Reelin' In The Years

I never liked writing in High School. I always found it a burden to find 500 nouns, adjectives and adverbs to fill out certain assignments. Maybe it was just the fact I had not experienced enough life to have the words flow onto a page. Over four years ago I started my blog basically to kill time during the drudgery of the LIRR commute. Then I found out I liked to do it. Then I found out people read it…and they actually liked it. So, I will try again, albeit more sporadically, to regale you with my tales. A Facebook memory appeared this morning of a Steely Dan concert I attended 2 years ago on this date, it prompted me to think back to how I wound up where I am…and why the blogs stopped.

It was 2013 and the world did not end on the Mayan doomsday date, 12/21/2012. However, my own doomsday took place 9 days later as the Steelers finished at 8-8 and out of the playoffs. At least this came with one consolation prize. My weekends in January would be free. This allowed me to plan without having a Steeler playoff game to work around. It was like any other Friday in January and I was looking forward to the weekend. The only caveat was the looming layoffs at my job. We had faced three major downsizing during my seven years there.  Luckily the local IT department had remained untouched and intact. This time would be different. Our manager knew they had their sights set on him. A shake up at CEO had left him vulnerable and this time they would make their move. He saw this coming, but from his sources he said the rest of use would remain. As I arrived Monday morning, it didn’t take long to realize this would not be the case. Already walked out of the building, my boss was on his way home by the time I arrived. Three people from the IT headquarters in Rye stood guard in our office like we were in lockdown. We were told that certain of us would be getting a phone call to meet with the interim manager. It now became a game of Russian Roulette. The first phone ringing was at the desk next to mine. Like a solemn soldier he marched off to his destiny. An hour later he returned and our fears were confirmed…he was laid off. Now knowing full well what a call would mean, an eerie silence fell over the room. For whom the bell tolls…it tolls for thee. As Don Henley once said, “I got the call today, I didn't want to hear, but I knew that it would come.”

I was shown to an office a couple of floors up. I had never met the woman from Human Resources or the new manager from Rye who would now oversee the NYC operations. We had seen the staff in Rye get promotions and raises. Now they came to pick our pockets to pay for it. I couldn’t help but notice this guy looked just like the Hispanic actor who played on Barney Miller as a cop and Lamont’s friend on Sanford and Son. All I kept thinking is great, I’m going to get fired by Julio…along with the sound of Redd Foxx’s voice saying, “You big Dummy!”  All the paper work was a mere formality, my fate long since decided. The only solace was the severance, of which I couldn’t complain. I signed away my seven years of service and was escorted back to my desk. I was given a cardboard transfer box to wipe away the evidence of my corporate existence. When I was done, I was walked to the elevator and out the door. I was left on the sidewalks of Manhattan much like Felix when he received that request from his wife. With nowhere else to go…I headed home. After 25 years of work, I took some time to myself. Max enjoyed having me around…and believe it or not so did Christina. Removal from the rat race softened me significantly. Eliminating 20 hours a week of dealing with the LIRR and MTA was a huge part of it. The filth, the inhuman conditions…all of which completely ignored by the corpse like commuters…takes a toll on the soul. If you allow it, it transforms you into a different person…and I unfortunately fell under that spell. Luckily the love of a lab is the perfect potion to fix what ails you.

Over the time off I took on some consulting work and did peruse the online job sites. I would cherry pick here and there where I would send my resume. I mostly looked on the Island as Christina basically forbid me to go back to the daily drudgery of the city shuffle. I tended to agree. However, that was where most of the jobs where. Two opportunities came knocking I really wanted. Unfortunately I was Miss Runner Up. There are no offers for second place. I opened up the search a bit even though I was doused in the recent disappointment. I applied to two very similar positions online. In a few days I received a call back and discussed the opening. I was excited, but quickly realized it was the lesser of the two. He informed me he owned his own Mac shop…in the city. He was short staffed and needed immediate help. He convinced me to come in for an interview and I reluctantly agreed. When the time came I certainly did not bring my A game. By the time I got home I had a message to give him a call back.  I was hesitant, but there is this thing called money…and I tended to need the legal tender. He wanted to hire me full time but I informed him I did not want the job nor did I want to commute back in the city. Unfazed by my negative answer he said he would hire me part time if I didn’t want the full 5 days a week. I threw out a ridiculously high hourly rate. He agreed. I tried not to get the job…but it was obvious he needed the help.

