Electronics Technician with component level troubleshooting experience in R&D and manufacturing looking for work in Houston

I am an Electronics Technician with 13 years experience in LWD/MWD. I worked in R&D for 6yrs assisting engineers in the development of digital and analog circuitry. I participated on a fast track project team in 2005 and I received a bonus greater that my years salary for the completion of a Density/Neutron Tool in a timely manner. I also worked in a fast paced production environment troubleshooting the more difficult problems.
I worked in A NASA environment for more than 10 yrs maintaining and repairing Space shuttle Launch Processing Systems. I have a strong personal interest in Electronics and over the years I have built many types of electronic devices with some of them being my own design.
The company I was working for was recently acquired by Smith and with the downturn in the industry I was laid off on the 3rd round. They kept some of the technicians who were recently hired in the last year who had very little experience and were not able to do much without assistance. I suspect they are trying to lower the average wages.
I am not having much luck finding any job in Electronics at any pay these days in Houston. Even the temporary staffing agencies have nothing. I have never had any problems finding an Electronics job before in my life. Any info or comments from others present experiences would be appreciated.

Your comment is over a month ago, but I will still give it a shot. I loved your style and comments. You are not alone my friend. I have been an Electronic Tech for over 20 years. I too have never had trouble finding a job.
Until now. I was laid off in April in the 3rd or 4th round of layoffs at my company. (I lost count) The economy is making employers really leery. I lost out on a job recently by an engineer that had worked at the company and took the technician job! (talk about the kiss of death for HIS career).
I have built and tested innumerable boards, systems, and have supported and worked alongside many, many engineers. I think right now they are keeping the lid on hiring and that slows the economy even further.
Keep your head up. Keep looking and hopefully the economy will turn. Shoot for companies that have engineers you can trust and ask them to "create" a job for you.
Good luck amigo.

how did u do it all...

I am also in the same boat. I worked for AT&T for 14 1/2 years, I started as a telecommunications technician in 1996 with Ameritech in chicago and worked provisioning and maintenance on DS1's or 1.544 megahertz and DS3's 45 megahertz circuits and then I worked on OC3's, OC12's, OC48's, OC192,OC768's and some densewave division multiplexors trouble-shooting and testing and turnups accessing circuits remotely. I accepted a management position for Manager Technical analysis after 8 years and trained other technician to work on telecommunication circuits. Then SBC purchased Ameritech and I was transfered to SBC Long Distance here I worked as a Senior Network Control Engineer ordering and testing and turning up long haul circuits. Then SBC bought AT&T and I was transferred over to AT&T long distance as an Associate Tech Provisioning Manager and after 14 1/2 half years and above average reviews or A&D's I was surplused and was given severance but I wanted to work. We cleared up all backlogs that they had and even worked with their routers to perform disconnects. I guess we just worked ourselves out of a job and because they couldn't find enough work for us.
They won't hire me back at the same salary even thou when I started working for AT&T they were a 20 billion dollar a year company and per the CEO Randall Stephenson they are now a 120 billion dollar a year company.
Now they can hire someone at a cheaper rate and straight out of College and the people who got them where they're at will struggle to find other employment. Forgive me for my attitude but it hurts to know that it's so easy to be set aside after so many years of loyal work. I f anyone wants to hire a loyal employee who will work at a superior level please send me the info. Signed desparate!