Of Happenings!

"razorbeamteam" (razorbeamteam)
10/25/2018 at 10:16 • Filed to: Of happenings

Hey Oppo, long time no talk. I’ve been MIA for the last month or so, but much has happened and after reading this post, you’ll know about it! Apologies for the long post, but also no one is forcing you to read it.

First off, I told you all I quit my hellhole sweatshop of a job. Don’t go looking for the post, because I deleted it for fear of retribution by my ex-employer. For those of you who don’t memorize details of my life, I’ll give a little backstory:

Back in 2016 I was working for a great mid-sized bank here in Chicago, and loved it. Great co-workers, great culture, and great career progression. For whatever reason, I decided to ruin all that and take a chance with a career change. So in January 2017 I joined a boutique turnaround/restructuring consulting firm.

I knew consulting would be a tough business, but I didn’t expect the culture of the firm to be so terrible. It’s the kind of place where happiness goes to die. 60-80 hour weeks were the norm and personal time was verboten. Vacations were non-existent, with the Company policy being 10 days a year, each approved at least 30 days in advance, and subject to cancelation at any time. On top of that, my boss (the owner of the firm) had a terrible temper and insane expectations. The smallest thing such as a typo could send him into an angry tirade.

So, after 21 months of this hell I finally quit and joined my old team back at the bank. The difference has been night and day and I honestly don’t see how I made it so long in such a negative, horrible place. It was affecting my relationship with my girlfriend, my time with my family, and my sanity. I was headed for a really dark place if I had decided to stay.

Anyway! Since I left, I took three weeks between jobs and got back to a more normal mental state. I visited friends and family, did a 100 mile bike ride, and just generally got back to normal. I also went with my brother down to Red River Gorge in Kentucky to put his new (to him) 4Runner TRD pro through its paces on some trails.

As well as some beach driving with my girlfriend in Nantucket when we were there for a wedding. Nantucket is beautiful and renting a Joop was the perfect rainy day activity on this incredible island.

However, I am glad to report that my happiness truly peaked last Friday…

We got engaged at the most beautiful spot in Maine, and we’re so excited to start the next chapter of our lives. It was an incredible expereince that I’ll remember forever. Sorry for all the emotions, but sometimes I can’t help it.

The only smudge on the last month that I can identify has been the fact that the Range Rover has been in the shop for 3 weeks now. It had been having some really strange ignition issues including hard starting, running rich, and stumbling on acceleration. I was at my wits end, so I dragged it to my favorite shop here in Chicago (Albany Auto in North Center) so they could sort it out. It took a professional mechanic 6 hours of diagnostic time to even begin to have an idea of what the issue was. Their current theory is that when I had my alternator rebuilt, the windings were done wrong and it is sending out a magnetic field which is screwing with the distributor pickup. They are still diagnosing and I’m afraid to ask what my bar tab is so far. It makes me wish I had gone ahead with the carb conversion I was thinking about a few months ago, but cest la vie. I’m just looking forward to getting it back and having a clean bill of health on it.

Oh, it apparently developed a sized brake caliper while it has been in their care. Seriously, Land Rovers man.

So that’s what’s up with me. I hope you all have been well. I look forward to spending more time on Oppo and reading about all your happenings as well.

DISCUSSION (10)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > razorbeamteam
10/25/2018 at 10:26

Oh, it apparently developed a sized brake caliper while it has been in their care. Seriously, Land Rovers man.

Unsure if this is “dog peeing when in unfamiliar place” behavior or “cat pooping outside the litter box” behavior. To narrow it down some, would you say it’s been coming off as more sick , or fraidy-cat/angry?

razorbeamteam > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/25/2018 at 10:30

Oh it’s sicker than a dog, always has been. Its like a kid with a weak imune system that’s alergic to the sun and eats by itself at lunch.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > razorbeamteam
10/25/2018 at 10:30

WOOO!!!! Congrats on the engagement and getting the job back!!!

razorbeamteam > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
10/25/2018 at 10:30

Thanks!

vicali > razorbeamteam
10/25/2018 at 11:12

Work is great, gets engaged, Range Rover is broken...

Glad everything is back to normal !

HoustonRunner > razorbeamteam
10/25/2018 at 12:42

Glad to hear. I work at a small firm (you might call us boutique), and we have a restructuring practice. And that practice grew quite a bit in 2016 / 2017. And hired a number of people in that area. And now some of the those people have left. I don’t think it is the same place (we are Houston / NY based and I can’t recall anyone from Chic ago), and I really hope it isn’t based on your experience. I haven’t worked directly with our Managing Partner in any capacity (I’m on the business process / technology side of the firm and he is not), and I’ve never heard anyone describe him like that, but it does make me a little concerned that I can’t definitively say “nope, that isn’t my company”. Was the place you worked focused on energy / oil / gas / power and based in Ho uston?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > razorbeamteam
10/25/2018 at 13:24

Congrats!

razorbeamteam > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
10/25/2018 at 14:02

Thank you!

razorbeamteam > HoustonRunner
10/25/2018 at 14:03

Nope, no risk of that. This firm is just one office, only in Chicago.

HoustonRunner > razorbeamteam
10/25/2018 at 14:27

Good to know.