for the first time, I understand why people kill themselves

[Seshat]

Another thought:

Is there a reason you need to stay in Utah?

And don't say 'can't afford to move'. I've seen communities at work shuttling people from person to person before.
If it takes that, you may have to move with little more than can fit in a couple of large suitcases - but it can be done, and might be worth it to get you & hubby to a place with better jobs for you both.

[Andara Bledin]

More than just better jobs; I suspect both would be better off in a more accepting cultural setting.

^-.-^

[telecom_goddess]

I've been trying to get them to move Portland for ages Can't say I have any idea what the job market is like though since I haven't had to look for one in 10 years. I know someone who just moved to Kentucky and lined up a bunch of interviews in no time flat so it seems to be good there.

[smileyeagle1021]

Another thought:

Is there a reason you need to stay in Utah?

Yes, two words, our niece.
We love her dearly, and really she is the only thing that would keep us here.
That said, it's not enough to keep us here. Now that I no longer have to worry about transferring to a different school which would have been a nightmare and a half, there is nothing to keep us here (our niece is old enough that we could get by with video calls, phone calls, and the occasional visit)
With that in mind, I've already started actively applying for jobs in Reno and am considering actively applying in Las Vegas as well (right now I want to stick to Nevada, preferably Reno because I have family and friends there and Vegas is on the list because it is one of the places mom has said she would be willing to help us move). I am thinking of expanding that to Portland and Seattle and possibly Sacramento as well (in that order for adding additional cities), but a lot of it comes down to cost, my mother will pay the moving costs for me to move back to Nevada and unless I've exhausted that option I doubt she'll help me to move even further away.

[auntiem]

One to consider if Nevada doesn't work out: Spokane - depending on the job(s) you are looking for the job market seems to be better there than Seattle - and the rents are much better. It is much easier to get around than Portland too. (IMO)

[Andara Bledin]

From what I understand, the culture in the Portland area is very cool.

The guy who works for the collections agency we use works on the Portland side of the border and lives just over in Washington, and he seems to really like the area.

^-.-^

[smileyeagle1021]

One thing going for Portland is that the metro area has the fourth highest GLBT population in the country... not that that's that big of a deal for me *smile and turn to camera 4*
Yeah, anyone can tell that is a bald faced lie. Yes, it is possible for areas without high GLBT populations to be accepting, but those are the exception, not the rule. Salt Lake is surprisingly accepting... but mainly because gays and lesbians get pushed out of the smaller communities in Utah and Salt Lake is the quickest and cheapest place for them to move to causing Salt Lake to actually have a really high GLBT population.
Though, it is with great pleasure that every year we come closer and closer to having a bigger turn out than the Days of 47 parade (the parade celebrating the arrival of the first settlers in the Salt Lake Valley) for the PRIDE festival... which though in fairness, the Days of 47 is really something that you can go once and be good for life, it is the exact same parade every year, so they do have a much higher first time attending rate each year than us, but they just don't have the same retention.

[dalesys]

Pride Parade pride: Shouting out a request to Laura Love... and having her play it! Mahbootay, my big old bootay...

[Jester]

You're right, Smiley. You should just give up. Just say to hell with it. Grab a bottle of your favorite hooch, get rip-roaring drunk, and have yourself one hell of a pity party.

You get exactly one night for that shit.

The next morning, get up off your ass and announce, loudly and proudly, that this shit is OVER.

Because it is. It's time for you to take control of your life. Time for you to channel your inner Cee Lo Green and say about the company that "fired" you, "fuck them." And about the staffing company that couldn't find their own ass with both hands, "fuck them too."

You are going to get a new job, it is going to be the start of something good, and it is going to be better than you thought. It may not be in Salt Lake, but by the sounds of it, you don't mind a shift to a new locale. So think of this as a fresh start. And it will be better. I know what you're thinking: how the hell can I know that? What, are you calling me a liar?

My niece Dragon was just recently between a rock and a hard place, having just started college, just started a new (crappy) job that had taken her months to find, without a car in a town you really need a car in, and having to find a new place to live. She told me that she was worried she was going to have to drop out of school and go live in the homeless shelter. I told her that was NOT going to happen. I told her that things WOULD turn around, that she needed to go out and make them happen. She doubted me, and I asked her if she was calling me a liar. Naturally, she wouldn't dare. Her current situation? Still has the crappy job, but is still in school, got a grant she wasn't expecting, which greatly improved her financial picture, and just found a place to live, paying less than the original place that she had found to live that was sketchy anyway and that had pulled the carpet out from under her at the last minute....and the new place is with better people, and in a much nicer place. For less money.

My point? I've said it before, and I'll say it again, and I know you've heard this before: when one door closes, another opens, and if you're of that frame of mind, you will find that door, and oftentimes, it will improve things. It has in my life numerous times, and I have been shit on by life, the universe, and everything many, many, MANY times.

Expand your job search to the cities you are willing to relocate to. Attack it with a positive attitude, determination, and pride. Hold your head up and rise above this shitty little company that dogged you and the fucking incompetent staffing company that isn't worth wiping ball sweat on. Fuck 'em both, as they are beneath you, and move on. It may not be obvious immediately, my friend, but something better IS on the horizon for you and your husband.

Unless, of course, you think I'm a liar.....