miles South
of where I needed to be to go to work. In the beginning this was just
expensive, as parking near my office turned out to cost $20 per day. Then
my car, which had been nice enough to make it all the way from Michigan to
California without issues, started having problem after problem, and made
transportation considerably less convenient. There turned out to be a train
station a 15 minute walk from the hotel, which had very slow moving trains
running about once an hour (less late at night) that could get me the 10 miles
to work in a little under an hour, but it certainly wasn't at all convenient.
Learning about an areas transportation systems and planning around them before
going there can be very useful (and is what I did when looking for a long term
place to live).
As with any job change, it can take a while for the paychecks to start coming.
My biggest mistake was in budgeting. Fortunately, I had my parents to turn
to and ask for help when I realized I was about to run out of money, and my
first paycheck was still a couple weeks away. My advice would be to come up
with the worst case finanical scenario you can, including lots of things going
wrong, and things being more expensive than you're used to, and calculate how
much money you'll need to get through it. Then double that amount, and try
to come up with it before moving.
Beyond that, moving somewhere new has been a great experience. I'm certainly
not saying this stuff to try to scare you or discourage you, but just advising
you to be prepared so that your move doesn't turn into a bad situation. As
I said before, good luck.
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keesan
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response 15 of 153:
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Mar 19 16:14 UTC 2001 |
I think it would be difficult to find lower rent than where omni already is,
or a city with a lower unemployment rate (particularly since the students are
going to leave town soon and that opens up lots of unskilled jobs), and it
takes a long time to make new connections. I expect this talk about moving
to another city is just expressing an attitude of dissatisfaction with how
life differs from utopia, not real plans to move, and that omni needs
encouragement not to give up getting his life back together here, rather than
wishes for a good move somewhere else. I suggested looking for a data entry
job, which is less strenuous than restaurant work. Anyone have any leads?
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slynne
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response 16 of 153:
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Mar 19 18:31 UTC 2001 |
I dunno. I figure that what omni needs is whatever he thinks he needs.
Maybe omni should send email to ftl who might be able to find him a low
paying data entry job and might even be able to help him find a bed in a
flop house.
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omni
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response 17 of 153:
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Mar 21 06:50 UTC 2001 |
Re 9- Grumpy- Hell yes. Whiner- Not on your life.
re 10- Trying to save my house is akin to bailing out the Titanic with
a mop bucket. It aint gonna happen, and this is one of the cheapest
rents in Ann Arbor. I'm tired of being here, and I'm tired of banging
against stone walls that cant be broken down. I managed to sell a few
things, and I have a nice little nestegg saved up, so I think I can
find a cheap place to sleep in the city I am going to.
re 11- Good point, and that is exactly the reason I am leaving here. I
never asked to come here, and now that there are no real ties here, why
stay? What would be the point? There ARE places that offer cheaper
median rents than Ann Arbor, all you have to do is a little research
and advance planning, something which I have done.
re 12- I'm not running away from my problems, I'm walking away from
memories. I'm walking away from being reminded every time I step into
the hospital, the things that I went through with my mother. I'm
walking away from everything that was my life.
What I am taking with me, is my depression, and my asthma, but I
do need a change, and its time I found a place for me on this planet.
That place obviously is not Ann Arbor.
re 13- If I didnt have the money I had, I might see things a little
differently. however, I do have an income, and I do have the money from
the things I have sold. Ok, it's not a kings ransom, but the money from
the income will pay for a place, and the other money can be used for
bus fare, or better yet a bicycle. The city I am moving to is
considerably flatter than Ann Arbor. Maybe I can get back into the bike
riding habit I used to love so much.
re 14- I saw this coming for a long time, and so I had time to plan. I
got the bus schedules, and studied them. I am familiar with the bus
routes, and the time frequency of the routes. I also happen to have a
map of the city and I've been studying that as well. Thanks to the
Internet, I've been reading the papers from that city, and looking in
the classified section for accomodations and jobs, remembering that
about 30% of the available housing and jobs appear in the paper. There
are others that do not. Yes this will be hard for the first few days or
weeks, but I will make it. Failure is not an option.
re 15- Dont bet on it. This moving talk is not just talk, It is
intention, and as of April 1 or 2, I will cease to be an Ann Arborite.
