Some happy personal news

I’ve mentioned before that I travel with my husband for his work.  We’ve been doing this for years.  We were on the road so much traveling from plant to plant that we ended up selling our house and putting our things into storage.  We could not justify paying a mortgage on a place were “visited” only a few weeks a year.  Ever since then, we’ve lived in extended stay hotels and driven anywhere his company sent us, trucking our cats and personal items along with us.  It’s been crazy.

The most recent facility he was sent to was located on Southern Michigan right at the Ohio border.  The closest extended stay hotel was in Ohio, so that’s where we’ve been since last fall.  Now, as a matter of ethics, let me explain that hubby was contracted to work for a company who was working in the plant.  So the plant is NOT his company’s customer.  In his field, that’s an important distinction.

The other engineers at the plant made it known to my hubby that the facility was looking for an in-house engineer like him and that they would really like to see him put in for the position.  We discussed it at length – I was definitely attracted by the idea of finally being able to settle down in one location again.  And I’ve come to really like this area a lot.  We would live near the plant which is in a totally rural area but have a number of bigger towns/cities within a reasonable distance including Toledo, Detroit, Ann Arbor and Adrian. 

They made him an offer today – at a considerably higher salary than he makes now, “technically.”  I say technically because right now, he ends up working, on average, 65 hour weeks.  With the new job, he’ll make the same amount – for 40 hours a week.  A normal life!  Plus, the benefits package is incredible – medical, dental and vision for next to nothing per week.  3 weeks paid vacation.  5 personal days.  5 additional personal days for the week between Christmas Day and New Years, along with all the normal holidays – Christmas, New Years, Easter, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.  Benefits don’t kick in for 90 days, so the company will pay our COBRA to continue our current coverage until the new coverage kicks in.  And they’re giving him a stipend to cover the post of his boots and safety glasses.  All total, in his industry, this is a dream position.  And it’s the kind of position you keep until you retire.

He is putting in his 2 weeks notice today.  His current company has a history of firing people as soon as they give notice.  The new company is ready to have him start Monday if that’s what happens.  Or in two weeks, whichever works out. 

So I’ll be house hunting this weekend!  I’ll find a rental house for now.  There are many in the area.  Once we’ve had time to get more familiar with the area and where we want to live, I’ll begin house hunting in earnest. 

It’s so stupid, but I’m sitting here grinning from ear to ear just thinking about getting all my stuff out of storage and moved into a house again.  No more hotel rooms!  Wheeeeee!!!!!