Author: /u/AlcoholicWombat

About a year and a half ago I was in a horrible situation. My girlfriends drinking was out of control and she was attacking me verbally and physically. I was trapped, looking for work in an unfavorable market during the pandemic.

Too embarrassed to ask my family and friends for help, I posted here explaining my situation (I’ve since deleted it) and that I just needed a job to get out. I’m a 6’1 220 pound veteran and my hair was thining out and turning gray and I was sliding into depression. Not knowing when her next rampage would start was the worst.

I prepared for the worst. I expected to be ridiculed, lectured, trolled. I was seriously fucking wrong. So many of you recommended jobs to me, gave my resume to your manager, offered supportive words, places to stay. I had so many DMs I couldn’t answer them all. You guys reversed her gaslighting and reassured me over and over there was nothing wrong with how I was feeling or asking for help.

When the ice storm hit, I was on a ladder hanging drywall from a burst pipe and she decided that I “didn’t love her” and kicked me off the ladder. I finally just grabbed the cat, my grandads war medals, a few clothes and other things, shoved them into my car and went to live with a buddy in San Antonio. Everything else I lost. Tools, furniture, kitchenware. They were just things that can be replaced.

A few weeks later I finally got a job in MN. Turns out it sucked, but a month ago I got picked up by a great company and this is the best job I’ve ever had.

I finally got to where I needed to go. And I will never forget how Houston did everything they could to help. I think about all the other places I’ve lived, and I don’t think any of them would come close to matching your selflessness and concern for someone you only knew as alcoholic wombat. I will make it back to Texas some day when it’s in the cards. Partially because the food up here fucking sucks.

So a year and a half later, I’ve gotten past the depression, got into a dream job and Thursday I am going on my first date since all that with a Czech accountant with the hottest accent and prettiest smile I’ve ever seen.

Thanks, Houston, for helping a stranger get there. If I ever win the lottery I’m renting out astroworld for a weekend and fucking open bar, crawfish and BBQ for all of you

I’m looking for a large quantity of regular printer sized scrap paper, was thinking maybe someone in here worked at a school or office or something that had boxes of old newsletters, homework assignments, paperwork etc thats just gonna get thrown out.

Why? I use them to package things. I buy and sell sports cards on Ebay for a hobby and that market is freaking unbelievable right now and I cut sheets of paper in half and fold it around the card protector for better protection. I ran out of all my scrap paper and I don’t want to use clean printer pages as i feel it’s a waste so might as well recycle something that was gonna get thrown out anyways

Just make sure it has no personal information on it, like names or addresses or phone numbers (old invoices etc). I can come pick it up. I’m in Missouri City, so I can travel within a reasonable radius and if you’d prefer to meet at a public place that’s fine with me and if you go to any sort of trouble to help me out with this I’ll gladly give you a few dollars

Disclaimer: If you’re going to set me up to rob me, you’re barking up the wrong tree by trying to rob someone that’s gotta ask reddit for scrap paper lmao and also I can kind of fight. I know this because when I was in 2nd grade I pushed a 3rd grader down and now I’m tough

And, since I’m on the subject, if you got that box of cards from your childhood or your grandad left in the attic now is the time to sell. The prices are crazy- cards of prospects that haven’t come close to even minor league are selling for thousands thanks to speculation- but I think this market will crash like it did in the 90s. Never sell to anyone who appraises – including me – because they know you don’t know what you have and will lowball the eff out of you. Because I love my Houston people, if anyone happens to have anything they’re wondering about the price, send me a PM and I’ll tell you what you can sell them for and where. Also I consign if you don’t want to deal with the trouble.

Oh, and by “large quantity” I drive a mustang, so like a small/medium sized moving box or two full.

We’ve been trying to get our drywall fixed for two months (Today, I’m actually going to just do it myself. Let’s hope the YouTube DIY videos are legit). Yesterday I tried again to just go down the list. 3 in a row – companies that actually picked up their phone – all had the same spiel – “We don’t do quotes, we will send someone out now with everything they need in the truck to fix the problem without looking at it for $99 dollars plus whatever our worker charges for labor and parts”

Classic Traveller scam – they’ll take your money to go get additional parts and labor, then leave never to be seen again. There’s a lot of Travellers in Texas, and on top of that the sheer amount of damage that ice storm caused with pipes and drywall have got scammers setting up shop, just like with any other disaster

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So to avoid a scam, cause I know a lot of people are getting desperate to get to get repairs done

