Home Again

For two weeks this time. :) One of normal work in the local office and the next one in Chicago for a seminar and to visit our office there. One night I'll have dinner with an old friend from my prior company who now lives in an apartment in the Loop, on another have dinner with the kids (together or separately - not sure which), and all kinds of other fun things too numerous to mention! Sure, sure, you say... me, have fun? Nooo - way too stodgy. ;) I need to hang out with younger people. But if I did, then how would they have fun? :) Oh, I'll think of something to do, I'm sure. At least walk to Navy Pier on a clear night. It'd be nice to ride the ferris wheel... oooh - heart stopping entertainment!

I think I'm ready for Saturday and the funeral. I've worked through my feelings and am as ready as I'll get. For some reason it reminds me of the conversation Jesus had with various people when He was calling disciples. One went like this: "Come, follow me." "Lord, first let me bury my Father." "Let the dead bury their own dead. You, come follow me." But the guy never came. It always seemed harsh to me. But the cares of this life do have a tendency to crowd out one's devotion to God. It's hard to integrate the two, devotion to God and living in the world, especially with "responsibilities" to others that seem to just accumulate with time. Jesus knew that. I trust that "He knows my frame and remembers that I am dust."

So - wonder what kind of car I'll be handed the keys to at the airport this time? All I ever seem to get are PT Cruisers. ;)

The baton passes...

Found out this morning that my Dad passed away last night. He'd been in the nursing home for a while and he was pretty weak. Then he got pneumonia a few days ago and everything went fast. Hospice came in to try to reduce his pain. Mercifully it wasn't a long struggle. So, he joins Mom now. God rest his soul.

When my brother died last month, I realized something of my own mortality - my siblings have started to pass on. My turn is coming. This now sort of confirms that my generation is becoming the leading edge on mankind's endless pilgrimage to eternity. In the great scheme of things, it's not long until that happens for me. But, in terms of the day-to-day, the mundane, the getting up and working and loving and eating and sleeping, it's still a long way off. I can keep on ignoring it. Just not forever.

I think I'll go exercise. :) Right after I finish this beer.

It felt so strange today to tell my bosses and staff that I'm taking bereavement leave - again. They must think "how much more can happen to this guy?" No kidding. Remember that study about stress levels? So many points for a divorce, so many for a job change, so many for relative's death? Add them all up and they can mean serious health issues. Since June there's been just a few accumulated points.

Starting with hearing I was losing my job, then beginning a job search, interviewing, going unemployed for several months, then starting a new job, moving to a new city, selling and buying houses, my brother dying, my Dad dying, and a whole host of other things I can't even begin to list, all I need now is... well, no - let's not talk like that. Maybe it stops here. Maybe this is all for a while. I sure hope so. That is of course after the movers come and haul all our stuff to a new house 1000 miles away.

June of 2005 through May of 2006 will have been maybe the most change I've ever experienced in one 12 month period. Oh, did I mention turning 50? :)

It's a good time to reinvent myself. To choose to do some things that I wouldn't have felt free to do a decade ago. To live more, to play more, to try new things, to learn more, to understand more, to love more. Time is short, darn it. That's awfully apparent to me. I want to make the most of the time I've been given. No sense holding back now. Fifty's a good age to spread my wings, like the butterfly emerging from a cocooned stage of life. Because soon enough, I'll be spreading them once again, but in a different context. This one:

"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." I Cor 15:50-54

Now that will be a real metaporphosis! And today, I'm ready for it. Bring it on, Lord, anytime. I've lived well. But UNTIL it's my time, I will live the rest of this life, however long, with all the vigor I have. I still have some wing-flapping to do!

Feel free to buy now. Anytime...

Boy, it went smoothly on this end! House comes on the market Monday, we see it Thursday, offer that day, accepted next day with only one small change, and then today the inspection, which was nearly perfect - only small items to fix. Feels like a Divine appointment to me...

Picked out flooring and carpet today. Niiiiiice. Dark gold plush for the bedrooms, incl. den, and with that cherry furniture, mmm, mmm. Ooh, and the white guest bedroom set with the gold leaf, too. And check out this new bedding for the master! Yowza! Pretty spiffy. :)

Closing is May 15, with immediate occupancy. I'll have the new flooring (hardwood in living/dining, and new carpet in bedrooms) installed 5/16 and following, have the plumber install a utility sink in the "wine cellar" (if you can call it that), get the electrician to put in some different outlets and a ceiling fan in the Florida room, and hopefully schedule the moving van to drop furniture that next week, with an eye toward spending Memorial Day cooking out on the deck in the new house! :) Bring on Summer!

Plus, when I'm home next week it's off to the modern furniture store to look for neo-retro lounge furniture for the basement. Hipsville, baby! I can actually put out all my vintage vinyl on those modular shelves, crank up the hi-fi, serve a martini or two on the green teardrop table, and lay back on the orange naugahyde sectional. Woohoo! Groooovy.

Now then. All you prospective buyers out there, c'mon down! We still have a house to sell, appropriately priced... and stop telling me it's dated! Grrr... no more dated than the one I just bought! Hey, I like the 1980's. :) A lot of nice things (and some of my favorite people) got their start then...

Puleeeeeze accept!

Made an offer last night on a house that has no flaws, from location to price to layout to yard to room sizes to neighborhood to decorating. It appeared on the market Monday and we offered on Thursday. Full price with a carpeting allowance.

The sellers won't see the offer until tonight, and I hope very much they accept immediately, so we can get the home inspection done before Deb goes home Monday afternoon. It would be soooo nice to have this behind us!

C'mon, people, say yes! Please!

Lights, Curtain!

My first big public "performance" was today. Mousewoman had asked me to come train her senior staff (SVPs, VPs) on some topics where she felt I could raise their overall level of understanding. The idea was to increase their expertise, but I positioned it more as wanting their advice on how this "training" would play in the field offices or with the managers in their departments. I think it felt better to them that way. :)

I had met about half the room already, so was not a total stranger, and several people I hadn't met knew who I was and what I am supposed to be doing - sort of.

I prepared this PowerPoint thing and practiced it twice in my new office space (sans furniture, which is coming Thursday. A woman who sits near me said "I like your Zen approach to decorating your new office." Yeah - it's empty! I know...)

Anyway, during rehearsals, I hated what I was saying. It didn't sound right at all. Awkward, stumbling, nervous. Ugh. But, as is typical, when the audience starts filling the seats in the theatre, the actor's blood is up! And when it was my turn in the footlights, there wasn't a trace of nervousness, and the performer "switch" came on. All the transitions were smooth, remarks funny, etc. I wowed 'em in Poughkeepsie! :) Well, more like 3 hours from Poughkeepsie, but... you get my meaning. Even got a little applause at the end - at a staff meeting, yet! Unheard of.

So, I think I made a decent impression. Afterwards a couple of the execs came and signed me up for their upcoming staff meetings and a countrywide meeting of key managers coming in for training. Fun! I love this stuff. Almost as much fun as singing. :)

And, you know... the singing really has helped me deliver talks and training like this, just like it does in the classroom when I teach at church, or preach occasionally. There's a knack to phrasing - and use of ........... the dramatic pause ............ that does drive a point home. Or at least grabs the audience's attention, and holds it. It did today, especially considering it was right after lunch. Very participatory. I got lots of suggestions on how to adapt the talk to other audiences.

It was grueling, though. 2 solid hours of standup. I was exhausted afterwards and just entered data into spreadsheets for the rest of the day, to unwind from the "performance". I'd been worrying over this thing for 3 weeks, and finally it's done. A good day.

Starting tomorrow, then, I can concentrate on house hunting without this hanging over my head. The process of buying begins in earnest Thursday morning. Deb will spend two days with the realtor, and then I get brought in over the weekend to help make (emphasis on "help") make the final call. Hopefully we 1) find the right house, 2) make an offer that gets accepted, and 3) send her home the proud owner of two homes. =:O For now. Ai! Ai! Ai! We need to sell as well as buy...

Dullsville, man

Looking at a dreadfully dull weekend coming up.

It's too cold to go out tonight. Windy... brrrr. So, I eat - and read - and eat - and read - and drink wine - and surf the net - and go to bed.

After 9 hours of sleep (I hope), tomorrow dawns and I venture out to find a local blockbuster to rent a video or 3 for the rest of the weekend. While I'm out I'll grocery shop, get the weekend paper...

I'll come back, follow the MU game on the net, then read the paper, watch a video, eat some peanuts, read, watch, eat, read, watch, eat. All this in my underwear. :) Lucky me! Except the part about going out earlier. I'll put some clothes on for that.

Sunday morning I'm going to check out an Episcopal church nearby. Their website says they have great music and choirs and organs and such like that there. 10:00 AM service, 11:30 Sunday symposium (whatever that is), then 4:00 Evensong (whatever that is.) Might just make a day of it! Maybe I'll convert... :) I could use a little "high church" right now.

I'm reading John Irving's "A Prayer for Owen Meany", and it's one of the best books I've ever read. Lots of theology (incl Congregationalism vs. Anglicanism) and really interesting characters. That plus my good friend the evangelical pastor Episcopal professor with the Ph.D. in theology from Catholic Marquette U has inspired me to look this Episcopal thing over a little. I think there's something to be said for Catholicism, but maybe going to an Episcopal church for a while will help me observe it from a respectful distance...

My First Hire!

Yay! :)

I've been trying to make an internal hire for several weeks to fill a big hole on my very empty org chart, and he finally said yes over the weekend. I negotiated with his current manager to get a 3/15 start date, although I've been roping him in on things already.

