Real Life 'Cars'

When you saw the movie 'Cars' did you think it was just a cute story? I hope this changes your mind:

KOTV.com - The News On 6: "MIAMI, Okla. (AP) _ The Riviera Courts Motel is crumbling away and nobody seems to care.

Once a stop along Route 66, the 2,400-mile neon carnival that connected hundreds of communities from Chicago to Los Angeles, this late-1930s Mission Revival is just a weather-worn building on the side of a country road in far northeast Oklahoma.

Next door, soybean farmers Richard and Rosemary Woolard watch the place deteriorate from their front porch.

``Been a lot of changes in this old county,'' 77-year-old Richard Woolard says plainly.

The Riviera Courts is among hundreds of mom-and-pop motels that met their demise along the ribbon of Route 66 as America's interstate system siphoned traffic off the Mother Road onto a four-lane, divided highway called progress.

In Oklahoma, with more Route 66 miles than any of the eight states it flows through, many motels are derelict or abandoned, used as junk yards, makeshift car lots and flophouses."

I have driven these back roads through the small towns. It is just a shame that the have so many problems. In an ideal world it would be OK to have the big box hotels and the little ones. The mom and pop restaurants and the fast food joints. It is not a perfect world however. In return, a part of history is being eliminated. And we are that much the poorer for it.

Google Land Rush

KOTV.com - The News On 6:

"A new land rush grips a Green Country town. Google's coming to Pryor and catching the attention of land developers. Realtors say the market is the busiest they've ever seen, and News On 6 anchor Omar Villafranca reports Google hasn't even set up shop.

Last month internet giant Google unveiled plans to build a data center in Pryor. Since the announcement, Lee Weems, a Pryor realtor, has been busy.

'We had Gatorade, but as soon as Google came in behind them, it went nuts,' said Weems."

WOW. Google announces that they are going to move into a small Oklahoma city and all of a sudden the land for homes in the area becomes prime real estate. Just wishing that I could get a job with them considering my new status in the employment field.

Lay Off

I have never mentioned Decision One, the company that I have worked for. Notice the key word, 'worked for'. Today, just 1 and 1/2 months short of 9 years with the company I was let go. Emotions are running nuts in me today. I was on vacation and went to check my email to see if I was needed for anything. When my name/password combination did not work for the VPN I was not worried, we have quirks like that from time to time. I sent an IM to my supervisor joking about if there was something that I should know. His response was his telephone number. When I called, he asked if I had talked to our boss. When I said no, he said to call him.

Am I bitter? In some ways yes. For most of the nine years I worked for this company, I was underpaid. I have had no pay raises for at least 7 years. I was told when it all got returned around we would get decent pay raises. I stayed with the company knowing that I was doing a good job. I know that the new head guy who I read about last week, the one that comes in and guts 25% of the company when he takes over, is not going to read this blog. He has better things to do with his time. I just am saying that I am one of those faceless people that you let go. I have sacrificed for this company because I believed in it. This is my reward. 2 months severance pay and see you later. At least I got the sevrance pay. At 55 years of age, finding another job will not be easy for me. I know you do not care.

Am I bitter? In some ways no. I know that God will supply all of my needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. In 30years of computer work I have been laid off twice. and God provided both times. He met my needs not my wants.

I ask for anyone who reads this to keep me in your prayers. If you know of computer related jobs in Tulsa, please keep me in mind. Thanks...

Now, to go look for job leads....