movement

I'm now going to reveal the reason why I've been keeping things so "mum" around here lately. These past two weeks have been extraordinarily busy. I've been to both Tucson and Milwaukee for job interviews. Each city was very nice and had a smattering of clever, witty and intelligent folks to pal around with. It was a pleasure to visit both. I've since been anxiously awaiting formal offers from the companies in both cities. Arizona was the first to get back to me on Tuesday (and was also my TOP choice). First, they came with a mediocre offer that I would have had to think long and hard about. It was fair, yes, but not exactly what I was looking for. So I told the nice folks out west that I'd need a day or two to think about things and I'd get back to them. No more than five or ten minutes later, my phone rings again. They had prepared a new offer, one more in line with my requirements. It still wasn't exactly what I had wanted so I told them I'd be willing to negotiate, using this offer as the starting point. As Wednesday gave way to Thursday, we bartered back and forth (mostly about the relocation package) and eventually settled on a very acceptable package that would place both Reese and I in Arizona at no cost to her or myself. I formally accepted the revised offer yesterday and put in my two-weeks-notice here at Consol.

Now, I've got even more work ahead of me. I've got to find a way to get completely moved to Tucson by the 22nd of July. Couple that with an upcoming wedding and honeymoon and I've now stepped right into "crunch time". I need three quotes from different moving companies. I need several hundred cardboard boxes or plastic totes. I need precious time to pack all of this stuff.

The bottom line? Reese and I will be gone for good as of July 22. We're certainly going to miss this area, especially all of the friends who've stuck by us so closely for the past few years. I know that we'll all remain close, though. (That's what friends do.)

No doubt that Tucson will be a life-changing adventure; one that I am wholeheartedly looking forward to.