Dazed, Confused, and Sorely Undersupplied: A Week in My Reality

That little cold I toted around with me the last day of our cruise reeked its revenge upon my respiratory system on Monday. I had fever, chills, wheezing, coughing fits, a runny nose, and no perishable foods in the house. The need to rest and recuperate was battling with the need to forage for healthy food - and coffee. Foraging won.

After a few cups of hot tea with honey, a long hot shower, and the last of the cold medication, I headed out into the elements for provisions. I was in luck. Although it had been cold, rainy, and snowy the day before, today was a relatively balmy 65F (18C) - winter in North Carolina is unpredictable at best, but warm is always better than cold. There was no need to bundle up. The only need was to find supplies.



Split Pea Soup

First I headed to the Home Depot for some felt pads to place under the kitchen chairs. Robbie Rumba keeps knocking the chairs around and scratching the floors (Bad Robot). Next was a trip to Target for cold medicine. Then Sam's Warehouse Club for coffee and juice. Then the grocery store for dairy and fresh produce. I was whipped when I got home, so I reheated some of the split pea soup I made before the cruise (great recipe here). I guess the re-provisioning could have waited after all.

Around 6:00 PM Monday evening, I received the call I had been waiting for the previous week on the cruise. In my delirium I happily hacked, crackled, and wheezed into the phone thinking that the HR representative was delivering the final bit of good news. Silly me, I thought that after four rounds of interviews, the decision would have been made. But no. One more interview with the COO was required. On the bright side, I figured that by Thursday, I would be fit once again and this Caribbean jungle rot thing I was carrying around with me would have run its course.

Tuesday, I did feel slightly better in the morning so I headed into work, but by the afternoon I was back to feeling feverish and generally rotten. I did not sleep very well between the night sweats and the coughing fits, so Wednesday I called in sick and called my doctor. Besides feeling really yucky - I also felt really guilty for returning from vacation and calling in sick to work. The doctor gave me some antibiotics to clear up my lungs and I felt slightly better Thursday morning. So much better that I got up at 7:00 AM, showered, had breakfast, got dressed and headed to the office. Upon reaching the elevator down the hall, I had a coughing fit that felt as if I were coughing up my toenails. So, I turned around, went back inside my condo, undressed, crawled into bed and emailed my boss that I would be staying home one more day.

The bad thing was that my final interview with the COO at my potential new employer was scheduled at lunch time. So, I took another handful of cough suppressants, slept for two hours, got up and took a very long shower, changed costume three times, and headed out the door with a cough drop in my mouth and three more in my pocket.

When I arrived at the job location, I informed everyone I met that I was sick, to keep their distance, and that there was to be no touching. So, I air hugged a friend, shook air hands with the COO, and kept my germy paws by my side for the next hour. The interview went extremely well. I asked a question and he chatted about it for 30 minutes. That evening, my references started texting me to let me know that they had been contacted.

All was good again in Glenn's world. So much so that I joined Jason for a beer (or three) at the pub to celebrate what I envision to be happy days ahead. Probably not the smartest thing I have done this week, but I was giddy and eager to share my news with a friend.

The best laid five-year plans of mice and men...

I apologize for the lack of blog entries lately, it seems that for the last few weeks there has been someone off stage who is constantly tossing another object into the juggling act that is my life. But, as the saying goes, if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.

I have been working on a fundraiser / celebration for Raleigh's International Month. There have been seemingly endless meetings in preparation for the International Festival, along with hundreds of emails between my brother and I as we plan a family visit to Asia with my father (Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam). Add to that preparing for a couple of job interviews, an earthquake, and a hurricane, and it is easy to understand why my posting has fallen off lately. Not from a lack of inspiring topics mind you, but more from the exceedingly strong gravitational force of my sofa and bed. I have been a little tired and a bit irritable. The topics that have popped into my mind have also been a little on the negative side, so I have been letting them percolate for a while in order to capture all the flavor without the bitter aftertaste.... ahhh, who am I kidding ;-)  

Anyway....Let's talk about me...some history.


During my time in Greensboro, and possibly a bit before I relocated there, I took a look at my life and formulated a five year plan. I wanted to buy a house, get another degree, and refocus my career onto a different path. I was successful in that I found a great home to gut and remodel. I had a job that I eventually came to enjoy that also paid for my tuition, and I got to know and love my younger brother much better, but I really had no friends there except for people that I knew from work. Needless to say, a single man in his late 30's had no place to play in a blue-collar, bring-your-family-with-you city like the one in which I was living.

During this time, my brother got married to a lovely woman and they eventually moved to Asia to be closer to his work. I completed my degree and the house remodel. Once I reached the goals I had originally set for myself in my first five year plan I started getting a little restless. So, I sold the house and downsized into a 650 square foot apartment with the thought of seeking a job in Washington DC as a petty bureaucrat. My job search in the nation's capital did not go as planned. However, I let slip that I was in the market for a new job to one of the software vendors I worked with, and in a few weeks, I was off to a new adventure.

I relocated back to Raleigh - a downtown condominium this time. And formulated a new five year plan. This one was to live among friends and closer to family, to be more involved in my world, and to enjoy the travel benefits of my new job. Of course, I soon discovered that traveling for work is not nearly as glamorous as I imagined, but I had the opportunity to work in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Wales, England, and all over the United States. Not a bad gig, but after three years on the road, it was time for a change. This time to a job with no travel required, in an office that is located two blocks from my home, with a group of people that were young, smart, exciting, funny, and dedicated (thanks Niki B.).

The allure of these wonderful people and my fantastic job has pushed me a few years beyond my second five year plan. I have been quite involved in my community, I have excelled at my work, and I am surrounded by wonderful friends. But, I am starting to feel a little restless again. Perhaps it is because I feel a little over-extended? Maybe it is due to the migration of my work buddies to other companies. It could be that with retirement looming in less than 20 years, it is time to reconsider my longest-term goals. Or, perhaps it is time to make a five year plan that is less about public accomplishments and more focused internally, spiritually, with a touch of soul searching as well as an openness to love - again. 


However the plan formulates itself, I can feel that the winds of change are blowing in my direction. There is something about the last few weeks that has forced me to consider where I am and where I want to be. Nothing like a good earthquake to shake things up a bit. Stay tuned.