Major life decision

[Srini]

MykWiz, thank you so much for the affirmation. I'm sure I'll miss this place a lot more than I can imagine, but you know you're doing the right thing, as you say, when it just feels right. It feels like I did when I retired. I knew I would miss some parts of being an IBMer, but a couple of months took care of that and, while its behind me now, I can look back on the good memories.

Badxmpl, thanks so much, buddy! Its hard to know what the future holds, but it definitely not inconceivable that I'll come back. The only unknown is, where. Right now, Maryland feels like home, but who knows what my feelings will be a few years from now.

Srini

[Srini]

Very interesting, Dangerine. That period you mentioned was when I was doing tons of performance analysis gigs on Wall St. and spent a lot of time at the Maiden Lane office in team meetings (without the client!). I know - or should I say, knew - the area very well. I still remember taking the Delta Shuttle from DCA to LaGuardia dreaming about dinner at Roy's at the Marriott Financial Center, where we usually stayed. Come to think of it, I remember coming back one time, waiting in the security line at LaGuardia before boarding, with Pat Moynihan right in front of me. A security officer came up and offered to take him to the front of the line, and he declined. What a class act! My own 9/11 memory was waiting for the phone to ring in my home office for my IT Specialist Certification board interview, with the door shut after a long night staying up reading through my certification package. The call never came, so I SameTime'd (remember that?) one of my incorrigibly frivolous colleagues who said we'd been attacked by terrorists. To which I suggested to her that this may not be the best time for jokes...we're talking about my certification here! The rest is history, isn't it?

We could reminisce about IBM, I'm sure, much to the chagrin of the other guys, so I won't go much further. But I know what you mean about nasty management types. I'm glad they gave you a package. I tried really hard to get one before I left, but all they kept giving me was bad gigs, so I retired on my own.

I'll definitely stay connected here, that's for sure!

Srini

[gpower]

Good for you Srini! Sounds like you have it all figured out.