As The Work Picks Up...

Things are beginning to pick up a bit at work. Though it's been dead, I anticipate that we'll be getting very busy soon. We'll be moving to a new building in the next weeks or so & after that the project will pass another milestone. We're picking up more tests... but a few features are being dropped. (Yup... when you can't fix something, you just get rid of it.)

I'm anxious to see what happens because I'd like to know what kind of schedule I'll be looking at. I'm almost betting on the hours being just crazy enough to interfere with any evening activities... like Krav Maga. I don't know how taking off for two or three hours two nights per week is going to set with management. I'd come back... & I'd work late. I just hate the idea of being shackled there at the perfectly inopportune times, mid-week.

That's one thing about the Combato schedule; I can adjust when I take the classes, days or evenings. So I would be able to fit a few in every week. In a worst-case scenario... I could attend the Saturday classes.

I really would like to get into the Krav class because I want to get a feel for the system. I suppose I'll have to figure out how to work the schedule. I may be able to slip away on thise nights provided we are not completely hammered. I'm in the lab nearly two hours before anyone else as it is now.

My rep sent me an e-mail today regarding my contract end date. That should be coming up in June... unless I get extended for another six months. At this point, I've already been here 3 months, June will make it six & it will be difficult to get another contract here if I cannot finish a full year of eligibility.

Even though I wish I could afford to quit tomorrow... I can't. I need the money. I need to keep working to get the remainder of my tuition saved up (hopefully), as well as pay my debt down. Since the course openenings for 2010 aren't until September & November I actually have more time... but I want to get the tuition set aside before anything else. That's my main concern. Once that's done I can relax since I'll have an additional $1k per month... depending on how much I'm earning.





I'm still on track for the deposit to be ready in June, albeit a week later than I had planned. I may be able to dump some extra money into savings between now & then. I noticed that the center has added additional courses for 2009: In September & November. So I currently still have no idea what the 2010 schedule will be like. I'm thinking that there will be courses available in the Spring & Summer as this year. The other courses for 2009 were just added.

It's a trade off. It would be nice to have some additional time to save money... as well as to train. However... I'd really like to get started. When and if my application is accepted, I'll probably want to get in as soon as I possibly can. I would imagine that if they still have openings for November by the time I have the reamainder of the tuition which should be on or about September 18th. I can't imagine them still having any openings by that point however.

I'm sure that the scheduling tends to fall as the cadre` are available to teach. Since they are all working professionals, it likely depends on when they are available. So I'll keep saving & watching the calendar. The extra months provided with my having to wait until 2010 means additional time for language, combat & fitness training. I owe it to myself to be as ready as I can be.

If my contract at MS ends in June, I'll try to get another. If that fails, I'll take whatever I can get to keep the money coming in. The critical thing is getting that deposit put together. I'd like to have the time & income to get the full tuition by that Semptember deadline, but I know that there aren't any guarantees of employment. Our manager is bringing back the guy that I replaced. So we will have four testers. I know that this is what he wanted but new people coming in can also mean someone going out. I've been doing very well, but I'm not sure what his expectations are for the remainder of the product cycle. Ultimately, I just want to get my money & get out! I don't much care about "product" any more. Especially not after the pay cuts & this other nonsense. Those have been some of the motivators that I needed.