# Well.... coming to no choice



## Shari (Dec 4, 2009)

Have called the Real Estate lady, and we will put our place up for sale on Monday.






Even though DH has been sending in tons of resumes,, even has had many interviews, still no job in sight. Managed to keep us going for 12 months now but no more rabbits to pull out of my hat any more. Been looking for Under the Table work, so we won't have to do this yet but no one is offering that either. Sigh ~~

Can't tell you how painful this is.

We will most likely either... end up on the brothers farm.. though there are some issues that need to be dealt with but at least it is still in Oregon... or to my parents place down in CA. Both places we would be able to take our animals with us.

Still hoping for that Miracle,,,so if anyone has one hiding up their sleeve, please send it this way.

(I know the forum rules but it makes it mighty hard to talk to people, when I need too at times like this)


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## crponies (Dec 4, 2009)

Oh, Shari, I am so sorry it is coming to this!



I really hope that your husband gets a job really soon before your place sells.


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## KanoasDestiny (Dec 4, 2009)

Oh no! Oh Shari, I was hoping he had gotten a job. I'm so sorry that things haven't been going better.



I sure hope that your husband can find a job, and your place can be saved. Things are just getting so rough everywhere. One of our local military bases just laid off 569 contracted workers within the past 2 weeks. I thought the economy was supposed to be on it's way back up...yeah right! Praying that you guys get a miracle!


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## susanne (Dec 4, 2009)

Shari,

I'm so sorry to hear this!

Has he checked with the temp agencies? Some specialize in high-tech, engineering, etc., and when the job economy is insecure, employers who don't want to commit to anything longterm turn to temps.

Keith says that OHSU is always hiring, and suggested that Robert check their human resources website -- not necessarily what he really wants, but it would be something to get by, and who knows what might open up later. With all of the research, etc., I believe their computer programming and IT staffs are fairly large.


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## REO (Dec 4, 2009)

Oh no Shari, I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I pray something good comes along QUICKLY!! Above all, I hope whereever your path is leading, that you find happiness at the end of it.

{{{Hugs}}}


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## Shari (Dec 4, 2009)

Thanks everyone. Prayers are welcome!

Susanne, he knows all the temp agenices and has his name in with them. He is networking, staying in touch with all the other engineers that have been laid off. He is on every job source web sight known to man. Am not kidding when I say he spends 8 hours a day looking for a job and sending out resumes. He is willing to do any (legal) job and has cast a broad net. Will tell him about OSU but I have a feeling they don't hire people that do my DH kind of work.

DH doesn't do computer programing, doesn't even know how to do it.._. he is a EMI/EMC Engineer_... he takes Electronic prototypes and tests them to see if they will work in the real world, which they normally don't and they he recommends the needed changes to get the prototypes to work. Tests them again and so on. So basically he helps design electronic computers and servers.

Problem is... with so many people out of work the competition is crazy. He is way over qualified for many jobs and they won't hire him because of that...and his age comes into play. Companies will no longer just hire a person because they are a hard worker. You have to match their requirements pefrectly, not be over or under qualified, not be too old and then you have to hope they notice your resume with the key words you have to learn to work into it.

We are willing to move any where in the World but that doesn't seem to make a difference for getting a job.

He can't afford to do a mim wage job unless it is under the table. Once the Gov and State takes out the taxes.. driving that far even with his wee Toyota Echo that gets 40/43 mpg... do the math and most of the money would go into his gas tank to get too and from work. We would still loose the house and not have any money for food or any of the other basic things.

Only jobs where we live within 20 minutes are the mills, most have either totally closed down and with the few that stayed open only have a 1/4 of their work force and are not hiring. So all of those out of work Mill people are looking for mim wage jobs and not finding them. That is why so many places in this area are for sale.

Even thought about selling the grandfather trees on this place...but were we would once would get 1,500 for each doug and close to 4,000 for each cedar tree, we now get $450 each and that doesn't include paying to have someone cut them down because they are so big and we don't have enough for them to even come out. Its not enough to help us for long and if we have to sell the place, having just stumps, greatly devalues the property. sigh ~~

Heck.. the county devalued my farm by 100,000 but managed to play with the numbers so they could raise our property taxes the full 3%.



Not Kosher.


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## Sterling (Dec 4, 2009)

I'm so sorry you are going thru this Shari. Thinking of you and your hubby and wishing you the best.


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## Valerie (Dec 4, 2009)

Shari,

So sorry to hear this.....I hope things turn around for you guys soon.........and you won't have to sell your place.

Hugs to you.

