oh my...........

well, i done gone ahead and did it! i quit my fancy, highfalutin' job at E&Y one of the "big four". i gave my 2 weeks notice on friday and on january 3rd will start my new gig. it's a lot less money and just a small, local company. but let's face it, i was never a corporate gal. i didn't fit in at E&Y, not for a moment. i am proud of myself for not pretending to be something i am not. i didn't hide tattoos or take off my blue nail polish. no one there thought i'd last more then 6 months, but 2 1/2 years later i found myself promoted to a "team lead", and respected by all the "higher ups".

and i will really miss the weirdness of downtown cleveland. i got to see the elephant parade each spring (and the poop and pee parade!) as well as the giant blow-up rat that scared the beejezuz out of me one morning (it was out front due to a local company's construction crew going on strike.)

so why quit, and take a paycut? it's not like i have what the kid's call "morals" or objections to massive corporations. i just didn't like being a "consultant." while we were paid a big chunk of change, we got no benefits, and were always treated a little "less than", not being in-house employees.

i've missed working for a company i give a crap about. the new job is a small (but growing) local company that makes software for doctors and hospitals to track patient records. these people love their jobs and have all been there since the joint started it 1997. i met and interviewed with most of the people i'll be working with, and really got a good vibe from each one of them.

and i get to wear jeans to work! no more downtown parking ($180 a month was what i paid), a shorter commute, and real benefits. paid vacation, sick leave, good health coverage. stuff grownups need.

paycuts are not fun. i will have to start being more frugal with my money. packing lunches, cheaper vacations, etc... just don't suggest i give up my beloved starbucks. that's total bullshit! i'll get a 2nd job to pay for my latte habit if i have to.

it was a really hard decision to make. all my friends and family were great about letting me list the pros and cons, giving me advice and feedback. and groundcat let me know he was proud of me and supported whatever decision i made. he even took the time to give me advice on how to start saving up for his birthday next september! isn't he the best? (there are now 286 days until his birthday, so i better start saving up!)

there are some people at E&Y i am really going to miss working with, or not working and goofing off with. but i am good about keeping in touch with friends from old jobs. look at my peeps & homies list, it's mostly friends from prior jobs.

click here to see some group pics of the people i've spent the majority of my last couple of years with. a lot of them have moved on, been fired, had babies, fought cancer (one lost the battle.) i was lucky to have gotten to know 99.9% of them.

ok, there's my big news. well, big to me. 2 1/2 years at a crazy, high stress job dealing with a global project. and it turned out pretty good. the sea-monkeys are about to have babies (anthony will adopt them when i leave) and i promised to leave something pink behind. maybe my pink magic 8 ball or cartman doll....

now off to starbucks!!!!