At a point in my life where i start to question my lifestyle. (a form of ranting)

[Madness]

Over the last few months my life has been heading in a direction that i thought i wanted but now that im in the thick of it, Im not so sure its where i want to be. I left the shop I was working at, Scrapin By Kustoms, because of money and drama issues and found a steady day to day job to pay for the bills i knew i would eventually have. My girlfriend was living in the town of Windsor about 45 min north of where i live with her friend Amber so I found a job at a lube/ tire center/ auto repair shop called Family Tire. At first it was everything i wanted, A somewhat easy job doing what I know for alright pay, It also helped that i was staying with my girlfried so it made the daily commute about 5 minutes. Within a month i was promoted to "B Tech" making $1.50 more per hour, I was able to move in my toolbox and claim a corner of the shop. This, at the time, is where i wanted to be, learning something new every day, feeling a sense of acomplishment with every task completed. Within the last few weeks however all i've been able to do is change oil, rotate tires, and ocationally do some brake work here and there. Day after day after day, 4 days a week, 10 hours a day untill saturday when it changed to 5 days a week 8 or so hours a day. My girlfriends roomate decided she wasn't going to pay last months rent so my 5 minute commute turned into a 45 minute commute in either a toyota puckup on 33's or a 72 volkswagen beetle (Which i had taken out a loan for to "build my credit"). On top of the drive for 10.50/hour, the new Assistant manager (who was formerly the B Tech) has been riding my ass, adding several new tasks to my daily/jobily routine, contantly making snide remarks, and finding reasons to rat me out to the manager of the store. Basicly making my life a living nightmare, but "I need this job" is what i keep telling myself, keeping my head down and completing the tasks as timely as possible. Every day i wake up dreading every second of the day to come on and off work. My girlfriend of 4 years, i swear, is looking for reasons to break up with me. Either "You're never there" or "You're unreliable" is brought up but in my eyes i've been there for everything in the last 4 years. Every trip to the hospital, All of her high school senior events, all 6 times i've moved her, I was even the shoulder she cried on after she told me that she had cheated on me... The most recent is "Cars are my hobbly, Cars are your life". Im a car guy, I was a car guy when i met her and Im a car guy now. I have submersed myself in the culture so deep it seems thats all i have to talk about anymore. I understand her frustration but I belive this may be the comment to end our relationship. Making me decide between the love of my life and the love of my life.

 

The point is, I just dont know where im going. I don't want to work day after day dreaming of the weekend. I've thought of myself as an artistic person and I've been told im an artistic person. Art, in any form, is what makes me happy and most recently its what I strive to do, but im stuck in the nightmare of mechanical maitnence and work orders that leaves me dark and depressed even on my days off. Its just time for a serious change in my lifestyle, i want to be happy, i want to enjoy life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reason I am posting this here is everyone on this board has always been friendly and full of usefull advice. There is a wealth of wisdom and knowlage here. You all have helped me through several automotive problems so i turn to you for life advice. (may be a mistake i know :P ) You don't have to respond or aknowlage this post but this just seemed like a comfortable place to blow off some steam as for i cannot afford a phyc bill.

 

Thank you for your time and please excuse my spelling mistakes.

Your friend

Bart

[nismo dr]

[521rat]

[INDY510]

Yo Bart:

 

I've been there,,, , working a manual labor job 5 days a week from 8-5....

 

And at the same time had the worst GF,,, a 19 yr old,, , while I was 24........ . work all day,, come home exausted, and then get ragged on for not being in a good mood.......... and don't let her take your lunch break every day either

 

 

It sucks having a sore back on the weekends,,, , and 2 project cars

 

 

 

 

The way I see it: .. there is a list of things that mean alot to you......... and honestly,, you can only pick 2 to be fully devoted to:

 

YOURSELF

CARS

WORK

GF

SLEEP

FOOD

FUN

RATSUN

ART

FAMILY

[INDY510]

I ended up picking the top two...

 

 

And now I have no GF, no job, no sleep, and no fun.....

