Oh boy do I have some news.

I recently left a tragically bad relationship, with my previous employer. I was so reluctant to leave, I’d been there for so long, had so much vacation, and at some masochistic level, I liked the work I was doing. They mentioned that at my job interview, that I sounded like I liked my old job a lot, and why would I want to leave.

You’ll notice I didn’t mention my old workplace a lot on here. That’s because I generally tried to keep my work and myself separate, though it’s strange enough that my old workplace played a large part in my development during these last several years. I’ve learned a lot, some of it actually useful, but in the end, I just wanted to get out.

I was hesitant, but those last two weeks there would have been rough to get through if I wasn’t armed with the knowledge that the last 2 weeks were little more than a layover on my flight to somewhere the hell else. There was the flood, the requests for unknown information that there’s no way I’d have any way to even know, the constant questions and tumbling, stumbling, finding my way through the goddamn mess of issues and problems.

Then there was the constant threat that someone, somewhere was unhappy with how I was doing things. When you deal with problems, bitter attitudes and hurt feelings are a certainty. Frankly, we, my team and I were, were underpaid, for understanding 3 companies systems and being a stop gap on the shortage of bona fide network engineers, and making nothing above what a regular call center technician made. I learned so much and understand too much to have stayed there, I can see that now.

At my new job I’m a lot more active. I’ve shaved off some weight, helping to get the list of things to do cleared up and problems sorted out. My bosses are cool, my coworkers are cool, and it’s a much better environment.

I do somewhat miss my old work, but I’m much better off for having left.

That’s what some people say anyway.  For those of you out of the loop, we just got back from a very long road trip, but what was different from the usual road trip was the list of suspects was longer than our usual treks, which was wise because our destination was more distant than the usual road trip!

At 3:30am on Friday, Sukie, Wudan and ‘The Boy’ hit the road, escorted by an entourage of related Utahns, Frik, CareBear, and that veritable powerhouse of good times (lest I mention Orb Juice?), Theorb77.  It was one for the books, we blazed a trail on that balmy Friday morning to Green River, WY, the Flying J of Hurt Feelings, past Chenney and rocketed on down ye olde I-25 to lovely Thornton, CO, arriving at 1:00pm in the afternoon.

It was remarkably cold, but I suppose that’s just something I should have envisioned.  Friday night found us BBQing it up at Berserks, in what can only be described as a convergence of bloggers and burgers.  Lucas took quite a while to warm up (and I don’t think he was quite himself at that, but Nintendo seemed to captivate his attention) due to his lack of sleep.

It was a lot of fun, as it often is when you’re hanging out with a large crowd of cool people.  It’s always been weird to hang out with people I knew before moving to Utah some years ago, but I think it’s because it’s sometimes hard to realize that these people in that other place went on without you, went to the high school you barely spent a year at and have forged new memories.  What I think I’ve realized is that it’s ok, I’ve also forged on and made some small scratch of happiness from what I’ve been fortunate enough to be handed, as well.

But, I must add, they all turned out to be a lot cooler than anyone from my family , no disrespect intended.  They all just seem to get along really well and it kind of made me bummed when I realized this fact, that what I liked about the way they operated was that they actually seemed to genuinely like each other.  At junctures like this, I always ask myself, am I too cynical?  Am I a pathetic, cynical son of a bitch?

Maybe that’s a bigger question to be pondered when I am not too exhausted.  As has been mentioned, MJ and Chaemeleon (sp… tired) got married, which was the purpose of the venture.  They wasted no time in obtaining a copy of Goonies from the local Cleanflicks and stole away in to the evening to enjoy the film classic as it was intended:  on one’s wedding night.

On Sunday morning Sukie and I went to visit a fellow reefer (I guess I skipped the part where Sukie bought YET ANOTHER FISH TANK)  and it was very awesome to meet people who are in another club, yet enjoying the same hobby.  Very awesome indeed.

We left today with hopes of returning to Utah, having enjoyed a great weekend that seemed to last forever, and yet was too short (that is to say, it feels like we were able to do a lot, but it was still short).  Unfortunately, two traffic tickets ensued but these were eclipsed by the massive shithole that is Rawlins, Wyoming.

We returned, and everything is right again.  I think I had more fun in Colorado this time than last, but I definitely would like to go back sooner than 2 years from now.