Monday my ass

Looks like the swordfish will be on deck a little sooner than Monday -- possibly tomorrow, certainly before close of business Saturday. It would be nice to get some overtime hours in on Saturday, but what happens after that is far more important. Right now, the agency is kind of dicking around with vague statements about rolling some people over to a new project starting at an unspecified day next week, but with no information on hours, number of people needed -- or who those people are -- I have been busily seeking another project. Even shitty ones. Yeah, I applied for a couple no-overtime projects. I feel so ashamed. But a guy has to eat, after all. Guess we'll see how things pan out -- a bad project, or robbing liquor stores?

I hate this fucking business

Ideally, I would have rolled over to another project at the firm I was at last week right after my project ended. That was what everyone wanted -- me, the firm, the agency, and the folks working the project I am supposed to roll over to -- but the partner whose approval is needed to add people to that project didn't get the word, apparently. Everyone agrees that project needs more people, but first they need this partner's approval. Not forthcoming so far, weeks into the process.

So I've been applying for backstop jobs, and this is where how this industry works has been working against me. Every agency has an A list -- people they go to first because they know them and those people usually work for that agency. They go beyond the A list only when they have to. I have worked for so many agencies, I don't even know if I am on an A list anywhere. Maybe two agencies. Unfortunately, the four jobs I have applied for in the last week are with agencies I have either never worked for or haven't worked for in many years. Needless to say, I am 0-for-4. Which sucks. It's not like these were primo projects. They were projects I was totally willing to jump from when my rollover comes, even if it meant completely burning my bridge with that agency. These assholes won't even give me the opportunity to abuse them, damn it!

So, I remain unemployed, and increasingly nervous. Something better happen soon, or else I'll have to start robbing liquor stores, and .45 ammo don't come cheap.

Back from Central America already?

Yeah, that didn't work out as planned. They didn't really have their shit together, so we were very slow starting (less than 8 hours per day average the first 3 days), then they didn't have what they thought they would have for us to do. Billed as a two-week project (which suited me fine) with high hours (suited me even better), it turned out to be neither. Rule No. 1, people. Anyway, that shit is done, and the next gig I lined up doesn't start until Monday. Looks like a long, hard five days of robbing liquor stores. Or something.

Should I blow the associate or not?

I knew I would find a way to inject sex into this blog. And look at me -- nice, politically correct gay sex, not that there's anything wrong with that. Jeez, I just hope it drives traffic. Anyway, it looks like this project is going to end on Friday, and I am not seeing any other projects on the immediate horizon, which means I am really desperate to keep working. Cause for hope, though, in that it appears that there might be a chance that a few people will be kept on for God knows what. It also is possible everyone will be kept on for God knows what. And, of course, it is possible that no one on this project will be working on this project past Friday. Given all that, we have three possible outcomes, one good requiring no additional input on my part, one bad regardless of additional input on my part, and one good, but requiring significant personal investment on my part. In other words, there is a 2-in-3 chance that blowing an associate in order to stay on the project will be wasted. What to do, what to do? I guess I could always rob liquor stores. Should I take cash or merchandise, though? Also, have we really established that blowing the associate will help my chances of staying on the project, if the project continues? Yeah, robbing liquor stores is looking pretty good.