Valerie


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## Miniv (Dec 4, 2009)

Sending tons of Light and Positive thoughts your way....... Sadly the seasonal jobs are usually minimum wage and it sounds as if you live too far away from the shops who'd be hiring anyway........ sigh.......


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## Katiean (Dec 4, 2009)

Shari said:


> Have called the Real Estate lady, and we will put our place up for sale on Monday.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Shari,

I know how hard it is in Oregon. We lived there when I was about 10. That is more years than I care to count. Anyway, my dad was a carpenter. He paid his dues and very seldom did he get to the top of the list ti be sent out on a job. My mom raised rabbits for the truck that came from CA. That kept food on the table. We built our house (it was never finished but we lived in it). We had out door plumbing. The property payment was $35 per month and then they had to pay electric and buy heating oil. My dad chopped wood for the wood heater. So our living was very meager. When my dad couldn't get carpenter work he pruned pear trees and shoveled out chicken sheds. He even sold life insurance. Things went south when we had a cold snap and lost a whole weeks worth of bunnies in the nest box. They finally made the decision to move my mom made a home made cardboard sigh and tacked it to a tree in the front of the property. We had NO traffic on our road. With in an hour someone drove up our drive way and bought the property for enough down for us to move. My dad bought a 1930's flat bed truck that we put everything we owned on and we moved to Sacramento where my father immediately got a job. Three months later we got the house in Oregon back. At that point the payments were no longer a problem. I guess what I am trying to say is, God has a plan for all of us. In all things we do grow. We might not like what is going on or what we have to do. But, if we listen and follow his guidance we will be blessed. Even if it doesn't feel like it at the time.


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## susanne (Dec 4, 2009)

Be sure that he checks with OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University) -- OSU (Oregon State University) may well have work, but Corvallis would be a loooooong drive!

OHSU may not have the level of work Robert wants or is used to, but almost everything pays way over minimum wage.

It's sadly true that Longview, WA, is truly in the toilet as far as the economy, and that the commute to Portland and Beaverton is to long for much of the available work make any sense. (Although the Columbia County Ryder bus service from Rainer, St. Helens and Scappoose to Portland is a very cost-effective way to get to Portland, at least when your schedule works with theirs...)

Hmm...listening to Public Radio as I type...they just aired a report that the biggest current growth is in temporary and contract work, so perhaps something will show up there for Robert.

Any chance you could rent your place out rather than selling? Real estate isn't moving, due to the banks holding onto their money, and as a consequence more people are renting than buying. I'm sure this wouldn't be your first choice, but it would be better than having your place sit on the market...


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## Shari (Dec 4, 2009)

DH did check today at the OHSU job listings and nothing that he matches for but he has added that to his large list of places to look at everyday.

Robert is willing to take _any_ fair wage job, if the companies will hire him. Its not him being picky.. its the companies being super picky and not even giving him a chance. Right now its Dog eat dog out there and if you are not a perfect match to the job, they are not going to hire you.

Sadly.. contract work is all he has for the most part since he got out of the Navy, seems like the only work for Tech Engineers these last 10 years or so. Used to mean they would pay you very, very well because it was short term and no bennies.

However now, in Oregon.. means min wage to $17.00 an hour contract jobs for what used to be $50 to $77.00 an hour jobs. Sigh ~~

DH is on first name bases with the head of all the temp companies in the area... but all they can offer him is Min wage work. They did tell him the only way to get fair wage pay is move out of Oregon.

He has been trying to get his foot in the door with the the EMI/EMC Engineering design and testing of medical equipment but that is a very hard area to get into unless you know someone high up. Those kinds of jobs are more likely to be full time, perm fair wage jobs.

We looked into the rental thing but as far out as we are and what we would have to ask for the place per month.. doubtful we would find a good renter. This area is dirt poor.

Thank you everyone for the good wishes and thoughts. Really need them right now.


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## Allure Ranch (Dec 4, 2009)

[SIZE=12pt]_I'm sorry for the circumstances that your having to deal with and I hope that things will turn around in your favor. My prayers are with you...._[/SIZE]


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## Shari (Dec 6, 2009)

Thank you Kimberle.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Dec 6, 2009)

Shari said:


> Heck.. the county devalued my farm by 100,000 but managed to play with the numbers so they could raise our property taxes the full 3%.
> 
> 
> 
> Not Kosher.


Not kosher, not nice, and insult to injury! I love how the government always manages to get every last dime they can from us, but forget to cross one "t" or dot one "i" and it can be months before you see money they owe you.





