It never ceases to amaze me how life can turn out so completely different than expected.

Just 2 years ago I lost my job and was feeling a bit sheepish about starting my own company. I did a post about my fears and received so much support and positive vibes - which I certainly feel had something to do with me landing here today

While I was handed a nice severance package as the company closed their doors, I really didn't have a direction or means to pay my bills for long.

My company kicked into full speed only 2 months into the thing. My clients all seemed to need me everywhere EXCEPT Georgia. I had so many flier miles I moved up to the "elite" flier status and actually got to know some of the ticket agents and flight attendants in some cities.

I was hired to teach classes to some of the industry's largest companies, oversaw acquisitions, did market analysis for potential buyers and sometimes just went to a client and filled in for missing or misguided employees.

Then in October business slowed down. I was prepared to take the rest of the year off and just veg.

Around the end of November a call came in from a potential client. They were converting their portfolio to a new software and the software company recommended me to head up the project. We agreed on a 12-month contract ending in December of this year.

During this past year, I took on a few side jobs so I was prepared to go back out on my own and had the ability to turn down some of the less appealing clients and jobs.

In September I was asked to extend my contract by 6-months. I declined. It is permanent or the original contract - I was not going to let them make the call and find myself unprepared when they tossed me out like yesterday's lunch.

We have agreed that I am a permanent fixture in the company. In December we are having the 2008 planning meeting in which my new role will be determined. As it stands, I will turn over the level 1 support to someone else and take on a director of operations/project manager role. And I still work from home.

Now that hard earned money from my side jobs is going into our new backyard, which starts next week. A deck, kick ass plants and the best part - room to put a projector and screen for the outdoor movie theater.

I don't know what in the hell I did to deserve this....but it sure is nice

I suppose because it is the day after Monday

I got such a kick out of this little flyer we got in our mailbox. The skull is not an added effect for Halloween, but their logo.

Now these are the kind of family and neighborhood events I'm accustomed to

Gogol Bordello was in Atlanta last night and I was right in the pit. Still in tact today with no bruises or black eyes - but then I did refrain from the devil in me that said "jump and get to surfin'"....

Oh wait, Hoppy is supposed to be with Easter. 'Scuse me, I get my holeedays all screwed up

Here is a picture of Vlad's castle. Vlad being the impaler that was thought to start the legend of Dracula...and never actually lived in this castle. So I guess this is Dracula's castle -but he didn't live there either. It was just some wealthy family that sold the rights for the Bram Stoker movie.

I can only say the car ride there was really bumpy and the inside of the castle was really breezy. And of course some silly tourist stuff outside...we decided on taking a fallen brick from the wall home. Souvenir enough



We did get to see the real castle in which Vlad was held until King Stephan of Hungary release him. We passed it in a boat from Austria to Budapest and I thought "cool castle". We hooked up with a Historian and she described the castle on the hill and the story behind it al ....I then realized what I took a picture of. Pays to take picture of wierd shit in different countries!




And while we are at it, why not some caped crusaders