I can do most anything if I put my mind to it, It is time I did just
that.
re 17- Yes, I know what I need.
1. A good kick in the pants.
2. A reality check
3. I'm not sending email to anyone. I'm concentrating on what I can
do to make the move a little easier, and forgetting the rest.
I know I sound a little brusque, so be it. I need to grow up, get to
work and get my ass to school, so I dont have to do menial jobs all my
life. I plan on getting my ass to school just as soon as I can. It is
time to stop making excuses, and start making my life work.
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rcurl
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response 18 of 153:
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Mar 21 07:09 UTC 2001 |
Good luck, Jim. You have shown before you can reach goals you have set
your mind to.
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kentn
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response 19 of 153:
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Mar 21 12:18 UTC 2001 |
Sounds like you have a plan and a lot of motivation. Good luck, Jim!
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steve
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response 20 of 153:
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Mar 21 14:44 UTC 2001 |
I hope you'll have a 2M rig with you at your new location,
Jim. Please do send email from your new qth.
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slynne
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response 21 of 153:
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Mar 21 20:10 UTC 2001 |
So where are you going?
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omni
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response 22 of 153:
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Mar 21 22:54 UTC 2001 |
right now, I dont want to say.
When I get more comfortable in my new place, I will disclose it.
Oh yes, I will have my 2M rig. I really dont want to be without some
kind of radio.
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omni
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response 23 of 153:
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Apr 2 20:02 UTC 2001 |
Ok, I know everyone is just dying to hear what happened to me.
Here is what's been going on.
1. I found a place. It's cheap, and its not pretty but it has things
going for it. a) it's out of the rain, b) It's 200/mo and c) close to
downtown and the post office.
2. The move was a royal pain in the ass, and should be reserved for
people who are really sick. I know I will have to move to a better place
than I have now, but for the moment, I'm happy, and that's what counts.
3. I also learned that finding a new bank is it's own special hell. Even
though I have my bright shiny new Ohio drivers license, I cannot get an
account (at Huntington bank) until I have been here for 3 months.
4. Ohio has thier own way of doing things.(Kids, dont try this at home)
Last Friday, I decided to get it all over with and get my new Ohio
license. Uh-huh. Right. So I went out to the license bureau in Point
Place (for all you non Ohio types, that is like close to the border). I
was informed that I could not get a license there. I had to go to the
south end of Toledo and take my tests there, THEN come back to the Point
Place license bureau, or any one in the state for that matter. The exam
place did have a license bureau, but the line started somewhere in
Cincinnati, so I asked the examiner where I could get my pic taken. She
suggested since I live in East Toledo, I should go to Oregon. (Non-Ohio
types please note, Oregon in Ohio is actually east of Toledo, and
inaccessable by people who use TARTA.)
She gave me some really bodacious directions, and I wound up lost. I
decided earlier that day that I was going to fly solo and that meant
without the street guide. BIG MISTAKE! I eventually found the place, and
the line at this place was shorter; it started just west of Ashtabula.
;) I got the license, and I was happier for doing it when I had access
to my friend's car. (They could have required me to do the road test
thing. Happily, they waived the test.)
5. I am slowly discovering Toledo, and I actually like it here.
Personally, I think I'm suffering from some kind of weird disease that
actually makes me like Ohio. ;) I've bought a bus pass, and I am
systematically taking every route that I can so I get more intimate with
the place I am going to probably spend the rest of my life. I really
want a car, but for now, the busses will do.
I knew that I would come out of this OK. The move was good for me,
and now I see what needs to be done. All that remains is to get a job
and keep it. Oh, and BTW, if the drivers license thing wasnt bad enough,
Ameritech is going to make me wait until April 6 till I get a phone. For
now, I'm doing the computer-at-the-library thing. At least it gets me
out of the house.
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lk
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response 24 of 153:
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Apr 7 10:24 UTC 2001 |
Glad to hear the move went well and that things are working out!
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