It's been such a long process, it was almost like a seduction. I invite him to interview, he does. He asks questions, I answer, he goes away. I pursue, he politely says he's thinking about it. I follow up, he plays coy. Has more questions. I take him to lunch and answer them. I pop the question. He'll get back to me.

Then, I start to have both Rug and Alpaca work on him for me (this sounds like junior high - "tell Bobby I like him"). He likes the attention and affirmation from the two SVPs, and gives me some signals that he's interested. We meet for lunch. More questions. I answer. I ask him to work for me. He hedges. Then, while I'm away, an email... "I look forward to working for you. Let's meet to discuss some further questions I have."

So before he changes his mind, I talk to his boss, negotiate the date (and the brideprice and the dowry, for Pete's sake), send in the HR change form and publish the news on email. Ha! She's mine now!!!! (I mean, HE is, of course. Got a little carried away there.)

Now we just have to consummate the marri... oops I mean complete the transition and get him physically moved over to my building and floor to get him away from all his old relationships, uh, I mean responsibilities. Yikes! The parallels... I hope the rest of my staff isn't so difficult to fill out. I don't want it to become like building a harem. Blecch. What must it have been like for King Solomon? All those trade negotiations, and then to have women come along with all of them... makes the head spin.

But, I have the next posting up! Just a glutton for punishment, I guess.

On another front, the official official official houseunting trip takes place 3/8-13. The way we usually do these things, we buy something that week. Period. I hope the right house is just waiting for us. Lots of listings coming on the market every day. Should be a good time to look. It'd be nice if it was also a good time to sell, too! One house in particular.

Blog Chain Letter

I've seen this on two blogs that I read regularly. It's kind of like doing the wave... if the people around you do it... you feel compelled to join them.


Four jobs I've had:
1. Life Insurance Sales
2. Lounge Singer (yes, I got paid)
3. VP of Safety Engineering
4. Actuary


Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. The Godfather (Series)
2. Amadeus
3. The Natural
4. Singing in the Rain


Four places I've lived:
1. Wausau, WI
2. Visalia, CA
3. Hartford, CT
4. Freeport, IL


Four TV shows I love:
1. 24
2. Smallville
3. Alias
4. Law & Order


Four places I've vacationed:
1. New Orleans, LA
2. Portland, ME
3. Lake Tahoe, CA
4. On a train across Canada


Four of my favorite dishes:
1. Beef Stroganoff
2. Mommy's Chicken Soup
3. Italian Meatloaf
4. Creme Brulee


Last four books I've read:
1. Doctor Zhivago
2. Girlfriend In A Coma
3. Quirkyalone
4. A Prayer For Owen Meany


Last four movies I've seen:
1. Brokeback Mountain
2. The Squid and the Whale
3. Firewall
4. Transamerica


Four sites I visit daily:
1. deletedeletedelete.blogspot.com
2. Drudge Report
3. Craigslist
4. bigeastbasketball.blogspot.com (go MU)


Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Iceland
2. Scotland
3. New Zealand
4. Heaven


My Seven Dream Jeopardy Categories (thank you Douglas Coupland in Microserfs)
1. The American Graffiti Soundtrack
2. Singing Falsetto
3. Home Winemaking
4. Side Effects of Testosterone
5. The Poetry of John Donne
6. Cross-Country Household Moves
7. Total Life Makeovers at 50

Where's that offer?

It's going well this week, working out of the local office. It's a nice space, and I've gotten so much done! I had 4 major work things I wanted to accomplish while here; 3 are completed, and it's only Wednesday! I should be done with the 4th by the end of the day or early tomorrow AM. Then the rest of the time, I'll meet with local staff and learn a few things.

Another house showing yesterday, so I didn't go home for dinner, but ate out and went to a movie instead. It was a very, very good show! ;) I'd like to see that one again... everyone seemed so natural in their role. :)

No word back from yesterday's showing, but this was a couple who had tried twice before to get in and couldn't, and an offer packet was taken! Good sign... And today another showing scheduled, too. They just keep on coming. But I want an offer!!! C'mon people! The house has been on the market for a whole two weeks! Cough it up, already!

Fun this weekend! A little R&R Friday/Saturday :) and then Sunday night is talent night at our church. It's so nice that it fell when I was going to be in town - now I get to go on stage and "act" for a while! Maybe draw a laugh or two, or perhaps a tear.

It seems to be working really well to be back in town more than I expected to be. I haven't had to disconnect from the people I love, and I'm still getting good work done. It feels nice.

Home again!

Heading home on Sunday (after the memorial service on Saturday), and will work out of the local office all next week. That will be so nice. I had felt a little guilty about taking long weekends (Thurs - Mon), and this is better. More nights in town, and no lost workdays. Everybody's happier this way!

No offers from the open house yet, but - one private showing already and another tonight, another tomorrow and a second open house Sunday. So, still activity. :) Gooood.

Then, after next week, almost three whole weeks out East before I can return again, but then am back in town another week, with nearly full weekends on either side.

This is really working out pretty well, all things considered. And work here seems to be going well. I think I'm quite close to making a hire that I need desperately. He's deliberate, almost coy, in his decision-making. He knows he would be a good catch for me. It's almost like dating... But, I think he's about to allow himself to be persuaded. :)

That will help a lot!

Open House

Goodness me, the activity!

Twenty-six potential buyers when through the house on Sunday, with a half-dozen serious. A showing last night, and hopefully more this week.

Could we possibly have an offer by week's end, when I'm home? That would feel pretty encouraging!

In other news, working girl's car accident is partly resolved. She took the settlement of it as a total loss and is now doing public transportation until she hears back from the at-fault party on what they might do for her as a settlement.

College boy is coming out to see the old man on Friday night, and going with me to my brother's memorial service on Saturday to lend moral support. That's nice. He and I fly back to the Midwest on Sunday a couple of hours apart, so we'll have some time on Saturday to knock around together. Too bad he's not 21 - martini's by the park! :)

Oh, by the way - Happy Valentine's Day!

Another week in the books

The end of my fourth week on the new job ends with an afternoon-long meeting on a favorite topic of mine, Workers Compensation - something I actually know a little about.

Seems like I have been contributing around here, definitely, but it's been mostly by meeting and connecting people with other people and getting them involved in things that I think they should know more about. Which, for an introvert, is really saying something! No wonder I'm tired... all these people wear me out! :)

But, both Rug and Alpaca asked me yesterday to think about the organizational structure in my area, and not just mine but also Wally's (Wally is my counterpart in a technical support area - we are supposed to be partners in getting useful information out of the claim department and into the businesses' hands.) So, after 4 weeks, they actually want my opinion on something. Now if only I had one! I don't, yet.

My permanent office space is now set - I'll move in at the end of the month. Yay! Four hard walls, a door, a conference table, and... no windows!!! Yes! Not to mention it's cold in there. Mmmmm...

I found some nice artwork to hang, just "borrowed" (legitimately) from other walls in the building. Plus Alpaca gave me a poster of the downtown skyline that I'm going to go get framed this weekend, before the Nor'easter blows in on Saturday night.

Looks like 9 inches of heavy, wet snow will fall from 5PM Saturday until 3PM Sunday. So I will run all my errands tonight and tomorrow before 5 (movie, art museum, groceries.) Then, I can curl up with a book, some good wine, and the occasional surfing of the 'net. Oh, yeah - the Olympics are on! So there's that, too.

And for once no real estate to explore. The snowstorm makes me feel guiltless about not going to open houses Sunday afternoon! But back home... Sunday is our first open house. Hope it sells immediately and at full list price! But, of course, occupancy not before May 1st. :) Yeah. Good luck with that.

Ahhhh!

What a nice trip home. Both J&J came home, for HER birthday, which was fun. Also some chores, some very pleasant R&R, and some work out of the local office, too. I feel recharged on several levels. :)

The local office space is going to be very nice. The space will be set up for me by the time I return on the 20th (converting a conference room into an office), and the phone and voice mail is already set up. Guess I should check it...

They were quite helpful and very gracious there. Plus I met a bunch of folks from their Chicago office, and will set up a visit there, soon, too. Plus, I'll be contacting the folks in St. Paul for a visit to that office. Might as well make use of the geography, and maybe I won't have to switch doctors so fast. :)

So, I'll be back before I know it, and back for a little longer stretch this time - a week. It will be right after my brother's memorial service here on the East Coast, (which college boy is coming out for! - how nice), so I'll be glad to be with people I love, while working, too.

This transition isn't going to be so bad... these opportunites to be back more often are making things easier for everyone.

Homeward Bound!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, baby! Am I ever ready to get back home for a few glorious days!

I wonder if I'll be able to relax at all while I'm there. I feel like I've sort of gotten a new routine established here and have kind of established a rhythm to my days. Maybe this will seem like a vacation from that routine, but still doing familiar things that I haven't done for a while, seeing people I haven't seen for a while. Being the existentialist that I am, I'm sure I'll be sensing every moment of it, taking the experience all in.

One load of whites in the morning, and then off to the airport. Yay! I'm usually not enamored of flying, not since those awful 3-leg, 12-hour days in the 1990s going from Podunksville on the West Coast to Podunksville in the heartland. Yuk. But, I am so eager to get on this plane, I can hardly stand it!

And then, though this trip will seem short, in a couple more weeks, I'll be back there again for 8 days, working out of a local office. How great that will be (for everyone, I hope, not just me.) More opportunities to see those I love.

Mmmm, sleep fast! The plane's almost ready to warm up!

House Hunting - Part 2

This last weekend was a little better in terms of househunting. I think I've gotten a better grasp of the market after 8 houses on Saturday with the realtor, and 7 on my own (open houses) on Sunday. There are 4 near-in suburbs that look like a match in terms of value and commute time, and 2 others that may stretch the commute some, depending on location, but definitely are good in terms of value.

