The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good

It's the weekend! Even on a work at home day Friday, it still feels like the weekend has begun. Bring it on. Working from home also lets me work in a row during my lunch hour. In addition, Daughters #1 and #2 will be visiting this weekend with their respective spouses. Daughter#1 is headed for a wedding in Richmond on Saturday and will be spending tonight with us. The plan is for a family luncheon tomorrow before they head on to the wedding. Daughter#2 will be here since Daughter#1 will be. We also expect The Son to put in an appearance or two as he emerges from his cave.

The Bad

Daughter#2 got the official word today that she is being laid off by the Virginia Department of Transportation or VDOT as it is known. It wasn't totally unexpected given Virginia's large budget deficit and the word had been out for some time that layoffs were coming. You can read more about it here. The layoffs were based on seniority and Daughter#2 was practically the junior employee in her area (Rockingham County). Still getting the word that you no longer have a job is a miserable experience even if you have been preparing yourself for it. She'll have a job until October and get a severance package and hiring preference for other state openings, so hopefully she won't be unemployed for long. With her lay off, both twins are now unemployed and Daughter#1 only has a part time job. You don't have to convince this family that the economy sucks. On a brighter note, The Son did have a series of interviews today so he possibly may have a job by next week. Daughter#1 has also had interviews for coaching positions for rowing in her area, including one for a university. She still has a deep love for rowing so that would work well for her.

The Ugly

My row today. We have a front coming through and a severe thunder storm warning for later today. I still thought going out for a row today over my lunch hour was a good thing. When I got to Sandy Run, the water looked a tad choppy, but I decided to man up and go out anyway. Probably not the smartest thing I've ever done. I row a single for fun and a way to relax. Rowing in windy conditions with a heavy chop does not contribute to a fun row. It was a fight all along the way with occasional respites that allowed me to settle down a bit. I was happy to get back to the dock. The fact the no one else was out should have clued me in to just pass. Live and learn.