Friday, June 08, 2012

Picking Up And Moving Forward

Friday.

I worked overnight in Goffstown and did absolutely nothing. We didn't turn a wheel and I still didn't sleep well. But that comes with the territory of working overnight shifts and having the ability to rest if nothing is going on. The real problem is that I sleep, proverbially, with one eye open, expecting to hear the overhead tones go off for a call. In our firehouse the lights do not come on when a tone comes in, and that can be a little difficult sometimes. Probably the worst is when a call comes in and you are in that sort of half-sleep and the question becomes, "was that a tone for a call or is it part of the dream I'm having?"

When that happens, it can be hard to distinguish sleep from wakefulness.

This past Wednesday I had a job interview. An old friend of mine who lives in the southwest corner of the state called me about a week ago and asked me if I'd be interested in doing some work for him. Now I have a lot on my plate most of the time, but right now things are a little light. I'm having some trouble getting hours now that I have some time to work, so this was a case of serendipity.

The ambulance company I interviewed at has an interesting history. They branched off of a funeral home located in one of the larger communities in southwest New Hampshire and as an ambulance provider have been in business for a little over 60 years. They have 4 active trucks, do transports and backup 911 for 15 communities, and do on average about 5000 calls each year between all of the communities. And, as needed, they back up the funeral business by assisting with recoveries, directing traffic at funerals, that sort of thing.

The interview went well, I thought, but there are pros and cons that I need to consider if I am offered a job. The pros include some varied types of work, most of which I have done (including some of the funerary stuff) and opportunities to do some different things I don't get to do anywhere else. The biggest con is the travel to get there; it takes between an hour and 90 minutes to get out there (the same community and area my son lived in while he was an undergraduate student). Plus I don't know the area well, which I'm not worried about because anyone can learn an area they are exposed to, for the most part. And I have no idea what kind of compensation I'm looking at. But from what I've been told by someone I know who works there, it isn't spectacular. I am not sure what she means; is it just not great money or is it slave wages? I suppose I won't know that unless I get an offer, then I will find out.

Tomorrow I had hoped to get half of my shift off. But I just got a telephone call and that isn't going to happen. Frankly I didn't expect it to, but I was hopeful. That said, working the extra 8 hours is a good thing, in terms of being able to get my finances in order.

For now, I'll just enjoy the day I'm having. I can't ask for much more than that.

1 comment:

Susie Hemingway said...

Well good luck with that Walt, you certainly seem to have a 'lot on your plate' at the moment. I wish you well when you decide(if you get the offer) never an easy task taking on more work - don't over do it now. Hope all is well with the car damage and that you have Martha home real soon. Very best wishes.