Ch-ch-ch-changes........
John got a new job yesterday! This is a Good Thing, since his previous employer was having all sorts of shake ups, and being owned by a foreign company (in France, after being sold by one in Germany), the top owners don't much care what happens over here. Or so it seems. They have quarterly layoffs, then hire other people, then lay them off. Quotas and goals change seemingly daily, and are often not communicated to those who have to meet them, and if you happen to meet your goals and earn a bonus, they try to not pay it. Bad Stuff.
So, he's gotten a new gig with a company that's US owned, and has a large regional office in southwestern VA. Near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Gee, this is *terrible* (not). And he'll get to work at home, so we don't have to move (at least not for a couple years, thank the gods. I *hate* moving). And since he has to work at home, we think they'll pay for a high speed satellite connection (not the best solution, but DSL doesn't come here yet), so we may even have (sometime) high speed internet!
The downside is that I'll have to give up travelling and training for Southern Software. Which means I have to find other work. This is good and bad. I'm tired. Right now I'm in western TN training a sheriff's department for the week, and since the beginning of last week I've had a cold or something and am coughing myself inside out, while trying to keep my voice. I spent 4 days last week flat on my back sick as a dog, and will probably do the same next week, if I don't have to go out again. Stopping traveling is bad because my income will drop off to zero unless I can find other work. Web design doesn't pay so hot when you can't get people to understand that a professionally designed and marketed site is a bit better than the one the kid next door will do on Front Page for you. However, I'm determined to make my business keep going. I survived the recession and 9/11, I'll survive this. I will not cease in my nefarious Plan to Take Over the World....muahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
::sigh::
Changes indeed. I'm looking at this as an opportunity. We're going to pay off some bills, and I'm going to look for new gigs while I see about taking a few classes at the university. It's time to go back to school, at least part time.
Good Things: I'll be home with Sami more, can work faire again, and will be able to maybe attend faire a bit more too. I've only gotten 2 weekends at faire this year so far, and I'm jonesing for some play time. I didn't get to attend *any* Civil War skirmishes with John, and I'd planned on at least 3, so I could join the team. I'm going to spend the winter getting better at shooting the pistol John has, and learning how to load and shoot a carbine so I can shoot with the big guys next year. Maybe I'll even learn how to load and shoot the cannon! That would be cool.
On the play side, I've managed a couple of weekends this fall. I'm going to TRF (YAY) over Hallowe'en weekend with Elizabeth and Kathy of the Tudor Tarts. I'll be at the International Mead Fest (a business expense!!!! LOL) the following weekend in Boulder, CO, and in Manteo, NC for the Elizabethan festival, as the court mead mistress, doing a mead-making demonstration, the weekend of November 12-13 with the Guild of St. Andrew. Hopefully the Humungous Wook Cloak of Death that I bought at NCRF (oh yeah, I worked that show for Jeremy!) this year will ward off the wild winds off the bay.....
All I can say is thank the gods for Frequent Flyer points. I've gotten enough together over the last couple years to pay for both my Texas and my Boulder trips flights, so costs are pretty manageable........
All in all, this has been an eventful year. And next year looks pretty interesting too.
So, he's gotten a new gig with a company that's US owned, and has a large regional office in southwestern VA. Near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Gee, this is *terrible* (not). And he'll get to work at home, so we don't have to move (at least not for a couple years, thank the gods. I *hate* moving). And since he has to work at home, we think they'll pay for a high speed satellite connection (not the best solution, but DSL doesn't come here yet), so we may even have (sometime) high speed internet!
The downside is that I'll have to give up travelling and training for Southern Software. Which means I have to find other work. This is good and bad. I'm tired. Right now I'm in western TN training a sheriff's department for the week, and since the beginning of last week I've had a cold or something and am coughing myself inside out, while trying to keep my voice. I spent 4 days last week flat on my back sick as a dog, and will probably do the same next week, if I don't have to go out again. Stopping traveling is bad because my income will drop off to zero unless I can find other work. Web design doesn't pay so hot when you can't get people to understand that a professionally designed and marketed site is a bit better than the one the kid next door will do on Front Page for you. However, I'm determined to make my business keep going. I survived the recession and 9/11, I'll survive this. I will not cease in my nefarious Plan to Take Over the World....muahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
::sigh::
Changes indeed. I'm looking at this as an opportunity. We're going to pay off some bills, and I'm going to look for new gigs while I see about taking a few classes at the university. It's time to go back to school, at least part time.
Good Things: I'll be home with Sami more, can work faire again, and will be able to maybe attend faire a bit more too. I've only gotten 2 weekends at faire this year so far, and I'm jonesing for some play time. I didn't get to attend *any* Civil War skirmishes with John, and I'd planned on at least 3, so I could join the team. I'm going to spend the winter getting better at shooting the pistol John has, and learning how to load and shoot a carbine so I can shoot with the big guys next year. Maybe I'll even learn how to load and shoot the cannon! That would be cool.
On the play side, I've managed a couple of weekends this fall. I'm going to TRF (YAY) over Hallowe'en weekend with Elizabeth and Kathy of the Tudor Tarts. I'll be at the International Mead Fest (a business expense!!!! LOL) the following weekend in Boulder, CO, and in Manteo, NC for the Elizabethan festival, as the court mead mistress, doing a mead-making demonstration, the weekend of November 12-13 with the Guild of St. Andrew. Hopefully the Humungous Wook Cloak of Death that I bought at NCRF (oh yeah, I worked that show for Jeremy!) this year will ward off the wild winds off the bay.....
All I can say is thank the gods for Frequent Flyer points. I've gotten enough together over the last couple years to pay for both my Texas and my Boulder trips flights, so costs are pretty manageable........
All in all, this has been an eventful year. And next year looks pretty interesting too.