Long story.
My wife worked for a major university when we got married five years ago, a late first marriage for both of us. I quit my Job as an engineer to move to her city. It wasn’t quite as it sounds; my company had been bought by an international corporation and they were methodically getting rid of all the old guard. I landed a position at the largest in the field doing the same job and they were closer to her house than my old house was to my old employer. So, I happily moved.
A few years ago, she was laid-off due to department re-organization (did not have tenure). Anyway, her loss of income was not a hardship, since I am employed and bring home a decent paycheck. She picked up some consulting work on the side to keep her busy and give her money to spend as she wanted, so things were fine.
Then, she gets news of positions opening at other universities for positions similar to what she had been doing. I encouraged her to apply, as you never know what will happen. She says that a public university is never going to match what I make as an engineer so there really is no point. I tell her to go ahead, that you can’t turn down a job that isn’t offered and, who knows, maybe you will find the perfect job. So, she does, goes on some interviews. First one strikes out. The next one appear to. The initial interview is a “drop everything, we have to have you come in right now” kind of thing. They tell her at the interview that there is one other candidate they are interested in and they will let her know. Through the grapevine, she hears who the other person is and when they interview. Months pass with no contact. She tugs on the grapevine to see if anyone else has heard, and her contacts know nothing. More than six months after her initial interview, they call her with an offer. A nice offer. More than I am being paid. She goes and interviews with them again, and it becomes clear that they really want her (specifically, they want Mrs. Excavating, not just someone who does what she does) and a lot of her views on how the department should be positioned and where it should go are very much in line with the Director.
So, I tell her to take the job. I can quit mine and perform consulting work, or find something else, but this is the closest thing to the perfect job that she will likely see, so it would be stupid to turn it down. Plus, with our combined incomes, we now become some of those nasty rich people who don’t pay any taxes (thanks, Obama).
The plan is that I will remain at my current job for another year, so we can hopefully save up enough to pay cash for a large, old house in the new city. I will also get this house ready for sale and tidy up loose ends, laying groundwork with people in my business to open up a consulting business. With the house paid for, even if my consulting business is a flop, her salary should keep us happy until our retirement plans start to kick-in.
So, the packers are in the house packing up everything in sight. In one day, bookcases are empty, everything but the furniture is being packed. We made this decision months ago, but now it is hitting home. She will leave me tomorrow and all I’ll be left with is a dog, one TV, and an echo-filled house.
I am very Sad.
excavating (for a mind)