Hello one and all!
As you've noticed, I've had a very hard time keeping the blog up this year, because, well, reasons. Some of it is due to lack of post ideas, most of it just due to being so busy. But right before writing this I thought, "Why not just tell people what's going on in my life?" Sounds simple enough! Not everything has to be about a long-lost YouTube clip or something. Therefore, I've decided to keep it simple by writing a "newsletter" of sorts, which may become a monthly feature. So, let's try it!
First, the good news. My son Brian has graduated high school! His graduation ceremony was on June 7th, and we had a big family party for him on June 15th. Everyone had a great time, and we are all very proud of him. He also turned 18 back in March! He joins his older sister at college in the fall, majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He's always enjoyed science and is very good at math (even if he doesn't enjoy math), and he hopes to put those talents to use in this field. Someday, he could be designing highways, bridges, water treatment facilities, who knows? Congratulations Brian, we love you!
Now, the bad news. Back in April, I learned that I and many of my colleagues at work are being laid off this summer; my last day at my current job is August 6th, just shy of my 19th anniversary with my company. This, of course, is not welcome news. However, there is a silver lining: I'm getting fairly generous severance (six months at full pay!), and the company is hiring a job placement service to help me and my colleagues find new employment.
I'm taking a Zen approach to this. I'm certainly not happy about it, but I do have a good cushion to help me transition to new employment. Is it a blessing in disguise? We'll see. Until then, the job hunt has started in earnest this week. Wish me luck!
Those two items have been the background of my life the past three months. Let's see what else I'll have to share at the end of July.
Thanks! Have a great summer!
