Strides - Big Ones!

The last time I contributed to this blog the month was January, my work morale had hit an all-time low, and I was focused on taking the GRE with the intention of being accepted into a graduate school in Denver. Things have changed, dramatically, but for the better nonetheless.

Upon researching graduate school and the inherent financial situation that is presented I realized that I need to be a resident of Colorado for at least one year before I can get in-state tuition (and save roughtly 60% on the cost of grad school for the first year). So my decision to delay grad school for one year was a no-brainer. We like change, but we like our changes to be calculated. Thus, my focus and efforts had shifted from acing the GRE to finding stable employment in Denver. 

Rachael detailed our early March visit to Denver, but one thing she did not mention were the job interviews I had lined up for the Monday following our apartment search. I was scheduled for two interviews: one with PMC Group, a company based in Copenhagen, Denmark, for a hydraulics engineer role. The second interview was for a project manager position at Cooper Industries. PMC's facility in Golden, Colorado is their only American location and is very small compared to what I'm used to. No more than 20 employees total, a shop with 20,000 square feet of empty floor space, and an office with desks, private offices and meeting rooms but not nearly enough people to fill them all up. A nice change, I thought. Cooper Industries, located in Aurora, Colorado, reminded me much more of my Parker-Hannifin. A 60,000 square foot plant, an enormous cubicle-farm and people running around all over the place like chickens sans heads (avec too much coffee). A nice, clean and bright facility; these were my first impressions of the place, but soon the similarities to my current plant and office became discerning. 

The PMC interview came first that morning. I did my best J-Timble impression and put on my suit and tie, trying to look as professional as possible while still maintaining a somewhat questionable mustache (I couldn't  bring myself to shave it off). Upon entering their building I was greeted by a sign-in sheet and an empty receptionist's desk. Editors Note to Rachael: they might be hiring. I signed in and rang the visitor-alert bell that was rigged to the vacant reception desk. Shortly thereafter I was greeted by a vibrant Danish fellow named Mikkel. Mikkel quickly offered water, coffee, and a place for Rachael to sit instead of waiting in the car. I walked with Mikkel though a small hallway that opened up into the aforementioned office. Newly built, fresh furnishings, lots of natural light and open space. I like it. Mikkel seats me in a window-walled conference room as he walks away to fetch a co-worker. He returns with a surly but jolly man named Tim. Tim is an American operations manager. My interview commences. 

After a bout of typical interview questions, "How do you respond to adversity? How do you handle multi-tasking? What's your favorite/least-favorite part of your current job?" Mikkel and Tim get onto the technical stuff. The stuff I had been preparing for. They ask about my experience conducting projects. I give them specific examples of my leadership roles. They ask my about my hydraulic component knowledge. I tell them the details about the valves I've been working on over the past 4 years. They ask me about my proficiency in Inventor. I hand them each a copy of work instructions that I've modeled and assembled myself using Inventor. They ask me if I like to travel. I say "yes." They show me a hydraulic schematic of a system they're preparing to build. I point out what I recognize and what I don't recognize. For a second I thought this part would get me in trouble; I am a bit rusty and inexperienced at interpreting hydraulic schematics. But alas, they assure me they are just looking for someone who knows "when valves will open and close." Sounds good to me. And all the while they allow me to interject, to ask questions when they pop up in my head. They give me time to write notes and ask for more details. I like these guys. Two hours of this type of back and forth Q & A fly by. It's time to get moving so I can make my next interview. I shake hands with the gents, smile frequently, maintain eye contact and go on my merry way. I feel good. 

