Like it has for many others, COVID took a toll on me from losing my job to losing my father. There were other private, devastating issues as well. There were times I was in a pretty dark place.

 

I had been looking for a job since last spring. But between COVID and hospitalizations with my father and stepmother and their being 4 hours away and having to travel to care for them it was tough. Then dad passed and with the winter holidays it made things tough once again.

 

I couldn’t even get interviews for some jobs because I was overqualified. No one wants to invest in hiring and training  when they know you will leave when a better job comes along. With other jobs in my field there were always 400 or more applicants and you’re lucky if they even opened your resume.

 

But even though things were bleak I persisted and it paid off. I landed the General Manager job at The Lodge at Lake Oconee in Eatonton, GA. Right now this hotel is more than rough around the edges and needs a lot of maintenance and training but it has the potential to be a gem. There’s a LOT to do to get this hotel up to speed, but I live for that challenge. I really, really need to find a maintenance chief to help me turn this place around.

 

The hotel is right on the lake and we have four docks on property. Oconee supposedly has good largemouth and striper fishing and I can’t wait to get out there. The hotel has its own kayaks and canoes and I plan to take advantage of that. With any luck I can find a house to rent on Oconee or nearby Lake Sinclair.

 

I know my story is not unique and a lot of people around the world and right here in our Bass Resource community are struggling. For me, interacting on these forums and the ability to go out and fish were integral parts of my coping with the situation, so thank you to everyone here for that.

 

I guess what I’m getting at is with so much hatred going on in the world and with social media it’s great that Glenn and all have put together this community and we should all be thankful for that.

 

For those out there struggling I can’t promise it will get better, but perseverance will pay off in the end. This pandemic won’t go on forever, and doors will open.

Sounds like you have job security again...and in a primo location. Great going, man.

   That's great news!  ?    jj

Nice to hear things are starting to turn around and get better for you. 

Great to hear this great news!

16 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Sometimes the camaraderie in this forum is more important than people can imagine. We’ve seen that with those that have had medical issues but it even goes beyond that.

Congratulations!!

Great news Koz. Hope it all works out and you get some peace of mind, and some good fishing in of course..

Congrats!

Great news man, fingers crossed  that it works out. ?

Good news!  I really enjoy your input on this forum.

A turn for the better. It's great to find a job you truly enjoy. Congrats.

Congratulations! Be sure to take some pre- and post-pics for us so we can see the progress you and your team make.

Congratulations Koz!

Nice.  And way fewer alligators to be concerned about!

 

Now how long before we revive the BR Roadtrip so we can stress-test @Koz's new digs?

6 hours ago, NorcalBassin said:

Congratulations! Be sure to take some pre- and post-pics for us so we can see the progress you and your team make.

That’s a great idea. Three days in and we’re making progress. Staff is not used to being accountable.

24 minutes ago, Koz said:

Staff is not used to being accountable.

 

   Heck ..... most people are not used to being accountable!              jj

5 hours ago, Chris at Tech said:

Nice.  And way fewer alligators to be concerned about!

 

Now how long before we revive the BR Roadtrip so we can stress-test @Koz's new digs?

The no alligators thing is going to be nice.

 

I do have a few ideas regarding the BR community but I need to discuss those with Glenn first. Even with that we’re 60-90 days away before I start actively marketing this hotel. With it being off season and with Covid it gives me an opportunity to make a physical impact on the property first.

Glad you got the job ! I’ve been through Eatonton a few times and it seemed like it’d be a good place to live. Well, you wont have any gator problems there anyway.

 

Good to hear things are turning around! I can’t wait to see a picture of you and/or your son with a big striper in hand. They are mildly addictive 

Great news man!  Ever watch Ozark? Call it research.

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

Great news man!  Ever watch Ozark? Call it research.

LOL! I am having a hard time understanding the drawl of a few people.

11 minutes ago, Koz said:

LOL! I am having a hard time understanding the drawl of a few people.

Low country and hillbilly accents are geographically separated........ haha. We went to the ACE basin to look at shorebird management practices in college and it was awesome hearing the accent differences. My favorite is the low country SC way to say the word “here”  

 

hard to spell, maybe “hieyahn”