Finally, It's Over

I have to write this somewhere,  and this is as good as any since I might be bringing this site back.

As of Thursday, I officially became a statistic of a divorced parent. After separating in October, we received a final decree last week and a tumultuous period is finally over - partially.

I say partially because my kids and I will have to live with this for a long time. We moved out and got an apartment nearby, so that they could continue attending the same school and doing the same activities, and the fight for that to continue has been contentious at best, and nightmarish at worst.

When family dynamics change, for the most part there are lots of people that provide outpourings of support - at least with regards to a birth, a death, a wedding, a graduation. It does not work that way in a divorce. It can feel very lonely to go through it.

In the end, it was  achoice that had to be made because staying together would have resulted, it seemed, in far greater damage. The amount of time spent to fix things numbered almost three years before I decided enough was enough - yes, I was the one that filed.

After trying individual therapy, couples therapy, and other methods it was obvious it would never improve - and as my now ex-wife said to the church priest, if there weren't kids we'd have split a long time ago.

I know there are some schools of thought that say it is better to stay together for the sake of the children. However, when staying together guarantees a dysfunctional household is all the kids know that is not a desirable scenario. The only chance the kids would have, it seemed, to see a functional household would be to create a second one - and after another job loss in September, I realized it was time to do so.

My employer has been very supportive throughout this entire ordeal. They have understood that there are going to be many times that I needed to be dealing with court arrangements, handoffs, and other occurrences throughout this ordeal, and I am very grateful they have stuck by me and that I am still there after five and a half years (wow, it has been a while).

Some friends have been very supportive during this. Others have fallen off or outright blocked me, that is to be expected and nothing I do will change that.

What matters most is how the kids see it. Now, at ages nine and six, they understand what a functioning household should look like - and how we did not have one before. They understand that this family is not going to be like other families, but that it does not mean we love them any less - I think, if anything (or at least hope) that each of us values our time with them more than before and will work harder to make that a certainty. We will each have them fifty percent of the time, and it's on each of us to make every minute count.

Growing up, I had a pair of parents that stayed together for "my" sake - and it was not right. They both spiraled as alcoholics, lost job after job because of their instabilities, with addiction to alcohol and smoking eventually killing them both - one when I was sixteen, the other a couple of years ago, but killing them eventually. That was the path we were heading dowm - and like a lot of other cases, it would not be right for me to pass down to my children the problems that my parents passed to me.

The chain has to break somewhere, or problems continue to pass down from generation to generation. Staying in a broken marriage would have meant passing these tendencies down to the kids, because they were reaching teh age when learned behaviors become almost permanent.

For those that didn't know, I'm sorry for not saying more, It can be hard to tell when you've said too little or too much in a divorce. Sometimes, I seemed to err with certain people on saying too much, and it's hurt when I cross the line to TMI.

For all I know, this post fits the bill of TMI.

Point is, I'm glad this is over, and I'm glad that we can now move forward to a better future instead of looking to a broken past. I feel good about it and so do the kids  - when we broke news to them last week it was final, their reactions were "good" and "finally" instead of sadness and crying.

They are ready to move forward, and so am I, and we will do exactly that with a new school year looming on the horizon. 

Working and Blogging Can Mix

I try to keep work stuff (at least, current job stuff) out of this blog. I may post something occasionally on Facebook that pertains to Emerson, but normally I don't talk about any current company stuff.

Previous companies, of course, get the unvarnished treatment.

However, I want to link to something that was done recently within our company, which makes me extremely glad to be working here. I would NEVER have seen this sort of commitment, either way, at Bank of America - probably because we would have been too busy lobbying behind the scenes, in secret, for the latest TARP bailout.

I have to give kudos where kudos are due, and in this case I have to give kudos to Emerson's board and management for making their position and reasons extremely clear to their employees and to the public (which is why I don't feel bad posting this).

David Farr, chairman, chief executive and president of Emerson, said Congress and the Obama administration’s stimulus spending is “out of control” and blasted health-care and energy reform efforts as costly to business.

