Tales from Work: The Good and the Bad

I got up early and battled traffic to make a morning meeting in Wilton CT. I think I spent 45 minutes on the Tappan Zee Bridge. Somehow I was zen with it. Partly because I was in no danger of being late. I left 4 HOURS for a 110 mile drive and arrived only 30 minutes early.

There is nothing better than working for people who are successful, have money to spend, pay you what you are worth and listen carefully to what you have to say.  I came out of that meeting with an exuberance that "resembled" the way I feel after a great day in the Plattekill sidecountry.  Blasting tunes and singing as I plowed down the Merritt Parkway in a deluge. Great day.

Post your stories from work, triumphs and tragedies alike.

Good day here as well, Harv. Just hit my number with 3 more days to go! Months like these help to keep the wolves away

Good for both of you! Sounds like shit's in order. I'll have to revisit this one.

Making something that is both appreciated and needed is a thing of beauty. Last month I had a new client that came from a referral, he clearly described the problem and what was desired in a solution. I told him what I thought it would take and he was more than happy to issue a PO. I worked on his problem and came up with a solution that was far better than either of us expected for 75% of the agreed upon price and he was ecstatic. What he does not realize is I would have been just as happy to do it for free as I love this stuff so much. We both won and that is the most rewarding thing. I’ll go take an extra trip to Utah next winter and he will have a new feature to sell.

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Good for both of you! Sounds like shit's in order.

Ha I wouldn't go that far, for me.

Harvey wrote

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Good for both of you! Sounds like shit's in order.

Ha I wouldn't go that far, for me.

 
No doubt!
Around here you can go from hero to zero in about 2 seconds....lol

My job is closing in Dec..Most of my staff is leaving this summer.
Had a interview the other day that last 5.5hrs...If I get the job it's in Greenwich Ct , which means i have to cross the TZ..
Depending on how you look at it, the above can be all good or all bad..

5.5 hrs? I'd say you got the job!

campgottagopee wrote

Harvey wrote

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Good for both of you! Sounds like shit's in order.

Ha I wouldn't go that far, for me.

 
No doubt!
Around here you can go from hero to zero in about 2 seconds....lol

Reminds me of the Al Pacino meme. "Last week they loved me. This week they hate me. Both weeks I got paid."

JasonWx wrote

If I get the job it's in Greenwich Ct , which means i have to cross the TZ..
Depending on how you look at it, the above can be all good or all bad..

It’s only bad between 6:30 AM and 7:30 PM

campgottagopee wrote

Around here you can go from hero to zero in about 2 seconds....lol

Or, it sounds like, 30 days.

Brownski wrote

JasonWx wrote

If I get the job it's in Greenwich Ct , which means i have to cross the TZ..
Depending on how you look at it, the above can be all good or all bad..

It’s only bad between 6:30 AM and 7:30 PM

LOL
Fortunately I have to be there at 7am...The other way , well that's the problem...

JasonWx wrote

LOL
Fortunately I have to be there at 7am...They way , well that's the problem...

So you'd be crossing at 6:30 or earlier... that is most likely early enough to beat the rush.  

If I had an hours commute each way I’d take that jobs salary and deduct $60k/yr and compare it to a job close to home. Long commutes suck.

PeeTex wrote

If I had an hours commute each way I’d take that jobs salary and deduct $60k/yr and compare it to a job close to home. Long commutes suck.

True.

Also, there is no fucking way that any business meeting in any form is as good as skiing sidecountry (I guess I'll add "for me" to this sentence).

This thread just reads like sad justification to me. "I'm important!" he says as he sits in life-numbing traffic on his way to a life-numbing business meeting that may make the numbers on his computer screen go fractionally higher at some point.

Meanwhile, people are out exploring, skiing, enjoying meals with friends & family, playing music together, putting their energy into their passions, laughing, hanging out on beaches, drinking on their deck, walking their dogs in new places, traveling and exploring different countries, playing sports, creating art, and really just doing everything that has nothing to do with conference rooms, meetings, and fucking traffic on the fucking Tappan fucking Zee

I just feel like I have different ideas of what constitutes "the good life" than you guys.

Harvey wrote

campgottagopee wrote

Around here you can go from hero to zero in about 2 seconds....lol

Or, it sounds like, 30 days.

True. When it goes bad it feels like 2 seconds, like, how the hell did that just happen?

MC2 5678F589 wrote

 

I just feel like I have different ideas of what constitutes "the good life" than you guys.

AGREE!!!

I'm sure I have told at least parts of this story before.

(Lack of) commute is really important to me.

I was in my late 20s and decided I'd had enough of the starving artist thing.  There was a small ad agency that I'd had a summer job with in college, and I really wanted to work there.  I applied for a job. They told me they had just had a big layoff (8 people out of 25) as they had just lost a big account.

Still, they offered me a job delivering packages for $10k a year. I made $4000 the year before and I thought it sounded pretty good, so I took it. In four months some above me left (everyone was above me) and I applied for that job.  The lady leaving was making $22k and had an offer from another company for $29k. Times were still hard, and they offered me the job for 15k.  I was thinking wow, a 50% raise in four months! Now I was a "professional."

Within two years I felt stable enough to buy a house in the same town where the company is.  My parents helped me with the downpayment, and for a while I had a tenant. I've been walking to work since 1988. Walking home for lunch too.

Obviously this isn't right for most people. Very few people stay with one company for most of their career.  Moving a lot is a good strategy for making more money.  I could spend 5 hours a day commuting to NYC and probably pulling down a lot more. F that, it is not for me. I love walking to work and I'm sure the savings over 30 years are significant.  Obviously if I had this situation closer to the mountains that would be better. Probably 70% of my mileage is to and from the Cats and Daks.

Somewhat sadly that is coming to an end.  We are moving to a house that is a bit bigger and I'll be about a 15 minute drive from work for the next 4.5 years. It's a good move for my girls and I've accepted it. I must admit it will be nice to have closets and air conditioning.

The unstated part of this whole thing is kids.  Many people feel the need to make more money because they have or want kids.  No doubt they are expensive.  If I was single and childless I'd probably have a much different life.

Everything is a compromise, I'm good with the choices I've made.