[rjcj2017]

Hey guys (for the ones who still remember me!)

I had to take a break at the end of April due to, well, being laid off, but guess what?

I found an awesome new job and am back on my feet.

I don't want to get into where I was or where I am now, but just know this ... the new place is a 180-degree difference from the old place in terms of stability, culture, etc.

Best news ... I am now a "regular" person who works Monday through Friday, 8-5!

Major lifestyle improvement, and the cash is better, too.

Being unemployed for 118 days (not that I was counting, LOL) was truly a soul-searching and at times soul-sucking process, but I'm a better man for it.

Anyway, card-wise, I won't be able to bust/post as much as I used to, but I'm still always on the lookout for stuff I don't have, especially my main guys Trout and Puig.

Speaking of ... if any of you pulled the "Trophy Cup" manufactured patches of either guy out of Topps Series 2 blasters and are willing to trade one or both of them, let me know. I have several other comparable patches of different guys and am willing to trade in your favor.

Good to be back, gemmen!

[snappyjoe75]

welcome back!! good to hear u landed back on ur feet again!!

[Phillies_Joe]

Awesome to hear RJ....welcome back!!!! Funny thing is I was thinking about you just last night while I was picking some cards for a trade. Congrats and hope to be seeing you around and swapping some cardboard! Man, the site gets better and better each day............

[magneto2]

Welcome back Retail King! I am very happy to hear your doing well again. Have you had any good retail hits since getting the job?

[Gtbrian23]

Welcome back buddy! Glad to see you on the boards again!

[aprirr]

Long time, RJ. Welcome back!

[DrMitchJ]

Alright! RJ is back in biz! Glad to hear that you're back on your feet. Must have been a frustrating 4 months, but that's all behind you. Welcome back!

[roger rabbit]

Welcome back man! Cheers.

[rjcj2017]

welcome back!! good to hear u landed back on ur feet again!!

Thanks my good man!

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Awesome to hear RJ....welcome back!!!! Funny thing is I was thinking about you just last night while I was picking some cards for a trade. Congrats and hope to be seeing you around and swapping some cardboard! Man, the site gets better and better each day............

Well, uh, Joe, could you be more specific about "I was thinking about you just last night while I was picking some cards for a trade" ... i.e., any good Trouts or Puigs for me? LOL

Yeah, man, it's good to feel like I have a life and a future again!

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Welcome back Retail King! I am very happy to hear your doing well again. Have you had any good retail hits since getting the job?

Thanks, you even remembered the nickname, LOL!

OK, card wise, the biggest hit I had since I left was the Jeter auto out of a box of 2009 Signature Stars from Target, but that actually came a couple of weeks after I was laid off ... cough * Severance Package * cough ...

No major hits during my unemployment "free agency," as I scaled WAY back obviously, though I did pick up a really nice Longevity football box from Target a couple of weeks back to celebrate and pulled mem cards of Manziel, Watkins and Bridgewater in the same box. Wrong sport, I know, but for retail Longevity that counts as a LOADED box.

Probably my best baseball retail hits other than Jeter lately were just a couple of Abreu and Tanaka parallels out of Series 2 and Bowman Platinum ... I guess the best one would be a Miguel Sano base auto out of Platinum, assuming he recovers from TJ surgery. He could always DH, I guess!

Thanks for asking!

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Welcome back buddy! Glad to see you on the boards again!

Thanks man ... I look forward to some more epic swaps once I get settled in with the new gig and family life!

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Long time, RJ. Welcome back!

Thanks my man! How's the "A & B" collection coming along? I missed you guys!

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Alright! RJ is back in biz! Glad to hear that you're back on your feet. Must have been a frustrating 4 months, but that's all behind you. Welcome back!

Hey Doc! Yes, a truly non-awesome experience being unemployed. Basically, you wake up every day like it's Groundhog Day and just hope, "OK, hopefully this is the day someone finally calls me back."

And for the first 100 days or so, it wasn't ... even for the job I ultimately landed, I had to go through three interviews set about a week to a week and a half apart, so even the successful attempt took about a month! So all in all it took about four months almost to the day.

I mean, I sent out dozens of job aps via all the usual sites (won't plug them here because they ultimately didn't do s--t for me!), pounded the pavement to meet with as many community connections I had that I could think of, went on about a half dozen actual interviews, then really just struck lightning in a bottle with a random email and blind resume.

But, the good news is, out of necessity I've gone through a personal re-invention as far as catching up with technology, my new approach to my job, etc., and so far it's been awesome.

Glad to be back!

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Welcome back man! Cheers.

Thanks man, it's damn good to be here!

[rad_1205]

RJ,

Welcome back buddy sorry I didn't write sooner. This is the best news I have heard in a while. Im glad to see you back, it couldn't of happened to better person. I replied to your PM looking forward to knocking out some more deals with you!