“Congress and President Obama are driving way too fast to pass into law a number of vastly complex and hugely expensive government programs,” Farr wrote in a letter to employees Monday. “With the multiple stimulus bills and bailout programs recently passed into law, the amount of government spending is already out of control. We would never manage our own households this way … It is time to say STOP all new spending!”

Farr said the House and Senate are pushing ahead with health-care legislation “at a furious pace with little or no serious discussion or analysis.”

“We agree there are significant issues to be addressed with our current healthcare system and Emerson is involved in the discussion on the various alternatives and solutions,” Farr wrote. “But why the sudden rush?”

Farr also blasted the cap and trade energy bill as costly to U.S. businesses.

“In this unprecedented global economic downturn, U.S. businesses and individuals are struggling to survive,” he wrote. “It is a mistake to think we can spend our way out of the recession with huge government programs, increased deficits and tax increases.”

Farr then urged any employees who agreed with him to contact senators and representatives.

This originally came out last week, so yes, I am a few days behind. Sorry.

Ken Lewis would never have taken such a stand for Bank of America.

I'm glad David Farr did take a stand. I'm not just saying that because he signs my paycheck, either - I'm glad that he would take a strong stand against these bills (and, of course, that for the most part I wholeheartedly agree with what he says).

It's very refreshing.

Now, back to work.

Relaxed movie night

Well, we had a nice movie night, for two reasons.

1) We watched Devil Wears Prada. Yes, I found it funny. It had some amusing parts. Stanley Tucci really enjoyed doing this movie. Kim really liked it. I found it funny and tolerable. Not sure I'd watch it again, but fairly decent on celluloid.

2) Oh, yeah, I also started turning things around on Full Tilt. Yay for forum events! Even if it is a small buyin, it's nice to win SOMETHING after bombing in tournaments and bloggerments all week.

Full Tilt Poker Tournament #89421371
HoldemPokerChat NL Hold'em
Buy-In: $3.00 + $0.50
26 players
Total Prize Pool: $103.00

Dear APOSEC72,
You finished the tournament in 1st place.

So, between this, winning a HORSE tournament with 260 people, and winning 3 buyins on Stars NLHE tables, this has actually been a pretty good week.

Maybe it has to do with less stress and more time. I actually managed to knock out a BIG work item just after putting the kids to bed. I still have work stuff to do tomorrow with launching a new app at work, so tomorrow is when I activate a lot of the features, but the fact that I have only work to worry about is a lot more...relaxing?

I am going to the local country club on Friday, as a couple of us are being taken to lunch there by upper management for completing MBA's. It'll be a nice way to head into the holiday weekend.

I need to watch out - I'm in danger of being in a good mood for more than a couple of days. This just can...not...happen....under normal circumstances.

Then again, after three years of constant tumult, perhaps I forgot what normal circumstances are actually supposed to be.

Enough downers

I've been very jumpy over the past few weeks (with good reason) and by the end of the day I may not have a desk anymore. It's been eerily quiet today - and of course, I'm firing off a post in between developing two proposals and editing code.

So let's change the mood a bit - I got one bit of good news in the past couple of weeks, which if nothing else might work as a backup plan.

I submitted it in correlation with my Examiner site, even though that is inactive until the end of April. I figured it couldn't hurt, the worst that could happen would be "no".

I got a slightly different response.

I am pleased to inform you that your request for press credentials to cover the 2009 World Series of Poker has been approved. This year, all media badges will feature a photo of the bearer. Please forward a high-resolution (300 dpi or greater) passport-style photo of yourself in jpeg format so we can complete your official credential. You may pick up your badge in Amazon A&B in the World Series of Poker
tournament area at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. The credential office is
open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

So, if the worst does happen today (or before Memorial Day, for that matter), maybe I'll be traveling out west for about seven and a half weeks during the summer to try and hack it out there as a rank amateur (at least compared with a bunch of folks who might/might not read this and do a far better job).

I was planning on going out over the summer for a blogger get-together and possibly play in an event. Sounds like some folks are thinking of the second weekend in June or the fourth weekend in June, so that was when I'd also go out.

