Takin' Another Step

So today is my last day at CCH. This was the three-week day job that I've been on for two months now. Everyone is sad to see me go and wishes I would tough it out a few more weeks so they can get the project finished. It's really nice to be appreciated. The people I've worked with here are from Perot Systems or consultants working for PS - PS does all of CCH's IT work. Everyone is top-notch and I'll miss them too!

The night job at Zurich is working out very well. The second shift often has little to do other than be available in case something crashes so I am putting in a lot of time studying. Last night I had an interesting issue with a pair of web and data servers that I got put into a conference call with several folks trying to resolve it. I was the guy actually doing all the analysis on the servers and came up with a solution that worked slick as can be and everyone was happy. It was fun! Other than that, it's pretty quiet and I can study for Network+. My co-workers there are pretty cool as well - IT night staff tend to be an unusual crowd so it's very pleasant there - nobody is uptight or under much pressure (except this one manager but we all know he's got issues). It's going to be great to work there until the Lucent (or something even better!) job comes along.

So with the night shift job I have to change my plans about where to go to get my MBA - did I mention I was going for my MBA? Maybe not. Anyway, I was on track to go to Northern Illinois Univ 'cause they have an excellent night program but that won't work with my current job. So I checked around and found that ITT has an online MBA program - with a tech focus of course - so I've started the process of enrolling there. The classes are rated at four hours and they're on the quarter system so I'll actually finish a lot sooner than at NIU. Wah-Hoo!

My Dad is coming to visit on Monday! He's flying into O'Hare and renting a car to visit us for a couple days before driving up to Milwaukee for the annual reunion of his old army outfit (WW-II). He was in the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge and all that and I'm really proud of him. I just wish he'd get his C.O. to approve a purple heart for him. He was injured in the leg when a truck he was in was blown off the road by artilliary, and though he was offered the medal he didn't persue it because he wasn't actually shot or maimed (and working with a mobile hospital unit he had seen plenty of the worst), but I say, hey, it was under fire so you should have it. I think he might ask this time but who knows, he is a humble man.

I returned the train set Dad gave me but haven't ordered anything to replace it yet. The website he used doesn't have a lot of Lionel stuff right now - they expect a lot of new things in the Fall so I'll probably wait till then.

Last weekend we celebrated Mary Lynn's birthday (it was the 30th) and had a really nice time (Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!). She had to work but got off at 3:00, so I met her then and we went shopping! She got a 'way cool Tinkerbelle wrist watch and some clothes and some new makeup at Sephora that looks great on her! I am very glad that our money was stable with plenty available to give her a nice celebration - God knows she deserves it! I have been known to really FUBAR the checkbook at just the wrong time to screw things up - but not this time, and not anymore.

So this weekend I get to clean out the closet in the guest room - Yea! Should be fun, sorta, I know I've been wanting to do it for weeks but have not had the time.

Later.

;-)