Updates

So, nothing big and new here since the last big announcements. I've got some fairly promising leads for new jobs that I'm working on, but I don't really want to pounce on them aggressively until next week. Christine, the kids, and I are heading to New York City this Friday for a week, and I'd rather not aggressively pump the job search machine until I know that I'll be available for interviews, phone calls, etc. Kinda hate losing the better part of one week out of my 6-week grace period, but it's not like I planned it this way. Not about to skip my vacation in New York with my family, so it is what it is.

Christine and I were having coffee this morning, talking about the whole she-bang and she noted that it's really nice how many of our friends are rallying around us, tying to help get things settled down and assist me in finding a new position as soon as possible. It was funny -- I hadn't really stopped to think about it so specifically. I mean, I know that Michelle and David and Mike had all already said "kick me a resume and we'll see what we can get going for you" but I hadn't really stopped to think about how ... fortunate I am.

Yeah, my job ending is a pain in the ass, but I also know, deep down, that I should have gotten the heck out of my company 2 years ago, found a new position that promised more challenges, more growth, or at the very least more cash. Instead, I stuck around because I liked the people I worked with and because I tend to avoid making big changes in my career when I can. I prefer to be pulled to a new place rather than throwing myself out the door, you know?

But once again, in the oddest of ways, I'm finding that Tang Soo Do has affected my life in wholly positive, unexpected ways. We spent 3 years trying to get ourselves integrated with a larger community via our church, only to figure out after 2.5 years that the majority of the folks at our church were money-hungry phonies. We spent 2 years trying to get to know neighbors only to have the ones we really got along with move away and then realizing that, o fthe ones that remained, we are the square pegs in our community, the odd ducks, the ones that don't quite fit in.

Then, after we pretty much resigned ourselves to just having to make due with the couple of relationships and friendships we'd managed to build after over 4 years of trying, we started training at Tang Soo Do Academy, and everything seems to have changed. We have, over the past year and a half or so, built a solid network of friends who truly want us to be OK, who truly will do whatever they can to help out if things get tough. We talked about it, about how every single person I've spoken with regarding my job "situation" (and that's not a lot of people, really: I keep this stuff fairly close to my chest) have immediately taken steps to try to help out. Resumes are circulating to the right people in a number of places, well respected people are speaking well of me and recommending me for positions, and so on. And though it might says more about my own poor self image, I'm find myself continually surprised when people speak well of me. I always assume people are just being polite. It's really moving to see and hear people going to bat for me now, when it matters.

So anyway, I'm fairly certain everything is going to be absolutely OK. With any luck I'll land in a good position within a few weeks, all of this nonsense can just be chalked up to experience, and I can bank a really nice little severance check that will take care of the remainder of our vacation budgeting for the latter half of the year (heading to Rome and Florence -- more on that as the date approaches!).


Mood: Not so bad, really!
Now Playing: Dead Can Dance, "Spiritchaser"

And it's a wrap.

Well, my suspicions we're confirmed. Our development team is being relocated to West Kingston, RI as of 6/30. I, along with all of my co-workers, have been offered a pathetic relocation package or fairly meager severance. My new job search begins Monday. I look at it as a 6-week furlough during which I interview and search for the next good thing.

I'm not really in a good place. Not because of my job going away -- it's just a job, and I know I can find another one. I'm very good at what I do, and I'm fairly well networked. But it's the end of the last hopes I had that my decision to move to Austin and join a startup, six and a half years ago, would result in something other than a decent paying job. The brass ring on this ride has tunred out to be about 2 months of salary and a pat on the back. Best of all, I've gone full circle from being on the fast-track to a promotion and management training to being severed from the company in a total of about 9 weeks.

I'm reeling, to be honest. Maybe it's the margaritas from lunch. I'm at home -- kids will be back in a little while. Time for a nice hot bath, and some downtime.

So it goes.

Mood: Resolute, tired
Now Playing: Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians, "Element of Light"

Well, THAT'S Ominous...

So. not long after I finished my last blog entry I received a meeting notice for tomorrow morning. Required attendance. My entire product line team. 10:30 tomorrow morning. Not so odd, really, except that the invitation came from... the HR director for our site. And the managers on site didn't know anything about it.

Hrrrm.

So, then we checked around with the other guys on site, a parallel development team that develops firmware and software and hardware for another of our product lines. They also have a required attendance, all hands meeting tomorrow morning. Called by HR. Same time. Different room.

Both meetings are called "status meetings," but again, none of our local management were informed of the meetings.

Hrrrm, again.

Well, I suppose this could conceivably be the answer to my "should I stay or should I go?" quandary. We shall see.

Mood: A little bit anxious, obviously
Now Playing: Nothin'