Dave in Seattle 2: Electric Boogaloo

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 10:22 am

OK, now I can finally talk about this.

Microsoft just bought my company - http://blogs.microsoft.com/?p=53751" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - and I'm going to be moving to Seattle.

Unfortunately, the timing isn't good for my wife and kids, so they'll still be here in NC for another year. My wife's a professor and she already signed her contract for next year, and it would be very unprofessional to back out now. For my kids, we're way passed the private school acceptance deadline, so it just makes sense to leave them here for a year.

It'll be kind of a shitty year, but I'll come back as often as possible. I haven't been able to talk with anyone about the particulars of this yet - I don't even know who my manager will be - but I'm pretty confident I'll be able to make it work.

So yeah, crazy times.

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 10:33 am

Congrats man. It does sound like it is going to be a crazy year.

At least you made out better than Homer.

Post by **brian** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 10:42 am

Hurry up and get on the 2016 Sounders season ticket waiting list. Congrats on the new job though. (No specifics necessary, but do you reap any personal rewards from the sale?)

ETA: Besides getting to keep your job.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 10:55 am

brian wrote:Hurry up and get on the 2016 Sounders season ticket waiting list.

You haven't experienced soccer until it involves pyrotechnics and marching bands.

(Congrats.)

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 10:55 am

It is known: all Daves must go to Seattle.

Glad you are keeping your job, fingers crossed the year passes swiftly.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 11:24 am

Keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel.

And a hearty congratulations!

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 11:41 am

Two DavesinSeattle! Congrats on the new gig. Let me know if you decide to visit the Bay Area.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 11:56 am

Nice work, Rerun.

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:04 pm

Yes, I'll make a little money off of my stock options, but nowhere near Fuck You money.

I very nearly didn't take the offer to move. There are a lot of negatives to moving out there:
- Housing prices are nearly double what they are here
- Private school is nearly twice as expensive (and we aren't putting my autistic son in a huge public high school)
- My wife would have to give up her newly-tenured faculty position
- We've lived in NC for 21 years now and nearly all of our professional contacts are here (not to mention friends)

But, with a combination of signing bonus, retention bonuses, a raise, and a good job opportunity, we decided to pull the trigger. It's going to be a stressful transition though, particularly for my wife who will essentially be giving up or pausing her career. My hope is that she will be much happier when she's not working 80 hours a week.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:09 pm

That is so, so awesome. Congrats.

As a dude who knows a thing about picking up, leaving everything, and moving to random places, the transition will be tough, but totally worth it.

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:13 pm

Johnnie wrote:That is so, so awesome. Congrats.

As a dude who knows a thing about picking up, leaving everything, and moving to random places, the transition will be tough, but totally worth it.

Man, we have accumulated SO much shit in our house. We were already thinking/planning on selling to move closer to my kids' school, but this bumps things up a bit. I took 6 huge Rubbemaid bins of old clothes to Goodwill last night. It was a mere drop in the bucket of the crap in my walk-up attic. It's gonna be a fun summer.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 12:36 pm

Yard sale time.

I have no family, so the amount of my stuff I have isn't very much comparatively. And I tend to live light as well.

But yea, you just don't know how much shit you have until you have to move it.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 1:44 pm

Johnnie wrote:Yard sale time.

I have no family, so the amount of my stuff I have isn't very much comparatively. And I tend to live light as well.

But yea, you just don't know how much shit you have until you have to move it.

Kids and wives don't just add to the stuff. They multiply it exponentially.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 2:05 pm

sancarlos wrote:Two DavesinSeattle!

Sounds like an NBC sitcom that'll get cancelled after 4 episodes.

Congrats.I love Seattle, even discussed going there a few months ago, but unlike you Microsoft didn't want me. Have Original DiS check in with his freezer vodka former neighbor, maybe that guy is looking for a roommate.

travzilla · Post by **travzilla** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 2:14 pm

Congratulations Dave, sounds really exciting.

I read your post as "microsoft bought my company" instead of "microsoft bought the company I work for" and was super impressed you ran that very advanced sounding business (and still managed to swamp as much as you do ;), and figured you were cashing in a lotto ticket.

What ever happened to CarSmart, or whatever it was?

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 2:28 pm

BrightCar!

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 3:59 pm

Yeah, that was poor wording. Unfortunately I don't own BlueStripe. Just an early employee. Also unfortunate - we didn't sell for Instagram-type money.

Post by **brian** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 4:42 pm

Shirley wrote:Yeah, that was poor wording. Unfortunately I don't own BlueStripe. Just an early employee. Also unfortunate - we didn't sell for Instagram-type money.

Which is strange because application management technology sounds sexier than a place for self-absorbed twats to post selfies.

Post by **Shirley** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 4:45 pm

brian wrote:
Shirley wrote:Yeah, that was poor wording. Unfortunately I don't own BlueStripe. Just an early employee. Also unfortunate - we didn't sell for Instagram-type money.
Which is strange because application management technology sounds sexier than a place for self-absorbed twats to post selfies.

I can promise you our code was much harder to write!

