LIGHTNING STRIKES & IT ALL CRASHES DOWN

I am going to ramble a bit here. Life went on in  California. We spent much of our free time exploring the coast south of SAN Fransisco and enjoying the sights. One of our favourites was the Carmel/Pebble Beach area. We loved the fisherman”s Pier at Carmel and had many seafood experiences there. By this time I had mostly done away with my camera  and thought I was now a full on movie producer. My restoring of these videos, a few years back, proves that I was NOT. During this period we were getting used to the idea of spending the next few years in this area. We also were considering buying a home.

However, we we were still at a point where any significant savings was only going to happen, if my company started paying me more than we could spend. So far that was not the case. And then lightning struck. 

One morning I arrive at the office early as usual. And as usual there is only one guy there, who just happened to be our leader. I was early each day but this guy was always there. I become to suspect that he either had a bed in there. Or was perhaps, some kind of alien that didn’t need sleep. Usually this guy was scurrying around like a giant Peruvian Cuy (guinea pig). Making sure everyone’s work assignment for the day was on their desk when they arrived. The Project team occupied a full floor in the building. There was well over 100 of us. Today when I arrived he was sitting in his office with the appearance of a big old toad. “Hey” I quip “wasamatta, you sick”?

With his eyes bugging out and the same blank look as a toad, he hands me a telex he is holding and says “read this”!It was from the client’s office in the Middle East and said (I paraphrase), “please be advised that effectively immediately on today’s date and at this time you are to stop ALL work on our Project, in place. You are to leave everything as is and do NO further work! We are NOT interested in an orderly close out. Stop all work now. Further instruction to follow”. “Geezus” I say and plunk down beside him. It was like a kick in the nuts, very focusing, and you knew some major pain was coming. We were stunned but then scurried around and gathered all drawings and paperwork off everyone’s desks before they arrived.

It was a stunned and silent group of people that arrived for work that day and was told what was taking place and why their desks were empty. Everyone was instructed to just to go to our desks and more would be explained as further info became available. It was a major shock. Of course everyone had immediate concerns for their future and what was to come next. Many of these people had been in this office since graduating from University and knew little of how to go about finding something else.

The company, over the next few days/weeks placed people wherever they could and where it was not possible, major layoffs were made. I was lucky in that, I was given an assignment to help the manager of the group I was in and thereby keep me out of sight and employed while my future was determined. Well soon it was announced, my fate! And Goodbye California and Hello Utah! Once again we were off, maybe a little quicker than expected but it was a solution. We did say we wanted to travel right? Join me in Ogden, Utah tomorrow.