The intellectual equivalent of a ham sandwich.

Posts tagged ‘work’

Weekly Wacko (10)

I wrote this maybe 2 weeks ago because I wanted to voice my frustration over unknown work stuff. So this post is more like a diary-entry than my usual thing. Anyhow, it’s a big news thing for me so I wanted it to be able to go back and read it x years from now and be able to say, “ohhh, I remember young Brad, he was dumb, and he smelled funny. I’m glad I’m not him.”

Goodbye Silicon Valley, Hello Houston

At work on December 9 (2009) I got an email from a guy in Houston. I had applied for a job down there a while back.

A little background – the economy has affected my company as it has so many, and the original assignment I’d been doing since being hired was cut. My last day doing that was September 30th. Since then I’ve been bouncing around to short-term assignments and looking for a long-term one. It has been incredibly frustrating because I have not known when/if I’ll be moving, and I figured if I ended up on company overhead for a while then I would be out of a job.

I had received some word from Houston before which led me to believe they were interested in me. And the job description matched pretty well with work I had been doing before so I felt pretty strong about my chances.

On December 9th I talked with my potential future-manager and I asked a few questions about the work. He didn’t know much about what I would be doing exactly (programming stuff). This worried me because how does he know I’m a good fit if he doesn’t know better about what I’ll be doing … But, one bright spot from the conversation was that he said he’d decided to hire me and then realized he’d never once spoken to me. This either means he’s a really bad manager, or my recommendations from the other folks I’ve worked with were good. Actually now I’m worried about that, too.

I’m not sure how evident this is in other things I’ve posted – but for random people reading this I’m a glass half-empty kind of guy.

Anyway. I am still unsure if I’ll get the job – paperwork stuff has to be sorted out. My potential start-date as of right now would be January 11th which doesn’t give me much time left in California.

When I move to Houston I want to move to a place where I’ll have roommates. I really like having my own space and apartment, but I took a long time before I made any friends and I don’t want to repeat that.

I got in bed last night and pictured myself in bed the night before my first day of (potential) work in Houston. That’s a very depressing thought.

New work. New home. Don’t know anybody. Have to prove myself. Not sure if I can do my work well. Won’t know the co-workers quirks or what they’ll be like. An outside of work-project I’ll be doing – it’s part of work but it’s during my free time (read: lots of unpaid overtime). I’m worried about how I’ll perform with that as well. To sum it up: oy.

Also, I’ve liked the Silicon Valley way more than I thought I would. This is the 10th different place I’ve lived and usually I don’t miss or really appreciate a place until I’ve moved. I think being unsure if/when I’ll move for the past three months has had the silver lining of helping me to appreciate California sooner. Also, I figured from the start I wouldn’t be here for too long so I’ve tried to get out and do a fair amount.

Anyway – I’m just venting and expressing my frustrations. If the job works out it will be really nice to know where I’ll be living for at least a year (the assignment length). Also I went to college in Dallas so I could drive up there to visit some friends. And my sister really wants to go to South by Southwest (SxSW) in Austin, so we can meet there for that. AND, Houston’s not too far from New Orleans and I’ve never been there. I call this paragraph: glass half full ish (ish being the radio version of a certain s word).

I’ll say this in person as well – but I want to thank JMinnie and Theresa (who you may have seen write comments on the blog) for putting up with me and helping to make California as fun as it was. And all of the folks I met through them as well.

Enough sissy stuff. I’m going to watch porn and “Die Hard” and play “Grand Theft Auto” right now. All at the same time. And shotgun a beer. Boo yah.

***
This is an update – on Friday December 18th I found out some good news. I am going to start in Houston on January 25th rather than the 11th, and my work is going to pay for some of my relocation costs. Sweet!

Wish me luck random strangers, and people who know me who read this.

Good-bye Silicon Valley, hello Houston!

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Weekly Wacko

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The Obligatory Airing-of-Emotions-Post-Break-Up Letter

Dear College,

How have you been? I know we haven’t talked since things ended between us, but I just wanted to write and see what you’ve been up to. I heard from a friend the other day that you’ve moved on, that you’ve got someone now? That’s great. I’m really happy for you! I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’ve got someone new, too.

Her name is Work.

She’s wonderful!

You know how you and I would get in little fights, randomly, all the time? Well, Work and I don’t have that problem. She’s really steady and I know, sure, she may stress me out sometimes, but she knows how to back off and give me alone time. With you … Well I just didn’t know when to expect problems with you.

But I didn’t write to complain. I’m sorry about that! I just wanted to talk. Speaking of talking, Work is great at talking. Sometimes you and I would get into these ridiculous, lofty conversations about total nonsense and I enjoyed them at the time but I also knew they were just … Anyway, Work’s not that way. She’s very practical.

And my parents love her! Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I know it might be a sore spot with you, because my parents never really approved of how long you and I dated.

I remember when I first told my Dad about you he said, “Son, that’s great, go ahead and sow your wild oats.”

They never appreciated you, College!

God I miss you so much sometimes!

Some days I’ll wake up in the morning and close my eyes and wish we were still together. Remember how that used to be? We’d wake up whenever! Some days we wouldn’t even get out of bed!

But Work isn’t like that … She wakes me up at pretty much the same time every day. And she would never take a nap in the middle of the afternoon like we used to do, College!

I was so crazy to move on!

It was my parents – it’s because of them!

My Dad hated how much money I spent when we were together. But we were just having fun! I think it’s because, when he was my age, he was with this really uptight girl from West Point, New York. He was just jealous!

I can’t believe I felt like I needed to move on to someone more “mature.”

Oh, Work’s more mature all right.

The last guy she was with – you’ll never believe this! – was an old man! She called him, “Boomer!” What a dorky pet name!

Work says she loves my “youth and energy,” but I know there are some days when she’s just thinking that I’m young and stupid, and that I’ll never be able to replace her ex.

Well, Work, you’ll never be able to replace College!

I can’t believe I’m writing this! I feel like I’m cheating on Work!

(I’m at her place right now, can you believe it? She’d be so mad if she found out I was doing this. She’s such a task-master.)

I can’t help but miss you! Remember how sometimes we’d go and get a pizza at three in the morning! Work would never do that with me. I’m lucky if I’m ever up past eleven.

I just don’t know why I’m writing you this letter, College. I knew from the beginning our relationship was a temporary one. It burned hard and fast … It couldn’t last forever (could it?).

I guess I’m just trying to be cathartic.

I’m sorry … I know you always used to complain about how you felt like I was “using you.” You thought I was just biding my time, waiting for something better to come along. Well, if it makes you feel any better, apparently there is some sort of cosmic justice (remember when we talked about that? That one night? We ate chips and sat outside and just talked and talked?). I say this because I have the definite feeling that Work is using me.

Sometimes I’ll tell Work stories about you, and I can tell she gets upset by it. She’ll start talking about her ex, then. “Boomer.” And she’ll tell me how “Boomer” never used to talk about his ex when he was with her! Well if “Boomer’s” so great, why did they break up at all!

Anyway, I hope things are going great with whoever you’re with now. Maybe I did use you, College, so maybe try not to let it happen with this guy? If nothing else – at least get a few good meals out of him! Sorry, that was a crude joke.
I’d better go, Work just yelled at me to go help her with something.

All the best,
Brad

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Short Short Stories

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