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Well, I have officially started my new job as a programming monkey for a company called L3 Titan Group. I work out at the FAA center in OKC (Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center) and so far it has been an interesting experience. There hasn’t been much training involved–I’ve been able to jump right in and get to work. Being able to do so is great and I feel like I’m actually contributing.

So far being back in Oklahoma has been everything I could wish for. I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with family and friends, and I’ve been happier than I have been in a long time.

The only thing is that Lori is still in Arkansas. She came down this weekend to spend some time with me and so we could go looking at houses, but she still has to go back to Arkansas for work Monday. We’ll be listing our house in Arkansas very soon so she won’t be there long, but it is still difficult being away from her for so long. It feels like when we were in college and I was going to OU and she was going to ECU in Ada.

We haven’t found a house yet, but we have a few prospects. Today I’m meeting a real estate agent to look at some houses in Moore, but the guy seems really lazy. He doesn’t want to work weekends apparently, even if it results in a fat commission for himself. When we actually are ready to make a decision we are definitely NOT going to go through this guy.

More later. Right now I’m off to write a quick post to my other blog and then get to studying for a Java certification exam.

This is just a quick note to let everyone know something of vast, great, and significant importance:

I NEVER want to see another can of paint for as LONG as I LIVE. And you know that is the truth because I used WORDS in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS for EMPHASIS. I can’t get the smell of paint out of my nose. I think its because I inadvertantly sniffed some as it flung off the roller and into my face. I say, “Drat!” to those do-it-yourself projects.

If you didn’t already know, we’re painting the house in preparation of selling it so we can buy a new swank pad in Oklahoma. I’m pretty sure I’ll have nightmares of layers and layers of latex based semi-gloss before all is said and done. Well, gotta get back to the grindstone.

I don’t want to be a richer man.  Just gonna have to be a different man.  Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.

Heh, sorry for the David Bowie quotes.  I couldn’t resist it.

Today was a difficult day for me.   I said my goodbyes and had my exit interview.  I am no longer a Wal-Mart associate.  I’ll miss the people I worked with and I count this as one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.  Wal-Mart is a great place to work, don’t let union naysayers tell you differently.

Tomorrow Lori and I are taking a weekend trip to Oklahoma to look for houses.  Hopefully we’ll find a good one and put down a conditional offer or something. On the other end we’re prepping our current house to sell.  We bought new carpet, replaced a door, and we’re painting a majority of the house.  Hopefully the work we’re doing now will translate into a quick and profitable sell.

One amusing thing happened today, though.  I had to go to the Bentonville Police Department to get my fingerprints taken for one of the pieces of paperwork government employees have to fill out.  The officer doing the deed took me into an interview room that looks like what you’d think an interview room would look like: cramped, two chairs and a table, a light, and not much else.

The officer was about to get started when he was radioed to go to the detention room.  He lept past the desk like TJ Hooker and ran out of the room.  He returned a few minutes later and apologied, saying they had a couple of guys in the jail who were kind of rowdy and he thought they were giving the other officer problems.  It was kind of amusing but at the same time completely understandable.  Apparently those guys had given them some trouble earlier.

Well, more later.  Lori and I are off to get some dinner and then get back to work fixing up the house.

Well, faithful slaggers, I have some interesting news to impart to your eager little elven ears.  Lori and I are packing up our hobbit hole and moving back to the bustling big city of Moore, Oklahoma.

We’ve been in Arkansas now for 4.5 years, and while we have good jobs working for the Big Evil Corporate Giant (hehe) our impressive lack of family and friends has left us feeling rather lonely in the great shoeless 49th-in-education state.

So much like Aragorn to his people, I am returning to the place I love the most.  Except I’m not really a king, nor am I having to battle hordes of beastly nasties led by the eye of Sauron to get back home again.

I’ve got a sweet job lined up at the same place friend Heathe works, and Lori is still looking.  In the mean time I gave my notice (which was hard to do, really–Wal-Mart is a great place to work contrary to what union shills would have you believe).  This week we’re focusing on getting our current house ready to sell.  I’m sure what we have in mind will have the house selling rather quickly, but we’ll see.  I’d like to be able to close on a house  in Moore quicker than Oprah laying the smackdown on James Frey and get the stressful stuff behind us.

If it seems like we’re moving quick, keep in mind that we’ve been looking around for good jobs for nearly six months.  The job offer I was just given was just too good to pass up and they want me quickly.  So really we don’t have much of a choice than to move quickly.

I start the new job on the 20th of this month.  I’ll post more details as I can, just please be patient because the timeline is keeping both of us super busy.