Have to admit, I really liked that tri-s*itty area, so right after RPI, I
landed a job at NYSDOT in planning and development. After about 2 years, when
Hugh Carey was elected Gov and started axing employees, I escaped the layoff by
moving to Elmira NY and worked as a transportation planner. Elmira is a great,
little town, but not much to do but drink. As you all know, my RPI years had me
well prepared for that!
In 79, moved back to Albany after landing a job in the now defunct NYS
Energy Office, energy conservation in transportation. After eight years of mind
numbing state work, I met Marcy, got a sudden jolt of enthusiasm, and made a
move to the Big Apple. Went to work for Moran Stahl & Boyer, a mgmt
consulting firm specializing in corporate relocations. Marcy and I were married
in October 87, and soon realized the big apple wasn't our piece of fruit. We
high-tailed it up to Vermont, to the little town of Jericho, outside Burlington.
I was working for St. Michael's College, bringing technology to rural road and
transit workers, Marcy went to work for her uncle's newspaper in Barre.
(Is anyone still reading this? ZZZZZZZZZ)
Well, having moved to Vermont to improve our quality of life, Marcy decided
hers was better without me in it. So we split up in the spring of 89. I decided
I needed to get back into the real world, and through a series of fateful
meetings wound up with a job offer in Sacramento CA running a state transit
association. Did that from 1991 through 2006. It was lot of fun, and we grew to
be the largest state transit association in the country, not in budget but in
members. But it was a lot like running your own business and I finally got tired
of 12 hour days and working weekends and not making enough $. So I left and am
now with the California Energy Commission. I now supervise about 10 engineers
and scientists working on renewable energy research. Biomass, solar, wind. Also,
building up my retirement so I can quit this pop-stand and become a Roadie for
Norton & Juniper Row.
(Hey, are we being graded on these? Does grammar and punctuation count? Can
I get partial credit?)
So here I am. A state worker. Single. No kids. No pets. Right now, no
girlfriend.
I HAVE IT MADE! EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT!
I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. And right now, I want to watch
the replays of the GIANTS beating the Patriots, Packers, Cowboys and Bucs over
and over and over! Ooh look, TO is crying again!
Sacramento is a great, very under-rated city. Less than 2 hours to SF and
Napa, about two hours to Tahoe and some of the greatest skiing around. You can
play tennis, run, bike, kayak, golf (I'm still too young for that) 12 months a
year. Great camping, hiking. Home prices are reasonable, and the earth doesn't
move or burn under your feet. And if for some reason you want to go to So Cal,
SouthWest can get you there in just over an hour.
See you in June, maybe. Just did my taxes and Uncle Sammie needs some cash.
Can anybody loan me a few bucks? Where's Jim Mulligan? I think he owes me a
few!