After a drive past downtown Denver to the other side of town and some initial confusion over the exact location of Cooper Industries, Rachael and I arrive ahead of schedule in Aurora, Colorado. After a short wait in the car, I head in. I am greeted by a receptionist and the typical sign-in sheet. But this time, I am asked to fill out several pages of paperwork. At this point I am more than thankful I went in fifteen minutes early. Otherwise this paperwork would have thrown the interview schedule way off. Literally seconds after I finish filling out the last bits of required information, I am approached by a young man named Jeremy and a middle aged woman named Lisa. We exchange handshakes and formalities, and the pair lead me upstairs to a conference room. This time, however, I'm in a conference room that I consider more of a cell. It seems that every plant or office has a couple of these. "Conference rooms" they call them, but anything with a lockable door and no windows is considered a "cell" in my book. Call me crazy, but I operate at a slightly more relaxed level when I can at least see outside. 

The interview begins with me telling Jeremy and Lisa about my experience at Parker, what I've been doing here for the last 5 years, and my likes and dislikes concerning my work. They ask me how my experience here will help me succeed at Cooper in the project manager role. The questions get more intense. "Tell us specifically about a time when you've had too much to do in a day and your supervisor cannot prioritize your work for you. Tell us specifically about a conflict you've had with a coworker while working on a project together. Tell us how you handle customer relations when their product is faulty." I describe to them the most detailed events that I can recall. For some reason, this interview is not flowing like the last one. They begin to tell me more about the specifics of the job. It sounds like a customer service role. I've got friends in customer service at Parker. They are not happy people. And if they appear happy, it's because they're drunk. I'm not getting a good vibe from my temporary cell-mates, and Lisa begins to wield a skeptical scowl when I tell them that I prefer structure - or to create structure when none exists - within the workplace. The interview ends in a very typical manner: by them asking me if I have any more questions for them about the position or the company. Only this time, I do not have any questions. Not because they allowed me to ask questions during the entire interview, but because I know I do not want this job. I want to work for PMC and the stilfuld Danish guys.

With my brain cramped, personality exhausted of bright smiles, and my neck gasping for some air I loosen my tie and head back out to the car. I'm ready for a drink. The whole way to the airport and the entire flight home I can only talk to Rachael about how the interviews went, about how badly I want the job at PMC and to travel to Denmark with them and be their go-to hydraulics guy. As we get home I finally unwind. I begin to realize that these things take time and that it might be days or weeks before I find out whether or not either of these companies want me to work for them. I try my best to put it out of my mind, but it feels impossible. I am edgy, tense, and anxious. But then one evening, after about a week, the phone rings. It's a Denver number I don't recognize...

Our Trip to Denver

Well today Joe is on his way to Denver on a Super Top Secret Mission and it made me think man I should write a blog post. I have quite a lot of information to share with you all so sit back and enjoy the story.

Well we flew to Denver last weekend and it was a whirlwind of a trip to say the least! It began like all good trips do with a pricey, airport bloody and then was promptly delayed by some cloudy/snowy weather. So we sat and we complained (mostly me) about how we're going to miss our connection, but before the words, "Are we there yet?" could fly outta my mouth we had landed in Denver and we were off to a lovely family friend's house to stay through the weekend!

Katie (our family friend) is the most hostliest of hostesses and she greeted us with oven-warmed pizza (at 12am no-less) and offers for water and beer. She even equipped our room with fresh flowers and a basket of goodies! To say the least Katie's beautiful home was better than any hotel and I still can't thank her enough for letting us stay with her.

The next day I woke to a quiet house, made myself a k-cup and looked out the window to a mountain view. I could get used to this.

We had a busy Saturday, thanks to Joe, filled with apartment appointments! We walked neighborhoods and liked each place we visited, pointing out what would be our new bar, our our new grocery store, our new gas station and really it was just so fun. I liked Denver it was everything I was thinking it was going to be and I could really picture this working, like for real. All we needed was the right place and some jobs to fall into place. The last appointment of the day was upon us and at this point we sorta felt like we had been there done that and weren't expecting anything too exciting, but then we opened the doors of the Belmont Buckingham.

