Category: Diary of a Wooley kid

Check me out, all bloggin’ like I know stuff.

  • Art of the Unemployed

    12/10/24

    DAMN!

    A few weeks ago, I up & left this site to rot as I perused an exciting opportunity to run production of a local newspaper in a town an hour away.

    I was so frikkin’ stoked! I had reoccurring dreams about working in a newsroom again. This seemed like the perfect fit for my skills, and for the first time in many years, I actually enjoyed my job again. The excitement of deadlines, paired with he challenge of wrangling a small newspaper into eye catching, easy-to-read design – it felt like I was home again!

    So anyway, I got fired yesterday. I did a good job, but it wasn’t enough. Ad sales were a joke, and we had a massive lag with our writers that ran the last run hours late for press deadline in Las Vegas, where all Nevada newspapers go to print nowadays. The price tag on overtime for them hit the pocket book of my boss so hard, she had to make some tough [on me] decisions. Since I was the only paid employee, I got kicked to the curb.

    I loved my new job for 3 weeks it existed. It made me feel useful and skilled, which is something I haven’t felt since Dennis Hof was above ground in 2018.

    Now I have been fired from being a drafter for the military industrial complex, a community health worker for the ‘MOST’ insane people of Lyon County, and now from doing the one job I felt I was good at.

    I sat in my room for about 2 hours last night, afraid to walk into the living room to give my hard working wife the bad news. When I finally did, there was no shock from her, but there was definitely plenty of stress in her eyes. It’s only 11 days until Christmas, and we borrowed from the money she was saving for gift shopping.

    I’m not really mad at the newspaper’s owner. She took a leap of faith that I could work magic on their ad revenue, and it ended up costing money instead. While it’s not my fault it went that way, It’s the giant pile of bullshit dumped at my front door. As my favorite Buddhist teacher would say, “Start shoveling that shit to the back yard to fertilize the mango tree.”

    Back to obsessing on this website! Perhaps I will use this to compete with the newspaper and other local media, and go for that ad revenue myself! If I can’t join them, I might as well beat them, right?

    Giving up is never an option when I’m a husband to the sweetest woman in the world, plus the father of the 5 most awesome humans ever made.

    Sorry, haters… I ain’t dead yet.

    GAME ON!!!

    Blog
    Home

  • Phil Wooley for County Commissioner

    12/6/23

    The Lyon County Board of Commissioners is seeking applications for County Commissioner for District 3. The District 3 seat, which covers parts of Dayton, all of Stagecoach, and parts of Silver Springs, was vacated by Ken Gray with his recent election to the Nevada State Assembly.

    Under Nevada law, a vacancy on the county commission is filled by the Governor.

    Governor Lombardo has requested the County Commission accept applications and recommend three candidates for the position.  

    I never seriously considered actually serving on the Board of County Commissioners, but I understand this is a serious role.

    Ever since Ken Gray posted links on Facebook to write the governor in support of his pick to take his old job, my Facebook Messenger has been chiming like crazy. Several citizens reached out to me, encouraging me to apply for the position. I decided if this many people believe in me, it’s worth a shot.

    Why me?

    …I’m actually asking myself right now

    Again, I wasn’t considering this move before yesterday [January 5th]. As I write this blog post today on January 6th, I understand I’m possibly not the most qualified applicant. The only times I’ve been at the Government Center in Yerington, were to fight to keep my job, then to receive an award from the commissioners. It’s very safe to say that I have zero interest in making a career out of politics. I do, however feel I could be useful to my community while occupying this seat.

    I am currently in training to become a certified Community Health Worker. I am employed with Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties as a volunteer coordinator, paid by the new Diabetes Prevention and Control grant offered by the State. In my “spare time” I host blood drives and lead cleanup operations in the desert trails all over Nevada. I have much concern for the health, safety and general welfare of people around me – so much so, that I gave a kidney to save a man in my neighborhood in 2019.

    Me in the news about my kidney donation

    ►

    Nevada Appeal

    ►

    RGJ

    While I have never been very vocal about my political opinions to the general public, I am a Republican, and I agree with most conservative views. I also know it’s important to listen to some liberal points, and keep an open mind. Political parties are not sports teams, and should never be treated as such. Holding contempt for any political party as a whole, is ignorant and unacceptable for anyone in this position. I promise that I will NOT be pushing to spend taxpayer money to rename buildings after my favorite Republican leaders.

    The most I can offer to Lyon County, is honesty and genuine concern for its people. I want to see my community healthy and treated fairly, knowing their voices are heard. I’m not reaching for a higher office, nor do I have any ties to any special interest groups. I just care enough to put in extra work for my fellow citizens.

    Blog
    Home
  • Abducting campers and making them work for free

    Abducting campers and making them work for free

    12/23/22

    It’s weird – working for the brothels made me hesitant to use the word “Prostitute”. While it was the literal title of the profession, and there was nothing wrong with using the word, I simply chose not to. Sex worker or IC (independent contractor) was always what I’d say.

    I’m also this way with “homeless”. I know it’s not a derogatory term, but it paints the conversation differently when using it – visions of people asleep on a sidewalk somewhere on 4th Street in Reno.

    IMHO, “Homeless” doesn’t properly describe everyone I meet out there. Some better fit the description of off-gridders, than homeless. I know they would prefer a house with all the amenities and comforts, but I see some people making the best of what they have – Instead of complaining about waking up in a tent in zub sero temperatures, they mention how beautiful the pogonip is on the trees.

    One group I’ve gotten to know, I’ve dnamed Camp OGK (Off Grid Kids). I make it a point not to show their faces, or give any details about anyone in the camp, other than stats needed for clothing and food. There are all sorts of stories I’ve heard from this crew, but none are my business to tell.

    Videos (TikTok)

    ►

    Video: When I met OGK

    ►

    Video: The following day

    I met Camp OGK through my adventures with Desert Pigs, starting with the time we went out there to cut up and haul out a dumped boat. We offered to keep coming back to haul out trash out, since their trailer and vehicles weren’t functioning. This has worked out great! With Pigs hauling from this remote spot, the campers have been cleaning the area and gathering stuff from other camps. Our OGK contacts also distribute supplies donated by the local community.

    My friend and fellow Desert Pig, Dave has been hooking up the camp with some big loads of scrap wood, dog food, and more. The wood is coming from a cabinet shop, who is happy to have it out of their lot.

    OGK pitches in to feed Yerington

    Yesterday (12/22/22) I needed volunteers to save the food bank in Yerington, after health issues took out much of their workforce. The OGK were the first to jump at the chance to help! I had a great time working with them, exploring a couple spots in Y-town, and enjoying a McDonald’s lunch. As with any visit to Camp OGK, I made sure to cuddle the doggos when picking up and dropping the volunteers.

    Later that evening, Dave and I hooked them up with another load of hardwood scraps. The cabinet shop now has all of that off their hands, and campers are warm. Win-win.

    An interesting observation:

    While we were all ooing and ahhing over the Anaconda mine landscape, the OGK volunteers were noticing a smell that became slightly irritating to them – some sort of chemical/metal odor. I snorted air in every direction, but detected nothing. Have I become nose blind to industrial chemicals, living in my modern human dwellings? What else am I breathing, which I can’t smell?

    Fugitive Dust: High wind events combined with a semi-arid environment contribute to occasional erosion of the mine tailings piles, creating potentially contaminated fugitive dust blowing from the site.

    epa.gov

    Anaconda Mine info

    ►

    EPA finally ties toxic water to old mine – NBC NEWS

    ►

    History & cleanup activities, according to EPA

    Blog
    Home