Moving to Eugene, Oregon

[ddrueding]

Ah, the things we do for love...

So here I am trying my best to move to Eugene as quickly as possible. Setting up my business down here so that it can run itself a couple weeks at a time is easy, handing off my consulting clients to colleagues in the area is easy as well, but from what I hear the employment situation in Eugene blows.

Does anyone here live/work in the vicinity? The only tech company that has an office there is Symantec, and the only job they are advertising is phone tech support It's looking like I'll be commuting to Corvallis or Salem to get a decent job. I'm willing to make significant sacrifices in income provided the position is interesting.

I'll have a resume posted here tomorrow morning, just need to get some sleep before I proof-read it (I haven't updated/used my resume for years).

 

[Tea]

Good for you, Dave!

Take it from my friend and mentor Mr Tannin, there are much more important things in life than whether you earn a bit more or a bit less, take a step up on the corporate ladder or a step sideways. There are much better places to live than big cities.

Now, a little bit of advice I'll add on my own account. You see, I've lived in trees all my life. I am, after all, an aboreal creature by birth, and I understand them in a way that few humand do. You know what I've learned? I've learned that always trying to climb to the top of every tree is completely bloody pointless. At the top of the tree, you can't go anywhere but down. You are disconnected from all the other trees and you can't get around the place (well, OK, I can jump, but if you tried that you'd break your neck). And the further you go up the tree, the narrower it gets and the fewer are the choices you can make about where you want to go next.

Find yourself a nice comfortable spot somewhere in the middle of the tree, pick a wonderful friend, and enjoy your freedom while you can.

Get out of the city!

 

[Handruin]

Thanks for the good advice Tea and congrats to you David for taking a step in a different direction!

So what will happen to your business in California? Is your dad going to continue to manage it? You said you're setting it up in Eugene, is this related to all the VPN work you've been trying to do lately?

 

[P5-133XL]

Being that I live in Salem, welcome to my neck of the woods.

No, I know of no one that is hiring right now -- Sorry, but I don't keep track of such.

 

[ddrueding]

Thanks everyone for the support and advice. My girlfriend and I have come to the conclusion that this whole long-distance thing is just too hard. Considering that she is a molecular biologist in the middle of publishing a paper, that means I move.

Up til now, I've been flying up there every 3-5 weeks for extended weekends. I hope to do the same in reverse to maintain my business and some of the more intense work my clients require. I've been self-employed for the last 4 years, and am kind of looking forward to a steady paycheck and possibly a 9-5 scenario.

Still working on the resume, I'm not very good at talking about myself in a positive light.

 

[sechs]

There's no talking in a resume... just spin.

 

[ddrueding]

There's no talking in a resume... just spin.

Yeah, I guess that's where my problem is. In person I'm able to make a good case, but "spin" just isn't my thing.

 

[sechs]

Use active verbs and rich words. Always err on the side of making your work seem more important and difficult than it may actually be.

 

[ddrueding]

Well, after some soul-searching, I've decided I don't want to be a corporate drone

Looks like I'll be trying to start a new consulting business in Eugene, maybe opening a LAN center if I can get the capital. At least Portland International has free WiFi access (posting from gate C1 right now) :wink:

 

[The JoJo]

Good luck with your endeavour!

After seing both sides from close proximity, I don't wonder when someone used to running their own business tends to want to keep it that way, instead of working for a bit company.

 

[flagreen]

Congrats David!

Why not just become a gigolo? Women do it all the time.

 

[Mercutio]

Women become gigolos?
Well, OK, I guess with enough hormone therapy...

 

[Fushigi]

Well, after some soul-searching, I've decided I don't want to be a corporate drone

I like being a corporate drone.

 

[ddrueding]

Well, we'll see how it goes. I'm trying to keep all my clients down here (Monterey, CA) while going up there, so I won't need that much income, but I better find some solid work or I'll go crazy. The alternative is that I just found a great location for another computer gaming center; it's half a block from campus and in the middle of the block that has all the bars/resuraunts on it (13th street). I'd love to give that a run, all I need to do is round up the funding. $60k should be enough, considering rent is cheap and there's plenty of minimum-wage CompSci student goodness.

As a purely explorational question; anyone interested in buying into a game center? :mrgrn:

 

[sechs]

Once you have a business plan and prospectus, let us know....

 

[ddrueding]

Once you have a business plan and prospectus, let us know....

Done.

It's basically the same business plan as the currently profitable store in Monterey, only with lower start-up costs due to the cheaper rent and lower wages.

 

[sechs]

Once you *actually* have a business plan and prospectus, let us know....

 

[ddrueding]

Well, I'm off.

I'm surrounded by the 12 boxes I've managed to condense my life into, and am about to break down my system. I'll be driving first to Santa Barbara to visit with family, then from there straight to Eugene on the 26th. I'll be ordering broadband once I get there, so you may not see much of me for the next few weeks.

See you then!

 

[ddrueding]

I figure it's a fitting time to revive this thread:

Moving from Eugene, OR

Yep, the woman of my dreams whom I followed up here has decided that she doesn't love me after all. I'll take the 12 boxes that are all I now possess and head back to Monterey. Losing the girl is almost secondary, as I know it's out of my control, compared to losing the small life I've built up here with her help. I've just gotten good at Argentinian tango and some of my new friends are remarkable people. Most of all I'll miss (our?) cat gooey, who is purring on my lap right now, oblivious to the fact that in 3 days I'll leave forever.

Truly bummed.

 

[Handruin]

Very sorry to hear things did not work out with you two. You embarked on an adventure into a seeminly committed relationship and in the end you're left with a cat who probably loved you more, unconditionally than the one you truely tried to be with.

You made a big change in your life, and I hope you don't get too down on yourself once you move back home and things settle in. Are you planning to work at tweak't?

 

[mubs]

So sorry to hear this, Dave. Keep your chin up and take care of yourself. You've got many friends here.

 

[ddrueding]

Thanks guys. I'm looking at an apartment in Monterey next week with a view of the bay 2 blocks from the ocean, and I've secured some investors for more game centers. If I can't sink my time into something I want, I may as well try to live well by other's standards.

 

[LunarMist]

Oh man, that is really a bummer.

 

[i]

Ouch. You have my sympathy.

 

[Buck]

What a disheartening reason to revive this thread. We look forward to your continued posts on Storage Forum.

 

[Bartender]

Sorry to hear the bad news buddy.

 

[P5-133XL]

Sorry it didn't work out.