Why is no one online when I feel like chatting?

Had some fairly interesting news today. For those of you who don’t know, I got a job offer last month from the United Space Alliance in Houston, TX. They flew me down to interview with them, and then sent me a job offer a few weeks ago. The catch was, I had to start immediately. Well, I had to email them back and say I couldn’t because I couldn’t leave Deedee here for 4 or 5 months, alone. I got an email back from them today saying that they’d hold the job for me if I started as soon as possible in December.

Oh, I also should add that I no longer have a nice, coushy assistantship at the university, anymore. My research took a turn I didn’t want to take, and as a result, I’m no longer a real RA. I lost my assistantship and my huge paycheck.

It’s also worth mentioning that I decided to drop the research I was doing before I got the email about the job.

So, as things go, some would say this is a Sign (TM). I tend to agree. I’ve asked for a direction in my life for so long, and then I lose my PhD topic, lose my research, and get a job offer working for NASA in Houston… It’s not quite the meteor crashing down through my ceiling with a note that starts “Dear Chad” and ends “Signed, God”, but it’s not exactly something I can dismiss, either.

As it stands, I have to change schools. I’ve burned some bridges here at State, and I have to leave by next fall, anyway. Change schools, start over on a PhD… 4 years, then a job hunt, etc, etc…

Or, Take this job, and in 3 years move into a flight controller position… possibly even a job training astronauts. Ya know… that whole space thing I’ve wanted to do for how long now??

ok… I gotta run… more later…