This post is not about this job, just a precursor to the next…so I won’t go into details. I tried to make the best of it. I even looked up the owner of this shop and found out he was a long time Mac evangelist. Hey, maybe I could learn from him and he could open up a few doors. I tried to put on a happy face. However, from day one I hated it…and it never got better. In my few months there I would never deal with him. The Mac shop was disorganized at best. I was sent out on jobs that I was woefully unprepared for. Lack of equipment, lack of communication, lack of anything I needed. I would show up at offices carrying nothing more than my commuter bag with my pillow. They gave me no laptop, no software, no nothing to perform even the menial of IT tasks. I will say the clients were more forgiving than the Mac shop itself. After a few weeks, the one guy who tried to keep the chaos together, quit. He at least organized my days. The girl who took over had no plan, and it showed. Every week I wanted to quit, but every week I got a paycheck. I was getting way more for three days than I was getting for five. Suck it up Mr. Walsh. As the weeks passed, I realized most of my assignments were of the “fill in” variety. Companies needed support for when their staff took their summer time off…including the Mac shop itself. As August was drawing to a close, I started seeing staff returning. It was then I realized my days were numbered. This was not a bad thing. I was still sending out my resume in hope of finding something different.

On one Friday, August 22^nd I saw an ad. Holy Holy Grail! This was it! Everything I wanted in a job right there online. An immediate opening for a Mac admin position and only one town over. I double-checked my resume, quickly put together a cover letter and off it went. I kid you not when I tell you I received a call back in no more than 5 minutes from when I hit send. When they said immediate they were not kidding. It didn’t take long for this rose to reveal its thorns. Almost from the word Go, things started to stink. Less rose, more manure. The talent recruiter who had placed the ad loved my resume. It was by far the best she had received. She then began to inform me of the position. The Design Company she wanted to place me at was in turmoil. The IT Director was fired and that afternoon the support staff decided to follow him. They were left with no one. She said it was risk/reward. The reward was an opportunity. If the Design Company liked me I could potentially become their IT Director. But it seemed even she would not know some of the unforeseen risks that lie ahead. She did say the Design Company was in such disarray she would not recommend leaving a job to take this one. She also mentioned an IT Provider was trying to get their foot in the door. In spite of all this I said I was interested. I don’t regret it, but it took me on quite the emotional ride.

The talent recruiter said she would get back to me soon, as the Design Company needed someone fast. A week went by…soon was slipping away. The next Friday I called her. She informed me the situation had changed and things were not as dire as the week before. It seemed the IT Provider got its foot, ass…their whole body in the door. However, she said that the IT Provider still needed a Mac person to handle the account. I would have to work for them and be placed at the Design Company. Not ideal, however my current job was not ideal…nor going to last much longer. I let her know I would still be interested. A few days passed and not a peep. I called the talent recruiter and she said the job changed once again. They said they discovered several PC servers at the Design Company and the job was no longer a Mac only position. I would say the wheels were beginning to fall off…but little did I know, this was only the beginning. She did say she would see if the IT Provider would still be interested in hiring me and she’d call me back. I held out little hope that this would happen. Two days later I was shocked to hear from her. She informed me the IT Provider was still interested in me for my Mac experience. We set up an interview for Monday, Sept. 8^th since I had Mondays and Fridays off with my current position. I prepped for the interview but I was not as smitten with the job as I once was. What started as a perfect fit was dwindling down to a size 28 but I take 34. Again, I would make the best of it. As I was getting ready to leave the house, my phone rang. It was the Mac shop I worked for in the city. They never called me on my off day, so I was pretty sure what would be on the other end. It was the girl who had taken over the scheduling. She informed me they no longer needed my services as other techs were returning from vacation. I was not surprised. The owner, who had convinced me to take the position, didn’t even have the courtesy to make the call.

