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I was summoned for Jury Duty the same day I received my call from the United Refining Company. My arithmetic reasoning/reading/writing test for the company starts at 7:10am on friday. I won't be piss tested until the following week, my father assures me. This is all good, except for the jury duty business. My doctor's appointment is at 11:00am on Friday, so I have no freaking clue what I'm going to do for an hour or so. Actually, I'll see if I can get it bumped to 10:00am. That would be best.
I wrote them a short letter asking for deferment. Basically, I pointed out I have no reliable means of transport, and I finally found work that won't begin until about a week before I'm summoned...after 1.5 years of unemployment. Hopefully they understand that I need the $900 work weeks, and that they can't possibly compensate me for that lost time. Also, even though the company by law has to give me the time off to be a juror, I'll have only been there a week - and that feels like a slap in the face to them. I'll come back, all of the new hires will have a month of experience I don't have, and it simply won't be a good situation. I'll have a lot to learn, and I won't have the experience of shutdown to draw from. Which, I think, is an important hazing ritual (while also doubling as a necessity for the company, twice a year.)
My pay rate will be $10.46/h starting. After one year I'll be making $12.50/h, if I stay there that long. After five years, $25.50/h. It's an incredibly good job, the union is very strong there.
Realistically, it's unlikely Allegheny College is going to give me the institutional aid I essentially -need- to go to their university. Maybe they will, but I doubt it. If they don't, I'm just going to stick with working for now. I really doubt I'll be there for five years, but who knows. I guess it depends on how life works out. Honestly, at this point, I'm more likely to school online once I have my own place and a steady flow of income. I simply can't be expected to pay over $15,000/y for a college education. I would love to live in dormitories, have the romantic opportunities available...but it's just not a good idea. I don't want to be an indentured servant. And Philosophy isn't exactly an easily sold skill.
Obviously, I just wasn't smart enough to deserve help with paying for college. Whoever makes those decisions, made them in their best judgment I'm sure. Even the federal aid won't be enough to completely cover costs, except for Grove City. And it's already passed the regular decision deadline, so they are a no-go for this year.
I wish I had been born with an IQ about 10-20 points higher than what I have. Then there wouldn't be any question. So sad.
But, I guess I can be happy that I'll be working at the only decent job left within 100 miles...even if it is the place my father has worked his whole life. Like father like son. He's a genius, I probably am one in some regards too...but neither of us have much with regards to social skills, and neither of us are very impractical or spontaneous. I'd go as far to say that neither of us are exactly exceptionally looking gentlemen either. I guess I'm blessed for even having the opportunity to exist, because I'm not really sure I'll be having a child at any given point, thanks to numerous reasons and difficulties...
I won't be smoking marijuana ever again, until I leave the refinery. Can't sacrifice the reference it will be, or the possibility of lifetime or future employment with them. Sucks but until policies change, that's the way it'll be. There's ways to detect recent use, sprays for instance that detect the residue, but for whatever reason, companies like UR like to look into what you've been doing on weekends. Depressing they don't even think for a moment that it's a violation of my civil rights and personal life. I guess, maybe they do...maybe it's even a federal requirement because it is an oil refinery. But if that's the case, the state needs to stay the fuck out of my personal life...as Chaos once said.
I wrote them a short letter asking for deferment. Basically, I pointed out I have no reliable means of transport, and I finally found work that won't begin until about a week before I'm summoned...after 1.5 years of unemployment. Hopefully they understand that I need the $900 work weeks, and that they can't possibly compensate me for that lost time. Also, even though the company by law has to give me the time off to be a juror, I'll have only been there a week - and that feels like a slap in the face to them. I'll come back, all of the new hires will have a month of experience I don't have, and it simply won't be a good situation. I'll have a lot to learn, and I won't have the experience of shutdown to draw from. Which, I think, is an important hazing ritual (while also doubling as a necessity for the company, twice a year.)
My pay rate will be $10.46/h starting. After one year I'll be making $12.50/h, if I stay there that long. After five years, $25.50/h. It's an incredibly good job, the union is very strong there.
Realistically, it's unlikely Allegheny College is going to give me the institutional aid I essentially -need- to go to their university. Maybe they will, but I doubt it. If they don't, I'm just going to stick with working for now. I really doubt I'll be there for five years, but who knows. I guess it depends on how life works out. Honestly, at this point, I'm more likely to school online once I have my own place and a steady flow of income. I simply can't be expected to pay over $15,000/y for a college education. I would love to live in dormitories, have the romantic opportunities available...but it's just not a good idea. I don't want to be an indentured servant. And Philosophy isn't exactly an easily sold skill.
Obviously, I just wasn't smart enough to deserve help with paying for college. Whoever makes those decisions, made them in their best judgment I'm sure. Even the federal aid won't be enough to completely cover costs, except for Grove City. And it's already passed the regular decision deadline, so they are a no-go for this year.
I wish I had been born with an IQ about 10-20 points higher than what I have. Then there wouldn't be any question. So sad.
But, I guess I can be happy that I'll be working at the only decent job left within 100 miles...even if it is the place my father has worked his whole life. Like father like son. He's a genius, I probably am one in some regards too...but neither of us have much with regards to social skills, and neither of us are very impractical or spontaneous. I'd go as far to say that neither of us are exactly exceptionally looking gentlemen either. I guess I'm blessed for even having the opportunity to exist, because I'm not really sure I'll be having a child at any given point, thanks to numerous reasons and difficulties...
I won't be smoking marijuana ever again, until I leave the refinery. Can't sacrifice the reference it will be, or the possibility of lifetime or future employment with them. Sucks but until policies change, that's the way it'll be. There's ways to detect recent use, sprays for instance that detect the residue, but for whatever reason, companies like UR like to look into what you've been doing on weekends. Depressing they don't even think for a moment that it's a violation of my civil rights and personal life. I guess, maybe they do...maybe it's even a federal requirement because it is an oil refinery. But if that's the case, the state needs to stay the fuck out of my personal life...as Chaos once said.
