Friday, March 26, 2010

Unemployed!

Things are really coming to a head now. Today is my last day of work at FOX 9, and Heidi’s last day with Bob Reidell and Re/MAX. Heidi’s co-workers got her a cute little cake for her sendoff, and plan to cap the night off this evening with a little booze and camaraderie, as is the norm with professional going away gatherings these days.



Meanwhile, I completed my exit interview with Human Resources earlier today, and had a little gathering with colleagues last night. (I typically don’t work Friday nights, and since we only run a skeleton crew then I figured more people would show on a Thursday.) About a dozen folks from the newsroom showed up and we exchanged stories, watched some NCAA hoops and enjoyed a few libations. It is always heartening to realize how much you are valued and how much people appreciate you, but also a little discouraging that this isn’t a more prevalent part of our culture. I received plenty of kind words last night, however, and left with a warm feeling inside…and not as a result of alcohol!

It’s been a stressful couple of weeks, to say the least. Heidi & I are making a number of MAJOR life changes, all in a very short period of time. That, coupled with some family issues and the day-to-day drama that goes with being in a relationship, have led to lots of frustration and hurt feelings recently. That being said, we continue to move ahead, in our relationship and plans for this incredible adventure. My amazing niece recently said that it’s not about waiting out the storm, but rather learning to dance in the rain. (She is one heckuva wise young lady.) So, Heidi and I are hiking up our proverbial trousers and cutting a rug.

After today, we have nine days before hitting the road. It doesn’t seem like long ago that we were sending one another texts, such as: “135 Days to go!” It’s wild to fathom that the day is, finally, almost here. We have plenty of things yet to do (more storage, travel insurance, buying an air mattress for the van, etc.) but it will all get done in time, and I think it’s a safe assumption that there will be a collective sigh of relief when we finally pull out of the driveway and hop on 169 towards Pocahontas, Iowa. Attached is a VERY rough estimation of our route around these United States…



We leave April 5th. There will be a going away shindig on April 2nd from 8pm-midnight @ Legend’s Bar in Minneapolis. Please come if you can.

Monday, March 15, 2010

I'm Leaving FOX...Again!


After a week of vacation, to get some of my affairs in order, I returned to work this afternoon…and put in my two-week notice.

I didn’t want to let things linger, so I went into Mim’s (the assistant news director's) office shortly after coming in, Kelly (my supervisor) in toe, in order to break the news. They were a bit shocked, and perhaps even a bit hurt, by my decision. Later on, Kelly and I went and spoke with the News Director who, while cordial, made it abundantly clear that I would not be welcomed back…for a third time.

Quite frankly, I knew that would be the case and am quite pleased about that. FOX 9 has been a great place to work. I am compensated (fairly) well, have some great mentors and am well-liked, for the most part. That being said, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life working on an Assignment Desk, assisting in the logistics of TV news. I love telling stories, especially those which are important to a wider community, but also believe that TV news is not the proper medium to really delve into issues…and that’s what I want.

Leaving FOX for a second time ensures that I will have to find something new after this year-long adventure with Heidi. I simply will not have the option of going back to something familiar, easy and comfortable. I will have to go outside of my comfort zone and work REALLY hard in order to find a gig that is both fulfilling and challenging.

While I am relieved to be done with this, I feel a bit like I let Mim & Kelly down. Professionally speaking, they have really helped me in my career and for that I will always be grateful. That being said, it's time to move on and make a new path.

My last night of work is Friday, March 26th. After that it’s a week of preparations and good-byes, capped off with the adventure of a lifetime. We hit the road April 5th.