The original budget of $300K for an 1800-2000 s.f. 3 bed, 2 bath home in move-in condition will not hold. I think now that it's $325K. Not because $300K houses don't exist, but they may need $20K worth of work to make them like either a "move-in" house, or like new construction (which is hard to come by, although I did see one this weekend that was pretty close.)

So, I think we can find something. Now, as to timing, it will depend on the level of interest in the current house once it hits the market and has its first open house (2/12). That will tell us a lot in terms of pace on this end. Still don't know when the "househunting trip" will be, but perhaps the week of March 20? It will also depend on work schedules on both ends. Mine's certainly filling up, and tax season doesn't just stop because of a househunting trip...

Other family news - lots happening with the kids. College boy and his gf called a time out in their relationship. How long a time out remains to be seen. He's learning that these things are complicated. :) You have two parties negotiating for terms. Even if they aren't saying so, they are, between the lines. It's a rare thing when agreement comes easy between two people. When that happens, you want to keep it, make it last. :) So, they took a breather - peacefully - no tantrums. Personally, I don't think it's over. And for them, it's too early to say.

The modern, urban, (mostly) independent girl's life is chaotic as usual. Besides coming home this weekend for a birthday celebration Sunday, she found out this week that got hired on permanently, with benefits (yay!) at her retail job, right after she had a car accident that may have totalled her vehicle (no injuries, thankfully). Not her fault, either, but she's learning how to navigate through the world of rental cars and claim adjusters and reluctant other parties (drivers.) It could have been worse - a lot worse.

And in 2 days, I go home! :) I can hardly wait!

Week 2 in the books

With the exception of the death of my brother, it was a pretty good week. And taking the day off yesterday to work through his death and my memories of him, writing the eulogy I plan to give, etc., was a very helpful thing. So... I made it another week, sanity and attitude still intact! There's just soooo much to absorb! Wow.

The people here have been very welcoming and supportive. I'm having no trouble getting administrative help, and approval for staffing authorizations. They are even setting up temporary office space for me in an office back home, so that I can spend a few more days there and still work. So the week of 2/20 I'll be there the whole week. That will be so nice, to see people I care about a little longer than I expected. :)

Now, another weekend of house hunting ahead, and I hope I should have a good sense of the market by then and some idea of what we can afford when the official househunting trip happens (in March, probably.) Plus, dinner Saturday night with some friends from the last time we lived here, and Sunday night hosting a candidate for one of the jobs I have open. Two free meals this weekend! Yay!

No time to think, much less cry

Today was one of those days. My calendar exploded at the last minute and I had meetings scheduled from 10AM stright through until 5PM. And none of them ended early. :)

Tomorrow looks identical. My direct boss (Rug) was one of the appointments, thankfully a lunch one, so I could eat. He looked at my calendar and was impressed. "Boy", he said, "you are digging into this aren't you?"

Yup. If it's Tuesday at 3PM, this must be claim trend and I must be on the 8th floor. And who are you, again?

But, it couldn't have come at a better time, honestly. I got a call from home this morning that my brother died last night. His health wasn't great, and at 64 he was at risk, but still it was unexpected. At first I was numb, and then as I told people, the emotions began to well up into tears. But, as the day went by, and one meeting bled into another and my pulse rate climbed, I didn't have much chance to think about it. Which was good, I guess.

When there's nothing you can do about a situation but feel bad, no matter what it involves (like being far away from someone you love, for instance), I suppose it helps to stay busy until your emotions are settled enough to deal with it. You can't stuff it, or ignore it, indefinitely, but being active is better than sitting with nothing to do. And in my situation, if I took time off, who do I have to go home to at the apartment? I don't even have a fish, much less anyone to hold.

He was a knucklehead, quirky, offbeat, unpredictable... and I loved him. Idolized him as a child, until I grew up enough to see his flaws. He was incredibly generous, materially when he had money, and always generous in spirit. My brother.

First of my siblings to pass, and the first of that whole generation of my family, including all the cousins. It starts now for us, my peers, the kids I grew up with. Now it becomes our turn to begin passing, as it was for my Mom and her sisters, and soon my Dad and his brothers.

I'm not ready to think about it, much less grasp what it means to me. I'm not "old" yet, dammit, I'm not! There are too many proofs of that in my life. But... it's around the corner. My brother showed me that today.

May God have mercy on his soul. And I say this as only a brother can... he'll need it. :)

House Hunting, part 1

Quite a day today. 10 houses in 3 hours, with a couple of possibilities in the bunch. I don't feel quite so discouraged as after yesterday driving around with the realtor looking at neighborhoods. Oof. Tough day yesterday.

Found a real nice large raised ranch for $300K, needs redecorating. A sassy split level for $335K in a great neighborhood that needs a kitchen remodeling. An old farmhouse with oodles of character and a great kitchen/dining/living/sunroom area for $350K including a rental unit on the same property. All within 15 minutes of work. Hmmm.

Next weekend more of the same. I think I'll have the market figured out by then. As of today, no need to panic. We can do this!

Week 1 in the books

Great week! :)

Had a recap with Rug (solid-line boss) today and he was surprised and pleased with how much I had dug in and learned. People I was in meetings with earlier in the week also gave good feedback to him on how I've begun to integrate myself into things.

Just starting to get a feel for things. I have a huge stack of stuff to read, and a lot to absorb. Much of the orientation is coming from Placa (dotted-line boss), who seems really easy to work for. Congenial, helpful. Gave me his home phone, address, cell today in case I need something after work hours. That's kind of above and beyond. Really nice of him.

He lent me a detailed street map, too, for the house hunting I'll be doing this weekend. This is in between laundry, grocery shopping, getting the iMac fixed or exchanged, vacuuming/cleaning, correspondence, etc. I'm so domestic! I'm experiencing a little what the life of a bachelor is like, except not a college student life - a mature adult life. Busier than I thought.

Not much time for night life, although last night I did manage to have a couple of martinis and an appetizer at a watering hole down the block. Kinda fun, and a nice place, but... awfully lonesome.

Still, not so bad. It helps to connect regularly "back home" by phone and email (even an IM session last night with college boy!) And it won't be long before I'll have feet on the ground there again for a few days. "Rug" encouraged me today to "get to some field offices if you want, and then fly home from there." So maybe I'll do that. Hmmm... where?

Now if I can just figure out my prescription drug stuff...

Day 3

Day 1 and 2 were a blur of faces, names, acronyms.

I was amazed at the enthusiasm shown by people that I was finally here! My direct boss (known here as Rug) and dotted-line boss (aka Placa) have built up the importance of this position pretty highly. Or else they really believe it! :)

My calendar filled up almost immediately. Both Rug and Placa have lots of folks I need to meet, and regular meetings I need to attend, projects underway that I need to get my nose into, etc. I had maybe an hour and a half yesterday to myself, and that was spent doing things off my new employee checklist. Tax withholding, direct deposit, etc...

Today's a little less frantic, and I get to spend an hour with my unit supervisor. Finally met her yesterday. She's coming off reporting to a boss she liked a great deal. Hope working for me is not going to be a letdown.

Back at the ranch (or rather, apartment) the iMac broke. :( Ha. So much for the reliability of Apple. I spent 75 minutes on the phone with tech support and they finally told me to take it into the local store. OK, then. That's a weekend task I guess.

I miss home. But, still, it's nice here, and nice to be working. Every time I walk the 2 blocks to work and look up at the beautiful old building... I'm excited to be here! :)

And to all of you who care about me - thanks for your support and concern. I'm doing well. And all of you have helped me get there. :)

Set 'em up, Joe!

Set 'em up in a new place. With a new computer. :)

Finally got this goofy thing to work. Someone told me that the Mac user interface is pretty intuitive. Well, after a few hours of banging my intuition against the wall... I got it!

Now, off to grocery shop! Coffee... need coffee...

On the road again

How many times have I done this?

It seems so familiar. Pack the car, drive 1000 miles, set up a new place.

Nothing to it. I've done it before. It's kind of exciting, in fact. A long drive, just me and the road and the music.

But I can't help wanting a certain someone in the passenger seat. You know who you are. I miss you already.

The Keys, Please

They came today. The keys to my new apartment. :)

I saw pictures of it on-line yesterday. Nice. Urban living at its finest. Or something like that.

Packing, packing, packing... my head is spinning. What to take? Well, I mean besides my new Apple G5!

Making a list

of stuff to pack. As I walk around the house, or wake up at night with a start, I think of things I want to put in the car Thursday. So, I've started a list on a pad in the kitchen. And um... it's getting full. Not everything can make the cut, becuase I'm NOT pulling a trailer this time. Last time I pulled a U-Haul behind my pickup through Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and ugh. Never again.

Be ruthless. Not everything can go.

I dreamed last night about falling. Falling, falling, falling. First over a cliff in my black pickup, where I just got out and grabbed a branch before the truck fell hundreds of feet. Then, out of a treehouse that crumbled beneath me. Aaaaaaaaah! What does it mean?

Aaaaaand, They're Off!

We'll, I'm off. Almost.

Got the move-in instructions today for the corporate apartment. Keys are coming by FedEx Wednesday. Thursday I pack up and go. Now I finally feel like it's real. It's happening. :)

The recruiter called with an update from the last local opportunity. A wishy-washy response like "he's not sure when he can interview you ... maybe a phone call later in the week?" Sorry. Too late. Door closed. Move on.

New England, Ho!

The Realtors Are Coming!

Boy, they are agressive! Once you let the relocation people know you're ready... ZOOM! The realtors are after you. Wow.

