Today I'm thankful for some time to acclimate.
Woke up to 3 inches of snow on the ground, 18 degrees, and lots more falling. Got up and out, caught the 8:40 train to Manhattan. Met my brother at Grand Central station, and spent a couple hours in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's pretty amazing - maybe as good as the Smithsonian. It's the only thing I can start to compare it to. Then we had lunch at a deli. Service was terrible, food was pretty good.
After lunch, we joined his wife for a student performance at Juilliard. Good stuff, and nice to step in out of the cold. There were kids sledding in Central Park, the sidewalks were white or light gray. The streets were a gray, dry slush for the most part. Slush in Oregon is half-melted snow. Here, it was cold, so the snow hadn't really melted, and wasn't in a melting mood. So it turned gray, stayed frozen, and gradually moved to the side of the streets.
After Juilliard, we went to Brooklyn where he lives, and had a nice dinner at his house. Caught the 9:05 train home, and drove clear streets back to the hotel. So today, I drove many miles of snowy roads, walked probably 2 miles (maybe 3) on snowy sidewalks, spent 3 hours outside at 20 degrees or so, defrosted, desnowed and de-iced my car twice, and used the Metro North rail system. Acclimation? Check.
Time for sleeping. Church starts in 8 hours, and I really should sleep a little.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
365 #16 - Friday, January 19
Today I am thankful for people who will help and trust you and treat you with respect with no reason to do so.
This morning I went out with a realtor to look at houses in the area. While we're driving around, I mention that I'm unemployed. To her credit, the agent does not dump me on the side of the road. We keep looking at houses. While in the next house or 2, I get a call from the company I interviewed with on Thursday. It was HR, informing me that a formal offer will be out to me later that afternoon.
I found 3 houses out of the 6 or 7 we saw that I like really well. So that was encouraging - all of them would be great for our family. Later in the afternoon, I did get a formal offer. It is the first formal offer for employment I have received since April 1999. It's not one I can accept just yet. The terms aren't quite what I was hoping for. But we'll start negotiations on Tuesday, and hopefully we can wrap it up one way or the other within a few days.
I see 5 plausible ways this works out:
1) awesome company #1 is able to negotiate the offer and we move to midstate NY
2) awesome company #1 is not able to negotiate the offer for NY, but makes something for me in OR
3) awesome company #1 is not able to negotiate the offer for NY or OR
4) awesome company #2 puts together a credible offer for OR and we stay
5) awesome company #2 does not put together a credible offer
So NY is still very possible, OR is still very possible (since I think that company #1 may be able to use me in OR, and company #2's spots are both in OR, and if both fall through, I'll keep looking locally).
The question marks keep getting answered. We're hoping for resolution in the next week or so.
This morning I went out with a realtor to look at houses in the area. While we're driving around, I mention that I'm unemployed. To her credit, the agent does not dump me on the side of the road. We keep looking at houses. While in the next house or 2, I get a call from the company I interviewed with on Thursday. It was HR, informing me that a formal offer will be out to me later that afternoon.
I found 3 houses out of the 6 or 7 we saw that I like really well. So that was encouraging - all of them would be great for our family. Later in the afternoon, I did get a formal offer. It is the first formal offer for employment I have received since April 1999. It's not one I can accept just yet. The terms aren't quite what I was hoping for. But we'll start negotiations on Tuesday, and hopefully we can wrap it up one way or the other within a few days.
I see 5 plausible ways this works out:
1) awesome company #1 is able to negotiate the offer and we move to midstate NY
2) awesome company #1 is not able to negotiate the offer for NY, but makes something for me in OR
3) awesome company #1 is not able to negotiate the offer for NY or OR
4) awesome company #2 puts together a credible offer for OR and we stay
5) awesome company #2 does not put together a credible offer
So NY is still very possible, OR is still very possible (since I think that company #1 may be able to use me in OR, and company #2's spots are both in OR, and if both fall through, I'll keep looking locally).
The question marks keep getting answered. We're hoping for resolution in the next week or so.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
365 #15 - Thursday, January 19
Today, once again, I am thankful for the last 20 years. I won't repeat myself too much.
But today's interview was make-or-break as we discussed the opportunities I had, what I did with them, and how they shaped me. Question after question was framed in a, "At this place, we have-and-such a situation. Can you tell us about a similar situation you had at your last employer and how you dealt with it?" In every case, I had done something relevant and could talk about it.
