Update - Recent Activities

I haven't blogged since June 22, and I think only once since we moved to Red Deer from Washington. Since I spent the summer bumming around my parents place like I was still in High School, you might have thought I'd have had more time for it. Not sure why, it just didn't happen. Here's what did happen, however:

I got a job. I start my training tomorrow. It's a very exciting opportunity for me, and I hope I enjoy it and show at least an average level of aptitude for it.

Michelle, Norah, and I may have a new home in Red Deer. Our first house! We made an offer, agreed on a price and possession date, and are only waiting financing and a clean home inspection. Keep those fingers crossed.

It has been a great summer. There are not many fathers who get to spend a full 3 and a half months with their firstborn.

News from Immigration Canada

Last Sunday Michelle and I got her passport back from Immigration Canada - with a visa inside. Unfortunately, they decided not to answer any of the questions we asked in the two letters we sent them. Actually, I don't think they sent us one thing that was personalized throughout this whole process. Anyhow, you'd think we would be excited - well the visa expires on April 25th. Just enough time to move - but we'd be rushed. Really rushed. It was overwhelming to think about having a new baby, trying to pack our house, arrange a move, and look for a job in Red Deer all at the same time.

We decided to just drive up to the border and ask them all our questions. I'm really glad we did, because it turns out that "landing" in Canada (which is what we had to do before April 25th) is not the same as "moving" to Canada. Which we can do whenever we want, because we "landed" on Sunday. Our plan is to have the baby, get into a bit of a groove with her, and move in late May. There you have it - the big news!

I Want to Work at Twitter, Or...

What Makes for a Good Job

Recently I had the chance to read @dom's post about how twitter got started. It was both interesting and inspiring, and it illustrates a number of the things that make for a good job.

1. A Smart Team
I love that the Twitter team works together so much. They brainstorm, design, dialogue, and meet in big open warehouse type places. I want to be part of a team like that.

2. A Clear Vision
Part of what creates such a compelling team atmosphere is the pursuit of a clearly defined vision. Nothing brings people together like a common problem, and vision is the anticipated solution to a problem. It would be great to be part of a team pursuing a clear, meaningful vision.

3. A Continuous Learning Opportunity
If I were to work at Twitter it would put me alongside people who know WAY more than me about technology, creating software, starting companies, and a whole host of other things I'm interested in. I'd be surrounded by really smart people. No matter what the job, the opportunity to ask questions and learn from smart people is very compelling to me. Maybe that's why this job opportunity intrigued me so much. My dream job: working as part of a brilliant team pursuing a clear, meaningful vision with continuous learning opportunities.

4. A Sense of Achievement
Twitter's creators must be incredibly proud. Their brain child has millions of users and Venture Capitalists are falling all over themselves to invest in their company. I hope to find work which I can look back on and feel proud of. For me, the impact of not getting a sense of achievement from my work is that I have a really hard time relaxing. I feel a built in need to improve, create, learn, and grow something - and when I don't feel like I am accomplishing this at work, I take that desire home. I get restless and anxious and I try to work at anything that will show progress when I should be recreating, laughing, and enjoying life's truest pleasures: coffee, The Office, comic strips, sunrises, camping, fishing, crossword puzzles, friends, sunsets, gardening, etc. I can tell this is becoming a problem based on the movies I want to watch. My favorite movies, the ones I truly enjoy, are rarely acclaimed. They are cliche, funny, and predictable. Like Emperor's New Groove (yes, the cartoon). When I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything, I try to relax and achieve at the same time; so I pick movies that are critically acclaimed, or that I think will make me smarter, or that I can blog about later. Also, I start trying to work on my lunch breaks. I go to the library, research business ideas, bring books to read, and above all, I find myself asking "What can I do with this time? What can I get done?". I feel restless. All that to say, I need to feel a sense of accomplishment at work so that I can enjoy my family and friends and my life.

Basically, I want to work as part of a brilliant team pursuing a clear vision that provides continuous learning opportunities and a sense of accomplishment.

There, I said it. If you know of any opportunities like that, let me know.

PS That job I linked to above might still be available.

Reflecting on a Big Day

I've been working in Human Resources at Whatcom County for almost two years, and yesterday I told my boss and several of my coworkers that Michelle and I are planning to move to Canada soon after our daughter is born. We are due March 11, so that means some time in April we will be moving (most likely). I was nervous about sharing this, particularly because I decided, with Michelle's help, that we were confident enough about the timing that we couldn't keep it a secret any longer (even though it's still almost 4 months away).

Both my actual boss and my practical boss were incredibly gracious in receiving the news. Both of them communicated that in life you need to pursue dreams and go after the things that you want to do, and they wouldn't want to hold me back from that. It was refreshing and encouraging to have their support, but also nice to know that both of them felt that I had made significant contributions in my time at the County, and that I would be missed.

Telling my work really adds a sense of finality to the decision. We are for (almost) sure that we are going, and more than likely it will be sometime in April or May. I can now start the job search process in earnest. Wow - lots to process. Better start working on the 'ol resume.