Who let the dogs out? Woof. Woof woof. :)

But it sounds like we have a nice one assigned to us out East. I hope so. I'm sure I'll meet her the week after I get there or so.

I'm really getting curious now about the market. What can we get for $300K???

Tick, Tick, Tick

Time is running out here, folks. If the last company near here is going to do anything, they're going to have to get moving! I'm expecting the recruiter to call or email today with some news. Everyone's back from the holiday break now, and she was supposed to have called the HR lady there yesterday...

UPDATE: the recruiter called. The last guy I was supposed to interview with there (and who would share part of managing me) is just not ready to finish defining the job yet. Sounds like it's a couple of weks off at the earliest. But, the recruiter told the HR lady about my offer from the N.E. company, and said if that would change anything about their timing she would get back to us by Friday.

I really can only give them until Friday anyway. In this case, delay only means one thing... NO. Monday morning I call the relo people and get the process started - and begin to pack for my drive East. Well, actually, I called them today, and am sending all the startup paperwork tomorrow by Fedex. I have to get moving here. It's not a happy time around the house, but - what are we going to do? What we won't do is just sit here on our thumbs.

Interesting houses showing up in internet searches... 2000 s.f. capes in a very nice near-in burb for $299K. Hmmm. Might actually be able to swing that.

So many goodbyes this week. Church, civic orgs., non-profits... and of course, friends. I think I'm starting to get worn out by it. And then next week, an especially difficult goodbye as I leave town for several weeks. :( But it's only three weeks this first time. Back the first weekend in February, and hopefully I'll be able to see everybody then, even if it's only briefly.

Holidays and Motives

Well, it was a nice Christmas. I love my new custom color-matched floor mats! Simple pleasures for simple people...

Had a interesting conversation with my brother-in-law this week about weaknesses and strengths, and how easily we get them confused. Sometimes it's in the area of our strengths where we can get overconfident and make decisions based on wrong or selfish motives. Our weaknesses are sometimes easier to know and work around, than are our successes.

It brought to mind my favorite stanza of one of my favorite hymns, Be Thou My Vision. I've often tried to use this verse as a model for my thinking, but have seldom been able to do so:

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart;
High King of Heaven, my Savior Thou art.

As much as I try to hold wealth lightly (knowing it's a resource I'm only temporarily managing), and try not be flattered by the sweetness of people's kind affirmation of me, I still find myself making decisions to take a job that pays well, at a company where they really seem to want me. These allurements of wealth and praise are tenacious in their hold on me, though both are fleeting, as is this earthly life. Would that I could live this verse fully, and focus on the eternal...

Well, from the eternal to the mundane -

American business sort of grinds to a halt during this week between Christmas and New Year's. Only a skeleton crew is working at most companies, including the ones I'm waiting on. And all of you out there slaving away, you know who you are! So everyone, in honor of those few who actually are working this week, let's please observe a few days of silence on the job front, shall we?

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! Oh, and how do you spell Chanukkah?

The Picture's Becoming Clearer

Feedback this morning from yesterday and Tuesday's interviews, and it helps clarify things.

They said I interviewed well, they liked me. But at the same time as I was there for my second day of interviews, another person was there for her first day of them. The feedback given to the recruter was: "if we could have half of her and half of him... that'd be just what we want in a candidate."

So, neither of us are ideal in their minds. The other candidate is coming back after the 1st of the year for more interviews, and the hiring manager instructed the HR gal that they "want to also interview 3-4 others." None of those will even get started interviewing until the first week of January. By the end of that next week, I leave for New England, so... we simply can't wait for this one anymore. I was not close enough to what they wanted to make them stop the "routine" process and concentrate on me.

I think it's safe to say as a result that 2 of the 3 "local opportunities" are now out. The 3rd one has still not, after repeated calls from the recruiter, gotten back regarding the last interview they said they needed to make a decision. Granted, I am the only person they were looking at for that job, but nothing will happen now until after 1/1. It would have to move like lightning to be resolved in time. It could, but I can't see that happening given how they've handled it so far.

My plan now is to leave for New England, driving one car there, the afternoon of 1/13. It's getting more clear all the time that there's nothing definite enough here to keep me from going ahead with the move East.

Much better day today

Still a little queasy, but far better than Tuesday. Got through the scheduled interviews and then made up the two I cut short on Tuesday over the lunch hour today. The guy I bailed out on Tuesday said today "you look much better!" Yup. I was.

Nice people. They'd be good to work with. The job actually seems a little better than when I first heard about it. A little less emphasis on grunt work than I originally thought, and a little more opportunity for innovation here and there, and the occasional something interesting to work on from time to time.

One of the interviewers asked me "how long before you'll get bored with this job?" I just had to laugh. I'd been asking myself that for a while. I conservatively said that I thought 3 years or so would be enough to get the role defined and things running nicely. But it's more like 18 months....

It is just not as challenging professionally, with nowhere near the opportunity for advancement as the one I accepted in New England. But that doesn't mean it's absent of both. It's not. And, really a very nice place to work, happy atmosphere, low cost of living, etc.

One of the other interviewers asked me why I had come back to my current/former/just-ended job, when it looked on paper like I had lost an officer title to do it. That's true, I did. But... the move to this community was really a lifestyle-driven one, not a career-driven one. And, that's what the job I interviewed for today would be, too. It would be for lifestyle reasons only.

And how do you measure the importance of those? Lots of other people enter into the decision, then, and take on a larger role in it. Less of me, more of them. But... less of me in the decision still has an impact on them, too, as I live with the long-term results of the decision. Indirectly, yes, but still an impact, because try as I might, I still will bring the job and its effects home with me.

So, now we wait again. I have a direction set. I'm getting ready for it. All I am waiting for now is to see if anything or anyone is going to change that direction. I leave for New England in 3 weeks.

What not to do in an interview

Get violently ill.

Well, it wasn't exactly during the interview, but I had to cut them short yesterday to avoid losing my breakfast in the wastebasket in the conference room. Uffda! This was a new experience.

Some kind of 24 hour flu bug hit me during the morning and I faded fast. Peeled out of there at 10:30 instead of noon, and got about 10 minutes away by car when I had to pull over. After about 3 of those, I drove a little more, stopped for gas, and instead of pumping the gas right away, slept in the car at the pump for 15 minutes.

When I got home I slept from 12:30 in the afternoon until 6:30 the next morning, with about an hour and a half awake in between. As of today, my fever has broken, the joints don't feel achy anymore, and food is staying down. So I got back to the HR gal and we are on for Thursday to finish up the interviews. We'll just run until 1:30 instead of noon.

Talk about embarassing...

But they were nice about it. Seem like decent people. Yesterday was with the technical people, tomorrow is with the operational people. Don't expect to hear anything from them until after 1/3, and still no word from the other company about wrapping up the last interview still needed there.

In the meantime, things continue to move forward in New England. The corporate apartment is all set up for me, and I will drive one car out there either the first trip or two weeks later. Everyone out there seems excited, and I'm getting more so every day! It really should be fun. But, these other discussions locally have to play themselves out. I suppose there's still an outside chance one of them will be compelling, but so far... nothing says so. And, the longer they take to resolve, the less likely it is that they'll be desireable enough to change anything.

My mind is getting more fixed on New England each week.

Phone Calls

My new boss called me this morning, and we had a nice chat. He's eager to get started, and seems happy. Cute little story he related... after I interviewed the last time, one of the people who had to give a yes/no answer on me emailed back a one-word evaluation. "Hooray!" was all he said. :) That's nice...

The relocation service people called too, and we went over things for an hour. Apparently the company has a corporate apartment downtown (furnished) that they will provide me, starting 1/14. It has parking already and is within walking distance of the office, so that will eliminate parking issues for a while. Good. I'd rather have that than a suburban location and a commute. Ick. There'll be plenty of time for that.

But, beyond that they were very willing to slow the whole thing down until after the holidays. I will call them when we are ready to start talking to realtors, etc. And that will not happen until I have some resolution on the remaining "in-state" jobs, hopefully by the end of that first week in January. I don't want them shelling out any money on me yet if I can help it.

And oh... one of the three "in-state" jobs is dead as of yesterday. Rejection letter. This was the least exciting of the three, and no tears shed over that. Still have two half-day interviews next week with one company, and a remaining interview with the other still being scheduled, hopefully next week, too.

I need to be done with this. I know, I know... I have to let these other opportunities play out. But I already feel like moving forward with the job in hand. It's time to work again. Vacation needs to be over.

A Start Date

January 16, 2006.

Just as my severance is running out. Good timing.

They are happy to have me in New England! I'm glad they're excited about it. Now it's my turn to get excited. It might take a while, but I'm starting to get there. I wish I could pick everyone up I know and love here, and just plant them all in New England, so the transition wouldn't be so dramatic and stressful.

But, get over it! And, get over yourself! Dive in and get moving! It'll get easier. It has to.

I'm thinking I'll drive one car out there right off. It must be about a 3 day drive, from what I remember from the last time. Wonder where they'll put me up? A Residence Inn or something? Those aren't so bad - breakfasts and dinners are there for you daily in the main lounge area, and they have exercise and laundry facilities...

I asked the recruiter today to inform them (sometime soon) about my desire for a place to sit that doesn't get sunshine much. Too hot! I wonder if they'll just laugh. If they do, I'll tell them it's the thyroid medicine I take and do you want an ADA claim on your hands? :) Well, maybe not. But when I was there for interviews, in the offices with southern exposure it was absolutely roasting! I'd never get any work done. I'd have to go walking around to see people in the afternoons...

Hardwood floors again! I love that about New England. I'm eager to start reviewing the housing market to see what's out there with a reasonable commute.