But if the worst case scenario hits, then maybe I'll actually head out to try and pass myself off as someone who knows what the hell they're doing.

Besides, if it doesn't work out well, I can always try to feed off the cash games. It worked last time I went to Vegas for work.

In another related bit of good news, I got a bunch of offers (thanks Total Rewards) for staying in Harrah's properties, including the Rio where the WSOP takes place, for FREE. Sometimes, desperate sellers can make for good times for buyers. As soon as I confirm when I'm heading out, I'll be taking advantage of it. (There are also free nights at the Imperial Palace and Flamingo, too.)

As for more traditional occupations - I've been looking, just in case, but ideally I would like to stay here. Unfortunately it's out of my hands at this point, so every one of us is just waiting around on pins and needles for the guillotine to fall - and hoping it falls somewhere else.

UPDATE, 3 PM: I'm safe and live to fight another day, or at least come to my little desk. A very big sigh of relief around these parts.

Round 2 About to Begin

Well, it is indeed happening sooner than I thought - the company will be making its second round of cuts/RIF's, probably today or tomorrow. Round 1 in January claimed 10%, this round is expected to claim another 7-8%.

Obviously, everyone is on edge. I'm even more worried than normal because I had to leave early yesterday afternoon to get one of the kids at school because they were sick. I am hoping that is not the final impression they have, as I've been explicitly trying NOT to leavae any earlier than absolutely necessary for classes, let alone anything else. I'm still the new guy, after all.

To say I'm on pins and needles right now would be an understatement.

In related news, I had a three-hour session with Microsoft yesterday (including remote diagnostics) and was basically told that the computer is not repairable by them as they can't figure out what is wrong with it now either.

This has not been a fun month. Hopefully, it starts to get better very, very soon. Between work drama, school drama, and home drama, I've had about as much as I can handle.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

One quick year

I started in my new job one year ago, as of tomorrow. It's hard to believe it's already been one year and at the same time it feels like I've been here forever.

A lot's changed, I guess, since last February.

On this date last year:

• Hillary Clinton was still leading Barack Obama in the primary race, heading into Pennsylvania.
• Starbucks shut down for three hours in the middle of the afternoon to "re-train" baristas - most of which are now probably out of a job.
• The Dow had shaved 10% off its highs from 2007, to close at 12,694. Don't you miss those days?
• Oil traded around $100 a barrel. We don't miss those days.
• The movie industry fretted about the lowest-rated Oscars EVAH.
• William F. Buckley, Jr. died. Thankfully, it was before his son became an Obama shill.
• Pres. Bush announced tax rebates in the form of $600 for every taxpayer and $300 for every dependent claimed. Checks would be sent out as lump-sums beginning in May - compared to a $13/week bump in your withholding which amounts to $400/taxpayer.
• In Atlanta, the AJC proclaimed home sales were bottoming out. Oops.
• Geraldine Ferraro plays the race card.
• Welcoming our new killer robot overlords.

I probably missed a bunch. Hey, it was my first day. It was a busy day.

A confederate yankee after all

Since I didn't have enough drama last week when I wrote about time and the lack thereof, God decided it would be good to add some more crazy stuff to life.

I wrote my piece about free time and balancing my life last week when it appeared downsizing would eventually happen.

They did. THE NEXT DAY. Last Wednesday and Thursday, out of 1400 people in our division around the world, almost 200 were either let go or offered early retirement which they accepted. Included among the departed were several good friends, as well as my boss's boss, which also meant a complete realignment of our department and the realignment of all of our duties which will (probably) result in more cuts later that may or may not include my position.

I didn't even realize how it had happened until midday Thursday. I left Wednesday for school, and my superior was in his office. I came back Thursday, and the office was closed and the nameplate removed.

Thursday and Friday were very strange days. I was thankful to still have a job (for the time being) but at the same time you feel bad, even guilty, about those who may not be there anymore. In this case, one of the departed was one of the ones who hired me, so it was a very strange feeling.

Today involved a two and a half hour meeting discussing roles and responsibilities for each of us who remained, which was then followed for me by two more two and a half hour classes.

