About Damn Time
Yeah, so I guess it's about that time for me to write something in here since it's been a couple of months. OK, a couple of couple of months. But I've been up to a lot of mischief and (the opposite of mischief... chief??? ... whatever) since our last chat. Some of you know the major news. But for those of you who may have not seen or heard from me in a while, here's the basic rundown.
April: I asked Brian if anything spectacular happened to me in April. He said no. Very helpful.
May: Laura and I celebrated our one year anniversary (a couple of days early since it fell on a Monday this year). A masterfully planned surprise visit pulled off once again. Three weeks later, I finished my MBA. We got lucky and had a beautiful day weather-wise after five days of rain leading up to it. I went up to Boston the Monday after graduation for my first big test as a salesperson. I met some old customers who gave nothing short of rave reviews, both for the company and myself personally. Which is always a great confidence booster. I got back to the Long Island office on Thursday and my boss promptly offered me the Regional Sales & Marketing Director position. He told me that he wants me there by August 1.
June: I started shopping for a place to live with the parents. We fell in love with the first place we saw and kept comparing everything else we saw back to the first one. Two weeks later, we submitted an offer. Ten days later, we sent a security deposit. My youngest brother, Kevin, graduated high school. (He's actually on his way home from college orientation as I type this sentence. Crazy how much time flies.) The family and Laura went to Disneyland in California and had an absolute blast. The four of us (Brian, Kevin, Laura, and I) took a surfing lesson in Oceanside, CA, and we all did really well.
July: So far, we've celebrated birthdays for my dad (turned 51 on the 4th), Missy (Laura's sister, turned 28 on the 5th), and Ethan (our nephew, turned 1 on the 6th). Laura's birthday is this Friday the 14th (turning 25). I'll be up there in the morning for my closing, and then a weekend of good times will surely ensue. Next weekend we're out on Cape Cod for a family reunion and a George Carlin show. And then I move into my new place on the 28th and start the new job the following Monday (the 31st). So yeah, the rest of July is gonna fly by.
OK, so the details on the new job. I'll be working from home about 50% of the time and going into Boston, Worcester, and other New England biotech hotspots the rest of the days. I'll be visiting current customers to check up on their research and present progress reports from the main office, meeting with potential new customers to help put a face to our company's reputation, and giving presentations at job fairs and trade shows to help solidify our presence in the area. It's something I've been busting my ass doing for the past five years --- yeah I've been gone from the aquarium and stuck with iTL for that long already --- and it's an opportunity I'm really excited about. Plus I've been wanting to go back to New England for a long time now... it'll be nice to see old friends and be in a place where I can see a future for myself, which I just didn't see in Long Island. But all you LIers are ALWAYS welcome to come up and stay with me anytime!
And now the details on the new place. It's in a town called Woonsocket... it's basically the last town in northern Rhode Island, right before the Massachusetts border. It's a 20-minute straight shot south of Worcester and a little less than an hour southwest of Boston. It's actually a pretty decent-sized city --- by Rhode Island standards --- but my neighborhood is surprisingly quiet. I'm in a brand new community called River Haven, a complex of condos that they built in 2004. The people I've seen around are relatively close to my age --- guys a few years removed from college, young engaged couples, etc. My unit is on the third floor, with two large bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The kitchen has got tons of cabinet space and brand new GE appliances. There's an in-unit washer/dryer, stacked, in a closet off the kitchen. There's a small dining area which is adjoined to the very spacious living room. Off of the living room is the sliding door leading to my balcony. My unit is rear-facing, so the view is KICK ASS. It overlooks the Peters River, which fed several old mills that line the main roads of the city of Woonsocket. The master bedroom is gigantic, with a walk-in closet and a private bath. The guest bedroom is on the complete opposite side of the unit, and it has its own private bathroom too. That room will serve as my home office when I don't have visitors staying over. Next door to my building is the community center, which has an exercise room, outdoor pool, and charcoal grills for resident use only. Everything is brand new and in tip-top shape. I'm so excited to move in.