With this new piece of information, I decided to head to the interview with the full intention of getting the job…as now I needed one. I nailed the interview and before I even reached my car in the parking lot the talent recruiter was calling me. She informed me of what I already knew, and they wanted to have me in for a second interview later that week. She asked what day I was free, well…as of now, all of them. Of course that was not my response. She suggested Thursday. Interview #2 went just as well. I was even asked if I could come in the next day or the following Monday, if needed, to get started at the Design Company onsite. Without divulging my new employment status, I said I could probably move things around to accommodate them. Later that day the talent recruiter called me and said I had done very well. She let me know I would most likely be hearing something shortly. Friday passed and nothing. I guess they didn’t need me yet. I looked forward to a relaxing weekend, as I no longer had to deal with the insanity of my previous employment. Free from the shackles of stupidly, I did not have to worry what the following week at that Mac shop would bring. Even more so, that Saturday night, I was going to see Steely Dan at the Paramount in Huntington. Friends of mine had an extra ticket and I was in. The last time I had seen Steely Dan the experience was marred by a severely under par dinner experience and a very large man encroaching on our entire existence at the concert. This time would have to be better. To increase the enjoyment we were headed for some Cajun cuisine before the show. As I was getting ready, I received a call around 3:00pm. I recognized the number. It was the talent recruiter. But on a Saturday? Must be important so I took the call. She was happy to inform me the IT Provider loved me and they would like to offer me the position. I immediately accepted the offer. The journey was over. The last few weeks of ups and downs seemed worth it. I couldn’t even imagine this was going to be the easy part.

Full up with this knowledge I was on a high. I would be working close to home…no city, no LIRR! Soon I was off to dinner and to see Steely Dan. My friends even noticed the extra bounce in my step. One of them had even dealt with the Design Company before. She had a less than glowing opinion, but I mentioned I did my due diligence and had seen the reviews on Glassdoor. I was undeterred because if not for those issues, the opportunity would not have become available. Dinner was fantastic and we headed to the venue. We had seats in the bar area up top. We were early and scooped up bar stools by the rail looking down at the stage. Things were looking up. I should have known better. But how could I foresee this. I checked my e-mail on my phone a few moments before Steely Dan was to go on. I saw an e-mail from the talent recruiter marked urgent. I assumed it was the offer in writing and an update from our conversation only hours earlier. It was not. I was informed the IT Provider had to rescind their offer. My heart sank. Like pulling the rug right out from under me. It seems the Design Company had issues with the IT Provider’s contract and they may not even be going forward with them. The concert was ruined. My friends could see something happened as I just shut down. During the show I called Christina to let her know and I asked her to come get me. I let my friends in on what happened but there was no consoling me. What started as an opportunity for a dream job turned into an abusive relationship…and there was more to come.

Over the next few months there was some back and forth between the talent recruiter and myself. I was told to hold on if I could, they were still trying to work something out. Two months later the IT Provider and the Design Company reached an agreement on a contract. It was a bastardized version beyond belief. Like a battered spouse I went back to them and accepted their unfortunate terms. I would be split 3 days at the Design Company and 2 days at the IT Provider. Eventually I would be weaned off to 1 day a month at the Design Company. There would be no opportunity to get hired by the Design Company. I can only image this is what it would be like to accept a conditional surrender. With no were else to go…I went with this. Working at the Design Company went smoothly, working at the IT Provider did not. The following year’s turmoil makes this story seem mild. Things would eventually turn for the better after that first year. An updated contract in 2015/2016 would have me at the Design Company full time.

But with Facebook’s reminder comes the fact that this contract is now up.

Hopefully I won't be Reelin' this year...