The Last Bass Outpost

Main Forums => The Outpost Cafe => Topic started by: Barklessdog on January 13, 2018, 09:38:05 AM

Title: Long winded update
Post by: Barklessdog on January 13, 2018, 09:38:05 AM: I am sorry I have not been around, but I have sailed on life’s journey and will share my experience.

I do miss Uwe, but everyone else I keep in touch with on social media.

Anyway, as some of you might remember 4 years ago my sister died from blood cancer, I had to put my dog down, and I lost my company.

So I took a step back and re-evaluated my life. Realized I can’t play bass anymore due to my unorthodox style which was giving me carpel tunnel and tennis elbow.

So I always like sports cars and some guy near me offered to sell me his 1985 Toyota Mr2 for a crazy price. I bought it without my wife’s blessing. She read me the riot act and I decided to pay for it by selling all my basses, but this is its own story for another day.

I found in my industry- Toys, no one wants to hire anyone over 50, at least not without relocating, which I did want to do, since I would more than likely get laid off . Also I would rather live near my kids.

I got hired by another toy Invention studio that lasted 3 years, but the owner decided to liquidate the company and its staff.

So I was unemployed once again. My bank account was trickling down so I took a job selling Windows inhome. Guess what?

I loved doing it, it was a great experience and did fairly well. Now don’t go all sorry for the inhome sales guys, they make big money, some make 6 figures!

I also was really good at it because I didn’t care if I sold them. They had a sales training system that really worked. Each sale took at least 4 hours!

They taught us all these negotiating tactics, but I rarely used them, because they would all say (the ones who really were serious) - John I really like you and I know I told you I never buy anything on my first quote i’ll do it!

It was crazy!

It was good money too, but creativity I felt empty and felt like I was faking my life.

I would drive all over Chicago and get to meet all these cool different people, enter their houses, see their decorating styles, see cool new neihborhoods, and hear their life stories. I bonded with these people like I was family in the end. I could tell you about their grandpa, their dogs name - which I would stop anysale when they had a dog and just play with their dog.

If a sale was not going well I would say to my sell f*** it and try something crazy, and it work 90 percent of the time.

I also learned sales is an emotional rollercoaster. When you sell a big order of Windows for a house, say $46,000 for window doors etc and get 15% it’s intoxicating. However when you can’t sell it is really depressing. You can tell right away when it’s a waste of time.

I had 2 weeks of no sales and started looking at jobs again.

I found a local company that does children’s Educational products and they hired me!
It’s been one year and things are going well.

I handle all their product Development, and they are a great company. So far so good at least.

We got two new basenjis (yes I need my head examined), my son got married and moved out of town and my daughter graduated collage and moved back home.

She bought a bearded dragon that is an anazimg pet. Who knew they like to be with people and are almost dog like.

That’s my long winded story.

I you want to know what it’s like, watch the first couple of episodes of white powder on Netflix.
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: TBird1958 on January 13, 2018, 11:08:20 AM: Nice to hear from you John!
Glad things are going well for you and your family as well.

I've watched that show "White Gold" on Netflix - Pretty funny!
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: Pilgrim on January 13, 2018, 11:09:42 AM: Sounds like you're in a better situation now. Glad to hear it.
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: doombass on January 13, 2018, 11:13:24 AM: Hi John, nice to see you're doing good. I've sometimes thought of you and I've seen hints that you're doing fine, just not so active here. Thanks for the update.
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: Barklessdog on January 13, 2018, 11:24:34 AM: I will try to hang with you guys more as I miss it as well.

I will say that my sister used to be my support, when I lost that, I felt lost. But my son who has become a Buddhist, has become my new life support. As he reminded me, it’s not about where you end up but the journey you take. Change is always difficult, and full of anxieties.

I learned to enjoy whatever I am doing, and being happy with what I have. My life is like my Toyota Corolla, it may not have everything I want, but it has everything I need.
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: Basvarken on January 13, 2018, 11:40:38 AM: Glad you found your way to the Outpost back, John!
Our little conversation over at Facebook must have steered you gently towards the light ;-0

Good to see you're getting back on track!
Keep chiming in. You're welcome anytime.
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: Rob on January 13, 2018, 12:27:28 PM: Welcome back John
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: copacetic on January 13, 2018, 02:48:44 PM: Congratulations on all fronts. Great to have your children around to support both ways. Never give up.
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: Highlander on January 13, 2018, 02:56:22 PM: Happy and sad to hear the constituent parts... but glad to hear the route forward is basenjified... :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: Dave W on January 13, 2018, 02:56:35 PM: Quote from: Barklessdog on January 13, 2018, 11:24:34 AM
I will try to hang with you guys more as I miss it as well.

