Changes

[Barklessdog]

I just thought I would give you guys an update on whats been going on.

I kind of have gone through a mid-life crisis. My dog un-expectedly had cancer and we had to put him to sleep. We were with him to the end. Had to be the worst experience I have been through. It left a huge hole in me. Other dog owners say the only way to get over it is get either get another dog or never get another dog. I have never experienced a darkness like this that was cast on me. My dog was always with me at home, so I could not even go out in the yard without being reminded of him. When I walked our other dog people kept asking where the other dog was. It was horrible. So we decided to adopt a rescue Basenji (which were advised by many not to do).

We adopted a 3 year old male moose of a basenji, who took a month to straighten out (a month of hell), but has turned out to be the best dog we ever owned.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/Basenjis/SHAD.jpg

Next our my company which has been struggling for the last four years, was unable to continue to pay my partner and myself, so I left to find employment. I tried switching professions, which got me a few interviews, but no jobs, so I got employed full time back in my profession. The company has been great to me, this will be my second month of employment. It has been a great challenge after being on my own for 20 years to be working for someone else, but I am adapting well. They even gave me an undeserved Christmas bonus and am getting the holiday off paid!
The grass is greener on the other side and I wished I had left long ago, when I knew where we were headed. I discovered how much age and being and working at (self employed) one place for 20 years was a huge detriment.

So now at work I am expected to work, so that is why I am not around much more.

I have a lot to be grateful for. Happy Holidays

[gweimer]

Glad to hear that things are better.  I had a similar year last year, and came out with one of the best years of my life.  It looks like you're headed in a good direction.  Change is hard, but change is often good.  The best years of our lives lay ahead.

[uwe]

Dogs and humans die. That doesn't mean you shouldn't spend time with either.

It's weird even less than grown up that Western Culture is in such a state of self-denial about death. We all die for sure and we have known that pretty much ever since we could grasp our first thoughts, no one ever told us otherwise. For an agnostic like me, death is at worst a light-switch turned off, at best Jesus shows up in a halo of light and says: "Ha, and you thought I didn't even exist, what do you say now?" And I will then answer truthfully: "Well, come to think of it, I'm really happy to meet you here now! Still, may I ask you a couple of questions?"

I'm happy to hear from you, John, that "being employed" works out well for you, I had a hunch that things with your company were not going well and how that might have kept you away from here. Midlife-crisis is like acne, we all go through it, I had mine comparatively early in my late thirties/early forties.

One question: What is your original occupation?

Frohes Neues Jahr!

Uwe

[godofthunder]

  John, So sorry about all this. Sounds like things are looking up. Not easy loosing someone or a pet.

[Granny Gremlin]

Condolences and congratulations respectively, ole bud.  

I too was the one responsible for putting down the family dog when the cancer became unberable for him.  My cuz is a vet so she did a housecall.  I held him to the end, wrapped him up in his grubby, chewed up blanket and carried him to her car, blind from the tears.

I still miss him sometimes, but I no linger "hear" his chain/tags jingling like I used to.

Still get ghost pages sometimes though.  Usually when I'm not even on call and the pager isn't even in my pocket.

[exiledarchangel]

Very sorry about your loss John, my deepest condolences. I have lost a dog when I was younger from poisoning, it was hell for me. I never got another dog. But then I met my wife and her dog, and I felt I was so stupid for not having a dog again.

Also, I want to congratulate you for the job, I know its a hard time for almost the whole globe. While in Greece I was unemployed for almost 2 years, I had to leave my appartment and live with my wife in her homestead, along with her mother, and her dog ofcourse! We have some mini-jobs that helped us stay alive and pay for food, coffee and internet bills! Then we got the big decision to move to another country, well because things here just don't work anymore. So here I am in Germany, looking for a job, and hoping for the best.

[patman]

Glad to hear things are working out for everyone...I too suspect I am entering a year of "transition".  Hard to see how it's all going to shake out at this point.

[Denis]

Glad to hear things are better. Life can be bumpy and rough sometimes so to hear it's smoothed out is really good news.
My condolences on the loss of your dog. In 2011 I had to let my cat of 18.5 years go. It was the right decision but definitely hard as hell and I miss that cat a lot.

[Dave W]

John, so sorry to hear about your troubles and the unexpected loss of your Basenji. Losing a pet is always hard, even more so when they're younger and it's unexpected. Hope your new work situation turns out for the best.

When you're away we do notice. I assumed you were just busy with various stuff.

[Highlander]

The best of luck for the future and so sorry for your loss...

[Lightyear]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your dog - we went through the same thing not too long ago ourselves - it's never easy.

I've always admired anyone with the stones to start their own business - seems like the stress is automatically quadrupled to start with and only goes up from there.  It sounds like the new job is working out for you and I'm sure the stress level is much more tolerable.

[Barklessdog]

Thanks everyone, change can be and usually is for the best, its just hard leaving security, especially in these times and at my age.

I am in toy design and development, which is a shrinking industry, it has been since the first video game system came. Now babies and 2-5 year olds get Ipads or other tablets for Christmas. Traditional games are way down as is the industry as a whole. Kids will always have plastic toys (lego Monster High Dolls) but shelf space and sales are shrinking overall.

I really wanted to get out a try another design field, but was unsuccessful in find employment. I can really close to getting hired in a Medical Equipment product company, which would have been great, job security / benefits wise, but kind of boring in everyday working. Still I found employment and can't complain, it turned out great so far. Best thing I did in a long time.

Having your own business was very stressful, but its a different kind of stress when your working for someone else. However its much easier to leave work behind. When I my own I was working 7 days a week (working 10-12 hours a day weekdays) for 4 YEARS!.  I had no life outside of work, it was horrible. Start your own business be your own boss set your own hours- It was a ball and chain.

I really look forward to getting back to playing bass and enjoying life and weekends.

[uwe]

I knew you were in toy design with your own company but was that your original profession? And does that mean you are in toy design now with your new employer?

[rahock]

These loss of a pet stories absolutely yank my heart out. They affect me more than anything else .
Remember all the good things and enjoy your success .
Rick

[Barklessdog]

I knew you were in toy design with your own company but was that your original profession? And does that mean you are in toy design now with your new employer?

I graduated from the Cleveland Art Institute with a major in Industrial Design and got hired by a Toy Invention Company out of Collage. They started the toy invention business having invented a lot of the classic toys and games like Rock Em Socken Robots, Simon, Operation, Ants In Your Pants etc.

Yes I have always been a toy inventor and my new employer does the same.