From the outside the Belmont Buckingham is normal looking, a bunch of tanned apartment buildings clustered together on a block, but when you get inside it is very well maintained and there is lots of bright artwork and it just wasn't what you expect when you walk into an apartment building. We met with a wonderful property manager and she toured the building with us showing us the movie theater (cool huh?!), the fitness room, the laundry room (takes credit cards ;p) etc. and of course the actual apartment.

The apartment is perfect. It is spacious and has moldings and nice colored walls and a dishwasher...really all the things we want and at a price we can really, sincerely afford and get this it is available in May, not now so that some other couple can snatch it up, but in May when we would probably be moving!

So we go home (Katie's home, which Martha Stewart probably decorated, yes it was that lovely) and we have our heart set on this apartment but we try not to think about how badly we want it and we get ready to enjoy some food and drinks in downtown Littleton and we put it out of our minds.

Fast forward to the week after we arrive home and we are scrambling to get together paperwork and documents and checks...gawd I can't find the checks...so we can fed-ex this stuff overnight so we can get our beloved apartment. The apartment, which at this point I have completely furnished in my head thanks to Pinterest and maybe a few things we actually own, our dream apartment, the one we definitely can't move to Denver without.

So it gets to be Friday and we have crossed our I's and dotted our T's and we have a Cake tasting to go to since we are of course planning a wedding and our life! Joe, my Momma and I hit up Flour Girl Bakery, which resides in Luna Bakery and Cafe for our cake tasting. Now I am not-eaten-lunch excited for this cake tasting! And Flour Girl did not disappoint us. We had four flavors of cake and like ten little cups of frosting flavors and it was delightful. We got to business with our forks making our favorite flavor mash-ups and I think we got some good things going for our little shindig.

Moving on though, we are of course still hungry, but mostly thirsty, so we head next door to Mad Greek for dinner. And no sooner do our drinks arrive do I obsessively (obnoxiously?) check my phone..."Welcome to the Belmont Buckingham!!!"

And there you go we have an apartment in Denver!

I of course left some small deets out of this story but I will let Joe tell you about that stuff, so for now peace out.

Who's Thirsty?

It is my belief that one of the scariest things in life is simply the unknown. Never truly knowing what the future holds can be intimidating, nerve-racking, and ofttimes downright terrifying. By knowing exactly what to expect, the majority of fear may be removed from any situation. Whether it be knowing what the weather will be like tomorrow or what work you've got waiting on your desk, just knowing things like that make the future considerably less scary. Yet, everyone has a tipping point at which they are compelled to hurl themselves straight into the vast unknown; a point at which people have decided they've had enough of their day-to-day life and it's time for a change. It is at this point in life, at this fulcrum of a moment, when hope is introduced into the unknown and it becomes not-so-threatening.

This is precisely where I am. I have come to the realization that you cannot (and should not) continue to do something that does not make you happy. Stir that realization in with the unknown and a dash of hope and you've got yourself one intoxicating concoction. And that's exactly what I've been sipping on these days.

"Imagine that, Joe making a drink reference in his first blog post."

Coincidentally, I must say that I believe it is that in life which makes us want to drink that may also be what pushes us into the unknown. In a bitter-sweet fashion I am happy for these things. After all, it's good to know not only what you want to do with your life, but also what you do not want to do. The latter is something that I've had less than a hard time figuring out thanks to five years in the industry I've chosen thus far and the people in it.

This introductory post may ring of themes found in Rachael's previous posts - she has her own motivations and her own story to tell, so I will let her tell it - but this is mine and this is my perspective. I offer it to anyone who cares to read it. This is a slight glimpse into my life, what I have been and will be doing, and what my motivation is. Like two columns holding up the same bridge, Rachael and I are bearing this load together. We may not know all the details of where that bridge leads, but I can assure you it is a sturdy bridge and I could not be more excited that we've made the decision to build it together.

So to my friends, my family, my wife-to-be, both liked and disliked co-workers, to Cleveland and our future home in Denver, I raise my glass. Here's to you and here's to everything in life that makes us all strive for greater happiness.

Cheers,
Joe