I will say that my sister used to be my support, when I lost that, I felt lost. But my son who has become a Buddhist, has become my new life support. As he reminded me, it’s not about where you end up but the journey you take. Change is always difficult, and full of anxieties.

I learned to enjoy whatever I am doing, and being happy with what I have. My life is like my Toyota Corolla, it may not have everything I want, but it has everything I need.

Your last sentence rings a bell with me. That's how I've learned to live. Mick and Keith should write a song about it.

We're still about WWII aircraft, Gwyneth Paltrow, reptiles and other subjects...and basses, but you know that owning basses isn't required.

Uwe has been very busy the past few months between work and moving house.
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: Barklessdog on January 13, 2018, 03:07:25 PM: I’m sure we can discuss reptiles...
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: Highlander on January 13, 2018, 03:12:58 PM: Er... :mrgreen:

bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=10301.0 (http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=10301.0)
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: Lightyear on January 13, 2018, 06:46:30 PM: Welcome back!

I'm not here as much as I used to be - promoted/killer long days & taking care of my parents - now just my mom.

I can envision a major detour centered around the "bearded dragon" - just sayin' ....... :o
Title: Re: Long winded up date
Post by: slinkp on January 13, 2018, 07:43:03 PM: Great to see you!
That's a great story, even the tough parts.
Hope you find a way to bring music back in your life without the carpal tunnel. It may be heresy to say this here but there are apparently OTHER musical instruments you can learn to play! And if you can pull off multiple career switches midlife, surely that's possible too.

But that's just me wishing for everyone to make music. You don't gotta. Your son the Buddhist probably has a better view.
Title: Re: Long winded update
Post by: Granny Gremlin on January 14, 2018, 11:27:11 AM: Good to see you back; sorry for the belated well-wishes - I just been occupied with holiday stuff until recently.
Title: Re: Long winded update
Post by: OldManC on January 14, 2018, 01:40:19 PM: John! I'm glad you checked in. Life can throw you some curve balls... Between those and the self inflicted ones (at least with me), it can be pretty crazy sometimes. I hope you continue to find the bright spots, my friend!
Title: Re: Long winded update
Post by: Barklessdog on January 14, 2018, 01:44:36 PM: Thanks, I hope all is well with you.

We have all been on a long strange trip since the Dude Pit days. I see him popping up on Linkdin, but am afraid to look.
Title: Re: Long winded update
Post by: Denis on January 14, 2018, 07:05:25 PM: Glad to see you posting again, John! Sounds like things have been looking up!
Title: Re: Long winded update
Post by: gearHed289 on January 15, 2018, 08:33:25 AM: Hey John, thanks for the update. I'm glad you've been able to power through everything. Life is full of surprises!
Title: Re: Long winded update
Post by: uwe on January 18, 2018, 09:30:56 AM: Herr Fertig!

(https://lifeatoz.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/man-hug-man-hug-manly-demotivational-poster-12147838731.jpg)

Willkommen daheim. This sounds corny now, but I thought about you regularly - your Nighthawk self-creation bass (which you bequeathed to me) is always within sight of my office desk and whenever my mind wandered, I'd think: "What is good old John doing now, still AWOL from bass and getting oiled-up fingers from that car?" Or when I heard Mahavishnu Orchestra (which Dave still doesn't allow to be mentioned here! :rolleyes: ). Plus whenever I play that Yamaha Attitude your little girlie hands found uncomfortable neckwise! :mrgreen:

I'm happy to hear you're back to your calling. That said, when we bought our Joseph-Goebbels-stepson-pre-pre-owned-bungalow and refurbished it, we would have of course bought the windows from you!

I would like to mention in passing that Gibson have rereleased the RD Artist. You know what that means.

(https://www.gearnews.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/gibson-rd-bass-2018-front-teaser.jpg)
Title: Re: Long winded update
Post by: Barklessdog on January 19, 2018, 04:42:52 AM: I am glad they went to a good home!

The Attitude I never had set up, I was too afraid to scratch it. It has to be worth a lot now!

Posting RD Artist click bait!
You know me too well - Kahler, Kahler, Kahler!