Come back to the land of ice and snow...
Friends and family [along with any other fool that may be reading this, sick individual you are... ;)]:
This post is to inform all that I have accepted a position back in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area.
Starting August 8th.
Ok, now that you've placed your tail back on the chair after falling out of it upon reading the above sentence, I will now continue. :)
As some of you are aware, this decision has not been reached lightly, in any means, as some of you were bugged by yours truly for advice and comments... and to that, again, I say THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
The options in a nutshell were thus:
1. Stay employeed w/ the current firm, hoping that a positive alternative would rise in the near future, preferably locally, while our firm is being sold by its parent company. A little bit more background: my position here is a metallurgical engineer, where I have focused upon process improvement, plant support, alloy development, and related wire drawing issues, dealing w/ customer issues and supplier quality concerns. All of that coupled with a few other items that our firm is having issues with, that probably should not post on a blog. ;)
Now, I could stay here and just clock in, and enjoy the beautiful area, our very nice home, and all that there is to offer in the great outdoors here: my beloved caves, hills, hollers, streams, trees, waterfalls, etc. But... my engineering soul would suffer in the meantime, a part of me that needs to be challenged, that desires strongly to improve situations & products, to constantly strive to seek means to satisfy my strong curiousity.
...and then...
2. Take an exit now, while the path being offered is very attractive, via a firm that has managment and employees that are very proactive, progressive, and heading in positive directions - not just sitting on their collective duff, waiting for something to happen before they react, such as another firm that I know... Anyhow, we will return to the land of ice, cold, winds, snow, flatness, and OMG!!!... this sounds ridiculous... why am I doing this? To myself, and to my family??? ... oh, yea, that's right, because of the career thing. Ok.. So, anyhow, this position is managing the quality assurance department, supervising 6 employees, interacting w/ both internal and external customers, perform root cause analysis, improve and stabilize quality issues, and so on. Gives me a few feathers in my cap that I currently do not have, mainly supervisory skills [these poor guinea pigs!!! :) ], along w/ learning the techniques and tools that this firm offers internally.
From each and every employee there that I've talked with, old and new timers, they all have nothing but positive to say in regards to the management. Financially, the firm is actually performing very well. Stock is currently a "strong buy", along w/ having other positive rankings. This position offers a strong stepping stone to then go further, either within the company or even external, after acquiring more knowledge and skill sets, such as Six Sigma training, etc.
One semi-positive is that we know the area up there, having spent 3 years previous to our 2 year tenure here. Schools are quite good, shopping is more convenient. Clean and open area - nice people, boys and us have a few friends still up there, and will be good to see them, and see some of the areas that hadn't before [altho', the areas up there do pale in comparison to here... urrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh... sorry, cain't help not saying that... again...].
You'd think with all the rocks that I have [ohhhh, those poor packers and movers!!! ;) ], that I'd have a crystal ball, but alas... no such luck. Took two [yes, 2!] tractor trailers to move all the household goods from IN to here, and HA! that was before we had our pool table, my 2nd foosball table, a large wall cabinet, and a few other misc. items... You'd think with all the moves we've made, that by now we'd have fewer instead of more goodies... Terrible when you combine a packrat with a gypsy. ;)
I am literally torn inside w/ having to move, both in the aspect of leaving this wonderful area, and all of the related BS of house-hunting, preparing our house for sale, moving the critters to new schools, along with all the other misc. items that go with this. However, as I have rationalized this in the manner of life is similar to a one-way road, with exits appearing here and there, some you see far in advance, some just hit you, with little to no warning. And, then you must decide if that exit offers an improved path than the one you are currently traveling.
Hopefully for the better, I, with my wife's wonderful support, have decided after much grief and serious contemplation, that this exit, while having a higher than desired toll payment, does offer most likely our best route. Unfortunately, in a couple months to a year or so, hindsight and Monday-morning quarterbacking may differ to a strong amount as to what we think now. However, a person can only make their best decision based upon the facts presented to them, along with adding to that their desires, hopes, aspirations, and perspectives.
I'm the kind of person that has always been torn by that phrase "live to work, vs. work to live" - cause I've always wanted, desired, and demanded both. I need to have both a satisfactory work environment, along with a means to escape into the natural environment to purge and renew my soul with the beauty that nature offers. For those that don't know me, I'm the stereotypical anal engineer, analyzing everything to death, carrying paper & pen everywhere - writing down thoughts regarding means to improve and/or question current processes/products. Work hard, putting in many more than typical 40 hours [ha! usually have 40 put in by Thursday at noon...], always looking in literature and on the web at home in evenings and weekends, and even on vacations, for new means to acquire, produce, etc. materials. Yet, as those that have had the mispleasure of spending any time with me on travels, I likewise am the one that gets the closest to the edge of a waterfall, just for that perfect shot; the one that climbs the tree highest, on a semi-dead limb, just to get a tad higher for a better view of what's over that next ridge.
Anyhow, time will tell if the "correct" path has now been chosen.
Hopefully, the rearview mirror will bring a smile to our faces, as we travel down this new avenue.
One of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands, Led Zeppelin's "What Is and What Should Never Be", contains in its last stanza:
'Everybody I know seems to know me well
but they're never gonna know that I move like hell.'
