Hang on tight!

Hang on tight, this rollercoaster is making another loop! Holy cow, what a ride.

Yes, I have been silent for a long time. Much has happened. I've been busy and my life has been on a crazy new route. I thought about blogging about it earlier, but I wanted to be level headed. Not emotional, not bitter, not spur of the moment.

November 1st, about 9:45 am. My boss asks me if I have a minute. Sure I say. We walk down to the HR Conference Room and where we are met by the HR Director. He closes the door. He then reads off of a list of issues, some I agree with, some I don't. Says we have grown apart philosophically on how the IT group should be run (an understatement). Then he drops the bomb, says that it is time to part company. I turn, look him in the eye and say, "So you are firing me?". He looks down, doesn't say a word. The HR Director, a good friend of mine says "Yes". She is almost in tears. The meeting becomes very formal. My boss says very little from this point, he is obviously distressed. I'm stunned, but,,, but it is weird. I'm not angry. Not upset. I think I am less affected than they are. The HR Director finishes explaining the severance agreement. Basically 3 months salary. All vacation that I have coming. They will let me take some stuff from my office and come back after hours to clean it out. I can keep the laptop I have. They will even let me send out a couple of final e-mails. The meeting ends.

I return to my office where the Head of Security is waiting, another good friend. He waits while I send out the e-mails. One to Sweetpea, asking if she would like to go to lunch with her un-employed husband. One to all my personal friends to let them know to not use that e-mail any longer. I get some personal data for Boy Scouts off the computer, gather up some personal belongings and head for the door. The Head of Security helps me to my car. When I get everything loaded we shake hands. He says, "You were a good guy coming in here and you are a good guy going out." I thank him and climb in the Jeep.

On the road to Kazoo, I shut off the radio. I need to think. I feel weird. I'm not upset...... I'm not pissed. It is as if I knew this would happen. Or at least it was a kick in thpants to get me out of a situation that I was not happy with.

3 1/2 weeks have past. I have not been bitter, not been mad. It really is new territory for me. I have not been without a job since I was about 14. about 34 years. And I have been in no hurry to go get one. Don't get me wrong, I have been following a couple of leads, but I'm not panicking. No, I've been enjoying the ranks of the un-employed. Of course the severance helps! Shit why not! I've been taking some time to re-group. To get my head screwed back around straight. And have I been busy!

First there was the finishing of the bar and ceiling in the basement. And then Deer hunting season came along. Sweetpea told me that I was going to go and seriously hunt this year. So I have been. Built a couple of tree blinds with Tolerance. Hunted hard. Had some opportunity. Shot at some deer and missed. Might this be like ever other year? One of my favorite stories is "Escanaba In the Moonlight". Being a Michigan Tech Graduate, I can relate to the yooper humor. But I can also relate to the main character. Reuben, 40 something and never shot a deer. That's me 48 and never brought the venison home. Oh I've made a couple bleed over the years, one with a gun and one with a bow, but never put meat on the table.

So after watching the does dance out of range at the Lesman farm for a few days, I decided to take my Dad up on the offer of going up to Kent County and try and thin the herd that eats his shrubs all winter. Monday, the 20th I went up in the afternoon. Hunted right behind his house. Watched about 7 does run around. Then the buck came in. I got impatient and took a bad shot. The curse of Reuben again. I kicked myself for being such a fool.

The next morning I was up early and walking the log back across the creek to where I hunted the evening before. I took a little extra time to make the spot more comfortable and easier to shoot. Then I waited. First 5 does came in and left, I watched deer playing along the ridge on the edge of the field. 7 does headed down into the corner where the buck had gone the evening before. A doe and a yearling showed up. But then they spooked. Not me? I noticed deer coming out of the corner. 1,2, ..(it was close to 9am and my Dad had said he would head down to the corner and see what he could run out) .. 5, 6, 7, does,,,,, and an 8th deer. Yup it had antlers shining in the sun. I got the gun ready and told myself that I was getting the second chance on that same buck. Now be patient damn it! The were going along higher on the ridge than the night before. But they weren't looking at me. I picked out where I wanted the shot. The buck stepped into the spot. I told myself, make a good shot, Reuben. He paused, and I squeezed the trigger. The 12 gauge Magnum barked an kicked like a mule. The does scattered, the buck stood motion less. I racked in a second shell and and fired again. The buck fell over... Reuben no more!

My Dad came out of the corner. "Well?" he said. "He's on the ridge, didn't even run" I replied. He helped me dress him and carry him across the creek. A 5 point. I called Sweetpea to make sure she knew that she wasn't married to Reuben.

I loaded him in the Jeep and headed to Paw Paw. Got him hung in the garage and headed off to help Tolerence roof R.J. Baker's house. That's my latest job. Roofer's helper. I kind of like it for now. Work outside, physical labor. Swing a hammer. I've got a tool pouch, hooking up some lights, doing electrical work.

The rollercoaster is on another hill.

I don't know what to think sometime. I tell people I'm retired, but I might come out of retirement. The deer hunting thing and finally getting a buck, I don't know. Maybe some kind of omen. Getting terminated, not having a job. I sure am busy! I've done some brief computer work. Life is changing. My Dad said to me that life has ups and downs, yeah I knew that. But what he said was that sometimes you have financial stability and sometimes it seems to disappear. And then it just jumps back in, maybe even better than before. So don't worry about the down time.

I'm not worrying. For the first time in my life I have some down time. My only complaint is that I lost my job and put my boat away on the same day. Well the timing could be better. But then again I wouldn't be shopping for freezers to put venison in. And at Thanksgiving, I have tons to be thankful for. First and foremost, Sweetpea. What a great wife. My kids. My health, with all the weight loss has gotten much better. I've had a pretty good November!

I'm going to hang out my consulting/computer services shingle. Work as a roofer's helper and take some odd jobs. But tomorrow the roofer has an appointment in the morning and I have a doe tag to fill, so back to the deer blind! I could get used to this life. At least until Sweetpea starts calling me Ace......