No more new toys for a while.

[rbiemer]

First, thanks for all the good/bad jokes!
Second, I mentioned in the waiting for the mail thread that I'm expecting a Canon P. Well, I sure hope it's a good one.
I'm not "done" but am going to have an unplanned "pause".
The restaurant I have worked in for the last 14 years is being sold.
The new owner is not going to keep the name/identity of the place--it will be something different. And no telling if the new owner will want any of the current employees. Or, frankly, if I want to work for him.
Got the news yesterday morning from my boss(the current owner) and she told every one today. 30 March is the expected closing date.
It's not the end of my world or anything but it is a big change.
I have no worries about finding another job but I sure as 773H hate the process! One thing I fervently hope is that we'll get to have a last day as "Jack Danielson's" before the new guy takes over. A wake for the place, actually.
On a positive note, Kate(the woman who owns it now) did let me hang a couple of photos in the bar a while back and she told me that the photos are among the few things that are not part of the inventory included in the sale. And she wants to buy them to hang in her home.
I also had a plan/idea about getting my self the new Voightlander R4 and a decent Leica M3 and culling the other gear I now own. This will not happen as soon as I planned:bang: but the selling will be getting a bit more serious. And passing along the unused gear I have can't be anything but positive!
What's that curse about living in interesting times? The next few months are going to be interesting indeed.
Sorry to vent about this extremely OT stuff but I don't feel like crying in my beer about it and every one at work is too shell shocked about it just now to talk about it.
joe, ya know any restaurant managers at the towns/cities close to those oil sands up your way?
OK, I'm done.

A giraffe walks into a bar and says, "The high balls are on me!"

Rob

 

[Dougg]

A shock for sure; hope the situation works out favorably for you, Rob!

 

[zuikologist]

Good luck - I hope all works out well.

 

[back alley]

sorry to hear that news rob.
i have always believed that old saying about crisis equalling opportunity.

as to your question, the local economy is booming. restaurants up north cannot stay open 7 days a week for lack of staff. they are handing out bonuses if a person stays for 3 months on the job.
the big problem is lack of accomodation and ever rising rents and home prices.
joe

 

[rover]

Sorry to hear the news, and as you say, with the time you have before the close a lot positive can happen.

had a plan/idea about getting my self the new Voigtlander R4 and a decent Leica M3 and culling the other gear I now own. This will not happen as soon as I planned

There will always be an R4 or M3 around when the time is right, and don't part with anything you will regret selling in the future. When my company went away a few years ago it was not fun, but everything has worked out, as it will for you.

 

[Al Patterson]

i know how that is. At this time last year I was a highly paid IT guy, able to buy almost anything I wanted. (Being single with low expenses compared to income helped.) This year I'm a "contractor". The expenses I have this year make me a much lower paid IT guy. I'm looking for an M6 or R4 myself, and will have to sell a few cameras to fund the purchase.

Anyway, good luck in your job search. Hope it all works out in your favor.

 

[ray_g]

I hope everything works out well for you, Rob.

 

[rbiemer]

Thanks, folks!
I'm not worried about getting a job; I do have skills and choices but I am concerned about getting a job I can enjoy as much as I have this one.

joe, there was a story(on NPR around christmas time) about one town up there that is booming and the troubles the local businesses have retaining help. It caught my attention and I kiddingly said to my boss that I was going up there. She knows me well enough to reply "Oh yeah. As much as you like the little snow we get here, you're gonna go north.🙄 "

Rover, I had a fairly severe paring down of my gear planned anyway; that won't change. I have a core group of three-ish cameras I will not part with.
Long time ago, back when I still hunted, I'd saved my nickels for a new rifle and bought it in the spring. Enough time to get good enough with it for the fall deer season. That summer the diner I was cooking in closed. Very suddenly--I went to work one morning and the IRS had padlocked the place. I panicked and sold the rifle that afternoon(I'm a lefty and left handed bolt actions were few and far between) for what I paid for it. Put a months wages in the bank and proceeded to get hired by the first restaurant I applied to. The following day. Went back to the dealer I sold the gun to and he had sold it almost as soon as I left the shop--some customer of his had a standing request for just the rifle I'd had.:bang:
So, yeah, I've got a pretty good handle on what's going and what's staying.
The next RFF related thing I need to do is to get all the stuff I'm going to part with out and take some pictures of it all and practice the "john Goodman" way of writing ads!😀
Thanks again, y'all!
Rob

 

[rbiemer]

It is looking like the first week in May is when the restaurant closes. Still haven't got any definitive details but the boss tells me that's what I should plan for. So I have some interviews scheduled.
And I fired a customer last night. He was unreasonably unhappy with his food and wasn't letting the wait person or the boss make it right. And LOUD about it. So I fixed it:"Sorry you're not happy. Get out and don't come back." OK, I'm a little tetchy too.:bang:
Rob

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Sorry to learn about the unexpected change, Rob, but you seem to have the right attitude and I'm sure you'll make lemonade out of these lemons life is handing you now. 🙂