2013 Jack O'Lanterns

I barely made it, but this year's pumpkins are now carved and ready to go.  It was a busy week and I was worried I wouldn't make it, but the final jack o'lantern was finished tonight.  My plan was to have them gutted out and ready to carve on Sunday, but I got sidetracked doing other things this weekend, so I didn't actually get them scooped out until Sunday.  Then with my new job and running the girls around after I got home, I was only able to draw the face on three of them Monday night and actually carve them on Tuesday.  I didn't even put them through the normal preservation procedure of soaking them in a bleach solution to inhibit mold and keep them from drying out once the were carved.

So with no further adieu, may I present for you viewing pleasure, the 2013 Hahn jack o' lanterns.

First was Kris's.  This is the pumpkin that Sam uses in the movie, Trick R Treat.  In the movie it is more of a torch because there isn't just a candle inside, there are flames coming out of the top.

Alison wanted me to carve the Corpse Bride for hers.  I made a couple of mistakes with it, but she doesn't mind and as long as she likes it, that's all that matters.

Sarah originally wanted a mummy face on her pumpkin, but I was having lots of problems drawing it out and getting it to look right before carving it.  I think I was drawing it way too big.  Maybe I'll get it right next year.  So instead she got a skull, because everyone knows skulls and Halloween go together.

It isn't too bad, but I think I made it a little too wide.  I think it would look a little better if I made it a little skinnier.  

Finally, I finished mine about two hours ago.  I think it looks pretty good.  I told the girls that it needs more cowbell, but they didn't get the joke.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE HAHNS!

Final Day

Yesterday was my final day of work at KBI.  It was a long time coming.  Quite ironically, it turned out to be my ten year anniversary there.  The actual date of my ten year anniversary would be the 27th, but since that's on a Sunday, it turns out that ten full years would have been yesterday.  So on the day I am leaving I was given a $50 gift card as a gift to celebrate my ten years there.  

I had a couple of things to finish before I left, but starting at 10:00 my day actually got rather busy.  I had to do an exit interview with the HR director that I was planning on taking an hour or so, but it ended up taking two hours, which took me right up to lunch.  My new boss was buying me lunch as a going away gift, so from the exit interview I went right to lunch.  After lunch I was back to trying to finish my workload, which was trying to have things complete and set-up for whoever would be taking over my duties on Monday.  Of course everyone had to come and say goodbye to me and make a little small talk, like where are you going, what are you going to be doing, etc. which made me get even farther behind.  Luckily I was able to finish things by 5:30, because as soon as I got home I had to drive Sarah to the Falls' football game.  Any later than 5:30 and she would have been late getting there.  As it was, it didn't much matter because the Falls choked and lost in the first round of the playoffs. 

But leaving KBI did make me a little sad.  Not so much for the people I was working with, but for all the time and energy I put in there.  I feel like a lot of my time ended up being wasted.  I should have left a couple of years ago.  

So on Monday I start at my new job, and I couldn't be more excited to get to a place where there are actual engineers who do engineering work.  It's about time. 

Pumpkins

Today was also the annual trip up the road to the pumpkin stand to pick out pumpkins for this year's jack-o-lanterns.  So after Sarah finished her confirmation class we drove over to look though this years crop.  

The stand that we go to every year is about two miles up the road.  It's just a wagon with a bunch of pumpkins on it and more pumpkins laid out around it in front of a farmer's field.  That particular farmer has several other stands around, but we like the one right up the road.  When we got there, there were four other cars of people picking out pumpkins too, so we had a little trouble trying to park.  But as soon as we did, I got out and walked over and found a big, round one that I thought was pretty good.  As soon as I grabbed it Alison decided she wanted it for her pumpkin.  I was nice enough to let her have it.

It took us about 10 minutes of walking through the rows and looking on the cart to find the ones we wanted, but I think we picked some good ones this year.  So the 2013 Hahn pumpkins are home and now awaiting carving.  I am waiting to see what designs the girls want on theirs this year, and I am still looking for a good design myself.  But I have a little time yet, since I don't plan on carving them until next weekend.

