Tag Archives: WestVirginia

Not a Short Timer, Just an Old Timer

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After a lot of gut-wrenching moments, we’ve decided to remain exactly where we are, in regards to both residence and jobs1. The angst over the life/work situation came to a close today, about 20 minutes before what was to have been my farewell lunch, which turned into a salute to our team of admins, and the standing up of our 300th Red Hat powered server. Somehow, word that this wasn’t a farewell lunch had gotten out2, and the following dialogue ensued:

Co-worker: Ken, are we really saluting your last day?
Me: Salute anything you please, just don’t anyone plan on looting any shit out of my shabby cubicle come Monday.

A few laughs, and outstanding barbecue followed.

I talked with the CFWISF, had an interview set up for September 9. They then subsequently decided to fill the position “via promotion from within”3.

My current employer is a stand-up organization, and they are working on some ideas to ease my workplace concerns, and I’m sure they will come through as best they can.

Now, all that remains is to decline the West Virginia gig4, cancel the movers who were coming on Saturday to make an estimate, tell our WV real estate lady of our change of plans, and cancel my hotel reservations for next week.

I’m happy and looking forward to the future. Even in Northern Virginia. Even though there were at least three drivers on the commute home who richly deserved the proper salute for their Neanderthal driving courtesy.

You can’t have it all. We soldier on.

-k-

1 My Little Bride will still semi-retire, but that was also semi-planned, just a matter of time.

2 There are no secrets in Cubesville Halls

3 A concept I endorse, even though I was without in this case.

4 Something that is somewhat painful, both that it has to happen, but more so for the late notice.

Is it just Me?

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Seems like every time I visit this old blog, the West Virginia University logo is in the right sidebar. There are three graphics that display, in some sort of random order.

No matter. Go Mountaineers! Except for basketball season1, in which case it is, was, and ever shall be Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

And maybe a clearing of the FireFox browser cache is in order ..
-k-

1 And football season, when applicable

Listings out the Wazoo

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We’ve made contact with a West Virginia realtor, thus far by email. I sent her a general overview of house styles, locations and price ranges that would trip our trigger, and she promptly sent back links to 7 houses.

MLB and I looked at them the other night, and 4 of the 7 were acceptable to both of us. Given the information I provided, I think the realtor did an excellent job. We looked at no listings where we immediately said “Yuck”. This is a Good Thing™.

We’ve also tagged several listings we found on our own, and shared them with her on MyERA.com1. Home buying certainly has changed over the last 15 years, and for the better, to my notion.

We’re not going to buy anything until the current tbbs World HQ is sold, however. So, we’ve asked our realtor lady to check into lease with option to buy properties, and she’s working that angle as well. She knows already that we plan to buy comfortably beneath our means.

The realtor and I are meeting on September 9, after I get off work. Camera in hand, I’ll take more detailed photos of the places we look at, and send them to My Little Bride for her review. Like I said, housing searches have changed.

-k-

1 Percentage-wise, the realtor found better stuff than we did; we’ve untagged 1/3 of our selections so far.

Banking

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I was just talking with my little bride about bank accounts and financial provisioning in our new location.

It has been close to 20 years since we’ve opened a checking account. In earlier times, we’d cut a check from our old bank, combine it with cash1, trundle to the bank, and open an account.

The 21st Century has rendered that a thing of the past; thanks to these internets, we can open our account online, including the transfer of funds from our current bank.

Man, what a great thing.

I’d still like to cash an exacta ticket, though.

-k-

1 On one occasion, a winning exacta ticket from Hollywood Park provided the cash.

Another Short Timer

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My little bride’s last day at her current gig is September 19.

We are getting into serious logistics planning and budgeting. I’m one to stew and fret over every little niggling detail; I wind up settling for Mixed up and Splendid operations.

This old blog’s tagline is Whistle through your teeth and spit. Another line from that song is

We will get by, we will survive.

Damn straight.

-k-

Sidebar Shuffle

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The Bridgeport WV weather has been promoted ahead of the Reston VA forecast in the sidebar.

tbbs-land will be ready when I begin typing this drollery from Almost Heaven.

Though the heavenward direction starts with my seeing Northern Virginia recede in my rear view mirror.

A beautiful sight, to be topped only by Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.

Start your engines!
-k-

Knowledge Transfer is Tiring

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As I look forward to removing the Senseo coffeemaker and USB lava-lamp from my shabby cubicle a short 2 weeks away, I’m engaged in explaining to a couple of co-workers what I’ve been doing for the last 5 years. The old knowledge transfer, memory dump game.

I’m tweaking scripts, showing them how the Solaris and Red Hat provisioning processes work, and generally getting the place broom clean.

It’s tiring, but it’s also my last few times at bat. I’d like a home run or two during that time.

And for the handful of good folk who will remain, I’ll strive to do just that. It’s still tiring.

-k-

No Talking Back

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In days past, when I’ve resigned a job, one of the first questions asked is “Ken, what can we do to keep you?”

In my current situation, this question has yet to be asked, because my resignation was submitted to doers, who are supposed not only to help make things happen on the job, but also to be human resources, grievance boards, and general company factotums.

These folk were understanding, accepting, and perhaps even a tad envious that I’d managed to break free of the slogging quagmire that is our current job. I didn’t expect, nor did they provide, the corporate cheerleading hokum that ensues in cases like this. Doers just don’t do that; that’s why they are doers.

The non-doers, on the other hand, at our corporate level have been loud by their silence.

Maybe the non-doers don’t know I’m leaving; they may not even know I was ever there.

To them, adieu. Just process my exit paperwork. I’ll probably ask the doers1 for help there, too. To the doers, I’ll miss you all.

-k-

1 J, Rusty, Mark, Shannon