Reconciled and Returned

The economy has taken it’s toll on many industries, none more than the Training and Information industry. We (Wendie, my wonderful bride, and myself) have been looking for an exciting career opportunity for me; something that would be fun, challenging and permanent. I have been offered several positions that have not fit any of those criteria but I’m not willing to settle.

I had been interviewing for a few promising jobs when I received a job offer in Sacramento, California (thanks to Pamela and Bill Frades, we love you very much). We spent many hours deliberating the pros and cons of accepting an offer 3500 miles away from home. The problem was it meant Wendie and I would be apart for long periods of time as her business is exploding here in Tampa (web site design, virtual assistant work, presentations and publishing all done in top quality and cheaply priced, but I digress and unabashedly promote) so she could not join me in California for the foreseeable future, except in small visits, and I would be unable to visit her for quite some time.

We decided to go ahead with the offer as one in the hand is always better than two in the bush and the job seemed to be something I might enjoy. I let the prospective jobs that I had been interviewing for know that I was no longer available, went online and booked my flight to Sacramento one way. I was off to sunny California.

I spend Friday, August 14 packing two suit cases to the brim with business, business casual and casual clothes, plus all the accoutrements that go along with moving 3500 miles away from home. Heavy and bulky to say the least!

I awoke on August 15 (more about this date later) at 4 am (Eastern Time) and got ready to go. We drove me to the airport and at 6:45 am I was off to Houston on the first leg of my trip. I am feeling sad and lonely but optimistic and realize I must look at the positives and not the negatives of the upcoming opportunity. Anybody who knows me well knows I am very positive and always look for the silver lining in the cloud. When Wendie dropped me off she was devastated but keeping her resolve. The poor girl’s world came to an end when she pulled away from the airport leaving me behind.

I arrived at Houston at 8:25 am and called home to check on that resolve. Wendie assured me that we made a good decision and that she would be fine with not seeing me for a while, that she was an adult and a “big girl”, she could handle our separation for a good career opportunity. (Wendie knows that, like most men, what I do for a living has a lot to do with my self esteem and is directly tied to my feeling of self worth.)

I could hear the unhappiness in her voice but she assured me she would deal with it, that our separation was only temporary. I have to say, I thought it was cool that after 20 years of marriage my wife still loves and misses me so much. I am off to Sacramento at 9:30 am and settle in for my 4 hour flight.

I arrive in Sacramento at 11:30 am (Pacific Time). While we are taxing to the terminal I call home to tell Wendie I have arrived in one piece, had reconciled with the move and was really looking forward to the new opportunity.

So much for the resolve of my “big adult girl”; the 4 hours since we had last talked had changed everything and when she answered the phone I was met with a voice filled with such sorrow and heartbreak saying you must come home, I do not want to be apart for any job. I am calling the airline and getting you back to Tampa tonight.

I get my very heavy and bulky bags and wait to hear from my wife. When the phone rings the voice on the other end is so much calmer and so relieved. The airline has a seat for me and I could be home by 11:00, she is booking it and will call me later with the particulars. Fast forward one hour later. I have my new reservations and all of the arrangements we had made In Sacramento ,car rental, hotel, and long term living arrangements (thank you Fairica and Garret, you are awesome) had been cancelled as well as the vehicle transport from Tampa to Sacramento.

I was coming home – end of discussion!

My wife is sharp and is as cunning as a spy. What she did not tell me was I would be home by 11:00 am, the next day. I would not be leaving Sacramento until 11:00 pm that night, fly through the night to Charlotte, endure a 3 hour layover and be home in Tampa by 11:00 am. Let’s face it, if I had done the math, I would have realized that between the time change and the flight time there would have been no way I would have been home by 11:oo pm Saturday… but I was being nice and accommodating instead of sharp and smart.

Oh and by the way, I mentioned I would tell you later more about “August 15”… it was my birthday (no kidding). Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, let’s get no sleep and fly back and forth across the country, Happy Birthday to me!

I am typing this from my home on Monday, Aug 17, so I have made it back to Tampa. But just for laughs and giggles let’s recap my birthday weekend:
Flying time total: 12 hours
Lay over time total: 16 hours
Airport food costs: $40.00
Sleep total for two days: 0 hours
However, being home with my wife: Priceless

And by the way, if any of you know of a great job for me in Florida, let me know, because I’m looking.
Mike

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