1 Down, 999 To Go

Weeks that is. Give or take a few dozen. (For those of you who are math-challenged, that works out to a little over 19 years.)

I started a new career, the second half of my professional life if you will, on Monday. I now work as a Systems Engineer for Harris Corporation here in sunny (and rainy) Melbourne, Florida.

This has been (yet another) week full of change. New job...new employer...new office. And all the ancillary stuff that accompanies said changes.

There are the small things. Gotta figure out the best driving routes to and from the office. (Of course, can't get too settled into those routines 'cause it will all change again when we move into our new house in a few months.) Had to learn the building stuff: where to get supplies, what are the food options, etc.

Then there are the big things. First and foremost: I ain't workin' for the gov-ment no more. That's not meant in a positive or negative way. It just is. And after 20 years of Federal service, it will take some getting used to.

But I will adjust, just as I have in every other work transition I've been through in the past. And I've got plenty of time to do so.

It's Official

A trip to the DMV usually marks an important milestone in your life. First driver's license, first car registration, a move from one state to another, a brand new car.

Today was no exception. We spent a good chunk of the day traipsing from the insurance company office to the driver's license office to the tax collector (in Florida, licenses are handled separately from vehicle registrations.) At the end of it all, in addition to frayed nerves and overtired children we achieved almost complete success: both vehicles registered in Florida and a new Florida driver's license for me. (Cindy will take care of hers tomorrow, sans kids.)

Even though we've taken many steps toward Florida over the past few months, there is something uniquely significant about getting a new license plate for your car. Especially one with an entirely different state name on it!

Goodbye, South Riding

4:55 am.

I'm never awake this early (at least not since Brian was an infant). In the ultimate irony, our last night in the place we've called home for the last 5 years and 29 days is unlike any other in recent memory.

Change. Lots of it. That's what our life has been consumed by for the past several months.

Resign job. Get new job. Sell house. Buy house. Rent house. Rent apartment. Move all worldly possessions. Leave friends. Move "back home".

I guess it's all finally caught up to me. I had been moving through these changes with an engineer's approach. They're really just tasks after all. Projects if you will.

Resign job. There's a checklist for that. Not that I haven't had a rush of career memories over the past several months. I have, and that's been great. But when it comes down to it, the "project" boils down to doing each step on the list and then the project is complete. That happened on Tuesday.

We're now in the midst of the "move all worldly possessions" project. Several total strangers showed up at our house this morning and began putting all of our stuff into boxes. They worked all day, even running out of boxes and calling in extra manpower. They rolled outta here around sunset, leaving us with barren walls and cardboard towers.

So now here I sit...surrounded by our world in a much different format. (Where is our camera anyway? That's tomorrow's mini-project.)

Perhaps that's why I'm the only one in the house who is awake at 5:16 am. Usually Cindy and Colin are "bonding" around this time, or perhaps have just completed an hour or two together. Neither has happened tonight...our final evening on Crossfield Drive.

What does this all mean? I don't really know. But what I do know is that although I'm excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, I am really going to miss South Riding and the good friends we made here. And I will always cherish the memories made in our first house together.

Goodbye South Riding. It's been a great 5 years.