a new beginning the year of hell is comming to an end

[fenderstrat]

I have been waiting till things were official to make a statement but I think my year of absolute HELL is about to finally come to an end.I am now receiving checks from both of my new jobs.

For those of you who don't/didn't know,I will try to give a short rundown of what had happened..Ill TRY to keep it short...LOL...but its been a LONG year.Ok here we go

After working at an auto repair shop for 4 years I had to take an ANNOUNCED medical leave.Now I had been there for 4 years,worked nights,weekends,worked any and all overtime offered,covered for other people,the works.Even went over a few times at say 3am when the alarm went off accidentaly and I lived much closer than the boss.You know, did all I was asked.Well the medical leave brought a long standing issue of benefits to a head and when I came back(I took 1 week off,yes one lousy week)I was informed my services were no longer needed.Apparently after 4 years he decided my job performance sucked and I was not a good worker.HHHMMM interesting, as I just got a raise about a month before..but..long stort long..LOL...I was not welcome back after my leave.

So,what do i do?well I just put in 50+ hours a week for 4 years,cool, I am entitled to unemployment.Well the boss fights it.This puts it into the appeals process which takes MONTHS..yes if I win I get ALL the back pay,but I get NOTHING while the appeals process plays out.

So,time to go out looking for a job.After about 1 week of putting out apps,the head gasket on my car went.I had already put one in this car,when I got it used(helps working at a repair shop ...) but this particular motor is well known for head gasket issues.(chevy 2.2L)The car was well past its day and it was not worth the time and effort to replace the head gasket this time.So now I have no job,no unemployment and now no car...LIFE IS AWESOME.well a few weeks go by and NOONE is hiring.I was willing to work for 9 bucks an hour part time,just to have $$$ comming in.So to make ends meet some of the heli gear had to go.Mostly electronics as I kept all airframes.I could have sold my guitars but I will need them(more on this later)and actually I did sell 1 that I do not use much.
Ok a few months are now going by,all savings gone,most heli gear sold,no money comming in and no job prospects.

Well the unemplyment appeal hearing comes up,my ex-boss LIES ...UNDER OATH..about what happened,and I am DENIED unemployment after waiting almost 6 months for my hearing.He totally fabricated his story so he would not have to pay in at all.

So,no job,no savings no car,no helis, and now no possibility of unemployment.So what do I do??

I got a call back for a job.It was only temporary.It was slave labor and it was crap pay,and the guy who owned/ran it was a complete #$@%.But I jumped right on it.I saved every penny I could.I bought a decent used car.Then I got an inteview for a job doing maintanence for a self storage facility.Got that job...YES I got it.Its not full time but its about 30 hrs a week.I am also teaching guitar again and just recently joined a new band and we will be gigging soon.As said I am now recieving steady income from 2 sources,and I am catching up on my bills.My mini Titan just got a complete re-build just because its cheaper and the only heli i have a charger and batts for.Next up will be a new PL8,some batts and my ATOM will get SLOWLY re built.I'll get some servos first,then a gyro or rx.it will be little by little...BUT IT WILL HAPPEN......I am so STOKED right now.It has been a year of just hell and stress,but I think it may finally be over.after the ATOM I will finally be able to build the 6HV kit that has been screaming up at me since I bought it .I cannot wait to maiden the 6HV.So just wanted to share,thanks to all who helped me,you know who you are and it will NEVER be forgotten,and you can bet I will be seeing as many of you as possible in 2012 at any and all funflys /events in my area.I will there with my Compass helis looking to get some stick time

[mrultralite]

You are a hero in my estimation.

[arcweld]

I'm not having a go at America in general but the social security and labor protection laws there really suck.
Unfortunately Australia is heading down a similar path.
FenderStrat you did a great job of keeping your chin up in those circumstances!
Flying those rebuilt helis will be all that much sweeter after the grief you endured.

[Ah Clem]

Fenderstrat,

I knew that you had had some problems-I had no idea about the severity.

You did the right thing sir.

Good luck to you going forward!

[skunkworx]

Best of luck on the recovery and the future flights on your helis. I know I would be pretty miserable without mine. They were what got me out of a lot of my hard times in 2006/2007 when I hit absolute rock-bottom (got into a pretty horrendous motorcycle accident and pretty much lost everything). Took me nearly 3 years to get back to at least a decent position in life and 4 years to get back to work.

By bad year, I was kinda thinking bad year like mine. I've busted up a ton of helis, had mostly flight failures as causes for the crashes. I've been so busy with my first son and then recently my second one arriving, so heli time has pretty much gone to nill. I can barely manage to squeek out for the FF's and repairs are literally months in between each other so even if I did have time I wouldn't be able to fly much or for long, so I definitely feel your pain! The good thing is to always look forward to the good times and the good that comes from decompressing when you're behind the sticks (only thing that keeps me sane sometimes!). In an ironic way too though; the bad times make the good times that much better! When the going is good, you truly enoy it. You go all-out and you don't hold back. So here's to those days and may you have many more to come!

[sarpilot]

I feel your pain.... I have been involved in the automotive service industry since 1975, been an ASE mastertech since before there even was an ASE program.... remember the orange gear patch?

Traditionally you are valuable to the employer only until you (a) complain about something (b) threaten to leave for more money, or (c) ask for more money..... It'll all work out glad you are on the way back to recovery despite being screwed by the man......