New Paths

Okay, here is the promised update. I guess it won't be a total marathon, but it will catch you up on the recent happenings in my life. It has been crazy busy, but only really because of two things - work, and wedding prep.

The most important thing of course is the wedding. I think we're almost ready for this! Our venues are booked, invitations were sent out (actually, still a couple more to send) with most RSVPs received, license is in place, the wedding bands are bought - to be delivered in a couple weeks, the dress is bought and "final fitted", bridesmaids dresses are made (I think), tuxes are reserved, flower orders are in place, rentals are arranged, musicians are in progress, the preacher ... well, he comes included by default. The only really big ticket item still to be booked is the honeymoon. We want to go somewhere sunny, but book last minute to save a few bucks. We'll likely end up going to DR or something. Take a look at our website if you want to know more about the wedding - like my blog, it is also in need of an update, but there's no sense putting all the info in two places. (dead link removed)

The really big, most recent news though is a career change for me. I've now officially given notice at my current job, so its not a secret anymore. Before I worked for Honeywell, I worked at Bombardier on the Skytrain Millennium Line project in Vancouver. In January, a colleague from that project sent me an email titled "Where are you and what are you doing?" He had been hired by SNC-Lavalin to be the lead manager for all the systems installations on the Canada Line (nee RAV Line). In English, that means all of the civil work (ie. concrete) is nearing completion, and it is his job to fill that empty box with a train system. SNC-Lavalin does all the engineering design, and he takes that design and turns it into reality. As an aside, the Canada Line is a new transit system similar to Skytrain that will run from Richmond and the Vancouver airport to downtown Vancouver.

Why he was contacting me was, he wanted me to join his team on the project. He was planning to hire a few guys (around 15 or so) to work as full-time consultants on a project management team, with each person responsible for different areas of the project. As a team, our job would be to hire the subcontractors and other resources necessary to get the SNC design built, and get a fully functioning rail transit system installed and tested by the end of 2009.

Those next couple of months flew by. I was definitely interested in this kind of work, so he went ahead and got approval to hire me. Once that was through, I set out to form my consulting company, hiring a law firm to do my incorporation with the province. Once that was done, we sat down and signed the contract. I'll spare you the other details, but where we are right now is I own my own company (Trenic Consulting Inc. - http://www.trenic.ca - oh look, another site I need to update), and I have signed a contract to begin work on the Canada Line on June 11. I still need to hire an accountant to help me figure out business taxes, but that is in the works.

The most stressful part of all of this though was giving notice at Honeywell. You know, I have honestly enjoyed that job too. The work load has sometimes been a bit overwhelming, but the group of guys I worked with there were fantastic. I definitely count them as friends, not just co-workers. A few of us, including my bosses, play hockey together, another one I worked out with (past tense because I've been too busy to get out lately), and the rest we just got along well and did social stuff together once in a while. I've never actually quit a job before, it's always been co-op jobs, or a big project that had a fairly well defined finishing date. It was really hard to give notice at Honeywell, but I did it, and my bosses were professional about the whole thing, even if a little surprised. I hope I will still get to play hockey with those guys, and keep in touch with them. My last day at Honeywell will be May 18.

As you can see, the timing of all of this is working out really well. Last day at Honeywell on May 18, a week off to do last minute prep for the wedding, then two weeks off after the wedding to go on a honeymoon and relax on a beach somewhere, then June 11, start into a new job. It will be so nice too, to come back from a vacation and not come in to find 400 new emails and 30 voicemails waiting for you. I'll be starting with a clean slate!!

New job, new wife ... new LIFE! These are exciting days.