All Night Long

I ended up getting called in to the Emergency Room all night for stat ultrasounds.  I haven't forgotten about the cliff hanger post regarding my curveball in Flagstaff. It is now 7am and I have been up all night.

But as I quickly type this post up on my cell phone so I don't wake up anyone with bright lights in a dark house,  I can tell you THIS DAD IS TIRED. I've nodded off twice already with my cell phone in my hand.  LOL.

I'll be back...

Okay, I Get It Already...Geesh.

It's not the curveball that matters... it's how you swing at it. 

A curveball was thrown at me from the left field late last night. It was a job offer in Flagstaff, Arizona. I was offered a managerial interview with the boss-man himself. Not sure if I was being tested about my resolve or not, my gut told me to go check it out. In the beginning, pre-farm idea, I had prayed about getting a managerial job with a long overdue raise. That is what this offer would amount to...IF it was offered to me.

So I spent the ENTIRE day driving back and forth to Flagstaff (six hours roundtrip) and a good $110 in gas. After being home for an entire thirty minutes, my part-time job called and said they needed me to come to see ONE patient in the Emergency Room. I knew I was on-call tomorrow but had forgotten about tonight. Frustrating to say the least.

Since my family needs money right now, I cannot refuse. I intend to write up the rest of this story tonight and share with you how the interview in Flagstaff went AND the lovely curveball the Director threw at me in the last two minutes of the interview. UNBELIEVABLE.

I'll also share a little sign from above that we are headed on the right path which occurred on my drive home. Almost teared me up. Shared it with Wifey and when she told the teenagers, they squealed with joy (except for Sis, of course, who is in her room balling her eyes out). I tried to speak with Sis but she wasn't in the mood for RATIONAL THOUGHT. Ugh...

So, I'll be back in a bit after I go peek inside someone's abdomen. Lord help me if it's a crack head looking for pain medication. It might turn into a rectal exam.  Oops, did I say that out loud?

Anywho....

 Next: The Rest of the Story

Schedule Change - Heading out in One Week

Wifey practiced her bread-from-scratch skills last night.

Time seems to be speeding up. After sharing with Uncle R that my new job begins in two weeks, he informed me that I'd need to get there a few days early because the farm house has some plumbing issues. Since I'll be staying there for a  month or so in order to scout out the new job, town, schools, church, etc...I need to make sure things are running as smoothly as possible.

Looks like the old farm house is in need of a new water heater and some minor plumbing repairs. Instead of leaving on a Saturday and arriving Sunday (work starts Monday), I'll be leaving either Wednesday or Thursday of next week. It all depends on if Mr. Plumber can do everything on Friday.

Team Alpha + Wifey on recent trip to Disneyland

I'm going to pack up my 10x12' enclosed trailer and take some stuff with me. I figure it's one less load to pack up on the next trip and it will afford me some comforts from home. Not quite sure what I'll take yet. Most likely camping gear, normal travel gear (clothes, etc), and whatever else might come in handy on the farm. I'll get to see how well the Orange Jeep pulls a loaded trailer 1,000 miles. Her gas mileage is already pretty pathetic as it is. This should be a real gas guzzling trip.

Once I get there, I'll need to do a quick assessment of the living quarters. I'm sure I'll spend a few hours sweeping up cob webs and dead critters, wiping things down, and putting my stuff away. I'll have to get in the habit of leaving the farm gate the way I found it. First rule of the country: leave a gate the way you find it. If it's open, leave it open but for sure, if it is CLOSED...leave it closed. I have a cousin out there that may have a small herd free grazing. I DO NOT want to be responsible for letting those animals loose on my first week there.

I have to make sure everything at home is handled for Wifey so she doesn't have any unexpected surprises while I'm gone. Get the bills paid up, check the Suburban's oil and other fluids, discuss security and OPSEC for a manless house and establish an emergency call procedure.

Team Bravo about to Tea Party in style.

I'll document the road trip with lots of pictures and report in once I get there. Hopefully it won't take too long to get settled into the new job and find a rental home. We will need to stay in a rental until we figure out how we are going to homestead the farm. We've discussed putting a double-wide trailer there but the cost would eat up the funds we have for building a house. So, for now, I'll be looking for a nearby rental property. Problem is, all the houses in these types of small towns were built back in a time when 1200 square feet was a typical house size. With six kids, we feel pretty packed in our Arizona home and it is 2000 square feet. Either we're going to have to deal with a smaller home or I'll have to figure something else out (farm house + trailer?). Any suggestions from my Internet family and friends are welcome!

I'm hoping that once I get into town and start meeting folks, someone will have just what I need. Something under $1000/mo, big enough for our family, and near the farm/job. Indoor plumbing would be nice too ;-)

per Wifey's request: Yes dear, you beat me...once ;-)

~OJD

Next: Planning for the solo roadtrip

Telling the Teenagers - The End is Nigh

The Dude abides...

