the weblog of m.kelley

{Up With Grups – The Ascendant Breed of Grown-Ups Who Are Redefining Adulthood — New York Magazine} – “And it’s been a long time coming. It showed up in the early eighties as “the Peter Pan Syndrome,” then mutated to the yuppie, which, let’s face it, has had a pretty good run. Later, it took the form that David Brooks called “bourgeois bohemians,” or bobos (as in Bobos in Paradise). Over in England, they’re now calling them yindies (that’s yuppie plus indie), and here, the term yupster (you can figure that out) has been gaining some traction of late. And as this movement evolves, something pivotal is happening. This cascade of pioneering immaturity is no longer a case of a generation’s being stuck in its own youth. This generation is now, if you happen to be under 25, more interested in being stuck in your youth.”

This is basicially me and a lot of my friends. It goes back to a saying I heard in 2004, that made me really really embrace being 30: “30 is the new 20″.

I think we all remember “thirtysomething”. We’re not like that now. We’re not this boring group of adults, we’re a thriving and living group of people. I’ll tell you, I’ve had more fun in my two and a half years of being in my 30′s, than I ever did in the last decade of being in my twenties.

I’m more social, more fun, I fuck better, I enjoy life more. I’m not as tight-assed in my 30′s and I’m not afraid to let people see the not so straight-laced side of me. I do stay out late, but only really for band-stuff….although, having a vampire’s sleep schedule is really in my family. I’m not a morning person.

Yes, if you’ve know me, you know I’m not a huge fan of yuppies even though I look like one. I’m on the cusps of the quote above, a bohemian. Maybe it’s the “creative” in me or being a musician.

“When I ask Peccini what he sees himself doing in ten years, or at his dad’s age, he gives the typical Grup answer. “That’s a great question,” he says. “I don’t know. But I like my life.”"

The linked article ends with questioning the future and I’m doing that too. I’m wondering how long someone can remain a self-taught web designer, when there are kids out there now who have been designing as long as I have AND can actually get a web design degree? Hopefully, I’ll be in management or on tour before that door closes.

god, I love horoscopes…

….not mine, your’s.

I’m being fed like a king today. Management hasn’t said anything, but between the cakes, the BBQ, the little bits of food, the breakfast, the lunch I know that I will be missed. Talk about an ego boost!

Like I’ve said for a while now, the people at work are great. People I’ll actually miss. The work was at time tedious and hours long, but the shop wound up being more stable than when I came in. I honestly feel like this is “my baby” I’m giving up willingly. If the hours improved and the pay and benefits increased, I would have thought about staying a little longer. My goal was to be out by the end of April, and I’ve beat that by a month.

I interviewed a few people for the position and one of them gave me the “nerdies”….nerds that give me a bad impression. My choice for the job is an old-school Mac guy, well respected and could hold a conversation with people….no nerdies there.

There’s been a familiar refrain since I’ve turned in my notice, “You know, they normally don’t let you finish out a notice here”. My departure has kinda shocked the management here, to where they weren’t prepared to fill my size 9 1/2′s. It’s been ok, not everyone knows yet, but most do.

I’ve prepared a list of why I’m staying for that final week:

Going out with class, not in flames.
Lotsa knowledge to pass along.
I’m professional even when I’m not treated as such.
Thorn in side until the end.

That top one is what I’m striving for. I’m going to go out with class. For those who don’t work too close to me, they’ll just know that I “missed design” and I’m going to do that for more money/benefits as well as doing something I enjoy. I’ve already got a farewell card and apparently my departure is now the big buzz around the building.

It’s hard leaving people you enjoy working with. But you must do what’s best for yourself. In the end, you’re the one who’s there when the others have gone.

Anyone using Plaxo?

Our niece got sick at the last moment, so instead of going to her baptism or whatever they call it (they’re methodist, it’s not a methodism), we wound up driving some backroads of north Georgia with the in-Laws. Two of the places we visited were Fort Mountain and Barnsley Gardens (official).

The drive brought up a bunch of thoughts in me. For the mountain, the thoughts of Welch Pagans living in the N.GA mountains in the 1100′s never crossed my mind. But the native Americans in that area, described “Moon Eyes”. Blond people who came our at night and who were some type of moon or sun worshiping people. Would they be Pagan or druids?

Another drive thought, was seeing this ornate house that’s on the historical record. I highly doubt that Chief Vann every thought that upon his huge expanse of land would ever exist a ratty gas station. We would see these brand new houses right across the street from some little marker and questions if any of these people knew the historical significance of where they were living. It’s not just Civil War stuff, we had Revolutionary War happenings and we were in the heart of the Cherokee Nation. Lots of history happened ’round here.

We passed through a lot of small towns. Then we got to a point to where we could see the “Atlantaisation”…bigger, yuppier houses that were only about 45 minutes south of where I live. As Atlanta grows larger like it’s commutes, eventually it will be “normal” to have people work in both Metro Atlanta and Metro Chattanooga and live in the same area. Not sure if this is good, I’ve see where a lot of the local style has been replaced by fancy stores and SUV’s. It’s progress but at what cost?

To answer some of your questions….

Nope, still don’t have an official answer about the new job. They’re still running background checks (credit,employment,education,personal). Yesterday they called my big boss, so at least I know they’re actually doing a background check instead of saying they are, like some other companies I’ve dealt with.

If I hear something today, I’ll post it here and I’ll update my LinkedIn acct. & resume, accordingly. :)

Later…
See, I just knew that they would make an offer after I posted that.

(more…)

I went to the Tennessee Aquarium this weekend and took some photos. So I present : Tennessee Aquarium – a photoset on Flickr

I was watching the Daily Show last night, and they were rehashing the press conference (video) with Harry about his release from the hospital. So, I’m sitting there and all of a sudden, I realize I know one of the people on the screen. Seems like one of my friends (a former strategic VP & “one of the good ones”) from Erlanger, is now working for the hospital that took care of Cheney’s victim.