Date: 2008-04-04 21:41 Subject: A very different week Security: Public Mood: thankful Tags: job

This was one of "those" weeks.  Actually, it started last Friday at 4:45 PM when my team got a Voice Mail from our VP GM to be in a meeting room at 9:00 AM on Monday (employees only  - no contractors and no temps.)  If you know the Industry, that can mean only one thing.
The door closed at 9:02 and my team was dissolved and our product moved to another team for "sustaining".  It was all over by 9:20.

The company found places for all the engineers on other teams.   Marketing did not do as well.  Long story short, by lunch I knew I had a new job and that four of the seven of us did not.  Over the past few days, those four have been interviewing and finding new jobs.

After I shook off the shock, I went over to meet my new manager.  Since I was the first person to go introduce myself, I got to design my new job.

Basically, I am going to to become Quark from Deep Space Nine and build and run Holo Suites.  I will be designing and building a huge TelePresence center and technology showcase.   It's a pretty cool gig

So I went from total stress to being crushed to being relieved to being apprenshive to being excited in one roller coaster week.

I end the week being very grateful that the company found places for almost all of us and, that by the grace of God,  I ended up with a really cool new job.

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Date: 2008-03-23 18:53 Subject: Away at Tahoe Security: Public Mood: anxious Tags: ham, tahoe

 Mr. Router and the family packed up the van and went to Tahoe for some Spring Break fun.  The snow is melting quickly but we had a good snowpack this year - unlike the past couple.  The kids and Mom are reading and I am writing QSL cards, updating my QRZ entry and looking for photos so I can put together a nice QSL card of my own.

Today we celebrated Easter with a non-traditional post Lent feast of burgers at The Bridgetender in Tahoe City.  I admitt it is a bit unusual.  I had given up French Fries for Lent and really enjoyed the waffel fries I downed.

I really do need to learn how to relax on vacation.  I am looking for projects.  Should I paint the trim, clean the attic or go through the closets?  So far I have limited myself to searching the garage for CAT 6 and LMR-400  for a couple projects.

Tomorrow I will go investigate renting skis for the kids and we will hit the slopes on Tuesday.

In the mean time, I'll try to relax.

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Date: 2008-03-17 20:15 Subject: The economy is just in a "little rough patch" - yeah.... Security: Public Mood: melancholy

For the past few weeks, I have been on edge about the economy.
I am not an economist.  I don't have gazillions of pre-2001 stock dollars invested anyplace.  I'm just an average guy here in the valley with a wife, 2.5 kids and a mortgage.  So why am I on edge?

Today I got an e-mail from someone who went to work and found his pink slip in his office.  So now all that stuff on "Marketplace" about the sub-prime mess and the housing collapse is becoming real.  I also got spammed with a resume and bio from some guy in Toronto - a guy I have never met and have no idea where he got my e-mail address.

The next generation looks like they will find a world with a weaker dollar and a more service oriented economy.   I worry about my kids.  Their generation does not appreciate the value of work.

Or, perhaps I am echoing the same thoughts that fathers have always had about the next generation.

Each generation has had it's challenges.  In the 1800's, the oil crisis fears were about the declining whale population (yes, they were used for oil), the early 1900's had the Great Depression, the 40's had the threat of global tyranny, the 50's had "The Bomb" and the 60's had Vietnam and the Cuban Missile Crisis.  In the 70's we were still worried about the Bomb - but we realized a backyard shelter would not save us.  The 80's brought us HIV / AIDS and "Black Monday".  We had a boom in the 90's - except for distant terrorist threats in Tokyo and Oregon.  DOn't forget all the folks who bought new "End of The World Shelters" for Y2K.  2001 brought us the "Bubble" and the "Burst" and 9/11.

Every generation has it's challenges.  I guess I'll get over myself, wait for that big check to come and use it to fill up the gas tank on the SUV.

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Date: 2008-03-17 00:59 Subject: Spring is in the air. Security: Public Mood: optimistic Tags: garden

This was a strange weekend in the neighborhood with a combination of wind, rain, sun and even hail.     Never the less, the calendar tells us that it is only a few days until the first day of Spring.  Last week the family started to weed the flower beds and today we made a field trip to see mitrian and get some of the assorted seed she had for us to start sprouting up our summer veggies.  In the past, I have just gone down to OSH and purchased a variety of tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas etc. but this year, in the interest of bio-diversity and greater involvement, we decided to grow our plants from seeds.

The kids listened to mitrian discuss the various varieties of herbs (who knew there are so may varieties of basil?) and fruits and other veggies and they picked out a grand assortment of seeds.  We made our trip to OSH and got sprouting kits and bags of soil mix so we could fill our urns, pots and fountain with rich soil for the plants. 

In about three weeks the yard should be filled with greens - just waiting for the snails and slugs.  At that point, Mr. Router will become Chemical Man.

Now all the kids have to do is keep up with the watering and weeding...

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