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. 

153 responses total.

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.

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?

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.  

   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.

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.

   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?

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?

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.

Someone is really bucking for admission into the Grumpybutt Whiners 
Club!

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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?

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. 

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.

Good luck, Jim. You have shown before you can reach goals you have set
your mind to.

Sounds like you have a plan and a lot of motivation.  Good luck, Jim!

   I hope you'll have a 2M rig with you at your new location,
Jim.  Please do send email from your new qth.

So where are you going?

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. 

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.

Glad to hear the move went well and that things are working out!

 Thanks, Leeron. I finally got my phone turned on. I had to wrench it out of
Ameritech, but having a phone is better than not having one at all.

In retrospect, if you were already moving, perhaps you should have
left the Ameriwrech service area....   (:

    Ohio Ameritech is separate from Michigan Ameritech. Go Figure

To some degree.

 One month later, and still not dead.

  I am finding life in Ohio to be just the same as it was in Michigan, 
so there is no bed of roses. The busses are starting to actually make 
sense which somehow has me worried. You dont want to know about the 
busses in Toledo, which move to thier own beat, and if you miss one, 
you're SOL for the next hour or 2.5 hours, depending on which day it 
is, and where you are. At the moment, I am sitting in a Public Library 
in Perrysburg, as in Wood County, as in way far from my humble little 
abode in East Toledo. Being it is Saturday, the bus comes through here 
every 2.5 hours, so you can be damned sure I'm going to be on the bus 
going home. I really dont fancy hoofing 15 miles to home.

   All in all, I think I've come through this with flying colors. I'm 
looking at bicycles, and by this time next week, I should be riding all 
over the place, and the first long tour will be to the end of SR 51, 
which is Busy Corners OH, somewhere in Wood County. I intend to drop 
this weight like a bad habit and become what is commonly known as 
svelte. Who knows? Next year I'll be doing the MS 150 Bike to the Bay 
thing, which I have always wanted to do. I also want to do a trip from 
Cleveland to Cincinnati on SR 4. It will take a month to do, but if I 
have the money and time, there is nothing standing in the way.

   I'm in Perrysburg for a job interview, and I hope to get it. There 
is no reason to think otherwise.

Jim offers a mountain bike, used.  We are both really impressed by your steady
weight loss and positive attitude.  Good luck finding the right job.  Enjoy
your adventures in Toledo and keep us posted.  

You might consider a motorcycle, especially if you reach sveltness (less
wind resistance). 

I've traveled a bit - even "run away" from problems. What I discovered
is that no matter where you go, you take yourself with you. It is cheaper
to change yourself. 

15 miles is about an hour or so by bicycle, depending on the wind. 30 minutes
if you're willing to shell out a few hundred for the bike and if certain
people on m-net are to be believed.

In the city I bike maybe 5 miles/hour.  Most of the time is spent stopping
and starting to avoid cars.  On our trips out of town we consider 10
miles/hour good progress (on dirt roads, to avoid cars).  Omni, let us know
if you are interested in one of our used bikes for getting around Toledo. 
Is it as flat as Ypsilanti?   Are you still maintaining a steady per-month
weight loss, or do you find that as you become thinner you lose less weight
per month?  Do you find yourself hungry a lot, or have you adjusted?  I read
an interesting library book recently talking about set points, which noted
that your set point depends on the type of diet you eat - if you eat a diet
full of fats and sugars, you will weigh more.  Have you discovered any new
foods that you like?

For somebody in reasonable shape on a good road bike (not mountain bike), 20
mph is a pretty easily sustainable average.  30 or faster is easy going down
hill, or riding hard for brief periods, but not something anybody tends to
average over a long distance.

Good luck, Jim!

#34 probably assumes 1) paved roads without stop lights 2) not carrying a tent
or cooking gear or food 3) a bike lane or car-free road 4) no repairs needed.
Three of us were biking across the LP with camping gear on our home-made bikes
when a med student from the UM zipped by us going up a hill at 30 mph (out
for her Sunday 100 mile ride).  We found her at the top of the next hill with
a flat tire and no repair kit, and rescued the damsel in distress.  We
continued on and made 75 miles on dirt roads with 50 pounds load, stopping
to cook lunch and stopping to see the sights, and considered we had done well.

  I have my bike! It's a 12 speed, which needs a little adjusting, but it has
fat tires for my fat self, and it rides pretty well. I biked from home to the
library, and I'm off to explore more of my new city. I paid a little more than
I wanted, but it will get me around, and that's all that counts. Promises made
are promises kept! 
  I am feeling not being on a bike in so long. I'm a little tired, but I have
my trusty TARTA pass that will pick up when I sag. The busses all have bike
racks here. I will bike some every day, just so I can get my self down to a
weight that doesnt resemble the gross tonnage of the Port of Toledo. ;)

You know. I love that there are bike racks on the busses here in AA too. 
I would never even consider riding my bike as part of my commute if that 
werent the case. Good luck with the bike riding, omni. It really is a 
healthy thing to do!

Great!  You really seem to be following through on all your plans.  What sort
of handlebars and saddle do you have?  Do you use the 12 speeds in Toledo?

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