Stay-At-Home, WFH, and Other Updates!

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So its been almost 2 months since the stay-at-home order and what a crazy time its been. Here are a few photos from it!

The Masks

Here's the first mask I was able to get ordered. Its alright but it is a bit tight.
Here’s the first mask I was able to get ordered. Its alright but it is a bit tight.
This mask was made by my girlfriend’s mom. It’s a lot more comfortable than the first one 🙂
This is the latest one I received that was made by my mom. She had the pattern for the Jedi Order( like my tattoo) and embroidered it for me.

The Food

We opted for easier lunches that didn’t take too much time. Even the chicken nuggets are bigger in Texas!
We had a connection with a Girl Scout Cookie Mom so we stocked up early on.
When the girlfriend wants Bubble Tea, you make time to get that Bubble Tea rain or shine.
But when restaurants finally opened, we checked out Jimmy Changas!

Side Projects

Working at the house to expand the storage space in the attic by placing down simple plywood floors. Here I’m putting down elevated support board so the floor goes above a pipe.
This added boards to increase the space to nail down the plywood while also adding more support.
First few sheets go down. I used screws instead of nails so it would be a bit more secure.
Once down, the Christmas stuff went up!

Getting Some Air

While I resist a bit, I always enjoy getting out and walking with Danielle(My Girlfriend).
We get to see some nice fountains in the park nearby.
Even turtles are getting some sun!

As for work, both Danielle’s team and mine have adapted well to working from home. We’re using LEAN Agile so we’re transparent with what we work on. Her team works a lot with people around the world so there wasn’t much change their either.

However great we work though, the world still is struggling under this quarantine. Stocks have dropped, demand for oil went down, there was a price war in the middle east, and profits are down. This has caused a lot of Americans to have lost their means of living, whether it be from furloughs or layoffs. My team got hit with a round of layoffs right before the stay-at-home order and then another during it. After the second one, I thought we were out of the woods, then I got the call.

I was at the grocery store in the checkout line when I saw the name of my agency come on my screen. I was given the notice that I was being cut as part of this wave of budget cuts and my last day would be May 15th. It hit hard but not as tough as one’s I’ve had before. It does come at a horrible time because Danielle and I had just signed the contract on our new house that is set to close on June 1st.

So tomorrow is my last day at my job but good things are on the horizon. Hopefully things pan out with a few prospects which will leave me in a better position than I’ve been in for a long time. Until I get back to work I’ll be doing more streaming(hopefully) and packing stuff to move into the new place by July 17th when my lease ends. If all goes well, the new office will be setup for streaming from day one.

Good things to come, stay tuned and stay safe!

-TxKicker

Coronavirus Quarantine

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Hey, Y’all!

So like many of you out there, I’m on self-quarantine to prevent being sick or being a carrier of the Wuhan Coronavirus(COVID-19). Do I agree to the level they’re taking the restrictions? Not really, but there isn’t much I can do. I agree with social distancing and sterilizing surfaces because I’ve seen how a cold spread through my office in January, but shutting down businesses is hurting people’s means to live. I’m fortunate enough to be able to work remotely, but being in Gas and Oil I don’t know how long it’ll last.

On the bright side, I’m lucky enough to be quarantined with my girlfriend Danielle. She’s able to work remotely as well so we have my desk completely set up for both our workstations. As for food, we’re set for a bit and haven’t quite got to the level of rationing but I got some canned food before the rush just in case it reaches that level. Texas hasn’t shut down restaurants yet but has limited them to drive-thru and take-out only. Other businesses have gone to minimal operations with extra sanitation steps. The only thing I’ve left the house for has been an eye appointment and a haircut. I’m Catholic, so the masses have been canceled in every parish and social distancing has been put in place for Reconciliation(confession) and Adoration(prayer in person with the Eucharist). I joined in with the Pope and said the rosary on the 19th.

So, how am I handling the debt fight during this crisis? I’m switching to minimum payments and putting aside the rest. Danielle and I hope that this won’t last much longer and we can move into the house to reduce expenses. I’m sure we all want to go back to the way things were before and I’m sure it will as long as we care for each other and accept short term sacrifices to ensure long term recovery.

This whole thing has also thrown a wrench in my streaming goals but I plan on getting it ramped back up with the probability of having Danielle on as a co-streamer! Maybe even saying a rosary during them to keep up my religious duties. Keep an eye on my twitter and don’t forget to drop a follow for any updates!

God bless you all and pray this will be over fast with everyone being safe and secure.

The Return!

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Hey All!

Its been a while, I know, but I feel the pull to return! I’ve been working on a few things and have some life changes coming up that I’d like to share with y’all! So keep an eye on the website, which I plan to update a lot more often then in the past, and I’ll have updates here!

Thanks!

TxKicker