Soooooo...panic...yup, this is panic...

[MystyGlyttyr]

I've been...somewhat more off than usual. I'm bored, I'm dissatisfied with life, I want to be doing something else, I want to get a move-on and go to wrestling school sooner rather than later, but I can't find anywhere to go with my obit girl experience and not a hell of a lot else. I had some thought of making a little money by freelance obituary writing but that's proving a bit difficult.

So...

I've abruptly decided to quit my job I've had for five years now and go back to school. I've given notice to the paper that I'll be leaving right after Christmas and as soon as possible, returning to college for, um...something. I don't know what yet. I'm leaning towards a technical program, like auto repair, welding, something like that. If I can find the financial aid to go with it. Otherwise, maybe like office careers or language or something like that. I'll find something I like.

But I don't know for sure just yet, except that I've pretty well already quit my job in less than two months and they're probably looking for a replacement for me already.

...so I'm completely and utterly freaking out my gourd right now. Aspies already don't like change and this is a big, big, BIG CHANGE. But I feel like...if I don't jump now, I never will. And it's sudden and it's more of a vague concept than an actual plan, but...my folks say go for it, and if I don't change something in my dull rut of a life soon, I'm going to go postal. Dyeing my hair isn't cutting it anymore.

Oh my God I'm terrified. And the cake is all gone!

[Der Cute]

Hey.

You do know that our hard blue collar labor jobs are slightly increasing, and at the same time, we (America) are running out of experienced workers for these crafts?

I have a friend who's 50something, and has been welding most of his life. A lot of people he works with are his age, and no new bodies coming into the field. He's worked on ships and tank (the holding kind) and other large steel structures for a lot of his life. He's definitely got some stories!

How good are you at math? Specifically, trig, geometry, area, circumference, angles.. ? He's damn good - he can do this stuff in his head while he's working on the job. I need pencil and paper..and google. Welding isn't just hot stick thing to hot metal to make sticky. It's chemistry, metallurgy, math...and hard work.

I'm not saying Dont. I'm saying - if you do, go in with eyes open. There's a female welder on this board somewhere...and I'm sure you could go brain picking with our resident mechanic/car tinker guys.

Before you jump into a program like that (I did networking and computer tech stuff) please, do a bit more researach.. If you send me (PM ) your email, and a bunch of welding questions, I can forward it to my friend who is Da Welding Man. He's really smart, I'm always amazed at what he has to do to make the item.

You have some time - go to the state work resources job center in your city, and go up to the front desk and ask about "testing stuff to find out what I am best fit for" there's software all over for this stuff. They get paid to do this for you - and help you with it. You answer a bunch of questions and somehow the software figures out your thinking processes and personality and then tells you you're a key person for Underwater Basket Weaving or Shoe Making Baker. (you get the idea) But you can do it for free, anytime you want at the state job resource center. Really. And chat with some counselors THERE to help see if you can get ANY kind of assistance to get into those tech-y jobs.

BECAUSE there is a shortage of new-er workers to those crafts, some of the unions ARE putting out incentives (aka paid tuition & internship) for these jobs. ASK THE WORKERS AT THE STATE PLACE!! They will know! And will be able to show you, statistic wise, which flavor of those jobs is increasing/decreasing in your county/state, and who's PROJECTED to have jobs later.

I did computers because I was interested in them - I mean, I LIKED taking them apart and thinking wow how DOES that thingy work? I'm kind of an engineering personality - how does it work and can I do it faster? What are you? What do you LIKE to do besides wrestling? Besides writing about dead people?

Hugs, Mysty....we will be here to support you whatever you do.

Cutenoob

[AccountingDrone]

You have some time - go to the state work resources job center in your city, and go up to the front desk and ask about "testing stuff to find out what I am best fit for" there's software all over for this stuff. They get paid to do this for you - and help you with it. You answer a bunch of questions and somehow the software figures out your thinking processes and personality and then tells you you're a key person for Underwater Basket Weaving or Shoe Making Baker. (you get the idea) But you can do it for free, anytime you want at the state job resource center. Really. And chat with some counselors THERE to help see if you can get ANY kind of assistance to get into those tech-y jobs.

BECAUSE there is a shortage of new-er workers to those crafts, some of the unions ARE putting out incentives (aka paid tuition & internship) for these jobs. ASK THE WORKERS AT THE STATE PLACE!! They will know! And will be able to show you, statistic wise, which flavor of those jobs is increasing/decreasing in your county/state, and who's PROJECTED to have jobs later.

I did computers because I was interested in them - I mean, I LIKED taking them apart and thinking wow how DOES that thingy work? I'm kind of an engineering personality - how does it work and can I do it faster? What are you? What do you LIKE to do besides wrestling? Besides writing about dead people?

Hugs, Mysty....we will be here to support you whatever you do.

Cutenoob

Definitely ... I can recommend machine technology for aspies ... especially now with all the CAD CAM equipment out there. I am an old school machinist [manual lathe/mills not CAM equipment. I don't think there is a school out there that trains us any further. I learned my trade back in the early 70s as a kid working in a shop starting by sweeping the floors and learning the equipment hands on style and getting classes in drafting and metallurgy and math later]

In a production type shop, it is very regular and regimented. You get job tickets, set your equipment up, and make the run of product. Sometimes a machine may need maintenance that you may be responsible for, depending on how the shop is set up. If you are in a prototype shop, it is a lot different as you may make the same item with small individual changes made so you can plan for production runs. Being slightly OCD can help - things like counting everything and setting them out in 10s for example, or sorting stuff by size or part number =) I have not been working as one since 1989 and I still sort my change int $1.00 stacks and lining them up on the dresser by size of coin

[MystyGlyttyr]

Well, updating, I have decided what I'm going to be going for. Depending on which my pell grant will cover, I'm either going for an associates or a certification in culinary arts. Either way is a place to start at least, and will travel with me when I start scouting out wrestling schools. I love to cook, I like to be creative with stuff, I sit up all night watching infomercials for food preparation stuff wanting all of them (Ninja Master Prep yes please!), etc. Seems like a natural choice!

Still, now that I have a plan really in place, I'm getting excited. I wasn't really prepared for college the first time I went, had no real ambition or ideas at the time, pretty much just went because my mom said I had to. And after five years of dealing with death and grieving families and bitching bridezillas and all that ilk, school will be downright relaxing.

Plus, I'll get a new laptop when I get my retirement money. Bonus!

[AccountingDrone]

yay, grats and i hope the grant fairy comes through!