Life update (bit of a rant)

"bob and john" (bobandjohn)
04/15/2014 at 16:16 • Filed to: None

Well, I don't know if I'm THAT well known around here, but I do like you guys, and I know at least one or two people around here look forward to (or at least tolerate) me. So, here is the live life update at 3:18, with your host, Peter Negru!!!

Ok, Life...kinda sucks right now. I have 2 days left of my first year of university (Lakehead university, Mechanical engineering). I just had an exam today, I hve another one in 20 hours, and another 24 hours after that. Exam stress really, really got to me a couple of days ago, and I seriously considered just running away. (In my family EVERYONE is an engineer. dad, mom, uncles, grandparents, great grandparents. so just a little bit of pressure from them to pass and get good grades)
I applied for a weekend job as a motorcycle teacher over the summer. I love bikes, and this would have given me a great chance to get more involved. I got shot down because I was unable to attend a teachers course. No big, I get that. BUT THEN I find out that they only run that course once a year in February, right when I'm in the middle of school. I have teaching experience (martial arts teacher for 4 years) and I have the motorcycling know-how and drive (hell I taught my mom [how didn't know how to ride a bicycle] how to motorcycle. from walking to motorcycling in 9 weeks) Company still wouldn't even consider some form of course I could do this summer so I could be ready for next summer.
So that was one job. The second job I applied for was through my mom, to try and get a summer position as a line worker at the factory she works at (magna, she does health and safety. That was going to be my income for the summer, to get the suspension on my SV650 sorted out, and maybe, just maybe, resurrect my old saab. That fell through too.
So, as you can imagen, I wasn't the happiest of people over the past week. couldn't sleep, hardly ate, and when I did, I felt like I was going to throw it right up.
This part of the reason I'm writing this. I need to vent to someone.
That, and aside from one occasion 3 weeks ago, I haven't been behind the wheel of a car in months.

yea, Fuck me pretty much right?
Well, there is hope on the horizon.
I did apply to magna (as general company) and I got a reply back. They do have a position for a junior engineer that I could possibly fit into. Not sure what the pay is, but the line job was going to be 15$/hour, so id assume they pay the engineers more then that, right? I'm going to set up an interview with them either over Skype in the next 2-3 days, or next week.
Also, some of you may remember !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I still intend to go through with it, and I'm going to start by writing a couple of bike reviews (SV650s, Ninja 650R, and a BMW F800R). from there, I think I'll do a couple of articles about the basics of riding and gear and so on. I will be contacting people who replied to the original post and making sure they are still on board with it, then I'll try to speak with one of the Jalopnick staff to see if any of them are willing to help out with such a project.
Another good thing was that drive I mentioned a few lines up. A friend of mine as looking into getting a 2010 Subaru impreza 2.5i, 5 speed, as a uni car. so, we got to test drive it. Me, being the 'car guy' or our group, was taken along. I drove the thing, and DID. NOT. STALL. ONCE. I was so proud of myself (yea, its a small thing, but I have driven a grand total of 3 manual cars before this one, and one of them was a diesel, so that is kinda cheating)
Best part? I GET MY STRESS RELIEVERS BACK! On the 20th I should be back in Toronto, and that means I get both my Motorcycle back, and I will have my alienware back up and running (packed it away so I could focus on studying and not gaming)
Also, I think I'm going to start to try and get back into shape and go further then before. Unknown to a lot of you, I used to race mountain bikes when I was ~ 15-16. And I wasn't too bad at it. Placed 4th over all in the 2010 year in the men junior sport category in the Ontario mountain bike championship. So I had the stamina and the legs, but I had twigs for arms. hopefully, I'll get my stamina back this year, and maybe bulk up my arms a little (or a lot).
Oh, and I get to see my girlfriend who I haven't seen since February. Which will be nice.

So please, feel free to comment on anything, critique my write style and word choice, format, etc etc. I'm going to take it all and hopefully et to be a good enough writer to start that motorcycle blog

So I see that a lot of people are doing this footer at the bottom of their articles now. I might as well, might make a few of you take me more seriously. Born in Romania, raised in Toronto Canada, I have always had a thing for moving machines. whether it be cars, motorcycles, trucks plane or ships, if it moves, it has my attention. Started my need for speed with bicycles, then @ 16, got a motorcycle. Still don't have a car for various reasons. "If you can still hear your fears, its time to shift a gear"-Author Unknown

Twitter: ShiftnPete

PS: I know this isn't a write up of anything, but I did need to vent to someone before I lost my mind. Really, thanks for being here guys.

Photo by Car and Driver magazine

EDIT: wow, its taken me an hour to type this up

DISCUSSION (25)

CAR_IS_MI > bob and john
04/15/2014 at 16:21

BUT THEN I find out that they only run that course once a year in February, right when I'm in the middle of school.

