We filled two of our open requisitions at work. Training the new employees is turning out to be a full time job. It also encourages me to eat bad food.

I need to get a handle on my schedule. I am off. This leads to breakfast at the fast food joints on the way in or a quick snacky breakfast consisting primarily of an over sized sugar and carbohydrate laden muffin.

212

I completed the Documentum 5.3 System Administration I course today. Lots of supporting applications have changed since 4.2 and I think they are improvements. Need to rethink how some stuff is deployed in light of the new information.

Online classes are very nice on the travel budget, but not as nice to attend. I think the idea of working from home. In practice it is a different matter. Especially now, with the bathroom project in full swing. Things here are noisy and dusty. Nothing fills the air like pulverized concrete. It gets everywhere and you can feel it when you breathe it. I am gaining an understanding of the 9/11 "ghost look" that covered everyone you could see in the coverage on CNN. This stuff sticks to everything.

We had a hard crash at work. Pretty much blew the whole day getting the system to respond. We had a dozen experts guessing what went wrong and I am not sure anything was fixed. They rolled back one change and got everything restarted.

It was then time for mopping up. I put in a few extra hours monitoring render queues. It is not exciting work, but it is vital.

Trouble is I couldn't sleep. I am sure today will be a continuation of the problem and I don't see any glaring configuration problem we can fix to make this system right. Here is hoping WebSphere behaves today!

208

Today was the first days without our Level 3 Experts. When I started at Countrywide we had two groups of analysts supporting VLF. Our group was called level 2 and a Level 3 group was scattered in California and Texas. Level 3 had 4 people. One became our supervisor, one left the company, one switched departments and the other was out sick today.

Strangely thing went smoothly. Apparently they did a great job transferring the knowledge.

209

I became a Countrywide employee today. I went in to work at 8:00 a. m. and signed a pile of papers. I was at my desk like nothing happened by 9:00.

So, that was an easy process. Not bad for the first day back after Jamaica.

I complete the Documentum Technical Fundamentals class today. I had this course under my belt for version 4, but that was years ago. It is fun to see and use some of the features that were talking about then as actual product now.

I was only back up on call this weekend and still the pager went off and the string of disappointing the boss began. I think I need to consider the value of this paycheck compared with the number of weekends I seem to be working.

As mentioned earlier I have some time in the morning before work because I get up well before I need to be there. It is nice not having to rush. It is better feeling awake when the alarm goes off! Karen is trying to get in earlier, but has not succeeded today. She is almost ready and said she would be ready in 6 minutes. SO here I am typing drivel.

204 (Oops, how did that happen?)

Working late has it's upside, I am usually up before I have to leave so i get a moment to update the web log!
206

The queue is filling up and we are handling trouble tickets at work. We established an on call schedule and are spreading the start times out amoung the team

204

I attended training on the Countrywide Virtual Loan File system for the last two days. The trainer was dynamic. We got piles of trinkets.

I returned to work today. Fortunately I only missed one day of training and I think I can catch up. I have an electronic mail account now: james_melcher@countrywide.com so you can all send me a note.

The team is still ramping up for support. The training is on a system that should (soon) be replaced. The current support personnel are leaving the company. This change adds some pressure for our group to pick it up until it goes away.

201

Well, I started at Countrywide today, commute is 35 minutes, not bad! The group is just forming, so everyone is new at this.

I miss the DHL folks already. We had a great time on Friday. Partying until 2 a. m.

So much fun, we did it again on Saturday until 3 a. m. The Devil's Martini was hopping! Everyone made it home and slept it off. So, this morning was rough.

218

Did I mention Countrywide?

I finally got an interview for a Documentum position. At Countrywide mortgage. It is a support position, but it has management potential and pays 30% more than my current gig.

I start Monday! Drinks at Rock Bottom for my last day at DHL. See you there.

219

I am now an employee of DHL. I am no longer just a contractor. Great commute, good people, fair benefits. I have no other leads at this time and need the paycheck, I signed up.

I am trying to keep the search alive for a management position.

I don't know what happened, but they are not planning to extend an offer at this time. That was a fantastic waste of 3 months. Well, off to other opportunities.

Putting this with Intel's decision to seek more candidates, I am feeling a little undervalued.

I think it went well. We had lunch together at a Carlsbad Tavern. It was a fun place that I may have to visit with Karen. We talked about running development shops and owning your own business.

Direct Alliance called back to say my salary was not out of range and I was still being considered.

Intel seems to be out, though.

Tomorrow is ON! reduced from a full day of interviews to lunch with the principals, but it's on. I am stoked! (I am old enough to use the word stoked. I have a license, really)

Purdue has now voluntarily pulled Palladone from the market due to an unknown interaction with alcohol. This is like watching a plane crash onto an auto wreck. Where is this stuff originating? What else can go wrong for my friends at Purdue?

One more time I travel to Assist Technologies for a Multiple interview. I think. They keep canceling these interviews so we will see.

The interview for the Documentum job went well, I think. Intel will be closed Monday and Tuesday so no word is expected until WEdnesday at the earliest.

DHL wants an interview next week and Direct Alliance is ready to talk on Wednesday. All good things for the Job Search.

I have a technical telephone interview with Intel for the Documentum Job. I should be able to answer their questions easily. Here is hoping...

That went well. I don't think I will get the position for which I applied, but they have another position in mind. It was a vicious interview, three interviewers, rapid questions, kinda like the average user requirements meeting, only very short.

I got a call from Jason at Modis. THey want to do the interview today at 3:30 and that will lead to the DHL interview (I hope).

It's been Bloody! At least half are gone or on 90 days to gone. It's been an emotional ride. I was on IM with some survivors, some short timers and a lot of Ex-employees.

Well, it was OK. The interviewer did not seem excited, but he didn't seem excitable, either. I don't really know what to expect.

The guy was from Boyertown, PA. Small world indeed!

I have a lead on an Intel job. It's a Documentum administration / implementation position. I am well qualified, but I need to get my resumé read. I have a contact and I spruced up the document for them. Let's hope!

The news is slowly coming in about the Purdue staff reduction. Some close friends are getting hit already. This will not be pretty!

I am trying to keep in touch. I am also encouraging everyone to get LinkedIn so we can stay in touch and maybe get these folks some jobs!