Dear God, Its Full Of Work

I started a new job.

No, I didn't quit my old one or get hired at a new company. My new job sort of just happened.

It went like this: my old manager got sick and tired of being abused by both levels above and below him and retired to teach hockey to students. So last summer I got a new manager.

As far as I know, my new manager likes to do software development using "Agile" methodology which means that teams are organized as multi-functional developers able to work on a large swath of the project instead of being organized into silos of specific domain knowledge. The result is that I got put on a new team.

Finally, this new team is working on new products and the amount of database work is not significant to keep a database developer busy for a lot of time, so I'm encouraged to dive in and learn new programming languages and development environments to get up to speed in the work that is available.

To summarize, I have a new boss, I'm working with new people, and I'm working in new technology to help build new software. Except for my desk, everything has changed.

The upshot of this is that all the "cool points" I accumulated for the past seven years of good work is effectively null and void. So I'm working doubly hard to not only do good work but to impress the new bosses and teammates. I don't mind because it is interesting work and there is lots of it to do, but it is a little nerve wracking.

Busy Weekend

Kim and I have wanted a gazebo in the back yard for a while. You know, one of those metal ones with the canvas roof. But they are expensive and we seemed to be always spending our money on something else.

Well, the inlaws didn't need theirs anymore so on Saturday I spent a couple hours and with some assistance from Kim and neighbour Steve I put it up for some seriously bitching shade in the backyard. It has mosquito nets too for evening cavorting.

I also fixed the toilet which is far less exciting to talk about and which no one should notice since it now works properly. That's why I led with the gazebo.

*INCOHERENT SCREAM*

I don't know what my office mate is eating, but its loud and crunchy and very annoying. Its worse than his daily flossing. Its driving me crazy, so thank goodness its quitting time.

Music = Good

At work I share an office with a co-worker who for the most part I like and get along just fine with. With one exception.

He flosses. At his desk. For like a half an hour after lunch. And the noise drives me CRAZY. To fight the creeping insanity I've taken to listening to music with headphones in the afternoons and it has helped immensely but the problem is that I only had a few ripped CDs on my computer and after a few months my selection was getting stale so I brought in a lot of old CDs from home and ripped them onto my work PC.

Now I have lots of selection to pick from when I feel the terrible need to escape the sound of floss picking food out of teeth.

Today its Matchbox 20 followed by classic Aerosmith.

Ah, that's better.

Insanity!

This week is insane week at work, and throw in some doctor's appointments (one for my surgery follow up, one for regular chiropractic, and one for getting settled with the High Risk OB unit in the Civic hospital) and you have an exhausted blogger.

Is it Friday yet? No? ONLY TUESDAY?!

Sigh.

Gift? Really?

At work sometimes when someone leaves that has been at the company for a decent period of time they like to take up a collection for a gift. I rarely participate in this activity as I find it kind of, well, silly. I mean, someone retiring is one thing, but these people are moving on to a new job, presumably one better than they are leaving. Why do they need a gift from their old coworkers?

A lunch? Sure, I can understand that. A small token of appreciation for hard work? For those employees that bleed work, certainly. But a gift costing 50 or more dollars for some guy going on to a new job? Sorry, I don't think so.

Yes, I KNOW!

You know what really drives me crazy?

When someone at work sends me an email and then calls me on the phone about the very same thing immediately after. I feel like saying "Hey moron! Email is fine, thanks! *mumble* Tool."

I can understand if its an hour later and its an important item, but five seconds after sending the email? Nothing pisses me off faster.

Sigh. One of those days.

If I Stay There Will Be Trouble...

I've been working at my current job for over four and a half years, longer than I have worked anywhere else. It will be five years this June. Over that time I have had some good times and bad times but overall never really considered leaving as I felt I had a good thing going.

However lately things have not been as good. I wouldn't say bad, and boring is not the right word. More like the work has gotten into a rut. Or maybe I have, I'm not sure. The main thing is I'm not as happy as I once was and a part of me is seriously considering searching for a new job, a new challenge.

The downside of looking for new work is dealing with uncertainty that a new company and position bring. After all, things are not so bad here when you consider the company is stable, I'm respected by my co-workers, and the yearly bonus is a significant amount of scratch. The bonus thing especially makes me want to stay because they pay it out after the fiscal year in two installments; you leave before they pay out the first installment, you don't get any of your bonus for the last year. You leave before the second installment, you don't get that one. You wait until both installments are paid and its almost the end of the new fiscal year and you are back to where you started. Quite sneaky really.

So leaving this job means giving up earned respect, job security, and whatever is left of my bonus for basically the unknown. Last time I did that leaving MicroAge in Toronto for Formark in Ottawa I worked for seven months and then got laid off for a 5 month period. Not exactly the most stellar time of my life let me assure you.

So I'm left to consider alternatives, weigh options, and hope that things improve here soon so it all becomes a moot point.