Fail

I've been a musician as long as I've had memory. I think I'm up to about 22 years, now. I started with piano, moved to guitar, moved to bass guitar, and finally moved to drums. As my arthritis has gotten progressively worse, I've lost my ability to play the first three. Now, I only play drums.

When we moved out to Oklahoma, I was drumless. I sold my electric set a little while before we left Florida (story for another day). I found myself a beautiful acoustic set with a retail of $2400. It wasn't long before it was mine.

All was well at our old (sewagey) apartment. One side from us was vacant. The other side never minded if I played. That said, it was very difficult for me, because I don't like people hearing me practice because that's when I make all my mistakes.

When we moved in to our new apartment, that's where the problems came in. Both of our neighbors knew I had a kit and okayed certain times to play. The first time I played, our neighbor across the hall beat my door down to tell me to stop. His kid was napping. The second time I played, our downstairs neighbor came up to tell me I missed lots of beats and asked if his wife could watch me play for a while. That REALLY made me self-conscious. I stopped playing then.

I finally made the very hard choice to sell my beautiful new acoustic set and buy another electric. I finally found someone on Craig's List who would trade one for one with me. It was at a loss on my end, but I really needed to play again.

Tonight, Rachel and I drove 70 miles each way to trade kits. I brought the new one home, set it up, and started trying it out so I could get everything set where I wanted it. While using it, the downstairs neighbor came up and asked me to stop. They could hear everything.

Why do I even try? :(

Scam

Being aware of what's wrong with me, now, has had a great impact.

I'm currently going to job interviews, looking for a new place of employment. I've dropped applications and resumes at more places than I can remember; In person and over the internet. One interview I was called back for was an insurance company that was relocating to Norman in another month or two. I knew I applied to a few insurance companies, so I scheduled an interview and got excited about it.

In the past, I would have ignored every warning sign I'm about to discuss. I would have taken everything at face value and completely trusted the person interviewing me. This is a result of my Asperger's Syndrome. Being aware that I do this, I can be more alert to this feeling.

When I went to the interview, I was told that the company found my resume online, but to bring a copy with me. I did, and it was never asked for. The "office" had two employees (both managers), and was very poorly decorated. The furniture was cheap and damaged looking. The place really looked like a fly-by-night operation. I was told the manager had just taken it over from another guy because his sales were higher. That said, he never mentioned why he had NO employees. He just said it was a start up opportunity. Throughout the interview, he did nothing but talking about how much money I could make, but by commission only. I'd also have to pay for my own licensing and training (good companies pay you for that) which could take a month or better. He wanted me to sign up for that on the spot.

Because of my new self-awareness, I asked for 24 hours to think the offer over. I now know not to make snap judgments. As I drove home, I decided that it sounded good, but to do some internet research and to talk to my friend Tyler, who'd worked as a life insurance salesman before.

My buddy said that it all sounded like the bad company he worked for that basically paid him nothing for several months, but that this one might be legit and I could take the license elsewhere if it didn't work out. Once I did some internet research, I learned that this company was currently being investigated for fraud and money laundering. They also have countless scam alerts all over different major websites like the Better Business Bureau.

Thankfully, I didn't take the job. I think I made the right choice, and I feel good about it. A little over a year ago, I'd currently be over $200 in debt working there and never make another penny back (not to count gas costs into that).

Autism Charting

This is nothing official, but still very interesting.



0 indicates no autistic component, 10 indicates a strong autistic component. The components of this plot are outlined below:

# Repetitive or restricted Behaviours and Interests (RBI) - Stereotyped, repetitive behaviours and interests
# Social Impairment (SI) - Social understanding
# Language problems (L) - Speech, words and sentences
# Planning, Organization and Concentration problems (POC) - Cognitive skills related to being able to plan, organise and stay focused
# Imaging and Recall problems (IR) - Visualisation, imagination and remembering past events
# Reasoning and Problem solving problems (RP) - Cognitive skills related to rational deduction and working things out
# Sensory problems (S) - Impact of senses
# Motor problems (M) - Control of own movement

RBI =8.25
SI=7.5
L=3.75
POC=4.5
IR=5.75
RP=5.25
S=6.75
M=5.25

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Here's the link if anyone else is interested in taking this test:
http://www.pttools.co.uk/asc/asc_wp2.php

Job Interviews

First off: when I post a blog, if I don't have a picture specifically for it, I'm going to add a funny one from my special folder. I'm not going to ever explain more than that. Just enjoy.