Parking! Shoot. I'll have to have the recruiter get some numbers to call about renting a monthly spot in a garage nearby. The subsidized parking has a 2 year waiting list. Maybe this time we'll stay out there that long! :)

The recruiter is still urging me to continue with the local interviews, especially with the longer start date giving us more time to get resolution. I still don't see anything coming from them, but the possibility has to be ruled out to everyone's satisfaction before we can move on, so - I'll have them next week.

But, one way or another, I'm employed as of 1/16. Yay!

A mixed blessing

The recruiter called. And the news was... mixed.

First off, the N.E. company acceeded to my requests for a minimum of 90 days temporary living expense, and for more vacation (30 days!). :) She told them we would respond by Wednesday AM. Gulp! But, I know what I will say. Because...

The feedback from Monday's interviews is... very good. They want me to come back and meet a couple more people. :) By Thursday! Because, the main guy I met with, who's coordinating things, will leave Thursday for the rest of the year. :( Which means, even if it goes well again - there'll be no answers until after 1/1.

No feedback at all yet from Tuesday's interviews on the dullest job of the bunch. :(

And the guy I had lunch with Tuesday... is out of the office until Friday, but the HR gal is setting me up with 8-10 more people!!! :) But, not until next week. Tuesday the 20th 8 - noon, and Thursday the 22th 8 - noon. And of course, finishing interviews two days before Christmas means no decisions there until after 1/1, either. :(

So... since all the "local" ones are so nebulous, and won't gel at all until January, and could just as easily go nowhere as produce an offer...

Wednesday morning I will accept the offer to go to N.E., and start mentally gearing up for the move. And it's a good faith acceptance, too, because none of the rest have jumped out at me and said "You're our man - don't worry. We'll work out a deal for you!", and that's what I would have needed, to say no to N.E., and nobody has said that.

So far, it's just normal interview processes that are ruling the day locally, and I've had many of those that went nowhere. Nobody's shortcutting the process for me. I can't bank on them producing an offer. I may not even hear definitive answers before I'd actually need to be in N.E. to start the new job! I mean, how long did it take to produce an offer there? 3 months!!!

I will probably start there on 1/9. I may ask for another week, a 1/16 start, so that the 90 days temporary living runs through 4/15 and the end of tax season, but I doubt they'd want to wait that long.

So, it looks like we're off! Anything can still happen, of course, but... I have to move forward, and start to get excited about it. Nothing here is yelling "Stop! Stay!" And until it does... we're moving East! Start the clock... 4 weeks left...

Waiting is not all bad

No feedback from anyone. About anything.

Nothing from the Monday interviews, Tuesday interviews, nothing. The recruiter continues to call and may have something for me later today, but, probably not until Monday now.

On the flip side, the N.E. company has not gotten back yet on the vacation issue I posed to them, so I don't have to give them an answer today! Yay! Probably Tu/W of next week, though.

All I want before then is feedback from the other interviews. That will help a lot in knowing how to respond to the offer.

Ai, ai, ai! If I could wait on one front and not the other, that would be ideal. Instead, I wait on them all.

Ethics, Schmethics... it's not my department.

Well, of course it is, but...

the recruiter said today that she will handle all the discussions vis-a-vis the offer. I shouldn't worry about it. Hmmm.

I shared with her all my concerns about being on the up-and-up with the N.E. company, so that they would understand any reason for a delay in answering them, and expressed again that I felt weird about accepting and then potentially backing out. She has the same concerns, but insisted she will manage the conversation with them and take responsibility for the result. OK...

The guy I had lunch with unexpectedly yesterday talked with the recruiter today and it looks like the job is NOT mine to have, but he will interview others. I probably will not get to talk to anyone else there until the week of 12/19. And so far, no feedback yet from the other two interviews Monday and Tuesday. So, what's firm over there? Nothing!

No reaction to my counter-offer, either (not much of a counter... may I have more vacation? Parking? More temp. living expense?)

So, we wait some more. And wonder what's next.

Curiouser & Curiouser

Well, as they say...

when it rains it pours.

Now a third position has opened in the same city to our West, at a company I had talked with a couple of months ago. At that time, they needed approval from a foreign parent to approve the addition to staff, and didn't get it. Now, instead, they have a vacancy to fill that needs no approval. The head of the department there contacted me at home last night, and on my way to my other interviews today (details below), we had lunch and kicked things around. I think I can meet needs that he has. He knows about the offer I have in play, and said he can't react quite fast enough to counter it, but does want to keep talking. So do I.

The other company I interviewed with today, per previous plan, is a very different atmosphere than the one Monday. More laid back and relaxed. The position in question is also one with probably very little stress associated with it - a research unit of sorts, with one or two large company-wide projects a year to handle. Lower pay, no doubt - I knew that already. But how low? Don't know yet. Professionally not the same level of excitement or challenge, but good for a slower lifestyle, if that's what's best...

is it?

They have one other candidate they are interviewing and thought they would be able to tell me something by the end of this week. No feedback yet from Monday's bizarre interviews, nor any feedback yet from the New England company on my negotiating points the recruiter posed to them. Will talk with her Wednesday to see what they think, if anything, and update her on the events of today.

I still don't think I will know enough by the end of the week to say "no" to New England, but...

Do I say "yes" to them, while still carrying on discussions with 3 other companies? Do I stop the discussions upon accepting? Or disclose those discussions to the N.E. company and risk them losing interest in me, or thinking that I'm just playing them for leverage?

I'm not playing them. I'll certainly go, and plan to, if nothing else intervenes that's comparable. It's a good job, and fair compensation. Just an unattractive location to all concerned. Nobody WANTS to go there. And, so far, I don't see anything comparable, in large part because no one has talked compensation on the three remaining discussions. But, what if something does emerge from those - after I've accepted? Do I ignore it?

I don't like being in this position. I'm unsure of how to think. It reminds me of Jesus' comments to His disciples: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." and "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." Am I being too smart for my own good, or not smart enough, in my dealings with these businesses?

What do I disclose, to whom, and when?

Comments are welcome.

Unexpected

A couple of unexpected things today.

First a clarification on the offer. It's NOT a VP title. It's an Asst. VP title, so not a step up, but a lateral. That explains the bonus opportunity being what it is (no higher than where I was), and the salary being advertised to me by the recruiter as having "no wiggle room" in it - firm as offered. Ah well. Doesn't affect anything but my pride... :)

And also, there is NO home purchase program available, but it sounds like the temporary living expenses are negotiable. So, perhaps we will have until Spring to sell the house, which will also mean that Deb can do her seasonal tax accounting job again, and will mean more trips back here for a while. It depends on what the recruiter can negotiate for me, how many additional days are possible. If she can get me 90 days, then we will have a slower transition of the household (which is good), but it will mean me living out of a hotel longer. Not so good.

Second, my interview today West of here got longer than I thought. I was slated to meet with one guy, but met instead with 3 additional ones, added halfway through the first interview, as the guy got more interested in me and felt he wanted others to meet me too. They were all surprised and so was I, but I had the time, so why not? :)

It's an organization in flux. Lots of changes in structure happening, and even 2 of the guys I met with today weren't quite sure what their roles would be tomorrow! But, the job would support two areas that are fairly stable, and it sounds absolutely fascinating... things I have skills in, but have never applied quite this way before. And, an oddball relationship back with my old company, who has a joint venture with this one, which I would be involved in managing. Very strange... Plus, another part of the job would involve setting standards of practice at a corporate level for all the other people at the company that are in my area of discipline. Hm...

Still, we have to wait for feedback from them to know if 1) they're interested in me at all, and 2) if they will move fast enough to make a difference in how I respond to the offer on the table. They are still defining the job, and could make it really fun for me if they did it right... :)

But, I'm NOT getting my hopes up for that. I have to move forward with what I know is firm, and trust that if this is the right job for me, something will happen to make that clear. At this point, I can't put off my response to the offer for more than another day or two.

Nor can I put off my drug test. :) Have to go in tomorrow or Wednesday for that. Darn. Now all that partying over the weekend is going to catch up with me, I just know it... ;)

Here We Go...

The offer came in from the company in New England. Should I be using bold type with an exclamation and a smiley?

The offer came in! Yay! :)

Like that...

Um, yes, I guess I should. It's the first one, and it's... a good one. Mostly.

VP title (the middle of 3 such grades), $10K more than I made in my previous job, similar bonus opportunity. The $10K will be eaten up by cost of living differences, definitely, but it will essentially keep me whole, financially, which is what I wanted at a minimum. A moderate signing bonus of 12.5% of the base salary offer is included, which is nice, since I won't be eligible for one in Spring.

Beyond that, there's the full relocation package - pretty standard stuff, but a little light in spots, such as only 30 days of temporary living expenses, which is pretty fast to sell here, move the household, plus buy a new place there. I don't know yet whether the relo plan includes a home purchase feature, which I've had the last 3 times I've moved. If it does, 30 days is workable, because you sell the house for a fair market value derived by 2-3 appraisers, and can vacate right away. If it doesn't include that feature, I will want to negotiate for more temporary living expenses, like 90 days worth. One trip home every other weekend is included for however long the temporary living expenses last. But even then, what is 48 hours every other week? You might as well be moved.

They want an answer by Friday 12/9. I will talk to them on Monday just to go over formally the terms of the offer and ask questions (one of which is on the home purchase thing). So, over the weekend, we think about it. Although, what's to think about? Like I have lots of options? Sure, on Monday, I interview at one nearby company, the other one on Tuesday. At that point, I should know whether either of those opportunities are so good and so likely that they will stop me from accepting this one. At this point, I can't see how that would happen. I think I have to take it, don't you?