At the end, the guy who would be my co-manager walked me out the door, said some encouraging words, shook my hand, and we parted ways. I learned a lot about the company. The interview panel for 2 full hours was my co-manager, boss, her boss, and the sales guy. The manager for Japanese tech support dropped in, the manager for the non-Japanese tech support dropped in, another manager dropped in. They told me about their market position, corporate goals, recent strides, all sorts of things.
In the final tally, my recent study of their technology paid off. I was asked about it, and was able to talk about it intelligently. The Japanese stuff paid off when I spoke briefly with the Japanese manager. Reading the company's annual report paid off. Knowing their competitors paid off. Every single thing I've worked on paid off.
I think. They told me I was the final candidate, so the decision would be quick. Here's to hoping for a call from HR tomorrow or Monday that brings good news.
But today's interview was make-or-break as we discussed the opportunities I had, what I did with them, and how they shaped me. Question after question was framed in a, "At this place, we have-and-such a situation. Can you tell us about a similar situation you had at your last employer and how you dealt with it?" In every case, I had done something relevant and could talk about it.
At the end, the guy who would be my co-manager walked me out the door, said some encouraging words, shook my hand, and we parted ways. I learned a lot about the company. The interview panel for 2 full hours was my co-manager, boss, her boss, and the sales guy. The manager for Japanese tech support dropped in, the manager for the non-Japanese tech support dropped in, another manager dropped in. They told me about their market position, corporate goals, recent strides, all sorts of things.
In the final tally, my recent study of their technology paid off. I was asked about it, and was able to talk about it intelligently. The Japanese stuff paid off when I spoke briefly with the Japanese manager. Reading the company's annual report paid off. Knowing their competitors paid off. Every single thing I've worked on paid off.
I think. They told me I was the final candidate, so the decision would be quick. Here's to hoping for a call from HR tomorrow or Monday that brings good news.
365 #14 - Wednesday, January 18
I'm thankful for a great opportunity today. The flight from PDX to Dulles was uneventful, the flight from there to LaGuardia likewise uneventful and very short. It was easy to get from Dulles to the rental car place. And the drive at 9pm out of the city was easy, too. I got to the hotel in 90 minutes, just like Google told me I would.
So many things out of the way. I have only a few more pages of study to do in the morning. And then this entire opportunity rolls out - the interview, its aftermath. Tomorrow is going to be one of the most fateful days of my family's life if it means we take a job out here.
As a kid, I never imagined these kinds of things happening - leaving a job, a company flying me somewhere to interview for a job. Those kinds of things happened on TV - they were Huxtable or Seaver lifestyles, not mine. And where am I? Living the American dream.
It is a steady progression, which I find very intriguing. The Bible talks about the sins of the parents being visited upon the heads of the children. In this case, the goodness of the parents enriches the lives of their children. My parents both attended college. Neither finished a 4 year degree. Both had good, solid, respectable jobs. Both worked hard. My generation are all college grads - a BS, MBA, and PhD. All of us have jobs and careers that our parents never really thought of. Not as in, "I could do that, but it's out of reach." More like, "I don't even know how a person would go about trying to get a job like that one. I can't even consider it." I feel very blessed, and thankful to parents who instilled this drive in all of us without our knowing it. And then enabled us to take these paths to where we are.
Who your parents are, and how they are, can make or break your entire life. As a parent, that means I have to take my responsibility extremely seriously.
So many things out of the way. I have only a few more pages of study to do in the morning. And then this entire opportunity rolls out - the interview, its aftermath. Tomorrow is going to be one of the most fateful days of my family's life if it means we take a job out here.
As a kid, I never imagined these kinds of things happening - leaving a job, a company flying me somewhere to interview for a job. Those kinds of things happened on TV - they were Huxtable or Seaver lifestyles, not mine. And where am I? Living the American dream.
It is a steady progression, which I find very intriguing. The Bible talks about the sins of the parents being visited upon the heads of the children. In this case, the goodness of the parents enriches the lives of their children. My parents both attended college. Neither finished a 4 year degree. Both had good, solid, respectable jobs. Both worked hard. My generation are all college grads - a BS, MBA, and PhD. All of us have jobs and careers that our parents never really thought of. Not as in, "I could do that, but it's out of reach." More like, "I don't even know how a person would go about trying to get a job like that one. I can't even consider it." I feel very blessed, and thankful to parents who instilled this drive in all of us without our knowing it. And then enabled us to take these paths to where we are.
