Serk's employer (Personal, no real point, Serk Babbling, and a kiddo pic)

[Serk]

Just because I'd mentioned a few months back in an unrelated thread that I'd been warned I was about to lose my job to a team from India again, I wanted to give my VRCC friends an update - At the last minute, I managed to snag a position with a US Federal Government account with my long time (Almost 20 years now) employer and move over to that position. My old team of 5 in the US and 20-30 in India is now a team of 1 in the US and 30-50 (No one knows exactly, they won't tell us) in India. I think they're trying to work the last US guy until he falls over from exhaustion.

The manager that warned me I was on the layoff list, on the day I was to be let go, was let go... (And I liked her too... Seriously... )

My new position is with a US Federal Government agency that is known by a 3 letter acronym, and I can say no more. (Actually not joking, but probably not the one you think it is)

The ironic bit is that it's an agency that, by my libertarian stance, should be abolished, but I also like being able to feed my kids, so here I am.

The really REALLY nice bit about the gig is that one of the requirements is that anyone who works on this account MUST be a US Citizen, so for once I shouldn't have to train my off shore replacement again, or at least not for a good long time!

So yeah, no real point to this post, just wanted to share my good news since I'd shared the bad earlier...

And also, since ya'll have been following along since before they were born, here's the triplets in their Halloween costumes from last week:



And big sister Kali, who literally owes her existence to the VRCC, is getting WAY too big. At 14 she's pushing 5'11, has passed her mommy (And her mommy isn't exactly short) and is looking WAY too grown up for daddy's tastes... (The voices are telling me to go polish the guns some more...)

[The emperor has no clothes]

  I'm very glad for you !

[Valkorado]

Congrats on the new position and beautiful kids.  And please take me off all the lists.   

[cookiedough]

congrats on the new job hope it works out for you for many, many more years. 

good jobs are hard to come by,  that I know way, way too often..
3 of my 7 full time jobs were moved to other cities/states not willing to relocate since wife has a much better and better paying job by far.

do NOT even get me started on outsourcing jobs to India.  My wife's work just got done outsourcing dozens of jobs in several depts. nearby her which is NOT the end, just the beginning.  If she gets outsourced,  then we are screwed BIG, BIG time.  The Valk and ATVs and pretty much all else will cease to exist. 
Her being at the company since 1990 right out of college moving up the corporate ladder where she does not want to go any higher (up any higher means more chance of being let go) for over 25 years means diddly in their eyes thru the thick and thin since her bosses boss (great long term guy treated them all very well) just retired - will see what happens next? 

She even commented to me last week she probably should get her resume re-done since have had no need to since this was her first employer right out of college in 1990, but 99.99% sure she would never find a job even close to what she is making now. 

[Pappy!]

Congrats, Serk, you're a good man and deserve it!
Oh, and yes, you need to be polishing those guns.........

[baldo]

Congratulations Serk...It sounds like a pretty good gig.....

[solo1]

Congratulations, Serk. Glad to see that you've made a good change.

Gotta support your great kids!

[Oss]

They should need a LOT of polish after being underwater after that tragic boating accident   

Maybe some day I have to tell you the story of why all the boys would bring Stacy home on time from dates

Yeah they grow up quickly   

[Dave Ritsema]

I am happy to hear that life is working out well for you and your beautiful family. I have always enjoyed watching your kids grow up here and always value your input on various topics. Your a blessed man my friend! 

[Karen]

Good news and beautiful children, thanks for sharing!

[da prez]

  Polish guns when date is conning over. Have used targets with groin area shot out.
 
        A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!

      Congrats on the job , hope it's a career. 
  Have to keep your kind working to keep my kind in SSI!

                                da prez

[Jess from VA]

Good news Serk!!            (it's nice to eat)

I put in 26 with the USG.  Mostly good, some not so good.  I did have consistently better leaders/bosses than my private employment, and that counts for something.  

I suppose as a new employee, you are having to start over on your leave group (entry level, 3 weeks for three years).  

Read up on the TSP, it's a pretty good deal.  And your health insurance is going to be the very best deals going (but a lot of choices to work through); you will need X years (5?) in order to vest to keep it for life.  The Fed gets lots of experienced professionals who add 5 years of Federal svs at the end of their careers, just for the health ins.  I've been out a while, but if you have any questions, PM me.

