Today's the Day

So some time ago, I mentioned that I got good news I was unable to post about. Well today, I can let the cat out of the bag. I gave notice at work Friday to take a new job. It was an interesting day. Everyone's stress level was pretty high (the current boss, the new boss, and me). I feel a strange energy about it all today that I can't quite put my finger on. My new job is with a client of my current company so a pending clash between the two of them with me in the middle is what I think is in store and I'm not looking forward to it. The job offer was assured but there was a question as to when.

Last Monday afternoon, I went in and my customer (soon to be my new boss) gave me an assignment and said, "Go ahead and do this and get it to so-and-so in Washington. He's waiting for it tonight." Since "tonight" was only four hours away, I figured the assignment would be easy. I got home and started working on it. OMG. I was stumped. This was way harder than I assumed. I had to call so-and-so and tell him that it wouldn't be ready. I worked on it until 1:30AM, woke up early, went to school, then resumed work on it at noon. By 7PM I had it working. I sent it off, somewhat ashamed that it took me so long. At 9PM, I got a call from my customer and he said, "Have you ever heard the story of the guy who re-invented Einstein's Theory of Relativity because they didn't tell him how hard it would be?"

"Yes, I think so," I replied.

"That's you. We've been trying to solve that problem for two weeks and couldn't figure out how to do it. You solved it in 24 hours. We didn't want to tell you how hard it was because we didn't want you to enter it discouraged. The job is yours if you want it."

I can't describe the feeling but pride and euphoria are close descriptions. The next couple days were spent hammering out the details of the offer culminating in me giving notice Friday afternoon.

On top of all this activity, my trip continues to inch closer. I feel like my to-do list threatens to swallow me whole (as Christy would add, "No, it'll spit that part out.")

It's not that it's overwhelming. I've been ticking things off of it for some time now. I think it's more of an anxiety that I'm forgetting something and will remember it either right before I'm about to leave or worse, after I leave. The bike is now in the shop for its big service. $800 later and she'll have new tires, new fluids, adjusted valves, and new rear brakes. I have a few more pieces of gear to purchase for the trip which total around $200 and I should be ready. The next step is to lay everything out on the floor and see what fits. Sort of a test run on the packing to make sure I'm not trying to fit two bowling balls into a marble bag.

Over all, this has been taking its toll on me. I'm not sleeping well and it's wearing me down. I've been sleeping a lot this weekend (the heat isn't helping - We're at 102 right now) trying to get myself prepared for a busy week. Finals are coming up a week from Tuesday. Ready or not, here I go...