Today was my last day at Klir Technologies. It was announced yesterday that Klir would be closing its doors. Honestly, I was ready for a change. Don’t get me wrong, I was treated fairly and treated with respect at Klir and I will miss working with some good people. For me, I now have the opportunity to focus on my own business and get some rest and relaxation for the remainder of the summer. I hope to now call the 40 hour work week a thing of the past.

The 40 hour work week is taking its toll on my health.

I’m sure this sounds crazy to someone who works 70-80 hour weeks for Microsoft, but enough is enough. I’ve had tingling in my extremities, dizziness, back pain and tightness in my throat. I went to two different doctors, a naturopathic physician and my chiropractor and the consensus seems to all point to one thing: work-related stress. My job is not particularly demanding, but I am required to be there 40 hours per week (or more), even if there’s no projects to work on. It’s the constant sitting in front of a computer and the idle time that is just wearing on me in the corporate environment. Read the rest of this entry »

September is a great month to be on vacation. The weather in Seattle is still nice, but the crowds at the parks, beaches and downtown are smaller because the kids are all back in school. So here’s a rundown of the various things I’ve enjoyed since my layoff:

• Went kayaking in the Washington Park Arboretum
• Attended a pre-season football game at Qwest Field (gotta love those tight pants)
• Upgraded my web server to PHP 5
• Spent time with my family before my brother’s wedding
• Made a huge pot of homemade chili

I have plenty more things planned for my time off, including more work on my business and job interviews. It has been a nice break from the usual routine.