In an attempt to soften the blow, we treated the family to a bowling night on the town. Good times were had by all for a good three hours.  In the spirit of The Big Lebowski, I (of course) chose the screen name "The Dude".

Bumper rails in place, Team Bravo had a terrific time. Balls were lobbed into the air with giant thuds. Between the legs, two-handed granny throws were attempted with some success.  There was even two occassions (TWO!) where the bowling ball was released towards the crowd (TAKE COVER...INCOMING!!!).

But there were no injuries and I did surprisingly well in the first game.  So, feeling obligated to share, I have included a picture of my talents. Be it known, Wifey came back in game three and slaughtered me. THAT was the picture she chose to capture AND put on facebook (sigh...).

Afterwards we visited the local IHOP for a light snack, free soda refills, and some family roundtable discussion about the events that were unfolding.  I informed the girls that the only jobs that I had been offered were not local...meaning (I made sure to explain clearly) we were going to be moving soon. There was a moment of silence...

Macky calmly says: "well, it'll suck at first...but then we'll get used to it." She's our realist. Team Bravo equates the move to "we're going to live at that place that has horses?! Sweet!" Enough said there. That's four out of six  happy so far.

Sis is one unhappy camper

I look over at The Queen and she's beaming from ear to ear. She not only loves animals and WANTS to be a cowgirl, she discovered a new best friend in her same-age cousin during our Christmas trip to Oklahoma. Her only words: "When are we moving!?"

Then, slowly and with one eye squinted as if about to get clobbered, I look over at Sis. She is utterly devastated. Words weren't even needed to describe her thoughts. Best friends, potential boyfriend, everyone she has spent thousands of text messages (and that was just today) chatting with will be gone. I captured a picture of the moment, like any caring parent would do...right?

I could tell she was immediately formulating a list of everyone she could ask to move in with to stay in Arizona. Truth be told, I think she needs a new home, a new town to start over in. She had a rough time finding friends and has developed a bad habit of putting a strangle hold on anyone that befriends her. Against our advice, she rushes in to relationships with boys and within days is texting 24/7 and molding her life around them. This is only on her third "boyfriend" so far but good grief this kid is making me gray.

Under-table texting "The end is nigh"

I use the term "boyfriend" for ease of explanation but the rules in our house dictate that there will be no dating until age 16 and even then it is to be only "group dating" so that there are witnesses, for lack of a better term. Sis had no interest in boys at all until about a year ago. Now it is a constant battle. Such is the life of a father with six daughters. I'll save the "boyfriend" topic for another day. This entry is about our move to Oklahoma and my pictures of her say everything.

All in all, everyone now knows and is onboard...pending Sis. The next hurdle to tackle will be telling my mom who is my only (close) family member who lives in Arizona. I am her only child and she will NOT be happy. One battle at a time...

~OJD

Next: The dates change. I find out I have one week to move.

Will You Take LESS Than We Originally Offered?

Two of the four jobs I was waiting to hear from chimed in late yesterday. Both show clear evidence that I am headed down the correct path to Oklahoma.

First, I sent a thank you email to the position three hours south of me in southern Arizona. I thanked them for allowing me to interview and they replied

"Sir,

Thanks you for your visit. At this point we will be offering the position to another candidate. I will keep your resume for future openings.

Take Care,

X"

Good thing I contacted them. Who knows when they would have gotten around to notifying me. We'll see  how long it takes to reimburse my gas expense for driving down there. I won't hold my breath.  Anywho...

Second, Mrs. Headhunter (my affectionate term for Temporary Staffing Agent),  emailed me requesting a phone chat. So, I complied. Long story short, the Indians up in northern Arizona officially offered three dollars LESS per hour than originally offered. I had unofficially been offered a set amount by my potential boss, to which, I countered offered two dollars per hour higher. My dad taught me to never accept any first offer when it comes to money.

Their response? Less than the original offer! Ha! How does THAT work? Considering they were not willing to let my family stay with me on the reservation during my contract, it is pretty obvious where I'll be filing this job offer.

Wanna work swing (evening) shifts?

That boils it all down to one last offer...who still hasn't called for an in-person interview. I passed the phone interview but then declined the crummy hours. I had originally applied to the location for one of two possible night shifts (overnight). After passing the phone interview, I was told the two night shifts were filled. There was one swing shift remaining from 11:30am to 8pm, Monday through Friday. I politely declined citing that those hours were optimal family time: school pickup, homework, dinner and bed time. I will sacrifice some things for work...but not those.

Surprisingly, after politely declining that last shift, I was offered a chance to apply for management based on my "enjoyable" phone interview with the department Director (his words, not mine). I filled out the application but have yet to be called for an interview.

So, all signs are still clearly pointed to Oklahoma. Keep your arms and legs inside the Jeep at all times. This is going to be a bumpy ride.

~OJD