Robo Hobo Homo #006

Friday was when I finally got to see my caseworker, Dennis. It didn't go the way I expected, but things rarely ever do.

I talked a little bit about it earlier. He asked about my Social Security card and when I told him I'd thrown it away, he didn't ask why, he just sighed and moved on, doing what he could with what he had. He had me fill out some paperwork, the hooked me up on a computer they had and left me to it. The day before, I'd hiked for three hours and fucked my laptop over and they had working computers with internet available on site the whole time!

C'est la vie. I was thankful they had them. He shoved a human-to-internet translator at me and vanished to put out another brush fire. After I finished my applications, I wasn't sure what to do next. I wanted to check my email, but then I'm a stickler for rules. I wanted to ask permission, but I couldn't find any of the staff.

I went back and logged onto my email. I hadn't been able to check it since midday Thursday. The eLance bid I put in for had a reply that asked for information I'd included in my initial bid. It also asked for a scan of my passport, which I don't have and even if I did have it, I wouldn't be sending strangers on the internet pictures of it.

The supply supervisor position I put in for had emailed me back. I needed to print out an application, scan it, and send it back in. My laptop wasn't even working, but I had to gain the use of a printer, a scanner, and a USB drive to moves the files around.

Luckily, I'd written messages to my family on a USB drive. I've been keeping it in my pocket inside of two zip-lock bags since Tuesday. I popped it out and headed out. When I went to shelter's front desk, only Bay was there. I asked her if she'd seen Dennis, and I swear to the gods she said, “Dennis isn't here.”

Golden.

Anyway, she hooked me up with the shitty printer they had, plugged my USB into her work computer, and printed it up for me. While I was filling it out, she had to go take care of some stuff at the food bank, so she set me up with another female caseworker, Brandy. After I finished the application, Brandy let me use her computer to scan the file and return it to my USB. I reviewed it and sent it out.

Pretty stock stuff, but remember that  this was all happening in the window of just a few hours towards the end of Friday. It had been over a day since the guys hiring had replied to me and I wanted to get back with them as soon as possible. Once Monday rolled around, would a reply be taken as too late? I had no way to know, but getting it in as quickly as possible was all I could do.

I had to get relayed through three people to use a common device I would have had at home. It took me over 24 hours to receive an email, let alone reply to it. That's murderously slow compared to having my own set up in my own comfy house.