Things are looking more and more uncertain here, but for now I know my kids and I will probably be stable. Probably.

After May, who knows? I might find something else in Atlanta. I might stay within the company in a different or expanded role. I might change industries or fields entirely again.

I've had job search agents set up for other cities for a while now, just in case the "perfect" opportunity came along. Those two cities are New York and Las Vegas.

While there hasn't been much in my field in Las Vegas and I don't have much of a support structure there, it would be fun to live there - though I don't know about raising two kids there. I like the city, but visiting and going for work is a LOT different than moving there.

As for New York - it's probably been obvious from my posts over the past few months that I've been gaining a re-found affection for my old home. The kids have been developing a great affection for the city as well - not just the tourist traps, but even Stuyvesant Town and the Village and other sites of my old haunts.

So, let's just say the possibility of the kids and I returning to New York City is not nearly as farfetched as it was several months ago, especially if the right opportunities come along. There would be some adjustment with regards to finding school for the kids - though I'd hope they could receive the same opportunities I received - but if things do break a certain way, then it has to be considered as an option.

Now, there is no way I would want either of my kids to potentially be deprived of the opportunities available to them, so if there's an opportunity to take advantage of, then it would be foolish not to take it. If I weren't able to get them into a decent school in New York, then I wouldn't consider it. But I miss the city, and the kids miss the city, so perhaps it would be worth it if the correct opportunity presented itself.

For now, though, I'm still in the same job, in the same house, taking the same classes. At a certain point, though, you really have to start addressing every option on the table, including the ones that seemed ludicrous and unfathomable mere months before.

It's been ten years since I made the decision to stay in Atlanta. I may be closer to making the reverse decision than I ever thought I would be, both for myself and for the kids.

Every option is on the table.

Successful Making Strides Walk

On Saturday, over 12,000 people showed up at Atlantic Station to participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. The event started at 9 AM - and naturally, I rolled into the parking deck at around 8:57 AM, but thankfully was still able to glide through the walk pretty easily.

Emerson had a team of about 15 people (including myself) participating in the event. Bank of America was also one of the primary sponsors, and I saw an old coworker at the walk to catch up a bit on old times and how things were going, and I'm glad volunteer efforts are still going strong even after I left.

Karyn Greer of NBC 11Alive and Scott Slade of WSB Radio were also on hand for the event.

The Emerson team had set a team goal of $2,500 for the event. I'm glad to say that with your help, we actually raised over $3,000 for the event. While our personal goal levels don't show it, we did have a lot of team gifts that raised the total above our cumulative goal.

Overall, the 12,000 participants raised over $900,000 for breast cancer research.

This is my thanks to you for helping and donating - we all really appreciate it. Of course, if you did not get the chance to donate, but would still like to, you may still click here to donate online to the American Cancer Society.

I get lucky sometimes

Last November, I almost went to work for Alpha Bank & Trust, a new bank in Alpharetta. I was within one step of getting the job, with a big bump from where I was at Bank of America, when it fell through on some technicalities.

Well, I guess in the long run I ended up on the better end of the deal, because Alpha Bank & Trust was seized by the FDIC today, and all of its assets were transferred to Stearns Bank in Minnesota.

Yep, I would have been laid off today due to a bank failure if I had ended up in that job (which I really was looking forward to), with less than a year of service.

Sometimes, I guess things do work out after all! I do feel bad for them, though, but at the same time I can't help but feel extremely lucky somehow that things went the way they did.

Making Lemonade

"If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find someone whose life
has given them vodka, and have a party. "

- Ron White

It's been almost a year and half since i went down the rabbit hole into the morass of uncertainty and doubt that comes with job loss.

I'm glad that I'm in a job now where I enjoy the people around me, and where I feel I can grow in my career and still balance everything else in life - family, school, travel, etc.

During this whole time, my family was very supportive of me, which I desparately needed.

Unfortunately, it's now time for us to deal with the doubt and uncertainty again, this time with the roles reversed. Downsizing has affected many companies, and unfortunately Kim's company made the decision to drastically cut back.

