Now I've Gone And Done It

OK, so I was going to slander Alabama this weekend, or at the very least point out that the whole region down yonder there will soon be engaged in a second civil war over water rights and that, if the rest of us play our cards right, we can turn the whole state into a sort of "Mad Max" theme-park. But then I decided to quit my job instead.

Since I left law school, I've worked for 5 firms/companies in 14 years. Which means that I am either a)gloriously incompetent, b)an incredible asshole who can't get along with anyone for more than a year or so, c)somewhat restless and determind to get as much money for my work as I possibly can, or d) all of the above.

If you guessed d, well, fuck you! I am not an asshole!

The early years were basically me hopping from the first job that paid really well, (really, really well) but provided me with no experience and a definite ceiling to any earning potential, to another job working for an all-but-certified lunatic, (lasted 8 months and the last two of those he was on notice that I was leaving but I agreed to stay so he didn't have to cancel his wedding. That woman, incidentally, should be canonized immediately), to a great job that I lvoed until we started having kids and realized what things cost, to another job that paid well but where I was doomed pretty much from Day 1 when I laughed at a senior partner, to this job, where I've toiled for the last 8-9 years.

The decision was not easy. I like the people I work for. They pay well and the benefits are very good. Truth be told the benefits are probably better than where I'm going, but my kids don't really need braces anyway. The pay is comparable, although at least at first I may make a little less. At my present job I pretty much have carte blanche to come and go as I please. I run the office when the main guy isn't here. Hell, I have access to the checkbook, which shows remarkably poor judgment on someone's part. Anyone want a ride in a Porsche? (Seriosuly, it just took me three tries to spell Porsche, which should tell you just how unfamiliar I am with luxury cars.)

So why leave and start over? The official reason is the commute and travel. We moved our office recently, and while I have a kick ass view of a pond with ducks and geese, (some of them dead), and snow-covered hills, it's significantly farther away from my house. It's just becoming a pain in the ass to drive that far twice a day. Also, we cover the entire state, and most of our business, for whatever reason, for the last couple of years, seems to have shifted downstate. That means frequently driving 130 miles just to attend a 30 minute court conference, and let me tell you, that gets old real fucking fast. Mostly though, I've become, over the last couple of years, increasingly concerned about the overall direction the company is taking in Connecticut. I don't see a committment to increase business here, and I've seen a dramatic drop-off in my workload. While that's great for a general screw-off like me in the short-term, in the long-term I'm not as optimistic about where this job will be.

Regarding that issue, I want to be wrong about that. I want this firm and the people I'm leaving behind to see things pick-up and stay busy and more importantly, get paid like they deserve. I will truly miss them and this place. But I can't ignore my own thoughts, and they're telling me its time to move on to the next phase. And so it goes.

So for the next week and a half, (I gave two weeks notice but I have about 40 hours of carry-over personal time from the last 9 years and I'm using some of it), I'll be trying to make sure that my files aren't a complete horror show for whichever poor bastard inherits them. And, of course, trying to kite as many checks as I can.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I just filled out my exit survey. How much does anyone what to bet that that was the first survey that ended with a quote from Douglas Adams? For the insatiably curious, the quote was "So long, and thanks for all the fish"