1. Google search the number. If It’s not a legit business number, and just someone’s cell phone, don’t do it
2. Google earth the address listed. When I did this for the three companies I talked to yesterday, I got a redicare clinic, toy store and Kohls
3. Don’t pay anything over the phone before someone is on site in your house. Besides the scams, we’ve had a lot of companies just not show up or return calls after promising to be here. Homeadvisor tried to charge me 300 dollars even though they didn’t know when they would have someone available, then when I backed out of the sale, called me 9 times that afternoon and emailed me 13 before I sent an explicative laced response thats probably illegal in some states
4. Ask for insurance and business licenses. If they don’t have them available or say they’ll bring them later tell them to get lost
5. Not having a company logo on a shirt or vehicle is cause for suspicion
6. Most reputable companies have company vehicles with their contractor license clearly printed on them
7. The higher pressure the sales tactic is, the more likely its a scam. These people have enough work available right now that if they have to sit there and aggressively push you into a sale then something’s wrong.
8. Again, no website, no landline, no legitimate physical address = scam
9. Remember, even legit companies are drowning and scraping the bottom of the barrel to get enough manpower to snatch up their piece of the pie.
10. Ladies, when someone comes to your door, never imply you’re alone. Scam artists will ask innocent questions to get you to reveal if you’re there alone and get really aggressive. If they ask you if your husband is home, just say he’s sleeping. Or say “I’ve got it!” when walking to the door. Or just sit there cleaning a shotgun and mutter something about running out of space in the back yard to bury things.

My credit card has been through the wash. Twice. The chip doesn’t quite sit in there just right anymore. Sometimes, it declines, and declines, and declines until the EMV lets me swipe instead of insert. The cashier knows this, I go there a lot. I know this. But you didn’t know this. I stepped back to let you go ahead of me because it can be time consuming and I didn’t want you to wait. It is, after all, my fault because I really need to order a new card and just haven’t gotten around to it.

Then you paid for my stuff and just smiled when I objected. I definitely didn’t expect that from you. You were probably 15 years younger than me and dressed in sweatpants.

I’ve given my leftovers away to homeless people. I’ve paid for people’s gas before. Hell I’ve even paid someone’s rent this year. I’ve paid for groceries numerous times. Because I’ve been there and in the last 10 years, luck has made it so that I am able to help others. But the feeling when someone goes out of their way to do something for you is pretty uplifting

This year sucks, for everyone. But that 12.68 you spent – a tin of Skoal and 2 energy drinks- reminded me that it’s the holidays and put me in a far better mood than I was in earlier. Even though I’m a transplant from the far reaches of remote northern Michigan, time and time again I get hit with that Houston love.

Tomorrow, I’m gonna go out and pay it forward.

Happy Holidays Everyone

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(PS if Santa’s out there I’d like a job and my student loans paid off lmao)

I tried my damndest to make a throwaway because I’m sort of embarrased to post this on my main but I guess you can’t do throwaways on this subreddit but I need to get out of an abusive relationship. I’m male, and my girlfriend is just too out of control when she drinks. Destroying my things, throwing me out of the house at 3am, threatening to call the cops because “all she has to do is cry and I’ll go to jail”. She owns her house and I’m unemployed for the same reason everyone else is but I guess if I type it out the automod flags it. The more I try and calmly defuse her, the worse she gets. She knows my back is against the wall, she basically cashes all of my rent checks at once when she suspects I’m going to leave, hamstringing me financially. I grew up around domestic violence, and there is not a chance in hell I’ll take part in it and yell back. I’ll just leave the house until she passes out. This has been going on for two years. I was stupid in thinking it’ll get better. I think deep down she is a good person, but I’m at my limit. I’m starting to develop anxiety whenever I hear that first beer open.

I was in IT. I can do a little front end development, webpages, point of sale software, general MSP type stuff. I’m also open to anything new. I’m mechanically inclined but no actual experience. I just need a job so I can get my own place. Apartment complexes aren’t going to let to someone on unemployment.

So this is me basically begging any small business owners, hiring managers, I gotta get me and my cat out of this. I’m willing to relocate pretty much anywhere in texas and do anything as long as I can pay my rent,car note and insurance, but the closer to Houston the better. I’m especially interested in a small town environment, but I’m not going to be selective at this point.

Thanks!

And for the love of God, I don’t want any stupid comments about how I should just hit her back, or be a man about it etc. As far as I’m concerned stepping down to that level is exactly what a man DOESN’T do.