Post by **brian** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 4:47 pm

Shirley wrote:
brian wrote:
Shirley wrote:Yeah, that was poor wording. Unfortunately I don't own BlueStripe. Just an early employee. Also unfortunate - we didn't sell for Instagram-type money.
Which is strange because application management technology sounds sexier than a place for self-absorbed twats to post selfies.
I can promise you our code was much harder to write!

Oh, I have no doubt of that. That's the irony of software development I suppose.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 7:24 pm

tennbengal wrote:It is known: all Daves must go to Seattle.

Don't I wish. Congrats, rerun Dave.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Wed Jun 10, 2015 9:09 pm

mister d wrote:
tennbengal wrote:It is known: all Daves must go to Seattle.
Don't I wish. Congrats, rerun Dave.

Get it together, mister D. Even my old roommate Dave moved up there.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 6:51 am

Congrats, Dave and here's to as smooth a transition as possible.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:35 am

Congrats Dave. Seattle is great. Traffic is terrible (especially compared to the the Research Triangle). And when you retention bonus time is over you can join Amazon like all of my ex-MSFT colleagues have done.

Since you will be familyless for weekends, I highly recommend exploring the snot out of the area
Snoqualmie
The islands
Portland
Vancouver
Victoria
Tiger Mountain
Rainier
Dick's Drive In

Post by **brian** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 8:42 am

Also, smoke copious amounts of weed.

Post by **Shirley** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 9:46 am

I actually haven't smoked pot since my freshman year of college. I'm looking forward to firing one up again.

wlu, it's funny that so many people you know have moved to Amazon. It has a reputation as a pretty shitty place to work. Much more cutthroat than MS. They actually sized us up as well, but I don't think ever got to where they made a formal offer.

Post by **brian** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 9:48 am

Shirley wrote:I actually haven't smoked pot since my freshman year of college. I'm looking forward to firing one up again.

wlu, it's funny that so many people you know have moved to Amazon. It has a reputation as a pretty shitty place to work. Much more cutthroat than MS. They actually sized us up as well, but I don't think ever got to where they made a formal offer.

I know a handful of people who work for Amazon, some based in Las Vegas (where they have a HUGE distribution center, but also some accounting and marketing people) and a couple who moved to the head office in Seattle and while they all say it's a horrible place to work the people who ended up in Seattle said it's better there at least.

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 9:56 am

Shirley wrote:I actually haven't smoked pot since my freshman year of college. I'm looking forward to firing one up again.

There's a pot store up the street from my office called "#HashTag". Pretty clever, considering they are located on Stone Way, and they passed up the much easier joke.

wlu, it's funny that so many people you know have moved to Amazon. It has a reputation as a pretty shitty place to work. Much more cutthroat than MS. They actually sized us up as well, but I don't think ever got to where they made a formal offer.

I've heard that about Amazon as well. Its the place for young kids, fresh out of CompSci majors, to work for 3 or 4 years, blow all their money on ridiculously overpriced condos on Capital Hill, burn out, and then move on to another job. I had a phone interview with them, and I just went "yeah.....I don't think so...."

As I mentioned in the email I sent you, I'm sure the move is going to be difficult for everyone involved, but you're going to love it out here. Especially now that our weather seems to be changing to more of the California style (Snow? not no more..."June-uary?"....thing of the past).

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 10:00 am

So its basically the company version of public accounting?

rass · Post by **rass** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 10:16 am

Shit Shirley. You weren't the one who initially posted this, were you?

Post by **Shirley** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:46 am

rass wrote:Shit Shirley. You weren't the one who initially posted this, were you?

I'm not showing my wife that. She already thinks we're going to die from a volcano, earthquake, or landslide out there. Maybe all three at once.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:52 am

Don't forget dysentery.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:56 am

caffeine overdose

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 11:58 am

Massive concussion from being hit by a fish?

Choking on flannel?

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 12:00 pm

[strikethrough]Freak NBA courtside accident[/strikethrough]

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:02 pm

Sunday Funday---NFL games start early and the late game is not so late

Oh if you are in the Redmond campus ----ProSports Club (it was a benefit you could elect when I was there). Makes going to the gym just enjoyable. Michael Chang played tennis their and the Sonics worked out there (during the strike) when I was as MSFTer. 1 of the hoops courts is the old Sonics court, the other is the NCAA Final Four court from Seattle. Raquetball & Squash courts (ladders so you can almost always get a game).

But....ACC Hoops are going to be a bit hard to watch at 4:30

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 2:11 pm

You should learn all the cool hipster things so when your family gets out there and starts to pick everything up you can confidently mock them for being into something that's so last year.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:13 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote:But....ACC Hoops are going to be a bit hard to watch at 4:30

With wife and kids being three hours ahead, he can DVR and watch this season in peace and quiet after getting home from work.

Post by **brian** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:14 pm

DSafetyGuy wrote:
wlu_lax6 wrote:But....ACC Hoops are going to be a bit hard to watch at 4:30
With wife and kids being three hours ahead, he can DVR and watch this season in peace and quiet after getting home from work.

...while smoking a jay and enjoying a microbrew.

Post by **brian** » Thu Jun 11, 2015 3:14 pm

...And wearing a porkpie hat.