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Might as well stick to the subject this time. I went to college for IT and worked at an engineering firm in the early 1990's as a computer and plot machine operator. In fact, I was there when the engineering firm designed the building that I am working in now. Mid to late 1990's, I temped for a while and then did webpages freelancing until 2002 when one of my clients needed someone to work for him as taking care of the computers as well as placing loans with mobile notaries and attornies to close. I did that until 2003 when he laid Mom, my grade school buddy and myself off, then I worked in real estate titles for a while, then after that developing pictures at a drugs store to finally I'm working in accounts payable for the ground division of a major shipping company. I'm kind fo glad to get out of anything to do with real estate, got laid off from titles and I even had offers from time to time while working where I'm at but I do feel more stable where I'm at, even if real estate tanks, people will still need to ship things.

I remember getting laid off from the mobile notary service, I was on medical leave and when my buddy got laid off, he hid out at my place for a week and we did nothing but Playstation, he was afraid to tell his mom right away. B-) Just before that, my boss called me in to fix a computer, which I think is technically illegal for him to do when I was on medical leave, but me being the dumb and helpful guy I am, I went in. It is really hard taking part and inserting cards and the like with only one hand working. This was when I cut my left hand open and it needed surgery due to a strep infection.

It has been a hard week for me, losing Pansy, 1st quarter close at work (at least with the boss saying, get as much work into the system as possible, it took my mind off of Pansy for a little while) and the Pittsburgh's Mayor O'Connor passing away, it seems like "There is no joy in Muddville." Tomorrow is a week's anniversary of Pansy's passing. Closing is no problem in itselde for me, it is part of the job and I kind of like the pace and excitement but with Pansy, well.... This house is without a calico cat, the first time since 1984 when we got out first cat, Cricket, she was a calico. Then again, Pansy might have been technically called a "diluted tortoishell" (white underbelly, mittens, boots, and nose) or even a "torbie," a calico/tortoishell with weak tabby markings, Pansy's colors were more stripe-like plus she did have an "M" on her forehead.

I've only been laid off once, but I hope it never happens again. When it happened, I really wasn't bothered. I knew that I had worked well for that company and had a good experience base on which to search for another job. I was a good, young engineer, and I believed that my career would go forward with another company very well. I even thought that I might end up in a location with a better singles' scene.

The reality has been the opposite of my rosy hopes at the time. While I had a great deal to offer, the consulting company where I worked after that first layoff wasn't a place that could advance my career. Many things were done poorly there, and the job was all stress and little accomplishment. The time lost in going back to college means that I'm now far below most of my peers in terms of benefits. Most of my colleagues in my field at my company have one or two weeks more of paid vacation than I have and are a grade level ahead of me. Being laid off turned out to have been a disaster.

Bill