26 y/o single blue collar machinist.. Owasso, OK to Coos Bay, OR ?? (Powers: find a job, school)
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26 y/o single blue collar machinist.. Owasso, OK to Coos Bay, OR ??
My name is Greg, and I'm sick of living in Suburbia. I'm a small town introvert at heart. Something has been drawing me to the Oregon coast for years. I'm a formally educated blue collar automotive machinist and make a decent salary (for the type of job) here in OK ($20.50/hr). I spent alot of time backpacking through the Sangre de Cristo mountains when I was in the scouts and being outdoors truly makes me happy. I've lived in the city for long enough, though, that i've forgotten what that peaceful happiness feels like.
The stresses of city life have really gotten to me: My hair is falling out, I'm always grumpy, I have a 30-minute one-way stop/go congested highway commute every day, and the people here are so smug. Tulsa really is a nice city, and I have enjoyed my time here.. but it's time for a change of scenery. I HATE HATE HATE this humid heat. The heat index was 121 degrees earlier in the week. I hate extremes. When it's 28 degrees here in winter, you will hear me moaning about how I wish summer would get here. When it's 100 degrees outside, you will hear me moaning about how I wish winter would hurry up. In this part of the country there is about a 2-3 week window of beautiful weather between the extremes. It's hardly enough to enjoy, though. You go from shorts/Tshirt/sweating to jeans/jacket/boots/freezing in less than a month. The mild climate of Coos bay gets me excited.
I have a niche job. I'm an automotive machinist, which means I perform the same machine work as any other machine shop, except solely for vehicle engines (cars, boats, diesels, etc). I attended a vo-tech school in Houston specifically for building racing engines. I'm a car guy and have been around cars my whole life. This is my life (I truly enjoy what I do) and I will always have a blue collar job involving cars. What's great about this niche is that it parallels regular machine work, so I would have no problem walking into a regular machine shop and knowing how to get work done... if it came down to that.
I have read every word on this forum about coos bay and I think I have a pretty good idea of what the economy and job situation is there. What initially attracted me to this area of Oregon is the race track. Coos Bay Speedway Drag strip Oval track Mud drags This is probably where I would spend most of my time if I was a resident and is where I would find all of my career opportunity. I'm hoping that the presence of a track means that there is enough business to provide an inkling of hope of finding an automotive machinist job in the city. I already know what machine shops are in the area from looking through phone directories.
I am content with making an average salary. I'm not looking for a pay upgrade, rather a quality of life upgrade. I don't live beyond my means. I'm single and am not tied down to anything. I am also aware that being a young single and moving here might be considered committing "singles suicide", but I'm fine with it. I enjoy spending time by myself. All of my friends my age are married, and some of them are already miserable and heading for divorce. I'm really glad I didn't get sucked into that situation prematurely in my life. That's just me going off on a tangent, though.... focus!!!! I am in the process of tying up loose ends here and saving like a bandit. I'm looking into maybe a year to a year and a half before I would be ready to move. Best case scenario is I secure a job and then move. Worst case scenario is I just move there with about 15 grand in pocket and live frugally for as long as I can until I find a job.
Here's the information that I am seeking from Coos bay area residents:
-Do you think the race track draws in enough business to where a guy like me would be able to find a job somewhere? Is the track ever busy, or is it deserted? Are there many car enthusiasts in town?
-Is there a 20-something presence here? Would I eventually have to sign up on the russian bride websites to find someone?
-What is the general automotive industry like there?
Sorry, but you have the wrong idea of what this track is like. I know because we go most weekends and have known many of the drivers for decades, some over 40 years. Most of the local mechanics and wreakingyard owners have cars, and we have an abundence of shops in the area. These are local good ol boy racers living one day at a time with few making any money racing. Coos County is one of the more financial depressed areas in the state and the track is not a money maker for anyone. It is just good fun with locals doing what they like best.
As to the single scene there are two girls available from Powers. One of them even still has a few teeth left. Of course it will be a few years before she can stay out after 10 pm because of the curfew laws. Hanging with married people may be a good thing because there are a lot of disapointed housewives available. Mostly out at the track. Try to get one with less than seven kids but since most are over forty, that is hard to do.
Wow. You seem to have a bit of a problem with women, Steve. This forum might not be an appropriate place to act that out.
To the OP--sorry I can't help with your question. I know that the economy is bad around Coos Bay but you have a specific skill that sounds like might be needed there. Good luck to you.
Steve, I appreciate the response. You're right.. I don't know what the track is like. That's why I'm asking. The way you speak of the track isn't totally a bad thing, though. If some drivers have been racing for 40 years then it sounds like the racing industry there is solid and not going anywhere. If alot of locals have cars they run, then that means someone has to be on the front end of that - because race engines blow up and get freshened quite frequently. Every car requires an engine, and you have to do machine work to build an engine, and only machine shops can machine the engines. Abundance of shops in the area is good news! That means jobs. Nobody makes money racing anywhere. There is a residual understanding among most racers that you aren't going to make money unless you are John Force, but the local good ol' boys are the ones who race for fun as a hobby. Your description describes what it has been like at some of the places I've already lived and worked so I am familiar at how to excel in that environment. Maybe I will have to take a trip up there for a week and see for myself what the scene is like.
Oregon Yeti, cloudy is great for me! I enjoy a sunny day like anyone else, but I have real light sensitive eyes and I have to wear sunglasses around all the time here otherwise I'm squinting. I was out doing stuff today and it was partially overcast but I was still squinting. Clouds give me the chance to open my eyes and see the world around me better!
I love women, but I also live here and no teeth is a common trait in many of the woman, Mostly meth, some from spousal abuse (also common), and some because they are real bar room brawlers. Why don’t you call the track and talked Chuck. You don't seem to understand. There is no work here. These drivers are all wreakingyard owners and mechanics. Well one is a cop, but he drives four cylinders. The bottom line is there are ten guys out of work for every job, and out of town doesn't get hired here.
For anyone else who might read this thread: I have e-mailed and called around to many shops in Coos Bay and I get consistent word that is the exact opposite of what Steve is saying. Believe it or not, I actually got offered a job at one machine shop that I called. It's too soon to move because of the obligations I have here but I have no doubt that I can easily find a job there.
Mostly the owners, but I find it interesting you called because I was doing you a favor and I called around also. Only one had a job (Kontz), and there is a reason I choose not to discuss.
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I am in the process of tying up loose ends here and saving like a bandit. I'm looking into maybe a year to a year and a half before I would be ready to move. Best case scenario is I secure a job and then move. Worst case scenario is I just move there with about 15 grand in pocket and live frugally for as long as I can until I find a job.
