This post and the eventual resolutions post are very boringly the normal posts that most blogs do. Â But it does give me something to write about. Â While 2008 was the year I finally got a decent job working on software, the year as a whole was a stressful pain in the butt.
I finally got fed up with crappy non rewarding jobs in mid-January and started taking steps to rectify that. Â I started relearning useful Java technologies. Â The end result was supposed to put me somewhere around Columbus, but in the end that never quite panned out. Â I’d resolved that I wasn’t going to find a rewarding programming position anywhere near L-town and the family and I finally accepted the need to possibly move. Â Also, attending my first real software developer conference showed me a lot of cool technologies and things you could do with them. Â (Sadly, I won’t be able to attend that in 2009. Â CodeMash is definitely worth paying for yourself, but I’m not ready to lose 3 vacation days so early in the year. Â Maybe next year.)
The wif-al unit’s grandmother passed away in February. Â We also played tag with strept for quite a while. Â Eventually, the wif-al unit needed to have her tonsils removed. Â A few weeks of shear hell for her from that, mixed in with a couple job interviews for me, got us through March and April.
End of April/early May, I got offers from two companies. Â Neither of these related to the possible position that started me down my path. Â Thank goodness it did though or I wouldn’t have been ready skill wise. Â One position was nearby at a tire manufacturer doing very narrow focused programming in C for a specialized tool used in that industry. Â Not really a growth path there, and I’d already left one job because of narrow focused dinosaurian technology. Â The other position was working on an ERP system under development that would require a move. Â You already know which one I took.
May and June saw us working feverishly to get the house ready to sell. Â If I can give any advice for people looking to sell, do all this prep work before putting it on the market. Â Yeah, you’ll tell yourself that people will see the potential. Â But trust me, people looking for a home to live in aren’t wanting to have to do work right away. Â We corrected all the problems that had been hanging there for years and in the end it paid off. Â The first (and only) people to look at it bought it. Â It was a stressful 5-6 weeks getting it ready but I know it made a difference.
Something for me to remember. Â If people can’t make it to something I’m putting on, don’t make a big deal out of it. Â They may have a lot going on in their lives and don’t need extra stress from me acting real dissappointed.
I started the new job June 2nd, and drove 66 miles morning and evening for two months. Â My back and butt are both glad that’s over. Â As usual with my timing on most things, I picked the best time gas price-wise to be driving those long trips. Â I’m being sarcastic. Â Upper $4/gallon, keeps that tank hungry.
We sold the house and closed on our new house mid July and started the move late July. Â A couple U-Hauls and multiple full vans later, all the junk had been moved.
Fall and winter came much too quickly for our tastes. Â I coached the eldest girlywog’s 4th/5th grade soccer team for the first time and the youngest tried out karate. Â We’ve tried to take advantage of our access to all the new things that are now close to us, minor league baseball, art museum, zoo, etc. Â It’s been fun. Â It still feels like it’s not real yet and we all miss the old stomping grounds and friends quite often. Â But I’ve been told by people that they notice a change in me for the good. Â And unlike the last job change, this one has stuck around. Â I’ve been on the new job for over 6 months now and I’ve not woken up once complaining about the work I’m doing. Â I think I may have mentioned that here before but it’s true and important for me. Â Being miserable in your job, no matter how much you’re being paid, doesn’t do your family any good. Â It takes too much of the good, fun you away from them.
The last month and half saw age old problems in my family resurface again. Â I tried to make some people see things from a different point of view, but probably should have stayed out of it. Â But then I’m enabling. Â You can’t win either way. Â It’s a shame when non-blood family’s stubborness and tunnel vision can ruin a whole family.
I did finally get to do some gaming and the family unit didn’t have to go anywhere on Christmas, which is a big plus. Â We got a Wii for Christmas which is a very interesting system. Â Yesterday we had another Christmas get together and in a couple weeks, we’ll get the last one out of the way. Â Tomorrow the kidlings head back to school. Â At work, we go into code freeze and begin the first of many testing and bug fixing cycles until a pilot install in May.
Should be an interesting and busy time, but I’ll give one of those outlook and resolution posts in the near future. Â For now, I need to have that last Hell Hath No Fury…Ale. Â Laters!
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