Here is, then, the "bird in the hand." Not an offer that is so good I simply can't refuse it, but not one that is insulting either. Like the recruiter said: "It's a very fair offer." The job itself is good, and the career opportunities there look good. The only real negative is... the location. Expensive, too far from relatives and loved ones, and it isn't even warmer there! :)

And then there's the two birds in the bush... as the old proverb says, they're sort of equal in value to the one in hand. I guess I'll have to get a closer peek at those two birds in the bush on Monday and Tuesday, and try to guess how close they are to flying out where I can get at them. And about the new lead at the local company - I haven't heard back on my resume' from them, and it may simply be too late if they don't act...

I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm apprehensive, I'm ambivalent. What to do? What to think? I think I'm stuck. I think I have to take it.

I have a week.

Local Interviews!

The recruiter procured for me interviews at both of the companies nearby. Good!

But they are not until next week. Bad!

No, not bad. :) They are Monday and Tuesday. And the New England company hasn't yet collected feedback from all the necessary parties, so they haven't generated an offer yet for me to react to. But I'm still confident they will.

The timing might just work out so that I have the interviews nearby before I have to get back to the N. E. company. That would be nice. We like options!

And, a friend from church just sent me a lead to a local company I had tried to get inside, but couldn't. His brother-in-law works there. :) So I'm sending him my resume', and at least it will have gotten me in there, so that I can talk to them. Otherwise, I'd always wonder...

So, a good day! Things are looking up right now.

Timing Is Everything

Well! Now there are two jobs cooking in that small city an hour or so to our West.

The recruiter called today with news that one of them to which she had just given my resume (see last post) wants me in for a preliminary, informal, informational discussion. Yeah, yeah. It's an interview! :) But, not until the week of 12/5. :(

Then a company there we had contacted a few months ago just had an opening surface. Not a challenging or exciting job, but... still in the vicinity. Top pay is about 10% less than what I was making, and we could survive that. Housing's a little cheaper there. They want me in next week for half a day's worth of real interviews.

So, if I get an offer from the New England company, it may come right as I'm having these other interviews. I wonder if I'll be forced to respond to one before I know enough about the others... It's like that old joke where the reporter is interviewing a famous comedian and asks him:

"What's the key to successful comedy? What is it that really makes a joke work? You know, the most important..." "Timing!" "...thing about... Oh... ha! Yeah, I get it - timing! hahahahaha"

Funny.

Well? Now what?

OK, a successful day in New England, I think. Good interviews all the way around, on both jobs.

I now understand what they are - it was kinda fuzzy before this. One of them is high profile, challenging, a good fit, all the stuff I'd want. Relocation is a must - to New England again. They wanted to hire me on the spot, I think, but followed protocol and I'll hear about it through my recruiter.

The other job is very much like what I've been doing the last 4 1/2 years. A field support job - a lateral move. I could walk right in and be productive, help them a lot. It's less senior, less money I'm sure. How much less, I don't know, but likely not enough to afford the change in cost of living to move to New England, which is where they want it. But, I brought up the idea of supporting the field location from here. The main regional office is in a Southwestern Chicago 'burb. There are subsidiary offices in other cities not too far away. They were skeptical, but I will tell the recruiter that I would prefer that job if it can keep us in the Midwest. We'll see how they react.

In the meantime, while I wait for reactions (which will probably take until after Thanksgiving, as in 11/28), a new job an hour & a half West of here is opening up, and the recruiter put my resume in for that. I hope to get over there within the next 10 days to interview...

The reinsurance company in Chicago... looks like they're being sold. So that one is dead. Better left alone. Still waiting to hear back from new jobs possibilities in Atlanta and North Carolina. But, probably little activity during the holiday week.

Wait, wait, wait.

Getting Anxious...

I fly to New England Thursday night for grueling group interview #3...

Someone asked me if I was getting excited about it. :) hahahahaha...

The first time I went I was curious. The second time excited. This time I'm determined. I'm going to answer everyone's questions to their satisfaction or phooey on them. If they don't like me, I'll go be a wine salesman... really!

Convergence?

Feedback from the Friday interview is that the Chicago company wants to consider me at a higher level than the job I interviewed for. It will be a week or so before they figure out what that is.

The most recent entry into the job sweepstakes :) (from Atlanta) likes my resume' but will need a week or so before they can start interviewing. They have to deal with the incumbent hiring manager and move her into another role first.

So, it looks like with my trip to New England on the 18th, that perhaps by then I will know more on these other two opportunities and maybe have all of them come to a head at once. Wouldn't that be nice? Of course, that happened once before, and the result was that everyone said no... except one who said "uh, just a minute... let me think about this some more." And they're still thinking...

At dinner we discussed: do you think that we are supposed to be doing something else completely? Or that there is something that we're just waiting for to happen that will make everything clear? Yeah, it feels that way sometimes. What is it, anyway? What are we waiting on? It's like when you are sailing along on the freeway and you hit an inexplicable traffic jam. You wonder... what's up ahead that's stalling everything? And you don't know, until you get there.

Can we draaaaag this out any longer?

Finally! A date for my third (and final?) interview trip to New England.

11/18 - another two weeks to wait! :(

There's good things about waiting, of course. I get to stay longer with people I love. :) I get two more weeks to explore the other jobs that continue to percolate, and who knows what they'll turn into? The closer we get to the end of the year, the easier it will be for Deb to stay here during tax season and finish up that last quarter of work she needs for vesting her Social Security benefit. And, I get the honor of receiving more unemployment compensation payments...

But, then... the house still has to sell in late winter/early spring (not the best time), and we continue to eat up the severance benefit, not to mention continue to have to pay COBRA. I would sure rather be working as soon as possible.

At this point, though, I can't imagine getting an offer from anyone before Thanksgiving. We're going to be thankful regardless, though. I will not start getting angry or resentful at God. If there's blame to be shouldered here, I'll do that.

It's Never Simple

Just got off the phone from the interview with the company in Chicago. Here's what I emailed the recruiter about it:

***************

She talked non stop... yak yak yak... :) She seemed to have no sense of the clock at all. Nice person, but unorganized and prone to tangents - at least on the phone. She admitted to two faults - disorganization and being nit-picky. She volunteered this as having been told so recently by others. :) She said to expect long hours and no time off at all from Thanksgiving through 1/15 each year!

Telecommuting did not sound like an option at all for this specific position, although it is widely used for roles where there's little need for customer interaction. Here, there's lots of deals being done, and a team environment, which really requires a person to be in their Chicago office.

She said I was overqualified for this job and that I really should have hers instead! She will talk to her direct boss, and the head of operations for her division (her dotted line boss) and see if there is someplace they could use me that would take better advantage of my background and experience.

It sounded like she is still interested, but wants to find a better fit for me than this job, which she thinks I'd get bored with quickly.

*****************

So there you have it.

But what is it that you have?

Um... a lead on another person to talk to about a potential job not yet identified. Yep. More of the same. And, still no date to fly to New England for what I hope is the final interview there. This is turning into a nice, long vacation I have here! I'd better enjoy it while I can! :)

Think positive! Please!

Unemployment Compensation

I'm official now. I'm one of the jobless on the government dole...

Filed my first weekly claim for unemployment compensation. Oh boy! :) Finally I get a chunk of my income taxes back from this highly important and worthwhile government program which I hope they never discontinue as long as I'm working. Once I retire they can get rid of it.

I have to make two job contacts a week to continue to validate this claim. Two a week... yeah I guess I do that. Or rather, my recruiter does. And, she's still producing leads... another 3 Atlanta-based jobs, and...

Have a phone interview set up for Friday with the Chicago-based reinsurer that has the telecommuting option. The New England company is still trying to get me set up to come in one last time, but can't get the executives together yet. Who knows how long that will take?

In the meantime, foreclosure on my house is a scant 3 months away...

Oh, and did I mention I turned 50 on Monday?

Are we having fun yet?

:)

Here we go round and round...

The recruiter just called and said - all the job opportunities I thought I was interviewing for at the New England company that would leave me in the Midwest were resolved internally. None available at all. :(

However, the head actuary for the whole Commerical Insurance area of that company wants me in his organization. We had talked way back on my first visit about a unit he wants to build within Claim and Loss Prevention to support those areas with actuaries. That's what he wants me for, apparently. I guess it's a more senior job than anything I had interviewed for with them to this point. :)

This guy wants me back in to their New England home office for another set of talks about this job, and to meet the CFO, the head of Claims, etc. He's serious enough, apparently, to also make the recruiter suggest that this trip also double as a househunting trip for Deb and me. Which means it will be a New England based job, only, in the city where we lived before. Not in St. Paul, not in Milwaukee. We are looking at either the 2nd-4th of November, or the 9th-11th, for that trip. On one hand it's encouraging that they still want me, and for a responsible job, but discouraging that it has to be so far away from people I love. So, I should be happy... but...

And on another front... the recruiter sent my resume to yet another company in Chicago, a reinsurance firm, who would want me to work for them as a telecommuter out of my home here, going into Chicago now and then as needed. They are still interested in talking but the hiring manager has been traveling. She will follow up again Friday or Monday. So, we'll see... too early to tell if they will pursue it. But, it's always good to have a backup plan...

Now tell me... should I feel good? Or... what?

Disappointment

Here's what I send to J & J today to keep them abreast of their Dad's situation...

" :(

I heard today that the job I had thought was such a good opportunity, but would require a move to St. Paul, is definitely out.

The hiring manager had thought he was going to lose a couple of key people, and did not. Now he's going to promote one to take the job I was hoping for.