[hang_510]

grow some B-tech balls and talk to mgr and put an end to the guys schenanigans.

it will never stop if you dont!

the guy is likely intimidated by someone who is next in line to replace him ;)

theyre the ones who talk the most :poop:

 

 

 

(may be a mistake i know :P )

MAYBE??? <_<

madness is more like it

 

0ix of the GF before sentencing (and the BFF EX roomie that 'stiffed' ya)

 

 

 

 

its not like the next will be much differant...

[SHADY280]

well the way i see it is she doesnt want to be the one to say the relationship is over. she wants you to say it, and thus most likely being the reason she went out and cheated. it would make her feel better and she could say your a douche for doing it. that is for her ego only. it may be best to let her go just to get that part of your life settled. that alone may make life bearable. the job part is tough. 10.50 sucks, but it get your resume built up. you could take that experience to another shop and make simmilar money. maybe the home life makes you go to work looking used and tired, thus causing the flak from the b-guy, go talk to the manager and see if there is anything you can do to improve the situation. being up front may be t5he ticket, you just have to know the audeince. just my thoughts. hope it works out

[hang_510]

you can only pick 2 to be fully devoted to:

 

YOURSELF

CARS

WORK

GF

SLEEP

FOOD

FUN

RATSUN

ART

FAMILY

sworn to fun, loyal to none

[pharouh]

Wow, I can relate some to what you're saying.

I guess I"m lucky enough to have a tolerable day job.

I had a gf,but she lived 40 miles away,and had no time for me. Didn't understand about cars either.

Where are you living now? I hope you find work,because there's not a lot out there,like you didn't know that.

I hate to say it,but you may have to give up cars for a while and get yourself together.

The art thing I can understand too. It's in your blood and won't go away. But it's hard to find an outlet. Especially one that pays in cash. It can eat a lot of time too.

This probably wasn't much help,but we're hoping the best for you,man.

good luck!

[elmerfudpucker]

I say do you job, and talk to manager about a promotion, granted you will need to take it to the next level. Start out performing the other b-tech asshole, he is scardof you and that is why he is making it hard on you. Ditch the chick, she fucked around once, she will do it again. Put the cars on the back burner for now. And beg the manager for OT, for the next 2 to 3 months really bust ass. your first priority is taking out the lil prick at work. Get promoted over him and then move on to the next issue. Tell the boss you want to train under him for managment.

[Madness]

sadly as far as work goes, im suck in the position im in for the entire time im there. The only reason the former B tech turned into the now assistant manager is because he was the manager at one time (i think about 6 months ago). He was demoted to tech (not fired) because of his abuse towards employees. From what i've been told he cussed out and sent home anyone who made any little mistake, he threw tools at his worst moments and made people do the worst jobs he could think up at his best. The thing that really bothers me is he can do all that and not get fired but the sales guy (Lance) who lost his wife to cancer not more than a year ago gets fired because he's "moody". The manager seems to get strange subtle bi-polar mood swings every other hour. Last i heard his doctor was trying medications.... not something that helps the situation. Im currently looking for other jobs but its insanely hard for general labor.

 

 

As for the girlfriend. We were extremely happy about a month ago, looking for places to move in together, making future plans, marriage even came up but something turned. Until now she was the girl for me. The one time she cheated was when we lived more than an hour apart while she was in college over 2 years ago. I know there are no excuses for that but we started over, being completely loyal to each other. People have told me she seems like she has a lot of growing up to do but i think her growing up is what split us. She is a completely different person from who i started to date 4 years ago. I however i've only changed slightly since. She is currently 21 and im 24. We're having a "talk" tonight... we'll see where it goes.

 

 

Oh and the thing that kind of connects these situations. I got the job to save money for an apartment for the 2 of us. I needed to be more responsible, to hold down a job, save money, and build my credit. I did it for her, but i did it to grow up.

[Jesse C.]

You are too young to get stuck in a rut, trust me! Go back to school and further you career so you do not have to work at a shit job the rest of your life.

