I got laid...off

This a post I didn't think I would have to write but here it is. Since October 10th I have been unemployed. The contracting firm I worked for was contacted by IBM and told that they had to cut contracts by 50% immediately so IBM could save money. It was a sudden announcement and one that took me aback the minute I heard it. For the first time I have no job at all, I'm currently waiting to see if I can get some work at my old job even temporarily and I just started doing a little freelance writing for someone too. The fact I'm unemployed doesn't scare me as much as the prospect of having no income to keep myself afloat. As I've mentioned in the past my loans, bills, and a car payment are always taking a huge chunk of my earning each month. Now there is no paycheck and I don't know how long I can skirt by on just unemployment.

It's a scary time for me, usually I have a plan to keep myself going and to keep the money coming in. This time I don't. There is no plan and for once in my life everything is up in the air. Hopefully that will change sooner rather then later. I can't imagine being out of work for a long time. We shall see what happens next. Till then I'm asking my readers for support or even suggestions for work. It would be greatly appreciated by me. 

Thank you very much,

Christian G. Geisler

Time to re-brand

The new website cgeisler.net

Over the last few weeks I have been trying to figure out the next step in my life. For the longest time I wanted to try to find work in technical writing or publishing. Unfortunately that is harder to get into then I anticipated.
Without experience in either field it was getting harder and harder to find a job. So I started looking at my strengths and see what jobs existed in those areas. Within in minutes I had my answer.

Learning what you excel at!

As I sit at my desk enjoying a small glass of whiskey I find myself thinking what am I good at? What am I good at? It's a question that we all get asked at some point in our lives. Yet for many it is a difficult question to answer. I myself have always had a hard time answering it because I don't usually notice what I'm good at. That comes from being too modest about myself. When you are like that, you usually forget what makes you unique and what skills you excel at. It's only been recently that I have felt comfortable saying to others what I am good at. That is because as I have gotten older I have learned that it's okay to show off your skills. It can lead to more opportunities and even give you a chance to shine in something you never would have thought of before.

 The more I work at IBM the more I have had opportunities to use my skills in writing, computers, and problem solving. My coworkers like having input from me when it comes to new problems and sometimes I come up with a solution that works. To be included in problem solving as well as creating new ideas is something I have enjoyed while working there. It's lead to more work in areas that involve creative solutions as well as writing detailed proposals. I have to admit I missed writing technical information and it's been nice to get back into the groove again. Currently I'm working on new proposal for security upgrades and I feel like my writing has improved dramatically. It feels professional and has all the information that is needed.

Overall I feel more confident in my skill set of writing, computers, and creative solutions. I know I can talk, create, and even contribute in ways I never thought I could before. It's helped me feel more confident about myself and also I feel more confident about the work I create. It only took 25 years for me to realize what I am good at!

Happy Birthday to Chatham's Train Station

On June 14th the Chatham Historical Society put together a bunch of events to celebrate the train stations centennial. One of the highlights was the railway museum inside the eastbound station. Comprised of 100 artifacts from the private collection of my father, it was well received by the public, committee officials, local politicians, and even the executive director of NJ Transit. Throughout the day we had people telling us how much they loved the little museum. Most were amazed to find out that this was only a small portion of my fathers collection. One aspect of this exhibit that made me proud was the fact that for the first time my father had an opportunity to show off items that he has collected over the last 40 years on a grand scale. The museum was his and everyone on the centennial committee couldn't stop thanking him. It was a long day for him, my girlfriend, and myself. By the time the day was over we were all exhausted but it was worth it to bring a little piece of railroad history to the citizens of Chatham. Below are some pictures highlighting the exhibit we set up that day.

Keeping busy having fun and loving it all

Well I told you I would write something else today and here it is. As many of you may have noticed I haven't posted since March. To be honest I haven't had motivation to do it recently. Between working at my new job and just being busy in general I haven't had time to write.

Enjoying the sun

Hello everyone! It's me Christian. You know Christian the guy who was going to blog all the time. Yeah I know I haven't talked to you since March but life and work got in the way. To make up for it here are some pictures from this past weekend. Marlee and I took advantage of the warm weather to enjoy the sun.
Later on today I'll give a full update on everything going on in my life.

32 Goals for 2014

It's a new year and another new chance to write all I can. Taking a look at the list of writing prompts that my friend Joey gave me I find that today is entitled 32 flavors. Which means its time for a list of some sort. Since this is my first post of the new year I'm going to put a list together of 32 things I hope to do in 2014. In this case the order of importance doesn't really matter.