October

October is the best, most awesome month of the year.  However, it also means winter is coming.  Unfortunately that also means stuff needs to be done, like raking leaves, cleaning out gutters, putting covers on the basement window wells. And since the Packers played a late game, I spent my afternoon trying to get things done around the house before the game started.  Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way I had planned (they rarely do).  I finished up around 5:30, so I was able to get inside and actually watch the 4th quarter of the Packers game.  It was good to see a little of the game at least, though I was listening to the game on the radio.  After about a hour of sitting down watching, my muscles stiffened up.  That's how I know I am getting old.

Notice Has Been Given

Well...  I turned in my notice first thing Friday morning.  I think it sort of threw a wrench in the works of all the plans that the company had for the new manager.  I sort of feel bad for him.  He has an uphill climb ahead of him and I think he was counting on me to help him get things done.  Unfortunately, I need to think about my career and the goals I have.  If that ends up being elsewhere, so be it.

The company president was off Friday, but a little after lunch, the VP asked me to come into a meeting.  My supervisor had turned in my notice to the VP, who in turn ended up calling the President, who came in special to talk to me.  At first the meeting was about why I had wanted to move on.  I was asked if there was anything they could do to make me change my mind.  I made sure not to burn any bridges and just told them I was feelign burned out and that it was time to move on.

There was another guy at work who left last year around Christmas, and for whatever reason, he was back in, I think, May.  Apparently things didn't work out for him wherever he went.  So the good thing is that they told me that if things didn't work out, they would love to have me back, too.  So I guess I have that, but I don't think that things will tank.  That's not the kind of person I am.  I'll make it work out.  Plus, I expect that the change of scenery will be good for me.  So now the countdown is on.   

Another Rain Out

Today I was running behind with things so I dropped Ali off and her game and came home to clean up.  I was cleaning out the gutters (I really need to find some gutter covers that keep the debris out while allowing the water to drain off the roof) of all the leaves and it took a little longer than I had planned.

I finished right about the time I had to take Ali.  so after cleaning up and grabbing some lunch, I made it to the game with about 4 minutes left in the second quarter.  I brought an umbrella because it was a little dark and the weather forecast was for rain.  I ended up being there for about 15 or 20 minutes before it started raining.  They had just kicked off the second half when the sky opened up.  Then there was a flash of lightning, which means a delay of 35 minutes minimum.  So since there was going to be a delay, the cheerleaders were told they didn't need to wait around.  So of the six games that she has cheered this year, three of them have been postponed to where the cheerleaders didn't finish the game.  It really doesn't seem fair.  They only have one more game scheduled this year, and one make up date, which I don't think they'll need.  And the extended forecast for next week, at least right now, is cold (A high of 50) but at least there isn't any rain forecast...  yet.

Reunion Weekend

This weekend is Kris's 25th class reunion.  So we spent the night tonight at the Falls football game and tomorrow night there is a dinner.  After the game tonight apparently there was a get together at Krueger Lanes, which is just down the street from our house.  But we didn't go. We had to get ready for Ali's game in the morning, plus I have outside things to do before getting ready for the dinner tomorrow.

After the dinner there is going to be a DJ and dancing, though I am sure everyone will group off into their cliques and talk about how fat the other cliques have gotten.  The venue where it is being held is, to put it mildly, a dive.  I've driven past the place several times in the past twenty years, but have never been inside.  Kris told me that even back 25 years ago the place was considered a dive.  So I am a little afraid about what it is going to be like tomorrow night.  I just hope I don't end up with food poisoning.

The Search Is Ova!

Tonight I sent an acceptance letter to the plastics company in Germantown.  So as of October 28th, I will have a new job.  I will be working as a manufacturing engineer making extruded plastic tubing.  I am sure it'll take me a little bit to get up to speed with what they do, but what I'll have to do is go get my school books and refresh my memory on the extrusion process.

Now the big thing will be notifying my current company that I'll be leaving.  I am hoping that they don't just say well you may as well just leave now.  I don't think that they will, but they have been known to do it in the past.  So I'll be working on my letter of resignation now.  I'm not sure if I'll turn it in on Thursday or Friday, but I definitely will need to turn it on by the end of the week.

Job Search Update

Today I got my second job offer.  Last week, I got an offer from the plastics company I had interviewed at and as I was interviewing at another company.  I called the second company to ask what their timeline was because I had another job offer on the table that I was seriously considering.  I think this set the wheels in motion at company #2 because they told me that they would check my references and educational background and that if everything looked good they would make me an offer on Monday.  Well, that offer arrived this afternoon.

