EDITOR’S NOTE: The meeting went pretty well Monday. I am remaining hopeful that everything gets worked out.
I’ve been trying to think of a funny or witty way to write this entry but I can’t. So, I’ll just say it.
Initially, my heart was set on moving to the Bay Area. I never really could picture myself living in Southern California. I’m not a fan of LA in general (or the Lakers), but have always enjoyed my visits there. San Francisco and the Bay Area seem like they would be much more in line with my personality.
But, when Tony called me about the job everything changed. My plan was just to sell the house and move out to San Francisco, job or not. The worst real estate market of our lifetimes set in and selling the house has been much tougher than I originally anticipated. With a job, I could still move out west even if the house wasn’t sold. Worst case, I could rent it out.
With the state of the current economy, it would be really foolish to move west without a job. The job opportunity Tony and I have been talking about has been very exciting to me. It is in a field I have experience in and always been interested in. Another very attractive part of the job offer was the fact that I would be working in Santa Monica. Whenever I have visited Southern California, Santa Monica has always been my favorite part. I could definitely see myself living and working there.
Also, I think the transition of living on the West Coast would be much easier with all of the family I have in Southern California. I don’t have any family in Northern California at all. It would mean a whole lot to me to develop relationships with some of the people on my ex-father’s side of the family. Plus, Las Vegas is only 3.5 hours away by car.
San Francisco will always be there. The best part about all of this is the uncertainty. I could be back here in Boston in 6 months, love LA and stay forever, or eventually end up in the Bay Area. Who knows where any of this will lead?
I’m really burnt out on talking and thinking about California, so I’m going to change it up. My next entry will be Golden State free.
Conan O’Brien said this on his final show last Friday night:
“Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But, if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen. I’m telling you, amazing things will happen. I’m telling you, it’s just true.”
Conan hits the nail square on the head here. Furthermore, instead of attacking NBC (after being royally screwed by them), he took the high road and thanked them. Very classy move, IMO.
My big announcement was that I had accepted a job in Santa Monica. I was set to start on Monday, February 15th. I accepted a position to work for my cousin’s IT company. My cousin’s company is contracted by another company to handle some of their IT staffing. The plan was for me to replace another guy who had just given his notice and was moving out of the area.
Unfortunately, yesterday I got a very apologetic call from my cousin saying that the funding for my position is probably going to be put on hold for a few months. This is also a blow for him as the client in question is his best customer. There is a meeting later today to further discuss the situation. I don’t blame my cousin for any of this. In this economy, there are many uncertainties in every workplace. Everyone is trying to save a buck wherever and whenever they can.
In actuality, I have no announcement other than that I almost was moving to California. I still may move there, but not as quickly as originally anticipated.
This has been an emotional roller coaster for me. I went from having to prepare myself to leave Boston within three weeks, right back to where I was about a week ago. The realization of leaving my home of 30+ years was definitely an exhausting proposition. Today will be the fifth consecutive day that I have plans to meet up with someone (or people) to say my goodbyes. I started this process Thursday night. Saturday night, I met up with a group of friends and leaving them was very tough. I began to tear up just as I walked away from the bar. At that moment, the reality of leaving Massachusetts finally hit me.
A good thing about this scenario is that it has given me a glimpse of what it actually feels like to be leaving Boston. I’ve also been able to tell some of the people that mean a lot to me how much I will miss them. Another positive is that this experience has sparked ideas for some new blog entries. With a hat tip to Erin McCarley, I had my story to tell.
I am grateful for all the offers to help and all of the sage advice I have received. It has also been very humbling to hear all of the kind words and encouragement from many of you over the past week. Sometimes, news of a cross-country move will elicit feelings that are often left unsaid.
Oh yeah, as for my hint:
It was triply good and here’s why:
1) Schwarzenegger is the Governor of the State of California.
2) Before he was Governor, Ahhhnold was a big Hollywood actor.
3) In his most famous line he says, “I’ll be back.”
I have been thinking about moving to California for the past seven months. Moving back to Massachusetts at some point has always been part of that equation.
Where does all this leave me now?
I am going to take Conan’s advice and not be cynical. I am going to remain hopeful that things will eventually work out.
I’m going to use this space today to plug Monday’s upcoming blog entry. If things fall as they should, I think you’re not going to want to miss it. Please do not email/text me asking for hints.
In the interest of fairness, I will give you one, somewhat vague, yet quite brilliant hint:
“Schwarzenegger”
Lastly, let’s try this again: Jets/Saints
Have a great weekend, everyone! Make the most of every day.
Tracey is pondering how you can spend everyday with someone for years as a child, and then go to HS and just do the smile & wave in the halls. Soon you are adults and you do a quick hug, and catch up in the grocery store. Then you let a few more years pass and you hear they have passed away. How did I let so many years go by without calling?
