My 1000th Post

[mendip_discovery]

Well, I have been putting this off for a while but I think it is time.

To post my 1000th post. I had wanted it to be the announcement that I had started a new job for a very well-respected calibration lab but after causing a lot of flapping at work I was coerced into staying.

So with that over I need to get my stats up, only 22 days, 16 hours and 25 minutes supposedly spent online on this forum and only 0.612 posts per day.

[tggzzz]

Sounds like a good dilemma to have

I once was in the position of weighing up three job offers at the same time, so I know it isn't an easy decision.

[mendip_discovery]

Sounds like a good dilemma to have

I once was in the position of weighing up three job offers at the same time, so I know it isn't an easy decision.

I wanted the experience and they offered a significant pay rise of ~38% but there wasn't any lab time and I would be on the road 5 days a week. I have been at the same place for 10 years and I don't like changing jobs but I had some grumbles as I feel that I care more for the place than anyone else I was often taking on more than I can mentally handle. Things may change but I am not sure of it, but at least I'm getting offered a bit more for my time.

[Gyro]

... I have been at the same place for 10 years and I don't like changing jobs but I had some grumbles as I feel that I care more for the place than anyone else I was often taking on more than I can mentally handle. Things may change but I am not sure of it, but at least I'm getting offered a bit more for my time.

At RACAL it used to be known as the fur-lined rut. You have to climb out of it sometime but where you go needs to be the right fit. Just don't leave it too long.

[tggzzz]

Being on the road that much would kill me! Driving is tiring and boring.

In the early 80s I came to the realisation that if I ever had a job where I was away from home for much of the time, then I would probably become an alcoholic. Back then there was bugger all to do in the evenings in a poky out-of-town hotel, other than watch TV, read a book, and drink.

[tggzzz]

... I have been at the same place for 10 years and I don't like changing jobs but I had some grumbles as I feel that I care more for the place than anyone else I was often taking on more than I can mentally handle. Things may change but I am not sure of it, but at least I'm getting offered a bit more for my time.

At RACAL it used to be known as the fur-lined rut. You have to climb out of it sometime but where you go needs to be the right fit.

Interesting phrase. I've used it, but can't remember hearing it elsewhere.

I've always remembered a couple of quotes from "Dune", one being " ... he fought the temptation to choose a clear, safe course, warning “That path leads ever down into stagnation.” ". That's helped me climb out of my fur-lined ruts, for better and worse.

[brucehoult]

Being on the road that much would kill me! Driving is tiring and boring.

Ahhh, not as tiring as programming.

I *hate* commuting time, and have always been fortunate to be maximum 10-15 minutes from work.

But driving ON THE CLOCK?  On an engineer's salary? Sign me up.

[tggzzz]

But driving ON THE CLOCK?  On an engineer's salary? Sign me up.

Not clear whether it would be on the clock!

Life is too short to spend too much doing things you want to avoid doing.

Remember: every engineer needs a mistress. They he can tell the wife he is with the mistress, the mistress he is with the wife - and all the time he his having fun in the lab.

[brucehoult]

One of the most fun jobs I ever had was in the summer of 2004/5 when Telecom NZ was setting up its CDMA2000 EVDO network. The job was driving repeatedly around every street in the Wellington region (and one weekend, Christchurch) in a Ford Territory SUV with an RF engineer friend of mine in the back with a mass of test equipment, and something like eight antennas with magnetic bases spread over the roof and wires coming in the windows.

I find driving very easy, we had a lot of chance for conversation, and we always found some very interesting and beautiful place to eat lunch. The pay as contractors for Alcatel-Lucent was good too.