Who your parents are, and how they are, can make or break your entire life. As a parent, that means I have to take my responsibility extremely seriously.
365 #13 - Tuesday, January 17
I am thankful for my kids tonight. They are truly awesome. Aria had her 12th birthday party at Skateworld. We had 10 tween girls between our 2 cars, and they were all awesome. No negativity that I saw, just fun and silliness. Aria has good friends, and the friends that all my kids bring into our lives have been a blessing to us.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning, packing, and studying for my interview coming up. Then, as the weather forecast become more clear, it became very clear that I should not count on being able to drive to the airport in the morning. So after Aria's party I headed off to the PDX Super 8 to stay the night. Sleep hit me about midnight.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning, packing, and studying for my interview coming up. Then, as the weather forecast become more clear, it became very clear that I should not count on being able to drive to the airport in the morning. So after Aria's party I headed off to the PDX Super 8 to stay the night. Sleep hit me about midnight.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
365 #12 - Monday, January 16
Thankful for cake today. Jacob was unable to clean his room today. It was not a big mess. He just couldn't make himself do it. Until dinner time. Christian needed to make dessert for his family for a cub scout requirement, and chose chocolate cake. Jake had to have his room clean to get cake, so after dinner he got it done. Lovely boy.
The rest of today was cleaning (in preparation for Aria's party) and prep for my job interview. Busy days. Good days.
The rest of today was cleaning (in preparation for Aria's party) and prep for my job interview. Busy days. Good days.
365 #11 - Sunday, January 15
Thank goodness for the times when you're supposed to prepare something, but don't really. And someone else comes along, prepares for you, does the thing, and then apologizes afterward for messing up your plans.
This morning I slept in, and by the time church came around I had thought about primary, but had not gotten anything concrete yet. We arrived at church, the first hour finished, and I had an idea. I wanted to go over a couple songs just to keep them fresh, and then learn The First Article of Faith song. A new pianist had been called, and she came in, ready to go.
As the kids were filing in, the presidency counselor running the show today came over and asked if it was ok if we mixed in some music with her lesson for the kids. That's fine for me - I'm easy. Once I saw the song list, I knew I would not have much time afterward for what I had thought about doing. We finished up, and she came over and apologized. "Did you have any big plans for today?" I explained that I didn't, and it was no problem.
And I didn't have to worry about what to do, which was nice.
Choir was after church, and that was nice and quick. Good medley of Called to Serve and Go Forth With Faith, arranged by our choir director. In the evening, Aria had her first fireside. She turns 12 this week, and the youth program has been inviting her to activities. She's loving it. From there, we came home and the guys came over. Jim brought over an arrangement he had just done of an 80 year-old song. It was gorgeous. And then we sang out of the Yale Glee club book. We're actually pretty close to having a couple of those songs down. We worked most on Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho. Love that stuff.
This morning I slept in, and by the time church came around I had thought about primary, but had not gotten anything concrete yet. We arrived at church, the first hour finished, and I had an idea. I wanted to go over a couple songs just to keep them fresh, and then learn The First Article of Faith song. A new pianist had been called, and she came in, ready to go.
As the kids were filing in, the presidency counselor running the show today came over and asked if it was ok if we mixed in some music with her lesson for the kids. That's fine for me - I'm easy. Once I saw the song list, I knew I would not have much time afterward for what I had thought about doing. We finished up, and she came over and apologized. "Did you have any big plans for today?" I explained that I didn't, and it was no problem.
And I didn't have to worry about what to do, which was nice.
Choir was after church, and that was nice and quick. Good medley of Called to Serve and Go Forth With Faith, arranged by our choir director. In the evening, Aria had her first fireside. She turns 12 this week, and the youth program has been inviting her to activities. She's loving it. From there, we came home and the guys came over. Jim brought over an arrangement he had just done of an 80 year-old song. It was gorgeous. And then we sang out of the Yale Glee club book. We're actually pretty close to having a couple of those songs down. We worked most on Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho. Love that stuff.
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