What can happen in 17 months...

17 Months have gone by since my first blog entry. What an ostentatious start! Some excuses include getting put on a hot project, that project getting canceled and after 27 + years at a major electronics company being given a chance to find another job or retire with a severance package (already 4 months less than last year, but 3 months more than getting laid off the next month!). Hmmmm. My first that was that I wanted a change and I started looking for a job with my current employer. However upon 2nd and 3rd thoughts and some consultations with my dear wife we decided this was a time for change. So I started studying for my Real Estate exams for California.

Oh yes, and one daughter got married in June and our other daughter went to Mali (Africa) to be in the Peace Corps in July. She's got her own Blog going and has some wonderful insights on being a PC trainee in Africa.

It's now August 13th and I've taken my test for Real Estate Sales person, lined up a broker to work for, and daughters are alive and well in their new lives. It's like a new life has opened up before me. After almost 3 decades working for someone else, in essence I'll be working for myself again; and I'm very much looking forward to it - even with the economy such that it is. There certainly are no guarantees.

That said, now I think I can put more structure to my day to day life. Jim Harris from Neighborly Realty has been great to work with and being a former Hewlett-Packard/Agilent employee who recently went through the same "Workforce Reduction" process a year ago as well as pursing his dreams through helping others find the homes they love has reinforced the reasons my wife and I want to pursue this demanding line of work.

The WPARC (Western Placer Amateur Radio Club) group has also been very supportive and have made Christine and I quickly become a part of Lincoln. I have also enjoyed expanding my photography skills working with Rich Reuf taking pictures of the California High School Rodeo Association District 3 rodeos - my photographs posted at PBASE on my Jengle Lincoln Rodeo page. I hope to again become active with Viewpoint Gallery as well as the year wraps up.

It's been a whirlwind, but we're not looking back. Only forward.