 

As for women, the younger they are, the bigger the headaches! You sound like you are in your chill out mode and she is in the middle of her get crazy years! There are plenty of women out there and unless you really do see a future with her, I would move on and get my shit together. People grow apart, especially when you are both young.

 

Remember, when it comes down to it, take care of #1,and that is you!

 

Good luck!

[sinner720st]

well i know about the girl thing. me and my lady of three years are on ice beacuse i want to do my shit some weekends and she has to work or go to school (college)... as for the work thing, maybe look into some night classes at PCC or similar take a school loan and get out of the "general labor" paygrade. you could probably find a job that incorporates art, and or cars. body work is a form of art in my eyes (even though my truck doesnt show it) i had great fun making my air dam and roll pan. perhaps look into some computer design shit or something...

 

 

if your life is in the pits and making you down, you need to look into some other venues, a definate life changer would be school...

[Skib]

As for the girlfriend. We were extremely happy about a month ago, looking for places to move in together, making future plans, marriage even came up but something turned. Until now she was the girl for me. The one time she cheated was when we lived more than an hour apart while she was in college over 2 years ago. I know there are no excuses for that but we started over, being completely loyal to each other. People have told me she seems like she has a lot of growing up to do but i think her growing up is what split us. She is a completely different person from who i started to date 4 years ago. I however i've only changed slightly since. She is currently 21 and im 24. We're having a "talk" tonight... we'll see where it goes.

 

 

been there done that (all of it) , theres a reason my Z is still here and my (ex-)fiance is not

 

 

most people change, and change alot around that age frame. but my datto has always stayed trusty and loyal.

[burrito213]

keep your head up.. :console:

 

ive had my hiccups in life too (and still do).... a buddy once told me:

 

- embrace the chaos -and-

- expect the worst and hope for the best

 

 

 

 

 

*luctor et emergo*

[Iowa Mark]

So, you say you are a creative person and crave that in your life. Then you take a job that is boring and meaning less. You have a girlfriend that has been telling you all along that she needs to be the first and last thing you think of every single day. You act surprised that she keeps telling you all this in different ways. The chucklehead that is holding you down at work is not the first in your life. Generally, free spirited, creative people don't like rules and the people that dictate them. Not trying to jump in your shit, but you need to sit down and make up your mind what "YOU" want. Then see if anything you have right now fits in that list as it is right now. Next question, is there anything you are willing to change about your list that will make the other things acceptible? Not what others can change to fit your criteria! You can not change the boss. You can not change your GF. You can only change you. Lastly, whether you know it or not, hating every single minute at work is slopping all over your work day as well as your home life. Last month was all about new and fresh and open to the whole world. When the window started narrowing, so did you vision of it until all that is left for you is what you've been seeing lately. The shitty end of the stick. Welcome to life. It keeps coming straight at you every day, ready or not.

[0.C.]

I can somewhat relate to your situation. Had a great job at a Rod and Customs shop for years then the money issues started showing up. Then my friend offered me a position at this construction company, having no expereince I was making great money, some weeks even more money that what I used to do back at the shop. But there was constantly people bossing me around, yelling, blaming etc.

I decided to quit within a year.I considered those oil and tire, body collision places, but production isn't my thing. Then I found this car restorations shop, where after reviewing my resume and seeing some pictures of my work, I was working there the next day, making a decent paycheck, and the best thing about it my boss is pretty chill and I have zero coworkers.

Like my dad told me once right after I dropped out of H.S.; "Find the job you like, and you would never have to work again".

I don't look forward to the weekends or constantly checking the clock to go home every day, I'm just working myself up to someday open my own shop.

About your gf, I would recommend that you dump her, there's more ladies out there. I am 23 years old and found me a girl that actually loves cars, likes to wake up at 4am to get ready and go to car shows, but I wouldn't move in with her because that's when the problems start.

Get a job that you actually like, or perharps consider moving to another state where the "kustom kulture" is bigger, here in SoCal I see a new job available every month on craigslist.

Good luck.

[pharouh]

Yeah,what the last four posts said.