I liked what I wrote in my response, so I will now post it here:
Don’t beat yourself up, Tracey. Life is funny that way. It takes us all in weird, strange directions. It brings us kids and marriages and sometimes divorces.
One of the things that makes Facebook great is that you can somewhat stay in touch with a click of a mouse. Even a “likes this” click lets someone know you did at least think of them. We can’t spend all the time we want with all the people we want. We have to keep our inner circles small so we can hold those in it tight.
Live every day to the fullest – that’s all you can do.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m going to get political just for today and it is something I really don’t like to do on here. I apologize, but this has been a historic election. If it’s not your bag, please click away and check back tomorrow. No harm, no foul. And yes, I don’t agree with everything in the youtube above, but do I admire the spirit of it.
As always, I am going to focus on the positive. I really don’t know any other way, especially on Phil’s birthday (Happy Birthday, btw!) and on the one year anniversary of President Obama’s inauguration.
Today, I am happy for the many Republicans I know who live in Massachusetts who, election after election, felt like they never had a voice here (on a national level). I have been sending them congratulatory messages and will be calling one in particular later today. Furthermore, up until the election, it seemed like the only people who cared about Scott Brown were people who didn’t even live in Massachusetts. To both groups, Massachusetts once again is a beacon of democracy. Every Massachusetts license plate reads, “The Spirit of America” and that couldn’t be more evident today.
I give credit to Scott Brown who did what many said was impossible even just a few hours ago. He ran a brilliant, tireless campaign and pretty much stayed above the fray when his opponent hit him with negative ads. I don’t agree with him politically, but do appreciate how he has handled himself throughout the entire process.
All that said, the Democrats still hold 59 seats in the Senate. Sure, the “message” has been sent to Washington (whatever that means), but the alert call has also been rung. The Democrats have been put on notice which to me, is a very good thing. Furthermore, I think this wake up call increases Obama’s chances for a second term more than it decreases them. Yesterday’s battle might have been lost, but the war is far from over.
As for you Senator Brown, as my new Senator I going to support you and wish you nothing but the best over the next two years.
(To be honest however, you might as well keep the pickup truck running because 2012 will be here before you know it.)
No matter which way you lean, please get out and vote in the special election today.
It is an important day for the Commonwealth and the eyes of the Nation will be upon us. This has the potential to be a historic election and part of what makes our country great is that we get a say in how things are run. Also, a nice side benefit of election day is that it signifies the end of all the ads and phone calls.
Last but certainly not least, Happy Birthday Jenni!
My brother and I attended the first Patriots practice of the year in July. I remember us laughing at some dudes that were a little too excited that day. One of them proclaimed, “Best day of the year!” Looking back today, he was right. On that day, hope, promise and expectation were higher than at any point in the season. At the very end of the practice, a hard rain began to fall and everyone scrambled to get back to their cars. I should have known that it was a harbinger for the awful ending the season would have.
I left the tailgate a little early to get a head start on the walk up to the seats. A few weeks ago, I hurt my knee after slipping on the ice while out on a walk with Miley. It is fine now (just a little sore), but on Sunday it didn’t feel so great out in the cold all day. I got to my seat a little too early and was one of the first people in my section. As I sat there by myself, I don’t think I could have been happier. I could have sat there all day. After just missing the playoffs last year, my team was back in the dance. I don’t think there was anywhere I would have rather been at that moment.
While they were down 24-0, I realized that there aren’t many quarterbacks in the history of the NFL I would rather have on my team than Tom Brady. Even that far behind, with #12 on my sideline the game wasn’t over. Although it is en vogue to belittle Brady these days, he did just come off his best season statistically save for his record-setting 2007 season. As it always goes in football, the quarterback gets too much of the credit when times are good and too much of the blame when times are bad.
My disappointment lies not in the fact that they lost, but how they lost. Nobody could have ever envisioned the Patriots spotting the Ravens a 24 point first quarter lead. I had no delusions of grandeur for the 2009 Patriots. It was evident after the Saints game that they just didn’t have “it” and a banner marked 2009 would not hang in the Blade next to the other three. However, I was at least hoping they could win one playoff game.
There are some good things about the Patriots losing. The end of their season signified my last link to the sh*tshow otherwise known as 2009. Also, it was hard not to feel happy for the Ravens fans. They are the best and most spirited opposing fans I’ve seen come into Foxboro over the past eight seasons while attending the games. And furthermore, who can hate a team that picked up and left Cleveland?
The Patriots will be back and the off-season begins. The draft will be in a few months, then July and training camp will hit, and before you know it that month I wait for all year will arrive.
