There was a time, not so very long ago, when Amy and I thought we would indeed realize our dream of buying this house we are in currently. More so than other residences we have lived in, we made this one our own. Sloan started and completed middle school and start high school during this time. Devlin was conceived, Amy was pregnant, and both were brought home here after Lil D was born. I feel it is safe to say that there have been far more great memories made here than bad.
But it is not meant to be. Our dream, such as it was, was destroyed when my former employer, EPRI, decided they had to lay off me and 49 other people in February. Even after this setback, we tried to keep a positive attitude because I have never been out of work for longer than three months at the most...
Just about nine months later, I still have no prospects. I have submitted over 200 resumes to various companies in the South bay, the North Bay, and the East Bay. I have had a handful of phone interviews and even fewer on-site interviews. As angry as all of this has made Amy, she has had no choice but to remain at EPRI in order to ensure a steady income. At this point, we have to re-evaluate what we are doing and how we can possibly shore up our reserves and protect the family...
Tomorrow, Amy and I (with Devlin in tow) are driving to Tracy to check out a couple of houses to possibly rent. To give you an idea of how much of a difference there is between the South Bay and whatever area one would refer to Tracy as being in (I would say it is more Central Valley): One of the house we are looking at is two stories, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 1899 square feet with a pool...priced just over $500 less than what we pay here in San Jose for considerably less space. That seems to be pretty standard for the area; whatever we choose, we will end up being able to save anywhere from $300 to $500 per month. As much as we are saddened by the need to move, we simply cannot argue with those numbers. Yes, Amy will have to commute in, taking a train and bus to get to Palo Alto, perhaps driving one day, perhaps working from home one day. But the pressure will be off of us for me to find a job quickly; we can literally do more than just get by on Amy's salary alone.
So, that is where we are at. It is going to be hard, at least emotionally, especially for Sloan who is at that all-important time of creating friends and forming groups that may follow her through her high school and college life.
Coming up on midnight and I really need to get some shut eye before we get up and go in the morning. Will write something this weekend as a recap after we check these houses out and see where the dice land...
