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Print Story "I feel... thin. Sort of stretched, like... butter scraped over too much bread."
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By BelatuCadros (Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 12:49:40 PM EST) Long-time reader first time writer, work, travel (all tags)
I've been here for a while, I was part of the first wave of refugees from here. I've been lurking here for years.

I make a small lab in a big telecomm company work. This allows us to produce many a product. I do everything, Linux & Solaris System Administration, Network Administration, purchasing, installation of products under development, plus anything people don't want to go to the IT department for. Two years ago there were 4 people doing these jobs, now, it's just me. After two years of never having any free time and always having an "emergency" to fix, I'm quiting. And it feels soooo gooooooooooood.


I have no other job lined up. I'm not worried. I saved up enough money to live a year or two without one. I have no wife or kids to worry about supporting either. Technically I'm not quitting, I'm getting laid off. I volunteered as much as that is possible, I was going to leave anyway. 6 months ago I told my boss that I was overworked and that if it didn't change I wasn't going to renew my work visa in October (H1B from Canadia). When my group was told we couldn't hire anyone and asked us to reduce our numbers again, I made sure my name was put on the list. I now will get 14.5 weeks pay as severance. I leave in September.

I wasted yesterday fooling around with GoogleEarth, planning a drive back home from the Northwest suburbs of Chicago to Vancouver, BC. Doing the drive still isn't final, although I'm leaning towards doing it. When will I ever have the chance to drive halfway across Canadia again? And with no pressure to arrive at a certain date? Here's the first attempt at a plan....

Day 1: Palatine -> Madison, WI -> Devil's Lake State Park -> Eau Claire, WI
Day 2: Eau Claire, WI -> Minneapolis, MN -> Fargo, ND
Day 3: Fargo, ND -> Pembina, ND (Can. border!) -> Winnipeg -> Minnedosa -> Riding
Mountain National Park
Day 4: Riding Mountain N.P. -> Yorkton -> Saskatoon
Day 5: Saskatoon
Day 6: Saskatoon -> Hwy 7 (There Nothing!!!) -> Drumheller
Day 7: Drumheller -> Calgary
Day 8: Calgary
Day 9: Calgary -> Banff -> Revelstoke -> Salmon Arm
Day 10: Salmon Arm -> Vernon -> Winfield -> Kelowna
Day 11: Kelowna
Day 12: Kelowna
Day 13: Kelowna -> Vancouver

The idea is since I have no co-pilot, approx. 6 hours a day driving with lots of stops at dumb, large things (http://www.roadsideattractions.ca/ & http://www.roadsideamerica.com/) plus a few days to visit friends along the way.

Other
I hurt today. I usually do on Wednesday mornings. I play indoor soccer on carpeted concrete. Today it's my shins, my left knee and my left shoulder. I can hardly move without pain. Still I'm better than I usually am, I'm not hungover.

< Grumbling and Bellyaching | BBC White season: 'Rivers of Blood' >

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"I feel... thin. Sort of stretched, like... butter scraped over too much bread." | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
I hope this diary doesn't get you deported by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #1 Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 12:56:21 PM EST
I know the Fed read the other site, if they read this one and see that you're a soon to be unemployed furriner, they may take preemptive action.

But good first post.




Please??? by BelatuCadros (2.00 / 0) #3 Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 01:05:20 PM EST
I'd get to spend August on a beach in Vancouver then...

[ Parent ]

You may be sent through Syria first by georgeha (4.00 / 1) #5 Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 01:17:10 PM EST
or maybe that's only for Canadians with near eastern features.


[ Parent ]

Cat Stevens ? by sasquatchan (2.00 / 0) #7 Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 01:35:43 PM EST
oh, wait, that's right, he's mohommad mushareff sayed islam now, or something..

[ Parent ]

devil's lake by LilFlightTest (2.00 / 0) #2 Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 12:56:42 PM EST
very pretty. definitely stop and have a walk or a swim.
---------
if de-virgination results in me being able to birth hammerhead sharks, SIGN ME UP!!! --misslake


I plan on.... by BelatuCadros (2.00 / 0) #4 Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 01:10:04 PM EST
...at least seeing the balanced rock and the gateway thingy.

[ Parent ]

definitely do the drive by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #6 Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 01:24:19 PM EST
As you say, you don't get many chances to make a trip like that.

And I can't think of a better way to decompress then a few days on the road.



Aren't most of us from ... by StarRunner (2.00 / 0) #8 Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 05:41:12 PM EST
"there?" ---->

Deer hunting would be fine sport, if only the deer had guns. ~William S. Gilbert


I have a sudden urge to short MOT. by Wise Cracker (2.00 / 0) #9 Wed Jul 18, 2007 at 08:35:56 PM EST
So are they ever going to recover?
--
Caesars come, and Caesars go, but Newton lives forever


Recovery.... by BelatuCadros (4.00 / 1) #10 Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 09:24:06 AM EST
...will be a slow, painful process. Our COO's current strategy is to keep making cuts until he makes a profit.

[ Parent ]

"I feel... thin. Sort of stretched, like... butter scraped over too much bread." | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

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