ET's Info-Stew

Today is the second biggest turning point in my life. The first is when I moved from Colorado to California when I was 12. Sixteen years later, today, we have made it official that we are moving back from California to Colorado. We have been planning this for a while, and today I made it official by telling my employer. I wanted to wait to tell everyone until after telling my boss, out of respect for him, Sandia, and the opportunities they have given me. Well, it turns out they keep on giving.

My boss has allowed me to continue on with security operations by telecommuting. This is one heck of an opportunity for me, and I'm going to do my best to make it a great opportunity for Sandia too. I will continue to work there for as long as is makes sense for both parties involved. On our side, there are so many benefits to this deal. First, I get to continue doing work I greatly enjoy. Second, I get paid the California salary with the Colorado cost of living, including paying Colorado state taxes instead of California state taxes. Third, I don't have to worry about finding a new job, and all the stress involved.

But the best is the fourth benefit: since I keep my work history, Jenny and I can now move directly into a house, instead of living in another apartment for a year. This is such a great benefit, considering the housing market is just about to see an upswing, with higher rates and higher prices. Now is THE BEST time to get a house. We've already got the plans rolling. Soon we're going back out to Colorado to look at houses with a realtor!

All these great things just surfaced today. I don't care how dumb any readers of this blog think it is, but today has been somewhat of a spiritual experience for me. For weeks I've been praying to God that, whatever happens, everything works out okay. And today God has given us so much more than I expected. And it has brought me a sort of clarity. I thought of all the people whose lives have been recently destroyed in China and Myanmar, and I compare it to what God has done for us today. Who are we to deserve such gifts? It's very humbling. I feel like God is giving us these opportunities so that he can do his good work through us. I think God has big plans for us.

To our families: thank you for all your support. And of course special thanks to Mom, Dad, and Bonnie, without whose excellent parenting I never would have done as well as I have in life.

To my co-workers: I'm going to miss all of you. I won't be there physically, but I hope that I continue to do good work from afar. Eventually, my time will be up at Sandia, so I just want you to know that each of you has helped me grow and improve, and I appreciate that. And special thanks to Ed, who is so understanding about personal and professional needs. I'm lucky to have worked with you all.