(no subject)

[chipotle]

You know, it's even harder than usual to actually get work done at work now, because I'm spending most of the time wondering when we're going to hear about money. When they'll say we got the financing. When they'll say we completed the deal to buy the network services division.

Or when they'll say, "stick a fork in this poodle, it's done!"

Like I said a few days ago, no news isn't good news. I'm not seeing press releases from NetPoodles or from the company they're trying to buy the division from. I've heard that Our Major Customer™ has a group that may eventually buy a thousand boxes from us. Eventually. See, we've finished their testing round successfully, so they want to roll out 50 boxes for a pilot project in August, and if that goes well, maybe 300 boxes in October, and if that goes well . . . .

But by my calculations, we're going through about $750K a month, and if we sold all 350 boxes with monitoring contracts in August, that'd be, well, about $750K total. And I figure we're entering this month with just under $650K. (While I don't know if my numbers are correct--I'm projecting forward from the last 10-Q, which reported through the end of March--the numbers I predicted for 1Q2002 were off by under 1%.)

--so while I'm still looking for work in my off hours, I'm beginning to think about how I'll go about looking for it when I have a lot of off hours.

I'm half-tempted to start selling possessions here, put the rest in storage, and see if there are people I can crash with in the San Francisco Bay area. I'm suspecting that I'd be employable as a local--just not as someone a company needs to pay to relocate. I've already written about liking the Pacific coast region, and particularly liking what I've seen around Northern California, and while it sounds odd to contemplate moving to Silicon Valley after the dotcom implosion, it's still where I'm seeing the most jobs in my skill areas. (I'm seeing a few more around Pennsylvania and Minnesota these days as runner-ups, interestingly enough.)

I mentioned the idea of moving just to see what's out there to Shaterri, and talked a bit about why I haven't--the obvious reasons, when it comes down to it: part of me really doesn't want to give up the friends I have here, the familiarity of a place I've lived twenty-odd years, know well, and--except for the summer heat and humidity--honestly really like. Part of me really likes the idea of a drier climate with mountains, deserts, and real forests, too, though; I have friends out there, and it'd be nice to search for a job that doesn't drive me nuts (or a job at all, if things collapse as predicted). Shaterri observed, "It is a huge step, and there's a lot of scary unknowns, but a lot of the scary knowns are frankly even worse."

Comments

[joshuwain.livejournal.com]

Well, Minnesota *will* welcome you with open arms... And Mosquitos... And high humidity during summer... And cold weather during Winter that's not just bitter ... it's bitter and resentful.

However, we'd *love* to have you! *chuckle*

If you come up this way, even for a job interview, give me a call; I'll show you around town...

Yours,
Sylvan (Dave)

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

(grin) If I could deal with the cold I'd probably be interested in the area, from what (little) I know of it, and I'd be interested in visiting it--and you--sometime regardless of job hunts.

[chastmastr.livejournal.com]

Many, many, many, many hugs.

I would love it if you moved here, of course, but I understand if this area isn't quite your ideal place. And the drier air in CA may be best anyway. I think I'd prefer that climate myself in many ways.

But I do want to see you again, somehow.

Been wanting to call to tell you about the Parent Thing, but no doubt you've seen it in my LJ.

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Watts,

The place I'm living has an extra bedroom. You'll have to help make the bed (literally: we need to hit a hardware store), but I think that Eli will agree to let you stay here temporarily while you get on your feet.

Here's my advice: set a specific time that you'll be out here. Then start contacting companies, letting them know when you'll be out here. Get everything done over the phone that you can, and do interviews while you're here for that week (or so).

Good luck.

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

It's good advice--although I've never been quite sure how to approach companies for positions they're not explicitly advertising, since it's not something I've had to do before. (Well, more accurately, it's not something I've had to do out of the blue--there's been a couple positions I've gotten when people already at a company have said 'Why don't you apply for job X?').

I have two resumes out at Bay Area employers now, just sent this last Monday. Not much else out there to apply for that's come up this week--although that's not surprising, I suppose, given that it's a holiday.

[joshuwain.livejournal.com]

Come up and visit any time, hon! :)

Yours,
Sylvan (Dave)