I was going to do MSF instructor as well. In NV, they run the course for 1 week in June, and it is only available in Reno. I live in Vegas, which is a 6 to 8 hour drive away.... F that. (I know those feels)

It will get better, you'll find something, just keep your head up.

bob and john > CAR_IS_MI
04/15/2014 at 16:25

Not sure if you were just quoting that, or if there was a mistake there as well.

Yea, it sucks. and I have a LOT of friends who come to me because they want to start riding, so I would like to feel like I have a bit more of a valid opinion on the subject. I'm going to ask around and see if I cant find a place that has an online teachers course or something that I can do in the summer or while I'm at school.

dogisbadob > CAR_IS_MI
04/15/2014 at 16:26

Surprising they wouldn't do anything near the state's largest city by far

dogisbadob > bob and john
04/15/2014 at 16:26

Good luck!

$15/hr isn't bad for an intern

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > bob and john
04/15/2014 at 16:29

What martial arts?

(3rd Degree Brown Belt- Judo)

CAR_IS_MI > bob and john
04/15/2014 at 16:29

I was quoting.

If your looking to go MSF, they are run by the individual state, so chances are they don't have online classes. But its worth a shot.

CAR_IS_MI > dogisbadob
04/15/2014 at 16:29

Yea, no one ever said they were intelligent...

bob and john > CAR_IS_MI
04/15/2014 at 16:30

ahh, I'm in Canada XD. the motorcycle courses aren't government run, they are just normal business, and its up to THEM to certify their teachers.

Cebu > bob and john
04/15/2014 at 16:30

I find it helpful to brood upon the best method to dismember your oppressors once your rise to power is complete.

Of course, that method only works for a Grand Poohbah (like me), so I'd understand.

Joking aside, maybe online courses?

bob and john > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/15/2014 at 16:33

tea-kwon-do.

Got up to 2nd degree black belt, then I had a bit of a falling out of my instructor and never when back. funny, if I had stayed with it, I could have been a 3rd degree by now (@ 2nd degree your allow to assist the classes and teach one or two, but not run them yourself. @ 3rd, you could run them yourself, @4th, you could open your own dojo)

bob and john > Cebu
04/15/2014 at 16:34

for the motorcycle teacher thing? Check my reply to MrTheEngineer, its something I plan to do.

alexotics > bob and john
04/15/2014 at 16:57

Magna is huge. Put everything you can in to that application process. Who cares about starting pay. Good luck!!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > bob and john
04/15/2014 at 17:01

I've been an assistant instructor once I hit 3rd Degree Brown, but would not be qualified to run a class until 1st or 2nd black.

'grats on your black belt, its a life goal of mine!

bob and john > alexotics
04/15/2014 at 17:02

I care because while I may not need the money 100%, it definetly does help in life. especially when it comes to helping pay off school bills

alexotics > bob and john
04/15/2014 at 19:01

That's true, but Magna is a very large, dominant company in its industry with lots of opportunity for growth in many different directions. You'll soon be making double your starting pay.

bob and john > alexotics
04/15/2014 at 19:56

I totally agree, but for the time being, i'm looking for something to get paid, not to maybe get an awesome later (remember, I still have school to go during 8 month of the year)

The Compromiser > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/15/2014 at 20:52

3rd degree brown.... think about it. I'm not always mature...

The Compromiser > dogisbadob
04/15/2014 at 20:54

up here, that's just over the poverty line. You could do worse as a summer student intern though.

dogisbadob > The Compromiser
04/15/2014 at 21:03

Yeah but Canadian poverty != US poverty haha

The Compromiser > dogisbadob
04/15/2014 at 21:06

Canadian poverty is best poverty!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > The Compromiser
04/16/2014 at 09:14

hahaha.

Well the actual title for it is Sankyu, but when you pronounce it sounds like an asian accented "thank you" so thats not much better hahahaha

The Compromiser > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/16/2014 at 13:01

nope... jk. I have a few friends that are black belts of varying degrees. I know it is hart to do what you need to make that happen. Thats why I'm fat and lazy. I have a black belt. It hoolds up my pants and matches my shoes....

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > The Compromiser
04/16/2014 at 13:06

lol.

It's cool I know you are. I can't wait to have the time/money to be in the dojo long enough to get a true black belt. I picked up all of Judo incredibly naturally and moved through ranks scary fast. (skipped yellow, orange, and green belt by going from white to blue in one test in only 4 months) I was also doing about 8-12 hours of full contact Judo a week, damn i was in good shape!

The Compromiser > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
04/16/2014 at 13:11

I hit orange and due to some personal issues with the master, I ended up leaving ( he went to jail for embezzlement. ). Found lots to do without it, archery, swimming, girls, girls, puberty (may have that out of order). Im in my late 30s now with three kids and no personal time so what couldve been is no more...

Exuse me, im going to hang myself from the bottom drawer handle of my desk...

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > The Compromiser
04/16/2014 at 13:42

well that's an unfortunate ending lol

I don't care when I do it, just as long as I do it. And I only started in College.

I did tons of stuff without martial arts until then. Including swimming myself!