old car, new car, blue car

I would say I'm a pretty sentimental person, case in point being the way I feel about my old cars. The car I learned to drive on, a 1986 Volvo station wagon covered in college stickers, was truly a part of Riester family lore. I have to say I was a bit sad when I heard my father had abruptly decided to junk it a few months ago. The next and most recently 'passed' car was my 1992 Buick Regal, which I've been driving for the last three years. Like the Volvo, the Buick has been in our family for years, in fact since it was brand new and my father's then company car. I remember driving around in it as a kid and then years later it became mine, driving many times back and forth from college, going on fencing road trips and getting me around post-graduation. Last week I bought a 2007 Nissan Altima and my family and I decided to trade the Buick in where it will surely be scrapped. Well, I guess I have been clunking around in this car for quite some time, but I was admittedly sad when I took it on it's final drive to the dealership to pick up my new car. So long, old friend.

Well, back here in reality, my new car rocks. Dark blue exterior, black interior, keyless, drives like a dream. I could go on. For all those people that remember me driving around in old cars - without AC, without working volume on the stereo, or working headlights, or working turn signals, or working interior lights (as in using a flashlight to see what gear I'm in), with bad breaks, a leaky sunroof, and a myriad of other weird problems - those days are gone.

ending and beginning

In anticipation for what I knew would be a hectic week - finishing one job and then starting a new one - I took a three day weekend so I could relax and have a break. I was suppose to go out to a nice dinner, visit the Finger Lakes and then kick back at a friend's cottage in Canada. I did end up doing some of those things, but relaxing it was not. My weekend turned into a three day bender with me waking up with a wicked hangover and a why-did-I-do-that sense of regret every day.

Back at work and feeling mindless, it wasn't easy to tie up all the loose ends before the end of the week. At 4pm on Friday I was still finishing the last of it while my (now old) boss was dragging me to happy hour at Nietzsches. It was sad to say goodbye and for a minute I had that I-hope-this-is-the-right-decision feeling. Just for a minute.

Now I'm at the new job and things are going really well. I have a lot of work ahead of me but I feel like I have direction, ambition and the know-how to handle it all.

and now for something totally different

Well, I've made another leap into the unknown and decided to leave my job as a project manager for a web design company and accept a position as a marketing associate in a different field. This was a really difficult decision but after a lot of thought I decided it was the best move for me.

I've had a lot of fun at my current job - I will certainly miss my co-workers, the excitement of working in Allentown and the dynamic work enviroment. I'm sure I won't miss the deadlines and the corresponding on-the-job stress, but so it goes. I'm trading in street clothes and a view of the Old Pink for corporate attire and the view from a new company car. All told it will be a huge change.