Shari, I'm so sorry it's come to this. My thoughts are with you and my S.O. sympathizes. He's still out of work 12 months after getting out of the Army with Top Secret clearance and a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. He could get a job in other parts of the country, but his dad's dying of kidney cancer so he can't really leave. The Army would take him back but again, he'd have to leave.

Dang it's tough out there!

Leia


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## ShaunaL (Dec 6, 2009)

I'm sorry to hear all of this. I hope things work out for you guys soon.


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## Shari (Dec 6, 2009)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> Shari said:
> 
> 
> > Heck.. the county devalued my farm by 100,000 but managed to play with the numbers so they could raise our property taxes the full 3%.
> ...


If DH still had an active Top Secret clearance.. he could of gotten a couple of jobs. But companies no longer pay for them and boy, oh boy they are expensive and you have to have a job that needs one, to get it again. Catch 22. Sigh ~~

PM me at [email protected] and I will send you the info to get your SO linked In with my DH. My DH knows pretty much what jobs are out there and maybe, he has come across one your SO can apply for.

Very sorry to hear his father is dying of cancer. That is what kept DH on this side of the country, he missed out of a lot of nice, full time, perm jobs in the past, so he could stay near. Hugs to you and yours, not an easy thing to go through.

DH is now seeing how he can apply for jobs in Alberta Canada's oil fields. Not sure what will come of that if anything. Either way we would have to still move.

Thank you Shauna.


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## Minimor (Dec 6, 2009)

Don't put too much hope in Alberta's oilfields just now. Due to changes in law regarding royalty payments, oil companies have cut way back in Alberta. Many people are out of work--I know quite a number of them that have moved here to Manitoba (or many that have come back home to Manitoba) to work--either in other jobs, or in Manitoba's oilfields. Because in Manitoba and Saskatchewan the companies pay lower royalty fees than they do in Alberta , they have scaled back in Alberta and moved operations this way.

Perhaps you will find yourself here in southwestern Manitoba!

I do hope that your DH will find work soon, and I will be thinking of you & praying for you.


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## Shari (Dec 7, 2009)

Minimor said:


> Don't put too much hope in Alberta's oilfields just now. Due to changes in law regarding royalty payments, oil companies have cut way back in Alberta. Many people are out of work--I know quite a number of them that have moved here to Manitoba (or many that have come back home to Manitoba) to work--either in other jobs, or in Manitoba's oilfields. Because in Manitoba and Saskatchewan the companies pay lower royalty fees than they do in Alberta , they have scaled back in Alberta and moved operations this way.
> Perhaps you will find yourself here in southwestern Manitoba!
> 
> I do hope that your DH will find work soon, and I will be thinking of you & praying for you.


Thank you very much for that bit of info!!! Will pass it on to DH.

Am keeping my fingers crossed. Thank you for the well wishes.


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## MountainMeadows (Dec 7, 2009)

Shari

Altho Alaska has taken a hit with the economy it is still fairly strong in comparison to a lot of other states - there are a few new projects on the books up there and if the pipeline is a "go" this year there will be a lot more for a number of years in various places because of the need for multiple pump stations to accomodate it. Pretty cold there, but the workers have a good deal and usually work 3 weeks on, 2 weeks off, so not totally a bust.

Stacy


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## Relic (Dec 7, 2009)

Just a note l live in Alberta and the oil and gas sector plus any other trade required for those places took a big downward hit last year.. so if you think of there being jobs this way you will most likely starve to death and right now freeze to death we are sitting at -29C the next week to be close to -40C if you have no where to live places are running around a thousand for a small dump then utilities on top of that...farmers also hit hard this way the past few years because of beef prices and then the drought working odd jobs where ever to get by and hang on...next door to me a huge cattle operation the wife works nights at Mac Donalds her husband days at UFA cattle have been gone since last year no pastures to graze dugouts are dry very sad but they hope to hang in there over the hump and at least keep the place..Alberta the not so long ago boom province..but we all know sooner or later it will pick up again. Hope things look up for you and yours soon.


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## Shari (Dec 7, 2009)

Thank you for the second info on this Relic. Is why I ask, because I know someone here will have the down and dirty about an area.






With jobs like that.. only DH would go and stay at a boarding house. We won't move the whole farm unless we knew it was a perm fair wage job.

DH was even thinking over being an contractor over in the War area of the world but they don't like hiring people DH age. Not that I would want him over there but he is looking across the board for a job.

Real Estate Lady just called and she said she can't make it until tomorrow. Well, at least the house is clean.


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