The Fat Lady has Sung!

One week ago I was informed that I had a job offer being tendered to me by one of the potential employers that I had interviewed with.  Last Monday, after careful consideration, I accepted the offer.  I'm not yet ready to make it public with who.  Let's just say that I underwent the drug screening yesterday and today I started a vacation of sorts that I promised myself.

Sheila is staying in my house in Tucson, and I'm in a motel room in Banning, CA, this evening.  I'm going up to San Jose to visit my parents, Mark, and some other folks.  My stay there will not be for very long.  I need to be back in Tucson on the 8th as that a good friend there has invited us over for dinner to celebrate. 

My new position is going to be an exciting one, but does carry with it some risks.  I'll be working in the private spaceflight segment of the aerospace industry.  There have been two significant failures recently, one of them today, which is to say that the business isn't exactly an easy one.  Then again, it never has been.  It never was.  A lot of hard lessons were learned in the early days.  My concern right now is the available expertise.  Many engineers with the experience and know-how have been forced into early retirement and those replacing them are re-inventing a lot of wheels.  My new employer is picking up people who were downsized; my new boss was forced out a few years back.

In a strange twist, we both worked for the same company back in Silly-Con Valley, on the same projects, but we never crossed paths.  He knew of me and I knew of him.  I called Chip a few weeks back to ask about him, and was told that if he offers me a job to take it.......which I did.

My start date is being worked out and I won't know what it is for a week or so.

Also, I'll be relocating to the Las Vegas, Nevada area.  The plan is for me to be in an apartment for six months or so while Sheila gets my house ready for sale.  Tucson real estate isn't exactly the greatest right now and she may be down there for another six months after that.  We're preparing for the possibility that the house may not sell right away, but regardless, I'm putting some money into it to get it where we want it.

There's also the possibility that we may rent it out, and return to Tucson in five years or so to retire there.  Or, we might retire in Henderson, Nevada (I think we'll still check out Ely and possibly Pahrump).  There are some things I like about Nevada but there are others that I don't.  Vegas has the entertainment and the dining, but there are drawbacks.  One problem with big cities is that they have big city problems.  I have verified that the traffic/commute isn't all that bad as long as the Strip is not involved. 

There is more to tell, but that will have to wait for another time.

I've had my forced sabbatical, and I learned that I was not ready for retirement, though I'll admit that earlier this year the though of retiring was tempting.

My plans are to be in the workforce for several more years and then to go out when I'm ready to go out. 

That's it for now.

The Fat Lady Ain't Sung Yet

I had thought a week ago that at this time next week, which is now, that I might have something to pass along regarding my situation.  I don't know when I will have something to say on this.  Once I can say something, I'll tell the whole story.  This opera ain't over yet.

* * * * * *

The shooting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa was on my mind earlier today.  My thoughts and prayers are with our northern neighbors.  What happened was a senseless act of terrorism, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper isn't afraid to call it that.

Had it happened down here, President Obama would have called it "workplace violence". 

 

* * * * * * *

What is also emerged in the news (if you know where to look) is that two soldiers were run down in another act of terrorism in Quebec.  I didn't know that until I looked at the webpage for the Montreal Gazette in trying to learn more about what had happened in Ottawa.

It is unknown at this time if these events are connected or related in any way.

What is known is that they are happening.  My gut feel is that we're in for more of these.

* * * * * * *

The latest scuttlebutt on President Obama's Executive Order on "amnesty" for illegal aliens is that it will happen after the elections.  I think it's likely that there will be a runoff for Louisiana's Senate seat and that this order will come after that.

He has to know that we don't want this, and the Republican National Committee has to know the same thing, but don't expect the Republicans to do very much in addition to pretending that they don't like the amnesty. 

They said on Day One of the Obama presidency that they wanted him to "succeed".

 

* * * * * * *

That's all for now.

Happy Birthday Fred Turner! (plus some odds and ends)

I'd like to wish C.F. (Fred) Turner of Bachman-Turner Overdrive fame a most happy birthday!  I've already emailed him, but I'm still going to give him a shout here as well.

* * * * * * *

As is with the case with last month, this month is threatening to have a different ending than what I envisioned when it started.  Yes, this is all due to the machinations behind the scenes, and my thinking is that I will be presented with what will be a difficult decision.......but a nice problem to have.  With what I know right now, I have it in my mind which way I want this to go, but there's some more information which needs to be gathered.  The decision has been made to gather that information.

Either way, I figure I'll come out ahead.  I just don't know which way will get me further ahead.

* * * * * * *

As I write this, Ebola is very much in the news.  Conspiracy theorists will tell you that the Obama administration wants this on our shores very badly, which explains why first brought in two Americans with it over here for treatment, and then still refuses to ban incoming travel from west Africa even though we've had three cases here emerge within the past two weeks, with more to come.  Conspiracy theorists need to be regarded as such, but every now and then they are going to be right, and my concern right now is that they are right on this one. 

We're being told by the CDC (Center for Disease Control, though that should stand for Center for Disease Confusion) director that it's safe to ride the bus since you can't catch Ebola from the guy sitting next to you who has it.  The CDC director is also saying that if you have Ebola, to not ride the bus, as that you might give it to the guy who's sitting next to you.

This situation, more than anything, illustrates the level of contempt that President Obama has for this country. 

Do you think now that the government should take over health care?  Do you think now that we should have a "single payer" health care system, given the way that Ebola is being (mis)managed?

When will you wake up?  What will it take?

* * * * * * *

That's it for now.

Here are some songs written and sung by Fred Turner:

Can You Feel It  (other Brave Belt tunes will follow this)

Blue Collar

Give it Time (live version, Winnipeg, 5/31/10)

Not Fragile

Blue Moanin'

Madison Avenue

Neutral Zone

Away from Home

Givin' it All Away  (written by Blair Thornton, vocals shared with Randy Bachman.....but I figured this would be a great last song)

The Machinations Behind the Scenes

It is very tempting right now to spill the beans over the latest exciting news.  As it is, it's best that I keep quiet about this until the right time.  Let's just say that the undercurrents and how I fell into them will make one heck of a story if this boat I'm on gets me to the destination that it's threatening to get me to.

Once this is over, I'll tell the story.

I do believe that the hand of the Good Lord is in all of this.