You still get to work from home, or do you have to commute to DC.      (if you end up visiting, let me know, I can put you up and loan you a car)

(Not sure you want your bike (windshield) in the co parking lot; I got grief for my Hog, and it didn't even have any stickers.  Ride the ST.)

[Rams]

Excellent news for you, not so much for your former manager.

Great looking children.   Keep them close and your guns closer.   

[cookiedough]

As far as the 14 year old daughter,  NO worries until age 15 - do NOT ask me how I know since was literally going to take the shotgun to the next town over and injure the S.O.B. when my daughter was 15, pushing 16.  Had to get the county sheriff's dept. involved to give the little S.O.B. a home visit to keep AWAY from my daughter both in person and on texting/cell phone and other social media B.S.  - was NOT a good situation.   If we did not call the police with the wife holding me back telling me to call the police instead,  I would have done him in and been in jail - no joke.  What kids do not get is texting and other blogs about other people telling lies being EVIL can be considered against them in a court of law.  I think now 3+ years later the little crap is in the military,  maybe that will straighten his butt out?

The DRAMA is about ready to begin for her (and YOU).  Keep her off facebook and other social media, cell phone/texting as best as you can since that is EVIL!   

Boys at age 15-18 are usually easier to take care of - less DRAMA by far. 

[Serk]

Thanks for the kind words ya'll, it's definitely been a HUGE weight off my shoulders!

Jess - I'm still an employee of my previous company, just assigned to a federal government contract now, so I'm kind of a hybrid private/public worker. I've still got all my seniority from my long time employer and all that, just working on the systems for a federal government agency. I've had to go into a local field office for this agency a few times to get finger printed, photographed, all that fun stuff, but I'll primarily be working from home still, which is ALSO a big relief!

And on the kiddos, dating and protective services, I apologize to those who've seen this pic before, I'm admittedly rather proud of it, but I also teach them to take care of things themselves. This picture will be printed and handed out to potential dates as a reminder that daddy's just the backup:



But yeah, the old "Throw a shotgun shell at the boy, then tell him they travel a LOT faster after midnight" routine will be in full play.

As far as the digital communications, she's on all the social media, but... Daddy's a geek, I monitor her computer and phone very closely, and we have random unscheduled "Phone checks" where we just grab her phone in the middle of whatever she's doing and examine what she's doing, what's been sent, received, etc...

[Rams]

All I'm going to say about that is, raise them right and hope it sticks.   

Remember when you were their age, what you were thinking about,  they are just like you were most likely and where there's a will, there's a way.    Best of luck and remember, you never saw that little bastard and have no idea where he may have gone to.   

[signart]

Wealthy man, I'd say.

[DarkSideR]

I'm in a unique position with my job where I support my customers in India. The company I work for is only US based, and will only ever have US employees. We however sell our software all over the world. I have a large company in Mumbai, India with 13 users that I support and train.

As often as I hear of US jobs going over seas I am reminded to be thankful for the job I have, and I acknowledge the irony that I provide customer service to India.

[DarkSideR]

I'm glad to hear this Serk. 

I'm in a unique position with my job where I support my customers in India. The company I work for is only US based, and will only ever have US employees. We however sell our software all over the world. I have a large company in Mumbai, India with 13 users that I support and train.

As often as I hear of US jobs going over seas I am reminded to be thankful for the job I have, and I acknowledge the irony that I provide customer service to India.

[henry 008]

congrats Serk! you have some pretty special kids there  

[RDAbull]

Great news on the job front.
The triplets are so cute. It's fun to watch them grow.

Have you ever considered a moat, maybe with gators.  Tried it in Ohio but it got too cold in January.
Thanks for keeping is up to date.

[Daniel Meyer]

 

[cookiedough]

I'm glad to hear this Serk. 

I'm in a unique position with my job where I support my customers in India. The company I work for is only US based, and will only ever have US employees. We however sell our software all over the world. I have a large company in Mumbai, India with 13 users that I support and train.

As often as I hear of US jobs going over seas I am reminded to be thankful for the job I have, and I acknowledge the irony that I provide customer service to India.

Never say NEVER when it comes to US based  and only US employees.  If you are training and supporting 13 users in India,  the time may come when the idiotic mgmt. thinks saving hourly wages for the good of the company is a good idea.  Too bad my wife's company who was strictly US based for America and all that jazz has gone global and selling us out which may very well bankrupt the company into financial ruin soon.  It happens more than most think.