Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Life Taking a Turn

I've got a new job. I start Monday.



Lots of reasons--other than just paychecks.

It's been just shy of 10 years since I got away from working a 40 hour week in an office. At first it was telecommuting. Full time, but at home. And a home up in a little mountain town.

Then came the great outsourcing plague of the early aughts. In 2003 I was set free from full time work, and freed from the tyranny of regular paychecks.

I started to work for Absolute Bikes, the best job you'll ever love. And I house-sat. And started a web programming business that brought in a tiny trickle of income once in a while. I tried returning to the food service industry for the first time since the late 80's (huge failure).

Now I'm going back to white collar IT. Salary. Five 8 hour days per week of clean office work (no bike shop dust or the smell of rubber--god I'll miss that!).

But it's up here, in the upper Arkansas Valley! Where going to work usually means making espresso!

I've gotten used to being able to pick a weekday to take an all day ride in the mountains. Or leave town for a week or three to travel the southwest.

And I've gotten used to living in a state of frugality even as I nibbled away at my savings.

But the lack of structure, order, regularity--this has been one of the greatest downsides of my life after the layoff, as ironic as that seems even to me. I'm going back to a job that uses my education and training. I'm going to be an IT problem-solver again. Not just now and then when a project comes my way, but as a staff programmer. And that feels good.

I can still go to the shop and smell the rubber, talk bikes, hang with my peeps (as Kathy would say). And I'll wake up here in Salida every morning. I can take big rides, but now it will call for a bit of planning.

It's a big change for me, and that makes me nervous. But it's a damned good thing.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the new job and not having to leave Salida, well done.

Ed said...

Congratulations Tom and good luck!!

Ed

ScottM said...

Wow, interesting thoughts on the subject, thanks for posting them.

I can see some positives to structure, but they are not yet enough for me to seek it.

Congrats on scoring the job in Salida!

Unknown said...

first a high tech job, next you'll be moving back to the big city!! congrats!

Carney said...

Congrats on the gig! My 2 year "experiment" in the "real world" has me wanting out but I can still certainly see where you're coming from!

Steve said...

Congratulations Tom! Your happy I'm hoping I never leave page 1 of your great story. I've been telecommuting here for 4 years and I keep wondering when the axe will fall. so far so good.

FixieDave said...

Good luck... got the news from fawn and wasn't sure what to think...

anyhoo we gotta play bikes soon...

Sandblogger said...

COngrats Tom. You still gonna be involved with the VT125?

jack Canada said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLrTPrp-fW8

I see you've shaved your beard for your return to the cube.

When we gonna see you out here?