I've pretty much solidified a new job at the museum/college campus down the street from me. It might take a while to get in, so I'm trying to keep my options open as well.

I found out that a new pet store opened, here in town, so I went to apply there. I have several years of experience working in pet stores and have even managed one department for one. When this place learned that, they insisted that I apply. They've got managers from other stores subbing in until they can find people to work those spots. That's a good sign for me. I dropped off my resumé, but was told I had to fill out their online application from home. It had a test I needed to take.

I came home and signed on to their site. Ten minutes into the application, the site locked up. I tried it again and got the same result. Maybe it was Firefox. I tried it again in Safari and did even make it past the first page. They had a tech support number, so I called it. He told me the site was designed for Internet Explorer and wouldn't work in other browsers.

I knew Rachel's laptop had IE, even though it was still a Mac. I jumped on and started, yet again, and again got nowhere. I called tech support back and he laughed and said I should have bought a real computer with Windows on it. I hung up on him and called the pet store back. They said that my resume was not enough and I had to take the online test. That said, I could come take it in the store.

I showed back up at the pet shop at 5PM. I found the computer in question and started from scratch again. There were five positions I was applying for, but I could apply for all at once. Then, I got to the test.

Anyone with Asperger's Syndrome who has applied for a job online knows what I'm about to say. I've learned that we all dread it. It's the horrible "personality test." It asks you 200 questions about your personality that they expect you to answer honestly. Anyone with a brain lies like crazy on these just to get the job. They don't help companies at all. The problem is, with AS, I take the questions totally at face value and literally. That causes me to misread them and give the wrong answers. I hate these tests and wish they'd never been created. They have NO value for companies (I've hired people with and without them and without has always gotten me more valuable people).

The worst part is that for three of the job titles, I had to take the same test. That's 200 of those idiotic questions three times over. Then for two others, I had to take those SAME 200 QUESTIONS AGAIN plus 85 very difficult word problems (math, of course). I had to do these with no scrap paper or calculator, so they took about two minutes each. I didn't get out of that store until 8PM almost.

Why have companies moved on to this technology? Do they really think this nets them better employees? Do they think it's fair to require people to own a Windows based computer to apply, or even a computer at all? Not everyone can stand at a computer in their store for hours on end like that.

It just seemed really pointless, and I needed to vent. I feel better now, and will feel a lot better once I start at a new job.

Shitty day.

Well, the neighbors who we called the cops on know it was us, now. The neighbors below us know it was us and told us not to do it again.

I got fired today for being sick from the sewage at our previous apartment.

I realized I currently suck at drums because I'm so out of practice and it's really hard to get any amount of practice in when you live in an apartment with paper-thin walls.

It's one of those days where I just want to give up. Ugh.

Scared

If you read this blog, please leave a comment on this post. I need advice.

For the second night since we moved into our new apartment, I've heard my neighbor beat his wife. They scream at each other, he smacks the shit out of her, I hear her slam into the walls, and I hear her cry like crazy.

The first time it happened, I called 911. An officer came and spoke to them. I heard the whole conversation. They both made excuses, and she said that he didn't hit her, only things, and that it was the baby crying (I can tell the difference between an infant crying, and a grown woman).

I don't want my neighbor to know that I was the one who called the cops, which is what's keeping me from calling again, tonight. Still, I hate to know this is going on, let alone having to hear it so clearly.

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As I was typing, I just learned that this time it was our downstairs neighbor (the other one). The husband is outside, telling her to come back inside. I also heard one of them kick one of their dogs.

Is this the norm in Oklahoma? Should I just learn to ignore it? It really makes me feel like a terrible person not to help in this situation. What can I do?

Wrestling is Back!

We're finally settled in to our new apartment. The cable got turned on yesterday, and we got some great news. The way our complex is wired, they have to give the same service to everyone in our building.

As such, we get full cable (we only had the most basic package available) thanks to our neighbors. In return, our neighbors get the fastest speed cable internet connection that our provider offers. It's a great trade.

Thanks to having free (kind of) cable, I can watch televised wrestling again. This makes me happier than anything else in this move.

I normally go to bed around 9PM because I have to be up so early for work the next day, but I'm currently watching TNA wrestling, which is on until 10PM, and I'll do the same with WWE Raw on Monday which is on past 10PM.

Wrestling really brings out the obsessive geek in me! :)