Last year, I was the one who needed others to be strong; this time, it's my turn to be the strong one. While we have some uncertainty about what will happen now regarding future work, schooling, planning for our future, and so on, it's good to know that downsizing des not mean fault, or blame. In Kim's case, she was highly regarded as a top performer, a team player, and a great resource and friend, and her company is going to regret not having her around anymore.

Hopefully, there will be better opportunities right around the corner, but in the meantime, we'll batten down the hatches just as we did last year. We'll get through this, even if we're not entirely sure how at the moment.

We'll figure out a way.

Out of the closet

If two people know something, it's not a secret.

If four people know - well, fuhgeddaboutit.

This little site, which as of late has been generating a lot of hits and subscribers from a lot of different places, has been seen and found by some co-workers here, where I've spent the last six months (and counting). As I work with fairly smart people, they were able to figure out this site belonged to the fairly new guy.

Now, the good thing: Apparently, it was all the Palin news and political news that brought them in. Specifically, my posting of Sarah Palin's acceptance speech at the RNC. Thanks, Google.

Just to make sure, around my office, there are either McCain supporters or Palin supporters.

There were Obama supporters. There are no longer any Obama supporters. They're either on the fence or have jumped to the other side of the fence.

There were more than a few Hillary supporters. They are now McCain-Palin supporters. Some drifted to Obama originally be default, but have jumped ship from him.

There are a few who don't support either. They also do not have the ability to vote, having been recent immigrants.

As for diversity, there is quite a bit here with regards to race and religion, as expected within a Fortune 500 company. However, all these people from a wide swath of groups (AFAIK) has come over to McCain-Palin. Some came over before me; some came over Wednesday night.

Maybe they were offended by being told they were bitter people, clinging to guns and religion.

Maybe they were offended by disparaging immigrants.

Maybe they were offended by disparaging Gov. Palin as "just a small-town mayor" and ignoring her time as governor which exceeds Obama's own executive experience.

Maybe they were offended by the Messiah complex of Barack Obama.

Maybe they were offended by Obama characterizing children as a "burden". After all, he even favored laws that would allow babies who had survived abortion procedures to be left to die - which should be anathema to any individual with an ounce of common sense.

Maybe they were offended by Obama characterizing certain decisions to be made as "above his pay grade".

Maybe they were offended by Obama's confusion of his "community-organizer" ACORN rabble-rousing days with actual volunteer service that makes a difference in communities beyond forming angry mobs and breaking local laws.

Maybe they were offended by belittling women's accomplishments and working mothers and pushing Hillary out of the way in a manner not common with past nomination processes.

Maybe they were offended by the slamming of a pregnant 17-year old and parenting issues, when most people have to deal with serious problems when raising teenagers and don't enjoy those sorts of attacks on their kids.

Maybe they were offended by belittling bringing a special needs child into the world (which is the main reason for my fury lately, with the worries we had about Sammie in utero.)

There's ten ways right there. I'll stop there. Look at who I've linked to: Mother Jones, National Right-to-Life, Michelle Malkin, Rick Warren, Politico, Catholic Sites, the L.A. Times, and more.

Try and come up with a more diverse group of links to put into one topic. I dare you.

There aren't many people left that haven't been offended by the Obama-Biden camp.

So, thankfully, it is a well-received outing at work. Besides, these are good, sane people here where I work now - unlike Bank of America, where half of my group was insane Cynthia McKinney supporters (how I survived there seven years, I'll never know.)

Now, all I have to do is make sure the time-stamps show that these posts are really done at nighttime. Except for this one.

This, of course, means you don't have to worry about me going soft, either.

Hell no, it's time to go to the mattresses.

I think with this week coming to a close that I need a drink or eight quite badly, so let's try one drink of each.

This has probably been my busiest week of work so far at the new company. However, the rough part hasn't been the volume of work, or the short deadlines. Instead, the rough part has been trying to get things done when you aren't given complete information or when other folks, far more experienced, are making mistakes or just putting off essential items.

