For some reason, every job I take carries out a major office move. It took four full years, but it finally happened here, as we move to the other side of the next city down. Naturally, we have to be out by 3 PM on Wednesday, but our cars have to be gone by noon to make way for the vans, and we’re still working Thursday and Friday. From where? Who knows?
The first time I set foot in this building was for a desultory first interview, and based on who interviewed me, I don’t think they were taking it that seriously. The second time was for the second interview, for which I famously posted 45 minutes late. I got the job, so I must have interviewed like all hell. The downside was that I was taking a 10% pay cut to take this gig, but the upside was that I would have, you know, benefits. Like more than three sick days a year. Like more than $10,000 of life insurance. Little things.
In the last four years, it’s gone all right, I suppose. It only took about six months for something to reach truly annoying status, but it’s only this year that I’ve had to swallow a perpetual “go fuck yourself” day in and day out, which is a little odd when you’ve gotten not one but two raises in the calendar year. (I’ve made back that 10% and then some since I took the gig.) But I don’t know if my troubles this year at work are a cause or a symptom of the underlying problem…of which more later, when I try to take stock of 2012 as a whole.
For now, I’ve unplugged and packed everything. I only have to down one more server and pack it away (it’s a Mac mini on the back of my desk) and if somebody gave me the signal, I could be ready to depart in about 90 seconds. Just as well. Onward.