Automotive in Roanoke (Norfolk, Chesapeake, Blue Ridge: condo, house, buying)

[jagtech]

I am very interested in moving to the Roanoke Area. I am just dying to ride my harley down the Blue Ridge and take my jet ski out on the lake. So far I have come up empty handed with a job. I have 30 years in the automotive field. I have been turning wrenches for the past 20 years on Jaguars. I have crossed trained myself to be sufficient in the parts dept and service write up. I was being groomed for service manager until the company sold out recenlty now I'm back to square one. I want to change tracks in my career. I'm over the wrench turning side of the business and now looking at something with a little less crawling around on the floor. I have contacted the new Jag dealer and they have an opening which I interviewed for but now they have decided not to make a decision right now. So I am looking at other autmotive companies for an oppertunity at service advisor or manager. My best friend is about to move there and they have already purchased a home there and after 20yrs of us being apart it's time for us to live close again. There fore I am looking to relocate there but need a job first. If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.

[seanpecor]

Sorry, I can't be of much help in your search. Hopefully someone else will chime in. If you're talking about the new Jaguar dealership just south of the parkway exit on Route 220, then that's a huge dealership and the repair garage is massive. The whole road facing wall is glass and you can see folks wrenching on cars, it's a cool setup. Really clean shop. The dealership is a string of showrooms (Jaguar, Porsche, Land Rover, Mercedes Benz and Volvo). I drive by that place a few times a week and I avoid stopping in because I have this feeling I'd walk out with the keys to a CLS63 AMG sedan. Instead I just keep on driving by in my '05 Prius thinking I'd be better off just buying more acreage for my horse farm. Or a backhoe. Man, I'd really love a John Deere 50D backhoe. What the hell is happening to me!



Sean

[PaperTrail]

Originally Posted by seanpecor

I drive by that place a few times a week and I avoid stopping in because I have this feeling I'd walk out with the keys to a CLS63 AMG sedan. Instead I just keep on driving by in my '05 Prius thinking I'd be better off just buying more acreage for my horse farm. Or a backhoe. Man, I'd really love a John Deere 50D backhoe. What the hell is happening to me!

I know I'm getting off-topic from the original question, but I had to say that this part of your quote, Sean, is hilarious. And I'm in the same boat as you! In the past 2+ years that I've been with Ryleigh, I no longer want a condo in heart of a big downtown; now all I want is lots of land in the country (and a mountain view would be nice). And somehow, I now own two cowboy hats, my last three CD purchases have been country music, and I have no desire to "upgrade" from my aging Jeep Wrangler to a new flashy car -- it sure will be great to have a little 4X4 with a tow hitch on our farm! When did my direction shift so much?! It's great, and I love it, it's just a complete 180 from where I was just a short couple of years ago.

To borrow your words: "What the hell is happening to me!"

[jagtech]

Paper trail,

I think it's called getting older and wising up. They say with age comes wisdom. I think you get a little older an realize that all that big city stuff just isn't for everybody. I lived in Chesapeake for 6 years and worked down in VA Beach. I was smart enough to buy a house were I was going against traffic everyday. I lived right off Battelfield Blvd so my entrance to 64 was easy and I hopped onto to 264 and got off at Lynnhaven. My dealership was less that a mile away so my trip was actually a pleasant one. Now going down to the beach was whole different story. It was beautiful down there but I can count on 1 hand in the 6 yrs that I lived there that I went to the beach. It was so crowded trying to walk down the boardwalk that you actually had to plan your move to get off. It was like driving in traffic. You can only understand this if you lived there. I always did like the country living and view from up there is beautiful. I think as we get older we just like to chill and enjoy the beauty in life. As they say it's time to stop and smell the roses. I want to do that I just need to get a job up there. The dealership for Jaguar is a beauty. I have been in it and the place is gorgeous. Now if I just could convince them to give me that opportunity. The gentleman I interviewed with was very nice and the people there seem really nice. It's a place that I would like to work at. The owners have decided that they want to hire a headhunting company to get more applicants so they have a bigger pool to pick from. I guess I still have a shot at it only time will tell the story. You guys want acerage and john deer tractors. I'll take a little acerage as I hate to cut grass, but give me the Blue Ridge Parkway to ride my harley down or drive the convertible down. See some of the best things in life are free people jut can't see the forest through the trees. Try finding that in Chesapeake

[PaperTrail]

Originally Posted by jagtech

Paper trail,

I think it's called getting older and wising up. They say with age comes wisdom. I think you get a little older an realize that all that big city stuff just isn't for everybody. ...

Jag,
I think your abolutely right in that it's being a little bit older and a little bit wiser. Those couple years between "mid-20s" and "almost 30" has been a huge change for me -- from my everyday life to how I approach work. I'm in Chesapeake now and used to live in downtown Norfolk, and that only somewhat a big city. Yeah, this area is populous, and traffic is horrid, but I've never really felt like I was living in a metropolis. Coming out of school, I certainly thought that Chicago, Philly or Seattle would be beckoning. Eh, not so much anymore.

As you said, I'm now all about enjoying the beauty in life....seeing the BR Parkway, hiking the AT, camping in Wash and Jeff NFs. I'll take that any day over the urban jungle and its congestion and other unpleasantries.

I hope you get a job that works for you, Jag. My fiancee and I are waiting out some job possibilities right now in the Roanoke area, so things are a little on edge for us too!

Originally Posted by jagtech

You guys want acerage and john deer tractors. I'll take a little acerage as I hate to cut grass, but give me the Blue Ridge Parkway to ride my harley down or drive the convertible down.

I'm all about having lots of acreage because not only do I not mind cutting grass, and once we get a few horses, they'll do most of the work for us with keeping our grass timmed.

[jagtech]

Well that sounds good papertrail. Maybe if I'm lucky enough to land a job there I can borrow your horses to take care of my grass every once in a while. I am also awaiting some other prospects there. I hope they work out for us all.

[seanpecor]

Originally Posted by PaperTrail

I'm all about having lots of acreage because not only do I not mind cutting grass, and once we get a few horses, they'll do most of the work for us with keeping our grass timmed.

Oh, they'll trim some parts of the pasture, and ignore other parts Horses are picky eaters. They can overgraze 33% of a pasture before they even start really touching the other 66% depending on the forage species in the field. So the bad news is you'll still have to mow pastures three to four times a year. The good news is you can buy a bush hog, which is one of the funnest toys ever invented. The added bonus around here is that all of the rock is limestone and quartz. Instead of bogging down your mower or fouling the blade they just explode into hundreds of smaller quartz rocks in all directions. I don't know why but that never gets old. Plus you'll have red tail hawks keeping you company while you scare up lunch

Hey, I've got an idea. I can go to Hammersley and tell them I'm not buying that C63 AMG until they hire jagtech! Or maybe that's the sinus infection talking.

Sean

[jagtech]

LoL Sean, That was good. Well maybe if you buy the car and tell them I sent you then they could afford to hire me. lol I'm trying. I figure I will keep contacting them until they hire me just to shut me up. My best friend had an interview today with a company called parts depot. I think you gave her the lead in her post. After her interview she asked them if they looking for anybody with my experience and they gave her an application for me and asked to see my resume. So I'll keep my fingers crossed that something comes of that. It would be really cool if we both ended up working for the same company and living in the same town. I think both our husbands are concerned about that. We are just trouble waiting to happen, lol. Thanks for all the horse knowledge. I now know more about horse habits that I ever thought I would. Looks like I may have to borrow a goat to since the horses are so picky. lol