Worked most of the day to get the taxes ready. What fun!!

At managements request, started managing assignments for a group of the programmers. And they are now considering basically reconstituting me as a manager but with a different title. More stuff to think about over the weekend.

Took Alex to dinner at a nice Korean restaurant just a couple of blocks from his house. It seemed complicated to me with a bunch of little dishes you use to compose little packages inside a lettuce leaf to eat.

Got recruitment email from Craig Swanson of the old division. That's it, I want to go back somewhere where they actually want me. However, still waiting for thumbs up on keeping clearance at new job. Started letting folks know at current division that I may be announcing a leave next week. Had a discussion of being a "composer" at the old division - sounds like all the responsibility of my old team lead with none of the authority (I'd organize the folks, but they would not report to me).

Worked from home since I had an AC guy coming over and a different guy coming over to remove a giant pile of sticks from a winter storm while I was gone. Eric came over to borrow an ergonomic mouse and we went over all the work items from Germany.

Back at work. Checked in with OSD recruiter. Turns out, the customer is not returning her calls or emails. Apparently prior candidate decided not to take position right before he was to start. So she thinks they gave the position to another company. Oh, well...

Worked from home. Motivation lacking because of loss of my team. Hoping for call on a really good looking job at Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD).

Cleaned up basement from bringing home bed from the Yurt. If nothing else needed to get the beds out of the way for the maids.

Beds all over the place

Also finished (mostly) getting computer back on line from the crumped Windows while I was on vacation. Ran out to MicroCenter, a large local computer store, and spent some of my extra travel money on computer stuff - more memory, hard drive, and Norton Ghost so I could more easily restore the computer the next time Windows crumps. That's what they use in the field and Mark's suggestion finally got me off my duff on this one.

Shoved all the new stuff into my CoolTech computer and remarkably it all work the first go round.

Home Day 7 - Saturday, April 4

While I was in Germany, I sold the Yurt we had at Pine Tree. So today it was pick up a U-Haul, go there and get the stuff we wanted to keep (mainly an expensive mattress), complete the sale, and bring it home.

Afterwords, we take Alex out for this birthday to a local Japanese restaurant. Then I go see Alex's new place (it's nice) and spend the rest of the day helping Alex get his Internet connection running correctly. Eventually took Alex for a late dinner at IHOP after returning a wireless adapter at Best Buy.

Alex's House

Alex


Alex's Bedroom

Alex's Computer

Home Day 6 - Friday, April 3

Great, just back from Germany and my last act as FeedPipe manager is the first time I've ever done salary reviews as a manager - for folks I don't actually manage any more. Real morale booster. Team not to happy to be losing me, but that's life.

Home Day 5 - Thrudsday, April 2

Actively looking for new work at SAIC. Had an interview with my old division today. Nice to be able to return home.

Back to the office to find out my new salary and discuss what happened to my team. Seems upper management decreed the new organization chart - making it unlikely to go backwards. Bummed.

Got ready for doing the salary reviews of my 7 reports tomorrow morning.

Home Day 4 - Wednesday, April 1

My son Alex's birthday - but he's off with friends, we'll do something later.

Spent the day with 4 electricians fixing all kinds of wiring problems in house. (The short, change the circuit breaker panel, split the huge circuit into 3 circuits, add a new circuit to my computer.)

Electric panel being swapped