Saturday, February 26, 2011

a snowy weekend in Col.

One more weekend in Col. - Going home next weekend, Thursday night through Monday afternoon.  Work is going very well - lots of coding to do, but it is very similar to much of the work I did with RJ (surprise, since RJ owns a copy of the same code).  Very busy days - but a lonely time.  I think the Mazda needs struts all the way around - but it will have to wait a while.  The Durango back home has issues as well - I think it's a sensor problem, but it had to wait until my first check from this job shows up.  Oh, well.....

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Presidents Day

So, I've worked two weeks at my new job - and moved to the closer Extended Stay Hotel.  Work has no Cafe, so it's cheaper, since I brought in some bagels, and Oatmeal.  Place is smaller than I thought it'd be, probably only 40 or so people in the office.  One of the consultants they brought on board was a RJ briefly while I was there.  We figured out that one of the contractors that they've had for a while had worked at NASDAQ for Swiggy.  And the Sungard lady met Santino for lunch prior to leaving for Denver.  The world gets smaller.  It's still a bit too big for me.

Went to church with Ben and Genny Fullerton (and her sister Adriane) last night.  It was about 25 minutes north at http://www.flatironschurch.com/ - It was pretty loud and I didn't recognize the worship music - but it was very well performed.  The young pastor was very good - but was a subject I didn't want to hear - they are covering Jonah - and if there is one thing I do NOT want to hear about - That God would send someone away, to save an unappreciative and unhelpful people.

S. is awaiting word from UCONN, and C. her PRAXIS results. N. is playing Hoop this year, and placed 2nd in the pinewood derby. D. and S. are working backstage in a High School production.  Was home last week  - Bunga flew me home, since Kevin was back from Hawaii, and Tuan had driven to Ct. so we could see the twins, Abby and Hailey.  Pictures were taken, at church.  We visited the Torrington Fall Festival, and the Men went bowling that night - It was fun, and once we got there we realized Umpa wasn't particuarly equipped for bowling anymore either.

I can't afford to be home again until 3/3 - 3/7 - by then the new paychecks will appear, and it will be a little easier.  
 

Monday, February 7, 2011

Stage V - another first day

Went to the new job today - was surprised (an ridiculously flattered) to have a real cube, not sharing one, or sitting in a hutch by a window.  It's 11 miles from the hotel to the office but takes 1/2 an hour to drive it.  I need to look around for a cheaper, closer housing.

Yet another snowstorm tomorrow has C. worried about me driving her to the airport. 

I heard that someone who hadn't worked out at my previous job was going to start here, and was concerned...Hopefully he won't turn up. Everyone I met new Joe B. (who is now at RJ) and some knew Bill S. (and nodded knowingly when I said "What a character" ).  Work is doable...  Can't tell you how much I dread beginning again, being alone again.  And the time change is going to mess with me every time I go home.

Stage IVb - Trip redux

The rest of the trip was less eventful - We went from Pa. to the other side of St. Louis, Mo.  And the next night was from there to Burlington, Co.  As we realized we couldn't make Denver that night.  Then we climbed from there to the Extended Stay Suites in Lakewood.  And watched the Super Bowl from an area Buffalo Wild Wings - It was not as good as going to the one in Clearwater.

Stage IVa - Trip Redux

So after finally finding (1) one snow tire, and an oil change, emissions test and front brakes (calipers and rotors)  - we were finally off at 9am.  We made it to the Litchfield exit off of Rte. 8 - car wouldn't go above 50 miles an hour, ice chunks stuck in the wheel wells - we went back to town so it could fall out and then took off again for the West.  Made it through NY and into Pa. passing Matamoros and climbing  when I watched the tractor trailer in front of me bounce as it passed over the edge of a bridge - the car didn't bounce - it bent the front left rim and bubbled the (new) rear tire.  Spent the next 4 hours slowly driving through the hills of western Pa.  a Tire store fixed the spare and had an all season tire.  But I was still down a wheel...I hit about 4 more shops before calling  Kelly Mazda - who said "We might have one of those in the basement."  I'm always fans of stores that have basements, or "stuff out back."  They had a steel rim, and went out to a neighborhood tire shop for another tire after 4pm - and paired up the remaining snows on the front.  On the road, for less than $200!  We made it to Clarion, Pa. first night about 3-4 hours off our original estimate.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Stage III - off to Colorado.

Tomorrow morning (amid at 2 hour delay for Torrington Schools) we shove off for Colorado.  We have morning coverage to get N. off to school - and the guys are watching the Super Bowl at Grandma's.  Saturday is the Winter Festival, so they will be at First Congregational for a while.

We will drive straight to Wheat Ridge, Col. for me to start my new contract Monday morning.  A Strange thing happened earlier this week a local headhunter called with a contract here in Windsor.  It was to be a business analyst for the system I was responsible for at NASDAQ for all those years, ACES.  I was the Subject Matter Expert for years - even now, they've migrated the application from Tandem to Java based PC clusters.  It is just a contract at this point, so I had to go with my word to the job with an opportunity.