2nd Interview
2007-05-16, 5:32 p.m.

Day 997

Just heard from Zach (9:45am). His second interview went very, very well. It turns out my more cautious approach to the interview was a little too guarded. This interview really turned out to be a �Here�s the team, when can you start?� session.

The lead interviewer is going to sit down with the firm�s partners, write a job description for Zach, then put together an offer package. They covered the basics � health & dental insurance, 401k plan, vacation allowance, medical re-imbursement account and mileage re-imbursement. Besides weekly trips to Syracuse (190 miles round trip at $0.485 a mile) he may also be traveling to Buffalo regularly in the near future (only 120-ish round trip). Oh � they also get a yearly bonus based on how well the company does.

The interviewer (Bob) thinks he�ll have an offer in the mail within a week. Zach will have time to mull it over (it�ll take 3.3 milliseconds, but he�ll linger a while) before he sends it back. I�m sure we�ll have a little offer sheet signing party for him too.

This whole process has been pretty incredible. I see a tiny little article in the business section, highlighting new hires. Take note of the firms name, check them out on the web, see they have a position open that sounds like Zach to a �T�. I show Zach, he sends off a resume & cover letter (email & snail mail), follows up with a phone call, and then knocks them dead at his first interview. That second interview was pretty much a coronation. Sweet. He ought to be working with them by the second week in June � depending on how much notice he needs to give at his current employer. He�s in a freakin grocery warehouse � I�m thinking a week is plenty sufficient. I�m sure that by the end of summer (hell, July even) Zach & Jill will be in an apartment, out on their own, playing at being real adults. At nearly 23 years old, I suppose that�s allowed.

One down, one to go. Kids with professional jobs that is. This parenting gig is far from over, I realize that, but getting one prepped to REALLY leave the nest is exciting. I might even shed a tear or two when we get them set up in their apartment this summer. Maybe. Can�t be looking all emotional. That would ruin the reputation of my entire paternal lineage. (Wimps � afraid to cry every now & then.)

Don�t know what got into Patty this morning. Maybe she�s taking lessons from Gary or something. This morning was all about the uphill sprints. After those, we did big, heavy load climbs, followed by a quick downhill sprint. Quick rest for water and toweling off, then back up hill we went, with pace, of course. By the end of the hour, I was drenched. Great workout. Went off to Nautilus land for a bit, got in some upper body work (desperately needed) and called it a morning.

Our dishwasher is out of commission until the new one is delivered tomorrow. That means lots of hand washing. Compounded that by doing chicken parmesan last night, which turns out to be a rather dish & pan intensive meal to prepare. Sucks when you�re used to just dropping everything in the dishwasher. Unfortunately, the water constantly leaking out of the overfull basin in the machine has hammered the parquet floor in the kitchen. Decided to bite the bullet and just replace the damn thing. This was also the last appliance held over from before the remodel, so it will be good to get rid of the stark, white, dishwasher and replace it with something stainless & black, like everything else in the kitchen. Finally. Don�t know if I have any spare tiles to touch up the kitchen floor or not. I�m thinking I don�t. Going to have to wait till we decide to re-do with stone or something.

The lack of a dishwasher created a bit of a scramble getting to the meeting last night. Left Zach elbow deep in dishwater, washing like a madman. Eric & Jill were there to dry & put things away. From what I hear, Cindy was pissed about not having a dishwasher, but hey, it�s being delivered Thursday. She still spent the evening grumbling about having to manually do dishes, even though she didn�t have to wet so much as a finger herself.

Apparently Cindy also had a mini-snit about where I had gone. Duh � Tuesday night, 8pm, where do I ALWAYS go? Like it�s a mystery. While she was in the kitchen looking for something to complain about, I double-checked with the kids that they were ok with the dishes and told everybody I was headed out and would be back at 9:30. Some mystery I left behind. This is a guess, but my own opinion on why Cindy has such a problem with me going to Al Anon is that every time I step out the door, I�m telling her she has a problem.

If you read the literature, you come to understand that it�s the Al Anon member with the problem. Getting caught up in the maddening cycle of trying to get the alcoholic to stop drinking is the real issue. Get Cindy to stop drinking? Not the point of going to Al Anon. Until she owns the process, it�s worthless. I�m just learning how to cope and sharing some of the information with my kids.

�Nuff of that.

Tomorrow morning is a run day. If I get there early enough (bets??) I�ll try and get in a 5 miler (8 minute miles please) and do legs on the nautilus. After that? Work. Sheer drudgery. Boring thermal tests on transformers that aren�t going to blow up. Suppose I could look at it as saving the company some money. We ARE like a start up now, after all. Gotta watch that bottom line.

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