Relaxation

So this is what's going through my head at the moment.

This is my final weekend before I go back to work on Monday. It's kinda funny, but I have had a 5 week, paid vacation. I've gotten to spend more time than ever with Tess and Madison. I'm sure it's going to be hard for Tess adjusting to me not being home every day. I have basically been home the whole time that Madison has been born. I was able to take a week off from EMA for her birth, went back to work for 2 weeks and was let go. Aside from the stressful days of looking for a job, things have been wonderful.

But I'm glad to be going back to work. Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon, but it's amazing just how God works. Let me kind of recap what has taken place within the last 12 months of my life.

Nov - 2007: Constant rumors that CompUSA is being sold. (yeah, yeah, we heard the rumors before)

Dec - 2007: CompUSA has been sold; Well, pieces of it. Most of it will be liquidated. We get a letter telling us that our last day will be Feb. 8, 2008. ( Just relax through the holiday and start the job search in January)

Jan 20 - 2008: I basically get hired on the spot at Novation(temp job), but am worried about staying at CompUSA until February 8th (My anniversary date) to get paid for my vacation time. Hoping I can get hired on permanent within 6 months.

Feb - 2008: We opt for COBRA insurance (expensive) Comp lets me stay working flex days until February 8th. I get paid for 3 weeks vacation and so ended my tenure. Moved to Irving.

March - 2008: Tess turns the big 3-0.

May - 2008: We find out that Tess is 5 months pregnant. (Oh NO!!! So many questions. I need to be made permanent. We need health insurance. Where are we going to stay if I'm not made permanent? Will the project that we are working on be eliminated? Will I be able to miss a weeks worth of pay if the baby comes? Help us Lord)

May 29 - 2008: We get a letter in the mail from the company that bought CompUSA informing us that on June 1, 2008, our current health insurance would be eliminated, but we could opt for the health insurance that they offered. We overlooked the envelope somehow until the Friday before our insurance would expire. The premiums for the new healthplan were double what I was already paying for COBRA. We wouldn't have been able to pay for it anyway.

June 1 - 2008: I turn the big 3-0.

June - 2008: I get word from a buddy a work that his girlfriend's company is hiring for an entry-level programmer position. I get hired and start a few weeks later. I learned a lot from Novation about how GPO's make their money through contracts and various services that they provide.

July - 2008: Start working at EMA. What a relief!!! 90-Day probationary period. I finally found a job and just in time before the baby gets here. Things started out really smoothly. Free food at least twice a week. Descent atmosphere. Feeling tons of pressure to perform.

August - 2008: I get a B - B+ on my 30 day review. Really looking forward to getting the 90 days out of the way. Learning a lot more about servers than I've ever know before. Writing tons of documentation and getting my feet wet in modifying real world code.

September - 2008: Madison if finally born. EMA graced me with a week off paid to stay at home with my family. Got back to work with just a couple of weeks left before my 90-day review.

October - 2008: EMA decides not to keep me... bummer. (What am I going to do now?) At least they gave me a nice severance to hold me for a few weeks to help me find a job.

November - 2008: Got hired with ION, where I will be incorporating most of the skills that I just recently learned from Novation and EMA. Who'da thunk it?

Now - I'm not sure what the rest of this year holds, but I've had enough stress. I hope that this season is over. But I know that I've come out of this situation a deeper rooted faith in God, more confidence in myself and a better understanding of what so many in our country are going through as it relates to being laid off and jobless. I feel more connected to my family. I feel even more of a responsibility to enhance my skills and never stop learning. God has increased our income by 30% in only 9 months. Truly, I feel so blessed.