See ya - cause like the wind, I'm going down that path, in that same manner.
This post is to inform all that I have accepted a position back in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area.
Starting August 8th.
Ok, now that you've placed your tail back on the chair after falling out of it upon reading the above sentence, I will now continue. :)
As some of you are aware, this decision has not been reached lightly, in any means, as some of you were bugged by yours truly for advice and comments... and to that, again, I say THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
The options in a nutshell were thus:
1. Stay employeed w/ the current firm, hoping that a positive alternative would rise in the near future, preferably locally, while our firm is being sold by its parent company. A little bit more background: my position here is a metallurgical engineer, where I have focused upon process improvement, plant support, alloy development, and related wire drawing issues, dealing w/ customer issues and supplier quality concerns. All of that coupled with a few other items that our firm is having issues with, that probably should not post on a blog. ;)
Now, I could stay here and just clock in, and enjoy the beautiful area, our very nice home, and all that there is to offer in the great outdoors here: my beloved caves, hills, hollers, streams, trees, waterfalls, etc. But... my engineering soul would suffer in the meantime, a part of me that needs to be challenged, that desires strongly to improve situations & products, to constantly strive to seek means to satisfy my strong curiousity.
...and then...
2. Take an exit now, while the path being offered is very attractive, via a firm that has managment and employees that are very proactive, progressive, and heading in positive directions - not just sitting on their collective duff, waiting for something to happen before they react, such as another firm that I know... Anyhow, we will return to the land of ice, cold, winds, snow, flatness, and OMG!!!... this sounds ridiculous... why am I doing this? To myself, and to my family??? ... oh, yea, that's right, because of the career thing. Ok.. So, anyhow, this position is managing the quality assurance department, supervising 6 employees, interacting w/ both internal and external customers, perform root cause analysis, improve and stabilize quality issues, and so on. Gives me a few feathers in my cap that I currently do not have, mainly supervisory skills [these poor guinea pigs!!! :) ], along w/ learning the techniques and tools that this firm offers internally.
From each and every employee there that I've talked with, old and new timers, they all have nothing but positive to say in regards to the management. Financially, the firm is actually performing very well. Stock is currently a "strong buy", along w/ having other positive rankings. This position offers a strong stepping stone to then go further, either within the company or even external, after acquiring more knowledge and skill sets, such as Six Sigma training, etc.
One semi-positive is that we know the area up there, having spent 3 years previous to our 2 year tenure here. Schools are quite good, shopping is more convenient. Clean and open area - nice people, boys and us have a few friends still up there, and will be good to see them, and see some of the areas that hadn't before [altho', the areas up there do pale in comparison to here... urrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh... sorry, cain't help not saying that... again...].
You'd think with all the rocks that I have [ohhhh, those poor packers and movers!!! ;) ], that I'd have a crystal ball, but alas... no such luck. Took two [yes, 2!] tractor trailers to move all the household goods from IN to here, and HA! that was before we had our pool table, my 2nd foosball table, a large wall cabinet, and a few other misc. items... You'd think with all the moves we've made, that by now we'd have fewer instead of more goodies... Terrible when you combine a packrat with a gypsy. ;)
I am literally torn inside w/ having to move, both in the aspect of leaving this wonderful area, and all of the related BS of house-hunting, preparing our house for sale, moving the critters to new schools, along with all the other misc. items that go with this. However, as I have rationalized this in the manner of life is similar to a one-way road, with exits appearing here and there, some you see far in advance, some just hit you, with little to no warning. And, then you must decide if that exit offers an improved path than the one you are currently traveling.
Hopefully for the better, I, with my wife's wonderful support, have decided after much grief and serious contemplation, that this exit, while having a higher than desired toll payment, does offer most likely our best route. Unfortunately, in a couple months to a year or so, hindsight and Monday-morning quarterbacking may differ to a strong amount as to what we think now. However, a person can only make their best decision based upon the facts presented to them, along with adding to that their desires, hopes, aspirations, and perspectives.
I'm the kind of person that has always been torn by that phrase "live to work, vs. work to live" - cause I've always wanted, desired, and demanded both. I need to have both a satisfactory work environment, along with a means to escape into the natural environment to purge and renew my soul with the beauty that nature offers. For those that don't know me, I'm the stereotypical anal engineer, analyzing everything to death, carrying paper & pen everywhere - writing down thoughts regarding means to improve and/or question current processes/products. Work hard, putting in many more than typical 40 hours [ha! usually have 40 put in by Thursday at noon...], always looking in literature and on the web at home in evenings and weekends, and even on vacations, for new means to acquire, produce, etc. materials. Yet, as those that have had the mispleasure of spending any time with me on travels, I likewise am the one that gets the closest to the edge of a waterfall, just for that perfect shot; the one that climbs the tree highest, on a semi-dead limb, just to get a tad higher for a better view of what's over that next ridge.
Anyhow, time will tell if the "correct" path has now been chosen.
Hopefully, the rearview mirror will bring a smile to our faces, as we travel down this new avenue.
One of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands, Led Zeppelin's "What Is and What Should Never Be", contains in its last stanza:
'Everybody I know seems to know me well
but they're never gonna know that I move like hell.'
See ya - cause like the wind, I'm going down that path, in that same manner.
posted by Hobbes at
7:43 PM
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