He and the head actuary for the company are going to be together Monday and Tuesday at a meeting, and will talk about my situation, and see if there's a viable alternative to discuss with me. I should know about that by Wednesday afternoon.

Other than that, I have nothing else, and am unemployed as of the 28th.

Be glad you're young and just starting out… it gets tough at this stage of life. Reminds me of Eccl. 11:9 - 12:8. Pray for me if you think of it.

Love
Dad "

I have to stave off the discouragement, but really don't know how. I feel like I am being reduced to nothing, beaten into a lump, so that God can take me and make me into something, like a batch of old clay being refashioned into a new vessel. I don't like the process... will I like the result?

Arghhhh!

This is excruciating!!!

The hiring manager for the St. Paul job has been back from Europe for 3 days now, and I expected to hear today if he's going to offer me something and what. So I send the recruiter a desperate email whining about not knowing anything yet.

She calls back and says that the guy called her last night after 7PM (which is after 8PM EDT), meaning he is working pretty late. He told her he is out of the office all day today and half of tomorrow, has his back to the wall on many fronts. Yet, he still took the time to call her. That's positive - he's still thinking about me. :)

He said she should call him Friday AM, at which time he'll have the final details of the unit structure worked out and have decided what he wants to offer me (if anything - my phrase, not his). So... I wait some more.

She thinks that Friday will not mean an offer, but rather a decision on what position the offer will be for, and the offer itself will come next week. Oh, I hope so. Next week is my last in the office and after that... I start eating into severance and have to pay for COBRA benefit continuation, etc.

Help!!! My nerves are getting to me... more drugs, more alcohol, more caffiene... no - just kidding. But it feels like that. God, grant me patience - and RIGHT NOW!

Stay In Touch

That's what people are starting to say now, when I see them. "You have my email address." "Don't be a stranger, now." "Call me sometime, we'll have lunch."

Found out today that the two lingering internal opportunities are officially dead. I'm out of here for real. This is sounding pretty final - finally. I really do have to think about packing up the office. I just want to have a job offer in hand before I start. It would make it feel so much better to pack, knowing it was going to go somewhere.

Who wants to leave something or someone behind... when there's no place else for you to go? It feels so empty to leave without being able to look forward to anything.

Silence

Not deadly silence, but silence just the same. Still at least a week from knowing if I get an offer about the job in St. Paul, or something related to it. Nothing about any continuing interest from the telecommuting job the recruiter inquired about. Nothing from internal sources - at all... just silence.

In the meantime, I signed the severance agreement today and forwarded it to Home Office. Final day... 10/28. I'm procrastinating on packing. Pfui! I'll wait.

Jenny's waiting, too. Still no word from the art shipping company, but she will inquire again tomorrow. Today is her last day at the Art Institute in that temporary job - nothing there about being rehired for anything, so as of tomorrow... unemployed. And, she's going with new girlfriend to see an apartment tonight to rent together. Net cost $400 each per month. Where it's going to come from, I don't know... right now, from my checkbook...

Safe at Home?

Hm. On the same day that I learn my final day in the office will be 10/28, get the official letter with COBRA benefits, etc., I get a call from the recruiter that there's another job she wants me to explore with a Chicago-based company. This one would report to the highest-ranking professional in my field in that company, and have the strong possibility of being a telecommuting position, with no relocation needed. They brought that up to the recruiter, not vice versa. Hm.

Apparently they do lots of telecommuting kinds of positions, have a lot of experience at it and understand how it should be done. And, that's what I asked the recruiter to research in the first place. Nothing was available at the time. How odd... So, I told her to pursue it, at least enough find out what the position is all about and show them my resume' to see if they're really interested. We'll find out.

Now, if they are, and I am... will everyone else in my life be? Or have they all gotten used to the idea of me moving away?

Rounding The Bases

Got a call over the weekend from the hiring manager for the St. Paul job. All the feedack from the interviews was "very good", and he's "hopeful we can work something out." Looks like I stroked a liner into the gap in right center... :) Now, the question is... how many bases will I get?

He is not yet settled on the structure he wants for this unit, and one of his current staff, a key guy, is being recruited away. If he loses him, it may mean more opportunity for me. So, I don't know yet whether they will offer me a management role or not, but it sounds pretty clear that they'll offer me something.

Now, I wait two weeks until he's back from Europe to find out what he's decided. Arghh... more waiting. It's like I'm rounding the bases and someone presses "pause". Will it be a long single, or can I stretch it to a triple? Probably not - I'm not that fast... :) I'll take a solid double, though.

A Major-League Sinking Curveball

Wow. Here I am at dinner with the hiring manager for the St. Paul job, and I'm confident... take an agressive stance... crowding the plate a little... and he throws me one high and tight, and I almost land on my keyster. He doesn't think he can (politically) bring me in at a managerial level, because of the number of eminently promotable people on the staff and a culture of promoting from within. Oof!

Then he follows with the changeup. But he himself might not even be there in a year, as he has other opportunities he's being short-listed for, and will need someone to replace him! Oh! I didn't see that one coming, either.

At this point, I'm reeling and have no idea what's next. Then he throws the sinking curve. One of the people I was set to interview with the next morning, who I thought would report to me - may even be my new boss instead! I missed that one clean. Embarrassingly so.

So the next day I need to play this with all the interviewers as if I am coming in to be considered for a job just like the one I have now, not a position to run that whole department of people like me. What I wanted to do was go home right then. Go back to the dugout and sit out the rest of the game. Talk about discouraged. He had me baffled. Still the nicest guy you'd want to meet, but his thinking about this had changed significantly since our first discussion a month ago.

The next morning, a new plate appearance...

And I think I did really well, left a good impression, handled the unexpected turn of events just fine. At least that's my take on it. The position is still worth talking about, I haven't changed my view of that, but... it's now not any better than if I got one of the two remaining possibilities still lingering at my current company (neither of which are making any progress). So, if they do make progress, they will look roughly the same as this St. Paul position. Unless, of course, the compensation is different, which I don't know at this point.

I should hear something about next steps by Friday - and then nothing until 10/19, since the hiring manager is vacationing in Europe for two weeks (while I wait...). So I hope Friday brings good news.

Here's The Windup... And The Pitch!

and he sends one into deep right field... back, back, back goes the fielder - on the warning track... it's gone! A home run... no doubt about that one, folks!

I'm feeling like I have to hit a home run ball in this upcoming interview. I have to impress, win over everyone, so that there is no doubt about me being the right guy for the job. I'm afraid, though, that if I press... swing for the fences... and don't connect - that I might swing so hard I screw myself right into the ground, and have to walk back to the dugout and wait for the next opportunity.

So, better to just make contact and put the ball in play, right? Let them try to get me out. But see, the thing is, it's not like that. They're not trying to put me out. As an interviewer, you really want the candidate to work out. You're favorably disposed to them in the first place, because you have a job you want to fill. You are really looking for reasons to like them, to see them in the job and performing well. That's what I have to remember, and not press too hard. Simply show up, try to handle cleanly everything that comes my way, and when I get the opportunity, tell them what I think I can do.

As of yesterday I know the lineup I'm facing. The night before, dinner with the hiring manager, the VP, my prospective boss. Nice guy - I'm hoping we will get along well informally over dinner and he will fill in the details on how things work and the people I'll meet with Wednesday. His boss, the COO, the next day - the big cheese! This is the guy who sets the tone for the whole place, which will give me a clue as to where their business is going and how fast.

Also, two people who would be prospective staff of mine. They currently report to the VP, and I would be stepping in between. That's a dicey situation, especially since I would be in a different office than the VP, and for some of the staff he will still be available to go to if he is on site and I am not. I'll bring that up at dinner the night before. Finally, two operations people who these staff members work with and support, so I'll get to see what they want from us and how we can be useful.

It's a good, thorough lineup of people, and should be an excellent read for them and for me on how I would fit in, and where the potential problems are to watch out for. I'm starting to feel ready for it! Doing my warmup swings now, having imaginary conversations with these people while driving around, etc... :)

Family business... Jonny was planning on coming home this weekend, but had no wheels, couldn't find a ride (may not have looked real hard, either), didn't "feel like" taking a bus... so, he didn't really want to come home that badly I think. I think what he wanted was for someone to come get him. But we had too much going on (see below). So, it's kind of like when the toddler drops the passifier in the middle of the night and cries for you to come get it. You'll be doing that until they're in middle school if you don't sometime close your ears to it and let them cry themselves back to sleep.

Jenny had an interview Thursday for a fulltime job with benefits at an art shipping company in the Loop. She'd be building crates??? Hm. But they also wanted someone with real knowledge of some of the artwork they will be handling, to be able to discuss it intelligently with customers, etc. Apparently it's a high-end firm with high-end clients, one she sent an inquiry to back in July, and they contacted her when they had an opening! She should hear by 10/3.

Cleaned out Dad's apartment Friday - he's in the nursing home for good now, not doing well. It was creepy - the whole business was. I had to bring home his blue suit... the one he'll be buried in. :( Why can't it be sudden and quick instead of long, slow stages of decline? But his heart is strong, even though his mind and body are not, so he hangs on. I hate to think that this will be my future, too - since I'm built like him and have the same strong heart.

Signed new wills on Thursday. The kids don't need guardians anymore. Created some trusts instead to ration out insurance proceeds via a trustee (their uncle). All this stuff makes one a little somber. Changes, partings, old responsibilities ending, new ones starting, preparations for farewells... I could use some fun, something both thrilling & fulfilling - something to make me forget about this difficult time of life I'm in, to be just a bit more carefree for a while.

Wait, Wait, Wait...

This is grueling...