Don't get me wrong, other people are busy too, but I can't stand when other people shirk off work and instead spend their time doing almost nothing, or not paying attention to what they are doing (and as a result, screwing up what needs to be done further down the pipeline.

About the only decent thing that occurs from these episodes is that I appear to be the only one who has a fucking clue. In the long run, I suppose that is a good thing.

I would have written this last night, but a power outage took out the entire neighborhood from 8:30 PM to almost 1 AM. I actually did the unthinkable - I went to bed before midnight, for once.

However, I didn't appreciate the automated phone call at 4:30 AM letting me know the power had returned. A big thanks to Captain Obvious for that phone call.

Quick thought

Working on an European timeframe when you are in the States really, really sucks when it comes to communicating during an early-morning meeting and it's the middle of the night here.

I may just stay up late tonight for their morning phone call. It will only be 2 AM here :)

Sick

Last week, I had to bring Sammie into the office for a little while because she was not feeling well, and I had to go into the office.

Apparently, today was part 2: Alex had to come into the office for a little while because he had a fever yesterday and could not go into school today.

However, I had a meeting that I absolutely had to attend, and since I'm single for the week, that meant no other options.

So, Alex came intot he office for a few hours, I got to go to my meeting and get the work done I needed to do, and once again my child was extremely quiet and did not disturb anyone. The only difference is that, in this case, Alex drew for about an hour on my giant dry-erase board.

It's amazing what can entertain a child. In this case, indulging the inner artist.

Unfortunately we also went to the doctor today, and found out why Alex (and probably Sammie) weren't feeling well. The doctor took one look at his throat, and confirmed with a culture, that he had strep. Since he no longer had a fever (it hit 103 yesterday, but 99 today) he is not contagious and can return to school tomorrow. Since Sammie had the same symptoms, that is probably what she had as well.

Now I have the symptoms of strep as well.

I can't stay home, though, until Friday to work from home, since I'm solo and I'd be in no shape to take care of kids while sick. However, I can try to write macros (which amazingly, I was able to do while Alex slept under my desk.)

Only three more days until the weekend, right?

Culture Shock

Do you think you've had a rough time explaining things sometimes?

Well, try to top this.

Sammie was not feeling well, and I did not have enough time to get both kids ready, take her to the doctor, and be in the office for an 8:30 conference call and a 10:00 conference call, especially b/c the doctor doesn't open until 8:30. (She's fine, she conked her head by falling out of bed, but she was fine with some rest and TLC.)

So, I got them up, fixed some food, flipped on the television, and did a remote connection into work so I could do the conference call at home with a virtual connection. It was for myself, one other person in Atlanta and two people in Hong Kong (one transplanted American, and one Hong Kong native.)

I put on kids' shows and one of their favorites lately has been Oswald, on Noggin. It is a very, very, very slow show, and I can't stand it, but the kids like it and quiet was most important.

However, Alex came right up to me to tell me about the show, and that got heard throughout the call.

Having to explain a cartoon about a blue octopus and his pet hot dog to people on the other side of the planet in ten seconds is probably going to be my most unique experience of the day.

Internship, Vegas-style

This might work for you if you have seven weeks to spare.

------------------------------------

Gain Valuable Reporting Experience This Summer as an Intern for Card Player at Poker's Largest Event

Is covering the largest and most important poker tournament of the year something you’re interested in doing this summer?

If so, now is the time to apply for a 2008 Card Player internship and help our team cover the World Series of Poker and all of the other exciting poker events taking place in Las Vegas this summer.

Interested candidates must be available to work the length of the World Series, which runs from May 30-July 16, and must be at least 21 years old. This will be a hands-on internship wherein you will learn by doing. The internship will provide valuable real-life reporting experience, and you will work as part of a fast-paced and exciting team.

Whether you are a poker fan or a guru of the game, everyone with aspirations to contribute to CardPlayer.com’s extensive poker coverage is encouraged to apply. Applicants will need to supply the following by March 15:

• Resume and Three Professional Contacts
• Three Writing Samples
• Cover Letter that addresses the following questions:

1. Why do you want to be a reporter?
2. What is your poker and writing background?
3. Why do you feel you would be a valuable member of the 2008 Card Player reporting team?