So Kris and I sat down and went over the pros and cons of each job.  I think I have decided that I am going to go after the first one.  I have to see if I can negotiate a little more salary-wise and get a little more vacation time to start with.  And then if they don't want to budge, maybe I go back to company #2 and see if they will sweeten the pot. I am 95% sure I am going to accept the job at the first company, but if something happens, I'll always have job #2 to fall back on.

Then will come the difficult job, turning in my notice at my current job.  One guy I work with told me to be prepared for work to tell me to pack up my things and go.  I would hope they wouldn't do that, but just in case they do, I need to make sure that the new place knows I may be able to start sooner than later.  

I have a call scheduled tomorrow to discuss things with the VP of the plastics company.  So keep your fingers crossed for me.

Binge Watching

Now that Breaking Bad is over, I need to find a new show to watch.  I was on some serious binge viewing of Breaking Bad over the last month or so.  I downloaded the first four and a half seasons and watched them all in the course of a month before getting on the last 7 episodes.  I finished up the Friday before Breaking Bad had the series finale.  I did the same thing a year or so ago when I was recovering from my hernia surgery where I watched two seasons worth of The Walking Dead in four days (Season four starts this weekend, so mark your calendars).

So now, I need a new show.  In a way, I prefer the binge watch where I get all the episodes back to back so I don't have to wait a week or so in between shows.  I am thinking of Hell On Wheels.  I have heard some good things about it, and since there have only been three seasons, I should be caught up relatively quickly.  I have always wanted to see Deadwood too.  I think there were only three seasons of that show.  

But if you have any other suggestions please let me know.

Ice Skating

Yesterday Alison had a girl scout ice skating event in West Bend.  This time around I wasn't skating with them, as much as I like to go ice skating.  Instead, my plan was to sit and watch Alison, maybe offer a few tips, and take some pictures of her falling on her butt.  Unfortunately, I forgot the camera.  Which was fine because Ali didn't want us hanging around anyway.  Instead we dropped her off and made sure her skates fit, and then we drove to the Kohls to go look for some new clothes for me for work.

I figured that I needed some new stuff, almost every pair of Dockers I have are shredded at the bottom.  I always thought that it didn't really matter since I didn't really interact with anyone at work anyway.  Half the time I wear jeans.  But being on the verge of a new job, Kris thought that I should really clean things out and get some new clothes that aren't all ripped up.  Usually I don't have any luck finding my size, but this time I actually was able to find several pairs, which is amazing itself. 

When we got back, Alison had just finished and we had to sit and watch the Kettle Moraine skating club.  A few of the skaters put on a figure skating exhibition.  It was pretty good for some little 9 and 10 year old girls.

Next time I will need to remember the camera.

Visit

I forgot to add some photos last week when my parents were up from Florida for a visit.  They came to the Falls' homecoming game Friday night and then stayed overnight to go see Alison cheer at her game on Saturday.  They also brought my niece down with them. 

She was a little shy but as soon as she got to our house and saw the trampoline that was pretty much all she wanted to do.  I took her on first and then Sarah and Ali went on with her showing her how to do flips etc.  

Luckily, no one had a camera out when I was on the trampoline, but I did get ours once I got out.  

Grandma even got into the action.

 

Dilemma

I think I have a dilemma developing.  I have been searching for a new job and interviewing for the past couple of weeks.  The first job I interviewed for has made me an offer.  However, I had a second interview and another place today as well.  The feeling that I get is that they too are going to make me an offer.  So now here is the problem...

Job #1 is going to be a manufacturing engineering job, which is what I was really looking for, plus it is only a 10 minute drive from home (about 4 miles).  Job #2, is a quality engineering job and the drive is 19 miles away (and in good traffic it will take at least 30 minutes).

Both companies seem very good.  At company #2 most people have been there an average of 15 years, and from what it seems like their product base is very stable and they are looking to expand into some different areas.  Company #1 is also pretty stable, and the working environment is very comfortable.

So while I know that technically I have only one offer, it is one that I need to try and negotiate a little bit.  And hopefully that can buy me a little time and see if I get the offer from the other place.  If not at least I'll have negotiated a little better situation for myself.