I wish the 2nd interview was today! As of tomorrow, another whole week to wait. If I was busy, maybe it wouldn't seem so long. But I feel like I'm doing nothing productive at all about the job search. I just sit and wait...

Arghhh! It's like having study hall for the last period of school, just watching the clock hands crawl...

Delays and Closed Doors

The trip back to New England for a 2nd interview is off for the 19th. Postponed until the 28th due to travel conflicts with the interviewers. That means a full month after the first interviews! And, still no expense reimbursement from them for my airfare, hotel, car rental.

Heard back from the recruiter today about a second interview in Schaumburg - no such luck. They felt I was lacking experience in one particular area - happens to be the area that they want managed. Um... you have a point there, fellas... And they are right. But I didn't think, with the strong support staff in place, that they needed a technical expert. Guess they want one now. :(

Emailed my buddy in Columbus for a status report about the Des Moines trip, since I haven't heard anything back on that. He got back to me and said that they have nothing to offer me in my salary range - only at about 1/2 what I currently make! So - we cross off Des Moines & Columbus... :(

Did hear about the other internal possibility (other than Atlanta) in the Chicago loop. It has 4 direct reports, but is still a pay grade lower than I am now, same as Altanta. Probably not workable with the increased cost of living there, but the hiring manager does want to talk to me when he's in Chicago later this month. OK, we'll talk.

Especially since the only options I have left now are the one in St. Paul and these two unlikely internal opportunities. The field is narrowing, and I'm both glad of more clarity, but frightened of the rapid diminishing of possibilities. I have to get pretty serious about this St. Paul job now - real serious. Hmmm - wonder what suit I should wear for the 2nd interview?

Why Am I Not Past This?

Found myself in tears this morning at the breakfast table. Honestly, I thought this part was behind me. I had been doing well, I thought. Couldn't give a decent reason why, either. Simply couldn't say. I want it to be behind me, and then I don't. So worry about me prevails at home.

:(

I'm concerned about no followup from Schaumburg yet. Will have to call the recruiter this morning and find out what's up. The internal opportunities are frustrating, too. Talked to the hiring manager for the internal Altanta job Friday - they are still taking external candidates from recruiters! This certainly means they don't like the candidate pool they have so far, me included. Bah, humbug! I really am going to write this one off mentally.

Jenny seems happy in the new job. Several of her co-workers are new to Chicago and have similar interests, so she goes out to coffee with them now and then. There may be a concert opportunity for me to attend with her 9/20 in Chicago - would be nice to arrange a followup visit in Schaumburg that day, too.

Jonny is a real man about campus... spent the weekend in Des Moines at Jessie's house. Who's Jessie, we ask? Well, we don't ask, because we don't talk to him directly, but through a roommate interpreter... :) Oh, just some girl... mmm, hmm. At least there were nearly a dozen kids at her house for the weekend. Guess there's no homework to speak of... should I have really expected anything different? He's still the same kid.

Real Estate

The market here remains hot, so the local daily fishwrap says...

So I think to myself: Sell! Sell! Get the equity out while you can!

But... who the heck wants to move anyway? I don't. Emotionally, I'm still stalling. :(

And until I know where we're going - what's the rush?

This real estate bubble thing is too much like the darn stock market, sensitive to both fundamentals (like interest rates... Why can't loans be free? Whatever happened to the biblical concept of usury?) and investor perception (ooh, this is a hot neighborhood! Let me in!).

And, just like when I had money in the stock market and watched it constantly - it drives me nuts. That's why I got out of stocks - I couldn't handle the daily flopping around they did. Now I want to get out of real estate for the same reason.

When I was in Schaumburg, I picked up the little real estate books at the supermarket, and found the market kind of all over the map as to price. Currently, since I haven't been to St. Paul for an interview yet, the internet is the only way to look around. We've been getting some listings from a realtor in St. Paul, focusing on:

-- neighborhoods, like Highland Park (?), Macalester/Groveland, etc which are close in, and no more than a 20 minute commute to downtown

-- 3/2 ranches between 1800-2000 s.f., or other styles as long as the master and one other bedroom are on the main floor (deteriorating knees dictate certain things...)

But the prices... ugh. Not as reasonable as we might have thought. Let's hope the bubble bursts in St. Paul and Schaumburg before we buy, but waits to burst here until after we sell. :)

Narrowing The Field

Well, here we go. Got word from the recruiter that a 2nd interview is now scheduled with the New England company for the 19th. Still in their New England office, but the job is definitely OK to be in St. Paul. Yay! They also promised a trip to St. Paul to look around, if this next discussion appears to be leading to an offer.

The Schaumburg company is discussing my candidacy tomorrow. Hopefully I get some word back on that by Friday.

The company an hour West of here... is off the table. The parent company disapproved the job, so that's not an option anymore. :(

The remaining internal discussion about Atlanta is stalled, but I may hear something on that by the end of the week as well. Just moving very slowly. Nothing personal. Umm hmm. If you say so...

The office closure date is slipping into November, but I may be able to get an early release date, and still preserve the severance. Yet - I don't want to hurry the process. I'm not anxious to move, for many, many reasons. :) I'd kind of like to be working here at least through all of October, and then not move until after the Holidays.

Now, add to this that my Dad is going to have to go into a nursing home, maybe yet this week. Thankfully, my older brother is handling the details, even though he lives out of state. So I'll have to go see Dad sometime, when the details are complete, and help clean out his apartment of at least the family momentos. Ugh. Lousy timing... but, why not? Let's get all the trauma out of the way all at once, pack it all into a few months, and get it done. Just - can I get through it in one piece?

May I Have Seconds, Please?

So, all but one of the first interviews are done (the last remaining one being the company an hour West of here, still waiting for signoff from their parent to create the job) and the followup thank you's are sent. Now, I wait to see who is interested enough to set up a second interview.

Hopefully I find all that out this week or next, then have the second interviews by the end of the month, so that if offers are forthcoming, they will hit before my employment here runs out sometime in October. I'm still hoping that an 11/1 start date is OK, but... it seems to be slipping.

Talked to the recruiter this morning, and the New England company wants me back out there for another interview! Yay! They like me! Maybe...

This is for the St. Paul based job, and they said that if there was a third interview, it would be in St. Paul. So I gave them a bunch of potential travel dates, out through the 19th of September, and will see how fast they want to move things. *Yawn*, it's so slooooow...

No kids home for Labor Day weekend. :( Jenny's working (and liking it very much :), and Jonny's... playing. Many interesting new friends to hang with. Oh, well, I still ran and still played basketball, even without Jonny home. A little exercise does seem to get my mind clearer.

Now, c'mon, phone... ring! Tell me that you love me, companies...

Better! (and worse..)

Maybe it was the suit... :)

A far better day yesterday. Better company, better fit for me, better people to work for, better advancement opportunity, better location, and... better traffic on the way there and back this time. There were two possible positions, with one head and shoulders above the other, as is the manager, I think. The head of the whole department is also a really great lady, fun, positive, and... very family oriented. It comes through in the attitude of the entire department. You work hard while you're there, and then leave when you're supposed to. Good, good...

The immediate area for housing around Schaumburg (pronounced shahmberg, not shauoomburrg) :) is expensive, but according to the realty mags at the supermarket there do seem to be less expensive neighborhoods nearby, too. Not everything is upscale. It appears that the position is senior enough to keep me whole financially, and the relo program should make a transition easy.

The office is about 1/4 mile from Woodfield Mall. I had some time to kill afterwards and went into Marshall Field's. Entered in the men's department and wandered past the fragrance counter. Got a couple of sample cards I liked and then wandered around taking a survey of women shoppers... roughly 6... they unanimously voted for Angel's "B Men". Happy birthday to me... maybe. I want to get a little sample bottle first and try it in person. Um, not the survey part, that's not what I mean. ;)

Had a chance to have dinner with Jonny at school in Elgin. He says, "Dad if you move here it would be way too weird. First Jenny in Chicago, now you guys..." I agree - too weird. About a half hour from each kid. That might be too close. Two hours is better, I think. Anyway, he's doing well, knows half the school already. Everywhere we walked it was "Jonny! Hey!" "It's Jonny!". "Yo, Jon!", etc.

And notes from girls on the grease board on his dorm door. Hmm... this is supposed to be a Christian college... some of the stuff they wrote makes you wonder. Sounds like they're pretty typical college girls to me, with very typical, um... you know... urges. Watch your step, boy!

Ate in the cafeteria, Jonny, me, and a table full of girls. Very friendly girls. Even very friendly when Jonny was off talking to another table... hmm. Maybe it was the leftovers from the fragrance counter. ;) Makes me nervous. Flattered, but nervous. I think I should give up on this idea of being a college professor someday...

So, a fun day all around, and a good night's sleep, too. Much better attitude today. Which is good, because I got some bad news, too. The severance benefit I thought was going to be 35 weeks of salary is only going to be 11. :( They are not going to count the 12 years of service I had with a subsidiary company because I got severance from them when my job there ended 6 years ago. So in their minds I would be getting paid for that experience twice. Bah! There goes the means of paying for college...

And, still no hard date yet on when my last day is here, although it's sounding more like end of October than middle. So much the better, I think. There's too many people I love around here to be in a sweat to leave town. And, still no word on the last remaining internal job opportunity. Slow, slow, slow. I can use the longer timeframe for that reason, too.

Oh, more news on the interviews in New England. They had narrowed it down to 2 jobs for which I was being considered, one of which would be out there and one which could be in St. Paul. Turns out that the one in New England would not pay enough to keep me whole. So, we are down to the St. Paul location anyway, which is the job I liked better anyhow. And St. Paul seems to pose no problem for them, so hopefully there will be a second interview set up soon there.