Gosh - it's been awhile...

It's been a long time since I've posted anything - I'm sorry! I don't have any real excuses. I could say it's been an extremely busy time at work (crunch time to get all production changes deployed before December 16th, when the environment freeze goes into effect until mid-January), or that evenings in the gym have been taking longer than usual (it's cold out - what's the hurry?), or that I've been busy at home finishing up financial statements for Synergy, completing my 2005 race resume for a send out to potential sponsors, completing mortgage pre-assessments, and fighting an insidious cold in the meantime.

I haven't even really had time to work through my regular musings and read up on news stories that spell doom and gloom for humanity. Where are my priorities? Aww, screw it. It's the holidays. Even I can turn the other cheek for a couple of weeks!

Some undesirable news on the work front. We suffered through 'Black Tuesday' last week with the first round of layoffs in the Head Office. The VP of IS had a TownHall meeting on Friday to let us know that they are planning on shaving off at least another 80 IS positions sometime early in the new year. Since the Web Application Sustainment Team was close to losing one body on the last round of layoffs, I suspect we're going to be considered again. That means yours truly might be getting walking papers soon. I've absorbed that tidbit of information with mixed emotions. I really like working for the company particularly for the corporate culture that exists here. However, since the company was spun off from CP Ltd. in 2001, it's been reorganizing itself into a different entity altogether. What's really getting everyone's goat is the fact we've had a record year for volumes and profits, yet the Executives have decided that more personnel needs to be laid off in order to meet the Q4 expectations of the investment analysts in New York and Toronto. It's really frustrating so see your company's way of doing things subverted by stock analysts who say 'you're not doing as well as we think you should be, therefore do something about it'. It almost seems like the company is now victimized by shareholder value and quarterly revenues and profits. I guess that's the way of the world, isn't it? I love that my shares are now about $50 (when they IPOed they were $24), however, I might be losing my job to maintain that stock price. The irony is physically palpable.

On the bright side, having put five years in here gives me a total of ~25 weeks of severance pay. If I do get laid off, I could be running into 6 months of sheer unemployed bliss. I shouldn't have a problem finding other work. I have a big enough network of contacts downtown that I don't think it should even take very long, however it would be really nice to take some paid time off too. Plus I'd be able to race and train without the complications of a stupid job!

Considering this and the reality that Joe really wants to quit at his company (working in a general public technical call center has a limited lifespan - you can only deal with mean, spiteful, stupid people for only so long), we will probably be putting the home buying ideas on hold for awhile until the smoke clears and we're in a position of stability again.

*Unrelated topic* Joe also informed me yesterday that he doesn't want to come back to Manitoba with me for Xmas. Yes, it's true, the round trip is 22 hours, but I really felt it important that we go together so it sort of hurt and it really sucks. There is a yet-to-be had conversation about family that we need to face eventually. I think there is a fundamental difference in the way Joe and I approach family. He was never close to his family as an only child - either his immediate or extended ones, while I grew up around all my cousins and had two brothers. My family is still very close and most of them still live in the same community. I still feel very close to my family and the fact that Joe has no desire to get to know any of them better really hurts. He has not come with me to see Trezlie or to visit Owen and Chloe or my mom and dad. I don't know what to make of it all. Maybe it's not a big deal, and if it's important to me, I shouldn't be putting expectations on him to toe the line. His loss - Xmas with my family is always a riot.

What's on for the weekend? It's going to be another busy one, starting tonight. Joe and I are going to an Apollo/Outgames info session tonight at Metro. I'm not sure if the main reason for this is to attract more competitors to the Games in Montreal next July or to answer questions people may have, however the GLISA Exec will be there, including Mark Tewksbury whom I've talked to a couple of times before. Friday night there are no plans, however I'm sure something will come up. The Vriessman World Cup luge/bobsled/skeleton event is taking place at COP on the weekend. I'd like to take in some of that on Friday evening if possible from the beer tents on location! I'm hoping to take my new tripod and the SLR and attempt to take action shots of the lugers as they whip by at 100km/h. Saturday is running/weights/curling and then Don Buckley's annual Xmas party and bar call, and Sunday is the Swan's Xmas party. I will be undoubtedly slithering into work on Monday. Should be a fun one.

I'll post something else soon, and there will definitely be more pictures after the weekend. A bientot.....