This is a first for me. I have never been let go from a job, I have never experienced a layoff, and I have never been through a furlough (forced unpaid vacation) since I started working in 1980 at 16 years old. I was told yesterday by the school that I have worked for over the last 11 years that I will have to take three unpaid weeks over the next six weeks. A schedule was published late yesterday evening and finalized this afternoon. I am off next week, then back working for a week, off for another week, back to work for two weeks, and then off for another unpaid week. Sounds like an awesome vacation, right? Well not exactly since I will not get paid for this time off. So, what’s next?
As I was wrapping things up today I was asked by a number of people what my plans are for next week and what I will do with my free time. The answer is not simple, first because it was unexpected, and second it is a slightly troubling thing to go through. So, what is next?
First, I am going to take some seriously long runs next week while I think about my options. Most of my runs during the week are very fast and rushed as I have to get home, showered, and working. Next week I plan on doing some trail runs and spend some time thinking about what’s next. Then I need to do some yard work. The groves has not been mowed in four months or so. The dogs yard needs cut. I need to weed and feed the grapes. I need to wash the car. I desperately need to clean the garage and reclaim the work bench. But all of that is stuff that I should be doing on evenings and weekends anyways.
It hit me today, I also need to finish (or actually start) writing my presentation for HVAC Excellence, an HVAC trainers conference in Orlando at the end of March. I am giving a presentation on the good, the bad, and the ugly of instructional technology in the HVAC classroom. In prior conferences it has all been the good but based on four years of exeperience with and observing instructional technology it is time to address the not so good with the hopes that people do not repeat the same mistakes that I have been observing for the last several years. As I write my presentation I will post some of it here.
Many people have suggested I write and rewrite my resume. It is written. I am just not 100% sure what I want to do with my 50s. I know I want to be part of educating our future, our future service technicians and tradespeople, I just do not know how to be a part of it. I suspect it will be as an independent consultant working on a contract basis, but who knows how this will turn out.
The dogs are asleep around the room right now, not a care in the world, one of them is even snoring. Sometimes I wish I could ave their lives with the biggest excitement being the squirrel that shows up in the front yard. Let’s see what’s next.