So that's where life stands at the moment for me. Lots of excitement in the past few months and only more excitement lying dead ahead. I'll try and update again before I leave town. Until then, take care all of you out there.
~ M.J.K. ~
April: I asked Brian if anything spectacular happened to me in April. He said no. Very helpful.
May: Laura and I celebrated our one year anniversary (a couple of days early since it fell on a Monday this year). A masterfully planned surprise visit pulled off once again. Three weeks later, I finished my MBA. We got lucky and had a beautiful day weather-wise after five days of rain leading up to it. I went up to Boston the Monday after graduation for my first big test as a salesperson. I met some old customers who gave nothing short of rave reviews, both for the company and myself personally. Which is always a great confidence booster. I got back to the Long Island office on Thursday and my boss promptly offered me the Regional Sales & Marketing Director position. He told me that he wants me there by August 1.
June: I started shopping for a place to live with the parents. We fell in love with the first place we saw and kept comparing everything else we saw back to the first one. Two weeks later, we submitted an offer. Ten days later, we sent a security deposit. My youngest brother, Kevin, graduated high school. (He's actually on his way home from college orientation as I type this sentence. Crazy how much time flies.) The family and Laura went to Disneyland in California and had an absolute blast. The four of us (Brian, Kevin, Laura, and I) took a surfing lesson in Oceanside, CA, and we all did really well.
July: So far, we've celebrated birthdays for my dad (turned 51 on the 4th), Missy (Laura's sister, turned 28 on the 5th), and Ethan (our nephew, turned 1 on the 6th). Laura's birthday is this Friday the 14th (turning 25). I'll be up there in the morning for my closing, and then a weekend of good times will surely ensue. Next weekend we're out on Cape Cod for a family reunion and a George Carlin show. And then I move into my new place on the 28th and start the new job the following Monday (the 31st). So yeah, the rest of July is gonna fly by.
OK, so the details on the new job. I'll be working from home about 50% of the time and going into Boston, Worcester, and other New England biotech hotspots the rest of the days. I'll be visiting current customers to check up on their research and present progress reports from the main office, meeting with potential new customers to help put a face to our company's reputation, and giving presentations at job fairs and trade shows to help solidify our presence in the area. It's something I've been busting my ass doing for the past five years --- yeah I've been gone from the aquarium and stuck with iTL for that long already --- and it's an opportunity I'm really excited about. Plus I've been wanting to go back to New England for a long time now... it'll be nice to see old friends and be in a place where I can see a future for myself, which I just didn't see in Long Island. But all you LIers are ALWAYS welcome to come up and stay with me anytime!
And now the details on the new place. It's in a town called Woonsocket... it's basically the last town in northern Rhode Island, right before the Massachusetts border. It's a 20-minute straight shot south of Worcester and a little less than an hour southwest of Boston. It's actually a pretty decent-sized city --- by Rhode Island standards --- but my neighborhood is surprisingly quiet. I'm in a brand new community called River Haven, a complex of condos that they built in 2004. The people I've seen around are relatively close to my age --- guys a few years removed from college, young engaged couples, etc. My unit is on the third floor, with two large bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The kitchen has got tons of cabinet space and brand new GE appliances. There's an in-unit washer/dryer, stacked, in a closet off the kitchen. There's a small dining area which is adjoined to the very spacious living room. Off of the living room is the sliding door leading to my balcony. My unit is rear-facing, so the view is KICK ASS. It overlooks the Peters River, which fed several old mills that line the main roads of the city of Woonsocket. The master bedroom is gigantic, with a walk-in closet and a private bath. The guest bedroom is on the complete opposite side of the unit, and it has its own private bathroom too. That room will serve as my home office when I don't have visitors staying over. Next door to my building is the community center, which has an exercise room, outdoor pool, and charcoal grills for resident use only. Everything is brand new and in tip-top shape. I'm so excited to move in.
So that's where life stands at the moment for me. Lots of excitement in the past few months and only more excitement lying dead ahead. I'll try and update again before I leave town. Until then, take care all of you out there.
~ M.J.K. ~