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.

Homecoming 2013

For homecoming this year, Sarah was going to go with a group of about 20 friends.  Well it turns out that two days before, one of the boys in the group she was going with decided to ask her to be his date.  That meant a last minute call to the florist for a boutonniere.

So I'm not going to go on and on about it, I'll just post a few photos and leave it at that.  

 

.

Second Interview

I was trying to figure out how to get to my second interview on Friday when Kris suggested I take a vacation day.  That way I wouldn't need to rush around.  Plus, my parents were coming down to see Sarah cheer at homecoming, and I needed to get the grass cut.  So I thought that was probably the best idea.  

I had my interview scheduled at 11:00 AM and I figured I would be there for about an hour, since the last one lasted about 40 minutes.  Well things went pretty well.  I met with the director of engineering for about a half an hour.  Then he left for a minute, and when he came back I got a tour of the company.  I thought it was very interesting.  They make  surgical tubing by plastic injection molding.  It's something that is completely outside of my comfort zone, though I think it would just be a new challenge to master.  

So after about 40 minutes or so walking through the manufacturing floor, we went back to the conference room.  I thought I was going to meet with the VP I originally met with the week before but instead, I got to meet the president, and owner of the company. 

I think things went very well.  So we'll see what happens next.  The guy I interviewed with told me that I would be hearing from them early next week or so.  So maybe things are starting to look up. 

Another Interview

I had another interview today on the south side of Milwaukee.  It wasn't a bad place.  The company makes valves and solenoids.  It sounds pretty interesting and I think it would be something that would keep me busy.  It is a union shop and they went over their benefit package with me, which I thought was strange on a first interview.  But I have to say their benefits were pretty good.  

The downside was the drive.  It was only about a 19 mile drive, but the traffic was brutal.  I don't know if I would ever be able to make that drive every day.  I think I caught good traffic going there, it only took 40 minutes.  But the drive back home took me more than an hour.  I don't know if that would be worth it, especially if they didn't bump up my salary.  

But it was only a first interview so we'll see if they liked me enough to warrant a call back for a second interview.

Homecoming Week

This week is homecoming week at the MFHS.  This year Sarah started planning her wardrobe for the week on last Thursday.  I don't remember her being this fired up for homecoming last year.  This year she is taking it seriously, making sure she has all the right stuff to wear for the week.  One thing that they did do away with last year though was "class color" day.  I think someone complained that it would help seniors target freshmen for hazing if they were all wearing the same color.

This year it was replaced with class theme day.  I don't see the difference.  Instead of a single color classes are going to be wearing the same type of clothes.  Maybe next year they'll bring back class colors.  The last I heard, the sophomores were doing pretty well.  Sarah said that the seniors always win.  I told her when I was in HS I actually remember the sophomores winning spirit week one year, so you never know what will happen.