The Holidays Are A Pain

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season because it is seriously interfering with my job search. Trying to look for a job between Thanksgiving and New Years Day is a complete waste of time. No one does anything the week of Thanksgiving. And then when they get back to work, everyone is just thinking about their Christmas vacation coming up in a couple of weeks. I don't know why anyone even bothers showing up to work the week between Christmas and New Years. If anyone is there at all, they are probably just playing video games the whole time.

I had a company call me a week ago Tuesday saying they wanted someone to start THAT WEEK, and asking if I could come in for an interview. I said "sure!" I hear nothing for a full week so I figured they hired someone else. Nope, as it turns out, they just didn't get around to dealing with the hiring because everyone is on vacation. At least most companies have the decency to tell you up front that they won't be getting back to anyone until January.

That's great for all of you, but I'm trying to find a job and this is a big inconvenience. Come on people, get back to work!!! I've got 3 hungry pets to feed and they don't care one bit about the holidays.

What now?

The fact that I have avoided blogs because I can't stand the thought of sitting at a computer long enough to post anything should tell you something about how my career as a software developer has been going. Mind-numbing, soul-sucking job after mind-numbing, soul-sucking job. I've worked for some great companies, but I just don't really like computers that much.

I was visiting my family for Thanksgiving, laptop in tow, so I could work remotely on a project that wasn't going well and that I cared nothing about. My niece asked me to color with her. "In a few minutes. I'm working right now."

I was "working" on my resignation email to my boss. I would color as soon as I hit the "send" button. Yeah, that's right. I quit in an email. I know it's lame but it was either that, or continue to suffer in my job for another 6 months because I'm too wimpy to have even a minimally uncomfortable conversation. At least I know my limitations.

My last day came and went last week. I have no job lined up, no idea what I want to do for money, and I don't care. I couldn't stay in that job another day. I can't spend any more time and energy on things that suck the soul right out of me.

I have some ideas of what to do, both short term (make a pie) and long term (move to Durham and buy a duplex). But I am really hoping to rediscover who I am supposed to be when I'm not chained to a computer for 35-50 hours a week.

So far, my biggest accomplishment since I stopped working has been this christmas card.

Sorry if I didn't send you a copy. I'm sure I meant to.