You still have your whole life in front of you,

I turned 58 yesterday and would love to go back to being 24 again. Well part of it anyway. :rolleyes:

you're both going through changes whether you know it or not.

higher education is a great thing,but do it while you're young enough to get some use out of it.

:thumbup: Here's to you!

[danfiveten]

Welcome to life. I finally found a great woman who loves my cars, and is having my child. Your to young to be caught in a rut, and ive seen women go through this shit around that age in life, shes wondering if shes going the right route. All women change at that age ive noticed.

[nismo dr]

 

"Bitches ain't shit but hoes and tricks"

 

 

 

 

I've been there too. Had bottomed out jumping around Portland Precsion Tunes & Aamcos as a glorified lube tech or a tranny r&r guy, was 23 had a 2 yr old daughter, shit was rough with the old lady, riding the bus 2 hrs to work. Picked up and went to UTI in az, 8 very short years later I'm a Nissan Master Technician. Well worth the student loan debt.

[HRH]

21-25 is when women change the most. And whereas a guy can weather it and adapt a lot of the time, most women I've run across don't so well. The work situation is not good. If it's a family owned company, there's not a lot you can do if the buck stops at the manager and you don't know the owner. Getting on good terms with the owner and not bitching, but letting him know what goes on and that you're considering another position would be a good idea. This however, may not be a suitable suggestion as the owner may be as incompetant as the owner.

 

And there is a time when you're going to question doing manual labor. In which case you need to do manual labor that pays well (full scale mechanic/diesel mechanic) or go to school or back to school to find a career path worth pursuing.

 

I cut my own throat at NAPA a year ago, and am finally getting a foot in the door to management again. I said the wrong thing to the wrong person and was demoted pretty heavily, I'll leave it at that. It was good in the long run as I actually went to a psychologist who diagnosed me with a little ADHD tendencies. That helped me immensely, just understanding why I do or say some things. You may not have that problem, or any problems, but give yourself an honest once-over, see if any fault has repeated more than once. From what you describe, it doesn't sound like you have any issues personally, just a changing girlfriend who wants out, and a job with assholes in charge.

 

What about applying at a Les Schwabs? From what I hear, they treat people pretty well, and are corporate owned. Bad in some ways, but generally more professionaly run depending on the particular store.

[motavated]

My job was horrible. So HORRIBLE that I decided to call it quits and left on the 15 of this month. Fuck my old job! I was not going to be submissive to a older fatter balder gay guy. FUCK YOU MAN! Sending me home and talking shit. I don't give a fuck. Fire me! Common! Do it! You cant, that is right. You needed me. Now rot mother F!

 

Any who man, good luck. It is up to you what to do. I decided to change since I was not liking were my life was heading. I paid all my bills and depts and quit my job. I like cars and arts and all that but what is most important right now is you. That is what I forgot and I started to kiss ass and beg.

 

So what is best for you? A girl who wants to break up with you? A job that is giving you problems? or both. I highly recommend that you look for a new job and move on. Do you think that ass hole is going to stop snitching on yah as u push on and "hope" that you get another promotion? Fuck that...

 

Make a plan, Pay your dues, save some cash, and move on... While you make a plan. Things might get better. If not... Then at least you have an escape route....

[Skib]

 

 

so try not to live in resentment, even tho its sometimes the easy thing to do

[FoxyRoadster]

I work day to day dreaming of my days off and then the day I can be happy because I've saved up enough money to start my own business.

 

So I'm a slave to the system for now, but when I become my own boss it will be :cool: Will still be broke though but able to work on my datsun when I want ad such makes it better!

 

My protip though, buy a roadster it will bring eternal happiness and sometimes bane.

[datzenmike]

The universe has been around for about 14,000,000,000 years and may continue indefinitely. You are hear for only about 80 of them. You only go around once. To waste even a second being unhappy is criminal. I don't believe in an afterlife so I'm having fun while I'm here now. If I'm wrong, I'll at least have some interesting stories to tell.

 

Generally people are too much bother or trouble I go elsewhere. Check my profile under Recent Status Updates "Hell.... is other people"

 

 

Call on God, but row away from the rocks...... HST