Corporate America to Main Street America

Some exciting news – I quit my job in Corporate America to go work in Mainstreet America! Throughout my career I have always worked for large, publically traded companies. I have had the opportunity to live outside of Colorado and travel to various oil and gas fields. I’ve also done a lot of varied things in my career: reservoir engineer, production surveillance engineer, drilling engineer, planning engineer, and manager.

I’ve seen nearly the entire cross-section of my industry and somewhere along the way I stopped having fun. I stopped being excited about what I do and I started having a growing frustration with the processes involved and how decisions are made that don’t seem to align with the very thing that makes money in my industry – getting oil and gas out of the ground. Combine that with the level of uncertainty with my company in terms of strategy and decision making and I just felt the need to begin looking for the next opportunity.

I considered many positions at large, publically traded companies, with small start-up companies, and even with equity backed companies that have a build and flip model with significant upside financial opportunity. I found the big companies to be ‘more of the same’ and small start-up companies lacking in certainty of being around in a year’s time. Although completely different than my experience to date, the equity backed companies were more of a work really hard (i.e. long hours) for 5 years for a possible payoff.

I’ve had the luxury of being very picky because all in all, I have a pretty secure job with great pay and great benefits. The next job had to be better, not just different. So when I found a company that needed all of my skillsets to be used in one role, with owners who are talented business men with strong technical skills, that didn’t ask me to give up my work/life balance, my pay, or my benefits (and in fact are sweetening the deal), it was a very obvious decision.

So I quit my job in Corporate America. I’m going to work for a small privately owned company. No shareholders, no board of directors, no executive team, no reserves/compensation/portfolio management committees. Just a focus on getting more oil out of the ground to make more money. And working from the outdoor deck in the summer if I choose isn’t so bad. Oh and the glass of wine after work right out of the owner’s wine cabinet in his office is something I could definitely get used to. I am so very excited for this next adventure.

Progress in karate

Charlotte decided she wanted to take karate instead of doing a second session of gymnastics. About 2 weeks ago I was talking to her about it and come to find out she thought that she won gymnastics because they gave her a medal. I explained that she has to move up to the next class and get another medal. She was oh, so excited about it!

So in a couple weeks she will take gymnastics on Mondays and karate in Wednesdays. Cooper wants to stay in karate until he gets a black belt he says. 

Cooper got his yellow belt and Charlotte has her white belt. The black stripe on Charlotte's belt means she has an understanding but has not mastered the skills.  The white stripe on Cooper's means he still has some things to learn before being solid yellow. Cooper has told Chris that he needs a display case for all his belts.

 

On our way to kindergarten

Can you believe the kids will be starting kindergarten next year? I am so excited to enter this next phase with them. Parenting has become so much more enjoyable to me as they’ve gotten older. I see so many parents sad about their kids getting older and I just find myself relishing in the new changes and growth I will get to see in my children.

We had kindergarten orientation a couple weeks ago. There was a lot of information provided, and they did a lot of ‘selling the school’, which was confusing to us since we already chose to send our kids there (it’s the elementary school a few blocks from the house, but ranked very highly in the nation). I don’t think Chris and I have many concerns or worries about them starting kindergarten or going to a new school. We’ve learned that they adjust very quickly and they both absolutely love school.

When we got home and I told the kids what they would get to learn, I loved seeing which one got excited about what. I told them they would get to do science projects and learn about math, and Cooper started yelling/screaming and jumping up and down. When I mentioned that they would get to do art projects and play sports (they will get do this in the Kindergarten Enrichment Program, aka full day kindy) and Charlotte was the one to get excited.

There is a summer program the kids can participate in as well. This will help give Chris a mental break this summer, as well as let the kids get exposed to their new school and even take some fun field trips (like the tour of Mile High stadium and Coors Field).

We’ve decided to separate them into different classes, which all the teachers support. The kids are excited to have their own teacher and even make new friends. I think Charlotte may have a tougher time adjusting based on conversations with their current pre-school teacher. Charlotte will often follow Cooper around class or constantly look for where he is playing. Cooper seems to be the opposite and gets annoyed that Charlotte is always around.

We also spoke with the teachers about Charlotte’s medical history and possibility of delays. We don’t want to create an issue that isn’t there, but we also have found it’s important to address any issues immediately when they come up. Charlotte struggles to stay focused and the pediatrician says that is highly likely a direct result of the exposure.  The teachers were happy to have her history and they have a great program should she need additional assistance.

Medical Updates

I got new glasses! It’s been nearly 3 years since I’ve gotten new frames and the styles have changed so much! Although they ordered the wrong type of lenses for my astigmatism (spherical) so it sort of felt like I was looking through a fish bowl. I was off balance and dizzy, so I felt a bit nauseous by the end of the day. I had reorder the lenses, and I finally feel normal!

Cooper hit his chin on Charlotte’s head really hard and knocked a tooth loose. Besides it hurting very badly, he was pretty upset about the tooth being loose and possibly falling out. I told him he would be okay and soothed him. Then once he calmed down a bit I was in Chris’ office chatting with him. Cooper came in a little more upset and told Chris, ‘Daddy I hit my tooth and it’s loose!’. Chris very bluntly tells him ‘It’s okay, it’s just going to fall out in a few days.’ Cooper became hysterical about his tooth falling out and immediately ran to me. I told Chris that was what he was most scared of. Who knew that teeth falling out could be so scary to a 5 yr old!

So I helped calm him down again and explained about how everyone get big teeth because their little baby teeth fall out. And that the most amazing part is that the tooth fairy collects your teeth when they fall out and pays you money for them. Cooper then asked if he could pull his tooth out right now. Apparently it’s not so scary to have your teeth fall out once you know you get money. Hahaha!

We did take him to the dentist and they took x-rays.  His two lower adult teeth have already cut the roots off both teeth so they are close to falling out anyhow.  So now we just wait!

Sense if style

Cooper showing off his sense of style. Also how to make an umbrella a hunting rifle for 'hunting wabbits' in that one show with the bunny. Lol.