murphy and his law

of course. that's the only thing i can say.
our swamp cooler, mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, broke today. the fan seized up, or something. i don't know much about how to work them, nor am i mechanically inclined in the least, so i can't fix it.
but, luckily, we got a free home warranty from the real estate agents when we signed with them. i called the home warranty company, but it turns out that air conditioners AND swamp coolers are not covered. OF COURSE!
and, the temperatures are hovering just below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 36 degree Celsius for you foreigners). with this sickening heat, i can't imagine i'll get too much sleep tonight.

well, we're leaving for the weekend tomorrow afternoon. so, we won't be home. this is both good AND bad, as we'll be out of the hot house, but we won't be home so that it can be repaired.
and, to come to think of it, i don't even know IF it can be repaired. hell, it might need to be replaced, which would be the worst kind of luck. those things cost a pretty penny.

anyway, we're out of town this weekend. we're going toa little town called Ely, Nevada for a little weekend jaunt. we're taking a quaint little mining train ride where a wine tasting will take place. and, we're staying at a cool hotel called the Hotel Nevada. the trip is much needed with all the stress we are experiencing right now.

i just hope this fucking swamp cooler thing doesn't cost us an arm and leg. one or the other would be fine, but not both!

aftermath

i turned in my resignation and two weeks notice today. and the fallout wasn't all that bad. people were upset, obviously, and disappointed, but understood that this is a great opportunity for me. i was happy about that. i will miss these guys, for sure.

now, i'm starting to get a bit nervous about starting the new job. if i'm not worried about one thing, it's another. damn.

starting a new chapter in the novel of our lives is always stressful. i'm sure i can manage.

the resignation

i just got finished writing my resignation letter.
man, this is difficult.

i suppose you can infer from my first two sentences that i've decided to accept the offer to work for the other company i mentioned yesterday. i took today off from work in order to take my drug test and call the HR representative from the company and discuss some matters. i got satisfactory answers and accepted the offer.
now, the real difficulty begins. i have to tender my resignation with my current company, which will be no easy matter. i've been with the company nearly 6 years and have so inured myself within the grout that holds all the departmental tiles together that my leaving very likely will cause some tiles to come loose. in other words, this will cause some anguish and stress for many, and very likely will lead to a few more defections in the coming weeks. this is really tough to take. i just hope they (the company and the employees i'm leaving behind) will be okay. i'm the fourth person in my department (of eight) to put in their notice, or leave, in the last 3 weeks. wow! i'm pretty sure some heads will roll because of this.

it's kind of scary and kind of serene, this decision. starting a new job is always scary, but having finally made this difficult decision causes me to feel peace and serenity. i know this is the right choice for me, i'm just worried about the others who will be left behind, most of whom i truly care about and like.

i have no idea what to expect at work tomorrow. i am anticipating some shock, some fear in the form of anger, some fear in the form of joking (my favorite manifestation of fear), some anger in the form of real, red-faced anger, and some crying. and, the last two weeks will be difficult having to face these people, all of us knowing full well what situation my decision has caused for them.

the day off was kind of nice: slept in a little, peed in a cup and accidently got it on my hands; kind of like it was a Saturday instead of a Monday.

ekphrasis or the offer letter

in yesterday's mail was my contributor's copy of the new issue of Cellar Roots, ekphrasis, the third in a series of three themed issues. i have three poems in this issue, and had poems featured in each of the other two, Metropolyesterday and Incendiary. Cellar Roots is the literary journal of Eastern Michigan University, and have been very good to me. i have recently submitted to their new anthology, MultiCulturalDiversity, and, of course, hope to get a few in this publication as well.
the contributor's copy also came with two bookmarks that feature one of my poems, each bookmark featuring a different poem. this is one of the cool things Cellar Roots does. not only do they produce a nice, glossy journal, but they make little extras, like the bookmarks, and send a copy to the author. i don't know for sure, but i assume these bookmarks are passed out with the journals, or given out at Eastern Michigan University campus. either way, it's pretty cool and the bookmarks are handsomely produced.

incidentally, ekphrasis means "poetry that describes art, or is overly visual." basically, all the poems in this issue speak to art, or poetry itself. most of the poems, mine included, are self-referential, which is something i've always had a liking for. it's actually a pretty good anthology.

well, i finally received an offer from the company i had been interviewing with, and of which i have spoken about in previous posts. the offer was for more money, and the job will be less stress, but leaving my current job will put many people under extra stress and undo hardship, so i have some serious decisions to make this weekend. i will be calling to negotiate some things on the offer letter, and will be making my decision within the next two days. it's all so nerve-wracking, but at least i'll be getting a raise out of the whole thing (if i decide to stay at my current job, i'm quite confident they'll match the offer of this new company). i'll keep you posted on my decision and the resultant consequences or fallout, if any.