Please email the following to 2008wsop@cardplayer.com and make sure that the resume, cover letter, and writing samples are supplied as attachments. All interns will receive payment and housing for the duration of the internship.

Emerge Stronger

n-n-now-th-that don't kill me
Can only make me stronger
I need you to hurry up now
Cause I can't wait much longer
I know I got to be right now
Cause I can't get much wronger
Man I been waitin' all night now
That's how long I've been on ya

Eight months after everything got turned completely upside down, we have turned right side up.

I signed all of my papers today, and will be starting a new full-time job in one week, eight months to the day after I got released.

I can't say here what it is, but it's got a lot of good qualities:

It's in Cobb County, so no downtown commute. Reverse commute, and with 15 minutes of home and church/school (when that applies next year)

It's using both my customer service experience, my corporate relationship experience, and my IT experience.

Good benefits, and flexible with classes, especially this semester.

Also flexible with regards to the tax office, where I will now be working weekends.

Nice people, but well-known publicly-traded company.

Lastly, it's not a bank, so there is opportunity for growth.

Last time, I was hesitant to post even when it was 90% sure, and sure enough the 10% came back to bite me. This time, I know I'm starting, and after signing off on everything today I finally felt some relief after the last several months of depressing insanity.

Thanks again to everyone who listened to me gripe, whine, mope, or sulk. God willing, this can be the beginning of really putting life back together and that I can actually come out of this whole experience stronger than I was before.

2008 is getting off to a good start!

Back from the whirlwind

Well, the 44-hour cross-country extravaganza is over, and I'm back home.

It was an interesting trip, to say the least.

I learned again why I hate taxis so damn much. I really wish the monorail went all the way to the airport.

I learned Henderson is very boring.

I learned that it's very hard to sleep after dozing on a cross-country flight.

I learned that doing homework on this sort of trip is impossible.

I learned that I should never, ever, EVER step foot in the Flamingo again. I never run well on anything there, and probably never will.

I learned that it's very difficult to stay up all night when lugging a duffel bag around the Strip until your 8 AM flight departs.

Lastly, I learned that I should play poker in Vegas whenever I can, because OHMIGOD there is a lot of terrible play.

I went to Caesar's poker room, and it is definitely the nicest poker room I've ever seen. I was up and down and up and down thanks to the riverchasers at the table who kept sucking out on me - which is expected at 3/6, I've seen it enough times.

Best hand of the night: pocket 3's. I limped in late position, because everyone was getting in and I really wanted a good pot if I hit a set.

It's the best hand of the night because of the flop of 3-3-2.

DQB!!!!!!!

I finished up a couple bucks on the night, but it was an overall fun time. If we ever get the chance to do it up right, we'll stay there, because it's really, really, really nice.

As for work.....

I met with the CEO and about 10-12 other area developers and corporate folks. There were about 30 interested franchisees there - aside from myself and one woman from PA, everyone was from Utah, California, or Nevada. It lasted until about 3:00, so it got out a lot earlier than I thought it would.

I've got my UFOC, and materials, and supplemental docs to fill out....yay. But I have two problems:

1) Financing: Still trying to see if it's possible.
2) Timing: The enxt step, if I get financing, will be to go to Virginia Beach for 5 days of training in December. Unfortunately, on the fourth day of training, I have a final exam and a final presentation. While I could move the exam, I might not be able to move the presentation, so this could be a BIG problem.

To be continued.......

Arrival

Safe and sound in Henderson, NV. I'm checked in before midnight, even - I'm shocked at the rapid pace I was able to get to the sirport, breeze through security, and get here. From school to hotel took approximately 8 hours - and I got to sleep for half of it.

Tomorrow, it's off to the Strip and NYNY to meet with John Hewitt, the CEO of Liberty Tax Services.

I should also hear from the bank.

Hope for the best!

On The Road

Well, it's done. My flight leaves in five and a half hours. I'll be back Saturday afternoon. I will probably post some from the road.

Let's hope this meeting goes well and I get some really, really good news for once!